April 4, Thursday, 2024

1. Search and rescue efforts continue in Taiwan following Wednesday’s deadly earthquake. On Thursday morning, people waited at a station in a village in the north of Hualien County, close to the epicenter. Many tried to catch the first train after being stranded. 2. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa says the Japanese government is ready to provide necessary assistance to quake-hit Taiwan, but there has been no request at this point, which suggests the Taiwanese side is focused on respons3e measures for now. 3. Retail giant Aeon has recalled about 860,000 bottles of mineral water in Japan after some customers reported a foul smell coming from the products. The 2-liter bottles of water were sold under the company’s Topvalu brand. Aeon stopped selling them on Monday.