12-year-old shoots Goldsboro home intruder during robbery

"[The intruder] just shot his grandma... He would have shot him too, he would've shot me too, he would've killed us all."

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  • Lindsey Graham claims GOP will try to impeach Kamala Harris

    Senator falsely claims vice president bailed out ‘rioter’ who later ‘broke somebody’s head open’

  • Devastation as 500 tanker blast destroys Afghanistan-Iran customs post

    A catastrophic explosion and fire at an Afghan customs depot has destroyed hundreds of fuel tankers and caused traders tens of millions of pounds of losses. A series of blasts hurled lorries hundreds of yards into the air and deposited the crumpled remains of fuel tanks as far as half a mile from the blast site. Nasa satellites could reportedly see the blast from space and the fire was so intense that Afghan officials appealed to neighbouring Iran for help. The blast on the Iranian border in Western Afghanistan destroyed as much as $50 million worth of vehicles and goods, the local chamber of commerce said. “It's a huge catastrophe for the private sector,” said Younis Qazizada, a spokesman for the chamber. Health officials in the nearby city of Herat said only 17 people had been injured, but with the customs depot entirely incinerated, there were fears bodies would only be found later. The cause of the blast was unknown, officials said. “The devastation is much higher than we imagined,” said Mr Qazizada. “There's no infrastructure remaining at all.” Some estimates put the number of destroyed fuel tankers as high as 500. The blast site was still smouldering on Sunday. Electricity pylons had been knocked down by the force of the blast and the highway next to the depot was blocked by incinerated vehicles. Crowds looted many of the remaining lorries and on Sunday there were repeated bursts of gunfire as soldiers tried to keep order. Local traders blamed delays by customs officials for building a dangerous backlog of tankers are the border. Iranian state media said the country had sent several helicopters, 11 fire engines and 21 ambulances to the scene after requests for help from the local governor. Units of the Iranian Army's Ground Force were also sent to the border area and the Iranian police were drafted into rescue operations.

  • Biden’s Executive Order on Housing: Replacing Old Sins with New Ones

    President Biden’s flurry of executive orders has now extended to housing policy — and to a pledge to reverse the Trump administration’s approach to “fair housing.” Specifically, that would mean reversing the Trump reversal of an Obama-era rule known as “Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing” — designed to introduce “affordable” (read “subsidized”) housing into higher-income, suburban zip codes. To justify a return to this controversial policy, President Biden rehearsed a long litany of federal housing-policy sins. He’s right about many of those — but wrong about his approach to redress. More subsidized housing, in the tragic public-housing tradition, will only spur division and do little to help minority groups in their quest for upward mobility. It is incontrovertible, as President Biden stated in his executive order, that “during the 20th century, Federal, State, and local governments systematically implemented racially discriminatory housing policies that contributed to segregated neighborhoods and inhibited equal opportunity and the chance to build wealth for Black, Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and Native American families, and other underserved communities.” Most significantly, the Federal Housing Authority would not insure mortgages for blacks in white neighborhoods, and racial covenants — deed restrictions against blacks (and Jews, by the way) — were the norm into the 1950s. Urban freeways ploughed through low-income, often (though not exclusively) minority, neighborhoods, displacing thousands. Today, we are left with the Cross Bronx Expressway and the Chrysler Freeway. Even this apology is, however, selective. African Americans, particularly, suffered the tragedy of a (still) favorite progressive program: public housing. A key history here is underappreciated. Historically black neighborhoods — Central Harlem, Detroit’s Black Bottom, Chicago’s Bronzeville, Desoto-Carr in St. Louis — were denigrated as slums, even though they were home to large numbers of residential property owners and hundreds of black-owned businesses. When they were cleared to make way for public housing, they were replaced by high-rise hells in which ownership — asset accumulation — was by definition impossible. The social fabric of self-help, civil society, and upward mobility was ripped apart. Blacks have always been, and remain, disproportionately represented in public and otherwise subsidized housing, often trapped into long-term dependency by counterproductive policies: When their income rises, so does rent. Compensating for this dual history of outright racism and harmful progressivism must not mean a new generation of housing sins. But Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing, should it be restored, is just that. Federal pressure — through the leverage of local aid programs — to force the introduction of subsidized rental housing for low-income tenants has long been a guarantee of resistance by lower-middle class residents, white and black, justifiably concerned that households who have not strived and saved to make it to their neighborhoods will pose problems. Concentrations of housing-voucher tenants, dispersed by the demolition of some public-housing projects, have already spread dysfunction and poor maintenance — including into apartment buildings in Warrensville Heights, the Ohio hometown of Marcia Fudge, the incoming secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Racial integration and fair housing remain goals for which America must strive. But that means understanding how neighborhoods work. Americans, black and white, self-select to live in areas in which they share the socioeconomic characteristics of their neighbors. Some liberals might not like that — but those are their personal choices, as well. When minority-group members share the economic and educational backgrounds of new neighbors, the odds of intolerance are vastly decreased. That’s why “fair housing” should mean nondiscrimination — not subsidized new developments. Instead, Biden is doubling down on the example set by the Obama administration in Westchester County, which was forced to spend $60 million to subsidize 874 housing units — in a county in which racial and ethnic minorities are already well represented. That means that current black and Hispanic homeowners, who have bought their homes through striving and saving, will have to see their county taxes used to subsidize others to the tune of $68,000 per home. The “exclusionary” suburbs won’t be pried open by confrontation. There will be endless lawsuits. Instead, HUD, if it’s to have any useful role, must try to use such tools as model zoning (suggestions, not mandates) to convince local planning boards to permit the market to build naturally occurring affordable housing — small homes, including small multifamilies, on small lots. Historically, that’s how the American working class was able to afford homes. An administration truly interested in correcting the housing-policy sins of the past would not overlook the existing problems of public and subsidized housing. Here’s a bold idea: sell off public-housing projects on high-value real estate (see the Brooklyn waterfront) and provide cash compensation to its residents. They should be able to move where they like — or just put the money aside. There’s a lot about our housing past to correct. Doubling down on previous sins is not the way to start.

  • US cold snap: Why is Texas seeing Arctic temperatures?

    Freezing temperatures have been recorded across the usually hot southern US state.

  • French hospitals to move into crisis mode from Thursday, report says

    France's Health Ministry has asked regional health agencies and hospitals to enter "crisis organisation" to prepare for a possible surge in coronavirus cases as a result of highly contagious variants, Le Journal Du Dimanche reported. The move, which would echo measures taken in March and November when France went into lockdown, involves increasing the number of hospital beds available, delaying non-urgent surgery and mobilising all medical staff resources. Reuters was not able to independently confirm the contents of the memo cited by Le Journal Du Dimanche.

  • Parasitic worms could hold key to anti-ageing, researchers suggest

    Parasitic worms could hold the key to a 'fountain of youth' pill, according to new research from University College London. Being infected with proteins derived from parasitic helminths, like hookworms and whipworms, may prevent heart disease, dementia and other life threatening conditions, researchers suggest. And it could help fight inflammation and ward off age related illnesses. The worms, which once lived harmlessly in our intestines, have largely disappeared from westerners due to our modern lifestyles, including good sanitation. But lead author Bruce Zhang, a biology student at University College London's Institute of Healthy Ageing, said the loss of our “old friends” may be linked to increases in ageing-associated inflammation. "A decline in exposure to commensal microbes and gut helminths in developed countries has been linked to increased prevalence of allergic and autoimmune inflammatory disorders,” he said. "A further possibility is this loss of 'old friend' microbes and helminths increases the sterile, ageing-associated inflammation known as inflammageing." The study, an assessment of previous research into the topic, published in eLife, raises the possibility that helminth therapy could help keep us young. Previous research suggests that inflammageing fuels a range of disorders from cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and osteoporosis, the researchers said. One theory is that it is caused by changes in the gut microbiome, but little consideration has been given to the role of the macrobiome - the ecosystem of organisms larger than bacteria. This includes helminths such as flukes, tapeworms and nematodes. A review of previous papers found helminth therapy can successfully treat inflammatory disorders such as coeliac disease. It can also stop - or even reverse - the ageing process, research has suggested. The loss of helminths has been linked to asthma, eczema, bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes, the researchers said. Some studies have shown infection with helminths soothes symptoms and animal experiments suggest they also reduce the risk of disease.

  • Biden administration has "deep concerns" about WHO's COVID-19 probe

    President Biden's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement on Saturday that the administration is concerned by the World Health Organization's (WHO) probe into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. Why it matters: Sullivan said the administration fears the Chinese government may have intervened or altered the findings of the investigation.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for freeContext: On the first day of his administration, Biden acted to return the U.S. to the WHO. The Trump administration had started a withdrawal from the organization in July 2020.WHO teams last month conducted the investigation in Wuhan, China, where the virus first emerged. The investigation had been agreed to last May, but it was delayed after Chinese officials withheld authorization to allow the international team's scheduled visit. The delay drew a rare rebuke from WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.The WHO team concluded that it's "extremely unlikely" the virus came from a laboratory accident, and that it most likely jumped to humans via an intermediate species.“Our initial findings suggest that the introduction through an intermediary host species is the most likely pathway and one that will require more studies and more specific, targeted research,” said WHO scientist Peter Ben Embarek.What they're saying: "The mission of the World Health Organization (WHO) has never been more important, and we have deep respect for its experts and the work they are doing every day to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and advance global health and health security," Sullivan said in a statement."But re-engaging the WHO also means holding it to the highest standards. And at this critical moment, protecting the WHO’s credibility is a paramount priority." "We have deep concerns about the way in which the early findings of the COVID-19 investigation were communicated and questions about the process used to reach them.""It is imperative that this report be independent, with expert findings free from intervention or alteration by the Chinese government. To better understand this pandemic and prepare for the next one, China must make available its data from the earliest days of the outbreak."The big picture: Going forward, Sullivan said all countries, including China, should be more transparent in order to prevent health emergencies like the coronavirus pandemic and allow other countries to respond to them faster.The other side: The Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., said in a statement the U.S. has in recent years "severely undermined multilateral institutions, including the WHO, and gravely damaged international cooperation on COVID-19." So the U.S. should not be "pointing fingers at other countries" who've supported the WHO, the statement added.Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from the Chinese Embassy.Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.

  • The curious case of the fugitive drug 'kingpin' who outran his charges

    After three decades on the run, Howard Farley Jr. was arrested in Florida, where he had been hiding in plain sight.

  • Wintry weather blanketing US making rare dip to Gulf Coast

    Snow and ice blanketed large swaths of the U.S. on Sunday, prompting canceled flights, making driving perilous and reaching into areas as far south as Texas’ Gulf Coast, where snow and sleet were expected overnight. "Typically, we just don’t have quite this much cold air in place that far south,” said Marc Chenard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center. The storm has prompted officials in Houston, where temperatures were in the 70s (20s Celsius) earlier this week, to advise residents to prepare for power outages and hazardous roads that could be similar to those experienced in the wake of a Category 5 hurricane.

  • Thousands protests after Myanmar night of fear

    At a Yangon pagoda four suspected ex-criminals lie, tied up, on the ground.They were caught overnight by residents in the Sanchaung neighborhood, who fear Myanmar's military released them to cause trouble.Worries about criminal activity have increased since Friday (February 12), when the junta announced it would free 23,000 prisoners.They said the move was consistent with "establishing a new, democratic state with peace, development and discipline"But unverified pictures on social media have fueled rumors that criminals are trying to stir unrest by setting fires or poisoning water supplies.Tin Myint, who was among the crowds that detained the men in Sanchaung, cited pro-democracy protests in 1988 - when the military was widely accused of releasing criminals to stage attacks."We think the military intends to cause violence with these criminals by getting them to infiltrate the peaceful protests. Then the military will have a reason to extend their power to crack down on violence."The men were handed over to police. The government and the army could not be reached for comment.This is just one episode from a night in which residents patrolled together, fearful of attacks and arrest raids.But despite their worries, people were once again out in force on Sunday (February 14) - from thousands marching in Yangon and convoys of motorbikes in the capital Naypidaw, to drumming in the coastal southeastern town of Dawei and flag-waving and revolutionary songs in Waimaw, in the mountainous, far-northern Kachin.One common thread across those protests - the face of Aung San Suu Kyi.Her detention, on charges of importing walkie-talkies, is due to expire on Monday (February 15). Her lawyer could not be reached for comment on what was set to happen.

  • Trump’s impeachment attorney mocks reporter in whiny tone then walks out of interview

    Michael van der Veen accused the media of being ‘bloodthirsty’ during the interview with CBS anchor Lana Zak

  • Giving hospital-admitted patients Vitamin D could cut Covid deaths 60 per cent

    Giving high-dose Vitamin D to coronavirus patients when they are admitted to hospital could cut deaths by 60 per cent – double the benefit of the best current drug, new research suggests. Scientists from the University of Barcelona showed that patients prescribed calcifediol – an intensive dose of Vitamin D usually used for people with chronic kidney failure – had their risk of admission to intensive care dramatically cut and death rates significantly lowered. Currently the steroid dexamethasone has shown the greatest impact, reducing deaths by 30 per cent, and is now recommended to seriously ill NHS patients. But the new study suggests that calcifediol could be twice as beneficial if given early. In the study, 10 per cent of patients admitted to the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona with coronavirus died within 30 days. However, while 57 out of 379 (15 per cent) control patients died, just 36 out of 551 (6.5 per cent) of those treated with calcifediol died. They found that earlier treatment was better. If given on admission to intensive care, the treatment made no difference.

  • One in custody in connection with suspected human smuggling incident

    In a chilling 911 call this week, a migrant told Texas dispatchers that he and about 80 others were trapped in a tank truck. They have not been found.

  • Biden order reestablishes faith-focused White House office

    President Joe Biden signed an executive order Sunday relaunching a White House office aimed at fostering cooperation between the federal government and faith-based and secular community organizations. The order reestablishes the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, a 20-year-old initiative first put in place by President George W. Bush. The White House said the office’s early goals under Biden will include working to “address the COVID-19 pandemic and boost economic recovery; combat systemic racism; increase opportunity and mobility for historically disadvantaged communities; and strengthen pluralism.”

  • Bendable concrete and other CO2-infused cement mixes could dramatically cut global emissions

    Bendable concrete created at the University of Michigan allows for thinner structures with less need for steel reinforcement. Joseph Xu/University of Michigan College of EngineeringOne of the big contributors to climate change is right beneath your feet, and transforming it could be a powerful solution for keeping greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere. The production of cement, the binding element in concrete, accounted for 7% of total global carbon dioxide emissions in 2018. Concrete is one of the most-used resources on Earth, with an estimated 26 billion tons produced annually worldwide. That production isn’t expected to slow down for at least two more decades. Given the scale of the industry and its greenhouse gas emissions, technologies that can reinvent concrete could have profound impacts on climate change. As engineers working on issues involving infrastructure and construction, we have been designing the next generation of concrete technology that can reduce infrastructure’s carbon footprint and increase durability. That includes CO2-infused concrete that locks up the greenhouse gas and can be stronger and even bendable. The industry is ripe for dramatic change, particularly with the Biden administration promising to invest big in infrastructure projects and cut U.S. emissions at the same time. However, to put CO2 to work in concrete on a wide scale in a way that drastically cuts emissions, all of its related emissions must be taken into account. Rethinking concrete Concrete is made up of aggregate materials – primarily rocks and sand – along with cement and water. Because about 80% of concrete’s carbon footprint comes from cement, researchers have been working to find substitute materials. Industrial byproducts such as iron slag and coal fly ash are now frequently used to reduce the amount of cement needed. The resulting concrete can have significantly lower emissions because of that change. Alternative binders, such as limestone calcined clay, can also reduce cement use. One study found that using limestone and calcinated clay could reduce emissions by at least 20% while also cutting production costs. Apart from developing blended cements, researchers and companies are focusing on ways to use captured CO2 as an ingredient in the concrete itself, locking it away and preventing it from entering the atmosphere. CO2 can be added in the form of aggregates – or injected during mixing. Carbonation curing, also known as CO2 curing, can also be used after concrete has been cast. These processes turn CO2 from a gas to a mineral, creating solid carbonates that may also improve the strength of concrete. That means structures may need less cement, reducing the amount of related emissions. Companies such as CarbonCure and Solidia have developed technologies to use these processes for concrete poured at construction sites and in precast concrete, such as cinder blocks and other construction materials. Carbon dioxide can make up a significant percentage of concrete mass. Lucca Henrion/University of Michigan, CC BY-ND The Kitahama building, the tallest residential tower in Japan, is built with bendable concrete for earthquake resistance. MC681/Wikimedia Commons At the University of Michigan, we are working on composites that produce a bendable concrete material that allows thinner, less brittle structures that require less steel reinforcement, further reducing related carbon emissions. The material can be engineered to maximize the amount of CO2 it can store by using smaller particles that readily react with CO2, turning it to mineral. The CO2-based bendable concrete can be used for general buildings, water and energy infrastructure, as well as transportation infrastructure. Bendable concrete was used in the 61-story Kitahama tower in Osaka, Japan, and roadway bridge slabs in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The challenge of lifecycle emissions These cutting-edge technologies can start addressing concrete infrastructure’s carbon footprint, but barriers still exist. In a study published Feb. 8, three of us looked at the lifecycle emissions from infusing CO2 into concrete and found that estimates did not always account for emissions from CO2 capture, transportation and use. With colleagues, we came up with strategies for ensuring that carbon curing has a strong emissions benefit. Overall, we recommend developing a standard CO2 curing protocol. Lab experiments show that CO2 curing can improve concrete’s strength and durability, but results vary with specific curing procedures and concrete mixes. Research can improve the conditions and the timing of steps in the curing process to increase concrete’s performance. Electricity use – the largest emissions source during curing – can also be reduced by streamlining the process and possibly by using waste heat. [Deep knowledge, daily. Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter.] Advanced concrete mixes, bendable concrete in particular, already begin to address these issues by increasing durability. Merging infrastructure and climate policy In 2020, a wide range of companies announced steps to reduce their emissions. However, government investment and procurement policies are still needed to transform the construction industry. Local governments are taking the first steps. “Low embodied carbon concrete” rules and projects to reduce the amount of cement in concrete have cropped up around the country, including in Marin County, California; Hastings-on-Hudson, New York; and a sidewalk pilot in Portland, Oregon. In New York and New Jersey, lawmakers have proposed state-level policies that would provide price discounts in the bidding process to proposals with the lowest emissions from concrete. These policies could serve as a blueprint for reducing carbon emissions from concrete production and other building materials. A lot of North American infrastructure is in a state of disrepair. Achim Herring/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY Nationally, the crumbling of federally managed infrastructure has been a steadily growing crisis. The Biden administration could start to address those problems, as well as climate change, and create jobs through a strategic infrastructure program. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg recently declared that there were “enormous opportunities for job creation, equity and climate achievement when it comes to advancing America’s infrastructure.” Policies that elevate low-carbon concrete to a nationwide climate solution could follow.This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Lucca Henrion, University of Michigan; Duo Zhang, University of Michigan; Victor C. Li, University of Michigan, and Volker Sick, University of Michigan Read more:Biden plans to fight climate change in a way no U.S. president has done beforeWhat is climate-ready infrastructure? Some cities are starting to adapt Lucca Henrion works as a research fellow in the Global CO2 Initiative at the University of Michigan. He is a volunteer with the Open Air Collective. Duo Zhang works as an assistant research scientist at the University of Michigan. He conducts research on carbon-sequestering concrete materials.Victor C. Li receives research funding from the Department of Energy (ARPA-E) and the Aramco Company. He is the James R. Rice Distinguished University Professor at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Professor Li directs the Center for Low Carbon Built Environment (CLCBE) at the University of Michigan.Volker Sick receives funding from the US Department of Energy and the Global CO2 Initiative at the University of Michigan.

  • You may be eligible for more COVID stimulus money. Here’s how to get it

    You may be eligible for more stimulus money. We explain how.

  • Archaeologists unearth world's oldest known beer factory in Egypt

    American and Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed what could be the oldest known beer factory at one of the most prominent archaeological sites of ancient Egypt, a top antiquities official said on Saturday. Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the factory was found in Abydos, an ancient burial ground located in the desert west of the Nile River, more than 280 miles south of Cairo. He said the factory apparently dates back to the region of King Narmer, who is widely known for his unification of ancient Egypt at the beginning of the First Dynastic Period (3150BC-2613BC). Archaeologists found eight huge units - each is 20 metres (about 65 feet) long and 2.5 metres (about 8 feet) wide. Each unit includes some 40 pottery basins in two rows, which had been used to heat up a mixture of grains and water to produce beer, Waziri said. The joint mission is co-chaired by Dr Matthew Adams of the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, and Deborah Vischak, assistant professor of ancient Egyptian art history and archaeology at Princeton University. Adams said the factory was apparently built in this area to provide royal rituals with beer, given that archaeologists found evidence showing the use of beer in sacrificial rites of ancient Egyptians.

  • Authorities search for suspect in 2016 homicide after skeletal remains identified as missing Louisiana woman

    The remains were found in a rural area of Evangeline Parish, Louisiana during the search for a missing child in December 2018.

  • Mitch McConnell's impeachment two-step portends challenge for Biden and Schumer

    With his words and deeds, Mitch McConnell has shown how to retain power when you no longer hold it. Why it matters: Perhaps the most powerful Senate leader since LBJ, McConnell sets the chamber’s agenda whether in the majority or, as he is now, the minority. This reality has huge consequences as President Biden pushes for coronavirus relief, confirmation of his nominees and legislation crucial to Democrats' popularity ahead of midterms.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for freeThe Kentucky Republican's survival instincts were on display Saturday at the end of Donald Trump’s impeachment trial. McConnell previewed, then cast, his influential vote against convicting the former president — only to deliver a blistering condemnation of Trump just after his acquittal, noting he can still be held accountable for his actions in civil or criminal courts.McConnell's two-step allows him to maintain fidelity with the majority of the Republican caucus while trying to damage Trump's chances at a comeback, and claiming some moral high ground with the broader American electorate.In areas where Democrats may now hold the votes to steamroll McConnell — such as using budget reconciliation power to pass COVID relief with a simple majority — he is positioning Republicans as the victims rather than drivers of partisan excess.Don't forget: McConnell enabled Trump throughout his presidency, standing with him through ethically, legally and politically questionable behavior while actively pushing through slates of conservative jurists and a deficit-raising tax cut.Only after the Electoral College made Biden's 2020 election win official did McConnell criticize Trump's behavior and publicly break with him.McConnell telegraphed his impeachment approach with his pre-trial actions: He slow-rolled the proceedings until Trump was out of office, then argued it was unconstitutional to try him because he was out of office. That helped create what Democrats termed a “January exception” to the impeachment process.Flashback: McConnell in 2016 previewed his tactical ruthlessness when he created a different kind of exception — refusing to fill the late Justice Antonin Scalia’s vacancy on the Supreme Court until after President Obama left office.That effectively established precedent to deny an outgoing president a high-court vacancy during his last year if the opposing political party holds the Senate, thus controlling confirmations.Be smart: Biden is president and Chuck Schumer holds the title of Senate majority leader. But Minority Leader McConnell will determine many of their wins and losses for the next two years — just as he did last week.More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free

  • Japan warned of aftershocks after earthquake severs power and injures 150 people

    Residents of north-east Japan have been told to prepare for further aftershocks after a magnitude 7.3 earthquake on Saturday evening left more than 150 people injured, nearly a million homes without power and thousands more without water. The quake also severed road and rail links, although authorities were quick to confirm that it had not triggered a tsunami and that none of Japan’s nuclear power plants have reported irregularities with their reactors. The tremor, which struck at 11:07pm, is the largest to strike Japan since April 2011 and experts say they believe it was an aftershock of the March 11, 2011, Great East Japan Earthquake, which registered a magnitude of 9 and was the largest quake in recorded history in Japan. Japan is preparing to mark the 10-year anniversary of that disaster, which triggered a series of tsunami that claimed more than 18,000 lives, causing destruction across a vast swathe of north-east Japan, and the meltdown of three reactors at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant.