Daily round-up, Sep 5: Deadly quake hits Sichuan province; Typhoon Hinnamnor approaches South Korea, Japan; Liz Truss to be new British PM

Let’s get you up to speed with the day’s stories.

A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck southwestern China on Monday (Sep 5), killing at least 21 people.

The quake hit 43km southeast of Kangding in Sichuan province at a depth of 10km, USGS says.

14 people were killed in Sichuan’s Shimian county and seven died in nearby Luding county. More than 30 were injured, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Tremors shook buildings in the provincial capital of Chengdu – where millions are confined to their homes under a strict COVID-19 lockdown – and in the nearby megacity of Chongqing, local residents said.

South Korea raised its typhoon alert to its highest level as the approaching Typhoon Hinnamnor forced flight cancellations, the suspension of some business operations and the closure of schools.

The typhoon is expected to make landfall southwest of the port city of Busan early on Tuesday, bringing “very strong winds and heavy rains” across the country, as well as “very high waves”, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said.

Japan too, braced for the impact of Typhoon Hinnamnor, which was already pounding parts of the westernmost main island of Kyushu with heavy rain.

About 70 flights were cancelled on Monday and some companies suspended production at factories in western Japan.

Liz Truss, 47, has been named Britain’s next prime minister and leader of the governing Conservative Party. She garnered 81,326 votes compared to former finance minister Rishi Sunak’s 60,399.

Monday’s announcement will trigger the beginning of a handover from Boris Johnson.

Truss inherits an economy set to enter recession before the end of the year, with double-digit inflation forecast to soar further.

Cats could be allowed in HDB flats if a proposed framework to manage felines is implemented. The Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS) is seeking public feedback on its proposed measures to improve cat welfare.

The ban on cats as pets in HDB flats has been in place since 1989. Here’s how the ban came about, what could change, what the proposals are, and how a new framework for responsible cat ownership is being piloted.