Powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake triggers tsunami alerts in US and Japan. Plus, eight profound reasons to be hopeful for the futureDon’t already get First Thing in your inbox? Sign up hereGood morning.One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded triggered a series of tsunami warnings and evacuation orders stretching across Japan, the US west coast and much of the Pacific, with reports of waves up to 4 meters high in some remote regions of eastern Russia.What was the damage in the US? Smaller surges hit Hawaii, although a major, destructive tsunami was not expected and no damage was recorded. Hours later, parts of the US west coast were being hit by waves.What have people been told to do? Officials said residents should stay away from the water, saying the first waves were not necessarily the most powerful.This is a developing story. Follow live updates here.What will recognizing Palestine mean? It is in effect a formal, political acknowledgment of Palestinian self-determination – without the need to engage in thorny practicalities such as the location of its borders or capital city. Read our explainer here.What else is happening? A group of high-profile Israeli public figures, including academics, artists and public intellectuals, have called for the international community to impose “crippling sanctions” on Israel amid mounting horror over its starvation of Gaza. Continue reading...
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