A strong earthquake struck northeastern Taiwan on Sunday, with residents reporting violent shaking in the capital Taipei but there were no immediate reports of widespread damage.

Taiwan's central weather bureau said the quake was of magnitude 6.5, the biggest on the island this year, while the US Geological Survey gave a lower figure of 6.2.

It hit northeastern Yilan county at 1:11 pm (0511 GMT) at a depth of 67 kilometres (42 miles).

An AFP reporter who lives in Yilan said the shaking seemed to last about 30 seconds.

"The walls of the house were shaking, both sideways and up and down, it felt quite strong," the reporter said.

There was no damage in his neighbourhood.

The main quake was followed by a 5.4-magnitude aftershock and Taipei's MRT metro system shut down as a precaution for a little under an hour before service resumed.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bali-earthquake-kills-three-injures-seven-421194">Bali earthquake kills three, injures seven</a>

Tom Parker, a British illustrator who lives in Taipei, said he was riding the subway when the quake hit.

"First time I've felt a quake on the MRT. Like a tame rollercoaster," he tweeted, adding he and other commuters were told to shelter in place in the station.

Many others reported the tremor on social media.

"I was scared to death, I screamed in my room," Facebook user Yu Ting wrote.

"This earthquake is really big, glass has shattered in my living room."

Some grocery stores reported food and other goods were thrown from shelves by the shaking.

Authorities said they did not expect widespread damage because the quake was not a shallow one.&nbsp;

"The public don't have to be too worried," said Chen Kuo-chang, head of the central weather bureau’s seismological centre.&nbsp;

"The quake is deep and its intensity is not as big&nbsp;it could have caused unpredictable damage if it were a shallow one," he added.&nbsp;

Taiwan’s emergency operations centre reported one injury, a woman hit by falling rocks. Her friends were carrying her down a mountain in eastern Hualien county.&nbsp;

Also Read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/61-magnitude-earthquake-shakes-tokyo-area-no-tsunami-danger-418955">&nbsp;6.1-magnitude earthquake shakes Tokyo area; no tsunami danger</a>

Taiwan is regularly hit by earthquakes as the island lies near the junction of two tectonic plates.

Some earthquakes of this magnitude can prove deadly, although much depends on where the quake strikes and at what depth.

Hualien, a scenic tourist hotspot, was struck by a 6.4-magnitude earthquake in 2018 that killed 17 people and injured nearly 300.

In September 1999, a 7.6-magnitude quake killed around 2,400 people in the deadliest natural disaster in the island's history.

However, a 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck in December 2020 in Yilan with no major damage or injuries reported.

A strong earthquake struck northeastern Taiwan on Sunday, with residents reporting violent shaking in the capital Taipei but there were no immediate reports of widespread damage.

A strong earthquake struck northeastern Taiwan on Sunday, with residents reporting violent shaking in the capital Taipei but there were no immediate reports of widespread damage. Taiwan's central weather bureau said the quake was of magnitude 6.5, the biggest on the island this year, while the US Geological Survey gave a lower figure of 6.2. It hit northeastern Yilan county at 1:11 pm (0511 GMT) at a depth of 67 kilometres (42 miles). An AFP reporter who lives in Yilan said the shaking seemed to last about 30 seconds. "The walls of the house were shaking, both sideways and up and down, it felt quite strong," the reporter said. There was no damage in his neighbourhood. The main quake was followed by a 5.4-magnitude aftershock and Taipei's MRT metro system shut down as a precaution for a little under an hour before service resumed. Also Read | Bali earthquake kills three, injures seven Tom Parker, a British illustrator who lives in Taipei, said he was riding the subway when the quake hit. "First time I've felt a quake on the MRT. Like a tame rollercoaster," he tweeted, adding he and other commuters were told to shelter in place in the station. Many others reported the tremor on social media. "I was scared to death, I screamed in my room," Facebook user Yu Ting wrote. "This earthquake is really big, glass has shattered in my living room." Some grocery stores reported food and other goods were thrown from shelves by the shaking. Authorities said they did not expect widespread damage because the quake was not a shallow one. "The public don't have to be too worried," said Chen Kuo-chang, head of the central weather bureau’s seismological centre. "The quake is deep and its intensity is not as big it could have caused unpredictable damage if it were a shallow one," he added. Taiwan’s emergency operations centre reported one injury, a woman hit by falling rocks. Her friends were carrying her down a mountain in eastern Hualien county. Also Read | 6.1-magnitude earthquake shakes Tokyo area; no tsunami danger Taiwan is regularly hit by earthquakes as the island lies near the junction of two tectonic plates. Some earthquakes of this magnitude can prove deadly, although much depends on where the quake strikes and at what depth. Hualien, a scenic tourist hotspot, was struck by a 6.4-magnitude earthquake in 2018 that killed 17 people and injured nearly 300. In September 1999, a 7.6-magnitude quake killed around 2,400 people in the deadliest natural disaster in the island's history. However, a 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck in December 2020 in Yilan with no major damage or injuries reported.

Strong earthquake strikes northern Taiwan

Eggs laid on a sandy beach in northern Italy by a loggerhead sea turtle, or Caretta Caretta, have hatched in what scientists describe as an “exceptional” event possibly brought on by global heating.&nbsp;

This is the first time that the hatching of Caretta Caretta sea turtle eggs had been recorded along the northern Adriatic coast.

Nine sea turtles were born on Wednesday night on the beach in Jesolo, which is a popular seaside resort close to Venice.&nbsp;

Also, this is where their mother had deposited 82 eggs, about 25 metres from the sea, overnight on 9 July.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coughs-and-lethargy-lions-tigers-at-washington-zoo-catch-covid-19-413914">Also read |&nbsp;Coughs and lethargy: Lions, tigers at Washington zoo catch COVID-19</a>

“This is the most northern nesting spot in the world, a truly peculiar geographical location,” Sandro Mazzariol, a professor of veterinary pathology at the University of Padua and coordinator for Cert, an emergency response team for marine animals, told La Repubblica.

In order to protect the turtles, a protective barrier had been put up around the nest. There were also volunteers from animal rights groups who kept vigil day and night.

Diego Cattarossi, the scientific director of the Tropicarium zoological park in Jesolo, told the local newspaper, Il Mattino di Padova, "The instinctive walk towards the sea is fundamental for the species because it helps them to memorise where the beach is, allowing the females to return to lay their eggs where they were born."

This was in context to a protective path of sand which was created to enable the reptiles to walk towards the sea.

Eggs laid on a sandy beach in northern Italy by a loggerhead sea turtle, or Caretta Caretta, have hatched in what scientists describe as an “exceptional” event possibly brought on by global heating.

Eggs laid on a sandy beach in northern Italy by a loggerhead sea turtle, or Caretta Caretta, have hatched in what scientists describe as an “exceptional” event possibly brought on by global heating. This is the first time that the hatching of Caretta Caretta sea turtle eggs had been recorded along the northern Adriatic coast. Nine sea turtles were born on Wednesday night on the beach in Jesolo, which is a popular seaside resort close to Venice. Also, this is where their mother had deposited 82 eggs, about 25 metres from the sea, overnight on 9 July. Also read | Coughs and lethargy: Lions, tigers at Washington zoo catch COVID-19 “This is the most northern nesting spot in the world, a truly peculiar geographical location,” Sandro Mazzariol, a professor of veterinary pathology at the University of Padua and coordinator for Cert, an emergency response team for marine animals, told La Repubblica. In order to protect the turtles, a protective barrier had been put up around the nest. There were also volunteers from animal rights groups who kept vigil day and night. Diego Cattarossi, the scientific director of the Tropicarium zoological park in Jesolo, told the local newspaper, Il Mattino di Padova, "The instinctive walk towards the sea is fundamental for the species because it helps them to memorise where the beach is, allowing the females to return to lay their eggs where they were born." This was in context to a protective path of sand which was created to enable the reptiles to walk towards the sea.

Loggerhead turtles born in most northern spot ever recorded

A new poll for the Observer has revealed that two-thirds of voters in Northern Ireland believe that there should be a vote over its place in the UK, however, only 37 per cent want it to take place within the next five years.

Around 31 per cent of voters said that there should be a vote at some point about Northern Ireland’s place in the UK but after 2026, the LucidTalk poll found.&nbsp;

Also, a further 29 per cent said that there should never be such a vote. There is currently a seven-point lead for Northern Ireland remaining part of the UK should any vote take place.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-guard-kabul-airport-as-nato-troops-leave-afghanistan-409149">Also read |&nbsp;Taliban guard Kabul airport as NATO troops leave Afghanistan</a>

When asked how they would vote, 49 per cent said that they would back remaining in the UK, while 42 per cent backed being part of a united Ireland, with 9 per cent saying they did not know.

Various other recent surveys have put support for a united Ireland much lower.

While many experts said that they believed the political temperature in Northern Ireland was now cooling, the issue of a border poll has been raised by figures in recent months.&nbsp;

A new poll for the Observer has revealed that two-thirds of voters in Northern Ireland believe that there should be a vote over its place in the UK, however, only 37 per cent want it to take place within the next five years.

A new poll for the Observer has revealed that two-thirds of voters in Northern Ireland believe that there should be a vote over its place in the UK, however, only 37 per cent want it to take place within the next five years. Around 31 per cent of voters said that there should be a vote at some point about Northern Ireland’s place in the UK but after 2026, the LucidTalk poll found. Also, a further 29 per cent said that there should never be such a vote. There is currently a seven-point lead for Northern Ireland remaining part of the UK should any vote take place. Also read | Taliban guard Kabul airport as NATO troops leave Afghanistan When asked how they would vote, 49 per cent said that they would back remaining in the UK, while 42 per cent backed being part of a united Ireland, with 9 per cent saying they did not know. Various other recent surveys have put support for a united Ireland much lower. While many experts said that they believed the political temperature in Northern Ireland was now cooling, the issue of a border poll has been raised by figures in recent months.

Majority of voters in Northern Ireland want vote on staying in UK

Government forces plan a counteroffensive in Afghanistan's northern provinces after losing ground to the Taliban, Russia's RIA news agency quoted an adviser to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani as saying on Monday. 
 
National security adviser Hamdullah Mohib, who was in Moscow on Monday for talks with senior security officials, told RIA in an interview that government forces had not expected the Taliban offensive but would 'absolutely, definitely' counterattack. 
 
Russia operates a military base in Tajikistan, a former Soviet republic bordering Afghanistan. 
 
Russia's foreign ministry said separately on Monday that the Russian consulate in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan was suspending its work because of security concerns, TASS news agency reported.

Earlier, the Taliban's march through northern Afghanistan gained momentum overnight with the capture of several districts from fleeing Afghan forces, several hundred of whom fled across the border into Tajikistan, officials said Sunday.

More than 300 Afghan military personnel crossed from Afghanistan's Badakhshan province as Taliban fighters advanced toward the border, Tajikistan's State Committee for National Security said in a statement.&nbsp;

The Afghan troops crossed over at about 6:30 pm local time on Saturday 'Guided by the principles of humanism and good neighbourliness,' the Tajik authorities allowed the retreating Afghan National Defence and Security Forces to cross into Tajikistan, said the statement.&nbsp;

Since mid-April, when US President Joe Biden announced the end to Afghanistan's 'forever war,'&nbsp;the Taliban have made strides throughout the country. But their most significant gains have been in the northern half of the country, a traditional stronghold of the US-allied warlords, who helped defeat them in 2001.

The Taliban now control roughly a third of all 421 districts and district centres in Afghanistan.

(With inputs from agencies)

Government forces plan a counteroffensive in Afghanistan's northern provinces after losing ground to the Taliban, Russia's RIA news agency quoted an adviser to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani as saying on Monday.

Government forces plan a counteroffensive in Afghanistan's northern provinces after losing ground to the Taliban, Russia's RIA news agency quoted an adviser to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani as saying on Monday. National security adviser Hamdullah Mohib, who was in Moscow on Monday for talks with senior security officials, told RIA in an interview that government forces had not expected the Taliban offensive but would 'absolutely, definitely' counterattack. Russia operates a military base in Tajikistan, a former Soviet republic bordering Afghanistan. Russia's foreign ministry said separately on Monday that the Russian consulate in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan was suspending its work because of security concerns, TASS news agency reported. Earlier, the Taliban's march through northern Afghanistan gained momentum overnight with the capture of several districts from fleeing Afghan forces, several hundred of whom fled across the border into Tajikistan, officials said Sunday. More than 300 Afghan military personnel crossed from Afghanistan's Badakhshan province as Taliban fighters advanced toward the border, Tajikistan's State Committee for National Security said in a statement. The Afghan troops crossed over at about 6:30 pm local time on Saturday 'Guided by the principles of humanism and good neighbourliness,' the Tajik authorities allowed the retreating Afghan National Defence and Security Forces to cross into Tajikistan, said the statement. Since mid-April, when US President Joe Biden announced the end to Afghanistan's 'forever war,' the Taliban have made strides throughout the country. But their most significant gains have been in the northern half of the country, a traditional stronghold of the US-allied warlords, who helped defeat them in 2001. The Taliban now control roughly a third of all 421 districts and district centres in Afghanistan. (With inputs from agencies)

Afghan forces plan counteroffensive in northern provinces: Adviser

With 10 deaths due to the deadly Nipah virus being reported so far from northern Kerala, the state government on Wednesday issued an advisory, asking travellers to avoid visiting the four districts of Kozhikode, Malappuram, Waynad and Kannur.

"Travelling to any part of Kerala is safe. However, if travellers wish to be extra cautious, they may avoid the four districts", health secretary Rajeev Sadanandan said.

The government has also called for an all-party meeting at Kozhikode on May 25 to discuss the issue.

MPs, MLAs, other representatives of people and leaders of various political parties would attend the meeting, health minister KK Shylaja today said.

Ten people have lost their lives to Nipah in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts so far and 19 are undergoing treatment in various hospitals, including one in Waynad.

Of the 13 confirmed cases, 10 persons have died.

Isolation wards have also been set up in Thalassery government hospital in Kannur, according to media reports.

In Kozhikode, from where seven deaths have been reported, district collector UV Jose has ordered temporary stoppage of all training programmes and summer camps in affected areas such as Changaroth, Koorachund, Kottur, Cheruvannur, Chekyad, Chakkittapara and Olavanna.

The anganwadis in these regions too have been asked to close down to avoid the spread of the virus among children.

However, no decision has been taken yet concerning the reopening of schools after the summer vacation.

The administration is hoping that the situation will be under control by the time schools reopen after a week.

"The number of newly infected cases is very low now", Jose said in a statement.

In neighbouring Malappuram, where three people have died due to the virus, orders have been issued in four panchayats to stop Anganwadi classes for the time being.

A crisis management group has been constituted to coordinate the response of government agencies following the deaths in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts.

The group comprises additional chief secretaries of health, revenue, labour, home principal secretary forest, director animal husbandry and state epidemiologists, among others.

Keeping in mind the sacrifice of 28-year-old Lini Puthussery, a nurse at Perambra Taluk hospital, who died after being infected by the virus while treating her patients, the government today decided to give a job to her husband and financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh each for her two sons - aged five and two.

The next of kin of nine others who died of the virus would be given an assistance of Rs 5 lakh each.

Meanwhile, DGP Loknath Behara warned that stern action would be taken against those who spread false information with regard to the virus in the social media.

Creation of fake or false messages, spreading them to cause panic or public disorder are criminal acts and liable for investigation and prosecution.

Directions have been issued to DGP (crimes) to register criminal cases against the creators of the messages and propagators, he said.

An expert team from the National Centre for Disease -Control (NCDC), including its director, Dr Sujeet Kumar Singh and Head of Epidemiology, Dr S K Jain, and a high-level team from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS)are already in Kerala to take stock of the situation.

The outbreak of the virus infection, which is a newly emerging zoonosis that causes severe disease in both animals and humans, is suspected to be from an unused well which was infested with bats.

The natural host of the virus is believed to be fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family, Pteropus genus.

The Kerala health minister also said there was no need to be afraid of bats and their habitats should not to destroyed.&nbsp 
&nbsp&nbsp &nbsp

The state government has called for an all-party meeting at Kozhikode on May 25 to discuss the issue.

With 10 deaths due to the deadly Nipah virus being reported so far from northern Kerala, the state government on Wednesday issued an advisory, asking travellers to avoid visiting the four districts of Kozhikode, Malappuram, Waynad and Kannur. "Travelling to any part of Kerala is safe. However, if travellers wish to be extra cautious, they may avoid the four districts", health secretary Rajeev Sadanandan said. The government has also called for an all-party meeting at Kozhikode on May 25 to discuss the issue. MPs, MLAs, other representatives of people and leaders of various political parties would attend the meeting, health minister KK Shylaja today said. Ten people have lost their lives to Nipah in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts so far and 19 are undergoing treatment in various hospitals, including one in Waynad. Of the 13 confirmed cases, 10 persons have died. Isolation wards have also been set up in Thalassery government hospital in Kannur, according to media reports. In Kozhikode, from where seven deaths have been reported, district collector UV Jose has ordered temporary stoppage of all training programmes and summer camps in affected areas such as Changaroth, Koorachund, Kottur, Cheruvannur, Chekyad, Chakkittapara and Olavanna. The anganwadis in these regions too have been asked to close down to avoid the spread of the virus among children. However, no decision has been taken yet concerning the reopening of schools after the summer vacation. The administration is hoping that the situation will be under control by the time schools reopen after a week. "The number of newly infected cases is very low now", Jose said in a statement. In neighbouring Malappuram, where three people have died due to the virus, orders have been issued in four panchayats to stop Anganwadi classes for the time being. A crisis management group has been constituted to coordinate the response of government agencies following the deaths in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts. The group comprises additional chief secretaries of health, revenue, labour, home principal secretary forest, director animal husbandry and state epidemiologists, among others. Keeping in mind the sacrifice of 28-year-old Lini Puthussery, a nurse at Perambra Taluk hospital, who died after being infected by the virus while treating her patients, the government today decided to give a job to her husband and financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh each for her two sons - aged five and two. The next of kin of nine others who died of the virus would be given an assistance of Rs 5 lakh each. Meanwhile, DGP Loknath Behara warned that stern action would be taken against those who spread false information with regard to the virus in the social media. Creation of fake or false messages, spreading them to cause panic or public disorder are criminal acts and liable for investigation and prosecution. Directions have been issued to DGP (crimes) to register criminal cases against the creators of the messages and propagators, he said. An expert team from the National Centre for Disease -Control (NCDC), including its director, Dr Sujeet Kumar Singh and Head of Epidemiology, Dr S K Jain, and a high-level team from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS)are already in Kerala to take stock of the situation. The outbreak of the virus infection, which is a newly emerging zoonosis that causes severe disease in both animals and humans, is suspected to be from an unused well which was infested with bats. The natural host of the virus is believed to be fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family, Pteropus genus. The Kerala health minister also said there was no need to be afraid of bats and their habitats should not to destroyed.

Nipah virus: State government advisory against travelling to 4 northern Kerala districts

Switzerland opens the world&#39;s longest and deepest rail tunnel through the heart of the Alps on Wednesday in an engineering marvel that stands as a symbol of European unity at a time of increasing fragmentation. 
 
The 57.1-km (35.5 mile)-long Gotthard Base Tunnel, 17 years under construction and designed to last a century, is part of a 23 billion Swiss franc infrastructure project to speed passengers and cargo by rail under the mountain chain that divides Europe&#39;s north and south. 
 
Typically Swiss, the project that federal transport office director Peter Fueglistaler called &quot;a masterpiece of timing, cost and policy&quot; came in on schedule and on budget. 
 
High-speed trains will whisk passengers in 17 minutes through a passage that took days until the first Alpine rail tunnel opened in 1882. Around 260 freight trains and 65 passenger trains will traverse the two-tube tunnel daily once final testing ends later this year. 
 
The Swiss, as a rule rail fanatics, are throwing a party to mark the event that will draw the leaders of all its neighboring countries in a show of European solidarity. 
 
&quot;It is just part of the Swiss identity,&quot; Fueglistaler said of the Swiss fondness for major engineering feats. &quot;For us, conquering the Alps is like the Dutch exploring the oceans.&quot; 
 
The tunnel along Europe&#39;s main rail line that connects the ports of Rotterdam in the north to Genoa in the south snakes through the mountains as much as 2.3 km below daylight and through rock as hot as 46 degrees Celsius (114.8&deg;F). 
 
The rail route goes over the pass now in a series of loops and tunnels. The new flat route means even heavy trains will need only one locomotive rather than two or three. 
 
Engineers had to dig and blast through 73 kinds of rock as hard as granite and as soft as sugar. Nine workers died. 
 
Swiss voters -- despite opposition at times from the government and parliament -- supported the gargantuan rail project in a series of binding referendums in the 1990s. 
 
Fittingly, the first ones to travel the tunnel at the official opening will be 500 lucky winners plus guests from the 130,000 who entered a ticket lottery for the inaugural trip. 
 
The overall project includes the Loetschberg rail tunnel that has already opened, the Cereti tunnel still being built and renovations to make rail tunnels at least 4 meters high at the corners to be able to handle big freight containers. Work is due to finish in 2020. 
 
The mammoth rail venture is being financed by value-added and fuel taxes, road charges on heavy vehicles and state loans that are due to be repaid within a decade. 
 
Major contractors included Alpiq, Balfour Beatty, Thales and Heitkamp. 
 
(Editing by Richard Balmforth)

Construction took two decades, will provide high-speed rail link under the Swiss Alps between northern and southern Europe

Switzerland opens the world's longest and deepest rail tunnel through the heart of the Alps on Wednesday in an engineering marvel that stands as a symbol of European unity at a time of increasing fragmentation. The 57.1-km (35.5 mile)-long Gotthard Base Tunnel, 17 years under construction and designed to last a century, is part of a 23 billion Swiss franc infrastructure project to speed passengers and cargo by rail under the mountain chain that divides Europe's north and south. Typically Swiss, the project that federal transport office director Peter Fueglistaler called "a masterpiece of timing, cost and policy" came in on schedule and on budget. High-speed trains will whisk passengers in 17 minutes through a passage that took days until the first Alpine rail tunnel opened in 1882. Around 260 freight trains and 65 passenger trains will traverse the two-tube tunnel daily once final testing ends later this year. The Swiss, as a rule rail fanatics, are throwing a party to mark the event that will draw the leaders of all its neighboring countries in a show of European solidarity. "It is just part of the Swiss identity," Fueglistaler said of the Swiss fondness for major engineering feats. "For us, conquering the Alps is like the Dutch exploring the oceans." The tunnel along Europe's main rail line that connects the ports of Rotterdam in the north to Genoa in the south snakes through the mountains as much as 2.3 km below daylight and through rock as hot as 46 degrees Celsius (114.8°F). The rail route goes over the pass now in a series of loops and tunnels. The new flat route means even heavy trains will need only one locomotive rather than two or three. Engineers had to dig and blast through 73 kinds of rock as hard as granite and as soft as sugar. Nine workers died. Swiss voters -- despite opposition at times from the government and parliament -- supported the gargantuan rail project in a series of binding referendums in the 1990s. Fittingly, the first ones to travel the tunnel at the official opening will be 500 lucky winners plus guests from the 130,000 who entered a ticket lottery for the inaugural trip. The overall project includes the Loetschberg rail tunnel that has already opened, the Cereti tunnel still being built and renovations to make rail tunnels at least 4 meters high at the corners to be able to handle big freight containers. Work is due to finish in 2020. The mammoth rail venture is being financed by value-added and fuel taxes, road charges on heavy vehicles and state loans that are due to be repaid within a decade. Major contractors included Alpiq, Balfour Beatty, Thales and Heitkamp. (Editing by Richard Balmforth)

World's longest, deepest rail tunnel opens in Switzerland

Japan&#39;s&nbsp;military&nbsp;on Wednesday joined the&nbsp;search&nbsp;for a seven-year-old&nbsp;boyabandoned&nbsp;in a dense northern forest by his parents as&nbsp;punishment&nbsp;for being naughty.

Seventy five members of the Self-Defence Forces joined 200 police and civilians beating their way through thick brush in the mountainous forest on Hokkaido island.

A local hunter was also added to the&nbsp;search&nbsp;for Yamato Tanooka after fresh bear tracks were found in the area where he vanished on Saturday, Jiji news agency said.

The&nbsp;boy&#39;s parents first said he disappeared while they foraged for edible plants, but later told police they had left him by the road to discipline him after he threw stones at people and cars.

They said when they drove back a few minutes later the&nbsp;boy&nbsp;had disappeared. The area is so remote that residents of the region say they rarely go through it.

Despite the larger&nbsp;search&nbsp;party no leads turned up on Wednesday, with many worrying the&nbsp;boymight not have survived heavy rains which fell on Tuesday night. He was last seen wearing a t-shirt and jeans in an area where the overnight temperatures can fall as low as 7 Celsius (45 Fahrenheit).

The&nbsp;search&nbsp;has gripped Japan, with news programmes offering hourly updates, and thousands have taken to the internet to both pray for the&nbsp;boy&#39;s survival and excoriate his parents for what is seen as neglect.

&quot;If I was a small child in this situation I would either run after the car or wait there until they came back. I just hope he is safely found,&quot; one person wrote.

Japan's?military?on Wednesday joined the?search?for a seven-year-old?boy abandoned?in a dense northern forest by his parents as?punishment?for being naughty

Japan's military on Wednesday joined the search for a seven-year-old boyabandoned in a dense northern forest by his parents as punishment for being naughty. Seventy five members of the Self-Defence Forces joined 200 police and civilians beating their way through thick brush in the mountainous forest on Hokkaido island. A local hunter was also added to the search for Yamato Tanooka after fresh bear tracks were found in the area where he vanished on Saturday, Jiji news agency said. The boy's parents first said he disappeared while they foraged for edible plants, but later told police they had left him by the road to discipline him after he threw stones at people and cars. They said when they drove back a few minutes later the boy had disappeared. The area is so remote that residents of the region say they rarely go through it. Despite the larger search party no leads turned up on Wednesday, with many worrying the boymight not have survived heavy rains which fell on Tuesday night. He was last seen wearing a t-shirt and jeans in an area where the overnight temperatures can fall as low as 7 Celsius (45 Fahrenheit). The search has gripped Japan, with news programmes offering hourly updates, and thousands have taken to the internet to both pray for the boy's survival and excoriate his parents for what is seen as neglect. "If I was a small child in this situation I would either run after the car or wait there until they came back. I just hope he is safely found," one person wrote.

Military joins search for Japanese boy abandoned as punishment

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