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Bomb dropped by U.S. in World War II explodes at airport in Japan, causing runway damage and cancellation of 80 flights
An unexploded U.S. bomb from World War II that had been buried at a Japanese airport exploded Wednesday, causing a large crater in a taxiway and the cancellation of more than 80 flights but no injuries, Japanese officials said.
Land and Transport Ministry officials said there were no aircraft nearby when the bomb exploded at Miyazaki Airport in southwestern Japan.
Officials said an investigation by the Self-Defense Forces and police confirmed that the explosion was caused by a 500-pound U.S. bomb and there was no further danger. They were determining what caused its sudden detonation.
Kyodo via AP Images
A video recorded by a nearby aviation school showed the blast spewing pieces of asphalt into the air like a fountain. Videos broadcast on Japanese television showed a crater in the taxiway reportedly about 7 yards in diameter and 3 feet deep.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said more than 80 flights had been canceled at the airport, which hopes to resume operations on Thursday morning.
“There is no threat of a second explosion, and police and firefighters are currently examining the scene,” Hayashi said.
A fire department “received a call from the airport at 7:59 am that there was an incident involving smoke,” its spokesman told AFP.
Miyazaki Airport was built in 1943 as a former Imperial Japanese Navy flight training field from which some kamikaze pilots took off on suicide attack missions.
A number of unexploded bombs dropped by the U.S. military during World War II have been unearthed in the area, Defense Ministry officials said.
Other unexploded ordinance dropped by the United States was reportedly found at a nearby construction site in 2009 and 2011.
Hundreds of tons of unexploded bombs from the war remain buried around Japan and are sometimes dug up at construction sites.
A total of 2,348 bombs weighing 41 tons were disposed of during fiscal year 2023, the Reuters news agency reported, citing the Self-Defense Force.
Last year, a World War II bomb that was found in England exploded in what authorities are calling an “unplanned” detonation.
AFP contributed to this report.
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If you’re considering a home equity loan, this could be an ideal time to explore your options. After all, homeowners have seen significant growth in their home equity over the past year and the average homeowner has about $327,000 in equity currently. Plus, with the Federal Reserve cutting its benchmark rate by 50 basis points recently, borrowing against that equity has become more affordable. So, for many, taking out a home equity loan now could be a cost-effective way to fund renovations, pay off high-interest debt or manage other large expenses.
Because home equity loans are secured by the value of your home, lenders are typically able to offer lower rates compared to other loan types — and the rates on home equity loans are fixed, providing you with predictable monthly payments, too. And when you factor in the recent rate reduction, you may be able to lock in an even better deal on this type of loan than normal, as home equity loan rates have dropped in recent weeks.
However, it’s important to carefully evaluate the monthly payment obligations tied to any home equity loan you take out, particularly now that rates have been adjusted. So, how much would a $75,000 home equity loan cost per month in the current environment?
Ready to tap into your equity? See what home equity loan rate you could qualify for here.
How much would a $75,000 home equity loan cost per month after rate cuts?
The monthly cost of a $75,000 home equity loan depends primarily on two factors: the interest rate you qualify for and the length of the repayment period. The rates you’re offered can vary depending on your credit score, debt-to-income (DTI) ratio and other factors, but there are two common repayment terms for home equity loans: 10 years and 15 years.
The average 10-year fixed home equity loan rate stands at 8.50% currently, while the average rate for a 15-year loan is slightly lower at 8.41%. Based on the current average rates and terms, here’s what you might expect to pay each month on a $75,000 home equity loan:
- 10-year fixed home equity loan at 8.50%: $929.89 per month
- 15-year fixed home equity loan at 8.41%: $734.60 per month
These figures illustrate the trade-off between shorter and longer repayment terms. While the 10-year loan offers a higher monthly payment, it allows you to pay off the debt more quickly and potentially save on total interest over the life of the loan. Conversely, the 15-year option provides lower monthly payments, which may be more manageable for some borrowers, but results in paying more interest over time.
Find out what home equity loan rates are available to you here.
The impact of future Fed rate cuts
While today’s home equity loan rates are attractive overall, there may be potential for even greater savings soon. Analysts expect that if inflation continues to remain low or decrease, the Federal Reserve could implement additional rate cuts later this year — one in November and one in December. If these rate cuts occur, we could see home equity loan rates fall even further, leading to even more affordable borrowing costs.
For example, if a 25-basis-point rate cut occurs in November and home equity loan rates were to decrease by the same amount, bringing the rate for a 10-year loan down to 8.25%, the monthly payment on a $75,000 loan would decrease to $919.89, saving you about $10 per month compared to what you would pay at today’s rates.
Similarly, if a 15-year loan rate dropped by 25 basis points to 8.16%, your monthly payment would fall to $723.68. That would result in monthly savings of $10.92 and total savings of about $1,980 in interest over the loan term.
Now let’s say that home equity rates were to fall by 50 basis points in total, dropping the average 10-year home equity loan rate to 8.00% and the average 15-year home equity loan rate to 7.91%. That would lower the monthly payment on a 10-year home equity loan to $909.96, while the monthly payment on a 15-year home equity loan would fall to $712.85.
While the potential savings are worth considering, waiting for additional rate cuts could be risky, as predicting future rate movements is not an exact science — and any number of factors outside of Fed rate cuts can have an impact on where rates head. Given the risks, it could make more sense to secure a loan at today’s favorable rates rather than gamble on further reductions.
The bottom line
The recent interest rate cuts have made home equity loans more attractive than they’ve been in recent years, with a $75,000 loan potentially costing between about $735 and $930 per month, depending on the repayment term and current interest rates. However, it’s crucial to remember that home equity loan rates can vary significantly from one lender to another, so if you’re considering tapping into your home equity, it’s typically smart to shop around, compare offers from multiple lenders and be prepared to act quickly when you find a rate that aligns with your financial goals and budget constraints.
Two men are in the custody of the Drug Enforcement Agency after Coast Guard officials seized nearly 400 pounds of cocaine from a boat in Puerto Rico.
The crew of a Coast Guard aircraft spotted a suspicious vessel in international waters on Sept. 28. The vessel was steering towards Rincón, a beach town on Puerto Rico’s western coast, the agency said in a news release on Wednesday. The Joseph Tezanos, a 154-foot fast response cutter craft ported in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was diverted to intercept the vessel.
The Joseph Tezanos stopped and searched the vessel, officials said, and Coast Guard crew members found 142 “brick-sized packages of suspected contraband” inside the boat.
U.S. Coast Guard
Those packages tested positive for cocaine, the Coast Guard said, with an estimated value of $4.3 million.
The two men who were aboard the ship were arrested and transferred to the custody of the DEA. Both men are United States citizens, and face federal charges including possession to with intent to distribute a controlled substance aboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, the Coast Guard said. The charges carry a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
U.S. Coast Guard
“I congratulate the United States Coast Guard personnel for this successful interdiction of an international drug smuggling venture,” said United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow in the news release. “We greatly appreciate the U.S. Coast Guard’s unwavering support and dedication to keeping Puerto Rico and our nation safe.”
The seizure was made as part of the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force, which brings together task forces from multiple agencies to stop the flow of illicit substances in the region. The DEA, FBI, Coast Guard, Homeland Security, and ICE are all represented in the task force.
U.S. Coast Guard
It’s one of several large caches of cocaine seized by officials in recent months. Federal officials seized $33 million worth of cocaine left on a beach in Puerto Rico in early September. The 3,600 pounds of drugs were left on a beach on the popular tourist island of Vieques in the pre-dawn hours and the people who smuggled the drugs fled the area, officials said.
In August, two men from the Dominican Republic were arrested after they were found aboard a boat carrying more than 660 pounds of cocaine near Puerto Rico. In July, federal agents arrested two U.S. citizens and seized $4.6 million worth of cocaine west of the island.
Puerto Rico is considered a transit point for drugs being smuggled to the U.S. mainland and other countries.
Gmail users are getting an upgrade to their inboxes.
The email app’s summary cards have been redesigned to give users a snapshot of their purchases, including shopping receipts, travel confirmations, reservations and other information that used to be dispersed across apps and inboxes.
Summary cards are not new to Gmail, but they’ve been redesigned, and now have an inbox tab of their own, called “Happening soon,” according to Google.
If you buy tickets to a concert, the event’s summary card will have an action button that will allow you to add it directly to your calendar, or invite others to join the event, Google added.
The redesign also helps users set reminders to pay bills, and lets them know when they can expect a delivery, without having to dig deep into their inboxes and then follow a link.
The updated summary cards apply to four frequent types of emails, Google said. They include:
- Purchases: View order details and track package arrival dates.
- Events: See a summary of dinner reservation details or concert tickets, and add events to your calendar or invite friends to join you.
- Bills: View due dates for bills and set reminders to pay them.
- Travel: Manage reservations, check in for a flight and access travel details like a hotel’s check-out time all in one place.
The updated summary cards are now live. In the near future, Google will roll out the “Happening Soon” section at the top of inboxes where users can view updates without having to open emails.
Here’s what the new summary cards look like.
