Japan retracts mistaken magnitude 9.9 earthquake alert

TOKYO — Japan’s weather agency withdrew an erroneous alert for a magnitude 9.9 earthquake minutes after issuing it, apologizing for the warning that disrupted transport. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) had initially warned on Friday that a magnitude 9.9 earthquake occurred near the Kuril Islands, known in Japan as the Chishima Islands, setting off loud