JAKARTA – The Marapi volcano, in Indonesia’s West Sumatra province, erupted for about 45 seconds yesterday, throwing ash up to 300 metres above its peak, according to the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation. “The eruption happened at 6:11 a.m. local time (23:11 GMT). The ejection of ash, accompanied by sand, has the […]
Continue ReadingMilitary helicopters airlifted hundreds of people from communities cut off by “once in a century” floods in Australia’s northwest, an official leading relief efforts said on Sunday, noting water covered some places “as far as the eye could see.” The crisis in the Kimberley — a sparsely populated area in Western Australia state about the […]
Continue ReadingMANILA– Residents in the central and southern Philippines are bracing for more rain that can trigger flooding and landslides in these areas this weekend, the state weather bureau warned yesterday. It said, a low-pressure area is now located some 735 kilometres east of Mindanao, in the southern Philippines, adding, the brewing storm will bring […]
Continue ReadingVIENTIANE – A series of cultural events, organised by the China Cultural Centre in Laos, and the Culture and Tourism Department of China’s north-eastern Liaoning Province, have been held in the Lao capital, to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year. The Ancient Chinese Landscape Painting Exhibition, themed “Picturesque Rivers and Mountains,” kicked off the […]
Continue ReadingChina lifted quarantine requirements for inbound travelers Sunday, ending almost three years of self-imposed isolation even as the country battles a surge in COVID cases. The first people to arrive expressed relief at not having to undergo the grueling quarantines that were a fixture of life in zero-COVID China. And in Hong Kong, where the […]
Continue ReadingThailand will require international travelers to show proof they are fully vaccinated for COVID before flying to Thailand, according to the country’s aviation regulator, as it prepares for more tourists after China reopened its border on Sunday. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand said in a statement Saturday that starting early Monday, all foreign arrivals […]
Continue ReadingThailand’s Princess Bajrakitiyabha remains unconscious more than three weeks after collapsing due to a heart problem, a palace statement said in an update on the health of the the 44-year-old potential heir to the throne. The eldest child of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn lost consciousness on Dec. 15 due to severe heart arrhythmia resulting from […]
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