Asia

Afghan teacher brings books by bicycle to children in isolated places

Reuters – A school teacher delivers books by bicycle to children in remote areas of Afghanistan, giving them a chance to learn to read and gain knowledge. Around 08:00 on every weekend and holiday, Saber Hosseini, a teacher from the town of Bamyan, the capital of Bamyan province in central Afghanistan, selects books from his library, loads them onto his bicycle and sets off for remote villages around the city which have no schools. After […]

Magnitude 6 earthquake hits Japan

TOKYO, Japan – According to the United States Geological Survey, a magnitude 6 earthquake hit the southwestern portion of Japan. Said quake centered on Komamoto City and resulted in 9 deaths and hundreds injured. (Eagle News Service Described by Jay Paul Carlos, Video Editing by Jericho Morales, Uploaded by MRFaith Bonalos)

Japan plants shut down after quake, fuels economic fears

Some of Japan’s biggest firms including Sony and Toyota shut down operations in southern Japan Friday after the region was struck by a deadly earthquake, fueling worries about disruption to supply lines and possible effects on the wider economy. At least nine people were killed in Thursday night’s 6.5-magnitude quake, which also toppled houses and buckled roads on the southwestern island of Kyushu. With widespread damage to infrastructure, several companies — including in the steel, […]

Asia study warns of severe water shortages

BADONG COUNTY, HUBEI PROVINCE, China (Reuters) – Within 35 years the countries where roughly half the world’s population lives may be facing what scientists are calling a “high risk of severe water stress”. That translates into billions of people having access to a lot less water than they do today, according to a new study from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). “There is about a one in three chance that if we take no action […]

Strong quake in southwestern Japan kills nine, topples homes

by Shingo ITO Nine people were killed after a powerful earthquake hit southern Japan, toppling homes, sparking fires and injuring hundreds, officials said Friday, as rescuers scrambled to find residents feared trapped in rubble. Tens of thousands of people fled their homes after the 6.5-magnitude quake struck the southwestern island of Kyushu, buckling roads and leaving lumps of broken concrete strewn in the streets. Dozens of aftershocks followed the quake, which hit on Thursday evening […]

North Korea missile launch fails on founder’s birthday

by Jung Ha-Won SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea tried and failed to test-fire what appeared to be a medium-range Musudan missile on the birthday of founding leader Kim Il-Sung Friday, a high-profile misstep after Pyongyang claimed a series of breakthroughs in its nuclear weapons program. There had been widespread intelligence reports in recent days that the North was preparing a first-ever flight test of the Musudan, believed to be capable of striking US […]

Building collapses in dramatic earthquake footage

KUMAMOTO CITY, Japan (Reuters) – At least three people died and seven remain in critical condition after two powerful earthquakes hit south Japan late on Thursday night (April 13). National broadcaster NHK captured the moment the second 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit the southern Japanese city of Kumamoto early on Friday morning, after midnight (April 15). This was the second earthquake to hit the region in four hours and collapsed already badly damaged buildings. The initial […]

Saudi capital Riyadh hit by floods

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) – Heavy rain following a severe storm flooded the streets of Saudi capital Riyadh on Wednesday (April 13) causing long traffic jams and shutting schools and businesses in the kingdom. Riyadh, a desert city in the centre of the country, rarely experiences rainfall. The rare storm on Tuesday (April 12) sparked heavy rains which pounded the city for several hours. The rain subsided on Wednesday morning but many of the city’s […]

US forces to gain access to more Philippine bases: Carter

MANILA, Philippines (AFP) — US forces will gain access to more military bases in the Philippines than the five already announced, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Wednesday as he began a visit to the longstanding Asian ally. Manila announced this year it would allow US forces to use five of its installations, including an air base close to the South China Sea. The agreement that went in force in January aims to strengthen the […]

Twelve dead, two missing in China crane collapse

DONGGUAN CITY, GUANGDONG PROVINCE, China (CCTV) – Twelve people were killed and two left missing on Wednesday (April 13) after a gantry crane collapsed at a construction site in southern China’s Guangdong province, state media reported. The crane was blown down by strong winds, collapsing onto a set of huts below at around 5:40 a.m. (2140 GMT on Tuesday, April 12), state broadcaster CCTV said, quoting a primary investigation. One hundred and thirty three migrant […]

Moderate quake shakes southern Philippines

MANILA, Philippines (AFP) — A 5.9-magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of southern Philippines early Thursday, seismologists said, with no damage or casualties immediately reported and no tsunami warning issued. The quake occurred at 2:21 am (1821 GMT Wednesday) off Mindanao island with its epicenter about 28 kilometers (17 miles) northwest of the mountainous town of Siocon at a depth of about 12 kilometers, the US Geological Survey said. It struck more than 750 kilometres […]

Strong quake hits northern Myanmar, shakes neighbouring countries

by Hla-Hla HTAY YANGON. Myanmar (AFP) — A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Myanmar on Wednesday, causing tremors around the region, including in neighbouring Bangladesh where scores were reported injured in stampedes and buildings were damaged. The quake, which took place at a depth of 134 kilometres (83 miles), hit some 400 kilometres northwest of Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), and was also felt in parts of India and China. There […]