In this report, Japan’s Bureau Chief, Dennis Lu, delivers information on the imminent Typhoon Lan, anticipated to reach Japan’s main island of Honshu this coming Tuesday.
Asia
Death toll from heavy rain in north India rises to almost 60
DEHRADUN, India, Aug 14, 2023 (AFP) – At least 58 people were killed, nine of them in a temple collapse, and many more were feared missing after intense rains caused floods and landslides in India, officials said Monday. Days of torrential downpours have washed away vehicles, demolished buildings and destroyed bridges in the northern Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Flooding and landslides are common and cause widespread devastation during India’s treacherous monsoon season, […]
‘No more water’: Iraq drought claims lakeside resort
Iraqi merchant Mohamed has never seen such a grim tourist season: years of drought have shrunken the majestic Lake Habbaniyah, keeping away the holidaymakers who once flocked there during summer. “The last two years, there was some activity, but now there’s no more water,” said 35-year-old Mohamed, asking to be identified by his first name only. He laid out inflatable water floats, nets and shirts in front of his lakeside shop, but expected few if […]
Kim calls for North Korea to boost missile production: KCNA
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for a “drastic boost” in missile production during visits to key weapons factories, state media said Monday, as South Korea and the United States prepared for joint drills next week. The tour of the plants from Friday to Saturday came after Kim called for stepping up war preparations at a key military meeting last week. Kim’s two-day inspections included visits to factories producing tactical missiles, large-calibre control multiple […]
Typhoon Lan set to crash Japan holiday week
TOKYO, Aug 13, 2023 (AFP) – Japanese authorities on Sunday warned residents in much of the country to prepare for a strong, slow-moving typhoon set to hit during the peak summer travel week. Typhoon Lan is on course to make landfall Tuesday on Japan’s main island of Honshu, bringing heavy rain and violent gusts, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. Some areas may see as much as 50 centimetres (20 inches) of rain in 24 hours […]
North China landslide death toll rises sharply to 21
BEIJING, Aug 13, 2023 (AFP) – The death toll from a landslide triggered by heavy rains in northern China has risen sharply to at least 21, authorities said on Sunday, with six others missing. China has faced deadly floods and historic rainfall in recent weeks, with dozens killed in storms in the northern part of the country. “Twenty-one people were found dead so far, and six others are still missing,” the Xi’an emergency management bureau […]
Taiwan’s vice president leaves for US en route to Paraguay
TAIPEI, Aug 12, 2023 (AFP) – Taiwan’s Vice President William Lai flies to the United States on Saturday in a sensitive trip that has angered Chinese officials. The democratic island is claimed by China, which has vowed to take the territory one day — by force, if necessary — and has ramped up political and military pressure. It opposes other countries’ official exchanges with Taiwan, and often reacts angrily to Taiwanese leaders’ stopovers in the […]
Indonesian maid’s torture highlights lack of legal protections
Beaten, forced to eat animal faeces and chained to a dog cage — the abuse of an Indonesian maid highlights the government’s failure to protect domestic workers at home even as it moves to help those abroad, critics say. Siti Khotimah left her Central Java hometown for capital Jakarta last year when she found a maid job on Facebook to help her parents with debt. After months of torture by her employer, the 24-year-old now […]
Philippines says unaware of deal with China over disputed reef
MANILA, Aug 9, 2023 (AFP) – President Ferdinand Marcos said Wednesday he was “not aware” of any agreement with China to remove a Philippine Navy vessel grounded on a reef in the disputed South China Sea. Marcos’ remarks were in response to Beijing’s insistence in recent days that Manila had “repeatedly” promised to tow away the crumbling BRP Sierra Madre from Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands. The BRP Sierra Madre, which the Philippines […]
Japan’s second-oldest museum forced to crowdfund to pay bills
TOKYO, Aug 9, 2023 (AFP) – Japan’s second-oldest museum has raised $3.4 million through crowdfunding after reportedly being denied additional financial support to cover soaring utility bills to preserve its collection of animal and plant specimens. More than 30,000 people have donated a total of 480 million yen to the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo, easily surpassing the 100-million-yen target, campaign platform READYFOR said on Wednesday. The head of the 146-year-old museum, […]
Journalist among three dead in Syria bombing: state media
DAMASCUS, Aug 9, 2023 (AFP) – A Syrian television journalist and two soldiers were killed on Wednesday when a roadside bomb exploded in the southern province of Daraa, state media reported. “Correspondent Firas al-Ahmad from (privately owned) Sama TV and two members of our armed forces were killed by an explosive device” as they returned from a counternarcotics operation in the province, state television said. “Terrorists” had planted the bomb, it added. Daraa was the […]
UN says reached deal with Syria over key aid crossing
UNITED NATIONS, United States, Aug 9, 2023 (AFP) – The United Nations has said it reached agreement with the Syrian government on aid deliveries to rebel-held areas from Turkey, raising concern among relief groups who had wanted Damascus kept out. Under a 2014 deal, most international aid had passed through the Bab al-Hawa crossing from Turkey without the authorization of Damascus. But last month, the Security Council failed to reach consensus on extending the mechanism, […]
