Regional news from Southeast Asia in English — ASEAN politics, economy and diplomacy, covered by Thai PBS World.
Taal volcano in the Philippines could spew lava and ash for weeks, authorities warned Tuesday, leaving tens of thousands in limbo after they fled their homes fearing a massive eruption. The crater of the volcano exploded to life with towering clouds of ash and jets of red-hot lava on Sunday, forcing those living around
Lava and broad columns of ash illuminated by lightning spewed from a volcano south of the Philippine capital on Monday, grounding hundreds of flights as authorities warned of a possible “explosive eruption”. Fine grit coated homes and streets across the region surrounding the Taal volcano, which burst to life on Sunday accompanied by a
TAGAYTAY, Philippines (AP) — A small volcano south of the Philippine capital that draws many tourists for its picturesque setting in a lake erupted with a massive plume of ash and steam Sunday, prompting thousands of people to flee and officials to shut Manila’s international airport. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said Taal
MYITKYINA, MYANMAR (AFP) – Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi made a rare trip to a region bordering China days before President Xi Jinping is expected to push for controversial port and dam projects during a visit to the country. Wearing traditional ethnic attire, Ms Suu Kyi danced with a street procession on Friday
HANOI (Reuters) – Vietnam’s electricity firm EVN has signed five new deals to buy electricity from Laos starting from next year, the state-run company said. The southeast Asian nation faces severe power shortages from 2021, as demand outpaces construction of new plants, with demand expected to exceed supply by 6.6 billion kilowatt hours (kWh)
JAKARTA (Reuters) – The death toll from flash floods and landslides in and around Indonesia’s capital Jakarta reached at least 21 on Thursday, with more heavy rain forecast, authorities said. The flood, one of the deadliest in years, displaced more than 30,000 people and caused chaos across parts of Southeast Asia’s biggest city with
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia said on Wednesday it rejected China’s claims over a disputed part of the South China Sea as “having no legal basis”, after two days earlier protesting to Beijing over the presence of a Chinese coastguard vessel in its territorial waters. The boat trespassed into Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone off the coast
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — A Vietnamese court on Saturday sentenced an ex-minister to life imprisonment in a multimillion-dollar corruption case that also saw another minister and a dozen executives receive lengthy prison terms, state media reported. Nguyen Bac Son was accused of taking a bribe of $3 million to orchestrate the 2016 acquisition of
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly approved a resolution Friday strongly condemning human rights abuses against Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims and other minorities, including arbitrary arrests, torture, rape and deaths in detention. The 193-member world body voted 134-9 with 28 abstentions in favor of the resolution which also calls on Myanmar’s government to
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A strong typhoon that barreled through the central Philippines left at least 28 dead and 12 missing, and forced thousands to flee their homes, devastating Christmas celebrations in the predominantly Roman Catholic country. Typhoon Phanfone stranded many people in sea and airports at the peak of holiday travel, set off
A typhoon that swept across remote villages and popular tourist areas of the central Philippines on Christmas Day claimed at least 16 lives, authorities said Thursday. Typhoon Phanfone, with winds of 195 kilometres (120 miles) an hour, tore roofs off houses and toppled electric posts as it cut across the Philippines on Wednesday. With
Teenager Dhama Theingi dreams of becoming an engineer and playing football, but for now she must rise for dawn prayers before pounding Yangon’s streets to collect alms as one of Myanmar’s growing number of child nuns seeking refuge from conflict. With shorn heads and swathed in pink robes, the girls of Mingalar Thaikti nunnery
