24/05/2025

SATURDAY | MAY 24, 2025

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Houses damaged by major earthquake in Indonesia

JAPANESE PRINCESS TO VISIT LAOS TOKYO: Princess Aiko, the only child of Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, will visit Laos in November for her first official overseas engagement, Kyodo news agency quoted the Imperial Household Agency yesterday. The visit will mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Laos. The 23-year-old is expected to travel to Laos to promote friendship and goodwill between the two countries. The agency said she is likely to meet with Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith and attend a series of commemorative events. – Bernama EX-MILITARY OFFICER NEW CUSTOMS HEAD JAKARTA: Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati yesterday appointed retired lieutenant-general Djaka Budhi Utama, who was found guilty of kidnapping rights activists, as head of the country’s customs and excise unit. Human rights activists raised concerns on his appointment, in part because he was still thought to be an active military officer. However, during the ceremony, a presentation detailing his profile referred to Utama as a retired lieutenant general. – Reuters NO TALKS ON TROOP PULLOUT: SEOUL

BR I E F S

TAREE: Record floods cut a destructive path through eastern Australia yesterday, caking houses in silt, washing out roads and separating 50,000 people from help. Four bodies have been pulled from vast tides of floodwater engulfing parts of northern New South Wales, a fertile region of rivers and valleys some 400km up the coast from Sydney. Salvage crews launched a major cleanup operation as waters receded yesterday, surveying the damage from half a year’s worth of rain dumped in just three days. Kempsey mayor Kinne Ring, representing the flood-stricken farming town, said dozens of businesses have been swamped. “There is water coming through the bottom of houses. It is really awful to see. The water is going to take a bit of time to recede.” State Emergency Service boss Dallas Burnes said more than 2,000 workers have been deployed on rescue and recovery missions. “A real focus for us at the moment will be resupplying the isolated communities,“ he said, adding that 50,000 people are still stranded. He said rescue crews have plucked JAKARTA: At least 34 houses in Bengkulu city were damaged after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck Seluma regency in Indonesia’s Bengkulu province yesterday. National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said the earthquake struck at 2.52am local time, with an offshore epicentre 10km beneath the surface. Earlier, media reports stated that a 6-magnitude jolt had struck western Bengkulu. Abdul Muhari said despite the powerful tremor, authorities have confirmed that there is no tsunami threat and no casualties. “The quake caused panic, prompting people to rush outside their houses. “Residents reported strong shaking lasting two to three seconds. The earthquake was also felt in surrounding areas, including Central Bengkulu and North Bengkulu regencies,” he said. Local disaster agencies are carrying out rapid assessments and continuous monitoring while authorities map emergency needs and coordinate ongoing relief efforts. Abdul Muhari urged the public to remain vigilant for further tremors, avoid sharing unverified information, and follow official guidance. In a separate development, Indonesian rescue teams recovered o Authorities confirm no tsunami threat or casualties

Residents searching for belongings in the rubble of their homes yesterday. – AFPPIC

SEOUL: South Korea’s Defence Ministry yesterday said there have been no talks with Washington on pulling US troops from the South, after a Wall Street Journal report claimed Washington was considering a partial withdrawal. United States Forces Korea declined to comment when contacted by AFP, saying remarks on the matter should come from Washington. – AFP Vietnam orders block on Telegram Disaster Mitigation Agency, the National Search and Rescue Agency, the military, police and community volunteers deployed at the site. “Rescue operations have been hampered by rugged terrain, volatile weather conditions, fast-flowing rivers and limited communication tools. “Night-time temperatures in the mountainous region have also affected the stamina of the personnel involved in the search,” he said. – Bernama

the worst he had seen. Locals spotted dead cows washing up on beaches after swollen rivers swept them from their pastures inland. Although a string of flood warnings have been downgraded, some towns were still cut off yesterday, making it difficult to assess the damage. The government has declared a natural disaster, unlocking greater resources for affected areas. Swaths of Australia have recently been pummelled by wild weather. The oceans surrounding Australia have been “abnormally warm” in recent months, a ccording to Australia’s government weather bureau. Warmer seas evaporate more moisture into the atmosphere, which could lead to more intense rains. Although difficult to link to specific disasters, climate change is fuelling more extreme weather patterns, scientists warned. Flood modelling expert Mahdi Sedighkia said this week’s emergency offered “compelling evidence” of how climate change could affect regional weather patterns. – AFP Muhari yesterday. Eight of the victims have been identified while seven remain unidentified and are being transported to the Bhayangkara Police Hospital for forensic examination, he said. One miner who was reported missing was later found safe in a nearby village. Abdul Muhari said efforts to locate the remaining missing persons are ongoing, with emergency teams from the Regional

more than 600 people to safety since waters started rising earlier this week. People clambered atop cars, houses and highway bridges before helicopters winched them away. Burnes said although the floods are easing, the stagnant lakes of muddy water still pose a threat, including snakes that may have slithered into homes in search of shelter. “Floodwaters have contaminants. There could be vermin, snakes. You need to assess those risks. Electricity could pose a danger as well.” The storms have dumped more than six months’ worth of rain over three days, the government weather bureau said, smashing flood-height records in some areas. “These are horrific circumstances,“ Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said yesterday as he travelled into the disaster zone. “The Australian Defence Force will be made available. There is going to be a big recovery effort required.“ “There has been massive damage to infrastructure and we are going to have to all really pitch in.” In Taree, local business owner Jeremy Thornton said the “gut-wrenching” flood was among 15 bodies following a flash flood that swept through a remote gold mining site in the Arfak Mountains of West Papua, authorities said yesterday, with four people missing. The disaster struck Jim village in the Catubouw district on May 16 after nearly seven hours of heavy rainfall triggered a torrent of water that tore through a makeshift mining camp, washing away tents and equipment. “Victims were found gradually over several days,” said Abdul

Floods devastate eastern Australia

HANOI: Vietnam’s Technology Ministry has instructed telecommunication service providers to block Telegram for not cooperating in addressing alleged crimes committed by its users, according to a government document reviewed by Reuters. The document, dated May 21 and signed by the ministry’s telecom department deputy head, ordered telecommunication companies to take measures to block Telegram and report on them to the ministry by June 2. The ministry asked service providers “to deploy solutions and measures to prevent Telegram’s activities in Vietnam”. The document said the ministry was acting on behalf of the country’s Cybersecurity Department after police reported that 68% of the 9,600 Telegram channels and groups in the country violated the law, citing fraud, drug trafficking and “cases suspected of being related to terrorism” among the illegal activities carried out through the app. A ministry official confirmed the authenticity of the document, noting that the move follows Telegram’s failure to share user data with the government when asked as part of

criminal investigations. Telegram and the ministry did not immediately reply to requests for comment. Vietnamese police and state news outlets have repeatedly warned people of possible crime, frauds and data breaches on Telegram channels and groups. Telegram was still available in Vietnam yesterday, Reuters reported. Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party maintains tight media censorship and tolerates little dissent. The country has repeatedly asked companies such as Facebook, YouTube and TikTok to coordinate with authorities to stamp out content deemed “toxic”, including offensive, false and anti-state content. The document said Telegram is accused of not applying laws that require social media to monitor, remove and block information that violate the law. It also said according to information from police,“many groups with tens of thousands of participants were created by Opposition and reactionary subjects spreading anti government documents”. The platform has been involved in controversies across the world on security and data breach concerns.