International

Crumpled hotel becomes focus in Indonesia rescue effort

  PALU, Indonesia (AFP) — Squads of orange-clad rescue workers clambered over the tangled remains of an Indonesian hotel Sunday, hoping to dig out 50 to 60 guests still feared trapped by an earthquake-tsunami disaster. Authorities believe the 80-room Hotel Roa-Roa in the city of Palu on Sulawesi island was near capacity when the district was ravaged by a 7.5 magnitude quake and a tsunami wave Friday. “It is assumed there are still 50 to […]

Death toll in Indonesia quake-tsunami tops 800

  by Harry Pearl  Agence France Presse PALU, Indonesia (AFP) — The death toll from a powerful earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia leapt to 832 Sunday, as stunned people on the stricken island of Sulawesi struggled to find food and water and looting spread. The new toll announced by the national disaster agency was almost double the previous figure. Indonesian vice-president Jusuf Kalla said the final number of dead could be in the “thousands” as […]

After leaving PHL, powerful typhoon Trami batters Okinawa, churns to Japan mainland

  by Quentin Tyberghien/ Behrouz Mehri Agence France Presse SHIBUSHI, Japan (AFP) — A powerful typhoon pummelled Japan’s southern island of Okinawa Saturday, injuring at least 17, as weather officials warned the storm would rip through the Japanese archipelago over the weekend. Typhoon Trami, packing maximum gusts of 216 kilometres (134 miles) per hour near its centre, was forecast to hit the mainland early Sunday and cause extreme weather across the country into Monday. Television […]

Hundreds killed in Indonesia quake-tsunami

    by Ola Gondronk Agence France Presse PALU, Indonesia (AFP) — Nearly 400 people were killed when a powerful quake sent a tsunami barrelling into the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, officials said Saturday, as hospitals struggled to cope with hundreds of injured and rescuers scrambled to reach the stricken region. The national disaster agency put the official death toll so far at 384, all of them in the tsunami-struck city of Palu, but warned […]

Edmonton Expo costumes and memorabilia wow fans

  EDMONTON (Eagle News) — The three-day Edmonton Comic and Entertainment Expo, or Edmonton Expo for short, was a  successful and fun event not only for the kids but also for the adults who dressed up in their favorite science fiction, comic book, horror, fantasy, pop culture and animated characters. The annual event was held from September 22 to 24 at the Edmonton, Alberta Expo Center where many exhibitors and vendors displayed their crafts and specialties […]

Indonesian city hit by tsunami after powerful quake

MAKASSAR, Indonesia (AFP) — A powerful earthquake hit central Indonesia on Friday, causing a tsunami that slammed into a city on Sulawesi island with officials saying the tremor had levelled “many” buildings. The shallow 7.5 magnitude quake sparked terror among locals who fled into the streets and raced to higher ground fearing tsunami waves. The disaster agency briefly issued a tsunami warning before lifting it. But dramatic video footage filmed from the top floor of […]

Indonesia rocked by powerful quake; tsunami warning called off

Indonesia was struck by a powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake Friday, the US Geological Survey said, but there were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries. The country’s national disaster agency briefly issued a tsunami warning before cancelling it. The strong quake hit central Sulawesi island at a shallow depth of some 10 kilometres (six miles), just hours after a smaller quake killed at least one person in the same part of the country. The latest quake […]

Vietnam growth slows in third quarter

HANOI, Vietnam (AFP) — Vietnam’s growth slowed in the third quarter, data showed Friday, with a warning that the export-led economy could soon be caught up in Donald Trump’s trade war with China. Vietnam is one of Asia’s fastest growing economies — GDP growth has topped five percent over the past five years — largely driven by the export of cheap goods such as Adidas trainers, Intel computer processors and Samsung phones. Though it is […]

Strong, shallow quake strikes Indonesia

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — A strong and shallow earthquake with a 6.1 magnitude struck central Indonesia Friday, geologists said, but no tsunami warning was issued. The quake was centered around 18 kilometers (11 miles) deep, just off the coast of Sulawesi island, the US Geological Survey said. There were no immediate reports of damage and Indonesia’s meteorology, climatology and geophysics agency (BMKG) said there was no risk of a tsunami. Indonesia is one of the […]

10 Filipinos among 47 passengers, crew rescued from plane that crashed at sea off Micronesia

    By Alfred Acenas Eagle News Service EBC Hawaii Bureau (Eagle News) – Ten Filipinos were among the 47 passengers and crew members rescued after the plane they were riding in, Air Niugini Flight 73, crashed into the sea short of the runway of the international airport in Weno, Chuuk in the Western Pacific nation of Micronesia on Friday. The Boeing 737 aircraft hit the lagoon at 9:30am local time (11:30am Philippine time). A […]

Rosa strengthens to Category 4 hurricane off Mexico

MEXICO CITY (AFP) — Hurricane Rosa strengthened Thursday to a Category 4 storm off northern Mexico’s Pacific coast, though it was expected to weaken again before making landfall, the US National Hurricane Center said. “Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 145 miles (230 kilometers) per hour, with higher gusts,” it said in its 0300 GMT bulletin. Forecasters expect the strength could start weakening slowly Saturday into next week. Rosa is currently located 975 kilometers […]

Plane ditches into Pacific lagoon

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) — Passengers were forced to swim for their lives Friday when an airliner ditched into a lagoon after missing the runway on a remote Pacific island and immediately began sinking. The Air Niugini Boeing 737 was attempting to land at Weno airport in Micronesia but ended up half submerged in Chuuk lagoon after the accident on Friday morning. Pictures and video posted on social media showed locals scrambling in small boats […]