https://www.scmp.com/rss/325328/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Associated Press Associated Press More than 300 families have been evacuated after massive amounts of ash billowed from the Mayon volcano over the weekend due to the collapse of lava deposits from its slopes, Philippine officials said on Monday. There was no explosive eruption from Mayon, which has been erupting mildly on and off since January, but huge deposits of lava on its southwestern slope suddenly cascaded down in a pyroclastic flow – an avalanche of hot rocks, ash and gas – before nightfall on Saturday, said Teresito... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352320/panic-philippines-mayon-volcano-ashfall-blankets-towns-total-darkness?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352320/panic-philippines-mayon-volcano-ashfall-blankets-towns-total-darkness?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 05:00:47 +0000 Reuters Reuters At least ⁠14 people ⁠were killed after lightning ⁠strikes hit several parts of Bangladesh, officials said on Monday, as seasonal thunderstorms swept across the country. The deaths were ‌reported from several districts after sudden storms brought heavy rain and intense lightning on Sunday. Most of the victims were farmers working in open fields and labourers caught in ⁠exposed areas, local authorities said. Several other people were ‌injured and taken to nearby hospitals, with some in critical... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3351543/lightning-strikes-kill-14-day-seasonal-storms-hit-bangladesh?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3351543/lightning-strikes-kill-14-day-seasonal-storms-hit-bangladesh?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 07:26:48 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A strong earthquake rattled Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido early on Monday, US and Japanese meteorological agencies reported, the latest in a series of powerful tremors to hit the island nation. The 6.2-magnitude quake struck at 5.23am in Hokkaido’s southern region, at a depth of 83km (52 miles), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported, revising its preliminary estimate of magnitude 6.1. No tsunami alert was issued, JMA said, and the US Geological Survey predicted that damage to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351504/magnitude-62-quake-strikes-japans-hokkaido-jma-warns-more-come?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351504/magnitude-62-quake-strikes-japans-hokkaido-jma-warns-more-come?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:20:25 +0000 Reuters Reuters Japan has deployed 1,400 firefighters and dozens of Self-Defence Force personnel to battle mountain blazes that have been raging in the north for five days and threaten to reach homes in the ‌picturesque coastal town of Otsuchi, officials said on Sunday. Fanned by dry, windy weather, two more wildfires broke out elsewhere in the north on Sunday – one in Kitakata city and the other in Nagaoka, potentially stretching firefighting resources thin as local authorities send personnel to neighbouring... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351496/wildfires-japans-north-worsen-1400-firefighters-deployed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351496/wildfires-japans-north-worsen-1400-firefighters-deployed?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 14:04:13 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings With bad loans and repayment collateral in focus, Chinese banks are increasingly using satellites to evaluate their clients’ terrestrial assets, mounting a hi-tech offensive to safeguard against rising credit risks. China Merchants Bank and Shanghai Pudong Development Bank started making use of satellites this year, following a 2022 launch by Ping An Bank and a 2020 move into satellite remote-sensing technology by Zhejiang E-Commerce Bank. Furthering the trend, the Postal Savings Bank of China... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351315/default-our-stars-chinas-banks-use-satellites-track-assets-sky-high-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351315/default-our-stars-chinas-banks-use-satellites-track-assets-sky-high-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 02:00:11 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Authorities have found the body of one of the six missing crew members from a cargo ship that overturned near the Northern Mariana Islands during a typhoon. US Air Force divers “used an underwater remotely operated drone to search the interior of the vessel” and recovered the body on Tuesday, the US Coast Guard said in a news release. Additional divers from the Japan Coast Guard further examined the ship. They did not find any additional crew members, the US Coast Guard said. “Coastguard... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351024/searchers-find-body-1-6-missing-crew-members-after-super-typhoon-overturns-ship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351024/searchers-find-body-1-6-missing-crew-members-after-super-typhoon-overturns-ship?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:48:53 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk The magnitude 7.7 earthquake that hit Japan on Monday has renewed worries on Indonesia’s holiday island of Bali, which sits on the same Pacific Ring of Fire. Hours after the quake, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a special advisory warning of a slightly elevated risk of a temblor with a magnitude of 8 or stronger in the coming days. It said there was a 1 per cent chance of a megaquake, compared with 0.1 per cent at other times. Monday’s temblor came just days after the Bali Meteorology,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3350994/why-japans-earthquake-has-bali-edge-over-magnitude-9-megathrust-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3350994/why-japans-earthquake-has-bali-edge-over-magnitude-9-megathrust-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:15:53 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Northeast Japan escaped relatively unscathed from the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck off its coast on Monday, but residents have been advised to stay alert as it is too early to tell whether the tremor was the main shock or a precursor to a far larger one. Hours after the quake, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a special advisory warning of a slightly elevated risk of a temblor with a magnitude of 8 or stronger in the coming days. There was a 1 per cent chance of a megaquake,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3350881/japan-escapes-worst-magnitude-77-quake-experts-warn-potential-bigger-one?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3350881/japan-escapes-worst-magnitude-77-quake-experts-warn-potential-bigger-one?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 09:30:33 +0000 Agencies Agencies A tsunami warning was issued for parts of northeast and northern Japan on Monday after a magnitude-7.5 earthquake struck off the Sanriku Coast, sending residents to higher ground and boats out to sea as memories of the 2011 disaster resurfaced. Live television footage showed fishing boats and coastal vessels leaving ports along Japan’s northeast coast to avoid incoming waves, while broadcasters urged people in low-lying areas to evacuate immediately to safer ground. In Hokkaido, Makoto Watanabe,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350707/tsunami-warning-issued-japan-after-magnitude-74-quake-hits-northeast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350707/tsunami-warning-issued-japan-after-magnitude-74-quake-hits-northeast?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 08:12:40 +0000 Reuters Reuters Residents in low-lying areas of New Zealand’s ⁠capital city Wellington ⁠were urged to evacuate on ⁠Monday, as heavy rain continued to drench the city, which experienced flash flooding overnight. A state of emergency was declared for the region on Monday afternoon, while weather forecaster MetService upgraded its heavy rain warning to red, the highest level, which indicates a threat to life from dangerous river conditions, significant flooding and slips. Mayor Andrew Little told state-owned Radio... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350675/new-zealand-declares-emergency-wellington-record-rainfall-triggers-flash-floods?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350675/new-zealand-declares-emergency-wellington-record-rainfall-triggers-flash-floods?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 04:26:50 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Two strong earthquakes jolted Nagano Prefecture in central Japan on Saturday, with the first measuring a preliminary magnitude of 5.0 followed by another registering magnitude 5.1, the country’s weather agency said. The Japan Meteorological Agency warned of aftershocks on a similar scale over the next week or so. No tsunami warnings were issued. The first major quake occurred at 1.20pm in Omachi and registered upper 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7, according to the agency. At... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350559/magnitude-5-quake-hits-japans-nagano-prefecture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350559/magnitude-5-quake-hits-japans-nagano-prefecture?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 05:14:45 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Australia has pledged A$2.5 million (US$1.7 million) in aid to Pacific neighbours Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, after tropical cyclone Maila caused devastating floods and landslides that killed 11. Australia stood “shoulder to shoulder” with its neighbours, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Sunday, pledging A$1 million for Papua New Guinea and A$1.5 million for the Solomon Islands, where severe impacts have been felt in remote communities across Western and Choiseul... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3349855/australia-pledges-us17-million-aid-after-cyclone-maila-kills-11-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3349855/australia-pledges-us17-million-aid-after-cyclone-maila-kills-11-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 05:26:16 +0000 Reuters Reuters An earthquake of magnitude 7.6 struck in Indonesia’s Northern Maluku Sea on Thursday, killing one person, damaging buildings and triggering tsunami waves, authorities and witnesses said, though monitoring agencies said the likelihood of further casualties was low. Indonesia’s meteorology agency BMKG said tsunami waves were reported in five locations, the highest at 0.75 metre (2.46 feet) in North ‌Minahasa in North Sulawesi and about 50 aftershocks were monitored, the largest at a magnitude of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348725/tsunami-warning-indonesia-philippines-malaysia-after-maluku-sea-quake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348725/tsunami-warning-indonesia-philippines-malaysia-after-maluku-sea-quake?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:45:58 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse At least one of the world’s largest LNG plants remained closed on Sunday after a cyclone knocked out power to thousands of people in Western Australia. The outages were restricting already stretched fuel supplies caused by the war in the Middle East. Woodside Energy, which processes fuel from one of the world’s biggest offshore gas operations, said on Sunday that its Karratha plant remained offline. “We have commenced remobilising our workforce to some of our offshore facilities and inspections... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3348292/australias-karratha-lng-plant-closed-after-cyclone-amid-fuel-shortages?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3348292/australias-karratha-lng-plant-closed-after-cyclone-amid-fuel-shortages?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 08:44:04 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Accelerating glacial retreat in the Himalayas over the past decades is threatening over 2 billion people in the region who depend on meltwater from the “water tower of Asia” for their daily needs, according to climate scientists. Glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region have been losing ice at twice the rate since 2000, with smaller glaciers under 0.5 sq km shrinking more rapidly than larger ones, according to two landmark reports published on Saturday to coincide with the World Day for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3347298/himalayas-glacier-loss-threatens-2-billion-people-greatest-problem-climate-change?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3347298/himalayas-glacier-loss-threatens-2-billion-people-greatest-problem-climate-change?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 07:00:10 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran A framework proposed at an Asean ministers’ meeting is set to propel disaster management to the top of the bloc’s agenda, further easing cooperation and decision-making in a region facing nearly US$18 trillion in disaster risk exposure. Analysts say the proposal, if implemented, would strengthen anticipatory action – potentially enabling the bloc to act before a formal request from a member state is even made. At the 35th Asean Socio-Cultural Community Council Meeting in Manila on March 5, bloc... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3346934/asean-bets-new-framework-remedy-uneven-disaster-response?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3346934/asean-bets-new-framework-remedy-uneven-disaster-response?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 02:30:08 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japan on Wednesday marked 15 years since a devastating earthquake and tsunami struck the country’s northeastern areas, triggering the world’s worst nuclear disaster since the 1986 Chernobyl crisis. The triple disasters of the magnitude-9.0 earthquake, resulting tsunami and meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex led to the loss of more than 22,000 lives. The plant’s operator is still struggling to dismantle the damaged facilities by 2051. The central government stopped hosting memorial... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346154/15-years-after-fukushima-disaster-japan-struggles-rising-maintenance-costs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346154/15-years-after-fukushima-disaster-japan-struggles-rising-maintenance-costs?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 01:27:05 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin China should accelerate development of a space-based solar power station, as the technology could one day do far more than beam clean energy to Earth, it might even help tame typhoons, according to a senior Chinese engineer. Duan Baoyan, the lead scientist behind the ambitious “Zhuri” project – which aims to hold a megawatt-class demonstration in the Earth’s orbit by 2030 – said microwave beams generated by such a station to transmit electricity back to Earth could potentially be directed to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345240/change-typhoon-intensity-and-path-china-team-mulls-hitting-cyclones-space-beam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345240/change-typhoon-intensity-and-path-china-team-mulls-hitting-cyclones-space-beam?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 09:00:10 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo None of Japan’s prefectural governors are willing to accept soil collected in decontamination work near the disaster-stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex without further safety information and support from the central government, according to a Kyodo News survey. A search for final disposal sites for 14 million cubic metres (500 million cubic feet) of removed soil and other waste in Fukushima after the March 2011 nuclear disaster is a key part of the government’s reconstruction efforts in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3345100/where-will-fukushimas-nuclear-waste-go-japanese-governors-reject-tainted-soil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3345100/where-will-fukushimas-nuclear-waste-go-japanese-governors-reject-tainted-soil?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 06:27:57 +0000 The Star The Star The 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of Sabah early Monday morning is the strongest to hit Malaysia in over a decade. Malaysian Meteorological Depart­ment Director General Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said that based on the department’s records, the previous strongest earthquake in the country occurred on June 5, 2015, in Ranau, Sabah. The 6.0-magnitude temblor in Ranau claimed 18 lives and is still regarded as one of the most notable earthquakes in the country’s history. According to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3344426/sabah-quake-strongest-hit-malaysia-11-years-tremors-felt-singapore?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3344426/sabah-quake-strongest-hit-malaysia-11-years-tremors-felt-singapore?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 06:35:27 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Eight backcountry skiers have been found dead and one remains missing after an avalanche near Lake Tahoe in California, officials said on Wednesday, making it the deadliest avalanche in the US in more than four decades. Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said during a news conference that authorities have told the families the mission has moved from rescue to recovery. It is the deadliest avalanche in the US since 1981, when 11 climbers were killed on Mount Rainier, Washington. Crews have faced... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343914/9-missing-california-avalanche-whiteout-conditions-hamper-rescue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343914/9-missing-california-avalanche-whiteout-conditions-hamper-rescue?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 09:55:51 +0000 Reuters Reuters Heavy rain and strong winds disrupted flights, trains and ferries, forcing the closure of roads across large parts of New Zealand’s North Island on Monday, while snapping power links to tens of thousands. Domestic media reported a few flights had resumed operating by afternoon from the airport in Wellington, the capital, although cancellations were still widespread after authorities said most morning flights were disrupted. Air New Zealand said it hoped to resume services when conditions ease... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3343699/absolutely-terrifying-new-zealand-storm-leaves-30000-homes-without-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3343699/absolutely-terrifying-new-zealand-storm-leaves-30000-homes-without-power?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 05:26:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Spain and Portugal on Saturday braced for another storm heading for the Iberian Peninsula, just days after the floods caused by Storm Leonardo proved fatal in both countries. The latest depression, christened Storm Marta, has prompted the deployment of more than 26,500 rescuers in Portugal, where the foul weather has led three municipalities to postpone Sunday’s presidential vote till next week. Both countries have issued warnings over the potential fresh floods, after inundations blocked... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342787/fatal-floods-strike-spain-and-portugal-thousands-evacuating?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342787/fatal-floods-strike-spain-and-portugal-thousands-evacuating?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 14:36:12 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall With the number of deaths during the current severe winter season in Japan expected to rise, environmental and tourism experts have warned of greater risks to lives and property arising from unpredictable weather patterns due to climate change. Parts of Japan have experienced “disaster-level” snowfall in recent days, with authorities reporting at least 29 dead and 290 injured in accidents since January 20. Just as Japanese summers are becoming hotter, longer and more humid, global warming is... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3342265/japans-deadly-winter-rages-fears-disaster-level-weather-patterns-mount?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3342265/japans-deadly-winter-rages-fears-disaster-level-weather-patterns-mount?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 03:00:39 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A court on Wednesday ordered the Dutch government to draw up a plan to protect residents on the tiny Caribbean island of Bonaire from the devastating effects of climate change – a sweeping victory for the islanders. The Hague District Court, in a stunning rebuke of Dutch authorities, also ruled that the government discriminated against the island’s 20,000 inhabitants by not taking “timely and appropriate measures” to protect them from climate change before it is too late. “The island already... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341587/caribbean-island-wins-climate-case-against-netherlands-forcing-dutch-action-rising-seas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341587/caribbean-island-wins-climate-case-against-netherlands-forcing-dutch-action-rising-seas?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 14:50:37 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Parts of Australia sweltered in record temperatures of close to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday as the country sweated through a prolonged heatwave. The rural towns of Hopetoun and Walpeup in Victoria state registered preliminary highs of 48.9 degrees, which if confirmed overnight would top records set on the day in 2009 when 173 people were killed in the state’s devastating Black Saturday bushfires. No casualties were reported from Tuesday’s heatwave, but Victoria... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3341450/australia-swelters-temperatures-near-50-degrees-record-breaking-heatwave?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3341450/australia-swelters-temperatures-near-50-degrees-record-breaking-heatwave?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 13:06:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Improved weather on Sunday helped rescuers on Indonesia’s main island of Java recover more bodies as they dug through mud and debris in search of scores of missing in a landslide that killed more than two dozen villagers. The predawn landslide on the slopes of Mount Burangrang in West Java province on Saturday buried some 34 houses in Pasir Langu village. On Sunday, 72 people remained missing, many feared buried under tons of mud, rocks and uprooted trees. About 230 residents living near the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3341180/indonesian-rescuers-recover-bodies-after-java-landslide-72-still-missing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3341180/indonesian-rescuers-recover-bodies-after-java-landslide-72-still-missing?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 15:20:00 +0000 Alan Robles Alan Robles The Philippines is reviving a popular disaster monitoring and simulation programme that was defunded nine years ago by then president Rodrigo Duterte – a move that some have blamed for resulting in a swathe of corrupted construction projects now plaguing the country. Last month, Congress said it would allot 1 billion pesos (US$16.9 million) in the 2026 General Appropriations Bill for the Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (NOAH) project, a clutch of programmes that identifies risk... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3341026/did-shelved-anti-disaster-scheme-lead-philippines-corrupted-flood-control-projects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3341026/did-shelved-anti-disaster-scheme-lead-philippines-corrupted-flood-control-projects?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 04:00:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A landslide killed at least eight people and left over 80 missing on Indonesia’s main island of Java on Saturday, a disaster official said. The landslide triggered by heavy rainfall struck a village in the region of West Bandung at around 2.30am, burying residential areas. Floods and landslides are common across the vast archipelago during the rainy season, which typically runs from October to March. “There was a rumbling noise, like thunder,” said Oyoh, a resident of Pasir Langu village who,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3341090/7-killed-82-missing-indonesian-landslide-west-bandung-java?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3341090/7-killed-82-missing-indonesian-landslide-west-bandung-java?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jan 2026 04:57:43 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse New Zealand police have found human remains beneath mud and debris from a landslide that struck a campsite in the popular holiday spot of Mount Maunganui, and are now moving to recover more victims. Efforts to rescue at least six people buried alive at the park ended on Saturday. Police Superintendent Tim Anderson said it could take several days to locate all of the bodies, after a mountain of dirt and debris tumbled onto a campsite in Mount Maunganui on Thursday. Anderson said it was... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3341081/new-zealand-landslide-human-remains-found-operations-move-rescue-recovery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3341081/new-zealand-landslide-human-remains-found-operations-move-rescue-recovery?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jan 2026 01:44:21 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A deadly storm this week dumped nearly six months of rain on the Greek capital, Athens, in less than a day, one of the country’s top weather experts said on Thursday. Wednesday’s storm lashed the country and left two dead, with disaster crews spending Thursday cleaning up debris. Kostas Lagouvardos, research director at the National Observatory in Athens, said the “extreme” weather phenomenon had dumped up to 170 mm (6.7 inches) of rain on the capital. That amounted to “about 40 per cent of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3340888/deadly-storm-athens-dumps-six-months-rain-single-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3340888/deadly-storm-athens-dumps-six-months-rain-single-day?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:49:24 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The restart of the world’s largest nuclear power plant was suspended in Japan on Thursday just hours after the process began, its operator said, but the reactor remains “stable”. Operations to relaunch a reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata province, closed since the 2011 Fukushima disaster, began late on Wednesday after it received the final green light from the nuclear regulator despite divided public opinion. But its operator, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), said that... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3340861/japan-suspends-restart-worlds-largest-nuclear-plant-hours-after-it-began?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3340861/japan-suspends-restart-worlds-largest-nuclear-plant-hours-after-it-began?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 11:19:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters Rescuers in New Zealand searched on Thursday for several people missing, including children, following a landslide at a campsite ‍as heavy rains caused widespread damage and left thousands without power. Homes were evacuated and roads closed as the heavy rain hit almost the entire eastern seaboard of the North Island. The landslide happened at 9.30am local time, sending rubble barrelling down on the campsite in Mount Maunganui, a popular tourist ⁠spot on the northern coast of New Zealand. One... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3340791/several-people-feared-buried-landslide-hit-new-zealand-campsite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3340791/several-people-feared-buried-landslide-hit-new-zealand-campsite?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 05:34:58 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) on Wednesday restarted its first nuclear reactor since the 2011 Fukushima disaster, with the utility’s safety measures set to be closely watched as it seeks to turn around its business amid ongoing clean-up efforts from the accident. Tepco brought back online the No 6 reactor at the seven-unit Kashiwazaki-Kariwa complex in Niigata Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo – the world’s largest nuclear power plant by output when fully operational – making it the 15th... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3340734/japan-restarts-first-nuclear-reactor-fukushima-under-close-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3340734/japan-restarts-first-nuclear-reactor-fukushima-under-close-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 14:18:26 +0000 Reuters Reuters Japan’s Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) will delay the restart of its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, which was originally scheduled for Tuesday, public broadcaster NHK reported on Monday, after an alarm malfunction. It would have been the first reactor restart for Tepco since its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was hit by a powerful tsunami in 2011. The company had planned to restart Unit No 6 at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa on Tuesday and Unit No 7 around 2030, as Japan seeks greater energy... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3340366/japans-tepco-delays-kashiwazaki-kariwa-nuclear-restart-after-alarm-glitch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3340366/japans-tepco-delays-kashiwazaki-kariwa-nuclear-restart-after-alarm-glitch?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 04:04:19 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Wildfires raging across central and southern Chile on Sunday left at least 18 people dead, scorched thousands of acres of forest and destroyed hundreds of homes, authorities said, as the South American country sweltered under a heatwave. Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe in the country’s central Biobio region and the neighbouring Nuble region, around 500km (300 miles) south of Santiago, the capital. The emergency designation allows the suspension of constitutional... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3340354/chile-declares-state-emergency-wildfires-kill-least-18-people?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3340354/chile-declares-state-emergency-wildfires-kill-least-18-people?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 21:52:56 +0000 dpa dpa Eight people killed in three separate avalanche accidents in Austria were citizens of the Czech Republic and Austria, authorities said on Sunday. The deadliest incident on Saturday occurred in the Grossarl Valley in the state of Salzburg, where three men aged 53, 63 and 65 were killed. A 60-year-old woman also died after being buried by snow. The victims were part of a group on an alpine ski course offered by the Austrian Alpine Club, the organisation announced on Sunday. “Risk competence and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3340350/bodies-skiers-killed-austria-avalanches-be-recovered?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3340350/bodies-skiers-killed-austria-avalanches-be-recovered?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 18:37:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Army helicopters rescued people stranded on rooftops and hundreds of tourists and workers were evacuated from one of the world’s biggest game reserves, as torrential rains and flooding in three countries in southern Africa killed more than 100 people, authorities said on Friday. The death toll across South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe is an accumulation after weeks of heavy rains. Weather services issued warnings that more rain was on the way, possibly bringing more destructive... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3340231/over-100-dead-torrential-rains-and-floods-across-southern-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3340231/over-100-dead-torrential-rains-and-floods-across-southern-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 22:52:43 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran A garbage landslide that killed 19 people and left more than 20 missing in the central Philippines last week has prompted outrage from civic and green groups over poor enforcement of environmental laws for contributing to the disaster. The deadly avalanche of debris struck on January 8 at a 15-hectare (37-acre) landfill in Binaliw village, Cebu City, when more than 100 sanitation workers were on site. Officials said recent earthquakes and heavy rainfall might have destabilised the soil,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3340044/philippines-cebu-residents-cry-foul-over-mounting-garbage-health-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3340044/philippines-cebu-residents-cry-foul-over-mounting-garbage-health-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 03:00:09 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall A century after thousands of foreigners were massacred in Japan following a devastating earthquake, human rights advocates worry about rising vigilantism should disaster strike again. It follows calls from the mayor of at least one Japanese city for citizens to form “vigilante groups” in response to reports of rising crime by foreign nationals. “This is symptomatic of Japan’s changing demographics and the rise of xenophobia,” Teppei Kasai of Human Rights Watch in Tokyo told This Week in Asia,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3339574/easier-targets-japan-safe-foreigners-if-disaster-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3339574/easier-targets-japan-safe-foreigners-if-disaster-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Three separate avalanches killed three off-piste skiers in the French Alps on Sunday, resort officials said, a day after three skiers died in similar incidents, bringing the weekend death toll to six. The deaths came despite alerts from the weather service of a high risk of avalanches and warnings against off-piste skiing. In one incident on Sunday, a British man in his 50s was buried while skiing off-piste, according to a statement released by La Plagne ski resort in southeastern France. More... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3339522/6-piste-skiers-killed-separate-french-alps-avalanches-over-weekend?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3339522/6-piste-skiers-killed-separate-french-alps-avalanches-over-weekend?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 22:44:22 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Authorities in Australia declared a state of disaster on Saturday after bushfires destroyed houses and razed vast belts of forest in the country’s southeast. Temperatures soared past 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) as a heatwave blanketed the state of Victoria this week, with hot winds fanning some of the most dangerous fire weather since the “Black Summer” bushfires of 2019 to 2020. One of the most destructive bushfires ripped through almost 150,000 hectares (370,000 acres) near... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3339429/australia-declares-state-disaster-bushfires-rip-through-victoria-state-leave-go?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3339429/australia-declares-state-disaster-bushfires-rip-through-victoria-state-leave-go?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Jan 2026 06:11:49 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press An avalanche of garbage and debris buried or trapped workers in low-slung buildings at a landfill in the Philippines, killing one person, injuring a dozen and leaving 38 others missing, officials said on Friday. Dozens of rescuers retrieved 13 people alive overnight and were searching for the missing still trapped after the mountain of garbage, earth and debris collapsed on them on Thursday afternoon in the village of Binaliw in Cebu City, officials and police said. Landfill workers were among... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3339371/1-dead-38-missing-philippines-landfill-collapse-after-garbage-avalanche?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3339371/1-dead-38-missing-philippines-landfill-collapse-after-garbage-avalanche?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 11:24:55 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A strong earthquake rattled southern and central Mexico on Friday, interrupting President Claudia Sheinbaum’s first press briefing of the new year as seismic alarms sounded. At least two people died. The earthquake had a magnitude of 6.5 and its epicentre was near the town of San Marcos in the southern state of Guerrero near the Pacific coast resort of Acapulco, according to Mexico’s national seismological agency. There were more than 500 aftershocks. The state’s civil defence agency reported... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3338583/1-dead-12-injured-65-magnitude-quake-shakes-mexico-city-and-beach-resort?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3338583/1-dead-12-injured-65-magnitude-quake-shakes-mexico-city-and-beach-resort?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jan 2026 20:05:25 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji As Asia counts the cost of one of the world’s most expensive years for weather disasters, aid groups and scientists are warning that poorer countries face even greater risks ahead unless global emissions are cut and spending shifts from disaster response to prevention. Asia accounted for four of the world’s six costliest climate-related disasters in 2025, according to a report by Christian Aid released this month, underlining how heavily the region is being hit by floods, storms and extreme... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3338144/asias-year-costly-climate-disasters-spurs-calls-decisive-action?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3338144/asias-year-costly-climate-disasters-spurs-calls-decisive-action?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 08:00:42 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse In a library in the Philippines, dice rattle on the surface of a board before coming to a stop, putting one of its players straight into the path of a powerful typhoon. The teenagers huddled around the table leap into action, shouting instructions and acting out the correct strategies for just one of the potential catastrophes laid out in the board game called Master of Disaster. With fewer than half of Filipinos estimated to have undertaken disaster drills or to own a first aid kit, the game... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3338039/typhoon-hit-philippines-learns-disaster-preparations-board-game?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3338039/typhoon-hit-philippines-learns-disaster-preparations-board-game?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 09:46:48 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Campaigners against nuclear energy have condemned Japan’s decision to resume operations at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa power plant, claiming that the facility will be unable to withstand a major earthquake as it was “built on tofu”. Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco), the operator of the Niigata prefecture plant, on Wednesday applied for a final examination of the facility to the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA). Approval is likely to be a formality as the prefectural assembly already gave the nod on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3337805/safety-fears-japan-prepares-restart-nuclear-plant-built-tofu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3337805/safety-fears-japan-prepares-restart-nuclear-plant-built-tofu?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Dec 2025 01:30:11 +0000 Anand Mathai Anand Mathai Indonesia’s 2025 unfolded as a year of collision and contrast – President Prabowo Subianto asserting his authority, mass protests erupting in the streets, global diplomacy expanding outwards, climate disaster striking at home and a viral moment that turned aura farming into the country’s top cultural export of the year. Prabowo takes charge Prabowo entered his first full year in office with a strong mandate and an unusually high level of public goodwill. Over 2025, he moved quickly to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337718/indonesia-2025-year-collision-and-contrast-prabowo-takes-charge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337718/indonesia-2025-year-collision-and-contrast-prabowo-takes-charge?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 08:00:16 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A powerful winter storm is lashing Southern California, prompting California Governor Gavin Newsom to proclaim a state of emergency in Los Angeles and neighbouring counties. Coastal communities are bracing for multiple months’ worth of rain in just a few days, while areas charred by wildfires face the risk of mudslides. A third person has died, according to the Los Angeles Times. Meanwhile, a flood watch was extended for most of Southern California. The state has pre-positioned emergency... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3337681/southern-california-drenched-powerful-christmas-storms-flash-flooding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3337681/southern-california-drenched-powerful-christmas-storms-flash-flooding?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Dec 2025 03:35:18 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn As Hamdaniyah Surbakti, a 62-year-old resident of Aceh province, began to pick up the pieces of her house that was destroyed by last month’s severe floods, she inevitably thought about the 2004 tsunami that devastated Indonesia and other parts of the world. “It was worse than the 2004 tsunami,” said Hamdaniyah, referring to the recent torrential rains and flash floods that swept across northern Sumatra. “When the tsunami came, it only hit one area around [the provincial capital of] Banda Aceh.... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3337530/indonesias-aceh-residents-traumatised-flooding-worse-tsunami?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3337530/indonesias-aceh-residents-traumatised-flooding-worse-tsunami?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 03:00:07 +0000