Today in Pictures, July 4, 2025
PHOTO: AFP
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Straits Times
18 hours ago
- Straits Times
Japan assesses tsunami risk after Indonesian volcano eruption
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox If any tsunami waves were generated from Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, they would reach Japan's Okinawa earliest around 2.30pm on July 7. TOKYO - Japan's weather agency said on July 7 that it is assessing the possibility of tsunami reaching the country after a large volcanic eruption was observed on the Indonesian island of Flores. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,584m-high twin-peaked volcano on the tourist island of Flores, erupted at 11.05am local time (12.10pm, Japan time) and if any tsunami waves were generated, they would reach Japan's southern island prefecture of Okinawa around 3.30pm (2.30pm, Singapore time) at the earliest, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki is abo ut 3,913km away from Japan's Okinawa. Indonesian authorities on July 7 warned of the possibility of hazardous lahar floods – a type of mud or debris flow of volcanic materials – if heavy rain occurs, particularly for communities near rivers. There were no immediate reports of damages or casualties. In June dozens of flights to and from Bali were cancelled after the volcano erupted . Volcanic ash rained down on several communities around the volcano and forced the evacuation of at least one village. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted multiple times in November 2024 , killing nine people and forcing thousands to evacuate, as well as the cancellation of scores of international flights to Bali. There were no immediate reports of cancelled flights after the July 7 eruption. Laki-Laki, which means man in Indonesian, is twinned with the calmer but taller 1,703m volcano named Perempuan, after the Indonesian word for woman. Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire'. AFP, KYODO NEWS
Straits Times
19 hours ago
- Straits Times
Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupts, spews 18km-high ash tower
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupts, as seen from Nangahale village in Sikka, East Nusa Tenggara on July 7,. JAKARTA - A volcano in eastern Indonesia erupted, spewing a colossal ash tower 18km into the sky on July 7, authorities said, just weeks after it caused dozens of flight cancellations to and from the popular resort island of Bali. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,584m-high twin-peaked volcano on the tourist island of Flores, erupted at 11.05am local time (0305 GMT), the volcanology agency said in a statement. 'An eruption of Lewotobi Laki-Laki Volcano occurred ... with the observed ash column height reaching approximately 18,000m above the summit,' the agency said. It warned of the possibility of hazardous lahar floods – a type of mud or debris flow of volcanic materials – if heavy rain occurs, particularly for communities near rivers. There were no immediate reports of damages or casualties. Last month dozens of flights to and from Bali were cancelled after the volcano erupted . Volcanic ash rained down on several communities around the volcano and forced the evacuation of at least one village. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted multiple times in November, killing nine people and forcing thousands to evacuate, as well as the cancellation of scores of international flights to Bali. There were no immediate reports of cancelled flights after Monday's eruption. Laki-Laki, which means man in Indonesian, is twinned with the calmer but taller 1,703m volcano named Perempuan, after the Indonesian word for woman. Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire'. AFP
Straits Times
20 hours ago
- Straits Times
North Korea bars Western influencers from trade fair tour
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Diplomatically isolated North Korea has welcomed sporadic groups of international visitors in recent months. BEIJING - North Korea has barred Western influencers from joining a delegation of tourists to an international trade fair in October, a China-based tour operator told AFP on July 7 . Diplomatically isolated North Korea has welcomed sporadic groups of international visitors in recent months, including hundreds of foreign athletes in April for the first Pyongyang International Marathon in six years. Travel agency Young Pioneer Tours (YPT) announced on July 5 that it would take a group of foreign tourists on a trip to the authoritarian state from Oct 24 to Nov 1. But the tour would not be open to journalists, travel content creators or influencers, the company said on its website. YPT co-founder Rowan Beard told AFP the curbs on creators were 'a specific request from the North Korean side'. 'We anticipate that once the country officially reopens, there may be stricter scrutiny or limitations on influencers and YouTubers joining tours,' Mr Beard said. The company had 'no visibility' on when Pyongyang would restart official media delegations, he added. Several online influencers have shared slickly produced videos from inside North Korea in recent months. Priced at €3,995 (S$6,000), the YPT tour will depart from the Chinese capital Beijing and take in the Pyongyang Autumn International Trade Fair, North Korea's biggest international business exhibition. Participants will have a 'unique chance' to stroll through over 450 trade booths exhibiting machinery, IT, energy, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods and household items, YPT said. The company added that the Pyongyang Chamber of Commerce would 'hold a VIP presentation for us for an in-depth overview and insights into the (North Korean) economy'. The itinerary also includes major sights in Pyongyang as well as the first Western visit in over five years to Mount Myohyang – a mystical peak boasting a museum of lavish gifts presented to former North Korean leaders. China has historically been the biggest diplomatic, economic and political backer of North Korea, which remains under crippling international sanctions. Chinese people used to make up the bulk of foreign tourists and business visitors to the isolated nuclear nation before it sealed its borders during the Covid-19 pandemic. But numbers have not rebounded despite Pyongyang's post-pandemic reopening, a trend that some analysts have attributed to Beijing's anger at North Korea's explicit support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. AFP
