Thousands in shelters in Japan as ‘very dangerous’ Typhoon Nanmadol makes landfall

MINAMATA: Thousands of people required refuge in shelters in southwestern Japan on Weekend (Sep 18) since powerful Typhoon Nanmadol bore down on Japan’s southernmost main isle of Kyushu. Authorities have got urged more than four million residents to evacuate. The particular Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has issued a rare “specialContinue Reading

Strong quake strikes off east coast of Taiwan

TAIPEI: A 6.6-magnitude earthquake struck off the east coast of Taiwan on Saturday (Sep 17), the US Geological Survey said. The quake hit just after 9.30pm about 50km north of the city of Taitung at a depth of about 10km, the USGS said. The quake could be felt across Taiwan, accordingContinue Reading

Chinese astronauts go on spacewalk from new station

BEIJING: Two Chinese astronauts went on a spacewalk Saturday (Sep 17) from a new space station that is due to be completed later this year. Cai Xuzhe and Chen Dong installed pumps, a handle to open the hatch door from outside in an emergency, and a foot-stop to fix an astronaut’sContinue Reading

France sends latest nuclear shipment to Japan

CHERBOURG: Two ships carrying reprocessed nuclear fuel destined for Japan set sail Saturday morning (Sep 17) from northern France, an AFP photographer said, despite criticism from environmental campaigners. The fuel was due to leave the northern French port city of Cherbourg earlier this month but was delayed by the breakdownContinue Reading

Cleanup day comes to Philippine capital’s polluted bay

Waters along the Manila Bay, famous for its idyllic sunsets, are heavily polluted by oil, grease and trash from nearby residential areas and ports. The Philippines is rich in marine resources, with nearly 36,300km of coastline in the archipelago of more than 7,600 islands. But it is the world’s topContinue Reading