Rescuers in Indonesia are scrambling to locate at least 400 people reported missing, many believed trapped under landslides, following catastrophic floods caused by cyclonic rains nearly a week ago. The Government has confirmed that the death toll on Sumatra has surpassed 440. Cyclone Senyar, an exceptionally rare tropical storm, triggered severe flooding and landslides across…
Southern Asia is grappling with one of the deadliest natural disasters in recent history as torrential rains and landslides have claimed at least 600 lives, displaced millions, and submerged entire communities. The catastrophic flooding, triggered by a rare tropical storm combined with heavy monsoon rains, has hit Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and parts of Malaysia,…
Guinea-Bissau spiralled into its most dramatic power shift in years on Wednesday after mutinous soldiers stormed key state institutions overnight and installed Major General Adilson Fonseca as the Country’s new strongman barely a day after toppling President Umaro Sissoco Embaló in a lightning coup. The coup, described by diplomats as “ferocious and meticulously planned,” erupted…
Canada has issued one of its most sweeping and hard-hitting travel advisories in years, warning citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to Nigeria and 16 other African Countries, citing a rapidly escalating security crisis across the continent. The advisory-released in the early hours of Tuesday-links the heightened travel risk to a dangerous combination of terrorism,…
Bissau was thrown into uncertainty on Wednesday after armed men reportedly detained President Umaro Sissoco Embaló in what appears to be a fresh attempt to overthrow his Government. The reported arrest occurred around 1 p.m. inside the Presidential palace in Bissau, just days after a tense Presidential election from which the main opposition candidate was…
A 65-year-old Thai woman, believed to have died and transported for cremation, was discovered alive after temple staff heard knocking from inside her coffin at a Buddhist temple in Nonthaburi Province. The woman, whose name has not yet been released, had been declared dead by her brother in Phitsanulok after she reportedly became unresponsive. In…
In a sweeping diplomatic move aimed at curbing the growing menace of visa fraud, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia have jointly launched an intensive, week-long public-awareness campaign in Ghana, aligning with the Global observance of International Fraud Awareness Week The campaign, titled “Fighting Visa Fraud Together,” marks an unprecedented collaboration among the three High…
Panic and uncertainty gave way to relief on Wednesday evening as 246 passengers aboard the Queen Jenuvia 2 ferry were safely rescued after the vessel ran aground on a reef off South Korea’s south-east coast. The 26,000-tonne ferry, en route from Jeju Island to the port city of Mokpo, struck rocks near the uninhabited Jogdo…
The United Kingdom has announced a major overhaul of its asylum system, ending automatic financial support and accommodation for asylum seekers, a move the Government says will reduce irregular migration, but which critics warn could deepen hardship for vulnerable people. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood confirmed that asylum support will now be discretionary, giving the Home…
The United Kingdom Government has issued a fresh travel advisory to its citizens, warning against travel to several parts of Nigeria over the country’s worsening security situation marked by terrorism, kidnapping, armed robbery, and communal violence. The advisory, released by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), highlights increasing threats from insurgent groups, bandits, and…
