INDONESIA
Volcano spews ash clouds
A rumbling volcano in the country’s west yesterday unleashed an avalanche of scorching clouds down its slopes. Authorities are closely monitoring Mount Sinabung on the island of Sumatra after sensors picked up increasing activity in past weeks. The volcano in North Sumatra Province was shooting smoke and ash more than 1,000m into the air, and hot ash clouds traveled 1km southeast, the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation said. People were advised to stay 5km from the crater’s mouth and should be aware of the peril of lava, the agency said.
VENEZUELA
Maduro talks missiles
President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday said that it would be a “good idea” to look into buying missiles from Iran, a day after Colombia said that Caracas was considering such a plan amid growing ties with Tehran. “It had not occurred to me, it had not occurred to us,” Maduro said during a televised broadcast with cabinet members, instructing Minister of Defense Vladimir Padrino to follow up and jokingly telling his cabinet to keep the plan a secret. “Padrino, what a good idea, to speak with Iran to see what short, medium and long-range missiles they have, and if it is possible, given the great relations we have with Iran,” Maduro said.
PERU
Partygoers crushed to death
At least 13 people were crushed to death or asphyxiated as partygoers tried to flee a Lima nightclub raided by police because it was open in contravention of restrictions imposed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said. At least six were injured, including three police officers, as about 120 people tried to escape the Thomas Restobar club on Saturday night as police arrived to break up a party on its second floor, national police and government officials said. Neighbors had alerted police about the raucous event at the club in the Los Olivos district of the capital. A Ministry of the Interior statement said the revelers tried to squeeze en masse through the only entrance door and became trapped between the door and a staircase leading to the street. Police detained at least 23 partygoers, the ministry said.
UNITED STATES
Guitarist Jack Sherman dies
Jack Sherman, a guitarist who played on the first album by the Red Hot Chili Peppers (RCHP) and cowrote several of the Grammy-winning group’s early songs, has died at the age of 64, the group announced on Saturday. They listed no cause of death. “We of the RHCP family would like to wish Jack Sherman smooth sailing into the worlds beyond, for he has passed,” the Chili Peppers wrote on Twitter. “Jack played on our debut album as well as our first tour of the USA.” Sherman also played on albums by Bob Dylan and funk star George Clinton, according to the Guitarworld Web site.
UNITED STATES
Trump told to pay Daniels
A California court ordered President Donald Trump this week to pay US$44,100 in attorney fees to porn actress Stormy Daniels to pay for her legal battle over her effort to cancel a hush money deal brokered to keep her quiet about their sexual relationship a decade ago. The order in Superior Court in Los Angeles determined Daniels won her lawsuit against Trump over the agreement that was signed 11 days before the 2016 presidential election. As a part of that deal, the losing party would pay the lawyers’ fees.
BEIJING FORUM: ‘So-called freedom of navigation advocated by certain countries outside the region challenges the norms of international relations,’ the minister said Chinese Minister of National Defense Dong Jun (董軍) yesterday denounced “hegemonic logic and acts of bullying” during remarks at a Beijing forum that were full of thinly veiled references to the US. Organizers said that about 1,800 representatives from 100 countries, including political, military and academic leaders, were in Beijing for the Xiangshan Forum. The three-day event comes as China presents itself as a mediator of fraught global issues including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Addressing attendees at the opening ceremony, Dong warned of “new threats and challenges” now facing world peace. “While the themes of the times — peace and development —
Decked out with fake crystal chandeliers and velvet sofas, cosmetic surgery clinics in Afghanistan’s capital are a world away from the austerity of Taliban rule, where Botox, lip filler and hair transplants reign. Despite the Taliban authorities’ strict theocratic rule, and prevailing conservatism and poverty in Afghanistan, the 20 or so clinics in Kabul have flourished since the end of decades of war in the country. Foreign doctors, especially from Turkey, travel to Kabul to train Afghans, who equally undertake internships in Istanbul, while equipment is imported from Asia or Europe. In the waiting rooms, the clientele is often well-off and includes men
COMFORT WOMEN CLASH: Japan has strongly rejected South Korean court rulings ordering the government to provide reparations to Korean victims of sexual slavery The Japanese government yesterday defended its stance on wartime sexual slavery and described South Korean court rulings ordering Japanese compensation as violations of international law, after UN investigators criticized Tokyo for failing to ensure truth-finding and reparations for the victims. In its own response to UN human rights rapporteurs, South Korea called on Japan to “squarely face up to our painful history” and cited how Tokyo’s refusal to comply with court orders have denied the victims payment. The statements underscored how the two Asian US allies still hold key differences on the issue, even as they pause their on-and-off disputes over historical
BRIBERY ALLEGATIONS: A prosecutor said they considered the risk of Hak-ja Han tampering with evidence to be very high, which led them to seek the warrant South Korean prosecutors yesterday requested an arrest warrant for the leader of the Unification Church, Hak-ja Han, on allegations of bribery linked to the country’s former first lady and incitement to destroy evidence. The move came a day after the 82-year-old was questioned over her alleged role in bribing former first lady Kim Keon-hee and a lawmaker. Founded in 1954 by her late husband, Sun Myung Moon, the Unification Church has long been the subject of controversy and criticism, with its teachings centered on Moon’s role as the “second coming” and its mass weddings. Followers are derisively referred to as “Moonies.” However, the church’s
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