Magnitude 5.9 offshore quake strikes central Philippines

An earthquake of magnitude 5.9 struck off the central Philippines on January 23, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).

Illustrative photo. (Photo: indianexpress.com)
Illustrative photo. (Photo: indianexpress.com)

Hanoi (VNA) – An earthquake of magnitude 5.9 struck off the central Philippines on January 23, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).

The offshore quake had a depth of 10 km and was off the town of San Francisco in Leyte province.

Meanwhile, the US Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed that a magnitude 5.8 quake struck off the central Philippines at about 6:30 on January 23. The earthquake had a depth of 25.7 km, and about 17 km off the town of San Francisco.

Earthquakes are common in the Philippines, which is located in the Pacific Ocean's Ring of Fire, where volcanic activity and earthquakes frequently occur./.

VNA

See more

Former Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his successor Prabowo Subianto inspect the progress of the new capital project Nusantara on Aug. 12, 2024. (Photo: Jakarta Globe)

Indonesia approves budget for new capital’s next development phase

The Indonesian government has allocated 48.8 trillion IDR (2.99 billion USD) for the second phase of developing Nusantara, Indonesia's new capital, for the 2025-2029 period. This represents a notable decrease from the 89 trillion IDR set aside for the first phase in 2022-2024.

In the past four elections, the time between the committee’s formation and polling day has ranged from four to 11 months. (Photo: Straits Times)

Singapore prepares for general election

A committee reviewing Singapore’s electoral boundaries was established by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, the Elections Department (ELD) said on January 22.

Head of the National Narcotics Agency of Indonesia (BNN) Marthinus Hukom (Photo: antaranews.com)

Indonesia prioritises drugs combat

Head of the National Narcotics Agency of Indonesia (BNN) Marthinus Hukom stated on January 22 that Prabowo Subianto is the first President to make drugs combat one of the country’s priority programmes, as outlined in the Asta Cita mission.

Officers measure emissions from a pickup truck at a checkpoint set up in front of Chatuchak Park on Phahon Yothin Road in Bangkok in January 2024. (Photo: Bangkokpost)

Thai cabinet approves carbon tax to curb emissions

The Thai cabinet approved a carbon tax of 200 THB (5.9 USD) per tonne of carbon emissions on January 21, as part of the country’s strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to Deputy Finance Minister Paopoom Rojanasakul.

Illustrative image (Photo: Nation Thailand)

Thailand's births fall below 500,000 for first time in nearly 80 years

Thailand's population has declined by 100,000 in 2024 to 65.95 million, marking a historic demographic shift as annual births fell below 500,000 for the first time since 1949, despite the government's efforts to promote childbearing through the Having Children for the Nation campaign.

Tourists in Bangkok, Thailand (Photo: VNA)

Thai council urges ASEAN unity in US trade talks

The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) of Thailand has recommended that Thailand collaborate with other ASEAN nations to negotiate trade agreements with the US to avoid high import tariffs and penalties.

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, recently issues a statement in Jakarta. (Photo: Antara)

Indonesia welcomes WTO ruling on EU curbs on palm oil biofuel

Indonesia has welcomed a recent ruling by the World Trade Organisation (WTO), which found that the European Union (EU) discriminated against Indonesian palm oil-based biofuel, giving it unfair and detrimental treatment, in setting biofuel regulations, according to Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto.

Indonesia launches 37 energy projects (Photo: Tempo.co)

Indonesia launches 37 energy projects

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto kicked off 37 strategic projects related to the construction of power plants on January 20 as the country is on track to achieve energy self-sufficiency.