Refugees indonesia

JAKARTA: A 6.1-magnitude earthquake hit Papua, in eastern Indonesia Sunday (Dec 16), US seismologists said, but no tsunami warning was issued. The quake was about 158km south-southwest of the province's capital Jayapura at 6.42pm local time (0942 GMT), at a depth of 61km, according to the US Geological Survey. The quake was felt in Jayapura, but residents didn't panic, a military spokesman said. "I felt it at home," Papua's military spokesman in Jayapura Dax Sianturi said. Officials are still assessing the impact of the quake, but there were no immediate reports of casualties. Indonesia experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide. Last September, a 7.5-magnitude quake and a subsequent tsunami in Palu on Sulawesi island killed more than 2,200 with a thousand more declared missing. On boxing day, Dec 26, 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake struck Aceh province, causing a tsunami and … [Read more...] about Earthquake rocks Indonesia’s Papua

Miss Universe 2018 has a winner, and it’s Miss Philippines, Catriona Gray. The 24-year-old model, actress, TV host and seasoned beauty queen, who was born to an Australian father and a Filipina mother, took the top spot at the Miss Universe pageant held on Monday (Dec 17) in Bangkok. Miss South Africa Tamaryn Green was the first runner-up, while Miss Venezuela Sthefany Gutierrez was the second runner-up. Southeast Asian countries were also well-represented, with contestants from Indonesia and Thailand making it into the Top 20, while Miss Vietnam H'Hen Nie rounded out the Top 5. Top 3 Final Word: Miss Universe Philippines #MissUniverse LIVE on @FOXtv . pic.twitter.com/W6Vwfy10k0 — Miss Universe (@MissUniverse) December 17, 2018 Gray wore a sparkling red dress, and said, "When I was 13, my mum said she had a dream that I would win Miss Universe in a red dress." According to the Associated Press, she said her mother cried when they saw each other after she won … [Read more...] about Miss Universe 2018: Miss Philippines takes the crown, Miss South Africa is runner-up

Legend has it that when Aesop, a slave, was brought to the Greek island of Samos, he so charmed the locals with his fables that they not only freed him, but honoured him with a shrine. That Aesop should have come to this Northern Aegean island for freedom holds a special poignancy today, even if it is only myth, because Samos is now home to one of the largest refugee camps in Greece. More than 4,400 asylum seekers from the Middle East and Africa live in and around an overcrowded camp above the port town of Vathy, the capital of Samos, waiting for clearance to cross the sea to the mainland and beyond, where they hope to find a future. Unlike the other Greek island camps, which tend to be built in remote places, the Samos camp is close enough to town to allow refugees to walk to shops and the seafront, so when I was there in October and this summer, I was able to meet some and do what I could to help, even as I was also exploring the island, renowned for its dramatic … [Read more...] about Volunteering and vacationing on the Greek island where Aesop told his stories

Hot on the heels of Forbidden Duck's opening in May this year, Chef Alvin Leung – yes, he of the molecular xiao long baos and three Michelin stars – is launching yet another restaurant in Singapore. But don’t expect “nitrogen or spherification or smoke”, he’s quick to warn right off the bat. At 15 Stamford By Alvin Leung, slated to open at the Capitol Kempinski Hotel later this month, he’ll be serving up his “take” on Southeast Asian food, he told us over the phone from Toronto. “I don’t want people expecting frozen chilli crab ice cream or powdered chicken rice,” Leung quipped, with only a hint of impatience. “I want to still maintain all the flavours and DNA of Southeast Asian food, with some minor changes and adaptations through technology,” said the 57-year-old, who, on top of his flagship Bo Innovation and three other restaurants in Hong Kong, has opened establishments in cities including London and Toronto. READ: Fine dining legend Justin Quek's new dish: … [Read more...] about This famous Hong Kong chef wants to reinvent chicken rice and chilli crab

KUALA LUMPUR: The luxury superyacht linked to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal will be sold for no less than US$130 million, which is half its original price. Equanimity, which currently belongs to the Malaysian government, is reportedly worth US$250 million. The guide price was set after the yacht was valued by UK-based independent appraiser Winterbothams, said lawyer Sitpah Selvaratnam on Thursday (Dec 13). She is leading the legal team for the government and 1MDB on the Equanimity case. READ: Equanimity luxury yacht to be sold at 9-digit price tag: Lawyer "Now there is a guide price to potential buyers. The market value as appraised by Winterbothams which is US$130 million," Sitpah told reporters. She also said that the government had received a court order to permit the second phase of the judicial sale of the vessel. "The first phase received bids but the bids were not of acceptable degree. So, we have to move into the second phase," the … [Read more...] about Equanimity superyacht to be sold for at least half its original price