News Watch

Mt. Ontake, a volcano on Japan’s main island, Honshu, erupted unexpectedly on Sept. 27, killing at least 51 people. An estimated 250 people were on the mountain at the time of the eruption. Most made it down the popular hiking spot as ash clouds from the eruption rolled over them, while others found shelter in mountain lodges.  

Located 125 miles west of Tokyo and 65 miles north of Nagoya, Ontake, at 10,120 feet, is Japan’s second-highest volcano. Its last eruption, in 2007, was minor...

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Typhoon Kalmaegi hit the Philippines with sustained winds of over 81 mph on Sept. 13, killing eight people and forcing more than 350,000 to leave their homes.

On Sept. 19, tropical storm Fung-Wong made landfall in the Philippines, hitting the cities of Manila and Cebu City with wind gusts of up to 74 mph, causing major flooding and damage. At least five people were killed during the storm, and more than 200,000 people were forced to evacuate.

Odile, a category-3 hurricane with winds up to 125 mph, hit the Baja Peninsula in Mexico on Sept. 15, causing coastal storm surges and flooding. Five people were killed, including two South Koreans, one German and two English tourists.

 At least 26,000 visitors and 4,000 Mexicans were affected by the hurricane, including thousands of travelers stranded in the resort region of Los Cabos. They were later evacuated from Los Cabos Airport, which was closed to commercial traffic due to...

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At press time, thousands of pro-democracy protesters remained in the streets of Hong Kong after having clashed with police on Sept. 27 and 28. City officials reported that 41 people were injured, including 12 police officers, and 148 were arrested. Police withdrew on Sept. 29 without dispersing the protests. 

Most of the protesters are students or members of the “Occupy Central” organization. They have been rallying against the decision made in August by the mainland China central...

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Scotland voted “No” to independence from the United Kingdom on Sept. 18. With a turnout of more than 84% of eligible voters, the vote totals were 2,001,926 NOT in favor of independence and 1,617,958 for independence. That’s 55% against splitting off and 45% in favor of it. 

Prime Minister David Cameron has promised more autonomy to the Scottish Parliament, including powers over taxes, spending and welfare.

Inspired by the Scottish referendum, Spain’s regional parliament in...

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Yemen Prime Minister Mohammed Basindwa resigned on Sept. 22 as part of a UN-brokered peace deal to end hostilities between Shia Houthi rebels and pro-government forces in the capital city of Sana’a. More than 200 people had died in clashes since Sept. 10, when Yemeni forces killed seven Houthi protesters outside the cabinet building. 

On Sept. 21, Houthi rebels captured government buildings in Sana’a and demanded a change in government, leading to the UN deal that required the rebels...

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In Thailand, General Prayuth Chan-ocha, leader of the military coup that deposed Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on May 22, was appointed the new prime minister on Aug. 25. General Prayuth was nominated by a handpicked legislature and endorsed by Thailand’s king, Bhumibol Adulyadej. 

The coup occurred after months of violent protests against the policies of Prime Minister Shinawatra. The army followed the coup with the arrests of hundreds of suspected dissidents and a strictly...

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The US Department of State continues to warn travelers that the level of crime and violence in Honduras remains critically high throughout the country. Since 2010, Honduras has had the highest murder rate in the world. 

Members of the Honduran National Police have been known to engage in criminal activity, including murder and car theft. 

Kidnappings remain a concern and are believed to be underreported. Since Jan. 1, 2012, four cases of kidnapped US citizens have been reported...

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