The eruption of the Anak Krakatau volcano in Indonesia caused the suspension of hundreds of flights at Jakarta's main airport, today (Sunday), after some school activities and fishing trips were halted.
Soekarno-Hatta International Airport wrote in a post on Instagram that it had suspended flights until 9:30 a.m. (02:30 GMT) due to volcanic ash.
The Indonesian Ministry of Transport said that this suspension, which represents an extension of a stop that was scheduled until 5:30 am, affected 209 flights, including several international flights.
The ministry added in a statement that Anak Krakatau began erupting late on Friday, and that volcanic ash was detected at the airport early Sunday morning.
The Meteorological Agency "BMKG" said on its website that ash was detected at an altitude of up to 6,000 meters on the Java side of the volcano, while the height of the ash column reached about 15,000 meters on the side located in Sumatra and some areas of Banten province in Java.
Burton Pandjaitan, spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNBP), said that the agency “urges citizens to remain calm and increase vigilance.” In the event of ash falling, people are advised to wear masks and eye protection, reduce outdoor activities, cover water sources, and be careful when driving, as volcanic ash can reduce visibility.
Local media reported that several schools canceled their activities yesterday, Saturday, with students and residents suffering from eye irritation due to the ash, while fishermen canceled their fishing trips due to the eruption.
The Disaster Mitigation Agency said on Saturday that there was no imminent danger of a tsunami resulting from the volcano.
A measles epidemic is sweeping Bangladesh, claiming the lives of nearly a thousand children, in the worst outbreak of this disease in the country in decades, while crowded hospital wards are filled with infants struggling for survival.
The cries of sick children and the sounds of oxygen machines fill Shishu Children's Hospital in Dhaka, where Reema Akhtar keeps her nine-month-old baby.
Akhtar, 30, told Agence France-Presse: “Just an hour ago, a child died and they transported him in front of us. "We saw two children die today." Her son, Thabet Haq, is one of many children receiving treatment for measles in the hospital.
According to the latest Ministry of Health figures, at least 986 children have died since March, while the number of confirmed and suspected infections exceeded 180,000.
Measles is a highly contagious disease transmitted through coughing and sneezing, and there is no specific treatment for it after infection. Its complications may lead to brain swelling and severe breathing problems. Although the disease may affect anyone, children are more vulnerable to its risks.
Bangladesh, with a population of 170 million, launched a massive vaccination campaign to confront the outbreak, but the number of infections is still rising.
Malnutrition exacerbates the crisis
“Since July, I have been moving between several hospitals to obtain appropriate treatment for my son,” said 19-year-old Sanjana Islam Modena, holding her six-month-old son, Ayan, who is connected to an oxygen tube. Ayan's head is covered in small, fading dark spots, left behind by the severe red rash caused by measles.
Ayan was hospitalized for the first time with pneumonia in July, then contracted measles, before finally receiving a bed at the specialist children's hospital in the capital in mid-August.
The child spent 15 days in intensive care before his condition improved enough to transfer him to a ward designated for measles patients. The hospital currently includes 101 children suspected or confirmed of measles.
Modena added to Agence France-Presse, while she was trying to calm her crying child, “His lungs were very weak due to pneumonia, and then measles made his breathing more difficult.” He has been receiving oxygen continuously for five days.”
Most cases in Bangladesh during the current outbreak were recorded in children between the ages of six months and five years.
Doctors say that many children arrive at hospitals in critical condition, while malnutrition weakens their ability to resist the virus.
“The doctors gave my son a special milk prepared for children who suffer from malnutrition,” Modena continued, wiping the sweat from her little one’s forehead.
"Destructive"
The outbreak has exposed gaps in Bangladesh's efforts to protect its children, and Ziauddin Haider, special assistant to Prime Minister Tariq Rahman on health, described the outbreak as "devastating."
Bangladesh has made significant progress in vaccination against infectious diseases, but a measles campaign scheduled for 2024 was delayed due to the uprising that toppled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Worker strikes and political instability also delayed the 2025 campaign. Since then, the country has launched a massive vaccination campaign to confront the outbreak, but infection numbers are still rising.
“There were a large number of children who did not receive the doses,” Haider said. He added: “Health care workers are working to vaccinate these children to fill the shortage.”
Mahmudur Rahman, an epidemiologist and former director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research, said Bangladesh should consider launching a broader vaccination campaign to contain the outbreak.
He pointed out that public awareness is also necessary, stressing the importance of preventive measures, including isolating infected children, washing hands, and having caregivers wear masks.
As for Akhtar, she does not need anyone to remind her of how quickly the disease spreads, and she said: “We realize how quickly this disease is transmitted. “Our son was initially hospitalized with bronchitis.” She continued: “After he left, we had to return because of measles.”
Philippine Vice President Sarah Duterte posted bail on Saturday in a Manila court, the day after an arrest warrant was issued against her on charges of making a death threat to the country's president.
Duterte was accused last month of making “serious threats” based on statements she made in which she said she had hired a hit man to kill President Ferdinand Marcos, his wife, and his cousin, a former member of parliament, if she was assassinated before that. She later said her comments had been misunderstood.
The death threat is a key element in her ongoing trial before the Senate, where a guilty verdict will lead to her removal from office and a permanent ban on her from practicing politics.
Her lawyer, Lawrence Lim, said, “The Vice President appeared voluntarily before the court that issued the arrest warrant, and therefore there was no need to arrest her.”
His statements came after Duterte left court, with a court order confirming that she had paid a cash bail of 360,000 pesos ($5,740).
She was also subjected to regular procedures during which her fingerprints were taken, without forensic photographs being taken of her, according to the lawyer.
Duterte said in a statement that her lawyers advised her to post bail for her safety. She added: “They explained to me that I would be better protected by civilians who would be able to monitor my situation, rather than being detained and isolated with limited protection.”
Before entering court, Duterte stated that she feared for her life. “I don’t want to pay bail if there is no one watching me,” she said, adding that she is a victim of police harassment.
She wondered: “Are they going to throw me in prison, and then I will die in my sleep one night?”
Under Philippine law, a criminal conviction for this charge carries a penalty of up to six months in prison.
On Friday, the Vice President's legal team issued a statement saying that she "does not intend to evade the law, and will continue to exhaust all means available to her."
Justice Department officials rejected arguments from the vice president's legal team that she could not be prosecuted for crimes also related to her impeachment.
In May, Duterte was removed from office by the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of Parliament, on charges including corruption and embezzlement.
If a guilty verdict is issued in the Senate, where the ninth week of her trial recently concluded, it would end her plans to run for president in 2028.
Duterte announced her candidacy for the first time in February, according to Agence France-Presse.
