DJAKARTA, December 29 -- The Indonesian volcano which caused a tsunami that killed more than 400 people last week lost more than two-thirds of its height following the eruption which triggered the killer waves. A section of Anak Krakatoa's crater collapsed after an eruption and slid into the ocean, generating the tsunami last Saturday night. A visual analysis by the Indonesian volcanology agency found the volcano has lost more than two-thirds of its height, an official said Saturday. Anak Krakatoa which used to stand 338 metres (1,109 feet) high was now just 110 metres tall. The agency estimated the volcano lost between 150 and 180 million cubic metres of material as massive amounts of rock and ash have been slowly sliding into the sea following a series of eruptions. "Anak Krakatoa is now much shorter, usually you can see the peak from the observatory post, now you can't," said Wawan Irawan, a senior official at the agency.
Before and after satellite images taken by Japan's space agency showed that a two square kilometre chunk of the volcanic island had collapsed into the water. The volcano, whose name means Child of Krakatoa, was a new island that emerged around 1928 in the crater left by Krakatoa, whose massive 1883 eruption killed at least 36,000 people. The crater's status has been raised to high alert, the second-highest warning on Indonesia four-point danger scale. The exclusion zone has been extended from two to five kilometres (1.2 to three miles). A week after the tsunami, thousands of Indonesian Muslims attended a mass prayer on Saturday to remember the victims and pray for the safety of their tsunami-prone hometown. Residents of Pandeglang regency, which was hit the hardest by the disaster, gathered in the early morning, some in tears as they chanted their prayers. "I prayed for the victims and I also pray for the safety of the people who live in the tsunami affected area," said Dadan Suryana, a tsunami survivor. "My prayer is for the victims to get help and be granted patience and I also pray the government will immediately help us to rebuild, to provide clothes and food, or at least to give us moral support," fellow congregant Dian Rosdiana said. Authorities said at least 426 people were killed and 23 missing in the disaster. Some 7,202 people suffered injuries and nearly 1,300 homes were destroyed after the waves crashed into the coastlines of western Java island and south Sumatra. More than 40,000 people have been evacuated for fear of another tsunami as Anak Krakatoa continues to rumble. Indonesia, a vast Southeast Asian archipelago, is one of the most disaster-hit nations on Earth due to its position straddling the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates collide.
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DJAKARTA, December 24 -- More than a thousand people have been injured after a tsunami - caused by the eruption of the Anak Krakatau volcano. It struck coastal areas between Sumatra and Java islands on Saturday night, officials say.The death toll from an Indonesian tsunami has risen past 370 with more than 1,400 people injured. The Indonesia disaster agency raised the death toll to at least 373 on Monday. That number could rise further, with 128 people still missing, agency spokesman Sutopopurwo Nugroho said. The tsunami struck Sunda Strait coastal areas along western Java and southern Sumatra islands without warning in the darkness of Saturday night. Scientists say the tsunami could have been caused by the eruption of Anak Krakatau, a volcanic island formed over years from the nearby Krakatau volcano. They also cited tidal waves caused by the full moon. The areas that were affected were South Lampung in Sumatra and the Serang and Pandeglang regions of Java, west of the capital Jakarta. The Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra connects the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean. Pacific 'Ring of Fire' Indonesia, one of the most disaster-prone nations on earth, straddles the so-called Pacific 'Ring of Fire', where tectonic plates collide and a large portion of the world's volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur. The country regularly experiences deadly earthquakes, including most recently in the city of Palu on Sulawesi island where a quake and tsunami killed thousands of people. Anak Krakatau is one of 127 active volcanoes which run the length of the archipelago. "Officials believe undersea landslides from volcanic eruption sent wall of water crashing inland around Sunda Strait." DJAKARTA, December 23 -- At least 168 people have been killed and over 700 injured after a volcano-triggered tsunami hit both sides of Indonesia's Sunda Strait on Saturday. Sending a wall of water crashing some 20 metres inland and sweeping away hundreds of homes and hotels, officials and witnesses have said. At least 30 more are missing according to the the country's disaster management agency. Scientists from Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency, also known as BMKG, said it could have been caused by undersea landslides from the eruption of Anak Krakatau, a volcanic island formed over years from the nearby Krakatau volcano. They also cited tidal waves caused by the full moon. The worst affected area was the Pandeglang region of Banten province in Java, which encompasses the Ujung Kulon National Park and popular beaches, the disaster agency said. Of the deaths, 33 were in Pandeglang. In the city of Bandar Lampung on southern Sumatra, hundreds of residents took refuge at the governor's office. Alif, a resident in Pandeglang district, said the tsunami reached about three metres high. He told MetroTV station that many people were still searching for missing relatives. TV footage showed roads blocked by debris from damaged houses, overturned cars and fallen trees. The water washed away an outdoor stage where a local rock band was performing, killing at least one musician. Others were missing. Authorities warned residents and tourists in coastal areas around the Sunda Strait to stay away from beaches and a high-tide warning remained in place through till December 25. "Malaysia shares lead Asean peers on window dressing" BANGKOK, December 21 -- Most Southeast Asian stock markets pared some losses but ended lower on Friday with Philippines losing most. But Malaysia bounced back as fund managers rushed to prop up their portfolio towards year end. Earlier in the session, all regions slipped as a cocktail of negative leads ranging from the prospect of a US government shutdown to US chastising China for economic espionage weighed on sentiment. Despite a marginal recovery, the sentiment remained subdued with most regions ending lower on economic worries, while Malaysia and Indonesia reversed course to notch gains. The Stock Exchange of Thailand index ended 1,595.33 at close, down 0.77 points or 0.05%, in turnover worth almost 47 billion baht. Malaysia's benchmark reversed course to end at a more than one-week high. It was the sole country in the region which notched a weekly gain, ending higher by about 0.5%. Shares of electric utilities provider Tenaga Nasional Berhad jumped 5.2% and those of palm oil producer Sime Darby Plantation Berhad tacked on nearly 10%. The gain on the index was likely due to a technical rebound following recent price weakness and also year-end "window dressing activities," said Syed Muhammed Kifni, chief strategist at MIDF. Window dressing is a strategy used by portfolio managers near the year or quarter end to improve appearance of a fund's performance before presenting it to clients, purchasing high-flying stocks and selling losing ones. He also noted that the benchmark had similarly jumped about 50 points during the last six trading days in 2017. Indonesian's benchmark also rose at close but failed to offset losses earlier in the week, notching a weekly loss that snapped three straight weeks of gains. Earlier in the day, the national carrier Garuda's chief executive officer said it expects to end 2018 in profit and is targeting a net profit of 1 trillion rupiah ($69.03 million) for 2019, sending shares up 0.9% at close. On the other hand, Philippine's index fell most, losing 0.6% during the week to snap five consecutive weeks of gains. Losses were largely underpinned by real-estate stocks, with property developer SM Prime Holdings Inc dropping 2.5% while Ayala Land Inc shed 1.8%. Vietnam's index posted its seventh straight session of loss, and second consecutive weekly loss. The index also recorded a weekly loss of 4.2%, its worst performance since the week ending Oct 26. Real-estate stocks were main laggards, with Vinhomes JSC's counter shedding 4.5% and that of Vincom Retail JSC off 2.7%. Singapore's index edged lower to post its third consecutive weekly loss. BANGKOK, December 20 -- Southeast Asian stock markets ended lower on Thursday with energy stocks put pressure on the Stock Exchange of Thailand and Indonesia falling the most. Regional stocks fell in line with broader Asian peers, after the US central bank hiked rates for the fourth time this year and stuck by its plan to keep withdrawing support from an economy it views as strong. "Against the backdrop of the trade war and weak economic data from major economies, people were hoping the Fed would extend a lifeline," said Fio Dejesus, an equity research analyst at RCBC Securities in Manila. "But their mandate was different from what the market hoped for." Recent disappointing data from the United States on slowing of job growth in November and a cooling housing market, along with weak manufacturing data from China heavily weighed on investor sentiment, sparking concerns over global growth. The SET index ended the day at 1,596.10, down 5.02 points or 0.31%, in turnover of 35 billion baht. Thailand's energy-heavy index suffered an additional blow after oil prices resumed their fall on Thursday amid worries of a supply glut and gloomy outlook for demand. Shares of oil and gas explorers PTT Plc and PTT Exploration and Production Plc shedding 0.5 % and 1.7%, respectively. The Indonesian index finished lower and was the worst performer in the region, with financial stocks coming under pressure. Shares of Bank Central Asia Tbk and Bank Mandiri (Persero) Tbk were among top losers, falling 2.2% and 1.7%, respectively. Singapore's index gave up modest gains early in the session to end lower, with shares of port operator Hutchison Port Holdings Trust losing 1.9% while those of agribusiness operator Wilmar International Ltd ending 1% lower. The Malaysian index edged lower with Sime Darby Plantation Berhad's counter closing 1.4% down, while that of IHH Healthcare Berhad ending 2.6% lower. Vietnam's index traded sideways through most of the session to edge down at close. The Philippine index lost most during early trade but pared losses to inch down at close. Industrial stocks were the biggest drag on the index, with shares of sector heavyweight SM Investments Corp closing 2.1% lower. BANGKOK, December 19 -- The Stock Exchange of Thailand index jumped more than 1% on Wednesday after the Bank of Thailand increased its policy rate, while other Southeast Asian stock markets ended mostly higher, as reports of a potential US-China meeting in January boosted sentiment. Investors took heart after US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told Bloomberg in an interview that the United States and China are planning to hold meetings in January to "document an agreement" on trade. The dispute between the world's two biggest economies threatens businesses throughout the region due to global value chains. "Positive signals on the trade war front are stabilising risk in Asia," Stephen Innes, head of trading for Asia-Pacific at OANDA, said in a note. The SET index reversed course during early trade to edge higher, as gains in financial and industrial stocks offset losses in energy companies. The index gained 17.93 points or 1.13%, in turnover of 45 billion baht. The Monetary Policy Committee voted 5-2 to lift its one-day repurchase rate by a quarter-point to 1.75% after keeping the rate unchanged since April 2015. However, caution prevailed ahead of the highly anticipated US Federal Reserve meeting scheduled later on Wednesday amid expectations that their hawkish stance may give way to a "dovish" hike. Philippine shares, the top performers in the region, closed at their highest level in two weeks. Industrial and financial stocks were the biggest boost in the index, with DMCI Holdings Inc ending 6.8% higher, while Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc closed up 5.5%. Singapore stocks ended firmer on the back of financial stocks, while Indonesian shares snapped three straight sessions of declines to close higher. Top performers computer and electronics retailer Global Teleshop Tbk closed 25% firmer, while Bank Agris Tbk ended 24.5% higher. Malaysian stocks ended 1.2% higher, after plumbing near two-year lows in the previous session. Bucking the trend, Vietnamese stocks slipped 0.9% to notch their fifth straight session in the red, with financial stocks being the biggest drag. The slump was due to a technical sell-down, owing to the recent strength that had pushed the index to a level above 960 points, said Bui Nguyen Khoa, head of macro research, BIDV Securities Company. Macro-economic factors and local business remained sound in the country, he said, adding that global downtrend in equities could apply some psychological pressure, pushing the index to about 880 points-900 points where it would stabilise again. Shares in Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade closed 4.9% lower, while Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam lost about 1.3%. DJAKARTA, December 16 -- A volcano in central Indonesia has erupted, ejecting columns of thick ash as high as 7,500m into the sky.
Mount Soputan, located on the northern part of Sulawesi island, erupted twice Sunday morning, according to the national disaster agency's spokesman, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho. He said in anticipation of hot ash and lava sliding down the slope of the volcano, local residents have been urged to avoid activities near the volcano. Soputan is one of Indonesia's more than 120 active volcanoes. Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 260 million people, is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire". NEW YORK, November 6 -- The Indonesian rupiah rose the most since June 2016, as one of the most battered emerging markets in Asia started to show signs of revival. The currency jumped as much as 1.3 percent to 14,790 against the dollar, extending a recovery first seen last week when optimism over a potential U.S.-China trade deal lifted developing markets. The 10-year bond yield fell by 13 basis points. “There’s a strong buying spree among foreign investors for Indonesian bonds and stocks, with many apparently realizing that the domestic fundamentals are more resilient than anticipated, particularly on government bonds,” said Satria Sambijantoro, an economist at PT Bahana Sekuritas in Jakarta. The rupiah is also being aided by expectations that foreign-exchange reserves rose in October before the data due Wednesday, he said. Foreign funds have been snapping up Indonesian assets in recent weeks as faster-than-forecast growth and relatively benign inflation of about 3 percent bolstered demand. The rupiah has also been shored up by the introduction of a domestic market for non-deliverable forwards, which is aimed at reducing dollar demand in the offshore NDF market and deterring hoarding of the U.S. currency.
The benchmark 10-year bond yield dropped 35 basis points last week, the biggest decline since June, while the rupiah is up 2.8 percent for the month, the best performance in Asia. Indonesia reported economic growth of more than 5 percent for a seventh straight quarter on Monday, shrugging off a series of rate hikes by the central bank. Bank Indonesia will next meet on Nov. 15. |
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