分类： world

Search operations have recommenced in Indonesia’s West Java province following a devastating landslide that claimed at least 10 lives and left 80 individuals missing. The catastrophe occurred early Saturday in Pasir Langu village, approximately 100 kilometers southeast of Jakarta, after torrential rainfall saturated the region.

Emergency response teams faced significant challenges throughout the weekend as continuing precipitation and unstable ground conditions prevented the deployment of heavy excavation equipment. According to Kompas TV reports, rescue personnel have been forced to rely on manual search methods amid the treacherous terrain.

The meteorological agency has issued extended weather advisories, forecasting potentially persistent rainfall across West Java and surrounding regions for the coming week. This warning raises concerns about further geological instability in the area.

Local resident Dedi Kurniawan, 36, described the event as unprecedented in his community. “While minor flooding from nearby rivers occasionally occurs, this massive landslide originated directly from the forested areas,” he told Reuters.

The landslide has triggered widespread flooding across multiple West Java districts, including portions of the capital Jakarta. Numerous residents from severely affected zones have been compelled to evacuate to higher ground and safer locations.

This tragedy echoes similar devastation that occurred just two months prior when cyclone-induced flooding and landslides on Sumatra island resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities, widespread property destruction, and the displacement of over one million residents, highlighting Indonesia’s vulnerability to extreme weather events.

In a significant development for Middle Eastern stability, Syria has prolonged its temporary truce with Kurdish-led forces for an additional 15 days following intensive international mediation efforts. The ceasefire extension, which took effect at 11:00 PM local time on Saturday, provides a crucial breathing space amid escalating military tensions in northern and eastern territories.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) confirmed the arrangement through an official statement, noting that ‘dialogue with Damascus continues’ despite previous deadlocks. This diplomatic breakthrough comes after government troops under President Ahmed al-Sharaa captured substantial territories from Kurdish forces in recent weeks, dramatically shifting the regional power balance.

The extension emerged through complex international diplomacy, with the United States actively mediating between the parties. Washington’s engagement aims to establish a lasting ceasefire and facilitate the integration of the SDF—formerly America’s primary Syrian partner—into the state apparatus led by Sharaa, who overthrew longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in late 2024.

Western powers including France have expressed grave concerns about potential humanitarian consequences, urging restraint to prevent mass abuses against Kurdish civilians. These apprehensions are heightened by previous sectarian violence that claimed nearly 1,500 lives from minority communities last year.

Concurrently, the U.S. military is conducting large-scale transfers of detained ISIS combatants from SDF-run facilities in northeastern Syria to Iraqi detention centers—an operation that influenced Syria’s decision to extend the ceasefire.

This temporary resolution culminates a year of mounting tensions between Damascus and Kurdish authorities, who have maintained autonomous governance in northeastern regions for the past decade. The current standoff represents the most critical challenge to Kurdish autonomy since Sharaa assumed power.

In a significant development within Syria’s ongoing conflict resolution, government forces have assumed control of al-Aqtan prison in Raqqa province following a negotiated ceasefire with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). This transfer facilitated the immediate release of 126 minors previously detained at the facility, as confirmed by official state media reports.

Digital footage disseminated across social platforms captured emotional scenes of local communities welcoming the liberated juveniles, all confirmed to be under eighteen years of age. Several children provided harrowing testimonies in videos, detailing experiences of severe maltreatment during their incarceration. One minor, featured in a report by Syria’s state news agency Sana, described being subjected to electrocution, whipping, and solitary confinement with cold water exposure, stating visible sores remain on his body as evidence.

Concurrent with the release, Syrian judicial authorities announced the establishment of special committees to comprehensively review the cases of all remaining detainees. Sana further published a list of names still held in custody, creating a mechanism for families to search for missing relatives online.

This prison transfer represents the final facility handed over to Syrian government control from the SDF, which previously operated with U.S. support. Al-Aqtan primarily held individuals with alleged connections to the Islamic State (IS) group. This action follows similar recent takeovers of al-Hol detention camp—housing approximately 24,000 people, mostly women and children linked to IS—and al-Shaddadi prison.

The strategic handover occurred within the framework of a four-day ceasefire agreement announced last week. Subsequently, on Saturday, both conflicting parties agreed to extend this truce by an additional fifteen days. This extension aims to facilitate the SDF’s planned integration into the Syrian national army and their eventual disarmament, significantly reducing tensions after government forces recently captured extensive territories in northeastern Syria.

The extended ceasefire also enables continued transfers of IS detainees, with the U.S. Central Command announcing the initial evacuation of 7,000 prisoners to secured facilities in Iraq earlier this week. A subsequent transfer batch commenced this Saturday, addressing concerns about prison security following chaotic SDF withdrawals that previously allowed some IS affiliates to briefly escape.

Northeast Syria remains home to numerous facilities incarcerating thousands of IS members, remnants from the group’s territorial defeat in 2019 where the SDF played a crucial combat role. Since then, the SDF has maintained control over several Arab-majority urban centers, including Manbij and Raqqa, as part of an autonomous administrative enclave.

In a tragic incident underscoring the ongoing humanitarian emergency in Gaza, two Palestinian adolescents lost their lives on Saturday during an Israeli drone strike in the northern region. The victims, identified as 13-year-old Salman al-Zawarah and his 15-year-old cousin Mohammed al-Zawarah, were reportedly gathering essential firewood in the Beit Lahia project area adjacent to Kamal Adwan Hospital when the attack occurred.

This lethal strike represents the latest breach of the ceasefire agreement established between Israel and Hamas in October 2025. According to Gaza medical authorities, the casualties bring the number of Palestinians killed since the truce began to 483, with injuries surpassing 1,300 individuals.

The tragedy compounds an already dire situation where environmental and infrastructural collapse has created additional health hazards. Just days prior to this incident, two infants succumbed to extreme cold and dehydration resulting from exposure to sewage-contaminated environments. The Palestinian Health Ministry reports at least ten child fatalities from hypothermia since winter began.

The humanitarian catastrophe continues to intensify despite international agreements. United Nations assessments indicate approximately one million Gazans urgently require emergency shelter assistance. Following nearly two years of sustained bombardment, Israeli military operations have damaged or destroyed approximately 90% of Gaza’s infrastructure, displacing most residents into inadequate temporary shelters with insufficient heating capabilities.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) maintains that ‘the humanitarian situation and crisis in Gaza is far from being over,’ noting that Israeli attacks have resulted in 216 Palestinian fatalities—including 46 children and 28 women—in areas distant from established conflict zones, frequently affecting IDP shelters and residential buildings.

TOKYO — Japan’s iconic panda era concluded Sunday as thousands of admirers gathered at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo for the final viewing of twin pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei before their repatriation to China on Tuesday. This departure marks Japan’s first panda-free period in fifty years, with dim prospects for replacement amid deteriorating Sino-Japanese relations.

The pandas’ lineage traces to 1972, when China gifted the first bears to commemorate diplomatic normalization between the historically wary neighbors. These charismatic black-and-white ambassadors instantly captivated Japanese society, with twelve subsequent pandas achieving celebrity status. The current twins, born at Ueno in 2021, have drawn massive crowds despite strict one-minute viewing limits, with visitors documenting their bamboo-feeding sessions and leisurely movements.

China maintains ownership of all pandas loaned internationally, including offspring born abroad. When questioned about future panda exchanges, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated: ‘Giant pandas are loved by many in Japan, and we welcome Japanese friends to come visit them in China.’

The emotional impact is profound for devotees like web engineer Takahiro Takauji, who has taken over 10 million panda photographs across fifteen years of daily zoo visits. ‘I never imagined there would come a day when pandas would be gone from Japan,’ expressed Takauji, who considers the twins ‘like my own children.’ His meticulously maintained blog ‘Every Day Pandas’ chronicles this extraordinary dedication.

This diplomatic rift reflects broader tensions between Asia’s largest economies. Recent remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding potential intervention in Taiwan-related scenarios angered Beijing, exacerbating existing territorial disputes in the East China Sea. The diplomatic strain is further evidenced by China’s month-long delay in approving a new Japanese consul for Chongqing.

Panda diplomacy has evolved significantly since its inception. While China initially gifted pandas to Western nations including the United States, France, and Britain during the 1970s normalization period, it transitioned to leasing programs in the 1980s with fees supporting conservation research. Japan has previously experienced politicized panda diplomacy when a post-tsunami panda transfer to Sendai was canceled following 2012 territorial disputes.

The economic impact is substantial. Kansai University economics professor Katsuhiro Miyamoto estimates annual losses of approximately 20 billion yen ($128 million) for the zoo region, warning that prolonged absence could create ‘tens of billions of yen’ in economic damage. Local merchants like souvenir shop manager Asao Ezure remain hopeful despite concerns, noting ‘Pandas are a symbol of Ueno, a star’ while maintaining panda-themed storefronts in anticipation of their eventual return.

Air France has reinstated its commercial flight operations to Dubai following a 24-hour suspension prompted by escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The airline confirmed service restoration on Saturday after carefully evaluating regional security conditions.

The temporary grounding came amid heightened military posturing from the United States toward Iran. President Donald Trump announced Thursday that a US naval armada was advancing toward the Persian Gulf while simultaneously asserting that Washington remained vigilant regarding Iranian activities. Despite this show of force, Trump subsequently tempered expectations of immediate military engagement, suggesting Tehran might be open to diplomatic discussions.

Air France issued a statement emphasizing its commitment to passenger safety, noting the airline would “continuously monitor regional developments to ensure the highest level of flight safety and security.” The suspension primarily affected the Paris-Dubai route, a key connection between European and Middle Eastern business hubs.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, part of the same aviation group as Air France, implemented more extensive flight restrictions. The Dutch carrier suspended services to multiple Middle Eastern destinations indefinitely and confirmed it would avoid airspace over Iran, Iraq, and other regional nations. This decision followed security assessments by Dutch aviation authorities.

The geopolitical tensions stem from recent protests across Iran and subsequent government crackdowns, which prompted Trump to repeatedly threaten military strikes against Iranian targets. Aviation analysts note that commercial airlines frequently adjust routes and schedules during periods of regional instability to minimize risks to civilian aircraft.