Volcanic ash forces Indonesian airport closure, seven killed in Filipi
Indonesia ordered a temporary closure of Ngurah Rai International Airport on the Bali resort island on August 6 as ash drifting from Mount Raung on the country’s main Java Island.
Indonesian authorities ordered a temporary closure of Ngurah Rai International Airport (Photo: Reuters)
Indonesian authorities ordered a temporary closure of Ngurah Rai International Airport on the Bali resort island on August 6 as ash drifting from Mount Raung on the country’s main Java Island has forced flight cancellations across the board and stranded tourists.
Spokesman of the Ministry of Transportation J.A. Barata said Ngurah Rai Airport will be closed for several hours between 11:00 am and 17:00 pm (local time).
The closure is the fourth in recent weeks due to the volcanic ash. Many airlines cancelled all flights in and out Bali a day before, leaving thousands of travellers stranded at the well-known holiday destination during the peak season.
The Ministry of Transportation closed five airports last month due to the same reason.
The same day, at least seven people – including children – were killed and two others remain missing after flash floods triggered by heavy rain raged on August 4 in Bukidnon province, the southern Philippines, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and management Council confirmed.
A total 426 families, or 1,085 people, were affected by the downpour. Some 372 of the affected households were evacuated to safer places.
At least 41 houses in Valencia City were also damaged by the floods.-VNA
VNA
Related News
Indonesia has issued a warning to international and domestic flights to avoid air routes near Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra which erupted on November 18 along with Mount Merapi in Central Java.
More than 25,000 people were forced to evacuate following a series of eruptions of a volcano in Indonesia on January 11.
Authorities of Bali – dubbed the Indonesian Paradise Island, have advised foreign tourists not to visit the area during the Hindu Day of Seclusion on March 31.
The volcano Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra province, Indonesia erupted again on October 5, spewing up to 3,000 m columns of ash into the air, a spokesman of the country’s disaster management agency said.
Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Meutya Hafid announced on July 14 that the new strategy marks a shift from focusing primarily on blocking gambling websites to a more comprehensive approach targeting the entire criminal ecosystem.
The adjustments aim to ensure that entry facilitation measures for foreign visitors reflect current circumstances while closing security loopholes, preventing misuse, and reducing overlapping entitlements under the principle of “one country, one entitlement”.
Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said Finland's advanced technological capabilities make it a suitable partner for cybersecurity cooperation.
The extension of work permits will allow the foreign workers to complete the necessary legal procedures while helping businesses maintain a stable workforce as many sectors of the Thai economy continue to rely heavily on foreign labour.
Singapore's economy grew 5.7% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, slowing from the previous quarter.
The Department of Foreign Trade of Thailand has asked importers and coconut milk producers to temporarily reduce imports and give priority to purchasing domestic coconuts.
According to S&P, Indonesia's economic fundamentals remain solid thanks to prudent fiscal and monetary policies, political stability, relatively low public debt compared with other countries in the same rating category, and positive medium-term growth prospects.
Singapore's core inflation remained unchanged at 1.4% in May from the previous month. However, economists warned that persistently high energy prices could continue to push up production and transportation costs, as well as the prices of imported goods, posing risks to the country's economic growth outlook.
Malaysian authorities have warned that the ASEAN region could see conditions similar to those during the extreme 1997–1998 El Nino event, which triggered severe regional haze and acute water shortages across Southeast Asia.
Initial evaluations indicated that the transition from B40 to B50 proceeded smoothly, without disrupting railway operations or public services.
According to the minister of tourism and sports, from 2026 onwards, Thailand will shift its development focus from prioritising quantity to attracting high-quality, high-spending tourists to create sustainable revenue streams.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has approved a preferential fuel price of 15,000 IDR (0.83 USD) per litre for fishing vessels with a gross tonnage of 30–200 GT.
The bureau’s investigation targeted the "All Game 248" gambling website, which allegedly accepted bets on the FIFA World Cup 2026 and had been operating for about 18 months. During the operation, codenamed "All Game End Game," authorities arrested 12 suspects, including a former local politician, and the seizure of assets worth more than 13 million THB (418,000 USD).
Indonesia's Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said the ministry is preparing a ministerial decree to establish a Working Group for Integrated Orangutan Conservation in the Keraitan Landscape.
The report identified prolonged global supply chain disruptions, a stronger US dollar, rising political uncertainty ahead of a possible early general election, and the proposed expansion of the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI as the key risks.
The new Sadao Border Checkpoint, located in the Sadao Special Economic Development Zone, is Thailand's busiest land crossing by trade value, handling more than 471.5 billion THB (14 billion USD) in annual imports and exports and serving more than 6 million cross-border travellers each year.
Director General of Immigration Hendarsam Marantoko said the move forms part of a broader strategy to strengthen immigration management through digitalisation and enhanced screening of foreign nationals upon entry.
Speaking at a seminar in Kuala Lumpur on July 13, Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said Malaysia's electrical and electronics (E&E) exports rose 39.7% year-on-year to 382.9 billion MYR (95.7 billion USD) in the first five months of 2026, or 48.2% of the country's total exports.
According to Indonesia's Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the country imported about 936,000 tonnes of industrial salt containing at least 97% sodium chloride in the first five months of 2026, up 13.1% year-on-year.
The MoC aims to promote cooperation and information exchange on gas and electricity markets. It will also facilitate greater knowledge sharing on energy market surveillance approaches, regulation design, and system stabilisation measures.