Dominican Republic: Tropical Storm Melissa Batters, Causing Damage and Disruptions 2

Tropical Storm Melissa swept through the Dominican Republic, toppling trees, traffic lights, and triggering small landslides. Authorities closed schools and government offices across several provinces as the storm disrupted water systems and threatened severe flooding. Melissa is expected to strengthen into a Category 4 hurricane this weekend as it lashes the Caribbean with heavy rain and destructive winds.

Indonesia: Mt. Lewotobi Erupts, Triggers Highest Alert and Spews Ash High Into Sky

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki on Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara, erupted late Tuesday, October 15, and again early Wednesday, spewing ash up to 10 kilometers into the sky. Indonesia’s volcanology agency raised the alert to its highest level after detecting deep tremors that signaled possible explosive activity.

Australia: Record Flooding Batters Northern NSW After Heavy Rainfall 2

Flooding has battered cities and towns across the Mid-North Coast and the Hunter Region in northern New South Wales, leaving many residents stranded or forced to evacuate after days of heavy rainfall. In the city of Taree, the Manning River surpassed its 1929 record of six meters and was still rising as of Wednesday morning, May 21. Authorities have issued 13 emergency-level alerts.

Australia: Record Flooding Batters Northern NSW After Heavy Rainfall 3

Flooding has battered cities and towns across the Mid-North Coast and the Hunter Region in northern New South Wales, leaving many residents stranded or forced to evacuate after days of heavy rainfall. In the city of Taree, the Manning River surpassed its 1929 record of six meters and was still rising as of Wednesday morning, May 21. Authorities have issued 13 emergency-level alerts.

US: Severe Weather Warning for Houston Area With Hail, High Winds, Tornado Risk

The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the Houston area until evening of Monday, May 5. It brought hail, damaging winds, flooding, and possible tornadoes.

US: Sunset Fire Ignites In Hollywood Hills, Triggering Mandatory Evacuation Orders

A brush fire, dubbed the Sunset Fire, broke out in the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday evening, January 8, triggering mandatory evacuation orders.

Philippines: Thunderstorms Hit, Bringing Intense Rainfall To Central Regions

The regions of Visayas, Bicol, Calabarzon, and Mimaropa may experience cloudy skies with scattered rains as isolated thunderstorms hit. According to reports, heavy rainfall of 100 to 200 mm was expected in Northern Samar on Monday.

Karaoke box for one

Karaoke box for one

TOKYO, Japan - A man sings a song in a booth at a ''One Kara'' karaoke box near JR Kanda station in Tokyo on Dec. 27, 2011. The karaoke box has only single-person booths for customers who want to sing alone.

Street smokers start to face fine in central Tokyo

Street smokers start to face fine in central Tokyo

TOKYO, Japan - Patrollers warn an unidentified man (R) against smoking in front of JR Kanda Station in central Tokyo on Nov. 1, the day Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward began levying a 2,000 yen fine on people who smoke or discard cigarette butts on designated streets under a new antismoking ordinance.

Station-side robot demonstration experiment started by Connected Robotics and others

Station-side robot demonstration experiment started by Connected Robotics and others

On the 16th, Connected Robotics (Koganei City, Tokyo), in collaboration with JR East Startup (Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo) and Nippon Restaurant Enterprise (Taito Ward, Tokyo), began a demonstration experiment of an "ekisoba (buckwheat noodle) robot" at a soba (buckwheat noodle) restaurant in JR Higashi Koganei Station. The aim of the experiment is to verify the practicality of the robot in actual shops, and to introduce it to other shops in the future and automate the entire operation. The boiling machine and sink were also custom-made to fit the robot. In the future, the company hopes to increase the processing capacity of the robot and introduce it at stores with a large number of customers, such as Shinjuku and Kanda in Tokyo. (March 16, 2020, JR Higashi Koganei Station, Credit: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun / Kyodo News Images)

Karaoke box for one

Karaoke box for one

TOKYO, Japan - A man sings a song in a booth at a ''One Kara'' karaoke box near JR Kanda station in Tokyo on Dec. 27, 2011. The karaoke box has only single-person booths for customers who want to sing alone. (Kyodo)

Tokyo train services affected by fatal accident

Tokyo train services affected by fatal accident

A screen at JR Kanda Station in Tokyo shows information about train services suspended or delayed due to a fatal accident at the station on April 11, 2019, affecting more than 130,000 passengers. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Street smokers start to face fine in central Tokyo

Street smokers start to face fine in central Tokyo

TOKYO, Japan - Patrollers warn an unidentified man (R) against smoking in front of JR Kanda Station in central Tokyo on Nov. 1, the day Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward began levying a 2,000 yen fine on people who smoke or discard cigarette butts on designated streets under a new antismoking ordinance. (Kyodo)