TOKYO -- The death toll has climbed to 73 in the central Japanese prefecture of Ishikawa on Wednesday, after a series of powerful earthquakes hit the area in central Japan and the vicinity, with the prime minister pledging continued support for people suffering from the disaster.

Of the deaths, 39 were reported in the worst-hit city of Wajima and 23 in Suzu, while the other deaths were counted in five neighboring towns, public broadcaster NHK said, citing local authorities, noting that people are missing in various parts of Ishikawa Prefecture and efforts are underway to confirm their safety.

Meanwhile, more than 300 people have been injured, at least 25 of them seriously, it added. (Japan-Quake-Deaths)

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TOKYO -- A fire broke out near one of the most popular restaurant districts in Kitakyushu city in Japan's southwestern prefecture of Fukuoka, with nearby residents urged to evacuate the area, public broadcaster NHK reported Wednesday, citing local authorities.

Local fire department received multiple calls at around 15:10 local time saying that a building near the Torimachi Shokudo-gai caught fire, an area crowded with restaurants, NHK said. (Japan-Fire)

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BANGKOK -- Thai Prime Minister and Finance Minister Srettha Thavisin on Wednesday proposed his government's fiscal year 2024 budget bill worth 3.48 trillion baht (101 billion U.S. dollars) to parliament for its first reading.

The budget allocation aims to improve people's well-being through six national strategies, covering economic, social and political aspects, with immediate and long-term plans to boost the Southeast Asian country's growth potential, Srettha told parliament.

Around a quarter of the budget is allocated to address social inequality in support of the aging population, education and healthcare, while the remaining is focused on competitiveness, human resources, national security and the environment, he added. (Thailand-Budget)

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SYDNEY -- Health authorities in Australia's New South Wales (NSW) said Wednesday that people who had been in the Sydney CBD area in the past 10 days are advised to be on alert for symptoms of Legionnaires' disease.

Seven people who have developed Legionnaires' disease, a severe form of pneumonia, had spent time in the area in the last three weeks, the NSW Ministry of Health said in a media release. (Australia-Disease)

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MANILA -- The Philippines' debt rose to 14.51 trillion pesos (roughly 260.65 billion U.S. dollars) as of end-November 2023, a slight 0.19 percent increase from the total outstanding debt recorded in end-October, the Philippines' Bureau of the Treasury said on Wednesday.

The bureau attributed the debt increase in November to the net issuance of domestic securities.

Of the total debt stock, 30.91 percent was sourced externally, while 69.09 percent was domestic borrowings, the bureau said. (Philippines-Debt)

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JAKARTA -- The Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway (HSR), the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, carried a total of 220,227 passengers in 576 trips during a 12-day year-end holiday from Dec. 22 to Jan. 2, an official said Wednesday.

Eva Chairunisa, General Manager Corporate Secretary of PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia (KCIC), said in a press release that the number is 33 percent higher than that from early December till the start of the holiday season.

"In general, the average daily passengers during the Christmas and New Year holiday reached 19,000 to 20,000," Chairunisa said, adding that the highest number of departures occurred on Dec. 26 with 21,188 passengers, followed by Dec. 23 with 21,151 passengers. (Indonesia-Railway-Passengers) Enditem

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