The alert set off loud emergency alerts on millions of mobile phones in Japan. Japan's weather agency clarified later that a 6.9-magnitude quake occurred near Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula at a depth of 160 kilometres (100 miles).

Protest organisers called on institutions like the International Monetary Fund to focus on climate financing and tax reforms that aid poorer citizens, rather than demand governments cut subsidies and social spending.

The writer and his friends wanted to visit the famous Mount Bromo in Indonesia, but also see its lesser-known surrounding towns. They encountered charming cafes, stunning views and fresh farm produce undiscovered by tourists. 

The Bill would reportedly let the government block a model's release or use only if it poses a foreseeable, imminent risk of more than US$1 billion in damages, or of killing or seriously injuring more than 50 people.

For thousands of yuan, Chinese parents are buying their children a taste of hardship: hauling bricks, labouring in fields and clearing dung from cowsheds. But psychologists warn that pushing them too far can backfire.