Esther Tanquintic-Misa

At least three villages in the Solomon Islands are believed to have experienced damages and casualties brought by a 0.9m high tsunami that was triggered by an 8.0 magnitude undersea earthquake that struck the islands earlier in the day on Wednesday.

Nations in the South Pacific, including the Philippines and New Zealand, have been advised by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) to brace for a possible tsunami occurrence following the powerful 8.0 magnitude earthquake that struck off the Solomon Islands on Wednesday.

Latest data released by the Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday showed Australia's tourism industry peaked in the last decade, all thanks to the growing number of Chinese and Indians touring the country Down Under.

Instead of getting relief from painful varicose veins, dozens of people in Liaoning, a province of China, are now confined in hospitals after getting contaminated with the infectious hepatitis C.

If for any consolation to those affected by the recent floods of ex-cyclone Oswald, the flooding disaster would have been far more catastrophic had it not been for the dry spell that Australia experienced in late 2012, according to the weather bureau.

Japan and Jamaica on Monday have formally launched a pilot project to test the commercial viability of the island's bauxite waste, more known as red mud, for possible rare earth elements.

The crane ships sent to lift up the grounded minesweeper USS Guardian from the Philippine Tubbataha Reef has been foreseen to add more injury to the reef since it would need to drop an anchor right smack into the corals to keep it steady.

The month-long smog hanging over China had been blown over to Japan's skies, putting another strain to the relations of the two countries riled by a diplomatic rift over coveted Senkaku Islands.

Gripped by a toxic smog pollution which doesn't seem to abate, Beijing will be barring fireworks on heavily polluted days in the lead up to the Spring Festival holiday on Sunday as part of a package of measures aimed at dealing with air pollution in the capital.

Shares of Aquila Resources tumbled down on Monday as it further suspended its $7.4 billion iron ore project in the West Pilbara due to funding struggles.

Authorities in Queensland are now racing to construct a 300-bed village in Bundaberg as residents of the town start to rebuild their lives after the devastating January 2013 Queensland floods brought by ex-cyclone Oswald.

Donations to victims of Queensland's 2013 floods, as opposed to the devastating surge of waters that came on in January, are only coming in by the trickles.

Former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has been cleared from the criminal negligence raps filed against her in relation to the November 2009 Maguindanao massacre that killed 58 people, 32 of whom were journalists.

The United States Embassy in Manila said the U.S. government has vowed to extend the 'appropriate compensation' to the Tubbataha Reef that was damaged when its mine countermeasure ship USS Guardian ran aground on the precious World Heritage site on January 17.

A new research of Australia's data usage habits has found that Aussies have been venturing more towards wi-fi hotspots in increasing numbers, which is not surprising since the same study likewise revealed that half of all Australian adults now already own a smartphone. That Aussies will clamor for more free wi-fi hotspots to support their rapid mobile requirements is just a matter of time, so to speak.

The damages caused by the floods in Queensland in January this year that was brought about by an ex-cyclone will surpass that of the same flooding tragedy the Australian state experienced in 2011, where millions of dollars will be needed in order to rebuild the state.

The number of hospital admissions related to respiratory complaints has risen in China and may continue to rise as the country's residents continue to experience yet again another toxic smog pollution which is seen could be exacerbated by a prevailing cold front.

Today is not only the first day of February but is also the day set by the UNESCO as deadline for the Australian government to submit its actions as to how it plans to preserve and protect the Great Barrier Reef, or otherwise risk losing its World Heritage status. The Australian federal government had said it was able to meet the deadline, but the question still floats - were its submitted to do actions really enough to save and salvage the great reef?

Australian rare earths miner Lynas Corporation Limited (ASX:LYC) has announced it is ready to come up with its first product samples by February, even as it has yet to win over one more pending legal battle concerning its Malaysian plant facility.

Mensa International, a non-profit international organization for people with very high scores in IQ tests, has just recruited into its roster a three-year-old tot as its newest member.

With Iran having hurtled into space its first space monkey, South Korea announcing the satellite it blasted on Wednesday is now successfully transmitting data and North Korea which seven weeks ago likewise did the same, it is no wonder that Asia is now slowly transforming to become the world's epicentre of space competition.

Access to natural gas by about 1,000 homes and businesses across Bundaberg have been cut off after Envestra Limited announced a portion of its natural gas pipeline servicing the area had been damaged.

Cash-strapped Zimbabwe is appealing for donations from the international community to support the requirements for the country's electoral spending as its finance minister revealed this week the South African nation only has $US217 left in its coffers.

Australian supermarket companies such as Wesfarmers vowed not to increase their prices in the face of the floods that have affected Queensland over the past few days. But the supermarket giant however did admit that the delivery of food and other supplies from warehouse to target areas could become a challenge.

It won't be long before fresh air starts getting to be a luxury item in China. In fact, a Chinese entrepreneur had already thought of canning fresh air, similar to sodas in cans, and selling them to his fellowmen as heavy smog again griped China for the second time this month.

If Neil Armstrong, the first person who stepped on the moon on that historic July 21, 1969, was still alive today, he would probably feel glad that his "one giant leap for mankind" has been bolstered no less than by man's primate ancestor, as Iran on Monday launched into space a monkey as part of its space plan programs. The monkey has successfully returned back to Earth.

A potable water shortage is now the main problem faced by residents at Brisbane after brown, muddy floodwater seeped into the city's largest treatment plant.

Controversies of racism and scenes of violence aptly upped the level of curiosity of Aussie folks as they stormed the movie theaters to witness all there is to "Django Unchained," ultimately helping the Quentin Tarantino's latest movie to rake in $3.802 million on its opening weekend alone.

With no clear cut and defining rules for engagement, debt collectors have managed to infiltrate Facebook and other social media channels in their pursuit to settle unpaid financial obligations of errant debtors. But as contact cases escalated over the years, consumers now point the method has tantamount to online harassment.