Reuters, Washington
The Trump administration put new requirements in place on Friday for the 38 countries participating in the US Visa Waiver Program, including that they use US counterterrorism data to screen travelers, officials said.
The program allows citizens of mainly European countries to travel to the United States for up to 90 days without a visa. Citizens from the 38 countries are required to obtain a so-called travel authorisation to enter the United States.
Pollution grips Macedonia’s capital
AFP, Skopje
Skopje was gripped Friday for the second consecutive day by a cloud of polluted air and fog which practically paralysed the Macedonian capital and perturbed air traffic.
On the Skopje streets, numerous citizens were wearing masks in a bid to protect themselves while the visibility was poor.
Mask stocks were emptied, local media reported.
3 killed in Indonesian quake
AFP, Jakarta
At least three people have been killed following a strong 6.5-magnitude earthquake on Indonesia’s main island of Java, an official said Saturday.
The quake struck at a depth of 91 kilometres (56 miles) just outside the coastal town of Cipatujah on Java island late Friday, the US Geological Survey said. The tremor was felt across the island including in the capital Jakarta, some 300 kilometres (190 miles) from the epicentre.
Landslide in southern Chile leaves 5 dead
AP, Santiago
A mudslide fueled by heavy rains swept over a village in southern Chile on Saturday, leaving at least five people dead and 15 missing, officials said.
Rain caused a river to overflow and the side of a hill to collapse, burying 20 of the 200 houses in Villa Santa Lucia in the Los Lagos region, located 790 miles (1,272 kilometers) south of Chile’s capital, Santiago.President Michelle Bachelet declared the region a catastrophe zone and confirmed the number of dead and missing.
