Indonesian authorities on Thursday raised the alert status of a volcano in the archipelago's east to the highest level after it spewed ash and smoke five kilometres into the sky for the second day in a row.

Thailand’s cabinet has approved a special 10-year visa for executives and experts working in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) to support the development of targeted industries in the country.

Thailand may have to consider relocating its capital Bangkok because of rising sea levels, a senior official in the country's climate change office told AFP on Wednesday.

The launch of the ASEAN Blue Economy Innovation Project to protect marine ecosystems, which are crucial for maintaining the bloc’s environment and economy, took place in Jakarta on May 14.

Rescuers recovered more bodies on Tuesday after weekend flash floods and cold lava flow on Indonesia's Sumatra island killed at least 57 people and left another 22 missing, provincial officials said.

A French climber died on Mount Makalu, the world's fifth-highest peak, expedition organisers said Tuesday, the second fatality of this year's spring climbing season and both on the same mountain.