Thailand, Malaysia Brace for Fresh Wave of Floods as Water Levels Ease

 An aerial view shows houses surrounded by floodwaters after heavy rain in Tumpat, Malaysia's Kelantan state on December 2, 2024. (AFP)
An aerial view shows houses surrounded by floodwaters after heavy rain in Tumpat, Malaysia's Kelantan state on December 2, 2024. (AFP)
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Thailand, Malaysia Brace for Fresh Wave of Floods as Water Levels Ease

 An aerial view shows houses surrounded by floodwaters after heavy rain in Tumpat, Malaysia's Kelantan state on December 2, 2024. (AFP)
An aerial view shows houses surrounded by floodwaters after heavy rain in Tumpat, Malaysia's Kelantan state on December 2, 2024. (AFP)

Malaysia and Thailand are facing a second wave of heavy rain and potential flooding this week, authorities said on Monday, even as some displaced residents were able to return home and the worst floods in decades began receding in some areas.

Since last week, 27 people have died and more than half a million households in the neighboring Southeast Asian countries have been hit by torrential rain and flooding that authorities say have been the most severe in decades.

The immediate situation has improved in some areas and water levels have eased, according to government data on Monday.

In Malaysia, the number of people in evacuation shelters dropped to around 128,000 people, from 152,000 on Sunday, the disaster management agency's website showed.

The northeastern state of Kelantan, which has been the worst hit, was expected to face a fresh deluge from Dec. 4, the chief minister's office said in a Facebook post on Sunday.

"Although floodwater trends show a slight decrease, (the chief minister) stressed that vigilance measures must remain at the highest level," the post said.

Meanwhile, in southern Thailand, 434,000 households remain affected, the country's interior ministry said in a statement on Monday, down by about 100,000 from the weekend.

The government has provided food and supplies for those in the flood-hit areas, the ministry said, adding water levels in seven provinces were decreasing.

Thailand's Meteorological Department said people in the country's lower south should beware of heavy to very heavy rains and possible flash flooding and overflows, especially along foothills near waterways and lowlands, between Dec. 3-5.



Jeff Bezos’ Rocket Company is Slashing Workforce after Debut Orbital Launch

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket lifts off from Launch Complex 36 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Jan. 16, 2025, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. - AP Photo
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket lifts off from Launch Complex 36 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Jan. 16, 2025, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. - AP Photo
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Jeff Bezos’ Rocket Company is Slashing Workforce after Debut Orbital Launch

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket lifts off from Launch Complex 36 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Jan. 16, 2025, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. - AP Photo
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket lifts off from Launch Complex 36 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Jan. 16, 2025, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. - AP Photo

Jeff Bezos’ rocket company Blue Origin is cutting 10% of its workforce, The AP reported.

This week’s move comes a month after the debut of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, which reached orbit on its first try. CEO Dave Limp relayed the layoff news to employees Thursday, with notifications going out Friday.

In an email to staff obtained by The AP, Limp said it was a “tough decision” but that the company grew too fast over the past few years.

“With that growth came more bureaucracy and less focus than we needed," he said in the note.

Limp said the cuts are needed in order to speed up manufacturing as well as the launch rate. Based in Kent, Washington, Blue Origin launches its New Glenn rockets from Florida and its smaller New Shepard rockets from Texas.

Like Elon Musk’s SpaceX — its chief competitor — Blue Origin holds contracts from NASA to land astronauts on the moon in the coming years.

It was not immediately clear how many employees would be affected by the layoffs. The privately-held Blue Origin does not disclose employment figures.