MANILA: The death toll from a powerful storm that triggered flooding and landslides across the Philippines has reached 150, disaster officials said Thursday, as more rain was forecast in some of the hardest-hit areas.
More than 355,400 people fled their homes as Severe Tropical Storm Nalgae pounded swathes of the archipelago nation late last week and over the weekend.
Of the 150 deaths recorded by the national disaster agency, 63 were in the Bangsamoro region on the southern island of Mindanao where flash floods and landslides destroyed villages.
At least 128 people were injured and 36 are still missing across the country, the agency said. Authorities have warned there is no hope of finding more survivors.
Mindanao is rarely hit by the 20 or so typhoons that strike the Philippines each year, but storms that do reach the region tend to be deadlier than in Luzon and the central parts of the country.
With more rain forecast Thursday, disaster agencies in Bangsamoro were preparing for the possibility of further destruction in the poor and mountainous region.
“The soil is still wet in areas where flash floods and landslides occurred so further erosion could be instantly triggered,” said Naguib Sinarimbo, regional civil defense chief.
“Waterways and rivers that were in the path of the flash floods are blocked by debris and boulders so they could easily overflow.”
President Ferdinand Marcos has blamed deforestation and climate change for the devastating landslides in Bangsamoro.
He has urged local authorities to plant trees on denuded mountains.
“That’s one thing that we need to do,” Marcos told a briefing this week.
“We have been hearing this over and over again, but we still continue cutting trees. That’s what happens, landslides like that happen.”
Marcos has declared a state of calamity for six months in the worst-affected regions, freeing up funds for relief efforts.
Scientists have warned that deadly and destructive storms are becoming more powerful as the world gets warmer because of climate change.
More rain on the way as Philippine storm death toll hits 150
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More rain on the way as Philippine storm death toll hits 150
- More than 355,400 people fled their homes as Severe Tropical Storm Nalgae pounded swathes of the archipelago nation late last week and over the weekend
Jakarta NGO sends off new batch of medics to volunteer at Gaza hospital
- New group of medics include nurse, midwife, anesthesiologist and general practitioners
- MER-C has sent 45 volunteers as part of emergency medical teams since last March
JAKARTA: A new group of Indonesian medics is on their way to Gaza to volunteer at the Indonesia Hospital, the Jakarta-based nongovernmental organization that assembled the team said on Sunday, as uncertainties loom over the second phase of the ceasefire.
The Indonesian NGO Medical Emergency Rescue Committee, or MER-C, has been organizing teams of doctors and nurses since last March, as part of emergency deployments led by the World Health Organization.
The latest batch, comprising two general practitioners, a nurse, an anesthesiologist and a midwife, departed Jakarta on Saturday and is expected to enter Gaza in the next couple of days.
“They will be stationed at the Indonesia Hospital, as the facility has resumed operations,” Sarbini Abdul Murad, chairman of MER-C’s board of trustees in Jakarta, told Arab News on Sunday.
“Gaza is in need of different kinds of doctors, as the number of victims and the availability of local doctors are disproportionate.”
MER-C has so far sent 45 volunteers to Gaza as part of its emergency medical teams, which previously comprised other specialists, including internists and surgeons.
The Indonesia Hospital — a facility that was funded and opened by MER-C in late 2015 — was one of the first sites hit when Israel began its assault on Gaza in October 2023.
Since the first phase of the ceasefire began on Jan. 19, the hospital has also been gradually resuming essential services, from surgeries to emergency and inpatient services, as it worked to reach at least 50 percent of full capacity by July.
For nurse Ade Andrian, a member of MER-C’s latest emergency medical team, the opportunity to volunteer in Gaza was a long time coming, having first registered in 2023, a couple of months after Israel began its latest assault on the enclave.
“Praise be to God that today I have been given the chance to join the EMT to be a part of the humanitarian mission for the people of Gaza,” Andrian said.
However, as the first stage of the ceasefire ended without agreement on continuing into a second phase and Israel moved to block entry of all humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip on Sunday, the latest developments are sparking concerns.
“The blocking of humanitarian aid will not only impact the Indonesia Hospital but also all the other hospitals in Gaza and also the residents of the enclave,” MER-C’s Murad said.
“We hope that Israel will soon continue with the ceasefire deal according to what was agreed. If this is violated, then we fear another massive wave of civilian loss.”
Seven dead in India avalanche as survivors recall rescue
- The death toll from an avalanche in northern India climbed to seven on Sunday as survivors recalled their dramatic rescue after hours buried under the snow and debris
DEHRADUN:The death toll from an avalanche in northern India climbed to seven on Sunday as survivors recalled their dramatic rescue after hours buried under the snow and debris.
Rescuers recovered three bodies and were looking for the last remaining person still missing, the army said.
More than 50 workers were submerged under snow and debris after the avalanche hit a construction camp on Friday near Mana village on the border with Tibet in the northern Himalayan state of Uttarakhand.
Authorities revised down the number of workers on site at the time of the avalanche from 55 to 54 after one worker, previously believed to be buried, was found to have safely made his way home before the avalanche hit.
Relief teams managed to rescue 50 workers, but among them four later died of their injuries.
Construction worker Anil, who only gave his first name, recalled his rescue hours after being buried by the avalanche.
“It was if God’s angels had come to save us,” Anil, who is in his late 20s, told AFP on Sunday by phone from his hospital bed.
“The way we were engulfed in snow, we had no hope of surviving.”
Being alive now felt “like a dream,” he said.
The army said it had airlifted a drone-based detection system to assist in its search operations.
Multiple drones and a rescue dog were also being employed.
Working on a project by the Border Roads Organization, the workers were living on site in steel containers considered stronger than tents and capable of withstanding harsh weather.
Anil said many workers were fast asleep and a few others were in makeshift toilets when the avalanche struck around 6:00 am Friday.
As the ground beneath them shook, the container in which Anil and his colleagues were in began to slide down.
“At first we did not understand what was happening but when we looked out of the window of the containers, we saw piles of snow all around,” he said.
“The roof of the containers was also slowly bending inwards.”
Everyone started screaming for help and a few men were lucky to get out of their containers.
“But not all of them made it out and they remained trapped,” he said.
His colleague Vipin Kumar thought “this was the end” when he found himself unable to move as he struggled for air under the thick layer of snow.
“I heard a loud roar, like thunder ... before I could react, everything went dark,” he told the Times of India newspaper.
At an altitude of more than 3,200 meters (10,500 feet), minimum temperatures in the area were down to minus 12 degrees Celsius (10 degrees Fahrenheit).
Dhan Singh Bisht said his son and nephew were alive only because of the prompt action by the relief teams.
“I am grateful to them,” an overwhelmed Bisht told AFP by phone on Saturday.
Avalanches and landslides are common in the upper reaches of the Himalayas, especially during the winter season.
Scientists say climate change is making weather events more severe, while the increased pace of development in the fragile Himalayan regions has also heightened fears about the fallout from deforestation and construction.
In 2021, nearly 100 people died in Uttarakhand after a huge glacier chunk fell into a river, triggering flash floods.
And devastating monsoon floods and landslides in 2013 killed 6,000 people and led to calls for a review of development projects in the state.
UK, France and Ukraine agree to work on ceasefire plan for Russia’s war in Ukraine
- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says Britain, France and Ukraine have agreed to work on a ceasefire plan to present to the United States
- Starmer is hosting a summit of European leaders in London on Sunday to discuss Ukraine
LONDON: Britain, France and Ukraine have agreed to work on a ceasefire plan to present to the United States, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Sunday as he prepared to host a summit of European leaders.
The summit has been overshadowed by the extraordinary scolding by US President Donald Trump of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Friday for being ungrateful for US support in Ukraine’s battle against the invasion by Russia.
But Starmer said he’s focused on being a bridge to restore peace talks and use the collapse of talks as an opportunity to re-engage with Trump and Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron rather than “ramp up the rhetoric.”
“We’ve now agreed that the United Kingdom, along with France and possibly one or two others, will work with Ukraine on a plan to stop the fighting, and then we’ll discuss that plan with the United States,” Starmer told the BBC. Starmer and Macron have both spoken to Trump since Friday.
Sunday’s meeting is an important step
The London meeting has taken on greater importance in defending the war-torn ally and shoring up the continent’s defenses.
Sunday’s summit is likely to include talks on establishing a European military force to be sent to Ukraine to underpin a ceasefire. Starmer said it would involve “a coalition of the willing.”
Starmer said he does not trust Russian President Vladimir Putin but does trust Trump.
“Do I believe Donald Trump when he says he wants lasting peace? The answer to that is yes,” he said.
The meeting at Lancaster House, a 200-year-old elegant mansion near Buckingham Palace, follows a charm offensive last week to engage with Trump at the White House to put Ukraine at the center of negotiations and tilt his allegiances toward Europe.
The summit will also include leaders from France, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Canada, Finland, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Romania. The Turkish foreign minister, NATO secretary-general and the presidents of the European Commission and European Council will also attend.
European leaders are backing Zelensky
Zelensky received broad support from leaders across Europe after the White House fiasco, which was exceptional for featuring an attack on an ally — and because it was broadcast on live television.
Starmer embraced Zelensky when he arrived Saturday for a private meeting — a day before a get-together had been scheduled before the summit.
“As you heard from the cheers on the street outside, you have full backing across the United Kingdom,” Starmer said. “We stand with you, with Ukraine, for as long as it may take.”
Europe has been uneasy since Trump initiated direct peace talks with Putin, who had been isolated by most Western leaders since invading Ukraine three years ago. The scramble to remain relevant and protect European interests as their once stalwart ally appeared to be cozying up to Putin was even more troubling when Trump called Zelensky a dictator and falsely said Ukraine started the war.
Meetings in recent days had provided some hope — until Zelensky’s visit to the White House.
Visits to the Oval Office by Macron, who had declared his visit a “turning point,” and Starmer were seen as steps in the right direction. The meetings were cordial and Trump even took a gentler tone toward Ukraine though he would not commit to providing US security guarantees and maintained Europe would need to provide peacekeeping troops.
Within 12 hours of Starmer’s return from Washington, the talk of peace seemed to collapse as Vice President JD Vance berated Zelensky for challenging Trump’s assertions that Russian President Vladimir Putin could be trusted.
“Starmer did an impressive job of asserting Europe’s agency in the war on Ukraine and conveying to President Trump that Europe is willing and able to take a leading role in implementing any credible peace deal,” said Rachel Ellehuus, director-general of Royal United Services Institute, a defense and security think tank. “Unfortunately, Friday’s White House meeting was a major step backward.”
Ukraine can no longer count on military or political support from the US after Trump declared himself neutral in negotiations, Ellehuus said. She said Europe needs to step in and could release some 200 billion euros ($207 billion) in seized Russian assets to help fund that effort.
“The immediate goal of the meetings in London must be to keep Ukraine in the fight so it can negotiate from a maximum position of strength,” she said.
European leaders pledge to increase military spending
Starmer pledged this week to boost military spending to 2.5 percent of gross domestic product by 2027. Other European nations may follow suit.
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said Saturday that Europe faces a historic test and has to care for itself. He said European countries have to increase their arms spending to reach at least 3 percent of GDP.
“If we don’t increase our effort fast enough and let the aggressor dictate its conditions we won’t end up well,” he said.
Macron, who said it was legitimate for the US to shift its focus to dealing with China and Asia, also called for more defense spending as he called for unity among his neighbors.
“We should have woken up earlier,” Macron said. “I’ve been saying for years that we need a more sovereign, more united, more independent Europe.”
US aircraft carrier arrives in South Korea, days after North Korea test-fired missiles
- A US aircraft carrier has arrived in South Korea in a show of force, days after North Korea test-launched cruise missiles to demonstrate its counterattack capabilities
SEOUL: A US aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea on Sunday in a show of force, days after North Korea test-launched cruise missiles to demonstrate its counterattack capabilities.
The arrival of the USS Carl Vinson and its strike group at the South Korean port of Busan was meant to display a solid U.S-South Korean military alliance in the face of persistent North Korean threats, and boost interoperability of the allies’ combined assets, the South Korean navy said in a statement.
It said it was the first US aircraft carrier to travel to South Korea since June.
The deployment of the carrier is expected to infuriate North Korea, which views temporary deployments of such powerful US military assets as major security threats. North Korea has responded to some of the past deployments of US aircraft carriers, long-range bombers and nuclear-powered submarines with missile tests.
Since his Jan. 20 inauguration, President Donald Trump has said he will reach out to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un again to revive diplomacy. North Korea hasn’t directly responded to Trump’s overture but alleged US-led hostilities against North Korea have intensified since Trump’s inauguration.
North Korea said Friday it test-fired strategic cruise missiles earlier last week to inform its adversaries of its military’s counterattack capability and the readiness of its nuclear operations. After watching the launches, the North’s fourth missile testing event this year, Kim ordered his military to be fully ready to use its nuclear weapons.
Experts say Kim won’t likely accept Trump’s overture anytime soon as he is now focusing on his support of Russia’s war against Ukraine with provision of weapons and troops. They say Kim could consider resuming diplomacy with Trump when he thinks he cannot maintain his country’s current booming cooperation with Russia
Kim and Trump met three times from 2018-19 during Trump’s first term to discuss the future of North Korea’s nuclear program. Their high-stakes diplomacy eventually collapsed due to wrangling over US-led economic sanctions on North Korea.
Afghan TV station reopens after closure by Taliban authorities
- Taliban authorities shut down TV station after accusing it of betraying Islamic values
- Taliban government has not yet indicated reason the station was allowed to reopen
KABUL: An Afghan TV station resumed operations Saturday, its leadership said, after being shut down in December by the Taliban morality ministry.
Seals placed on Arezo TV’s doors in Kabul were removed in the presence of the country’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (PVPV), said station head Bassir Abid, who reported that the outlet had “resumed our operations.”
Taliban authorities shut down the TV station on December 4 after the PVPV accused the channel of being supported by exiled media and of betraying Islamic values.
Seven of Arezo TV’s employees were arrested but released later in December, while the media outlet remained shuttered.
The Taliban government has not yet indicated the reason the station was allowed to reopen.
The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC), a press freedom group, welcomed the reopening but said in a statement it considered the closure “a flagrant violation of free media rights that should not have happened.”
The channel, founded in 2006 in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, opened an office in Kabul in 2010 to produce wildlife documentaries and dub Turkish series, according to AFJC.
Afghanistan’s media sector has dramatically shrunk under three years of the Taliban government, while international monitors have criticized Kabul’s new rulers for allegedly trampling reporters’ rights.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says the country’s Taliban authorities closed at least 12 media outlets in 2024.
Government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has previously said there are no restrictions on journalists, as long as they “consider the national interest and Islamic values and avoid spreading rumors.”
In early February, Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities raided well-known women’s radio station Radio Begum in Kabul and suspended its broadcasts.
