Residents of the Cook Islands, Samoa and American Samoa were warned Monday that they faced a "critically dangerous" situation as two major cyclones bore down on the south Pacific nations.
The Australian-Pacific Center for Emergency and Disaster Information said seven countries lay in the potential paths of major cyclones Nancy and Olaf, which were forecast to strike populated islands with damaging winds and high seas within the next 24 to 48 hours.
Cyclone Olaf was heading from the northwest towards Samoa and American Samoa and could have reached Category 5 "Super Cyclone" status by yesterday when it is forecast to hit the two neighboring countries, the center said. Cyclone Nancy was expected to be a strong Category 4 storm when it hits the southern Cook Islands, where residents are still cleaning up from another Category 4-plus cyclone, Meena, which struck on Feb. 6.
Nancy was predicted to strike the southern Cooks from the northeast yesterday and followed quickly by Olaf with category 4-to-5 gales.
Cyclones are rated on a scale from category 1 to 5 -- Category 5 being a "Super Cyclone" with sustained winds greater than 249kph.
"This is a critically dangerous situation for Samoa, American Samoa and the Southern Cooks," the center's officials said.
It said the small Cook Islands of Aitutaki and Palmerston and the main island of Raratonga were particularly at risk.
"Special attention should be taken along the coastal zone where much damage has already occurred from Cyclone Meena and seawalls and other structures may be damaged," it said.
PRECARIOUS RELATIONS: Commentators in Saudi Arabia accuse the UAE of growing too bold, backing forces at odds with Saudi interests in various conflicts A Saudi Arabian media campaign targeting the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has deepened the Gulf’s worst row in years, stoking fears of a damaging fall-out in the financial heart of the Middle East. Fiery accusations of rights abuses and betrayal have circulated for weeks in state-run and social media after a brief conflict in Yemen, where Saudi airstrikes quelled an offensive by UAE-backed separatists. The United Arab Emirates is “investing in chaos and supporting secessionists” from Libya to Yemen and the Horn of Africa, Saudi Arabia’s al-Ekhbariya TV charged in a report this week. Such invective has been unheard of
US President Donald Trump on Saturday warned Canada that if it concludes a trade deal with China, he would impose a 100 percent tariff on all goods coming over the border. Relations between the US and its northern neighbor have been rocky since Trump returned to the White House a year ago, with spats over trade and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney decrying a “rupture” in the US-led global order. During a visit to Beijing earlier this month, Carney hailed a “new strategic partnership” with China that resulted in a “preliminary, but landmark trade agreement” to reduce tariffs — but
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) purge of his most senior general is driven by his effort to both secure “total control” of his military and root out corruption, US Ambassador to China David Perdue said told Bloomberg Television yesterday. The probe into Zhang Youxia (張又俠), Xi’s second-in-command, announced over the weekend, is a “major development,” Perdue said, citing the family connections the vice chair of China’s apex military commission has with Xi. Chinese authorities said Zhang was being investigated for suspected serious discipline and law violations, without disclosing further details. “I take him at his word that there’s a corruption effort under
China executed 11 people linked to Myanmar criminal gangs, including “key members” of telecom scam operations, state media reported yesterday, as Beijing toughens its response to the sprawling, transnational industry. Fraud compounds where scammers lure Internet users into fake romantic relationships and cryptocurrency investments have flourished across Southeast Asia, including in Myanmar. Initially largely targeting Chinese speakers, the criminal groups behind the compounds have expanded operations into multiple languages to steal from victims around the world. Those conducting the scams are sometimes willing con artists, and other times trafficked foreign nationals forced to work. In the past few years, Beijing has stepped up cooperation
RSS