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.
LANDMARK CASE: ‘Every night we were dragged to US soldiers and sexually abused. Every week we were forced to undergo venereal disease tests,’ a victim said More than 100 South Korean women who were forced to work as prostitutes for US soldiers stationed in the country have filed a landmark lawsuit accusing Washington of abuse, their lawyers said yesterday. Historians and activists say tens of thousands of South Korean women worked for state-sanctioned brothels from the 1950s to 1980s, serving US troops stationed in country to protect the South from North Korea. In 2022, South Korea’s top court ruled that the government had illegally “established, managed and operated” such brothels for the US military, ordering it to pay about 120 plaintiffs compensation. Last week, 117 victims
China on Monday announced its first ever sanctions against an individual Japanese lawmaker, targeting China-born Hei Seki for “spreading fallacies” on issues such as Taiwan, Hong Kong and disputed islands, prompting a protest from Tokyo. Beijing has an ongoing spat with Tokyo over islands in the East China Sea claimed by both countries, and considers foreign criticism on sensitive political topics to be acts of interference. Seki, a naturalised Japanese citizen, “spread false information, colluded with Japanese anti-China forces, and wantonly attacked and smeared China”, foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters on Monday. “For his own selfish interests, (Seki)
Argentine President Javier Milei on Sunday vowed to “accelerate” his libertarian reforms after a crushing defeat in Buenos Aires provincial elections. The 54-year-old economist has slashed public spending, dismissed tens of thousands of public employees and led a major deregulation drive since taking office in December 2023. He acknowledged his party’s “clear defeat” by the center-left Peronist movement in the elections to the legislature of Buenos Aires province, the country’s economic powerhouse. A deflated-sounding Milei admitted to unspecified “mistakes” which he vowed to “correct,” but said he would not be swayed “one millimeter” from his reform agenda. “We will deepen and accelerate it,” he
Japan yesterday heralded the coming-of-age of Japanese Prince Hisahito with an elaborate ceremony at the Imperial Palace, where a succession crisis is brewing. The nephew of Japanese Emperor Naruhito, Hisahito received a black silk-and-lacquer crown at the ceremony, which marks the beginning of his royal adult life. “Thank you very much for bestowing the crown today at the coming-of-age ceremony,” Hisahito said. “I will fulfill my duties, being aware of my responsibilities as an adult member of the imperial family.” Although the emperor has a daughter — Princess Aiko — the 23-year-old has been sidelined by the royal family’s male-only
RSS