Malaysia and the Philippines have been battered by heavy rain and flash floods in recent days, killing dozens, officials said on Tuesday.
The death toll from the flooding and landslides in the Philippines wrought by Tropical Storm Seniang rose to 53 yesterday, officials said, with some regions saying they were caught off guard by the deluge.
In Catbalogan in Samar province, 19 people died in a landslide that left homes and vehicles buried under rocks and mud, Catbalogan Mayor Stephany Uy-Tan said, adding that the town had been surprised by the landslide.
Photo: Reuters
Seniang affected 121,737 people, 80,186 of which are in evacuation centers, the National Disaster Monitoring Agency said.
The storm’s death toll was nearly triple that of the last major storm to hit the country, Super Typhoon Hagupit, earlier this month.
In Misamis Oriental province, floods flattened rice and corn fields resulting in an estimated 400 million pesos (US$9 million) in damages, Misamis Oriental Governor Yevgeny Emano told DZMM radio.
In Leyte, the rains brought landslides and floods that closed off major roads, Leyte Governor Leopoldo Domenico Petilla said on DZMM.
In Malaysia, the worst flooding in a decade forced nearly a quarter of a million people from their homes, officials said, with the government coming under renewed fire for its perceived slow response.
At least 21 people have been killed and eight others are missing in the country’s flooded northeast, police said yesterday.
They said 14 of the deaths were in the worst-hit state of Kelantan, where about 158,476 people were displaced, while four people died in Terengganu State and three in Pahang State. There are also reports of outbreaks of flu and diarrhea.
The number forced from their homes in the other affected states — Pahang, Perak, Terengganu and Johor — totaled 83,570.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who came under fire after being filmed playing golf with US President Barack Obama in Hawaii when the disaster happened, said he was saddened by the flooding.
CSBC Corp, Taiwan (台灣國際造船) yesterday released the first video documenting the submerged sea trials of Taiwan’s indigenous defense submarine prototype, the Hai Kun (海鯤), or Narwhal, showing underwater navigation and the launch of countermeasures. The footage shows the vessel’s first dive, steering and control system tests, and the raising and lowering of the periscope and antenna masts. It offered a rare look at the progress in the submarine’s sea acceptance tests. The Hai Kun carried out its first shallow-water diving trial late last month and has since completed four submerged tests, CSBC said. The newly released video compiles images recorded from Jan. 29 to
DETERRENCE EFFORTS: Washington and partners hope demonstrations of force would convince Beijing that military action against Taiwan would carry high costs The US is considering using HMAS Stirling in Western Australia as a forward base to strengthen its naval posture in a potential conflict with China, particularly over Taiwan, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. As part of its Indo-Pacific strategy, Washington plans to deploy up to four nuclear-powered submarines at Stirling starting in 2027, providing a base near potential hot spots such as Taiwan and the South China Sea. The move also aims to enhance military integration with Pacific allies under the Australia-UK-US trilateral security partnership, the report said. Currently, US submarines operate from Guam, but the island could
RESTRAINTS: Should China’s actions pose any threat to Taiwan’s security, economic or social systems, China would be excluded from major financial institutions, the bill says The US House of Representatives on Monday passed the PROTECT Taiwan Act, which states that Washington would exclude China from participating in major global financial organizations if its actions directly threaten Taiwan’s security. The bill, proposed by Republican Representative Frank Lucas, passed with 395 votes in favor and two against. It stipulates that if China’s actions pose any threat to Taiwan’s security, economic or social systems, the US would, “to the maximum extent practicable,” exclude Beijing from international financial institutions, including the G20, the Bank for International Settlements and the Financial Stability Board. The bill makes it clear that China must be prepared
Taiwanese trade negotiators told Washington that Taipei would not relocate 40 percent of its semiconductor production to the US, and that its most advanced technologies would remain in the nation, Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) said on Sunday. “I told the US side very clearly — that’s impossible,” Cheng, who led the negotiation team, said in an interview that aired on Sunday night on Chinese Television System. Cheng was referring to remarks last month by US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, in which he said his goal was to bring 40 percent of Taiwan’s chip supply chain to the US Taiwan’s almost
RSS