Typhoon Haima kills 8 in Philippines Trump not acc
DESTRUCTION: Toll expected to rise as storm was as powerful as Haiyan
ONE of the most powerful typhoons to ever hit the Philippines killed at least eight people yesterday as ferocious gales and landslides destroyed tens of thousands of homes.
Super Typhoon Haima struck on Wednesday night with winds similar to those of catastrophic Haiyan in 2013, which was then the strongest storm to strike the disaster-prone Southeast Asian archipelago and claimed more than 7,350 lives.
Haima then roared across mountain and farming communities of the northern regions of the main island of Luzon overnight, causing widespread destruction and killing at least eight people, authorities said.
“We were frightened because of the strong winds. There was no power, no help coming,” said Jovy Dalupan, 20, as she sheltered on the side of a highway here, a badly damaged town of 20,000 people in Isabela province.
Dalupan, her two young daughters and husband, were forced to flee to the highway along with their neighbours during the height of the storm, when their shanty homes, made of plywood, were ripped apart.
“We were soaked when the roof flew off, even my little babies got drenched... all of our clothes were drenched. We have nothing to change into.”
Haima hit coastal towns facing the Pacific Ocean with sustained winds of 225kph and gusts of up to 315kph.
It weakened overnight as it rammed into giant mountain ranges, and by yesterday, had passed over the western edge of Luzon and into the South China Sea towards southern China.
President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday night all possible preparations had been made for Haima, with tens of thousands of people evacuated, but he struck an ominous tone.
“We only pray we be spared the destruction such as the previous times, which brought agony and suffering,” Duterte said in Beijing, where he was on a state visit.
Authorities said two of those killed, aged 16 and 17, were buried in a landslide in a house in Ifugao, a mountainous area that is home to stunning rice terraces listed by the United Nations as a World Heritage site.
Two others were buried in another mountainous region. At least eight people had been confirmed dead, according to Edgar Allan Tabell, director of the government’s disaster information coordinating centre in Manila.
But with authorities in many devastated areas unable to report back because communication lines were cut, the death toll was expected to rise.
In Hong Kong, the city’s seven million residents were preparing for more disruptive weather as Typhoon Haima approached. Airlines warned of likely flight disruptions today and tomorrow. AFP
smiling sentencing yesterday the Jan 14 Jakarta attack. his in
About 40 militants had been arrested in connection with the attack that began with a suicide bombing inside a Starbucks cafe.
In a separate trial at the same court, Ali Hamka, 48, was sentenced to four years in prison for his ultimately unsuccessful attempts to procure guns and ammunition for the attack.
Suridi knew a suicide bombing would take place but did not know when and where, according to Fauzi. He also participated in meetings aimed at recruiting suicide bombers.
Suridi showed no remorse in the court room. He said he would not appeal and called his sentence the “risk of being a terrorist”.
Prosecutors had demanded a 10year sentence. Agencies
REPUBLICAN candidate Donald Trump on Wednesday would not commit to accepting the outcome of the Nov 8 United States presidential election if he loses, challenging a cornerstone of American democracy and sending shockwaves across the political spectrum.
Trump’s refusal, which his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton called “horrifying”, was the standout remark of their third and final debate, and ratcheted up claims he made for weeks that the election was rigged against him.
Asked by moderator Chris Wallace whether Trump would commit to a peaceful transition of power, the businessman-turned-politician replied: “What I’m saying is that I will tell you at the time. I’ll keep you in suspense. Ok?”
Trump’s statement may appeal to his anti-establishment followers, but it was unlikely to reverse opinion polls that show him losing, including in key states that will decide the election.
“That is not the way our democracy works. We’ve been around for 240 years. We’ve had free and fair elections. We’ve accepted the outcomes when we may not have liked them.
“And that is what must be expected of anyone standing on a debate stage during a general election,” Clinton said during the debate.
Later, she said: “What he said tonight is part of his effort to blame somebody else for where he is in his campaign.”