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Philippines
Powerful Typhoon Utor has hit the northern Philippines, leaving at least 23 fishermen missing.
Typhoon Utor made landfall in the north of the main island of Luzon early on Monday, bringing winds of up to 124 mph and torrential rain.
Power lines were brought down in some places and ferries were suspended, stranding thousands of passengers.
Typhoon Utor has hit the northern Philippines, leaving at least 23 fishermen missing
Typhoon Utor is expected to remain in the northern Philippines for most of Monday before sweeping out to sea.
It is then expected to move across the South China Sea towards southern China.
Heavy rain hit the capital, Manila, where some schools were closed, but there were no reports of major flooding.
A number of domestic flights were also cancelled.
The missing fishermen all come from Catanduanes, an island province off Luzon’s east coast.
Officials said they hoped the men had taken shelter in nearby islands.
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Mayon volcano has erupted in the Philippines, killing four German climbers and their guide.
Mount Mayon at 206 miles south-east of the capital Manila sent a cloud of ash and rocks into the sky early on Tuesday.
The ash blast caught a group climbing the mountain, which is famous for its near-perfect cone.
At least seven other climbers were hurt in the eruption, which lasted for just over a minute.
Mount Mayon at 206 miles south-east of the capital Manila sent a cloud of ash and rocks into the sky early on Tuesday
“Five killed and seven are injured, that is the latest report,” National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council chief Eduardo del Rosario said.
Four of those killed were German nationals and the fifth was their Filipino guide, the NDRRMC said later in a statement.
A guide on the mountain told a local television station by telephone that those who died were hit by the rocks that rained down on them after the ash blast.
Twenty people were approaching the summit of the mountain when the eruption occurred.
In an advisory, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology called the eruption a “small phreatic event” that lasted about 73 seconds and sent ash 500m into the air. No intensification of volcanic activity was observed, it said, and the alert level would not be raised.
It said small steam and ash ejections could occur with little or no warning and advised against entry to the 4-mile radius Permanent Danger Zone around the volcano.
Chief state seismologist Renato Solidum described the eruption as a “stream driven explosion”, a “normal process” in any volcano. There was no need for local residents around the mountain to evacuate, he said.
Mt Mayon has erupted at least 48 times since records began. The most violent eruption, in 1814, killed more than 1,200 people and devastated several towns.
The most recent eruption was in late 2009, when tens of thousands of local residents were forced to evacuate as the volcano rumbled back to life.
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Australian Warren Rodwell, who was kidnapped 15 months ago by al-Qaeda-linked group Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines, has been released.
Warren Rodwell was freed on Saturday near Pagadian city in the southern Philippines, police said.
He was kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf militants in 2011, and had last been shown alive in a video posted on social media websites in December.
Abu Sayyaf is considered the smallest and most radical of the extremist movements in the southern Philippines.
Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr welcomed the news, saying the release had been the result of a joint effort by authorities in both countries.
“The Philippines government had the lead role in this case and deserve congratulations for their tireless efforts on Mr. Rodwell’s behalf,” said Bob Carr.
Warren Rodwell was freed on Saturday near Pagadian city in the southern Philippines
Bob Carr added that Warren Rodwell was being moved to a safe location and that the focus now was on his recovery.
Warren Rodwell – who runs a shop with his wife in the Philippines’ seaside town of Ipil, close to Zamboanga in south-western Mindanao – was abducted in December 2011.
A number of foreigners have been kidnapped for ransom in the southern Philippines. The Australian government has a longstanding policy of refusing to pay ransom for its citizens.
Areas within the region are used as bases by Islamist militants and rebel groups.
Abu Sayyaf militants remain a security threat in the impoverished region, where minority Muslims have been fighting for self-rule for decades.
The main Muslim separatist group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, last year signed a peace accord with the government in exchange for broad autonomy.
But Abu Sayyaf were among the rebel groups who refused to sign up to the peace deal.
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Lolong, the largest saltwater crocodile in captivity, has died in the Philippines.
Officials said the six-metre reptile, weighing more than 1,000 kg, flipped over with a bloated stomach and was declared dead several hours later.
The crocodile, blamed for the death of at least one person, was caught in September 2011 and then became the star attraction of an eco-tourism park.
Lolong was formally declared the world’s largest in captivity by Guinness World Records in 2012.
The crocodile was captured in the town of Bunawan after a three-week hunt involving dozens
The giant reptile, which measured 6.4 m (21ft) and weighed in at 1,075 kg (2,370 lb), had begun to draw local and foreign tourists to the town.
Bunawan Mayor Edwin Elorde said Lolong had been off color for a month.
“He refused to eat since last month and we noticed a change in the color of his faeces,” he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper.
“Our personnel also noticed an unusual ballooning of the reptile’s belly.”
Local vet Alex Collantes said that unseasonably cold weather could have affected the crocodile.
Edwin Elorde told the Inquirer wildlife experts would conduct an investigation into the death and said he hoped Lolong’s body could be preserved.
“In that way, people can still look and marvel at him,” he said.
Australian media say the mantle of largest saltwater crocodile in captivity may now pass back to Cassius, a 5.48 m reptile housed at a crocodile farm near Cairns in Queensland.
Lolong, the largest saltwater crocodile in captivity, has died in the Philippines
Saltwater crocodiles
- Also known as the estuarine crocodile, it is the world’s largest living crocodile
- It is capable of killing any animal or human that strays into its territory
- Body length: usually 4.2 m-4.8 m (13.8 ft-15.8 ft), although specimens of over 7 m (23 ft) have been recorded
- Weight: Male generally 408-520 kg (900 lb-1,140 lb), but have been known to exceed 1,000 kg (2,200 lb)
- Life expectancy: They can live for more than 100 years.
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652 people were killed and 808 others missing in the flash floods triggered by typhoon Washi in the southern Philippines, The National Red Cross reported.
Rescuers teams are still searching for survivors, as naval vessels are scouring the coast along the island of Mindanao while soldiers searched swollen rivers.
According to officials, many bodies remained unclaimed, suggesting entire families had been swept away.
The flash floods were triggered by tropical storm Washi that coincided with high tides, trapping many in their homes.
The major ports of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan were among the areas worst hit on Friday night.
Almost 35,000 people were still sheltering in evacuation centres on Sunday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said.
Many of the bodies were unclaimed after nearly 24 hours, raising the prospect that entire families had died, Philippines Red Cross Secretary General Gwendolyn Pang said.
“The affected area is so wide and huge and I believe they have not really gone to all areas to do a search,” she said.
“This thing happened so fast, it was very overwhelming.”
The navy joined the search for those who had been swept out to sea. About 60 people were reported to have been plucked from the ocean off El Salvador city, about six miles (10km) north-west of Cagayan de Oro.
Former congressman Ayi Hernandez said he and his family were at home in Cagayan de Oro late on Friday when they heard a loud “swooshing sound”.
He said the water rose to about 11 ft feet (3.3m) in less than an hour, filling his home to the ceiling.
The rescue effort, boosted by some 20,000 soldiers, continued through Saturday night but was being hampered by flooded-out roads and downed power lines, officials said.
National TV showed scenes of devastation, with streets strewn with mud and piles of debris. The remains of houses lay alongside cars that had been picked up by the water and left in culverts and along riverbanks.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sent condolences to the Philippines.
“The US government stands ready to assist Philippine authorities as they respond to this tragedy,” Hilary Clinton said.
Weather experts said Tropical Storm Washi dumped more than a month of average rain in just 12 hours over Mindanao.
Although the Philippines is hit by typhoons or tropical storms every year, Mindanao in the south is usually spared the worst of the damage.
Washi reached the western island of Palawan before dawn on Sunday and is moving west into the South China Sea, government forecasters said.
The storm has maximum winds of 80km/h (50 mph) and is expected to move west, away from the Philippines.
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More than 430 people have been killed and many more missing in recent flash floods triggered by typhoon Washi in the southern Philippines, officials say.
Many of the victims were asleep when it struck Mindanao island, hitting the cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro.
Tens of thousands of people have fled to higher ground, the authorities say.
Benito Ramos, head of the national disaster rescue agency, said reports were still coming in and the casualty figures could rise.
He said the floodwaters had risen alarmingly fast overnight as people slept.
“Massive flooding had been reported over the region, especially in Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro City,” Benito Ramos said.
Rivers burst their banks after 25 mm of rain fell in 24 hours.
More than 430 people have been killed and many more missing in recent flash floods triggered by typhoon Washi in the southern Philippines
The Philippine National Red Cross Secretary General Gwen Pang said at least 430 people had been killed.
Gwen Pang said 215 people had been killed in Cagayan de Oro and 144 in Iligan.
Large areas were left without power and some domestic flights were cancelled as winds of up to 90 km/h (55mph) swept across the island.
A landslide killed at least five people in the east of the island, the national disaster agency said.
A military spokesman, Colonel Leopoldo Galon, said an entire army division – some 10,000 soldiers – was involved in the rescue efforts around Cagayan de Oro.
Forecasters said the eye of Tropical Storm Washi had passed close to Dipolog City, west of Iligan City, early on Saturday and it was now heading out into the Sulu Sea.
Floods had swamped a quarter of Iligan and at least 10 villages on its outskirts, said the city’s mayor, Lawrence Cruz.
“It’s the worst flood in the history of our city,” Lawrence Cruz told GMA television.
“It happened so fast, at a time when people were fast asleep.”
The coast guard and other rescuers were scouring the waters off the coastal city for survivors or bodies, he added.
GMA television broadcast dramatic footage of a family escaping their flood-hit home by climbing through a window.
Rescue workers were pictured helping survivors to safety in chest-deep floodwater.
Three people also drowned in Polanco town in Zamboanga del Norte province, said provincial disaster officer Dennis Tenorio. He said high winds had toppled trees.
The storm is set to hit the western island of Palawan later on Saturday, after crossing the Sulu Sea with winds of up to 75 km/h, according to state weather forecasters.
The Philippines are struck by about 20 major storms every year but most of them take a more northerly track, hitting Luzon island.
Benito Ramos said Washi’s toll may have been so high because Mindanao residents are unaccustomed to catching the full force of such storms.
He said officials had given four days of warnings that the storm was approaching but many people had chosen not to evacuate their homes.
Typhoons Nesat and Nalgae battered the country within days of each other in September, leaving more than 100 people dead. Both storms struck Luzon.
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At least 13 people were killed, including two children after small plane has crashed in the Philippines into a school building in Paranaque near the capital, Manila, police and Red Cross officials say.
Paranaque’s Mayor, Florencio Bernabe, said no classes were in session when the plane crash landed shortly after take-off from an airport in Manila.
A fire at the school quickly spread to surrounding shanty houses. It is not clear how many people were on board.
At least 13 people were killed, including two children after small plane has crashed in the Philippines into a school building in Paranaque
Gwendolyn Pang, of the Philippine Red Cross, told the AFP news agency:
“The crash set fire to at least 30 houses. These are shanties, made of light materials.”
According to Ramon Gutierrez, head of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, the light plane had sent out a distress call shortly after take-off, AP news agency reports.
The plane, bound for Mindoro Island, crashed at about 14:30 local time.
A resident told The Philippine Star newspaper that a Christmas party has just been held at the school.
Mayor Florencio Bernabe said at least 20 people had been taken to hospital with injuries, AFP reports.
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Danica May Camacho, born in Philippines last night, has been recognized by United Nations as one of the world’s symbolic “seven billionth” babies, presenting her with a special cake.
United Nations say Seven Billion Day – October 31 – is the date when the world’s population reaches landmark number.
The Philippines, which is ranked 12th as the most populated country in the world, joined the rest of the world as it welcomed its symbolic seven billionth baby in a simple ceremony at the hospital.
Danica May Camacho was born two minutes before midnight and arrived to a celebratory cheer at the packed Government-run Jose Fabella Hospital in Manila.
Weighing 5lbs 5oz (2,5 kg), Danica May Camacho was delivered amid an explosion of media flash bulbs in the delivery room at Manila’s Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital.
Danica May Camacho, born in Philippines last night, has been recognized by United Nations as one of the world's symbolic "seven billionth" babies, presenting her with a special cake
Danica May Camacho’s mother, Camille Dalura said:
“She looks so lovely. I can’t believe she is the world’s seventh billion.”
Danica May Camacho is the second child for Camille and her partner Florante, who quietly stood in a corner wearing a white hospital gown as television crews and photographers crowded to get a shot of his daughter.
Camille, Florante and Danica May Camacho were met by top United Nations officials in the Philippines, who presented the child with a cake.
There were also gifts from local benefactors including a scholarship grant for the child’s study, and a livelihood package to enable the parents to start a general store.
Lorrize Mae Guevarra, 12, who was declared the world’s symbolic six billionth baby in 1999 and is now in the sixth grade, was also present at the event.
Lorrize Mae Guevarra said: “I am very happy to see this cute baby. I hope like me she will grow up to become healthy and well loved by everyone.”
Danica May Camacho is one of several in countries around the world being declared a symbolic seven billionth human.
The United Nations has declared October 31 as Seven Billion day – the date when the world’s population is estimated to reach seven billion.
It was hoped Danica May Camacho would arrive at exactly midnight, but she was delivered two minutes early.
Health Secretary Enrique Ona said the arrival of the world’s seven billionth baby also presented the Philippines with an opportunity to assess population related issues.
According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) State of the World Population Report, the Philippines is the 12th most populous country in the world with 94.9 million people.
China continues to have the biggest share of the population at 1.35 billion, followed by India at 1.24 billion.
According to the report, in many parts of the developing world, where population growth outpaces economic growth, reproductive health care remains a crucial issue.
Ugochi Daniels, UNFPA representative said that while the Philippines population remains young, with people under 25 making up 54% of the total, they needed to be taught proper “life skills” and about sexual issues.
Ugochi Daniels said that while women were having fewer children globally, the overall population continued to go up.
“While our world of seven billion represents a complex picture of trends and paradoxes, there are some essential global truths we observe,” Ugochi Daniels said.
“Conversely, there is no one global population outlook.”
The UNFPA said 10% of Filipino girls aged 15 to 19 have started child bearing, with many of the young also increasingly vulnerable to HIV.
There is skepticism over the accuracy of the UN’s Seven Billion Day estimation, with critics saying there is no way of truly telling when the population of the human race hits the landmark.
In the past century, the world’s population has increased fourfold. And it has only been 12 years since the planet marked six billion people.
According to independent demographers, the United Nations has jumped the gun. Early 2013 is their best guess, but it could be as late as 2019 that the landmark is reached.
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The powerful Typhoon Nesat has struck the Philippines this morning, triggering floods and cutting power in the capital Manila and throughout the main island, Luzon.
Typhoon Nesat also forced the closing of the Philippine Stock Exchange and the US embassy, and the ground floor of Manila’s main hospital was flooded.
At least seven people have been killed, including several children.
Typhoon Nesat path in South East Asia
As Typhoon Nesat approached, the authorities ordered the evacuation of more than 100,000 in central Albay province.
Nesat is expected to continue slowly across the country, before blowing across the South China Sea towards southern China on Thursday.
The typhoon made landfall just before dawn on Tuesday in the eastern Isabela and Aurora provinces on the Pacific coast.
The storm – with a diameter of 650km (400 miles) and wind gusts of up to 170km/h (105mph) – is now making its way across Luzon, the main island.
Many roads have been flooded and flights cancelled, and local media are urging people against non-essential travel.
An adult and three children were crushed to death as a building collapsed in a northern Manila suburb on Tuesday, AFP news agency quoted the Office of Civil Defence as saying.
Two men were said to have died north of the capital in a landslide and weather-induced accident.
There is waist-deep flooding in parts of the capital.
Reporters described huge waves crashing into Manila Bay’s seawall, with water overflowing into Roxas Boulevard and flooding streets and parks around the US embassy, which was evacuated.
The ground floor of Manila hospital was flooded, and staff was forced to move patients to the first floor.
“We’ve heard of Manila Hospital being flooded, but we’re struggling to reach the area even though we’ve co-ordinated with them already to help in an evacuation plan,” Philippine National Red Cross secretary general Gwen Pang told AFP.
It was reported that a five-star hotel was also evacuated.
Thousands of residents living inland along the Marikana river were evacuated as it threatened to overflow.
Government offices, schools and universities were closed.
In Isabela province, four coastal towns under threat from storm surges have been evacuated.
Four fishermen are missing, and more than 50 more have been rescued after their boats capsized in rough seas.
There are fears that the death toll may rise further.
Late on Monday, the first reported casualty of Typhoon Nesat was a baby who fell into a swollen river in the eastern province of Catanduanes.
Earlier, about 110,000 people in several towns of the Albay province were ordered to leave their homes and seek shelter elsewhere.
“We can’t manage typhoons, but we can manage their effects,” provincial Governor Joey Salceda was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
The Philippines suffers frequent typhoons, about 20 a year, but Nesat is thought to be the largest this year.
Typhoon Nesat comes almost exactly two years after Typhoon Ketsana killed more than 400 people.
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The crocodile weighs one ton and is believed responsible for eating at least one fisherman, but this monster has finally been caught by 100 men in Philippines.
Measuring 21 ft (about 6.5 m), the monster is the largest crocodile captured alive in recent years.
World's largest crocodile has been caught in Philippines
The largest crocodile was caught, after a three-week hunt, in a creek in the Philippines by villagers who had lived in fear of it for more than 20 years.
The crocodile’s nearest rival in the monster stakes is Cassius, an Australian salt-water crocodile which measures a “mere” 18ft (5.5 m) and which is still on the loose in the Northern Territory.
The Philippine crocodile lived in a river system in Agusan, a poverty-stricken region 500 miles south east of Manila, but while it was a constant threat to villagers no-one was brave enough to try to capture it.
The monster crocodile was placed under observation and when it was witnessed by several villagers killing a water buffalo they knew their suspicions were right.
Many of the villagers posed beside the captured monster crocodile before it was driven off to a confined area
“We were very nervous about tackling this beast but it was our duty to deal with it because it was a threat to many villagers and their farm animals,” said the local mayor, Edwin Elorde.
“When I finally saw it after its capture I couldn’t believe my eyes.
“It was big enough to swallow three men all at once.”
The crocodile hunting was set in place after it was seen in a creek, with villagers setting four net traps, which the crocodile destroyed with a mighty snap of its jaws.
The second time hunters used traps made of steel cables and this time the animal failed to get away.
One hundred men were required to pull the monster crocodile on to the banks of the creek where, after a great deal of difficulty, it was bound up and then lifted by crane on to the back of a truck.
Hunters weren’t going to let the victory pass without having their photo taken, so many of the villagers posed beside their scaly captive before it was driven off to a confined area.
Many of the villagers posed beside the captured monster crocodile before it was driven off to a confined area
The crocodile, which have not been named yet, is destined for fame.
Villagers have been expecting monster to be the star attraction at a new eco-tourism park that is set up in Agusan.
“It will be the biggest star of the park,” said Mayor Elorde.
“The villagers, of course, are very happy that they have been able to turn this dangerous crocodile from a threat into an asset.”
But the 37,000 people who live in the region have been told not to rest on their laurels.
Many other large crocodiles remain in the rivers and people have been told not to venture into marsh areas alone at night.
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