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Sixth typhoon in a month makes landfall in Philippines
A potentially catastrophic super typhoon has made landfall in the Philippines – the sixth typhoon to hit the country in a month.
Man-Yi, known locally as Pepito, touched down at 21:40 local time (13:40 GMT) with maximum sustained wind speeds of 195 km/h (121mph) along the coast of the eastern Catanduanes island, the state forecaster said.
It has warned of a “life-threatening storm surge”, heavy rains and severe winds, and hundreds of thousands of people had been evacuated ahead of the storm’s arrival.
At least 160 people are known to have died in the five previous earlier storms.
Super Typhoon Man-Yi is expected to impact a large area, BBC Weather reports. There will be widespread heavy rain in northern areas, with more than 300mm (11 inches) expected to fall on Saturday and Sunday – leading to potential flooding and increasing the risk of mudslides.
Winds of up to 270km/h are also expected, as are waves of up to 15m (49ft) in eastern coastal areas.
The capital, Manila, may be spared the worst of the winds as the storm tracks to its north, before crossing the island of Luzon – the largest and most populous island in the Philippines – and heading offshore by Monday.
Dozens of flights have been cancelled due to the incoming storm, according to local broadcaster ABS-CBN News.
More than 400,000 people heeded evacuation orders ahead of the storm, civil defence said. Its head, Ariel Nepomuceno, has urged everyone living in the storm’s projected path to comply these orders.
“It is more dangerous now for those in landslide-prone areas because the ground has been saturated by the consecutive typhoons,” Mr Nepomuceno said.
Glenda Llamas is among those who have had to leave their homes.
“We are terrified of the typhoon, as it may intensify and the waters can rise,” she told the AFP news agency from a shelter in the eastern Albay province.
“If we didn’t evacuate we wouldn’t be able to get out later, we don’t have anyone else in the house but us.”
“We already have a lot of phobia due to the previous calamities that happened here like floods, strong winds and other disasters,” said Melchor Bilay, who was evacuated to a school further south, in Sorsogon province.
While typhoons are not uncommon in the Philippines, forecasters say it is unusual to see so many tropical storms in the Pacific at the same time during the month of November.
Tropical Storm Trami dumped one month’s worth of rain over large swathes of the northern Philippines in late October, leaving dozens of people dead.
This was followed by Typhoon Kong-rey, in which at least three people were killed. It was also the biggest typhoon to directly hit Taiwan in nearly 30 years.
Typhoon Yinxing affected the north of the island of Luzon earlier this month, where it brought nearly 250mm (10in) of rain in some areas.
There has since been Typhoon Toraji and, earlier this week, Typhoon Usagi, which brought a three-metre storm surge and torrential rainfall exceeding 200mm (8 inches).
The United Nations’ climate change body, the IPCC, has said that while the number of tropical cyclones that happen globally is unlikely to increase due to a warning planet, it is “very likely” they will have higher rates of rainfall and reach higher top wind speeds.
This means a higher proportion would reach the most intense categories.
[BBC]
The Sri Lanka Cricket selection panel has handed the white-ball captaincy to Kusal Mendis for the upcoming all-format tour of the West Indies next month. Dhananjay de Silva will continue to lead the side in the two Tests.
Kusal Mendis takes over the ODI captaincy from Charith Asalanka, who was named in the 16-man squad, while Kamindu Mendis was named vice-captain. In T20Is, Kusal Mendis takes over the leadership from Dasun Shanaka, who led the side until the recent T20 World Cup, where Sri Lanka failed to make the knockouts. While Shanaka retained his place in the 16-man T20I squad, Asalanka did not.
Wanidu Hasaranga is set to return to action – named in the ODI and T20I squads – after his injury during the T20 World Cup has kept him off the field since early February. He tore his left hamstring at the time and missed the ongoing IPL after that for Lucknow Super Giants.
The tour starts with three ODIs from June 3 to 8 followed by the three T20Is on June 11, 13 and 14. The two Tests will be played at the Viv Richards Stadium in North Sound from June 25 to 29 and July 3 to 7.
Sri Lanka Test squad:
Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), Kamindu Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Udara, Nishan Madushka, Dinesh Chandimal, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Sonal Dinusha, Kusal Mendis, Milan Rathnayake, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Isitha Wijesundara, Kasun Rajitha
Sri Lanka ODI squad:
Kusal Mendis (capt), Kamindu Mendis (vice-capt), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Pavan Rathnayake, Janith Liyanage, Charith Asalanka, Milan Rathnayake, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka, Eshan Malinga, Asitha Fernando, Pramod Madushan
Sri Lanka T20I squad:
Kusal Mendis (capt), Kamindu Mendis (vice-capt), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Pavan Rathnayake, Lasith Croospulle, Dasun Shanaka, Milan Rathnayake, Dunith Wellalage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka, Eshan Malinga, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara
(Cricinfo)
Cambodia’s former opposition leader Kem Sokha, who was serving a 27-year sentence for treason, has been pardoned, the country’s former prime minister said.
Hun Sen, who is currently Cambodia’s acting head of state, said he signed a decree pardoning Sokha on behalf of King Norodom Sihamoni.
Sokha, the former leader of the now-dissolved Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP), was first arrested in 2017 over a video where he said he had received support from US pro-democracy groups.
He has been held under house arrest since he was found guilty of treason in 2023. The charges have been widely derided as politically motivated by human rights groups.
Hun Sen posted on Facebook that Sokha had been “pardoned”, alongside a photo of the royal decree signed by him.
The pardon came after an appeal against Sokha’s sentence was rejected last month. But it did not include overturning a ban on the politician leaving Cambodia for five years.
Hun Sen, who ruled Cambodia for nearly four decades, has been accused of weaponising the country’s courts to target his opponents. He stepped down as prime minister in 2023 and handed power to his eldest son, Hun Manet.
However, Hun Sen still wields immense power in Cambodia and is acting head of state while King Norodom Sihamoni receives medical treatment abroad.
Sokha’s CNRP party came close to securing a shock victory in the 2013 general election victory over Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party (CPP).
The opposition leader was arrested in 2017, less than a year ahead of the next general election, which the CNRP was banned from contesting.
[BBC]
A consignment of 134 single cabs gifted by the Government of India under the Indo–Sri Lanka Friendship Programme for the use of the Sri Lanka Police was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Monday (25) morning at the Presidential Secretariat.
The Government of India has incurred an expenditure of approximately LKR.300 million for this initiative and the vehicles are scheduled to be distributed among police stations in the Northern Province.
Speaking at the occasion, Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha stated that similar assistance would continue to be extended to Sri Lanka in the future.
In appreciation of this gift by the Government of India, Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasooriya presented a commemorative memento to Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha.
Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs, Ananda Wijepala, Deputy Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs, Sunil Watagala, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security Ravi Seneviratne, General Manager of DIMO Rajeev Pandithage, officials of the Indian High Commission and senior officers of the Sri Lanka Police were also present at the occasion.
(PMD)
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