International News
Super Typhoon Man-yi Forces Mass Evacuations As It Ravages The Philippines
Super Typhoon Man-yi unleashed its fury on the Philippines over the weekend, forcing the evacuation of over 1.2 million people as it barreled through the archipelago, leaving widespread destruction in its wake.
Packing maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour (115 miles per hour), the storm made its first landfall late Saturday night on Catanduanes, an island in the Bicol region, before sweeping across the densely populated island of Luzon.
As the storm advanced, authorities issued urgent warnings of life-threatening flooding, landslides, and storm surges, with fears that coastal communities could be inundated by waves as high as three meters.
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Thousands fled to evacuation centers in several provinces, while others took refuge with relatives or moved to safer areas inland.
“The damage in Catanduanes is extensive,” said Ariel Nepomuceno, chief of the country’s civil defense agency. Local officials reported widespread destruction in the municipality of Panganiban, where fallen trees and debris blocked roads.
“Pepito was so strong, I have never experienced a typhoon this strong,” said Panganiban Mayor Cesar Robles, referring to the typhoon by its local name.
“It is still a bit unsafe, there are still bursts of wind and debris everywhere,” Robles added, as cleanup efforts began.
While the storm weakened as it moved over the mountainous regions of Luzon, officials continued to issue warnings for severe flooding and landslides, especially in provinces like Aurora.
Forecasters also cautioned that storm surges could reach over three meters, threatening vulnerable coastal communities, including those in and around Manila.
Marissa Cueva Alejandro, a mother of three from Catanduanes, said she had never witnessed a storm of this magnitude before.
“Before, we would only experience signal number three or four, but now typhoons are getting as strong as signal number five,” she said, referring to the government’s five-tiered wind warning system.
Man-yi is the sixth typhoon to strike the Philippines in just one month, following a series of storms that have already killed at least 163 people and caused widespread damage.
The Philippines is no stranger to powerful typhoons, with 20 major storms hitting the country annually.
However, the unusual frequency of such storms in a short period has raised concerns about the intensifying effects of climate change.
Geofry Parrocha, a communications officer in Dipaculao municipality, said some residents were reluctant to evacuate despite the warnings.
“Some of our countrymen are really hard-headed. They do not believe us until the typhoon arrives,” Parrocha said.
As the storm passed over Luzon, thousands of tourists evacuated coastal resorts in Aurora, where businesses worked quickly to secure their properties.
“Our facilities are deserted,” said Irene Padeo, a reservation officer at L’Sirene Boutique Resort in Baler, Aurora. “Our outdoor items have all been packed and taken indoors. We tied down all the rest.”
On its current trajectory, Man-yi is expected to move over the South China Sea by Monday. The storm’s late-season arrival is unusual, as typhoon season typically peaks between July and October.
Earlier this month, four storms simultaneously formed in the Pacific, marking the first such occurrence in November since records began in 1951.
The United Kingdom is considering sweeping new restrictions that could limit or completely block children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms, as part of a broader push to improve online safety and reduce excessive screen time among young users.
The proposal, currently under government consultation, is being led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and focuses on addressing concerns over how teenagers interact with platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.
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Officials say the move is driven by growing evidence and public concern that algorithm-driven feeds and “endless scrolling” features may be negatively affecting children’s sleep patterns, concentration levels, and overall well-being.
The government is also reviewing whether additional measures such as app curfews and time limits should be introduced.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the consultation has already attracted widespread public input, with tens of thousands of responses from parents, teenagers, and advocacy groups.
She noted that the government is particularly interested in feedback on addictive platform design features and the use of AI tools targeting younger users.
The UK is also studying policies already implemented in other countries. Australia has introduced stricter age-based restrictions, while Greece and Indonesia have also moved toward tighter regulation of children’s access to social media.
Authorities emphasize that no final decision has been made, but the consultation process is expected to shape future legislation on how tech companies operate and how young users are protected online in the digital age.
U.S. President Donald Trump has sparked global reactions following his remarks about Pope Leo XIV after the Pope’s recent anti-war message calling for peace in conflict-hit regions.
The controversy began after Pope Leo XIV delivered a strong appeal at the Vatican, urging world leaders to end ongoing wars and prioritise dialogue over violenceviolence.
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The pontiff warned against the “idolatry of power” and called for global cooperation to restore peace.
Reacting to the message, Trump told reporters he is “not a big fan” of Pope Leo XIV, describing him as “very liberal” and questioning his views on crime and international security.
The U.S. President further criticised the Pope’s stance on global conflicts, suggesting his message overlooks serious security challenges linked to rising geopolitical tensions, including nuclear concerns.
In a follow-up post on Truth Social, Trump intensified his criticism, accusing the Pope of taking a weak position on foreign policy matters and suggesting political factors influenced his leadership position.
The comments have since triggered widespread debate across political and religious circles, adding to ongoing tensions between Washington and the Vatican over issues such as immigration policy, military action, and global diplomacy.
While both sides have previously denied any formal rift, the latest exchange has renewed global attention on their differing positions regarding war and peace efforts.
The Israeli military said on Thursday that Mohammed Wishah, an Al Jazeera journalist killed in a strike in Gaza on Wednesday, was a Hamas operative “operating under the guise of a journalist.”
According to Israeli forces, Wishah was “a key terrorist in Hamas’ rocket and weapons production headquarters” and had been planning attacks against soldiers in the area.
The military said he used his journalist identity to advance Hamas’ operations against Israel.
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Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based broadcaster, strongly condemned the killing. In a statement, the network described the attack as a “heinous crime of targeting and killing” its correspondent and insisted the strike was deliberate, not accidental.
The channel vowed to pursue “all necessary legal action to prosecute those responsible for the killing of its correspondents and staff in Gaza.”
Media rights organization Reporters Without Borders also condemned the incident, stating that Wishah’s name now joins “more than 220 journalists killed in two and a half years by Israeli forces in Gaza, at least 70 of whom were killed while performing their duties.”
The killing occurred despite a US-backed ceasefire in Gaza that has been in effect since October 2025, highlighting ongoing tensions and frequent accusations of truce violations by both Israel and Hamas.
Al Jazeera listed Wishah among 11 of its journalists killed in Gaza since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel that triggered the Gaza war.
Past incidents include the killing of Mohammad Salama in August 2025 and the deaths of four Al Jazeera staff and two freelancers outside Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City earlier that year, prompting widespread condemnation.
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