Thousands evacuated in Philippines as typhoon approachesDecember 3, 2012 - 16:10 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Philippine President Benigno Aquino told people on Monday, Dec 3 to take storm warnings seriously as authorities evacuated thousands of residents of coastal and mountain regions hours before the biggest typhoon this year was due to hit, according to Reuters. Typhoon Bopha, with winds of 175 kph (108 mph) and gusts of up to 210 kph (130 mph), is expected to make landfall early on Tuesday on the southern island of Mindanao. "The potential destruction of this typhoon is no joke," Aquino said in a national television and radio address. “People should heed evacuation calls to avoid a repeat of a typhoon last year that killed 1,500 people on Mindanao. This is the strongest typhoon to hit the country in 2012 ... I expect you to cooperate to avoid losses.” “The storm cloud approaching the country was 600 km (370 miles) across and it would bring heavy rain that could cause floods and landslides,” he said. Disaster authorities have suspended ferries, banned small fishermen from going to sea, closed schools and suspended small-scale mining operations. Emergency shelters have been set up and soldiers, police and emergency workers are evacuating entire coastal areas in some regions. But Farm Minister Proceso Alcala said he expected minimal damage to rice and corn crops as they had only recently been planted and could be replaced quickly if damaged. About 20 typhoons hit the Philippines every year, often causing death and destruction. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | U.S. believes peace is “possible” in South Caucasus The United States continues to believe that peace is possible in the South Caucasus, Vedant Patel said. Government reveals details from Pashinyan’s meeting in border village Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with a group of residents of a border village in Armenia’s northern Tavush province Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. |