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At least 11 killed, 27 missing in Beijing rainstorms
At least 11 people are dead and 27 missing after heavy rains lashed Beijing, Chinese state media said Tuesday. Military helicopters have been deployed to deliver supplies to stranded train passengers after the deadly rainstorms wreaked havoc in the capital. Storm Doksuri, a former super typhoon, has swept northwards over China since Friday when it hit southern Fujian province after scything through the Philippines. Heavy rains began pummelling the city and surrounding areas on Saturday, with nearly the average rainfall for the entire month of July dumped on Beijing in just 40 hours. On Tuesday, state broadcaster CCTV updated the overall death toll for the capital, reporting that "heavy rainfalls killed at least 11 people, 27 are missing". A military unit of 26 soldiers and four helicopters launched an "airdrop rescue mission" in the early hours of Tuesday to deliver hundreds of food packages and ponchos to people stranded in and around a train station in Beijing's hard-hit Mentougou district, state broadcaster CCTV reported. "On July 31, areas in Beijing including Fangshan and Mentougou suffered serious damage from water, causing three trains to get trapped on their routes, and road traffic in some areas was completely cut off," CCTV reported. The broadcaster was running live images on Tuesday morning of a row of buses half submerged in floodwater in Beijing's southwest Fangshan neighborhood. Around 150,000 households in Mentougou had no running water, the local Communist Party newspaper Beijing Daily said Tuesday, with 45 water tankers dispatched to offer emergency supplies. Local media on Monday published footage of chaotic scenes aboard high-speed rail trains stranded on tracks for as long as 30 hours, with passengers complaining that they had run out of food and water. Red alert Beijing and neighboring Hebei province were on red alert overnight for rainstorms, with meteorological authorities warning of potential flash floods and landslides. The city activated a flood control reservoir on Monday for the first time since it was built in 1998, the Beijing Daily said. In Handan, Hebei province, rescuers lifted by crane reached a man trapped on his car in floodwaters on Sunday, lifting him to safety before the car was flipped and washed away by the current. China has been experiencing extreme weather and posting record temperatures this summer, events that scientists say are being exacerbated by climate change. Experts had warned that the downpour could prompt even worse flooding than in July 2012, when 79 people were killed and tens of thousands evacuated, according to local media. The country is already preparing for the arrival of another typhoon -- Khanun, the sixth such storm of the year -- as it nears China's east coast. The post At least 11 killed, 27 missing in Beijing rainstorms appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Thousands flee Greek island fires as southern US swelters
Around 30,000 people were moved to safety on the Greek island of Rhodes where a wildfire burned on Saturday, while people in the southern United States struggled under a record-breaking heatwave. Tens of millions of people have been suffering through intense heat this summer and the world looks set for its hottest July on record. As temperature records tumble, experts have pointed to climate change driven by the burning of fossil fuels, arguing that global warming is playing a key role in the devastating heat. On the Mediterranean island of Rhodes, where a wildfire has been blazing for days, boats carried 2,000 people to safety from beaches in the east of the popular tourist island. Greek fire service spokesman Vassilis Varthakogiannis told Skai TV: "This is not a fire that will be over tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. It'll be troubling us for days." Three coastguard ships led more than 30 private vessels in the evacuation, while a Greek navy boat was heading to the area. Island officials arranged for dozens of buses to take people to safety, but where fires had cut off road access, others had to walk. Authorities have opened up gyms, schools and hotel conference centers to serve as makeshift accommodation, while firefighters battle the blaze. In Athens, the foreign ministry said it had activated its crisis management unit to facilitate the evacuation of foreign citizens due to the ongoing forest fires. Greece is fighting dozens of forest fires 11 days into a heatwave that has seen temperatures soaring above 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). Meteorologists have warned it could be the longest hot spell the country has ever seen. - 80 million Americans sweltering - Across the southern United States, about 80 million Americans will swelter in temperatures of 41C and above this weekend, the National Weather Service said. The southwestern city of Phoenix, Arizona hit 46C on Saturday, extending a record-breaking streak to 22 consecutive days of highs above 43C. Tourists have been flocking to Death Valley National Park, which straddles California and Nevada, to post selfies with a temperature display outside the visitor centre. Many are hoping to see it break a world record of 56.7C, which was set in July 1913 but was likely the result of a faulty measurement, according to several meteorologists. Further north, in Canada, which has been suffering wildfires that left Montreal blanketed in smog, torrential rain hit the eastern province of Nova Scotia, cutting off roads and threatening to burst a dam. Four people were reported missing, including two children who had been in a car engulfed by flood waters. Meanwhile, nearly 1,000 active wildfires were burning across Canada, with 11.3 million hectares scorched this season by the deadly blazes. Across the border in the US state of Washington, a wildfire burned more than 12,000 hectares (30,000 acres) in less than a day. - Hottest month - July 2023 is on track to be the hottest month -- not only since records began, but also in "hundreds, if not thousands, of years", said leading NASA climatologist Gavin Schmidt. The effects cannot be attributed solely to the El Nino weather pattern, which "has really only just emerged" and isn't expected to strengthen until later in the year, he added. El Nino is associated with the warming of ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. Schmidt said the trend of extreme heat was expected to persist, "and the reason why we think that's going to continue, is because we continue to put greenhouse gases into the atmosphere". The exceptional temperatures in Greece also meant key tourist sites such as the Acropolis closed during the hottest part of the day. A 46-year-old man was reported to have succumbed to heatstroke on the central Greek island of Evia after being admitted to Chalkida hospital. Staff there said cardio-respiratory failure following exposure to high temperatures appeared to have been the cause. Emergency health officials told the state broadcaster they had admitted at least 38 heatstroke patients in the last three days, while hospitals were also seeing cases of fainting and other heat-related conditions. Greece is just one of many countries battling a prolonged spell of extreme heat around the globe in recent days. burs/jj/acb © Agence France-Presse The post Thousands flee Greek island fires as southern US swelters appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Erdogan leads show-of-force rally
Istanbul, Turkey — “Istanbul!” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shouted to the sea of supporters he gathered for a show-of-force rally ahead of next Sunday’s election — the toughest of his two-decade rule. “If you say okay, we will win for sure!” The masses were packed shoulder-to-shoulder across the tarmac of Istanbul’s old Ataturk airport: A tidal wave of Turkish flags and banners with the 69-year-old president’s face. Erdogan was the mayor of this city before leading his Islamic-rooted party to power and ending half a century of secular rule in the mostly Muslim but officially secular state. The loss of Istanbul to the opposition in 2019 mayoral elections cracked Erdogan’s aura of invincibility and sounded the first warning bell for the approaching vote. The latest polls suggest that Erdogan and opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu are locked in a dead heat and probably heading to a runoff on 28 May. But surveys in Turkey are an inexact science and both are trying to show their supporters that they can win outright next weekend by picking up more than 50 percent of the vote. Kilicdaroglu staged a smaller but still-impressive rally that filled a park on the Asian side of the city facing the Sea of Marmara the day before. But Erdogan and his party charted 10,000 buses to bring in people from 39 provinces for what the president dubbed “the rally of the century” on Sunday. He claimed that more than a million people had shown up — and aerial footage of the event beamed live across the nation suggested that Erdogan might have been right. “I am honoured to be here,” 68-year-old Heyiye Kefal said with a smile. The disabled pensioner was transported to the event by a party bus. “We were in bad shape before but today we have everything: freedom and comfort,” she said. The old airport was abandoned in 2018 in favour of a new one the size of Manhattan that the president built near the Black Sea. “We have reshaped the country,” Erdogan proclaimed from the stage. Kilicdaroglu’s message was equally upbeat. “Are you ready for change? Are you ready to restore democracy?” the 74-year-old head of Turkey’s oldest party asked his supporters. “Together, we will rule the country with reason and virtue.” Istanbul’s popular mayor Ekrem Imamoglu — a presidential hopeful until a court effectively barred him from higher office in a case stemming from his 2019 victory — was the guest star of Kilicdaroglu’s event. “Rights, law, justice” and “Erdogan thief!” the crowd chanted as Imamoglu spoke. “Because of Erdogan, innocent people are in jail,” pensioner Yunus Mensur said while clutching a Turkish flag. The 76-year-old echoed Kilicdaroglu’s pledge that an opposition victory would bring “freedom and democracy”. “Kilicdaroglu will do what is right,” added Sabit. The 55-year-old accountant refused to give his last name because “we are not free -- and you can write that down”. Polls suggest Kilicdaroglu is beating Erdogan by a two-to-one margin among younger voters, who have known just one leader throughout their life. The young were out in force at the Istanbul park on the pleasant Saturday evening. “He is like us, he understands people,” 20-year-old Aleyna Erdem said of the grandfatherly opposition leader. “Kilicdaroglu will raise the status of women,” added Mujde Tosun. The 24-year-old supermarket employee lives in one of Istanbul’s most conservative districts and stays veiled in public. But she voiced no fear with the historically secular position of Kilicdaroglu’s party. Its previous decision to bar women from wearing the veil at school or civil service was a “thing of the past” she said. Kilicdaroglu has since pledged to make the wearing of headscarves protected by law. But Tosun said she was not particularly worried about the veil. Her main concern was the possibility that Erdogan might be re-elected. If that happens, “we’re doomed,” she said. The post Erdogan leads show-of-force rally appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DOTr: 2.2 million more plastic cards to be delivered
Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista inspected yesterday the one million delivered plastic cards to be used for the printing of driver’s licenses, at the Land Transportation Office central office in Quezon City......»»
Cebu bus terminals: 100,000 passengers expected on March 27
CEBU CITY, Philippines — At least 100,000 passengers are expected to flock to two of the biggest bus terminals here in Cebu for the Holy Week this year. As early as 7 a.m. on Holy Wednesday, dozens already queued for buses at the Cebu North Bus Terminal (CNBT) in the North Reclamation Area. READ MORE:.....»»
Danao City ‘gun maker’ nabbed in raid
CEBU CITY, Philippines – A 39-year-old man, who was accused of the illegal manufacture of guns, was arrested in a raid in his residence in Sitio Sapangdako, Barangay Matija, Danao City in northern Cebu, Tuesday dawn, March 26. In a report, the Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO) said that the raid was based on a.....»»
Davao Metro Shuttle declines offer to manage bus system
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 24 March) — The Davao Metro Shuttle Corporation has declined the offer of the City Government of Davao to operate the Davao City Public Transport Modernization Project (DCPTMP), a public mass transportation project that will replace the jeepneys with buses, an executive of the bus company said. In an interview at […].....»»
Balamban site is for road project, not Capitol bldg – Gwen
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The cleared site in Barangay Cambuhawe, Balamban, in western Cebu, is not for the new Capitol building, but for nationally funded road projects. Cebu Provincial Governor Gwen Garcia made this clarification after photos of a deforested mountain in Balamban, initially thought to be the site development of the new Capitol building,.....»»
Rama: No need to rush RPT revision
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said revising the Real Property Tax (RPT) wasn’t yet necessary, showing a sudden change in his position. At first, Rama said the RPT revision had to be done this month. Later, he told the council that imposing the RPT suddenly wasn’t necessary, showing a change in.....»»
Rama asks Malacañang to suspend Gwen over CBRT dispute
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Preventive Suspension. Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama is seeking the suspension of Governor Gwen Garcia over issues related to the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT). Rama filed an administrative complaint before the Office of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. against Garcia after the governor issued a cease and desist order to the.....»»
FUJIFILM Expands Presence in Cebu
Fujifilm Philippines Inc. (FFPH) and Fujifilm Business Innovation Philippines Corp. (FUJIFILM BI PH) announced their move to a new, expansive office in the heart of Cebu City. The relocation to Mercedes Benz Tower, Mindanao Ave Cebu Business Park, is more than just a change of address—it’s a strategic leap forward, reinforcing Fujifilm’s dedication to innovation […].....»»
Ex-President Duterte to back ChaCha if revisions limited only to economic provisions
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 28 February) – Former President Rodrigo R. Duterte has changed his stance on Charter Change (ChaCha), saying he will support it for as long as the constitutional reforms will be limited to economic provisions and not to extend the term of the current President, Senators, and members of the House of […].....»»
Retired SC Justice Carpio on ChaCha: “it’s a fraud … we have to oppose this”
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 26 February) – The aim of those who want to change the 1987 Constitution is political rather than economic and this “fraud” must be exposed in various fora and in campuses, retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said on Sunday. “It’s a fraud. That’s why we have to oppose […].....»»
People Power
A child asks her aunt to explain the People Power photographs on display at the MIC Cursillo House in Davao City on Sunday (25 February 2024), the 38th commemoration of the People Power Revolution. MindaNews photo by CAROLYN O. ARGUILLAS.....»»
Charter Day, Prayer Rally: Cebu City police on full alert
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) is now on full alert status for the Charter Day celebration and Anti-Charter Change Prayer Rally this weekend, February 24-25, 2024. Police Lieutenant Colonel Janette Rafter, CCPO spokesperson, relayed that the full alert status has been enforced starting Friday morning, February 23. According to Rafter,.....»»
Bangsamoro Parliament wants ‘Cha-Cha’ to strengthen BARMM
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 21 February)—The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament has approved a resolution Wednesday supporting a charter change proposal aimed at strengthening the autonomous region by enshrining its powers in the next constitution “and not merely a subject of legislative act.” Before the BTA Parliament’s passing of Resolution No. 521 (Expressing the Sense […].....»»
Cha-Cha: Cebu coalition says no to Charter Change
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Cha-Cha or Charter Change is not what the Filipinos need at a time when necessities like rice are becoming too expensive and many are unemployed. This was the message of the newly-launched coalition called the “Cebu Citizens’ Agenda Against Cha-Cha” in reaction to the initiative on political revision. A buzz has.....»»
Rama pushes for open, democratic approach to charter change
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama is pushing for open and democratic discussions about charter change, including holding a referendum during the 2025 elections to gauge public opinion on potential constitutional amendments. Through his program, Ingna’ng Mayor, aired on Sugboanon Channel on Tuesday, February 13, he called for a “referendum” process to.....»»
Maco landslide: Apex Mining says 3 buses, jeepney waiting to shuttle workers accounted
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 10 February) – The three buses and a jeepney waiting for workers of Apex Mining Corp. were found buried in the landslide that hit Barangay Masara in Maco, Davao de Oro, the company said. In a statement sent to MindaNews Saturday, Ma. Teresa Lopez Pacis, Apex Mining assistant vice president for […].....»»
MPUV operator asks city council for help
MPUV operator asks city council for help.....»»