Nearly 15,000 evacuated from Manila amid heavy monsoon

Philippine authorities have moved thousands of Manila residents out of their low-lying communities as heavy monsoon rain, compounded by a tropical storm, flooded the city and nearby provinces.

The national disaster agency said 14,023 people, most of them from a flood-prone Manila suburb, moved into evacuation centres on Saturday.

"We ask residents of affected areas to remain alert and vigilant, take precautionary measures, and co-operate with their respective local authorities," presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.

Harsh weather has hit several parts of the world in recent weeks, bringing floods to China, India and Western Europe, and heat waves to North America, raising fears about climate change.

The Philippines, a Southeast Asian archipelago of more than 7,600 islands, experiences about 20 tropical storms a year, but a warmer Pacific Ocean will make them more powerful and bring heavier rain, meteorologists say.

The country is also grappling with one of the worst outbreaks of Covid-19 in Asia and has tightened curbs to prevent the spread of the more infectious Delta variant.

In some parts of Manila, an urban sprawl of more than 13 million people, flood waters, in places waist-deep, cut off roads to light vehicles.

"We decided to evacuate early," said Luzviminda Tayson, 61, one of about 2,900 evacuees who were reminded to practise physical distancing as they took refuge in a primary school in Marikina city.

"We don't want the waters to rise and be caught."

Mr Roque said the public works ministry was busy clearing debris and landslides from roads.

"Some houses were flooded up to the roof," Humerlito Dolor, governor of Oriental Mindoro province south of the capital, told DZMM radio.

Manila was also shaken by a 6.7 magnitude earthquake that struck south of the capital early on Saturday.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the epicentre of the earthquake was 16 kilometres south-west of Batangas province, at a depth of 116 km.

"The quake was deep so there is no tsunami," Renato Solidum, director of the agency, told DZRH radio station. "In Manila, the intensity 4.0 or 5.0 is strong but not yet destructive."

People in the Philippines wade along a flooded road in Las Pinas city, south of the capital Manila, during a monsoon.

In some parts of Manila, flood waters cut off roads to light vehicles.

About 20 tropical storm hit the Philippines every year, but meteorologists say a warmer Pacific Ocean will make them more powerful.

Authorities have moved more than 14,000 people to safety after their communities were flooded by heavy monsoon rain and a tropical storm.

Thousands of people fled their homes near Manila to seek shelter at evacuation centres.

Typhoon Fabian exacerbated heavy monsoon rains in the Philippines.

Filipino authorities have called on the public to take 'precautionary measures' during the flooding.

Residents leave their flooded homes in Las Pinas city on makeshift carts.

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Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Wonka

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UAE WARRIORS RESULTS

Featherweight

Azouz Anwar (EGY) beat Marcelo Pontes (BRA)

TKO round 2

Catchweight 90kg

Moustafa Rashid Nada (KSA) beat Imad Al Howayeck (LEB)

Split points decision

Welterweight

Gimbat Ismailov (RUS) beat Mohammed Al Khatib (JOR)

TKO round 1

Flyweight (women)

Lucie Bertaud (FRA) beat Kelig Pinson (BEL)

Unanimous points decision

Lightweight

Alexandru Chitoran (ROU) beat Regelo Enumerables Jr (PHI)

TKO round 1

Catchweight 100kg

Marc Vleiger (NED) beat Mohamed Ali (EGY)

Rear neck choke round 1

Featherweight

James Bishop (NZ) beat Mark Valerio (PHI)

TKO round 2

Welterweight

Abdelghani Saber (EGY) beat Gerson Carvalho (BRA)

TKO round 1

Middleweight

Bakhtiyar Abbasov (AZE) beat Igor Litoshik (BLR)

Unanimous points decision

Bantamweight

Fabio Mello (BRA) beat Mark Alcoba (PHI)

Unanimous points decision

Welterweight

Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Magomedsultan Magomedsultanov (RUS)

TKO round 1

Bantamweight

Trent Girdham (AUS) beat Jayson Margallo (PHI)

TKO round 3

Lightweight

Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) beat Roman Golovinov (UKR)

TKO round 1

Middleweight

Tarek Suleiman (SYR) beat Steve Kennedy (AUS)

Submission round 2

Lightweight

Dan Moret (USA) v Anton Kuivanen (FIN)

TKO round 2

The lowdown

Badla

Rating: 2.5/5

Produced by: Red Chillies, Azure Entertainment

Director: Sujoy Ghosh

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh, Tony Luke

Blue%20Beetle

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