IN BRIEF (Page 12)

The Philippines

Manila warned as strong typhoon nears

The Philippines' main island, including the national capital Manila, is under a tropical cyclone warning for a typhoon forecast to hit on Monday night into Tuesday. Local governments have told thousands of people to evacuate vulnerable areas such as coastal communities. Nearly 70,000 people have already fled their homes in the Bicol region, which is where the typhoon was expected to make landfall. The worst conditions are forecast for provinces on Luzon, the most populous island in the archipelago. Philippine forecasters said Typhoon Kammuri had maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts of up to 185 km/h at mid-afternoon on Monday.

India

17 killed after rains trigger wall collapse

At least 17 people from four families in India were buried alive as they slept on Monday when heavy rains caused a large wall to collapse on their homes, police said. The dead included two children in the village in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, which was being pounded by torrential rain, a police official said. The six-meter high wall crumbled at around 5:30 am some 50 kilometers north of Coimbatore, the Times of India daily reported. Building collapses are common in India during wet periods, with rickety and poorly maintained structures buckling under the weight of continuous rain. In July, a collapsing wall killed 30 people in Mumbai.

Malaysia

Investigation ordered over tattoo show

Malaysia ordered an investigation on Monday into what the government called a "half-naked" tattoo show held in Kuala Lumpur, after pictures of heavily inked men and women circulated on social media in the nation. The three-day Tattoo Malaysia Expo, which started on Friday and drew participants from 35 countries, was supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, the show's organizer said. But the ministry said this year's event violated its standards for the first time since it was first held in 2015, and vowed "firm action" against the organizers.

Agencies - Xinhua

(China Daily 12/03/2019 page12)