Briefly

THE PHILIPPINES

Death toll from twin typhoons rises to 259

The death toll from two recent powerful typhoons that swept across the Philippines has climbed to 259, with millions of people displaced, authorities said on Wednesday. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said that Fung-wong, which made landfall on Sunday as a super typhoon, killed at least 27 people with two others still missing. It said in a separate report that Typhoon Kalmaegi, which made landfall on Nov 4, triggered massive flooding and mudslides in central Philippines, leaving 232 dead, 112 missing, and more than 500 injured. Fung-wong was the 21st tropical cyclone to hit the Philippines this year.

CANADA

G7 envoys meet as trade tensions mount

Top diplomats from the Group of Seven, an exclusive club of industrialized economies formed during the Cold-War era, are converging on southern Ontario as tensions rise between the US and traditional allies like Canada over trade, defense spending, and uncertainty over Russia-Ukraine and Gaza conflicts. Canada's Foreign Minister Anita Anand also invited the foreign ministers of Australia, Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, South Korea, South Africa and Ukraine. Canada's G7 hosting duties this year have been marked by strained relations with its North American neighbor, predominantly over US President Donald Trump's imposition of tariffs on Canadian imports.

IRAQ

Record voter turnout as region watches on

Iraqis voted for a new parliament on Tuesday. More than 12 million people took part out of 21 million eligible voters, and the final total turnout reached 56.11 percent, electoral commission said on Wednesday. Preliminary results are expected within 24 hours of polls closing. Incumbent Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani is expected to secure a large bloc but fall short of a majority. The voting came amid a mandatory election silence period imposed for security reasons. Iraq's last parliamentary elections in 2021 sparked clashes in the capital Baghdad and nearly a year of political deadlock before a government was formed.

Xinhua - Agencies