At least three people have died and nearly 400,000 others have been displaced after Typhoon Kalmaegi tore through the central Philippines, unleashing widespread flooding and destruction, according to the country’s disaster management agency.

The storm, locally known as Typhoon Tino, inundated several areas, including large parts of Cebu Island, where entire towns were submerged. Videos circulating online showed residents stranded on rooftops as floodwaters swept away vehicles and shipping containers.

Authorities confirmed that a Philippine Air Force (PAF) helicopter deployed for rescue operations crashed in northern Mindanao. Communication with the aircraft was lost, prompting an immediate search and rescue mission, though details about casualties remain unclear.

While Kalmaegi has weakened since making landfall early Tuesday, it continues to bring fierce winds exceeding 80 mph (130 km/h) as it moves across the Visayas region toward the South China Sea.

“The situation in Cebu is really unprecedented,” said provincial governor Pamela Baricuatro in a Facebook post. “We expected the winds to be the problem, but the flooding has been catastrophic. The water is what’s putting lives at risk.”

Residents like Don del Rosario, 28, recounted the chaos as floodwaters surged through neighborhoods. “I’ve lived here all my life, and this is the worst we’ve seen,” he told AFP.

The Philippines, which experiences around 20 typhoons annually, has faced a string of natural disasters in recent months. Just weeks ago, Super Typhoon Ragasa (Nando) and Typhoon Bualoi (Opong) struck in quick succession, killing more than a dozen people and damaging crops and infrastructure.

Adding to the country’s woes, a 6.9-magnitude earthquake hit the central region on September 30, leaving dozens dead and compounding recovery challenges in Cebu now again devastated by flooding.

Officials say relief operations are ongoing, with emergency shelters set up for displaced residents as authorities brace for potential after-effects of the storm.

‎China has voiced robust backing for President Bola Tinubu’s government after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened military action against Nigeria.
‎
‎At a Beijing press conference on Tuesday, Mao Ning, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, declared that Beijing “firmly opposes any country using religion and human rights as an excuse to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs, and threatening other countries with sanctions and force.”
‎
‎She underlined that China stands beside Nigeria as the country “leads its people on the development path suited to its national conditions,” describing the two nations’ relationship as both strategic and long-lasting.
‎
‎Ning was responding to reporters’ questions about Trump’s warning of possible armed intervention over the alleged mistreatment of Christians.
‎
‎“As Nigeria’s comprehensive strategic partner, China firmly supports the Nigerian government in leading its people on the development path suited to its national conditions.
‎
‎“China firmly opposes any country using religion and human rights as an excuse to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs, and threatening other countries with sanctions and force,” Ning said.
‎
‎Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Tinubu’s spokesman, posted China’s statement on his X account the same day.
‎
‎Onanuga has repeatedly rejected claims of religious bias or persecution on behalf of the Presidency.
‎
‎Trump recently charged the Nigerian authorities with failing to shield Christians and suggested the U.S. might deploy troops.
‎
‎Abuja has consistently refuted accusations of religious persecution, stressing its unwavering commitment to safeguarding freedom of worship.
‎
‎President Bola Tinubu, addressing Trump’s comments, stated: “The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians.
‎Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so. Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it.”
‎

Romania intends to create a special infrastructure fund aimed at addressing flood emergencies over a span of at least five years, Environment Minister Diana Buzoianu announced. The initiative is a key step required to unlock pending European Union recovery funds.

Over the past two years, the country has experienced some of its most destructive floods in about two decades, leading to ten fatalities, overflowing rivers, collapsed bridges, and extensive damage to thousands of homes.

Under a reform agreement with the European Commission connected to access to recovery funds, Romania must put in place a financial mechanism by the first quarter of 2026 to support flood-prevention infrastructure.

Buzoianu explained that the fund will be structured using findings from a comprehensive study showing that Romania requires between 10 billion and 40 billion euros ($11.66 billion–$46.65 billion) over at least five years to restore dams, build bridges, strengthen defences, and complete related projects. However, the coalition government currently in power is already struggling to reduce one of the largest budget deficits in the region cannot yet meet the entire funding requirement.

“At the moment we cannot cover absolutely all the ideal necessary works,” Buzoianu said. “But what I want is for this fund to cover works in areas where we already know we have high risk of flooding without which communities and lives are endangered.”

While the government will determine the final size of the fund, Buzoianu noted that financing will come from water management fees and taxes and will be directed toward high-priority projects highlighted in the study.

Because of delays that prevented projects from being completed before the August 2026 deadline, the environment ministry lost access to 2 billion euros ($2.33 billion) in recovery funds.

Since taking office in late June, Buzoianu has been working to overhaul forestry and water management institutions and ensure compliance with EU targets to secure the remaining funds. Around 40% of the lost amount will now be financed through the national budget.

Dick Cheney, who served as the 46th vice president of the United States, has passed away at the age of 84, according to a statement from his family cited by U.S. outlets on Tuesday.

Cheney, who held the position under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009, “died due to complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease,” his family said.

“For decades, Dick Cheney served our nation, including as White House Chief of Staff, Wyoming’s Congressman, Secretary of Defense, and Vice President of the United States,” the family’s statement read.

Regarded as one of the most influential vice presidents in U.S. history, Cheney was often portrayed as a strategic power broker who exercised immense influence behind the scenes.

Born on January 30, 1941, in Lincoln, Nebraska, Cheney spent most of his childhood in Wyoming, the state he would later represent in Congress.

He initially attended Yale University but left before completing his studies, later earning a political science degree from the University of Wyoming.

A committed Republican, Cheney began his political career in earnest in 1978, when he won Wyoming’s lone seat in the House of Representatives, a position he would hold for ten years.

In 1989, President George H.W. Bush appointed him as secretary of defense, where Cheney oversaw U.S. military operations during the 1990–91 Gulf War, a campaign that expelled Iraqi forces from Kuwait.

During his tenure as vice president, Cheney advanced a staunchly neo-conservative agenda and assumed an unusually prominent role in shaping national security and foreign policy decisions.

He was considered a key advocate for the U.S. invasion of Iraq following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, promoting the now-discredited assertion that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction, a claim that became central to the case for the 2003 war.

The Maldives has introduced a groundbreaking law prohibiting anyone born on or after 1 January 2007 from smoking tobacco, making it the first nation in the world to establish a permanent generational smoking ban.

The country’s health ministry announced on Saturday that individuals from this age group will not be permitted to smoke, purchase, or sell tobacco products anywhere within the island nation.

The ban, the ministry said, “reflects the government’s strong commitment to protecting young people from the harms of tobacco.”

Ahmed Afaal, vice chair of the archipelago’s tobacco control board, said that last year’s comprehensive ban on vaping had been “a good step towards a generation of tobacco-free citizens.”

According to the health ministry, the new policy “applies to all forms of tobacco, and retailers are required to verify age prior to sale,” emphasizing that the measure aligns with the Maldives’ commitments under the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

The WHO describes the convention as one that “provides a global response to a global problem – namely, the tobacco epidemic.”

Afaal noted that the earlier ban on vaping played a crucial role in protecting young people, explaining that “these new stylish gadgets are tactics of the industry to approach the younger generations to uptake addictive processes, which definitely harms their health.”

Under last year’s regulations, it became illegal to import, sell, possess, or use e-cigarettes and vaping devices in the Maldives, regardless of a person’s age.

Tourists visiting the island nation will also be subject to the same restrictions, but Afaal dismissed concerns that the ban could harm tourism.

“People don’t come to the Maldives because they’re able to smoke. They come for the beaches, they come for the sea, they come for the sun, and they come for the fresh air,” he said.

Citing tourism statistics, Afaal added that there had been no cancellations linked to the ban, noting that visitor numbers had actually increased over the past year.

“We’re projecting more than 2m [tourists] in the next year,” he said.

New Zealand had previously planned to enact a similar generational smoking ban but abandoned the effort in 2023 following a change in government — a decision many health advocates and Māori communities, who face some of the highest smoking rates, described as a setback.

In the United Kingdom, former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak proposed a comparable law to prohibit smoking among individuals born in or after 2009. The updated version of that bill, now introduced by the current administration, has passed through the Commons and is undergoing review in the House of Lords, approaching final approval.

The arrest of the former chief legal officer of Israel’s military has intensified a growing political crisis sparked by a leaked video that allegedly depicts Israeli soldiers brutally mistreating a Palestinian detainee.

Maj Gen Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, who stepped down as the Military Advocate General of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) last week, announced that she “took full responsibility for the leak.”

On Sunday, the situation grew more alarming after reports surfaced that she had gone missing, prompting a police search that lasted several hours along a beach north of Tel Aviv.

Authorities later confirmed she was found “alive and well,” though she was subsequently detained for questioning.

Public outrage and political tension surrounding the leaked footage continue to intensify.

The video, first made public in August 2024, reportedly shows reserve soldiers at the Sde Teiman military base in southern Israel isolating a Palestinian detainee before surrounding him with shields and allegedly assaulting him, including stabbing him in the rectum with a sharp instrument.

The victim required medical treatment for severe injuries following the incident.

Five reservists were later charged with aggravated abuse and causing serious bodily harm. They have denied any wrongdoing, and their identities have not been disclosed.

On Sunday, four of the accused appeared outside the Supreme Court in Jerusalem wearing black balaclavas, alongside their defense attorneys, who called for their trial to be dismissed.

One of the lawyers argued that his clients had been subjected to “a faulty, biased and completely cooked-up legal process.”

A formal investigation into the video leak began last week, and Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi was suspended during the inquiry.

By Friday, the defense minister announced that she would not be reinstated to her former position.

Shortly afterward, she tendered her resignation.

In her letter, she accepted “full responsibility for any material that was released to the media from the unit.”

“I approved the release of material to the media in an attempt to counter false propaganda against the army’s law enforcement authorities,” she said.

This was widely seen as a reference to claims by right-wing figures who alleged that the abuse accusations were fabricated.

She also stated: “It is our duty to investigate whenever there is reasonable suspicion of acts of violence against a detainee.”

Following her resignation, the defense minister strongly criticized her actions, declaring, “Anyone who spreads blood libels against IDF troops is unfit to wear the army’s uniform.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later reinforced those remarks, describing the Sde Teiman case as “perhaps the most severe public relations attack that the State of Israel has experienced since its establishment.”

Only hours after his statement, news broke that Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi was missing, raising concerns that the political controversy might have taken a tragic turn.

After an extensive search operation, police confirmed she had been found “safe and in good health” in Herzliya.

Later that night, a police spokesperson revealed that two individuals had been taken into custody on suspicion of “leaking and other serious criminal offences.”

Reports identified the two as Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi and former chief military prosecutor Col Matan Solomosh.

The Sde Teiman case has become a symbol of the deep ideological rift dividing Israel’s political spectrum.

Conservatives have denounced the video’s release as a betrayal of national loyalty and an attack on the military’s reputation.

When military police arrived at the base in July 2024 to question 11 reservists, far-right demonstrators — including several lawmakers from the ruling coalition — stormed the compound in protest.

Progressive voices, however, view Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi’s authorization of the video’s release as an act of integrity consistent with her legal duty.

To them, the footage serves as crucial proof supporting claims of systemic abuse of Palestinian detainees following the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attacks.

A UN inquiry released in October 2023 concluded that thousands of detainees, including both children and adults from Gaza, had been “subjected to widespread and systematic abuse, physical and psychological violence, and sexual and gender-based violence amounting to the war crime and crime against humanity of torture and the war crime of rape and other forms of sexual violence.”

Israel’s authorities dismissed those allegations, insisting they were “fully committed to international legal standards” and asserting that thorough investigations had been conducted into every reported case.