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WORLD NEWSWednesday 27 December 2017

Vietnam escapes worst of typhoon that battered Philippines

A resident smiles as she walks home with relief supplies being distributed to storm-affected villages and strong winds starting More than 97,000 people re-
Monday night could cause mained in 261 evacuation
of Lanao del Norte Sunday, Dec. 24, 2017 in southern Philippines. Tropical Storm Tembin unleashed serious damage in the vul- centers across the south-
nerable region, where fa- ern Philippines on Monday,
flash floods that swept away people and houses and set off landslides in the southern Philippines. cilities are not built to cope while nearly 85,000 others
with such severe weather. were displaced and stay-
(AP Photo) By Tuesday morning, the ing elsewhere, the National
storm was downgraded to Disaster Risk Reduction and
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — A Vietnam. storm left more than 160 a tropical depression and Management Council said.
forecasters said it would it The hardest-hit areas were
powerful storm that left a Hundreds of thousands people dead in the Philip- not make landfall in Viet- Lanao del Norte and La-
nam. nao del Sur provinces and
trail of death and destruc- of people in Vietnam’s pines. The storm was expected to the Zamboanga Penin-
dissipate over the Gulf of sula. Tembin hit the Philip-
tion in the Philippines was Mekong Delta had been Weather forecasters had Thailand later Tuesday. pines as a tropical storm
Over the weekend, Tembin but strengthened into a ty-
downgraded to a tropical evacuated as the region expected the delta’s south- unleashed landslides and phoon before blowing out
flash floods that killed at of the country Sunday into
depression Tuesday and braced for the arrival of ern tip to be in Tembin’s least 164 people and left the South China Sea to-
171 others missing in the ward Vietnam.
failed to make landfall in Typhoon Tembin after the path, and said heavy rain Philippines, according to Philippine officials had
Romina Marasigan of the warned villagers in ac-
government’s main disas- cident-prone areas to
ter-response agency. evacuate early as Tem-
Initial reports from offi- bin approached and the
cials in different provinces government was trying to
placed the overall death find out what caused the
toll at more than 230, but widespread storm deaths,
Marasigan warned of dou- Marasigan said.
ble counting amid the con- She added that it was dif-
fusion in the storm’s after- ficult to move people
math and said the numbers from homes shortly before
needed to be verified. Christmas.q

Liberia votes as soccer star, VP hope to succeed Sirleaf

By JONATHAN LAYLEH Weah and 73-year-old Commission has said voter Earlier in the day, both backed away from
Joseph Boakai, who has lists have been cleaned candidates said after publicly supporting either
Associated Press been vice president for 12 up according to Supreme voting that they were candidate, also voted,
years. Court orders. They had pleased with the turnout. her deputy press secretary
MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) Nobel Peace Prize winner been posted at all 5,390 “This is a great day because said.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, 79, is voting places. it is a test of democracy,” Many people showed up
— Young Liberians went stepping down after two As polls closed around 6 Boakai told The Associated at polling stations before
terms in office that brought p.m., election workers said Press after voting. “We the sun rose. In the New
straight from all-night the impoverished country turnout wasn’t as high as the have delayed, we’ve gone Georgia township west
out of back-to-back civil October elections because through the court process, of the capital, Monrovia,
Christmas celebrations wars and saw it grapple legislative candidates who this is what the process voters used flashlights to
with a deadly Ebola were helping transport has produced and we are check for their names.
to the polls Tuesday for a outbreak. people to polling stations prepared to live with it.” “We need a leader who
The runoff had been were not participating in Weah also spoke after will move the country
runoff election between a contested twice in court this vote. Some Liberians casting his vote. forward, not backward,”
amid claims of irregularities, complained they weren’t “This is a good process, and said 32-year-old Samuka
former international soccer with its original Nov. 7 date able to find their names a very peaceful one, which Donzo, who sat in line in a
delayed. at voting stations, so they is the most important,” he classroom chair. “Liberia is
star and the country’s vice The first-round Oct. 10 couldn’t cast a ballot. said. “We subscribe to a too hard now; we need a
election brought high Results for the runoff will be peaceful and free and fair leader who will make things
president, who are vying to numbers of voters, and announced progressively, election, so we know the cheaper so that we don’t
officials hoped Tuesday’s though the commission process will be transparent. have to continue to rely on
replace Africa’s first female vote would be no different. has two weeks to give final It’s what we hope for.” neighboring countries for
The National Elections results. Sirleaf, who recently basic commodities.”q
head of state.

For the first time in more

than 70 years, the West

African nation founded by

freed American slaves will

see one democratically

elected government hand

power to another.

Nearly 2.2 million voters

have the choice between

51-year-old former soccer

star and senator George