One person was killed when Typhoon Kalmaegi hit the central Philippines on Tuesday, the national disaster agency said, as torrential rains, strong winds and storm surges forced tens of thousands to evacuate from their homes.

With sustained winds of 150 kph and gusts of up to 205 kph when it made landfall early on Tuesday, Kalmaegi, locally named Tino, is forecast to move across the Visayas islands region and out over the South China Sea by Wednesday.

Tens of thousands of residents were evacuated across the Visayas region, including parts of southern Luzon and northern Mindanao, and one person had died, the national disaster agency reported.

A video on DZRH radio’s Facebook page showed homes in Talisay City completely submerged, with only rooftops visible. Similar scenes in parts of Cebu City, where vehicles and streets were underwater, circulated on social media.

State weather agency PAGASA said the combination of Kalmaegi and a shear line had brought heavy rains and strong winds across the Visayas and nearby areas.

“Due to interaction with the terrain, Tino may slightly weaken while crossing Visayas. However, it is expected to remain at typhoon intensity throughout its passage over the country,” PAGASA said in a morning bulletin.

More than 160 flights to and from affected areas have been cancelled, while those at sea were advised to head to the nearest safe harbour immediately and to stay in port.

PAGASA warned of a high risk of “life-threatening and damaging storm surges” that could reach over 3 metres high along coastal and low-lying communities in the central Philippines, including parts of Mindanao.

The Vietnamese government also said on Tuesday that it was preparing for the worst-case scenario as it braced for the impact of Kalmaegi.

The typhoon is forecast to make landfall Thursday night in Vietnam’s central regions, which have already suffered heavy floods that killed at least 40 people and left 6 others missing over the past week.

“This is a very strong typhoon, which continues to strengthen after entering the East Sea,” the government said in a statement, referring to the South China Sea.

Kalmaegi comes as the Philippines, which is hit by an average of 20 tropical storms each year, recovers from a run of disasters including earthquakes and severe weather events in recent months.

In September, Super Typhoon Ragasa swept across northern Luzon, forcing government work and classes to shut down as it brought fierce winds and torrential rain.

PARIS: This year’s United Nations climate summit promises to be symbolic, marking a decade since the Paris Agreement and taking place in the environmentally vulnerable Amazon. But what is actually on the agenda?

The marathon negotiations gather nearly every country to confront a challenge that affects them all but unlike recent editions, this “COP” has no single theme or objective.

That does not mean big polluters will get off easily at COP30 in Brazil, with climate-vulnerable nations frustrated at their level of ambition and financial assistance to those most affected by a warming planet.

Here are the big issues to look for as world leaders gather in the city of Belem on Thursday and Friday before the start of formal negotiations the following week:

Emissions

The world is not cutting emissions fast enough to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and no amount of pomp and pageantry at COP30 will be able to sugarcoat that uncomfortable reality.

Under the climate accord, signatory nations are required every five years to submit stronger targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, thereby steadily raising the collective effort to reduce global warming over time.

The latest round of pledges for 2035 were due in February to give the UN time before COP30 to assess the quality of these commitments.

Most nations missed that deadline, but by early November, about 65 had turned in their revised plans.

The European Union, riven by infighting between member states, cannot agree on its target, while India is another major emitter yet to finalise its pledge.

A reckoning could be coming in Belem. Brazil — which described the latest round of pledges as “the vision of our shared future” — is facing pressure to marshal a response.

Money

Money — specifically, how much rich countries give poorer ones to adapt to climate change and shift to a low-carbon future — is a likely point of conflict in Belem, as in past COPs.

Last year, after two weeks of acrimonious haggling, COP29 ended unhappily with developed nations agreeing to provide $300 billion a year in climate finance to developing ones by 2035, well below what is needed.

They also set a much less specific target of helping raise $1.3 trillion annually by 2035 from public and private sources. Developing nations will be demanding some actual detail about this at COP30.

Adaptation is a major focus of the summit, particularly a funding shortfall to assist vulnerable nations in protecting their people from climate impacts, such as building coastal defences against rising seas.

Forests

Brazil chose to host COP30 in Belem because of its proximity to the Amazon, an ideal stage to draw the world’s attention to the vital role of the rainforest in fighting climate change.

At COP30, the hosts will launch a new, innovative global fund that proposes rewarding countries with high tropical forest cover that keep trees standing instead of chopping them down.

The Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF) aims to raise up to $25 billion from sponsor countries and another $100 billion from the private sector, which is invested on financial markets. Brazil has already kicked in $1 billion.

Clement Helary, from Greenpeace, told AFP the TFFF “could be a step forward in protecting tropical forests” if accompanied by clearer steps at COP30 towards ending deforestation by 2030.

The destruction of tropical primary forest hit a record high in 2024, according to Global Forest Watch, a deforestation monitor. The equivalent of 18 football fields per minute was lost, driven mostly by massive fires.

Moscow has sharply condemned the European Union’s latest sanctions against Russia, calling them unilateral, illegal, and in violation of international law. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the EU’s “19th Package of Sanctions,” formally adopted at the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting on October 23, undermines the powers of the United Nations Security Council.

In retaliation, Russia has significantly expanded its list of EU officials, representatives of member states, and citizens of certain European countries who are now banned from entering Russian territory.

The action falls under Federal Law No. 114-FZ of August 15, 1996, “On the Procedure for Exit from and Entry into the Russian Federation.”

The expanded list targets:

1. Officials of law enforcement, state, and commercial organizations, as well as citizens of EU and other Western countries involved in military aid to Ukraine, supply of dual-use goods, activities undermining Russia’s territorial integrity, or the blockade of Russian shipping.

2. Representatives of EU institutions and European governments engaged in prosecuting Russian officials allegedly involved in “unlawful arrests and deportations from Ukrainian territories.”

3. Individuals supporting the creation of tribunals against Russian leadership.

4. Advocates for the confiscation of Russian state assets or their transfer for Ukraine’s benefit.

5. Persons responsible for enforcing sanctions and attempting to damage Russia’s international relations.

6. Civil activists, academics, and parliamentarians known for anti-Russian rhetoric or who have voted in favor of anti-Russian legislation.

The Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized that the EU’s hostile measures will not influence Russia’s policies. Moscow reiterated its commitment to defending national interests, protecting citizens’ rights, and advancing a multipolar global order.