Death toll from Philippine storm, landslides climbs to 126
Manila, Jan 6 : The death toll from a storm that devastated the Philippines shortly after Christmas rose to 126, authorities said Sunday, adding landslides caused by torrential rain were the top cause.
The storm hit central and eastern Philippine islands on December 29 and caused massive flooding and landslides.
More than 100 people died in the mountainous Bicol region southeast of Manila, regional disaster officials said.
While the Bicol region is often hit by deadly typhoons, many people failed to take necessary precautions because the storm was not strong enough to be rated as a typhoon under the government's storm alert system, according to civil defence officials.
Officials also said that many residents were reluctant to leave their homes during the Christmas holidays.
"In two days alone, Usman poured more than a month's worth of rainfall in the Bicol region," national disaster agency spokesman Edgar Posadas told AFP, using the local name for the storm which had weakened into a low pressure area.
"Our search and retrieval operations are ongoing but the sticky mud and the unstable soil are a challenge."
The death toll was likely to climb further with 26 people still missing, Posadas added.
More than 152,000 people were displaced by the storm and 75 were injured, according to the national disaster agency.
President Rodrigo Duterte visited the storm-hit areas on Friday and urged officials to build evacuation centres instead of using schools as shelters for the displaced.
About 20 typhoons and storms batter the Philippines each year, killing hundreds of people.
The deadliest in recent years was Super Typhoon Haiyan which left more than 7,360 people dead or missing across the central Philippines in 2013.
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“Modi has opened his legs for Israel,” says US journalist during broadcast
New Delhi: A remark made by an American journalist about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy stance towards Israel has triggered discussions online after a clip from a recent broadcast went viral on social media.
Ana Kasparian, co-host and executive producer of the progressive US news programme The Young Turks (TYT), made the comment while discussing Israel’s influence on global alliances and the foreign policies of various countries.
During the segment, Kasparian said: “It looks like Narendra Modi opening up his legs to Israel. Congratulations.”
The statement came in the context of a broader discussion by the programme’s hosts on Israel’s relations with global powers. Kasparian and her co-host Cenk Uygur criticised what they described as one-sided alliances with Israel and argued that such partnerships could draw countries into conflicts in the Middle East.
The discussion also touched on India’s growing strategic ties with Israel, including cooperation in defence, technology and agriculture. Some foreign media outlets have recently highlighted India’s positions in international forums, including votes related to the Gaza situation at the United Nations, as evidence of a shift in its traditional foreign policy stance.
The clip from the broadcast has circulated widely on social media platforms, with users in India and abroad sharing and debating the remark. Some users translated the comment into Hindi and other languages, further expanding its reach online.
Kasparian has previously drawn criticism from pro-Israel groups for her comments on the Israel-Gaza conflict. Her remarks in the latest broadcast have also prompted mixed reactions online, with some users condemning the language used and others engaging in discussions about India’s foreign policy alignment.
Dear @narendramodi ,
— Roshan Rai (@RoshanKrRaii) March 5, 2026
Look what this American Journalist is calling you.
Unacceptable, please send a team of Delhi Police to Los Angeles and get her arrested ASAP under NSA.
pic.twitter.com/F7TqlV54Lz
