PHILIPPINES - Typhoon leaves 26 dead

Philippines (AP):

The first typhoon to lash the Philippines this year flooded parts of the capital, toppled power lines and killed at least 26 people yesterday, many of them trying to scramble to safety as the storm changed course.

Thirty-eight people were missing, mostly fishermen who were caught by the storm's fury at sea.

More than half of the main northern island of Luzon, which includes Manila, was without electricity, and authorities said it would take two to three days to restore power. Several dozen flights were cancelled, and schools and many government offices closed. High winds felled trees and floods were knee-deep in some communities in the capital.

Heavy rains, unrelated to the typhoon, have also wreaked havoc in China and Japan. The death toll from rain-triggered landslides rose to 41 in western China, and workers raced to drain overflowing reservoirs in the southeast.