MANILA, Philippines — Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed sympathies to President Rodrigo Duterte after Typhoon Ompong (international name Mangkhut) barreled into the country last Saturday. The typhoon pummeled into southern China after devastating the Philippines, where it caused landslides and building collapses. The typhoon has weakened to a tropical storm as it moves deeper into southern China affecting the provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan. Most of the fatalities in the Philippines came from the Cordillera Administrative Region, the police said. Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu ordered the suspension of small-scale mining in the region following a typhoon-induced landslide that left dozens of people dead.

Source: Philippine Star September 18, 2018 07:30 UTC