TOKYO: Strong typhoon Noru made landfall in western Japan on Monday after killing two people on outlying islands, as authorities warned against landslides and floods.
The typhoon with gusts up to 162 kilometers (100 miles) per hour hit the northern part of Wakayama prefecture at around 3:30 p.m. (0630 GMT) after whipping up waves and winds off southern Japanese islands at the weekend, the meteorological agency said.
Television footage showed high foamy waves smashing into breakwaters in Wakayama, while roof tiles were ripped off homes in neighboring Mie.
The storm, bringing heavy rain and strong winds, was slowly moving northeast toward central Japan, the agency said.
A man in his 60s on the southern island of Yakushima died Saturday after falling in strong gusts and hitting his head. Another man in his 80s on neighboring Tanegashima island drowned the same day after he went to check on his boat and was swept into the water, a local official said.
Public broadcaster NHK, meanwhile, said 17 people were injured in typhoon-related accidents.
Noru also forced airlines to cancel some 400 flights, mainly in western Japan, NHK added.
The agency warned of “severe winds” and urged residents in the region to stay on high alert against landsides and floods as well as high waves.
Typhoon Noru slams into western Japan
Typhoon Noru slams into western Japan
Pull him off TV: Steve Bannon shuts down Sen. Lindsey Graham
- Trump’s former chief strategist called for the senator to be registered as a foreign agent
DUBAI: Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon called on Tuesday for US Senator Lindsey Graham to be registered as a foreign agent of the Israeli government, escalating a growing conservative backlash against the senator’s vocal support for Israel.
Speaking on his podcast “War Room,” Bannon said Graham should be “pulled off of television,” adding: "This is dangerous… because you have guys like Lindsey Graham and dozens more that are doing the wrong thing.”
In a Fox News interview on Monday, Graham said: “To all the antisemites, to all the isolationists… I’m not with you, I’m with Israel, I will be with Israel to our dying day.”
Graham also urged Gulf Arab states to join military action against Iran. “What I want you to do in the Middle East, to our friends in Saudi Arabia and other places, [is] step forward and say, ‘this is my fight too, I join America, I’m publicly involved in bringing this regime down,’” he said.
In a post on X, Graham questioned the value of a US defense agreement with Saudi Arabia following the evacuation of the American embassy in Riyadh, writing: “Why should America do a defense agreement with a country like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that is unwilling to join a fight of mutual interest?”
Faisal Abbas, editor-in-chief of Arab News, responded to Graham’s comments in a Sky News interview, saying: “He flip flops so much, it’s actually entertaining.”
“On one hand, he says he will never set foot in Saudi Arabia. The next day, he’s here signing multimillion-dollar deals.”
“I don’t think anyone here takes him seriously,” Abbas added.
He warned Graham to be careful what he wished for: “Do you really want Saudi Arabia involved in this war putting our oil facilities at risk or do you want us stabilizing the energy markets?”
Graham pressed further, warning that inaction would carry a price. “Hopefully Gulf Cooperation Council countries will get more involved as this fight is in their backyard. If you are not willing to use your military now, when are you willing to use it?”
“Hopefully this changes soon. If not, consequences will follow.”
Graham's remarks drew sharp criticism from Bannon and others including podcast host Megyn Kelly.
She questioned on X whether Graham was overstepping his authority as a senator, writing: “When did Lindsay Graham become our president?”
Kelly also said Graham had threatened Lebanon, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, the wider Arab region, and Spain within a 24-hour period.
The problem with Graham “isn’t (just) that he’s a homicidal maniac, it’s that Trump likes and is listening to him,” she said in another post.
