Super Typhoon Noru hits Philippines, leaves five rescuers dead. A massive tropical cyclone was hours away from making landfall in the northern Philippines, and the province of Nueva Ecija, known as the “rice granary” of the country, was in the center of its path. Officials warned that more than a million hectares (2.47 million acres) of farmland could be flattened just before harvesting season, devastating the poor, rural communities that have increasingly shouldered the brunt of the country’s natural disasters. Power supplies have been taken out, leaving many in darkness, and trees and crops have been destroyed.
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos declared a suspension of government work and classes on Monday