Written By Unknown on Senin, 15 Desember 2014 | 12.14
Australia's Prime Minister has said there are "some indications" that the siege at a Sydney cafe could be politically motivated.
However, he added that the exact motivation is yet to be established.
Speaking at a news conference in Canberra, Tony Abbott said: "We have to appreciate that even in a society such as ours there are people who would wish to do us harm.
"That's why we have police and security organisations of the utmost professionalism that are ready and able to respond to a whole range of situations and contingencies including the situation that we are now seeing in Sydney.
"The whole point of politically motivated violence is to scare people out of being themselves. Australia is a peaceful, open and generous society. Nothing should ever change that and that is why I would urge all Australians today to go about their business as usual.
Video:Latest: Sky's Mark Stone
"Of course if anyone does have any suspicions of untoward activity, there is the national security hotline, 1800-123-400, which I would urge them to call."
He added: "Our thoughts and prayers must above all go out to the individuals who are caught up in this.
"I can think of almost nothing more distressing or terrifying than to be caught up in such a situation, and our hearts go out to those people."
Video:Man Inside Cafe With Hostages
Several hours before armed officers surrounded the Lindt Chocolat Cafe in Martin Place, police announced a man had been arrested in the city as part of investigations into the planning of an attack in Australia.
They said the 25-year-old was seized as part of "continuing investigations into the planning of a terrorist attack on Australian soil and the facilitation of travel of Australian citizens to Syria to engage in armed combat".
It is not clear if the two matters are related.
1/16
Gallery: Latest Images From Sydney As Hostage Situation Develops
Hostages have been taken inside a chocolate shop and cafe in central Sydney
Streets in the area were closed and offices evacuated, with the public told to stay away
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Up to three people have escaped from a Sydney cafe where it is feared there are dozens of others being held hostage.
One employee and two members of the public were seen running from the besieged Lindt chocolate shop and cafe where at least one gunman has reportedly taken up to 40 hostages.
The cafe is located in Martin Place - home to the Reserve Bank of Australia, commercial banks and close to the New South Wales state parliament.
A worker (L) flees the cafe and the suspected hostage-taker (R)
It has been closed off and up to 100 heavily armed police are surrounding the area.
Earlier, live television footage showed patrons inside the cafe standing with their hands pressed against the windows.
Video:Eyewitness: 'It Unfolded Quickly'
A black flag with white Arabic text, similar to those used by Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria, was also visible.
According to reports, at least one gunman walked into the cafe just before 10am local time.
Witnesses reported hearing loud bangs which sounded like gunshots and that he was using a young woman "as a shield" inside the cafe.
A Lindt executive said there were about 10 staff and "probably 30 customers" in the cafe before the siege unfolded.
Sydney Opera House has been evacuated after a suspicious package was reportedly found not long after the police operation in the financial district began.
1/16
Gallery: Latest Images From Sydney As Hostage Situation Develops
Hostages have been taken inside a chocolate shop and cafe in central Sydney
Streets in the area were closed and offices evacuated, with the public told to stay away
]]>
New South Wales police say they are dealing with "an armed incident"
]]>
Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Australia's top politicians met to be briefed on the situation
]]>
Heavily armed officers were lined up outside the cafe
]]>
New South Wales police confirmed authorities were dealing with an "incident" there, but it is not known whether they are linking it to events at the cafe.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said he has convened the National Security Committee for emergency briefings following the "hostage-taking situation".
"This is obviously a deeply concerning incident but all Australians should be reassured that our law enforcement and security agencies are well trained and equipped and are responding in a thorough and professional manner," he said.
Mr Abbott said he did not yet know the motivation of those holding the hostages, adding: "Our thoughts and prayers must above all go out to the individuals who are caught up in this.
"I can think of almost nothing more distressing or terrifying than to be caught up in such a situation, and our hearts go out to those people."
Video:Latest: Sky's Mark Stone
New South Wales state police commissioner Andrew Scipione said police are "dealing with a hostage situation with an armed offender", but that it was not being treated as a terrorism-related event at this stage.
He said there was "at least one" offender "holding an undisclosed number of hostages".
Several buildings in the area have been evacuated, including the Channel 7 newsroom opposite the cafe, and staff at the Reserve Bank of Australia are in lockdown inside the building. All are said to be safe.
The United States has evacuated its Sydney consulate and issued an emergency warning to US citizens in the city, urging them to "maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to enhance your personal security".
Trains and bus services have been stopped and roads cordoned off as the public have been told to stay away. Air traffic is functioning as normal.
Video:Eyewitness at Sydney Hostage Scene
In a separate development, police said a 25-year-old man had been arrested on alleged terrorism offences in the city just a few hours before the siege operation began.
He was seized this morning as part of "continuing investigations into the planning of a terrorist attack on Australian soil and the facilitation of travel of Australian citizens to Syria to engage in armed combat".
He was reportedly arrested as he left a prayer hall, with police due to hold a news conference later today with more details.
The arrest comes after the Australian government in September raised its terror threat level and conducted large-scale counter-terror raids across the country.
More follows...
Video:Latest: Reporter On Siege Situation
:: You can watch continuous live coverage on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 132 and Freesat channel 202.
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Sydney Siege: Several Hostages Escape Cafe
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Up to three people have escaped from a Sydney cafe where it is feared there are dozens of others being held hostage.
One employee and two members of the public were seen running from the besieged Lindt chocolate shop and cafe where at least one gunman has reportedly taken up to 40 hostages.
The cafe is located in Martin Place - home to the Reserve Bank of Australia, commercial banks and close to the New South Wales state parliament.
A worker (L) flees the cafe and the suspected hostage-taker (R)
It has been closed off and up to 100 heavily armed police are surrounding the area.
Earlier, live television footage showed patrons inside the cafe standing with their hands pressed against the windows.
Video:Eyewitness: 'It Unfolded Quickly'
A black flag with white Arabic text, similar to those used by Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria, was also visible.
According to reports, at least one gunman walked into the cafe just before 10am local time.
Witnesses reported hearing loud bangs which sounded like gunshots and that he was using a young woman "as a shield" inside the cafe.
A Lindt executive said there were about 10 staff and "probably 30 customers" in the cafe before the siege unfolded.
Sydney Opera House has been evacuated after a suspicious package was reportedly found not long after the police operation in the financial district began.
1/16
Gallery: Latest Images From Sydney As Hostage Situation Develops
Hostages have been taken inside a chocolate shop and cafe in central Sydney
Streets in the area were closed and offices evacuated, with the public told to stay away
]]>
New South Wales police say they are dealing with "an armed incident"
]]>
Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Australia's top politicians met to be briefed on the situation
]]>
Heavily armed officers were lined up outside the cafe
]]>
New South Wales police confirmed authorities were dealing with an "incident" there, but it is not known whether they are linking it to events at the cafe.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said he has convened the National Security Committee for emergency briefings following the "hostage-taking situation".
"This is obviously a deeply concerning incident but all Australians should be reassured that our law enforcement and security agencies are well trained and equipped and are responding in a thorough and professional manner," he said.
Mr Abbott said he did not yet know the motivation of those holding the hostages, adding: "Our thoughts and prayers must above all go out to the individuals who are caught up in this.
"I can think of almost nothing more distressing or terrifying than to be caught up in such a situation, and our hearts go out to those people."
Video:Latest: Sky's Mark Stone
New South Wales state police commissioner Andrew Scipione said police are "dealing with a hostage situation with an armed offender", but that it was not being treated as a terrorism-related event at this stage.
He said there was "at least one" offender "holding an undisclosed number of hostages".
Several buildings in the area have been evacuated, including the Channel 7 newsroom opposite the cafe, and staff at the Reserve Bank of Australia are in lockdown inside the building. All are said to be safe.
The United States has evacuated its Sydney consulate and issued an emergency warning to US citizens in the city, urging them to "maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to enhance your personal security".
Trains and bus services have been stopped and roads cordoned off as the public have been told to stay away. Air traffic is functioning as normal.
Video:Eyewitness at Sydney Hostage Scene
In a separate development, police said a 25-year-old man had been arrested on alleged terrorism offences in the city just a few hours before the siege operation began.
He was seized this morning as part of "continuing investigations into the planning of a terrorist attack on Australian soil and the facilitation of travel of Australian citizens to Syria to engage in armed combat".
He was reportedly arrested as he left a prayer hall, with police due to hold a news conference later today with more details.
The arrest comes after the Australian government in September raised its terror threat level and conducted large-scale counter-terror raids across the country.
More follows...
Video:Latest: Reporter On Siege Situation
:: You can watch continuous live coverage on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 132 and Freesat channel 202.
Recommended by Outbrain Recommended by Outbrain
Top Stories
Breaking News: Live Updates: Hostage Situation in Sydney Cafe
Breaking News: Abbott Urges 'Business As Usual' For Citizens
Written By Unknown on Minggu, 14 Desember 2014 | 12.14
By Sophy Ridge, Political Correspondent
The head of the UK's Intelligence and Security Committee is demanding to see material documenting any British links to the CIA's use of torture.
Sir Malcolm Rifkind, chair of the Commons committee, is seeking any intelligence relating to the UK that was redacted from the explosive Senate report into the CIA.
It concluded that the CIA lied over its torture and interrogation programme developed in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.
Sir Malcolm told The Observer newspaper: "I am not going to go into the details of how we might try and achieve this, there are various ways we can try and advance it, but at the end of the day the actual decision on the American redacted material is for the Americans to take.
"One additional point is that the only issues we are going to be asking them about are issues relevant to the United Kingdom.
Video:MI5 And MI6 Involvement Questioned
"We don't need to see the whole of their redacted report."
The British Government has admitted requesting the deletion of references to Britain's intelligence agencies for national security reasons.
UK Government representatives had 24 meetings with members of the US committee responsible for the findings.
Video:UK Involvement in CIA Torture
Some of the deletions are believed to relate to the British Overseas Territory of Diego Garcia.
There is escalating pressure on the British government not to extend an agreement allowing the US to use the territory in the Indian Ocean as a military base.
Andrew Tyrie, chair of the all-party parliamentary group on rendition, said any negotiations should address allegations that it was used by the CIA to render terror suspects around the world.
Video:UK Wanted CIA Report Changes
"The negotiations on the lease can focus minds on establishing the scope and limits of Britain's involvement, direct or indirect, in extraordinary rendition," Mr Tyrie said.
"We are talking about kidnap and taking people to places where they may be maltreated or tortured."
The former Home Office minister, Lib Dem MP Norman Baker, who has taken a close interest in the atoll, said: "As it comes up for renewal, we need a full explanation of what happened in our name on that island."
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Video:Anti-Police March In Washington
By Sky News US Team
Tens of thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets of cities across the US to protest at the killings of unarmed black men by police and call on politicians to act.
Organisers expected the rallies to be among the largest seen over the lethal actions of officers in New York, Cleveland and Ferguson, Missouri.
Protesters in Washington carried placards reading "Black Lives Matter" and "Who do you protect? Who do you serve".
Marchers shouted "No justice, no peace, no racist police" and "Hands up, don't shoot".
Among those who took part in the march on the Capitol Building were the families of Eric Garner, killed by an officer using a chokehold position in New York, Michael Brown, who was fatally shot in Ferguson, Trayvon Martin, who was shot by a neighbourhood watch volunteer in Florida, and Tamir Rice, who was fatally shot in Cleveland, Ohio.
1/13
Gallery: Protests Over US Police Killings
Thousands of people have marched in several US cities including Washington and New York to demand justice for black men who have died at the hands of white police
It is part of a growing protest movement sparked by the fatal August shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown by a white policeman
]]>
Protests continued after 43-year-old Eric Garner died in New York when he was put in a chokehold by a police officer
]]>
Several thousand people have massed on the streets, shouting "No justice, no peace!" - a signature chant of the nationwide demonstrations
]]>
The families of Michael Brown and Eric Garner were among the protests
]]>
Esaw Garner, the widow of the 43-year-old, who died in July after officers arrested him in Staten Island on suspicion of selling loose, untaxed cigarettes, told marchers: "Let's keep it strong, long and meaningful."
"Wow, what a sea of people," said Mr Brown's mother, Lesley McSpadden.
"If they don't see this and make a change, I don't know what we're going to do."
The lack of criminal charges brought by grand juries in the New York and Ferguson cases has fuelled protests across the US.
Civil rights leader the Rev Al Sharpton, whose National Action Alliance headed the Washington protest, said in a statement: "We need more than just talk - we need legislative action that will shift things both on the books and in the streets."
Video:Dec 4: Chokehold Decision
He called for legislation that would allow federal prosecutors to take over cases involving police.
Local prosecutors who work with police regularly and then must investigate officers faced a conflict of interest, he argued.
Protesters in Washington were expected to arrive by bus from as far away as Florida, Connecticut and Pittsburgh.
Organisers estimated the crowd at 40,000 to 50,000.
The rally blocked Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and the US Capitol.
Video:Riots And Racial Tension: A History
The march in New York, a city which has seen a series of protests after a grand jury failed to indict the officer who killed Mr Garner, was estimated by observers to have drawn a crowd of more than 10,000.
The crowd headed north up Manhattan's Fifth Avenue from Washington Square Park and was due to end at the city's police headquarters.
Some chanted "How do you spell racist? NYPD" and some taunted police guarding the route.
New York march co-organiser Umaara Elliott said in a statement: "It's open season on black people now.
"So we demand that action be taken at every level of government to ensure that these racist killings by the police cease."
1/8
Gallery: Unarmed Michael Brown Was Shot By A White Officer
Michael Brown, 18, was shot dead on 9 August by officer Darren Wilson. Family described Mr Brown, known as Big Mike, as a gentle giant. He was unarmed
CCTV footage appeared to show Mr Brown conducting a strong-arm robbery at a convenience store minutes before his encounter with Officer Wilson
]]>
Hundreds of protesters also gathered in Boston, Massachusetts.
The state police said "several demonstrators who failed to comply with the law despite orders to do so have been taken into custody".
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Thousands March Against US Police Killings
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Video:Anti-Police March In Washington
By Sky News US Team
Tens of thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets of cities across the US to protest at the killings of unarmed black men by police and call on politicians to act.
Organisers expected the rallies to be among the largest seen over the lethal actions of officers in New York, Cleveland and Ferguson, Missouri.
Protesters in Washington carried placards reading "Black Lives Matter" and "Who do you protect? Who do you serve".
Marchers shouted "No justice, no peace, no racist police" and "Hands up, don't shoot".
Among those who took part in the march on the Capitol Building were the families of Eric Garner, killed by an officer using a chokehold position in New York, Michael Brown, who was fatally shot in Ferguson, Trayvon Martin, who was shot by a neighbourhood watch volunteer in Florida, and Tamir Rice, who was fatally shot in Cleveland, Ohio.
1/13
Gallery: Protests Over US Police Killings
Thousands of people have marched in several US cities including Washington and New York to demand justice for black men who have died at the hands of white police
It is part of a growing protest movement sparked by the fatal August shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown by a white policeman
]]>
Protests continued after 43-year-old Eric Garner died in New York when he was put in a chokehold by a police officer
]]>
Several thousand people have massed on the streets, shouting "No justice, no peace!" - a signature chant of the nationwide demonstrations
]]>
The families of Michael Brown and Eric Garner were among the protests
]]>
Esaw Garner, the widow of the 43-year-old, who died in July after officers arrested him in Staten Island on suspicion of selling loose, untaxed cigarettes, told marchers: "Let's keep it strong, long and meaningful."
"Wow, what a sea of people," said Mr Brown's mother, Lesley McSpadden.
"If they don't see this and make a change, I don't know what we're going to do."
The lack of criminal charges brought by grand juries in the New York and Ferguson cases has fuelled protests across the US.
Civil rights leader the Rev Al Sharpton, whose National Action Alliance headed the Washington protest, said in a statement: "We need more than just talk - we need legislative action that will shift things both on the books and in the streets."
Video:Dec 4: Chokehold Decision
He called for legislation that would allow federal prosecutors to take over cases involving police.
Local prosecutors who work with police regularly and then must investigate officers faced a conflict of interest, he argued.
Protesters in Washington were expected to arrive by bus from as far away as Florida, Connecticut and Pittsburgh.
Organisers estimated the crowd at 40,000 to 50,000.
The rally blocked Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and the US Capitol.
Video:Riots And Racial Tension: A History
The march in New York, a city which has seen a series of protests after a grand jury failed to indict the officer who killed Mr Garner, was estimated by observers to have drawn a crowd of more than 10,000.
The crowd headed north up Manhattan's Fifth Avenue from Washington Square Park and was due to end at the city's police headquarters.
Some chanted "How do you spell racist? NYPD" and some taunted police guarding the route.
New York march co-organiser Umaara Elliott said in a statement: "It's open season on black people now.
"So we demand that action be taken at every level of government to ensure that these racist killings by the police cease."
1/8
Gallery: Unarmed Michael Brown Was Shot By A White Officer
Michael Brown, 18, was shot dead on 9 August by officer Darren Wilson. Family described Mr Brown, known as Big Mike, as a gentle giant. He was unarmed
CCTV footage appeared to show Mr Brown conducting a strong-arm robbery at a convenience store minutes before his encounter with Officer Wilson
]]>
Hundreds of protesters also gathered in Boston, Massachusetts.
The state police said "several demonstrators who failed to comply with the law despite orders to do so have been taken into custody".
Written By Unknown on Jumat, 12 Desember 2014 | 12.15
Mexico's drug trade is worth between $19 and $29bn (£12.1 and £18.5bn) a year in cash - but takes an immeasurably greater toll in human lives and misery.
Some 90% of the cocaine bound for the US goes through the country, which shares a long border with its northern neighbour.
The narcotics industry makes up between 3-4% of the country's GDP, and employs half a million people.
Murder - even mass murder - is relatively commonplace. On average, someone dies a drugs-related death every half an hour.
There have been more than 132,000 kidnappings since 2006, and the government lists a total of 22,322 people as missing.
Video:Where The Gangs Get Their Guns
There are 10 firearms deaths per 100,000 people - more than twice the rate of the US - despite the fact there is just one legal firearms dealer in the entire country.
Even amid this carnage, the recent abduction of 43 college students made headlines not just nationwide but around the world.
The victims were attacked by officers in the southern city of Iguala after demonstrations there.
Prosecutors say they were handed over by corrupt police officers to a drugs gang that killed them and burnt their bodies.
By Stuart Ramsay, Chief Correspondent, in Mexico City
At the heart of its smartest district is one of the most dangerous places in the whole of Mexico City: Tepito market.
It's the centre of criminal activity - a trading point for guns, drugs and every variant of goods.
If you shop there, you know you are buying items of debatable legitimacy, and contributing to an all-pervading lawlessness that seems to be accepted as normal life.
And it does seem normal, except an outsider like me can't walk around without protection, and couldn't meet the people who live on the edges of society.
People here can earn far more than anywhere accessible to them on the right side of the law - by sinking into a shadowy world of crime and murder.
Video:How The Cartels Get Their Guns
"Carlos" is an assassin. Over a 25-year career he has killed between 500 and 900 people while working for the drug cartels, politicians and the military.
We met deep in the warren of alleyways and warehouses in the core of Tepito.
He says that the network of cartel power is so entrenched in society and powered by so much money that it is unstoppable.
The police and the military, he says, are often involved in the planning and execution of his hits.
"On some occasions, we have to go to places where weapons are not allowed and then they (police) meet us," he told me.
Video:Mexico City's Tepito Market
"They take us to a hotel and they provide all the weapons that we may need, money and everything so that one can do the job one has to do."
The abduction of 43 students last September has forced Mexico into confronting its crime problems.
Carlos believes that the students are already dead, and uses a chilling example from his own experience to explain why he is so certain.
"Let me tell you a story. Some protestors came. We let them in and then we closed the road, we closed the entrance, we closed the exit. When they were stuck in the middle we killed them all," he recounted.
"Then a (rubbish) truck from the army came and collected them all. Then street sweeper machines went past. They opened the road again, as if nothing had happened.
At least four people have been killed as a typhoon with winds of up to 130mph battered the Philippines, knocking out power and bringing down trees.
Nearly 900,000 people fled their homes for shelters ahead of Typhoon Hagupit hitting Samar Island in the east of the country, still reeling from last November's devastating storm which left more than 7,300 people dead or missing.
The wind strength at landfall made Hagupit the most powerful storm to hit the Philippines this year, exceeding a typhoon in July that killed more than 100 people.
But the typhoon later weakened with winds of up to 87mph, sparing the central Philippines the type of massive devastation that the 2013 storm brought.
"Many houses, especially in the coastal areas, were blown away by strong winds," Stephanie Uy-Tan, the mayor of Catbalogan, a major city on Samar, told AFP by phone on Sunday.
"Trees and power lines were toppled, tin roofs were blown off and there is flooding."
1/13
Gallery: Typhoon Hagupit Strikes The Philippines
Hours before Typhoon Hagupit made landfall, the city of Legazpi was deserted
Written By Unknown on Minggu, 07 Desember 2014 | 12.15
At least one of the 43 college students abducted in Mexico has been identified among charred remains found near a landfill site, an official has confirmed.
Forensic specialists from Argentina and Austria have been examining body parts found in mass graves and a rubbish dump in southwestern Mexico.
The disappearance of the 43 students has sparked fury in Mexico
The remains are reported to be those of Alexander Mora.
Fellow student Omar Garcia, who was with Mr Mora's father when he learned the fate of his son, said: "He will never give up.
Video:Sky Special: Where Life Is Cheap
"He will never get over his pain, but what he wants to tell all of you, and what we all want to say is this: We want justice."
The trainee teachers went missing on September 26 after clashes with police in the southern city of Iguala, that claimed the lives of six people.
The attorney general has said they were attacked by officers on the orders of the city's mayor Jose Luis Abarca, who has since been arrested.
Prosecutors say the 43 students were then handed over by corrupt police to a drug gang, that killed them and burnt their bodies.
Three suspected gang members have confessed to carrying out the massacre.
Investigators have recovered only small fragments of bones to identify the victims.
The disappearance of the students at the hands of a corrupt public official, and the slow response of the federal authorities to the outrage has sparked a furious backlash cross Mexico.
Tens of thousands have taken to the streets in protest, with some calling for President Enrique Pena Nieto to resign.
The case has come to signify the abuse of authority and corruption which is rife in Mexican society.
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Video:Typhoon Hagupit Reaches Philippines
A powerful typhoon has slammed into eastern Philippines, where 650,000 people have fled to safety in one of the largest peacetime evacuations in the nation's history.
Gusts of 130mph have been recorded alongside sustained winds of 109mph.
The typhoon made landfall on Saturday night in central Eastern Samar province - but the centre of the storm remains several hours away.
The winds, as well as pounding rain, has knocked out power lines and toppled trees in the town of Dolores.
The military is on full alert as the centre of the storm sweeps in
Senior Inspector Alex Robin said: "We are totally in the dark here. The only light comes from flashlights."
The Philippines' 120,000-strong military is on alert to respond to a possible catastrophe.
1/11
Gallery: Philippines Braces For Huge Typhoon
People take shelter inside a church after evacuating their homes due to super-typhoon Hagupit in Tacloban city, central Philippines
Ports are shut, leaving thousands of travelers stranded, and some local authorities ordered forced evacuations as super-typhoon Hagupit swept towards eastern coasts of the island nation
]]>
Meteorologists from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) monitor and plot the direction of super typhoon Hagupit
]]>
Known locally as Ruby, the storm will bear down on the Philipinnes this weekend
]]>
Residents with their belongings wait for a government vehicle to bring them to the evacuation center in Tacloban city
]]>
General Gregorio Pio Catapang said: "We're on red alert, so the entire armed forces is being mobilised for this typhoon."
Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas tried to calm anxious families, and urged for as much preventative action to be taken as possible. The winds are strong enough to trigger deadly storm surges and landslides.
In a televised address, he said: "This is it. I know you are tired, not enough sleep, not enough food, too much coffee. But this is our last push. Every person we can save now is one less we have to look for after the typhoon passes."
Troops have been deployed to supermarkets and major roads to prevent looting and clear debris.
The UN says the evacuation is one of the largest in Philippine history.
Nearly 100 domestic flights have been cancelled and inter-island ferry services suspended, leaving thousands of people stranded.
1/24
Gallery: Before And After Images
View of the entrance to San Roque Elementary School in Leyte, Philippines
The same view one year on
]]>
The region is still haunted by the destruction wrought by Typhoon Haiyan, which left 7,300 people dead or missing last November.
Eastern Samar province representative Ben Evardone said: "Everybody is in fear because of what happened during Haiyan. We can already feel the wrath of the typhoon. Everybody is praying."
Forecasters had been predicting that the typhoon would follow a more southern route, and have warned that its path is unpredictable.
Blanche Gobenciong, a regional disaster-response director, said: "We have a zero-casualty target. Just one loss of life will really sadden us all and make us wonder what went wrong."
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Typhoon Hagupit Slams Into Philippines
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Video:Typhoon Hagupit Reaches Philippines
A powerful typhoon has slammed into eastern Philippines, where 650,000 people have fled to safety in one of the largest peacetime evacuations in the nation's history.
Gusts of 130mph have been recorded alongside sustained winds of 109mph.
The typhoon made landfall on Saturday night in central Eastern Samar province - but the centre of the storm remains several hours away.
The winds, as well as pounding rain, has knocked out power lines and toppled trees in the town of Dolores.
The military is on full alert as the centre of the storm sweeps in
Senior Inspector Alex Robin said: "We are totally in the dark here. The only light comes from flashlights."
The Philippines' 120,000-strong military is on alert to respond to a possible catastrophe.
1/11
Gallery: Philippines Braces For Huge Typhoon
People take shelter inside a church after evacuating their homes due to super-typhoon Hagupit in Tacloban city, central Philippines
Ports are shut, leaving thousands of travelers stranded, and some local authorities ordered forced evacuations as super-typhoon Hagupit swept towards eastern coasts of the island nation
]]>
Meteorologists from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) monitor and plot the direction of super typhoon Hagupit
]]>
Known locally as Ruby, the storm will bear down on the Philipinnes this weekend
]]>
Residents with their belongings wait for a government vehicle to bring them to the evacuation center in Tacloban city
]]>
General Gregorio Pio Catapang said: "We're on red alert, so the entire armed forces is being mobilised for this typhoon."
Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas tried to calm anxious families, and urged for as much preventative action to be taken as possible. The winds are strong enough to trigger deadly storm surges and landslides.
In a televised address, he said: "This is it. I know you are tired, not enough sleep, not enough food, too much coffee. But this is our last push. Every person we can save now is one less we have to look for after the typhoon passes."
Troops have been deployed to supermarkets and major roads to prevent looting and clear debris.
The UN says the evacuation is one of the largest in Philippine history.
Nearly 100 domestic flights have been cancelled and inter-island ferry services suspended, leaving thousands of people stranded.
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Gallery: Before And After Images
View of the entrance to San Roque Elementary School in Leyte, Philippines
The same view one year on
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The region is still haunted by the destruction wrought by Typhoon Haiyan, which left 7,300 people dead or missing last November.
Eastern Samar province representative Ben Evardone said: "Everybody is in fear because of what happened during Haiyan. We can already feel the wrath of the typhoon. Everybody is praying."
Forecasters had been predicting that the typhoon would follow a more southern route, and have warned that its path is unpredictable.
Blanche Gobenciong, a regional disaster-response director, said: "We have a zero-casualty target. Just one loss of life will really sadden us all and make us wonder what went wrong."
