Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Feb 20, 2026

Death toll in Philippines from Typhoon Rai surpasses 200. Dozens of people are still missing.

The Philippines' disaster relief agency has said that more than 700,000 people have been affected.
Philippine officials said Monday the death toll from Typhoon Rai has risen to 208 and 52 people were still missing, per AP.

Rai was a super typhoon upon initial landfall and was the strongest storm to strike the Philippines this year, with the equivalent strength of a Category 5 hurricane. It caused widespread power and communications outages and wounded at least 239 people.

More than 700,000 people have been affected by the typhoon, which is called Odette in the Philippines, and over 370,000 people were preemptively evacuated, officials said, per the Washington Post.

80 storm-related deaths have been confirmed so far in Bohol in the central Philippines, according to a statement from the province's governor, Arthur Yap, on Monday.

"Many areas have no power, no communications, very little water," Philippine Red Cross chair Richard Gordon told the BBC.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte toured parts of the devastation Saturday and pledged to give 2 billion pesos (about $40 million) in aid, according to AP.

Rai was south of China on Monday and has weakened to a Category 1 storm.

While typhoons occur frequently in the Philippines, experts have warned that climate change may exacerbate these storms and make them more frequent, per WashPost.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
US Supreme Court Voids Trump’s Emergency Tariff Plan, Reshaping Trade Power and Fiscal Risk
UK Intensifies Efforts to Secure Saudi Investment in Next-Generation Fighter Jet Programme
Saudi Arabia Tops Middle East Green Building Rankings with Record Growth in 2025
Qatar and Saudi Arabia Each Commit One Billion Dollars to President Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ Initiative
Ramadan 2026 Prayer Times Set as Fasting Begins in Saudi Arabia and Egypt Announces Dates
Saudi Arabia Launches Ramadan 2026 Hotel Campaign to Boost Religious and Leisure Tourism
Saudi Arabia Seeks Reroute of Greece-Bound Fibre-Optic Cable Through Syria Instead of Israel
Saudi-Backed Scopely Acquires Majority Stake in Turkey’s Loom Games to Expand Mobile Portfolio
Zodiac Milpro Launches Zid Marine Joint Venture in Saudi Arabia to Expand Regional Shipbuilding
Saudi Arabia Reaffirms Reform Path Amid Claims of Ideological Reversal
Calls Grow for Saudi Arabia and UAE to Settle Differences Through Direct Dialogue
Jensen Huang just told the story of how Elon Musk became NVIDIA’s very first customer for their powerful AI supercomputer
British couple sentenced to 10 years in Iran for espionage
Former British Prince Andrew Arrested on Suspicion of Misconduct in Public Office
Unitree Robotics founder Wang Xingxing showcases future robot deployment during Spring Festival Gala.
Prince William Holds Talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman During Saudi Visit
Saudi Arabia’s Humain Commits $3 Billion Investment to Elon Musk’s xAI
SCOPA Executive Unveils Ambitious Relaunch Strategy for Saudi Production Company
Saudi Arabia Sees Rise in Business Visa Rejections Amid Tighter Compliance Checks
Saudi PIF Transfers Take-Two Stake to Savvy Games Group in Strategic Gaming Push
Jimmy Carr Says He ‘Loved’ Saudi Arabia Show Amid Debate Over Performing in the Kingdom
Sotheby’s ‘Origins II’ Auction Signals Saudi Collectors’ Shift Toward Cultural Legacy
EY and Microsoft Deepen Saudi Arabia Partnership with Launch of EY Studio+
Google Pay Launches Support for Mastercard Cards in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia Bolsters Maritime Surveillance Fleet with Four C-27J Patrol Aircraft
Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia Deepen Strategic Partnership with New Investment and Energy Agreements
Saudi Crown Prince Receives Written Message from Kazakhstan’s President Amid Expanding Strategic Ties
ImmunityBio Shares Rise After Saudi Arabia BCG Manufacturing Update Spurs Investor Optimism
Global Music Star Tyla Confirmed as Headliner at 2026 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Entertainment Lineup
Somalia and Saudi Arabia Forge New Military Partnership Amid Regional Power Shifts
Saudi Arabia and Several Nations Criticize Israeli West Bank Land Measures as Diplomatic Tensions Rise
Saudi Public Investment Fund Transfers Stake in Take-Two Interactive as Portfolio Strategy Evolves
Saudi Arabia’s Flagship Defense Expo Highlights Industrial Ambitions and Expanding Arms Portfolio
Strategic Divergence Deepens as Saudi Arabia and UAE Recalibrate Gulf Partnership
Saudi Arabia Confirms Start of Ramadan as Crescent Moon Sighted, While Other Nations Begin a Day Later
Rubio Calls for Sweeping U.N. Reform, Saying It Has Failed to End Wars in Gaza and Ukraine
10,000 Condoms Distributed at Winter Olympics 2026 Athlete Village Depleted Within 72 Hours
Prince William Meets Saudi Crown Prince as Epstein-Andrew Fallout Casts Shadow
Goldman Sachs and DP World Executive Resignations: Elite-Reputation Risk and Corporate Governance Fallout From the Epstein Disclosures
OpenAI and DeepCent Superintelligence Race: Artificial General Intelligence and AI Agents as a National Security Arms Race
Prince William in Saudi Arabia on Official Three-Day Visit to Strengthen UK-Saudi Relations
Prince William Highlights Women’s Sport During High-Profile Visit to Saudi Arabia
Prince William Begins High-Profile Diplomatic Mission to Saudi Arabia
Syria and Saudi Arabia Seal Multibillion-Dollar Investment Agreements to Drive Post-War Economic Reconstruction
Apple iPhone Lockdown Mode blocks FBI data access in journalist device seizure
Foreign Governments and Corporations Spend Millions with Trump-Linked Lobbying Firm in Washington
KPMG Urges Auditor to Relay AI Cost Savings
Saudi Arabia Quietly Allows Wealthy Foreign Residents to Buy Alcohol, Signalling Policy Shift
US and Iran to Begin Nuclear Talks in Oman
China unveils plans for a 'Death Star' capable of launching missile strikes from space
×