Briefly

THE PHILIPPINES

Evacuations ordered ahead of strong typhoon

A super typhoon swept toward the northern Philippines on Tuesday, the country's weather agency said, triggering evacuation orders for coastal communities expected to bear the brunt of the powerful storm. Super Typhoon Doksuri was packing maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour as it headed toward the northern tip of the main island of Luzon. The storm, which is called "Egay" in the Philippines, was expected to make landfall or pass very close to the lightly populated Babuyan islands or northeastern Cagayan Province by Wednesday, the agency said. Coastal communities in northwestern and northeastern Cagayan had been ordered to evacuate their homes.