China's southern provinces getting prepared for super typhoon Yagi

Typhoon Yagi, the second-strongest storm on Earth this year, is expected to make landfall in south China late on Friday.

In response, local authorities in south China's Guangdong and Hainan provinces have commenced emergency measures, including suspending work and shipping, relocating residents in risk-prone areas, and canceling flights.

Yagi, the 11th typhoon of the year, has intensified into a super typhoon, reaching level 17 with winds of up to 209 km per hour. It is currently barreling towards southern island province of Hainan, according to the provincial meteorological bureau.

In Guangdong Province, starting Thursday, sections of major expressways and bridges have been temporarily closed, with some areas subject to temporary traffic control. Transportation services across the Qiongzhou Strait and 85 affected land-island routes have been suspended. The main section of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has also been temporarily closed, with shuttle bus services suspended.

In the island province of Hainan, both work and schools were suspended starting Thursday, as the province issued its highest-level emergency response. A total of 34,707 fishing boats in Hainan have returned to port, and 69,970 fishermen have been evacuated to land.

In Jinshan town of Wenchang City on the island's easternmost corner, local authorities have relocated 6,400 residents and their belongings from 31 villages in low-lying areas.

Data shows that around 4,000 residents in the town have moved to stay with friends and relatives, while the remaining 2,000 have been resettled in seven designated sites. At these sites, they are provided with daily necessities, emergency supplies, and catering service.

Local emergency teams in Wenchang are taking further measures, including reinforcing riverbanks to prevent flooding in the Dongzhai Harbor to its west.

In Tanmen Town, Qionghai City, one of the areas assessed most vulnerable to the typhoon, local authorities are racing against time to get prepared.

At the largest fishing port in southern Hainan, staff have been patrolling at night, ensuring that all fishing boats have returned and that fishermen are evacuated.

"There are 591 fishing boats that have returned, and all 1,388 crew members have been evacuated. We have secured every vessel by roping them to anchor piles and cushioned the boats to prevent collisions caused by strong winds," said Li Junyi, director of the local service center.

"We are also patrolling to prevent evacuated fishermen from returning prematurely and are checking the condition of their houses to prepare for further settlement," Li added.

Local residents have also been evacuated.

"We have resettled 63 residents. They only need to register their names and identification card numbers before being settled," said Chen Jingbin, deputy secretary of Tanmen Town.

Under the effect of super typhoon Yagi, the Hong Kong Observatory issued the No. 8 Northeast Gale or Storm Signal on Thursday evening.

The No. 8 signal is the third-highest warning under Hong Kong's weather system, which has five rankings for typhoons. The observatory said that the No. 8 signal will remain in force until at least noon on Friday.

Due to the storm, many public services and activities in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) have been suspended, including the classes of all schools. To ensure students' safety, the Education Bureau of the HKSAR government announced that the classes of all-day schools will remain suspended on Friday.

Outdoor light and music show "A Symphony of Lights" across Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong has been called off for Thursday night. People have been urged to avoid visiting country parks.

Several airlines have announced some flights on Friday will be canceled or rescheduled.

China's southern provinces getting prepared for super typhoon Yagi

The Houthi missile strike on central Israeli territory resulting in injuries is quite rare, and the attack may incur massive retaliation from Israel, said a Chinese expert on Monday.

A long-range surface-to-surface missile fired from Yemen struck an unpopulated area near Israel's international airport outside Tel Aviv on Sunday. The missile triggered sirens in Tel Aviv and other cities in central Israel, sending residents running to shelters during the morning rush hour. The Israeli military said in a statement that interceptors were launched but failed to shoot down the missile, which landed in an open area.

"The missile reached inside Israeli territory, resulting in nine injuries. This is rare in the conflict between Yemen's Houthis and Israel over the past 11 months. Previously, Houthi attacks on Israel, whether through missiles or drones, had caused minimal harm to Israel," said Niu Xinchun, executive director of the China-Arab Research Institute of Ningxia University.

Yemen's Houthi group on Sunday claimed responsibility for the missile attack on central Israel, according to a statement aired by the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.

The incident marked the second time a projectile from Yemen has reached central Israel, following a drone attack by Houthi forces in July that killed one person in Tel Aviv.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a televised statement that the group would launch more such strikes on Israel, as the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, is marking its first anniversary.

Sarea added the attacks are in retaliation for an earlier Israeli attack on the Houthi-controlled Yemeni port city of Hodeidah on July, 20, which destroyed its fuel storage tanks.

"Previously, Yemen's Houthis, Lebanon's Hezbollah and Iran have all claimed intentions to retaliate against Israel, suggesting that retaliation might be coordinated on many occasions. However, current indications suggest that these retaliatory actions are being conducted independently, without coordination. This implies that while there may be some collaboration in terms of weaponry, technology and personnel among them, the actual retaliatory actions are being carried out separately," said Niu.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday warned Houthi forces in Yemen that Israel would retaliate after the missile attack, saying "Anyone who attacks us will not escape our wrath".

"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has now announced that there will definitely be a large-scale retaliation against the Houthis. Based on Israel's previous behavior patterns, the scale of retaliation is expected to be significantly greater than the attack launched by the Houthis on Israel this time," said Niu.

Since November last year, the Houthis have been launching missiles and drone attacks targeting what the Houthis said were "Israeli-linked" ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, as well as targets in Israel, to show solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Rare Houthi missile attack on Israel could trigger massive retaliation: Chinese expert