MANILA -- Around 3.5 million people in the Western Pacific die each year as a result of environmental causes, according to World Health Organization (WHO) data released on Thursday.

In a virtual press conference, Takeshi Kasai, WHO regional director for the Western Pacific, said extreme weather events such as droughts, heat waves, typhoons, floods, and wildfires affect people's health in various parts of the region.

According to the WHO data, every 14 seconds, a person dies from air pollution in the Western Pacific. (WHO-Climate Crisis-Western Pacific)

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SEOUL -- South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol on Thursday visited the headquarters of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), the presidential transition committee said.

Yoon, who is scheduled to take office on May 10, flew by helicopter to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, about 70 km south of the capital Seoul.

After arriving at the headquarters of the 28,500-strong USFK, the president-elect was briefed by Gen. Paul LaCamera, commander of the USFK and the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC), and deputy CFC commander Gen. Kim Seung-kyum. (South Korea-President-elect's Visit-U.S. Military Base)

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SYDNEY -- Multiple evacuation orders were issued in Australia's Sydney, as an ongoing deluge of rain has saturated the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW).

The NSW has been hit by repeated flash flooding in recent months. The state's Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) issued more flood warnings on Thursday, as six-hour rainfall is likely to reach up to 120 mm, and 180 mm over coastal areas. (Australia-Wild weather)

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KUNDUZ, Afghanistan -- At least 17 children have lost their lives due to contracting measles in the northern Kunduz province over the past month, provincial head of health department Najibullah Sahel said Thursday.

According to the official, 915 children contracting measles have been taken to the civil hospital in Kunduz city who come from different parts of Kunduz, Badakhshan, Takhar and Baghlan provinces over the past month, and 17 of them had died due to the disease. (Afghanistan-Measles) Enditem

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