World-brief
At least 20 were killed and 50 missing after a typhoon battered Japan’s west coast on Sunday, according to reports.
The tropical storm, named Typhoon Talas, caused widespread chaos in a large part the country after it made landfall on Shikoku Island on Saturday.
Mudslides isolated several villages, hampering relief efforts and in some cases sweeping away houses in both Nara and Wakayama Prefectures.
Nearly 500,000 people have been served eviction notices in both western and central regions of the country.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency said on Sunday that Talas has now passed over the country completely but it said that heavy rains and winds will continue.
The Kyodo News agency, which reported the 20 dead figure, said that the number of victims of the storm could grow.
