China issues alert for this year's first typhoon in South China Sea

China's National Meteorological Center issued a blue alert on Wednesday morning for the country's first typhoon this year, with its southernmost province of Hainan preparing for its expected initial landfall between early morning and midday of Friday.

The typhoon evolved from a tropical depression that had formed over the central and western waters of the South China Sea, and at about 11:00 Wednesday, its center was located on the sea about 105 kilometers east-southeast of Yongxing Island in Hainan's Sansha City, with the maximum wind speed near the center reaching Level 8.

The typhoon is forecast to move westward at a speed of 10 to 15 kilometers per hour as it gradually strengthens and draws near the southern coastal part of Hainan before making the initial landfall between early morning and midday of Friday.

Its second landfall is expected to be made between the western part of south China's Guangdong Province and the coastal region of the neighboring Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Friday night.

Hainan Meteorological Service continued to issue a Level IV typhoon alert on Wednesday, warning that the typhoon will slowly strengthen as it passes the Xisha Islands.

Guangxi Maritime Safety Administration launched a Level IV emergency response to a typhoon on Tuesday afternoon as winds strengthened on the region's Beibu Gulf.

The coastal regions in Guangxi have been closely following the typhoon's latest developments and are issuing warnings promptly.

The vessels at the ports, the shipping companies, and the construction sites were told to make full preparations for the bad weather.

From Wednesday to Saturday, the central and the northern parts of the South China Sea, the central and the western coastal waters of Guangdong, as well as the Qiongzhou Strait will experience increasingly strengthening winds that are set to reach Level 8 to Level 10, with the gusts reaching even Level 11 to Level 12.

The bad weather also affected trains' operation in Guangdong, which has temporarily adjusted some of its passenger train services, according to China Railway Guangzhou Group.

The group also said that cross-sea conventional-speed trains to and from Hainan will undergo route adjustments or suspension from Wednesday to Friday.

On Tuesday, Guangdong's local authorities also issued a notice requiring full implementation of the flood and wind prevention work to protect people's lives and property.

China issues alert for this year's first typhoon in South China Sea

Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Italy and Greece on Saturday to protest against U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, with protesters in Rome, Milan and Athens condemning Washington's actions and calling for respect for Venezuelan sovereignty.

In Rome, more than 1,000 demonstrators marched toward the area near the U.S. Embassy, calling on Washington to immediately release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

Police blocked roads around the embassy to prevent protesters from approaching the building, but demonstrators continued to denounce U.S. actions.

"First of all, we oppose U.S. imperialist aggression. This kind of behavior is shameful. The U.S. is attacking a sovereign country, and as [U.S. President Donald] Trump himself has said, this is for oil interests," said protester Giovanni Barbera.

Saturday's rally marked the second large-scale protest in Rome this month against U.S. military operations in Venezuela, following an earlier one on on Jan 3.

Participants included members of multiple political parties, labor unions and social organizations. The protesters held banners reading "Stop imperialist interference" and "Free Maduro," urging the international community to respect Venezuela's sovereignty and the will of its people, and condemning the U.S. for violating international law.

"We are protesting the way the U.S. handles international politics. Since the events of January 3, we have seen violations of international law, and we are very concerned about how the global situation is developing," said protester Stefano De Angelis.

Organizers said solidarity rallies in support of Venezuela were held in 30 Italian cities on the same day.

Meanwhile, similar protests were also staged in Greece. About 200 people gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Athens, voicing support for Venezuela and opposition to U.S. military actions.

"We oppose U.S. imperialism and its attack on Venezuela. At the same time, the U.S. is also threatening Cuba, Mexico and Greenland. We must stand up against this behavior," said Greek protester Argiro Sirmakezi.

Protesters rally in Italy, Greece against U.S. military operation in Venezuela