Emergency responders rescued dozens of people late on Sunday, as Typhoon Matmo brought heavy rains and strong winds to Beihai City in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region earlier that day.
China activated a Level-IV national disaster relief emergency response on Sunday as Typhoon Matmo, the 21st named storm of the 2025 Pacific typhoon season, battered the southern provinces of Guangdong and Hainan.
On Sunday night, a power outage caused by the typhoon trapped several residents in an elevator of a residential building in Beihai. Firefighters quickly responded to the emergency call and freed all the stranded people.
After torrential rains resulted in significant flooding, rescuers saved a man from a car trapped by deep waters in an urban street near Beihai Times Square.
The rescuers also worked hard to clear debris from the roads, removing fallen trees in affected areas.
In rural regions, rescuers evacuated at least eight people from three locations where they were stranded by rising floodwaters.
As of 00:30 Monday, the Beihai Fire Rescue Brigade had received 24 reports related to the typhoon and heavy rains, deployed 135 rescuers and 25 vehicles, and delivered and relocated 56 people.
Typhoon rescue underway in Guangxi's Beihai
The Republic of Korea (ROK)'s former impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol on Friday was sentenced to five years in prison on arrest obstruction charges.
The criminal division of the Seoul Central District Court in charge of Yoon's obstruction of justice case handed down the prison sentence to Yoon for abusing the presidential security service to hinder the anti-corruption agency from executing its arrest warrant in January 2025.
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) was once thwarted in its attempt to arrest Yoon as the presidential security service formed human shields and bus blockades to prevent investigators from entering the presidential residence.
The team of Cho Eun-suk, an independent counsel who led investigations into Yoon's insurrection and other charges, demanded a 10-year prison term for Yoon.
The court said Yoon privatized the presidential security service for personal safety and private interests by blocking the law enforcement agencies' lawful execution of an arrest warrant and attempting to destroy evidence, pointing out that despite the very bad nature of his crime, he consistently offered unconvincing excuses and showed no remorse.
The court stressed that severe punishment was necessary, considering the need to restore the rule of law damaged by Yoon's crime, but it noted that the fact that he was a first-time offender with no criminal record was considered a favorable factor.
The sentencing, which was broadcast live, was Yoon's first verdict coming from his botched martial law bid.
The first-instance sentencing for Yoon's insurrection charges was scheduled for Feb 19. The special counsel sought a death penalty for Yoon on the charges.
Yoon declared emergency martial law on the night of Dec 3 in 2024, but it was revoked hours later by the National Assembly.
The constitutional court upheld a motion to impeach Yoon in April 2025, officially removing him from office.
The ousted leader was indicted while in detention in January 2025 on charges of leading an insurrection, becoming the first sitting ROK president facing such prosecution.
ROK ex-president Yoon sentenced to 5 years in prison on arrest obstruction charges
