200,000 PEOPLE DISPLACED IN PHILIPPINES

Tropical storm Fung-Wong has brought flooding, heavy rains and high winds to the Philippines, forcing some 200,000 people from their homes.

Five people were also killed in the storm, two of them electrocuted while wading through flood waters, an emergency official said.

Manila and the northern provinces were worst hit, with residents being rescued from the roofs of flooded homes.

The storm is now heading north, and is expected to hit Taiwan on Sunday.

Some 50,000 troops have been placed on standby on the island for potential rescue and relief operations.

The flood waters began to subside in parts of the the Philippines on Saturday, allowing displaced residents to return home and begin clearing up.

Fung-Wong had struck the archipelago with winds of 95kph (59mph) and gusts of 120kph, gathering strength as it moved north. Three weeks' worth of rain is reported to have fallen overnight in parts of the country.

Roofs were blown away, trees toppled and highways flooded across the island of Luzon, seat of the capital, Manila.

Local media reported a river burst its banks in an eastern part of Manila on Friday, prompting the evacuation of more than 20,000 people. Other residents, however, chose to stay put.

"We can't just move to another place," a resident of Marikina, a Manila suburb said. "Our house is here. We've spent money on it. It would be a waste if we left, so we will stay here."

The storm also lashed Cebu City in central Philippines, leaving parts of it 2m (6ft) underwater.

Tropical storms frequently strike the Philippines: Fung-Wong is the second in two weeks.

Typhoon Kalmaegi last week left eight people and forced more than 350,000 from their homes.