Typhoon Usagi has swamped rural villages in floods, knocked down power and displaced thousands more people before blowing away from the northern Philippines, which has been pounded by five major

Typhoon Usagi weakened sharply on Friday after bearing down on the Philippines' northern towns, blowing away houses in its path as authorities brace for another storm that could hit the capital Manila over the weekend.

The fifth major storm in three weeks has hit the northeastern Philippines, prompting more largescale evacuations and a United Nations call for emergency funds to help the government ease the plight of