A powerful dust storm known as a haboob caused a vehicle pile-up on a central California highway, sending several people to hospitals with minor injuries, authorities said. An enormous rolling cloud of dust reduced visibility Monday afternoon on State Route 152 in Madera County,

The fifth major storm in three weeks is approaching the Philippines, prompting more largescale evacuations and a United Nations request for emergency funds to help the government ease the plight of hard-hit villagers.

Typhoon Usagi had sustained winds of up to 175 kilometers (109 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 240 kph (149 mph) when it slammed into the coastal town of Baggao in Cagayan province at the northern tip of Luzon,