Philippine government defends response to typhoon as death toll rises

TACLOBAN, PHILIPPINES – The Philippine government on Friday defended its efforts to deliver assistance to victims of Typhoon Haiyan, many of whom have received little or no assistance since the monster storm struck one week ago. “In a situation like this, nothing is fast enough,” Interior Secretary Mar Roxas said in Tacloban, most of which […]

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China elected to UN Human Rights Council

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) — China on Tuesday was elected to the UN Human Rights Council for a three-year term. China was one of the 14 elected members to the 47-member UN human rights body at the 68th session of the UN General Assembly ( UNGA). It got 176 favorable votes from the 192 […]

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Saudi Arabia officially rejects 2-year term on UN Security Council

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) — Saudi Arabia, in an unprecedented moved, formally rejected on Tuesday its two-year term on the UN Security Council, clearing the way for Jordan to take the seat as a replacement. The Middle East power had previously decried the 15-member council’s ineffectiveness in dealing with world affairs, notably the Syrian crisis and Israeli-Palestinian […]

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Typhoon-stricken Filipinos rely on countrymen abroad for lifeline

As millions of Filipinos desperately search for sustenance and shelter in the devastation left by Typhoon Haiyan, many may be comforted by the knowledge that help is surely on the way from family members working abroad. The Philippines’ biggest export has long been its workers, with at least 10% of the country’s approximately 100 million […]

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Grim Toll Rises Amid Ruin and Chaos

People covered their faces with towels and scarves against the stench of death Monday, clogging the typhoon-ravaged roads of the hardest hit part of the Philippines in a traffic jam of desperation. Headed into one center of devastation were Filipinos frantic to find loved ones, or help, or both; fleeing in the other direction were […]

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Typhoon Haiyan: Philippines destruction ‘absolute bedlam’

”We are so very hungry and thirsty” one survivor told the BBC’s Jon Donnison in Tacloban The head of the Red Cross in the Philippines has described the devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan as “absolute bedlam”. Up to 10,000 people are believed to have died in Tacloban city and hundreds elsewhere. Hundreds of thousands of […]

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China: Better Friends with Bloomberg News than Reuters

China has better relationships with some news organizations than others, because the restrictive country doesn’t hesitate to toss out the ones that defy it. For example, Bloomberg recently killed two stories for fear of getting evicted, and a Reuters journalist was denied a visa over his past misgivings. So things go in China. The New York […]

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Official: Over 10000 feared dead in Typhoon Haiyan

MANILA — As many as 10,000 people are feared dead in one city alone after Super Typhoon Haiyan — one of the most powerful storms ever recorded — slammed into the central islands of the Philippines, officials said. Regional police chief Elmer Soria said he was briefed by Leyte provincial Gov. Dominic Petilla late Saturday […]

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Over 100 dead in typhoon onslaught in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Rescuers in the central Philippines counted at least 100 dead and many more injured Saturday a day after one of the most powerful typhoons on record ripped through the region, wiping away buildings and leveling seaside homes in massive storm surges, then headed for Vietnam. With communications and roads still cut […]

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