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Showing posts with label Asia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Asia. Show all posts
Philippines sets tree-planting record
The event, which saw 64,096 trees planted in just 15 minutes, is part of a government drive to reforest parts of the country
Residents planting tree seedlings in the town of Pili in Camarines Sur province on February 23.
Conservationists planted a total of 64,096 trees in the eastern Philippine province of Camrines Sur within 15 minutes recently, breaking the Guinness World Record for the most trees planted simultaneously.
The Independent reported that close to 7,000 people from Siruma and Tinambac participated in the tree planting activity, which was organized under the El Verde ("The Green") program.
The provincial government plans to plant 12 million trees in the denuded forests of Camrines Sur by 2012. The idea is to make Camrines Sur "the greenest and most environmentally friendly province in Asia."
Camrines Sur is already one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Philippines.
El Verde's feat smashed the record that was set last year by volunteers in the Himalayan district of Leh, where a total of 50,300 Ladakhi willows were planted in under an hour.
Global green group Conservation International recently ranked the Philippines as one of the top 10 endangered forest hotspots in the world, with only 7 percent of its original habitat remaining.
Source: CNNGO
More than 1,000 missing in Philippines after storm
More than 1,000 people are missing in the aftermath of a tropical storm that wreaked havoc across the southern Philippines last weekend, the country's government said Friday, as it grappled with the mounting humanitarian crisis in the region.
A total of 1,079 people remain unaccounted for, the Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said in a statement. Earlier in the week, the disaster council said it had lost count of the number of missing as it tried to assess the scale of the destruction.
The death toll from Tropical Storm Washi, which set off landslides and flash floods that swept away whole villages, has risen to 1,080, according to the council.
The United Nations said Wednesday that the storm has created "huge" humanitarian needs on the island of Mindanao, the scene of the worst devastation. It has made an appeal to raise $28 million to deal with the immediate problems in the area, with hundreds of thousands of people displaced in and around the port cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro.
"I was shocked by scale of destruction I saw," David Carden, the head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Philippines told CNN on Thursday after visiting the region. He said it looked as if an "inland tsunami had struck the area."
Around 675,000 people have been affected by the storm, the disaster council said Friday, with more than 300,000 of them being taken care of at evacuation centers at the moment.
President Benigno Aquino of the Philippines has declared a state of national calamity following the storm.
The disaster council said it estimated the cost of the damage caused by the storm at more than one billion Philippines pesos ($23 million).
Source: CNNASIA
Storm leaves huge humanitarian needs in Philippines, U.N. says
The devastation in the southern Philippines left by Tropical Storm Washi has created "huge" humanitarian needs in the area, the United Nations said Wednesday, estimating that nearly a half-million people are in need of assistance.
"The first priority is to help those who are displaced as a result of the floods," Valerie Amos, the U.N. emergency relief coordinator, said in comments published on the organization's website. "People urgently need shelter and clean drinking water, as well as bedding, food and basic household items."
Amos called on other countries and international organizations to increase relief efforts for the stricken region.
A number of U.N. agencies, including the World Food Program and the World Health Organization, have stepped up humanitarian measures in the past few days, she said.
The storm, known locally as Sendong, plowed across the southern Philippines over the weekend, leaving tens of thousands of people homeless and aid agencies struggling to deal with the aftermath.
The United Nations estimated that about 285,000 people had been displaced, with many of them finding shelter with relatives or in makeshift structures.
The death toll from the storm has increased to 1,002, Benito Ramos, head of the Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said earlier Wednesday.
Newly homeless Filipino couple marries
That grim announcement came a day after President Benigno Aquino declared a state of national calamity after visiting areas on the island of Mindanao that were ravaged by flash floods and landslides from the storm.
The Red Cross has said that hundreds of people remain unaccounted for after entire villages were swept away.
The worst of the destruction took place in the port cities Iligan and Cagayan de Oro, which do not usually experience storms as intense as Washi.
Source: CNNASIA
Death toll from tropical storm in Philippines rising
The death toll from a tropical storm in the southern Philippines has reached more than 900, an official with the country's disaster agency said Monday.
Benito Ramos of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said the toll stood at 927.
The Philippines Red Cross reported a lower death toll, at 713.
Tropical Storm Washi affected more than 167,000 people, the council said in a report Monday. About 88,000 people were being served at evacuation centers.
President Beningo Aquino plans to visit the region Tuesday.
U.S. President Barack Obama issued a statement Monday expressing "deep condolences for the tremendous loss of life and devastation."
He said the United States "stands ready to assist the Philippine people and government should humanitarian assistance and recovery efforts be needed."
The Red Cross noted that hundreds are missing after entire villages were swept away. The stench of death permeated the air as aid workers scrambled to help survivors.
Military and disaster officials said the vast majority of the dead were found in the port cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro, many of them swept away as they were sleeping. Water-logged bodies from washed-away villages floated at the shoreline on the northwestern coast of Mindanao island.
Five people were killed in a landslide, but virtually all the others died in flash flooding after Tropical Storm Washi, which is called Sendong locally.
Survivors in the hardest-hit areas are contending with no electricity or clean drinking water. One woman in Cagayan de Oro collected murky brown floodwater in a bucket, just meters away from where a destroyed vehicle was submerged.
Flash flooding overnight Friday, following 10 hours of rain, fueled the devastation. As much as 20 centimeters (8 inches) of rain fell within 24 hours in some areas. December generally brings about 60 millimeters of rain (a little over 2 inches) to the region.
Source: CNNASIA
North Korean leader Kim Jong Il dead after heart attack, state media reports
North Korea's enigmatic leader Kim Jong Il -- who, after succeeding his father 17 years ago, captained his poor, closed nation and antagonized its enemies -- is dead, state media reported Monday.
Kim, 69, died at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, state media reported.
A broadcaster reported that Kim died due to "overwork" after "dedicating his life to the people."
Kim died of "great mental and physical strain" while in a train during a "field guidance tour," North Korea's state-run KCNA news agency reported.
A look back at the life of Kim Jong Il
More specifically, the agency reported that Kim suffered a heart attack and couldn't be saved despite the use of "every possible first-aid measure."
He had been treated for "cardiac and cerebrovascular diseases for a long period," KCNA noted.
His funeral will be held December 28 and the national mourning period extends until December 29, said the news agency.
North Korean and communist party officials "released a notice on Saturday informing" members of the Workers' Party of Korea, military "and all other people" of Kim's passing, according to KCNA.
South Korea's national security council convened after news broke about Kim's death and was still meeting as of 1:30 p.m. Monday, President Lee Myung-bak's office said.
All members of South Korea's military have been placed on "emergency alert" and the president cancelled the rest of his Monday schedule, according to Lee's office.
"South Korea's concern is warranted, frankly, because an insecure North Korea could well be an even more dangerous North Korea," a U.S. official said.
The White House, meanwhile, released a statement saying U.S. officials are "closely monitoring reports" of Kim's death and are "in close touch with our allies in South Korea and Japan."
This Just In: Up-to-the minute news on the death of Kim Jong Il
"We remain committed to stability on the Korean peninsula, and to the freedom and security of our allies," the White House statement said.
The son of Kim Il Song, founder of the communist nation, Kim Jong Il had been in power since 1994 when his father died of a heart attack at age 82.
The enigmatic leader was a frequent thorn in the side of neighboring South Korea, as well as the United States. There have been reports in recent years about his health, as well as that power will be transitioned to his son, Kim Jong Un.
North Korea's nuclear program -- and international attempts to hinder its nuclear weaponry potential -- put Kim at odds with many world leaders in recent years, as did his governing style.
Under his leadership, North Korea was largely closed off to outside influences, fearful of threats from its neighbors and subject to decades of political socialization. At the same time, it also sought international aid after extensive famines that contributed to the deaths of tens of thousands of people.
Both North Korea and South Korea have shown signs of concession in recent years -- Pyongyang has expressed willingness to engage with countries involved in multilateral talks aimed at North Korea's denuclearization, while Seoul recently sent humanitarian aid through U.N. agencies to help the malnourished population in the North.
But relations between the two rival nations soured yet again when North Korea launched an attack on the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong, killing two South Korean marines and two civilians.
North Korean news reports earlier this fall indicated that Kim Jong Il had been traveling around the country and visiting China, a big change from 2009 when he was thought to be ill with cancer.
Two senior U.S. military officials said then that they believed the pace of North Korea's planned regime change from Kim to his 20-something son appeared to have slowed.
The son, also known as Kim, started his career as a four-star general and in recent years was given more official duties by his father.
"He's clearly the designated successor," Mike Chinoy, a senior fellow at the U.S.-China Institute who once worked for CNN, said of Kim Jong Un. "This has been in place for a while."
Chinoy said he expected that, in the short-term, North Koreans would "rally around the flag (and) hunker down." But given the nation's deep-rooted economic and other problems, maintaining that unity and control without a overarching figure like Kim Jong Il in place may be more difficult.
"The deeper questions come over the long-term," Chinoy said.
Source: CNNASIA
At least 180 dead after storm pummels Philippines
At least 180 people are dead after Tropical Storm Washi pummeled the Philippines, officials said Saturday.
The vast majority of the bodies were found in the cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro, according to military officials and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Five people were killed in a landslide, but all others died in flash flooding.
The provinces of Compostela Valley and Zamboanga del Norte were also hit, said Benito Ramos, chairman of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
About 400 people are missing after the storm, which is called Sendong locally. More than 2,000 have been rescued, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said officials are investigating reports that an entire village was swept away.
Flash flooding overnight -- following 10 hours of rain -- fueled the devastation, compounded by overflowing rivers and tributaries. As much as 20 centimeters (8 inches) of rain fell within 24 hours in some areas.
Ramos said despite government warning, some did not evacuate.
An estimated 100,000 people are displaced, according to officials from Iligan and Cagayan de Oro.
At least 20,000 people were staying in 10 evacuation centers in Cagayan de Oro, Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman said Saturday.
Some 20,000 soldiers embarked on search-and-rescue operations, the military said.
Officials asked for volunteers to pack food to send to those displaced.
Though Washi was headed away from the Philippines on Saturday, trouble could loom for Vietnam, as the storm's westerly path could cross Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday.
Source: CNNASIA
Donald makes golf history with Race to Dubai success
Luke Donald has won the 2011 Race to Dubai title to become the first golfer in history to top the money list in both Europe and the United States in the same calendar year.
Englishman Donald needed to finish in the top nine of the season-ending Dubai World Championship at the Jumeirah Golf Estates on Sunday to add the European title to the PGA Tour crown he secured last month.
And he achieved that target comfortably, carding three birdies in his final six holes to shoot a second successive six-under-par 66 -- the joint best round of the day -- for a 72-hole total of 272 (-16).
Tiger holds no terror for golf's new world order
That was enough to come home third in the 58-strong field, three shots adrift of tournament winner Alvaro Quiros of Spain, who held his nerve to post a five-under 67 for a two-stroke success over Scotland's Paul Lawrie.
Prior to the tournament, only Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy could have prevented Donald from making history, meaning the top two ranked players in the world were fighting it out for European golf's top prize.
World number two McIlroy, who came into the tournament in sparkling form after winning the Hong Kong Open the previous week, needed to win in Dubai and hope Donald finished outside the top nine.
But Donald's third-placed finish meant McIlroy could not overtake his Ryder Cup team-mate no matter what he achieved -- and in the end he finished joint 11th, 10 strokes off the pace, after a third round of 71 in a row.
Donald's year has been a model of consistency, with the 34-year-old winning four times this season, twice on each tour, as well as picking up a host of placed finishes along the way.
He began his season by winning February's WGC-Accenture Match Play title in Arizona, before the pivotal moment in May when he defeated Lee Westwood in a play-off in the European Tour's flagship BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth -- taking Westwood's No.1 ranking in the process.
Donald continued that form into July with a four-stroke success in the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart.
And he effectively secured the PGA Tour title with a two-shot win in October's Children's Miracle Network Classic at Disneyland.
Despite his astonishing success this year, Donald has also suffered heartache in 2011 following the sudden death of his father, and the world number one spoke emotionally following his victory.
Donald told the official European Tour website: "My father would have been very proud and he would just give me a big hug. He hopped into my head quite a few times over the closing stretch."
He continued: "I didn't look at the leaderboard until the 13th hole, but didn't see Rory's name up there so I knew the title was mine."
Including his $1.5m bonus for winning the Race to Dubai, Donald's total earnings from Europe alone this year are $7.143m, with McIlroy collecting $5.35m in second place and last year's winner, Martin Kaymer of Germany, third on $4.67m.
Meanwhile, Quiros finished sixth in the Race to Dubai standings after his second win of the season, following his Dubai Desert Classic success, and sixth of his career.
Quiros had begun his final round two strokes clear of Lawrie, but the former British Open champion had turned things around and was one stroke ahead at the turn.
Going into the final hole, the pair were level. However, Lawrie could only par, while a spectacular eagle putt on the 18th green ensured Quiros ended the season with a prize fund of $3.02m.
Source: CNNSPORTS
Philippines plane crashes into school in Paranaque
A small plane has crashed in the Philippines into a school building in Paranaque near the capital, Manila.
At least 13 people were killed, including two children, police and Red Cross officials say.
Paranaque's Mayor, Florencio Bernabe, said no classes were in session when the plane crash landed shortly after take-off from an airport in Manila.
A fire at the school quickly spread to surrounding shanty houses. It is not clear how many people were on board.
"The crash set fire to at least 30 houses. These are shanties, made of light materials," Gwendolyn Pang, of the Philippine Red Cross, told the AFP news agency.
Ramon Gutierrez, head of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, said the light plane had sent out a distress call shortly after take-off, AP news agency reports.
The plane, bound for Mindoro Island, crashed at about 14:30 local time (06:30 GMT).
A resident told The Philippine Star newspaper that a Christmas party has just been held at the school.
Mr Bernabe said at least 20 people had been taken to hospital with injuries, AFP reports.
Source: BBCASIA
China cracks down on rogue exchanges
The Chinese government has launched a crackdown on hundreds of unregulated electronic equity and futures exchanges that have sprung up in recent years to trade everything from fine art and commodities to insurance products.
The country's State Council, or cabinet, published a notice on Thursday announcing a campaign to "clean up and consolidate" the many exchanges that have been approved by local governments hoping to foster financial markets in their jurisdictions.
It said a task force had been set up under the securities regulator to deal with the problem and all exchanges engaged in "unauthorised and illegal" activities would be shut down.
Apart from the country's two main stock exchanges, three commodities exchanges and one financial futures exchange, no other entity is allowed to list new shares, offer centralised pricing or make markets and no more than 200 investors may hold stakes in a single traded asset, the notice said.
Investors are also banned from reselling an asset from these exchanges within five days.
Even the use of the name "exchange" in Chinese will be strictly regulated from now on and must be approved by provincial-level authorities following consultations with the securities regulator.
"Serious speculation and price manipulation has occurred" at some exchanges and cases of embezzlement and fraud have also emerged, the government said.
Although there is no official estimate for the number of unregulated exchanges or the volume of trading conducted through them, Chinese analysts say there are well over 300 of them today, up from just a handful five years ago.
Last week, three new exchanges were established in the city of Wuhan alone -- the Wuhan Shipping Exchange, Wuhan Agricultural and Livestock Products Exchange and Wuhan Financial Assets Exchange.
In the first 10 months of this year, 58 new exchanges were established, according to state media reports.
Many analysts and industry participants expect most of the exchanges will eventually be shut down and the campaign has already claimed its first casualty.
Beijing-based Hantang Artworks Exchange, where investors could trade shares in precious artworks owned by the exchange, announced on its website this week that it was halting all trading immediately "in the spirit" of the orders from the State Council.
More than 30 similar art exchanges have sprung up in the last few years but most do not appear to have been very successful and some have been mired in scandal and accusations of fraud from the outset.
"I don't think [the government] will kill all the exchanges in one go and for now I don't think the impact on our exchange will be that big," said Mr Wang, a sales manager at Inner Mongolia-based Chifeng Bulk Commodity Exchange, who declined to give his full name. "But it's true that at times we've been playing around the edges and, as an exchange, we hope the state can set up a supervision mechanism to guide the market."
In the early 1990s, Beijing launched a crackdown on hundreds of equity and commodity futures exchanges that mushroomed across the country and eventually consolidated them into the handful of large, regulated exchanges that exist today.
Source: CNNBUSINESS
