Typhoon Lekima death toll in east China rises to 28

BEIJING, China— The death toll from Typhoon Lekima (Philippine name: Hanna) rose to 28 in eastern China, said local authorities on Sunday, as rescue teams worked to locate the missing after the storm triggered a landslide and forced more than a million people to evacuate.

The monster storm arrived in Wenling city in the early hours of Saturday, packing winds of 187 kilometres per hour (116 miles per hour), with waves several metres high hitting the coastline.

On Saturday, national television station CCTV said that 18 people had died in a landslide triggered by the storm's downpours in the municipality of Wenzhou, around 400 kilometres (250 miles) south of Shanghai.

It was unclear if the further 10 deaths announced Sunday resulted from the same incident.

Twenty people were still missing, according to Zhejiang provincial authorities.

"Currently, search and rescue work from various regions is still ongoing," they said on social media platform Weibo.

More than a million people were evacuated from their homes ahead of the typhoon, the official Xinhua news agency reported. Some 110,000 people were housed in shelters.

In Zhejiang province alone, nearly 300 flights were cancelled, and ferry and rail services were suspended as a precaution.

On Sunday, footage from state broadcaster CCTV showed rescue workers on boats navigating through Linhai city, where streets were completely submerged in muddy water.

Local Chinese media reports also showed teams pulling stranded citizens from bright orange inflatable boats, with skies starting to clear as the storm moved further up the coast.

Lekima has entered Jiangsu province north of Shanghai and is expected to hit Shandong province later on Sunday, state broadcaster CCTV reported. Both provinces have already issued a red alert for torrential rain.

source: philstar.com

Super Typhoon Lekima slams into southeast China

SHANGHAI, China — Super Typhoon Lekima (Philippine name: Hanna) slammed into southeastern China early Saturday, bringing torrential rain and heavy winds that knocked out power, downed thousands of trees and forced more than one million people from their homes, state media reported.

The monster storm made landfall in the early hours in Wenling City packing winds of 187 kilometres per hour (116 miles per hour), and was expected to churn up the east coast towards Shanghai, Xinhua news agency said.

More heavy rain was forecast for the Shanghai area as well as the eastern provinces of Anhui, Fujian, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, with authorities warning of possible flash floods, mudslides and landslides caused by the downpours.

In Zhejiang province alone, nearly 300 flights were cancelled, and ferry and rail services were suspended as a precaution.

More than a quarter of a million people were relocated in Shanghai, where the high-speed maglev train that links the city to one of its airports was suspended.

More than 110,000 people were housed in shelters.

China issued a red alert as the storm approached on Friday, before downgrading the level to orange as winds eased on Saturday morning.

The storm had earlier swept past the northern tip of Taiwan on Friday, where nine people were injured, thousands of homes lost power temporarily and more than 500 flights were cancelled.

Last September, Typhoon Mangkhut slammed into mainland China where authorities evacuated more than two million people, after it left a trail of destruction in Hong Kong and Macau and killed at least 59 people in the northern Philippines.

source: philstar.com

One dead as Neoguri hits Japan's Okinawa

TOKYO -  One man died, more than 500,000 people were urged to evacuate and hundreds of flights were canceled as a strong typhoon brought torrential rain and high winds to its southwestern islands and could bring heavy rain to Tokyo later this week.

Typhoon Neoguri weakened from its original status as a super typhoon but remained intense, with gusts of more than 250 km per hour (155 mph). It was powering through the Okinawa island chain where emergency rain and high-seas warnings were in effect.



Hundreds of flights were cancelled in Japan and more than 500,000 people urged to evacuate as a powerful typhoon brought torrential rain and high winds to southwestern islands and was forecast to reach Tokyo later in the week.

The storm will be at its most powerful as it passes Okinawa, some 1,600 km (1,000 miles) southwest of Tokyo on Tuesday, but the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) warned of heavy rains and potential flooding in Kyushu, the westernmost of Japan's main islands, as well as heavy rain in the rest of the nation as the storm turns east.

"People must take the utmost caution," Keiji Furuya, state minister in charge of disaster management, told a news conference.

One man was missing after his boat was swamped by high waves, NHK national television said. Several people suffered minor injuries from falls.

More than 50,000 households in Okinawa lost power and an oil refinery halted operations. Television footage showed street lights rocking in high winds and branches being blown down largely deserted streets.

There are no nuclear plants on Okinawa but there are two on Kyushu, which lies in the area through which the typhoon is likely to pass after hitting Okinawa. There is another on Shikoku island, which borders Kyushu and could also be affected.

All are shut down due to national policy and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, which was wrecked by an earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, is on the other side of the country.

"When the wind blows most strongly, it's impossible to stand. You have to hold on to something," said Kei Shima, a self-employed Okinawa resident in her 30s.

"The lights are fading in and out, like the house is haunted. The rain is getting stronger and falling sideways."

Neoguri was roughly 110 km (68 miles) southwest of Kumejima of island at noon (0300 GMT) and moving north at 25 kph (16 mph), with sustained winds of 180 kph (110 mph).

Kadena Air Base, one of the largest U.S. military facilities on Okinawa, was on its highest level of storm alert and all outside activity was prohibited.

Nansei Sekiyu KK, a Japanese refiner wholly owned by Brazil's Petrobras, said it had suspended oil refining operations at its 100,000 barrels-per-day Nishihara refinery in Okinawa on Monday evening.

A JMA official said the storm will maintain its strength as it heads north but gradually turn to the east, making landfall in Kyushu before raking its way up the main island of Honshu and coming close to Tokyo on Friday.

"But it will be weaker by then, so that Tokyo can mainly expect a lot of rain, and maybe some gusts of wind," he added.

Around two to four typhoons make landfall in Japan each year but they are unusual in July.

source: interaksyon.com

Patti Austin welcomes New Year with two Yolanda benefit shows

After a successful fund-raising concert with Lea Salonga, Martin Nievera and Richard Merk at Solaire Resort & Casino last December 29, Grammy-winning pop, R&B and jazz singer Patti Austin celebrated New Year’s eve with another benefit show for the survivors of typhoon Yolanda at Fairmont Hotel in Makati.

The show, dubbed “One Heart, One Voice”, was held at the Fairmont’s Raffles Ballroom. It also featured Richard Merk, Emcy Corteza and the Sticky Band.

In a press conference to promote her Fairmont show, the 63-year-old singer born in Harlem, New York expressed how much she enjoys coming back and forth to the Philippines, a country she has been visiting since 1973.

“I’m always happy to come here. Last time I was here was only last September and before that was 10 years ago. Every time I’m here in your country, I see a lot of gradual improvement, a lot of progress,” she declared.

Patti was, however, heartbroken to hear about the devastation that the recent calamities, especially typhoon Yolanda, had left in their wake. Which is why she decided to take a more active role in personally helping rehabilitate the survivors.

In addition to donating part of the proceeds of her Solaire and Fairmont concerts, Patti will personally lead a continuing effort to design and build houses in Tacloban through Habitat For Humanity. During the press conference, Patti said she was particularly concerned with giving more than just empty houses and hopes to get acquainted with some of the typhoon survivors before she returns to the US.

Beginning her career in the 1960s as a session singer for the label of her godfather Quincy Jones, Patti released her debut album in 1976 and continues to record to this day.

Over the years, she scored several hits with songs like “Say You Love Me”, “What’s at the End of a Rainbow”, “Rhythm of the Street”, “All Behind Us Now”, her jazzed-up covers of the Stylistics’ “Stop Look Listen” and the Platters’ “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” and, of course, her smash duets with James Ingram, “How Do You Keep The Music Playing” and their US number one, “Baby Come To Me”.

Asked if she has ever done these duets with other people, Patti said she only prefers to do it with her original recording partner. When Ingram is not around, Patti would sing his parts just like how he did in the record.

“I try not to do those songs with other people. I tried ‘Baby Come To Me’ a couple of times with someone else, it’s just not the same thing so I don’t even bother. James would always tease me, ‘You do me better than I do me, I don’t know how that’s possible’ so there’s also a comedic effect to it,” she quipped.

Patti said Martin Nievera actually asked her if she wanted to do those duets with him.
“I told him I don’t do them for a specific reason and you’ll know the reason when you watch the show. After he saw me sing ‘Baby Come To Me’, he was just cracking up. Okay, I get it, he said,” she said, smiling.

As for “How Do You Keep The Music Playing”, the singer said it was originally intended for her to sing alone for the movie “Best Friends” starring Goldie Hawn and Burt Reynolds.

“After I recorded it alone, it was decided that it should be created as a duet that would be used in the middle part. But that wasn’t the original intention,” she revealed.

Asked how much she remembers about the 1980s when she had her greatest success, Patti said even she was surprised that she didn’t remember much of the period when she was still in her 30s.

“I don’t remember a whole heck of a lot being in my 30s. It’s probably a nondescript period in my life and it’s funny because in retrospect, they’ve been the most highly visible portion of my life. I was too busy to be highly visible to pay attention to what it was,” she joked.

“I remember much more from 40 onwards and 30 down but my 30s are just kind of a blur. There’s something about your 30s that’s kind of a waiting period until you become a complete person. I don’t recall a lot about it. I’m happy to say that it ended soon and I’m back in the real world.”




With regards to spending New Year’s eve outside of her home country, Patti said it was not a totally new experience for her.

“I’ve been doing New Year’s eve shows since I was in my 20s and none of it has ever been where I live. What’s my memorable New Year’s eve show? Nobody remembers their New Year’s eve. It’s New Year’s eve, most people are drunk. It’s not to be remembered. You just blur and block everything out,” she cracked.

There is one particularly one New Year’s eve that she won’t forget, though.

“I wasn’t performing so I decided I was going to act like a tourist and go to Times Square on New Year’s Eve. I live in Manhattan so I never really go to Times Square, the Empire State building, the Statue of Liberty, the Museum of Natural History, the Carnegie Hall. I mean, I live there. But that one time, I decided to go to Times Square,” she recalled.

“It was an interesting experience, thousands of drunk people screaming at each other. It was very strange standing for hours trying to get a cab after it was all over, though. I can’t forget that experience.”

source: interaksyon.com

Red Hot Chili Peppers to headline music fest in Pampanga for benefit of Yolanda survivors

The Red Hot Chili Peppers, the legendary American rock band that was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, will headline the 7107 International Music Festival that will take place in Clark, Pampanga on February 22 and 23 next year.

Formed in 1983, the Chili Peppers or RHCP as they are best known to fans, rose to prominence with their unique fusion of rock and funk with occasional elements of psychedelia, metal and punk rock thrown in for good measure.

The band reached the peak of their popularity in 1991 with their fourth studio album “Blood Sugar Sex Magik”, which was certified seven times platinum in the US, and the anthemic hit single, “Under The Bridge”. RHCP’s following never actually declined since then as all studio albums (“One Hot Minute”, “Californication”, “By The Way”, “Stadium Arcadium” and “I’m With You”) that followed all made the top 5 of the Billboard Hot 200 album chart in the US.

Aside from “Under The Bridge”, the band’s other best known songs include “Give It Away”, “Soul To Squeeze”, “Scar Tissue”, “Otherside”, “Californication”, “By The Way”, “The Zephyr Song”, “Can’t Stop”, “Dani California” and their covers of Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Love” and the Ohio Players’ “Love Rollercoaster”.

The current line-up consists of founding members and high school classmates Anthony Kiedes and Flea on vocals and bass respectively, longtime drummer Chad Smith, and Josh Klinghoffer, who officially replaced founding guitarist John Frusciante in 2009.

Aside from RHCP, other performers that are confirmed to perform at the music festival include Australian electronic duo Empire of the Sun, Danish pop band The Asteroids Galaxy Tour, American alternative group Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, who previously performed in Manila, the UK-based pop-rock outfit the Natives and local favorites Up Dharma Down and Radioactive Sago Project.





“Part of the proceeds will be used to rebuild, rehabilitate and fund relief projects for Typhoon Yolanda victims, a fantastic cause, which we’re proud to be a part of,” The Natives posted on their Facebook page.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are already doing their share for the calamity victims. The band is part of the all-star album “Songs for the Philippines” released last month to raise money for the typhoon victims in Leyte, Samar and other affected areas in the South. RHCP’s contribution to the compilation is the song, “Factory of Faith”.

The two-day outdoor music festival will officially commence at noontime of February 22 at the Global Gateway Logistics City in Clark, Pampanga. According to the event’s official website at 7107imf.com, the concert will consist of “two stages present(ing) a spectacular lineup of both international and local artists carefully handpicked to satisfy every musical craving”.

“In this world of live music, thrills, adventure, good eats, and people from around the globe, the only way to transcend the different cultures is through one language called music. Make sure to be there once the clock strikes noon,” the site also posted.

In addition to pre-selling tickets that are good for the entire duration of the festival (priced at P8,500 for general admission and P20,000 for VIP access), the event’s official site are also accepting cash donations for typhoon Yolanda survivors.

source: interaksyon.com

UN to mount urgent appeal for millions of dollars in aid for Philippines

The United Nations on Tuesday will launch an urgent aid appeal expected to seek hundreds of millions of dollars to help the Philippines recover from the ravages of Typhoon “Yolanda” (international codename: Haiyan).

UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos was headed for the Philippines to lead a "flash appeal" for cash, officials said, saying the scale of devastation was so far-reaching that a major emergency effort is needed.

The announcement came as the Pentagon said it had ordered an aircraft carrier, other ships and scores of aircraft that had been on a stop in Hong Kong to head to the stricken archipelago.

Ahead of the emergency appeal, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the aid already pledged but said contributions "must expand urgently in the days ahead," given the sheer damage wrought by Haiyan.

Britain is sending a ship and a transporter plane to assist with the relief effort following the typhoon, which may have killed more than 10,000 people in what is feared to be the worst natural disaster ever to hit the Philippines.

"The scale of devastation is massive and therefore it will require the mobilization of a massive response," John Ging, the UN's humanitarian operations director said, stressing the death toll was expected to rise.

"Many places are strewn with dead bodies," Ging told a news conference at the UN headquarters in New York. "We are certainly expecting the worst. As we get more and more access we find the tragedy of more and more people killed in this typhoon."

Vietnam, itself faced with mass evacuations as a weakened Haiyan swung through its territory Monday, offered aid worth $100,000 and vowed to stand by the Filipino people.

The relief operation was focused on the city of Tacloban on Leyte several days after one of the biggest storms in recorded history demolished entire communities across the central Philippines.

Delivering on a promise of assistance from President Barack Obama, about 180 US Marines were deployed to the Philippines on Monday to support local forces, carry out search and rescue work and help humanitarian efforts on the ground.

Britain's HMS Daring, a destroyer, will sail to the Philippines "at full speed" from its current deployment in Singapore, and will be joined by a Royal Air Force C-17 transport plane, Prime Minister David Cameron said.

Britain will also boost its aid from £6 million ($9.6 million) to £10 million.

The Australian government pledged Aus$10 million ($9.38 million), with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop describing the unfolding tragedy as "absolutely devastating" and on a "massive scale."

The aid will include tarpaulins, sleeping mats, mosquito nets, water containers and health and hygiene kits. A team of Australian medics will leave on Wednesday via a C-17 military transport plane from Darwin to join disaster experts already on the ground, the government said.

Local rescue teams were said to be overwhelmed in their efforts to help those whose homes and livelihoods were destroyed after Yolanda ravaged large swathes of the country on Friday.

Officials were struggling to cope with the scale of death and destruction, with reports of violent looters and scarcity of food, drinking water and shelter.

The UN children's fund UNICEF said a cargo plane carrying 60 tons of aid including shelters and medicine would arrive in the Philippines Tuesday, to be followed by deliveries of water purification and sanitation equipment.

The UN refugee agency UNHCR was also organizing an airlift carrying aid including hygiene kits containing basics such as soap, blankets and underwear.

"The level of destruction we're seeing reported is absolutely staggering," said Antonio Guterres, head of UNHCR.

Other aid mobilized for the Philippines:

The European Commission said it would give three million euros ($4 million) toward relief efforts.
Germany's embassy in Manila said an initial shipment of 23 tons of aid was being flown in and German rescue teams were already at work.
Malaysia also readied a relief crew and cash aid was offered by Taiwan and Singapore.
New Zealand increased its humanitarian relief on Monday, bringing its total to NZ$2.15 million (US$1.78 million), while Canada has promised up to US$5 million to aid organizations.
Medical teams from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), or Doctors Without Borders, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) now in the country.

On the other hand, the Canadian government called on its citizens to donate money towards aiding the Philippines, pledging to match these donations dollar-for-dollar.

MSF said a 15-man team that arrived in Cebu on November 9 is expected to be in Tacloban City on Wednesday with 50 more people -- medical personnel, logisticians and psychologists -- and 329 tons of medical and relief supplies arriving in the next few days.The first cargo plane left Dubai on Monday and a second will depart Belgium on Tuesday.

JICA, on the other hand, said 25 members of the Japan Disaster Relief Medical Team from Tokyo -- doctors, nurses, and other medical experts and personnel -- arrived in Manila on Monday and will be in Tacloban City on Wednesday.

“We join the collective efforts of the local and international community in reaching out to victims of typhoon Yolanda. We are working closely with the Department of Health to help address the health needs of the people affected by this tragedy,” JICA Philippines chief representative Takahiro Sasaki said in a statement.

“It is now Japan’s turn to return support to the Filipinos who helped the Japanese people affected during the Great East Japan Earthquake last March 11, 2011. We are confident that the Filipinos will rise above this challenge, and the recent typhoon will provide a perspective in strengthening disaster preparedness in the long-term,” he added.

Meanwhile, Canada’s Minister of International Development, Christian Paradis, said that, “for every eligible dollar donated by individual Canadians to registered Canadian charities in response to the crisis in the Philippines the government will donate an additional dollar -- effectively doubling their contribution.”

The announcement, made on November 9, is aside from Canada’s initial $30,000 allocation to the International Federation of the Red Cross to help launch relief operations.

Paradis also announced that Canada is giving “up to $5 million in support to humanitarian organizations.”

Canada is also deploying the Interdepartmental Strategic Support Team to assess needs on ground and identify potential response options, which could include the Disaster Assistance Response Team.

source: interaksyon.com

Banks shutter branches along path of 'Yolanda'

MANILA – Banks in areas along the path of Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ have suspended operations.

In an advisory, United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB) announced that the following branches in the Bicol region, Visayas and Mindanao will be closed today:







Daet
Legaspi
Masbate
Naga
San Jose
Sorsogon
Banilad
Calbayog
Carbon
Dumaguete
F. Ramos
Iznart
Jaro
Jones Avenue
Kalibo
Lacson Galo
Libertad
Mabini
Mabolo
Mandaue
Mango Avenue
North Drive
Roxas
San Juan
SM City Cebu
Tacloban
Tagbilaran
Butuan
Surigao

“We apologize for the inconvenience, but we are exerting our efforts to ensure the safety of all UCPB customers and employees,” the bank said.

In a separate notice, Philippine Veterans Bank (PVB) said it also closed the following branches in Bicol region, Visayas and Mindnao today because of the typhoon:

Tacloban
Catarman
Legazpi City (Albay)
Tagbilaran
San Jose (Mindoro Occidental)
Dumaguete
Cebu
Mandaue
Roxas City (Capiz)
Naga
Butuan
Iloilo
Bacolod
Cagayan de Oro
Kalibo

“We apologize for the inconvenience, but we are exerting our efforts to ensure the safety of all PVB customers and employees. We wish for the safety of our kababayans in areas now being affected by this massive storm,” PVB said.

Separately, Philippine Savings Bank said the following branches in the Visayas didn’t open today because of the typhoon:

Bacolod
Bacolod Libertad
Bacolod North Drive
Butuan
Cebu Ayala Business Park
Cebu Banilad
Cebu Capitol
Cabu Carbon
Cebu Colon
Cebu Jones
Cebu Lapu-Lapu
Cebu Mandaue AC Cortex
Cebu Mandaue National Highway
Cebu Mango
Cebu Subangdaku
Cebu Taboan

source: interaksyon.com

Calamity areas still without electricity a day before 'Yolanda' makes landfall

MANILA - As the country braces for a super typhoon, the Department of Energy (DOE) said electricity has yet to be restored in all areas affected by a string of calamities that struck last month.

In a report, the DOE said power has been restored in all towns belonging to the Ilocos Sur Electric Cooperative franchise area, and in 23 municipalities served by Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative, except for remote barangays.

In Cagayan province, 18 out of its 29 towns have been energized, according to a report by the National Electrification Administration (NEA). The three provinces were in the path of Typhoon Vinta, which left the Philippine area of responsibility early this week.

In the Cagayan II Electric Cooperative (CAGELCO II) franchise area, power has been restored in all 12 municipalities it serves. For Cagayan I Electric Cooperative's franchise area, however, the municipalities of Abulug, Ballesteros, Buguey, Calayan, Claveria, Gattaran, Pamplona, Sanchez Mira, Sta. Ana, Sta. Praxedes, and Sta. Teresita, and parts of Appari and Gonzaga remain without power.

Moreover, the towns of Flora, Luna, Pudtol and Santa Marcela in Apayao province, which CAGELCO II also serves, still have no electricity.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines reported that it has completed the repair of the Magapit-Sta. Teresita-Sta. Ana 69-kiloVolt (kV) transmission line segment as of 6:00 p.m. yesterday. It also restored the Tuguegarao-Magapit-Camalaniugan 69-kV line segment as early as the evening of November 4.

"Total power restoration of municipalities and barangays affected by the recent Typhoon Vinta is expected in two to three weeks’ time," the DOE said.

Of the areas affected by Typhoon Santi, on the other hand, a total of 20 barangays in Nueva Ecija still don't enjoy electricity 24/7 because of "accessibility concerns."

"Power restoration on household level of barangays under Nueva Ecija I Electric Cooperative franchise area is targeted for completion on November 19, while [Nueva Ecija II Electric Cooperative - Area 2] by tomorrow," the DOE said.

As to the quake-hit Bohol, 94 percent of households has been energized.

"[The] remaining unenergized households still have to undergo further inspections for damages before receiving power," the department said.

The country is bracing for Typhoon Yolanda, which the weather bureau said is far stronger than those that entered the Philippine area of responsibility in the past two months.

source: interaksyon.com