Suicide bomber kills 5 at UN office in Pakistan

A suicide bomber disguised as a security officer struck the lobby of the U.N. food agency's Pakistan headquarters Monday, killing five people a day after the new leader of the Pakistani Taliban vowed fresh assaults, authorities and witnesses said.
The blast raises questions as to how the bomber managed to evade tight security at the heavily fortified World Food Program compound in the capital, Islamabad. It could also hamper the work of WFP and other aid agencies assisting Pakistanis displaced by army offensives against al-Qaida and the Taliban in their strongholds close to the Afghan border.
Hours after the attack, the world body said it was closing its offices in Pakistan temporarily.
Militants have carried out scores of suicide attacks in Pakistan over the last 2 1/2 years, several of them targeting foreigners and their interests. Under U.S. pressure, Pakistani security forces have recently had some success combatting the extremists.
The blast Monday shattered windows in the lobby of the compound in an upscale residential area of Islamabad and left victims lying on the ground in pools of blood, witnesses said. The office is close to a home belonging to President Asif Ali Zardari.
"There was a huge bang, and something hit me. I fell on the floor bleeding," said Adam Motiwala, an information officer at the U.N. agency who was hospitalized with injuries to his head, leg and ribs.
Medical officials at two hospitals said five people had been killed in the attack, including an Iraqi working for the agency. Two of those killed were Pakistani women. Several others were injured, two of them critically, the WFP said in a statement.
"This is a terrible tragedy for WFP, and for the whole humanitarian community in Pakistan," said WFP Deputy Executive Director, Amir Abdulla, speaking from the agency's headquarters in Rome. "These were people working to assist the poor and the vulnerable on the front lines of hunger in Pakistan."
Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the attacker was wearing the uniform of a paramilitary police officer and asked a guard if he could go inside the building to use the bathroom. He was carrying around 8 kilograms (18 pounds) of explosives.
Police official Bin Yamin said the attacker, who was in his 20s, detonated his explosives in the lobby. It was unclear how he made that far. Typically, visitors to U.N. buildings in Islamabad are screened and patted down for weapons and explosives in secure chambers some distance from the entrance to the building.
The British defense and home ministers were visiting Islamabad at the time of the attack but were unaffected.
The bombing was the first such attack in Islamabad since June, when two police where killed. A blast in June on a luxury hotel in the northwestern city of Peshawar killed two U.N. staffers and injured others.
On Sunday, Hakimullah Mehsud, the new leader of the Taliban in Pakistan, met with reporters in the country's tribal areas for the first time since winning control of the militants. His appearance, flanked by other Taliban commanders in a show of unity, ended speculation that he was killed in a leadership battle within the militant group sparked by the August slaying of his predecessor, Baitullah Mehsud, in a missile strike.
Mehsud vowed to strike back at Pakistan and the U.S. for the increasing number of drone attacks in the tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan. He spoke to a small group of reporters on condition that his comments not be published until Monday.
Unmanned drones have carried out more than 70 missile strikes in northwestern Pakistan over the last year in a covert program, killing several top militant commanders along with sympathizers and civilians. The Pakistani government publicly protests the attacks but is widely believed to sanction them and provide intelligence for at least some.
American officials have said they are considering a strategy of intensified drone attacks combined with the deployment of special operations forces against al-Qaida and Taliban targets on the Pakistani side of the border - part of an alternative to sending more troops to Afghanistan in what is an increasingly unpopular war.
As part of the offensive against the Taliban leadership, Mehsud's brother, Kalimullah, was killed last month. Analysts say the group is struggling to regroup from the attacks on its leaders. Pakistani officials had speculated that Hakimullah had been killed in a recent shootout.

Typhoon Parma set to spare Philippine disaster zone

(Picture courtesy of ABC news) typhoon ondoy (ketsana) hit vietnam: after philippines

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MANILA (AFP) - – A typhoon that threatened to bring more devastation to millions of flood survivors in the Philippines veered from the disaster zone Saturday, but officials warned it could still cause major damage.
Typhoon Parma, billed earlier as a supertyphoon as it raced toward the country, altered course towards the northernmost tip of the Philippines' main Luzon island and away from the nation's partly submerged capital Manila.
"The threat of typhoon Pepeng to us (in and around Manila) has eased," weather bureau spokesman Nathaniel Cruz said in a radio interview, referring to Parma's local name.
"That is good news."
Parma was now expected to land Saturday evening on the province of Cagayan, north of its earlier predicted landfall in Aurora province and about 400 kilometres (250 miles) from Manila.
It was packing sustained winds of 175 kilometres per hour (109 mph) and gusts of up to 210 kph, easing slightly from Friday but still capable of inflicting major damage.
The Philippines had been fearfully bracing for Parma, which churned toward the country just a week after tropical storm Ketsana triggered the worst flooding in 40 years in and around Manila, leaving 293 people dead.
Of the more than three million people affected, about 400,000 remain in overcrowded and poorly supplied evacuation centres in Manila and nearby areas.
National Disaster Coordinating Councilspokesmanm Lieutenant Colonel Ernesto Torres said that with the threat from Parma easing, "we can now focus on relief efforts" for the Ketsana victims.
However Defence Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, who heads the council, cautioned people in the disaster area against becoming complacent and warned those in evacuation camps not to return to their homes.
"While the storm has changed course, it does not mean there will be no rains... We're not yet sure if it will not rain and if it will not flood again," he said in a radio interview.
Heavy rain showers had already fallen across Manila on Friday night and before dawn Saturday, adding to the burden of the sprawling city of 12 million people that was awash with flooding six-metres (20-feet) high last Saturday.
Parts of Manila and its outskirts remained flooded a week after the disasters, and even relatively small amounts of water could cause problems for dangerously swollen rivers and lakes.
After being accused of not preparing the nation properly for Ketsana, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Friday placed the Philippines under a "state of calamity" to expedite relief efforts and get ready for Parma.
The Philippine weather bureau said that before dawn Saturday, Parma was plotted 260 kilometres (161.5 miles) southeast of Cagayan, an agricultural and fish farming province.
It was forecast to move northwest at 17 kph and smash Cagayan and northern parts of nearby Isabela province in the evening.
"As of now, we are thankful that the storm is not wreaking much havoc but we are expecting the worst," said Isabela police chief Senior Superintendent Jimmy Rivera.
He said residents who were deemed to be in danger had been evacuated.
But he said all roads and bridges remained passable in the province, one of the country's top rice producers and where fish farms are a main source of livelihood.

ANOTHER SUPER TYPHOON PEPENG (PARMA) STRONGER THAN ONDOY WILL HIT PHILIPPINES TOMORROW

MANILA - Weather bureau PAGASA on Thursday said typhoon Pepeng (international codename Parma) is forecast to bring more rains and very strong winds in Northern Luzon including Metro Manila once it makes landfall Saturday afternoon.
In a press conference Thursday afternoon, PAGASA said Pepeng has intensified further, now packing winds of 195 kilometers per hour near the center, and gusts of up to 230 kph.
As of 5 p.m., PAGASA weather branch chief Nathaniel Cruz said the typhoon was sighted 440 km east of Catarman, Northern Samar and is moving 24 kilometers per hour in the general direction of Northern Luzon and the Taiwan area.
Typhoon Pepeng (Parma): Forecasts
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services (PAGASA): Tropical Cyclone Update
Manila Observatory
Japan Meteorological Agency
Taiwan Central Weather Bureau
Hong Kong Observatory
World Meteorolgical Organization (WMO) Severe Weather information Centre
US Navy: Joint Typhoon Warning Center
US NOAA Satellite and Information Service (Satellite Image Loop)
The typhoon is expected to be 100 km northeast of Virac, Catanduanes or 300 km southeast of Baler, Aurora by Friday afternoon.
Cruz said the typhoon is forecast to make landfall over Aurora-Isabela by Saturday morning or afternoon. He said the typhoon will bring occasional rains over the eastern section of Luzon and Visayas and more frequent rains in Samar and Bicol Thursday afternoon.
Gale-force winds are also forecast over Visayas and Mindanao.
Storm Signal no.1 has been hoisted in Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay, Quezon (including the Polilio Islands), and Aurora.
"Residents in low-lying areas and near mountain slopes under signal #1 are advised to take all the necessary precautionary measures against possible flashfloods and landslides," the PAGASA weather bulletin stated.
"The public and the disaster coordinating councils concerned are advised to take appropriate actions and watch for the next bulletin to be issued at 11 P.M. today (Thursday)," it added.
Stronger than Ondoy, similar to Reming
Cruz, in an earlier press conference, said Pepeng is much stronger than last Saturday's tropical storm Ondoy (international codename Ketsana), which brought record amounts of rainfall and triggered the worst flooding in Metro Manila in 40 years.
"In terms of wind intensity, Ondoy was only half of the strength of Pepeng. When it made landfall, Ondoy only had winds of 85 kph while Pepeng is 175 kph. However, we cannot really compare the two because it was the rain that was really destructive about Ondoy," he said.
He added: "Our major concern with Pepeng is the disastrous winds - 175 kph to 210 kph. We expect typhoon Pepeng to intensify further as it moves towards northern Luzon."
He said the weather bureau will give a forecast on the typhoon's estimated rainfall intensity before it makes landfall.
Cruz also likened typhoon Pepeng to super-typhoon Reming (international codename Durian), which killed at least 734 people in the country in 2006.
"This could be like Reming. We are not just talking here about Metro Manila. We are talking of the entire Luzon area where there is probability of devastation in terms of flooding...and wind," he said.
Dams to release water
Dr. Susan Espinueva, assistant weather services chief of the Hydro Metrological Division of PAGASA, said major dams in Northern Luzon have been releasing water before Pepeng hits.
"All major dams in Northen Luzon wll be releasing water to lower the water level so that when the storm hits, there will be a buffer of storage capacity in our dams and the spillover will not be as severe,' she said.
Among the dams that have released water are the Angat Dam in Norzagaray, Bulacan; Binga Dam in Itogon, Benguet Province; Ambuklao Dam in Bokod, Benguet; Magat Dam in Ramon, Isabela province; and Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija.
Espinueva said Angat Dam started releasing water since 10 a.m. Tuesday to lower the water level from 214 to 212 meters. She said maximum outflow of 500 cubic meters per second was released from the dam.
She said that as of 3 p.m. Friday, the Caliraya Dam in Lumban, Laguna also started releasing water. "Water coming from the dam will affect the towns of Lumban and Pagsanjan," she said.
The government has started preparing more evacuation centers as it anticipates more people to be displaced by the new storm.
Disaster officials fear more rains spawned by the typhoon could trigger another massive flood as streets and drainage systems remain clogged from the tons of debris left by the previous deluge caused by tropical storm Ondoy (international codename Ketsana).
As of 6 a.m., the National Disaster Coordinating Council said more than half a million families of 2.50 million individuals have been affected by Ondoy in 11 regions, including Metro Manila and the Calabarzon area in southern Luzon.
It said that a total of 686,699 people are now staying in 726 evacuation centers. It said Ondoy’s death toll has reached 277 and 42 were still missing.
The storm, which also devastated Vietnam and Cambodia, damaged crops and infrastructure worth at least P4.80 billion.
Coast Guard limits sea travel
Coast Guard commandant Vice-Adm. Wilfredo Tamayo said he has placed all Coast Guard units in affected areas of the new storm on heightened alert.
He said all sea vessels below 1,000 gross tonnage have been barred from sailing in Catanduanes, Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte as of Thursday morning.
"If Storm Signal no. 2 is hoisted, no vessel will be permitted to sail. We are warning fishing bats and smaller vessels not to venture out to sea. Maritime travelers going to the affected areas are advised to delay their trips,

CRISIS IN MANILA NOW

Philippine flood crisis deepens, death toll at 240
Hundreds of thousands of exhausted Philippine flood survivors crowded into schools, gymnasiums and other makeshift shelters on Tuesday, as the death toll from the weekend disaster soared to 240.
Three days after a once-in-a-generation storm pounded Manila and surrounding regions, officials said they were unable to cope with the enormous number of flood victims who were continuing to pour into the evacuation centres.
"More people are coming in by the hour.... We don't know how long we will be able to sustain this," said Joe Ferrer, a local government official in charge of a shelter on a basketball court on the outskirts of Metro Manila. Related article: Disease threat
"We need clothing, food supplies, food rations and medicine."
Already 3,000 people from the depressed San Andres neighbourhood were at the basketball court, and flood survivors told AFP they were tired and hungry.
The government announced early Tuesday that nearly 375,000 survivors of the devastating rains unleashed by tropical storm Ketsana on Saturday were sheltering in the more than 600 centres. Related article: Typhoon nears Vietnam
The number of homeless was a more than three-fold rise from Monday.
The death toll also jumped significantly after authorities finally started to record those killed in Manila, and not just the neighbouring regions.
The latest death toll of 240 was 100 more than Monday's assessment.
The government said 101 people had been confirmed killed in the capital, up from seven on Monday. Related article: Flood hero who perished
Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said he did not expect another similar spike in the death toll, although authorities had yet to fully assess the storm's economic impact.
"I think for casualties, the increases will be not that great, but the damage figure may increase," said Teodoro, who is leading the relief effort.
After admitting it could not cope on its own, the government on Monday appealed to the international community for help.
"The potential for a more serious situation is there and we cannot wait for that to happen," Teodoro said.
The government said Tuesday that tonnes of food aid as well as foreign experts were on their way to the Philippines.
The United States, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore and UN agencies were among the nations or organisations to have given aid.
President Gloria Arroyo described the floods as a "once-in-a-lifetime" event and in an extraordinary move opened the Malacanang presidential palace to flood survivors. Related article: Arroyo opens palace residence
"Evacuees will be given shelter in available areas among the Malacanang buildings and in tents that will be put up in between the buildings," Arroyo said in a statement late on Monday.
"If required, our employees will yield their work stations to provide more space for our displaced countrymen."
After word of the offer spread, hundreds of people converged on the palace on Tuesday morning and received plastic bags filled with noodles and canned sardines.
"We just heard it in the news that they are giving relief goods at the palace so we walked for one hour," said street sweeper Rosette Serrano, 31, who lost everything except her clothes when her house was submerged on Saturday.
However, officials said people would not be allowed to stay inside the presidential compound and shelter there unless they were first vetted by aid organisations.
"We cannot just allow every evacuee in because of logistical and security problems," Arroyo aide Wilfredo Oca told AFP.

Latest on ONDOY

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government on Sunday pledged to donate $10,000 to victims of a devastating tropical storm that killed 52 and displaced hundreds of thousands in northern Philippines.
"The damages caused by incessant rains and unexpected floods were heartbreaking. The Chinese Government and people were saddened by loss of lives and have deep sympathy with the Philippine Government and people," Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Liu Jianchao said in a statement.
Liu said the fund will be channeled to the Philippine National Red Cross.
Tropical storm Ondoy (international name Kestana) slammed into the eastern coast of Luzon region on Saturday. Heavy rainfall and landslides brought by the storm left 52 people dead, 27 missing and over 300,000 people affected, most of whom were evacuated from their flooded homes.
Full-scale rescue operations started on Sunday as the storm left the country. Hundreds were believed to remain stranded in half-submerged villages and towns near the national capital region