POLITICS & POLICY

The Philippine Government led by Benigno Aquino III is now on defensive after CNN News Reporter Anderson Cooper reportedly said, "There's no leader, there is no government, there is no civil defense in the Philippines." However, Cooper, in his follow up reports, clarified he said there was no organized efforts, but he didn't say there was no leadership or government presence.

On Thursday, the first mass burial was held in Tacloban City where the bodies were buried in a 2-metre deep grave the size of an Olympic pool. However, on the same day, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned the Philippine Department of Health that mass burials without proper identification could violate human rights.

According to the National highway Traffic Safety Administration, around 360 people are killed every year because of police chases.

Early news reports across the world, after Typhoon Haiyan 'Yolanda' struck the Philippines; put the estimated death toll at 10,000 with over 660,000 displaced. Considering the devastation caused by the typhoon, the figure seemed plausible. Now, it turns out that the actually death toll is far less, still bad enough and the official, who released the wild estimate of death toll has been sacked.

China has bowed down to international pressure and has decided to give an additional $1.4 million worth of relief supplies for the victims of the Category 5 super typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in the Philippines. China's humanitarian assistance now totals $1.6 million.

The Center for Global Development's (CGD) Vijaya Ramachandran and Owen Barder have noted that the international community should not help the Philippines after it was hit by Haiyan the way it responded to Haiti after a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in 2010.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has unanimously approved the extension of the African Union (AU) deployment of African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) until Oct. 31, 2014. The UNSC has requested the AU expand AMISOM's force strength from 17,731 to a maximum of 22,126 uniformed personnel.

An Egyptian court ruling Tuesday, announcing the country's 3-month-old state of emergency, two days earlier than scheduled, has fuelled worries of renewed protests by supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi.

Even as China works its way up as a market oriented economy, a widely held belief is that China’s judicial system is failing in its role as an independent and impartial arbitrator of the rule of law. With the judiciary playing an increasingly important role in driving a market economy, it is now being widely accepted in China that the judicial reforms; aimed at creating a fair, efficient and predictable dispute settlement and criminal justice system are a must.

In a major policy shift influenced by the ongoing nuclear talks with Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu forced Housing Minister Uri Ariel to scrap plans for a "record" 20,000 Jewish settlement homes in the West Bank.

Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie has signed the Senate bill legalizing same sex marriage barely a day after its approval.

If it can be helped, China's netizens don't want any part of their country's money donated to the victims of super typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

Ex-prime Minister Julia Gillard puts Altona home up in the market

In an exclusive from The Australian, teenager claims rape by Senior ALP members

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has confessed that he did purchase illegal drugs in the last couple of years

Sharing memes and "rage comics" are illegal in Australia, according to the country's copyright law. The Li'll Bub, Condescending Wonka and Ryan Gosling's hey girl are considered crimes under Australian law. A fine of up to $93,500 will be imposed just by sharing a video from YouTube.

CNN News Reporter Anderson Cooper tweeted Tuesday that no evidence of relief and rescue efforts can be seen in the storm-ravaged city of Tacloban in the Central Philippines after it was hit by super typhoon Haiyan.

Former city councillor Aaron Keown is under fire for encouraging people to send abusive messages to a woman. The controversial Christchurch politician posted a woman's number on his Facebook page, telling his followers that the woman deserves to receive abusive messages and crank calls.

Britain and the United States are sending warships to the Philippines hit by super typhoon Haiyan as new weather disturbance threatens relief operations in affected areas.

In the Philippines, typhoon Haiyan survivors slam Philippine government and local media for hypocrisy.

On Wednesday, the Philippines has placed the official death tally from super typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) at 1,833 dead.

Two Australian planes left from Darwin, Wednesday, Nov 13, to transport medical aid and emergency supplies to Tacloban City, Philippines to aid victims of typhoon Haiyan, ABC reports. The planes target to land in the Philippines by afternoon.

As aid workers laboured round-the-clock to get food, clean water, shelter and basic medicines to the survivors of Typhoon Haiyan, the United Nations (UN) Tuesday made a worldwide appeal for nearly $301 million funding to provide humanitarian assistance for the Philippines. The flash appeal for financial aid was launched by UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos after surveying the damage caused over the weekend by Typhoon Haiyan as it ripped thought nine regions in south-east Asia.

Federal MP Clive Palmer copied large parts of one of JFK's 1961 speeches but denies that he plagiarised the speech of he former American President.

Canada has decided to keep its Disaster Assistance Response Team in Philippines for a couple of months

Canada’s budget deficit is going to be eliminated by 2015 at ease, the Finance Ministry claims.

Several Chinese government officials have acknowledged the country's 30-year-old one-child policy needs to be revised. If not abolished, some remained wary any new amendments would pose more hazards than good for the world's second largest economy.

Typhoon Haiyan has dampened the spirits of climate change negotiators in an international talk on global climate change treaty in Warsaw. Delegates from around the world quickly suggested that the monster typhoon that wreaked havoc in the Philippines was enhanced by global warming.

The 30 Greenpeace activists arrested by Russian authorities over a protest against its Arctic oil drilling were shifted from the northern city of Murmansk to pre-trial detention centers in St. Petersburg Monday.