SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2014 INTERNATIONAL

With billboards, tweets, Philippines thanks world for typhoon aid TACLOBAN: The Philippines said “Thank campaign said on its website. “The In the hard-hit central city of Tacloban, back because we heard the government is restoring livelihoods for millions of peo- you” on billboards around the world yes- Philippines wants to say a big thank you to many shops have reopened in a frenzy of giving free housing, but so far, nothing.” ple, he added. terday in gratitude for the massive out- everyone who are helping us rebuild after rebuilding but tents and lean-to structures Amid the continuing difficulties, the However, “shelter needs remain enor- pouring of international help after a Typhoon Haiyan,” the ministry said on its remain the norm in many ruined neigh- tourism ministry urged the world’s 100 mous”. “Obviously we talk about resilient typhoon that killed about 8,000 people official Twitter page, where it later posted borhoods, most of which are still without million Filipinos yesterday to join its people, but the scope of the disaster and three months ago. Electronic billboards lit the billboard pictures. power. “We’re traumatized but there’s “#PHthankyou” campaign on social media. destruction is such that it’s very hard. up with “Thank you” signs at New York’s Haiyan, one of the strongest typhoons nowhere else to go,” Helen May Gabornes, It suggested they download some of There are remaining psycho-social needs Times Square, Galeries Lafayette in Paris, ever to hit land, smashed across 171 towns a 27-year-old mother of two, said as she the ministry’s “The Philippines says thank that need to be met,” he said. These ’s Crossing, ’s and cities in the central islands with a cooked a meal of tinned sardines at a you” notes from its website and adorned include finding the hundreds missing to and five other cities at combined land area the size of Portugal, muddy school yard near downtown. The with pictures of the country’s top tourist give their families “closure”. The United 2040 GMT Friday, exactly three months wrecking the homes of more than four fisherman’s wife and her extended family draws, and post them on Facebook, Nations launched an international aid after Super Typhoon Haiyan struck the million people. The government is still col- are among about 500 people living in blue Twitter, and other popular social network- appeal in December for $788 million to central Philippines. lecting corpses and looking for nearly tarpaulin tents and on relief goods there. ing sites. Russell Geekie, spokesman for finance the humanitarian effort for this “The number of lives lost and affected 2,000 missing people with 6,201 deaths She said her family went to live with the UN disaster agency in the Philippines, year. Geekie said the appeal was about 45 is unprecedented. But ever since then, the already confirmed, many of them swept Manila relatives on November 12, but told AFP the government-led relief effort percent funded. President Benigno world has been one with the Philippines in away by giant, tsunami-like waves returned after Christmas because they has addressed many of the survivors’ most Aquino has said the rebuilding effort helping rebuild the nation,” the tourism unleashed by Haiyan on coastal communi- could not find jobs and were becoming a acute emergency needs. It was shifting to would take at least four years and require ministry behind the ad and social media ties. burden at her sister’s home. “We came an “early recovery” phase with a focus on more than $8 billion in funding.— AFP American moved from North Korea hospital to labor camp

WASHINGTON: North Korea has home through negotiations with “His family wants him home, and moved imprisoned US citizen the US government. the United States will continue to Kenneth Bae from hospital and back Bae said his daily routine do everything in our power to to a labor camp, a US official said included eight hours of manual secure his release because Kenneth yesterday, which could further com- labor and rest in the evening with Bae deserves to be free,” Obama plicate efforts to win his release. In books and TV but chronic loin pain said. Last month, Secretary of State an interview on Friday with a pro- made it hard for him to do long John Kerry met Bae’s relatives at the Pyongyang newspaper in Japan, the hours of work. The interview was State Department, in an apparent Chosun Sinbo, Bae confirmed he conducted when a Chosun Sinbo signal to Pyongyang to release him. had been transferred back to the reporter accompanied a Swedish Bae apologized in January in a brief “special correctional facility” in embassy official to meet Bae in the appearance before reporters in Pyongyang on January 20. camp. The diplomat talked with Pyongyang, acknowledging he had Bae, a tour operator described by Bae separately before the press participated in anti-government a North Korean court as a militant interview. Bae said he had been acts-a public confession that Christian evangelist, was arrested in told by the diplomat that Robert observers saw as a prerequisite for November 2012 and later sentenced King, US special envoy for North any release. His family, which has to 15 years’ hard labor on charges of Korean human rights issues, campaigned hard for his freedom, seeking to topple the government. planned to visit the country as also apologized in a statement. “The Department of State has early as next week or by the end of The State Department contacted learned that the DPRK (North Korea) this month at the latest to discuss Bae’s family on Friday “as soon as we transferred Bae from a hospital to a his case. His family says the 45- received the Swedish consular YOKOHAMA: Students in school uniforms walk on a snow-covered road in Yokohama, near Tokyo yesterday. — AP labor camp, a development with year-old is seriously ill. Bae, who is report,” Psaki said. As Washington which we are deeply concerned,” also known as Pae Jun-Ho, was does not have diplomatic ties with said spokeswoman Jen Psaki. detained as he entered North Pyongyang, the Swedish embassy 3 dead, 500 injured as She said Washington was “gravely Korea’s northeastern port city of acts on its behalf in any communi- concerned” about the health of the Rason. He began serving his jail cations with the reclusive North Korean American, who has been in sentence in a prison camp in May Korean authorities. Psaki said in her detention for more than 15 2013. But in August he was admit- statement that Swedish embassy heavy snow hits Japan months. “We continue to urge ted to hospital after he lost more officials had met 10 times with Bae DPRK authorities to grant Bae spe- than 50 pounds (23 kilos) and since his detention. “We continue to cial amnesty and immediate began having kidney and liver work actively to secure Bae’s Heaviest snow in decades; flights cancelled release on humanitarian grounds,” problems. On Thursday, US release,” she said, adding that an she added. In his interview with President Barack Obama renewed offer was still open to send King to TOKYO: The heaviest snow in two dents occurred across the nation removing snow from the runways. the Chosun Sinbo, Bae expressed a call for Bae’s release at the annu- the North. King was invited to North decades struck Tokyo and other areas caused by vehicles skidding in the icy Television footage showed hundreds gratitude to the North Korean al national prayer breakfast, saying Korea to discuss Bae’s case at the across Japan yesterday, leaving three conditions. Public broadcaster NHK of passengers queuing for reimburse- authorities for treating him “let us never forget those who are end of August, but Pyongyang dead and nearly 500 others injured, said at least 494 people were injured ment or a change of flights at Tokyo’s “humanely” and pleaded with persecuted today, among them rescinded the invitation at the 11th reports said. More than 740 flights in snow-related accidents across the Haneda airport with departure boards Pyongyang to allow him to return Americans of faith.” hour without explanation.— AFP were grounded as the weather nation. indicating the cancellation of many agency issued a severe storm warning Further snowfall is expected early flights. Employees were hurriedly for the capital, while more than today in Tokyo, the weather agency removing snow from the pavement in 40,000 households lost power. As said. The agency issued a heavy snow front of their shops and restaurants in much as 22 centimeters (8.7 inches) of warning for the capital, the first such Tokyo’s bustling Ginza district. snow was recorded yesterday after- warning for the capital in 13 years, Railway operators temporarily sus- noon in Tokyo, topping 20 centime- calling on residents not to go out pended services of Shinkansen bullet ters for the first time since 1994, the unless necessary. The agency also trains in western Japan, affecting meteorological agency and news warned of strong winds and high more than 100,000 passengers, news reports said. waves in eastern Japan as a rapidly reports said. Some 43,800 households Two female passengers, aged 88 developing low pressure front was lost power in large areas of central and 90, died yesterday in a car acci- heading toward eastern Japan, it said. and eastern Japan because of the dent on their way to a nursing home Japanese airline companies have can- heavy snow, the Yomiuri Shimbun in Ishikawa, central Japan, NHK said. celled 742 flights yesterday due to reported. Some sections of express- Police suspect one of the cars skidded heavy snow, NHK said, adding that ways mainly in central Japan were on the icy road and caused the head- more cancellations are expected also closed due to the snow. In Tokyo, on clash. A man was also killed in today. several universities delayed the start- Nagano as a train smashed into his car Airports in the western cities of ing times of their entrance examina- at a railroad crossing, the broadcaster Hiroshima and Kagawa were tem- tions for the new academic year start- said, adding that 3,200 other acci- porarily closed as operators were ing in April.—AFP Australia welcomes Corby parole, urges her privacy

SYDNEY: Australian Foreign Minister thing to do here-and I hope wisdom tence would be complete, as part of Julie Bishop yesterday welcomed the will prevail-is just to accept what’s her parole conditions. decision by Indonesia to parole drug happened,” he told the Australian She is expected to stay with her sis- trafficker Schapelle Corby and called Broadcasting Corporation. ter Mercedes, who lives on Bali, down for her privacy to be respected. The “There’s nothing that can be done a tiny lane in the tourist strip of Kuta. 36-year-old, whose incarceration has about the past-and perhaps she was Mercedes has previously said fascinated the Australian public, was guilty, perhaps she wasn’t, we don’t Schapelle will work with her design- granted parole on Friday in Bali, know-but move on and rebuild her ing bikinis for her husband’s surf shop, where she was convicted and jailed life from here. She’s got plenty of time Kuta Boardroom, not far from their for 20 years in 2005 for trying to to do that.” While Indonesian Justice home. Nyoman Jika, one of the village smuggle marijuana into the tourist Minister Amir Syamsuddin approved leaders where the house is situated, island. “The decision by Indonesia’s the parole application, Kerobokan said he would welcome the drug mule minister for law and human rights is governor Farid Junaid said she would into the community. “As long as she welcomed,” said Bishop. Canberra had not be released until Monday at the doesn’t get involved in criminal activi- supported the parole application earliest due to procedural formalities. ties, we don’t have any problems wel- since it was lodged in October 2012. In any case, Corby will not be able to coming Schapelle into our communi- “I understand that now the deci- return to Australia immediately. ty,” said Jika, who provided a letter of sion to grant parole has been made, it Instead, she will have to remain in support for Corby during her applica- is a matter for the authorities to deter- Indonesia until 2017 when her sen- tion process.— AFP mine the time of the release but I hope that she’s now given some priva- cy as she gets her life back together,” she added. This appears unlikely with her case attracting huge media atten- tion and public scrutiny in Australia ever since she was sentenced and a million dollar bidding war now under- way for her first post-jail interview. Corby’s well-documented mental ill- ness, steadfast proclamation of inno- cence and fight to be freed from the notorious Kerobokan prison earned her sympathy in Australia. But the view in Indonesia is starkly different, where many see her as a common criminal who simply broke the country’s tough anti-drugs laws. In an editorial yesterday, the Indonesian language daily Media Indonesia labeled the beauty school dropout “the Marijuana Queen”. “Any tolerance shown through leniency or granting parole is a deplorable act,” it said. Alexander Downer, who was Australian foreign minister at the time of Corby’s jailing, said her family and supporters need to maintain a “level head” after her release. “The wisest Schapelle Corby