Flash Floods Kill at Least 450 in Philippines

Flash floods devastated a southern Philippines region unaccustomed to serious storms, killing at least 450 people while they slept, rousting hundreds of others to their rooftops and turning two coastal cities into muddy, debris-filled waterways that were strewn with overturned vehicles and toppled trees. (more…)

Mob kills 8 U.N. workers in Afghanistan

A mob inflamed by a mosque sermon describing the burning of the Muslim holy book by an American pastor attacked a United Nations compound in a northern Afghan city on Friday, killing at least eight foreign staffers, according to Afghan police. (more…)

Lebanon’s Dirty Laundry

By Diana Nemeh
How dirty is your laundry? Maybe I should ask your maid and quite possibly she will air out information dirtier than your clothes.

Filipina housekeeper was found dead at Lebanese ambassador’s residence in Vienna

The body of a 30-year-old Filipina housekeeper was found on Tuesday in the cellar of the Lebanese ambassador’s residence in the Austrian capital, police said. The ambassador, Izhaya al-Khoury, was out of the country, police added
The body which was found by the cook had several stab wounds, according to police in Vienna. The cook was the only person present at the ambassador’s residence
Lebanese authorities, which alerted the police, were cooperating with the investigation and allowed Austrian police officers free access to the scene.

48 illegal Filipinos repatriated from Lebanon

The first batch of 48 Filipinos who were repatriated from Lebanon on immigration-related offenses arrived on Monday, while another batch of 105 others will arrive on Tuesday, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Those who arrived were composed of 45 adults and three children. They were welcomed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport by officials of the DFA Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (DFA-OUMWA) and the Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Gilberto G.B. Asuque.
The DFA said the OFW returnees were repatriated using Assistance to Nationals (ATN) funds. They stayed at the Filipino Workers Resource Center while the Philippine Embassy in Lebanon and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office-Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (POLO-OWWA) were negotiating with the employers and immigration authorities for their exit clearances. Source: globalnation

1 Filipino seaman dead 7 missing off Lebanon coast after ship sinks

One Filipino seaman has been confirmed dead while seven others were reported missing after their cargo ship sank off the coast of Lebanon last week, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) yesterday said.
The Filipino seafarers were on board the Panamanian cargo ship Dany F II when it sank off the coast of Tripoli, Lebanon, last Dec. 17 due to stormy weather conditions.
The Filipino fatality was identified as 3rd Engineer Alex Crisostomo while the seven missing Filipinos are: Manuel Calaor, Leonardo Tiongson, Fuller Edgar, Manuel Bordas Jr., Benedicto Cruz, Enrico Librada and Vilter Amit.
According to the DFA, the relatives of the seaman who died in the accident and those of the missing seafarers have already been notified by their manning agency of the incident.
Thirteen Filipino seafarers on board the same ship, meanwhile, were rescued, with 12 safely housed in Tripoli and one in Tartus. They are Danilo Policarpio, Wilson Vicente , Lezer Gepulgani, Michel Olivia, Edgardo Pucan, Jonathan Rada, Rafael Tarroza, Erasmo Galanza, Leolen Babao, Rogelio Dequina, Joebert Benoman, Jowey Quinto and Jason Magsino. Daily Tribune

Restrictions lifted, Filipinos can now work in Lebanon

A Lebanese-Filipino community on Tuesday welcomed a decision by the Philippine government to lift in February 2010 a four-year deployment restriction of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to Lebanon.
The Filipino-Lebanese Friendship Community headed by Abdul Kader Al Jadid said the decision of the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DoLE) to resume deployment of workers is very timely as Lebanon “is experiencing a period of economic boom.’’
“Lebanese businessmen are looking forward to helping unemployed Filipinos to working in Lebanon,’’ Jadid said in a statement received at the DoLE office.
“Lebanon is anticipating a tremendous growth in tourism with the rise of hotels and restaurants everywhere,’’ he added. Manila Bulletin

40 still missing as ship sinks off Lebanon

Danny F II , the Panamanian-flagged cargo hip carrying livestock went down Thursday in heavy rain off the coast of Tripoli in northern Lebanon
The ship had left Montevideo on 23 November with 10,224 sheep and 17,932 cattle, the company said.
The Lebanese army said in a statement that about 40 people were still missing. Of the 83 crew members on board, 38 were rescued and four bodies were retrieved. Some have reported that the captain of the ship, British national was amongst the dead .
The crew members were from Britain, Australia, Russia, Lebanon, Syria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Uruguay, the state-run National News Agency reported.
The ship was believed to have been sailing from Uruguay to Syria, It went down Thursday afternoon some 11 miles (17 kilometers) from the Lebanese port city of Tripoli.

Lebanese Red Cross rescue workers help a survivor of the sunken Panama ship after he was rescued . Source: Reuters
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Update: At least nine crew members were killed and 35 people were still missing ,as rescue workers continue to search the stormy waters off Lebanon on Friday after the Panamanian-flagged cargo ship carrying thousands of sheep and other livestock sank Thursday
Update: At least 11 crew members were killed and 33 people were still missing. The Lebanese and UNIFIL rescue workers continue to search the stormy waters off Lebanon

Martial law lifted in Maguindanao province, Philippines

The Philippines President Gloria Arroyo has lifted martial law in the province where 57 people were massacred last month.
Martial law was imposed in Maguindanao province ten days ago to give security forces more power against the Ampatuan clan, alleged to be behind the murders of a rival family and 30 journalists. The Ampatuans have also been accused of attempting to foment rebellion to prevent authorities from arresting members of the family. Source: Times Online