15/11/2013 World News Today

This is BBC World News Today with me, Zeinab Badawi. The official

death toll for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines is

now more than 3500 and is expected to rise even more.

Desperate survivors, especially in the worst affected areas, wait for

relief. The logistical help from foreign donors is crucial to the aid

effort. A lots of houses, if not completely

destroyed, all very damaged. It is pretty bad. The roads are getting

better, but there is a lot of debris.

Also, one of the most controversial policies of recent times, China's

one-child policy, is relaxed as part of a series of economic and social

reforms. Also coming up: David Cameron breaks

away from the Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka to meet Tamil leaders and

victims of the country's civil war, as the controversy mounts over Sri

Lanka's hosting of the event. From childhood friends to political

rivals - we look at the story behind the frontrunners for this weekend's

presidential election in Chile. It may be a week since Typhoon

Haiyan struck the central Philippines and the storm has long

subsided, but the number of people killed is rising. The official death

toll is now more than 3,500 and the UN says the final figure could be

much higher. Many more have suffered the effects of the devastation.

The number of people affected has risen to 11.8 million. At least

673,000 have been displaced and the typhoon has caused widespread damage

to agriculture and infrastructure, with most buildings, homes and farms

flattened in the worst hit areas. Aid is now beginning to arrive in

some of the worst-hit cities, including Tacloban, from where

Jeremy Cooke sent this report. The waters are calm in Tacloban to

date. The children play in peace. But, the reality. Their homes

destroyed by the giant waves that struck here a week ago. Their love

-- young lives changed forever. This girl was badly injured as she swung

for her life, the gash in her head now becoming infected.

She lives in a ruined hospital while her parents wait for someone to

help. She is badly hurt, he says. The

doctors say that she really needs to be transferred to another hospital,

but they don't have the facilities to treat her here.

Amid the ruins and the chaos and the confusion, tens of thousands of

children in this one city are homeless. Their schools, if they

still stand, become shelters. Classrooms and corridors packed to

capacity. Infant babies, who somehow survived the disaster, entire

families with no other place to go. In an upstairs dormitory, teenagers

reflect on how totally, utterly life has changed.

Everything was normal. It was a sunny day. We thought that the storm

wasn't true. But, looking at the school now and seeing how the storm

happened, how it hit our school, it's like it's never go to be the

same. The children and their families here

could consider themselves to be the lucky ones. They have survived and

they have found themselves a place of safety. The future is still

uncertain, but at least they are live. So far, the international aid

hasn't got this far. But the teachers, like this lady,

are organising for when it does. Everyone, they say, will get their

fair share. The requirements are basic.

The needs of the people of food and medicine. And the inspiration to

move on. Inspiration, yes, but practical help

needed as well. There is hunger here, but -- no starvation. They

need help, but the children are holding on, despite so much

destruction and tragedy. The US military is leading the

effort to deliver aid from overseas. A thousand more American troops are

expected to arrive in the next few days and helicopters from a US

aircraft carrier have been transporting supplies to a number of

areas. Wherever the aid comes from, it remains desperately needed.

Rajini Vaidyanathan went to see one distribution programme in action.

This air base near Manila has become a nerve centre for the US

military's relief effort to the Philippines. This aircraft arrived

earlier this week from Japan. It is used to survey damage on the ground

and helped what Nate relief operations. We were the first

journalists on-board to see it work in the aftermath of the typhoon.

in the aftermath of the typhoon We are going down to conduct

disaster relief. What are we likely to see? It

depends on the area, but many houses, if not destroyed, are very

damaged. It is pretty bad. The roads are

getting better, but there is not a lot of debris. -- there is a lot of

debris. The planes are in the air for hours at a time, taking hours of

video from the worst affected areas. This play might not be carrying any

age, but it is crucial when it comes to humanitarian relief efforts.

The camera 's hair are recording the devastation below in a way that she

could not see down on the ground. It is able to work out the best basis

for aircraft to land in a motor areas, to ensure that those who need

the aid the most competitive -- the most can get it quickly. It is from

the air that you get a sense of what Typhoon Haiyan has left behind.

Under the clear skies, villagers that look like they have been

trampled on. Trees light on their side like matchsticks. Picked up on

the cameras, a one word message from the ground.

Help. As soon as we see that, we can send the quart nuts and have people

there immediately. When you first see someone, how do

you feel? It makes you feel bad, but it is why

you are there. -- we can send the location.

A view minutes later, the cameras pick up an image of rows and rows of

graves. It is too late for them, but graves. It is too late for them but

the crews are determined to reach other people as quickly as possible.

One of the most eye-catching and controversial social policies

introduced by any government in the last century is to be relaxed. China

has unveiled a series of reforms today which include a loosening of

its one-child policy. It's also ending forced labour camps and is

further boosting the role of the private sector in the economy. The

one-child policy began in 1979 to curb rapid population growth. But

human rights campaigners say it has led to forced abortions and female

infanticide, that's resulted in a gender imbalance. By 2020, experts

reckon 24 million Chinese men won't be able to find a Chinese wife.

The country's population is also ageing rapidly. 110 million people

are estimated to be over 65. And the burden of looking after them is

falling on fewer and fewer young people. From Beijing, Martin

Patience reports. It is the world's most famous family

planning law, but now the one child policy is being relaxed. That could

only show a baby bonanza. An official estimate predicts a million

extra births a year. Many couples in cities will be allowed to have an

extra child. Most of the public seemed to be in favour.

This woman says she is trying for her first baby, but she wants to

have to, so they can talk to each other.

But this man says the new policy is wrong. There are too many people in

China already. Fearing a population explosion,

China's leader introduced family planning laws 30 years ago. They

have also -- often been brutally enforced, with forced abortions in

hospitals. But the policy means that the population is rapidly ageing. In

1980, there were around 50 million people over 65.

By 2010, it had doubled, to more than 100 million. And, in the next

20 years, it will be more than 200 million.

China may have the world's because population, but it needs more

babies. The number of workers here is shrinking, and the costs of

supporting the elderly are rising. The big concern for the country s

The big concern for the country's leaders is that China will become

old before it gets rich. We will talk about this some more.

Dr Cheng Li is a renowned expert on China studies at the Brookings

Institution in Washington and he joins us now.

So, give us your thoughts. Is this real change in China or is it a

cosmetic change? No, it is a real change. It is very

much expected, because the one child policy was severely implemented in

the 1980s and 1990s and in the past decade, it has become looser.

Because of free migration and people able to have more children. And

also, in the urban area, because of the rise of the middle class, they

are not concerned about the penalty of having more than one child. Sadat

is providing an environment for a policy change. So people are wanting

a complete abolition of the one child policy, rather than this. Some

families can afford to have more than one child.

But health and education are expensive for other people?

Yes, the middle-class in China, like in Europe and elsewhere. If you ask

them to have more than one child, many people do not want. But now

they have more freedom to choose and the policy will become relaxed. This

is important politically and also democratically. And especially

economically, because China needs labourers.

Yes, let's look at the labour camps, or what is known as education

through labour. There have been many people inside China campaigning for

its abolition. Is this a good thing, or will the government find an

alternative method to try to take care of people it is have done

something wrong? It is a wonderful improvement. This

is the legacy of the cultural Revolution, the legacy of the soffit

system, which did not rely on the legal system, but put people in the

labour camp. -- Soviet system. But this is a major improvement on human

rights and a major improvement of going to the legal process, rather

than going to the government. Local government had lots of authority to

arrest people without legal procedure. And is this China moving

towards a real free-market economy? The most important news. I think

people in China will pay less attention to the one child policy or

the labour camps, but the opening up of the Chinese economy to make the

middle-class expands, and to have more investment opportunity to

consume more, this is a very important development. It is another

turning point after 1978, when China started the reform. This is the

Chinese government's a second version of opening up. So I think

this, potentially, will be very important that the Chinese

government and will help the global economy.

Thank you for giving us your interpretation of the new economic

and social reforms in China. It's not often that a meeting of

Commonwealth heads of government gets so much attention, but that is

because it is being held in Sri Lanka and three countries are

boycotting the summit which began today. The Canadian, Indian, and

Mauritian Prime Ministers are staying away in protest at

allegations of human rights abuses by the Sri Lankan government. The

Sri Lankan authorities deny the claims, which include the deaths of

thousands of civilians at the end of the war against Tamil Tiger

separatists as well as allegations of torture and abduction. James

Robbins reports. of torture and abduction. James

Robbins they called them the disappeared. Fathers, sons, husbands

who surrendered at the end of Sri Lanka's Civil War and have not been

seen since. UN says that only in Iraq are the more who have simply

vanished without trace. Today, police stopped their relatives

handing in their photos, letters and petitions to the first world leader

ever to visit their part of this troubled island. But David Cameron

could not see them. He claims this visit to a region which once dreamt

of forming its own country will shine spotlight on the abuses of the

past as well as the present. There to greet him, protesters, there are

signs written in perfect English. They were supporters of this man.

The president who welcomed more than 50 leaders to the summit. At his

side, Prince Charles. Whilst the leaders talked, David Cameron

visited the mean newspaper in the north, its presses smashed and

burnt. Who did it? The government said one journalist. And here is

why. On the walls of the newspaper office, pictures of the six

journalists killed in recent years. Everywhere we went, a reminder of

home the president exerts control. A Tamil leader told the Prime Minister

there are still 120,000 security forces in this region, four years

after the war ended. The Prime Minister's last visit was to offer

-- to what the government calls a welfare centre, a refugee centre to

you and me. The Prime Minister has said he is shining a spotlight on

the abuses of human rights in Sri Lanka. But now that prove more

powerful than the legitimacy which this country's president believes he

is secured by cheering the Commonwealth summit? -- chairing.

David Cameron was clearly moved by what he had seen and he insists that

two-day's visit will make a difference. You said you would shine

a spotlight on human rights abuses, do you fear that are bigger

spotlight is being shone on the president who is saying he is

legitimate? After this terrible war ended, what we needed from the Sri

Lankan government was more magnanimity, bringing the country

together. Here we are in a village of basically refugees inside their

own country. They have been here for 20 years or more. They have had

children here. They want to go home. I think that is a very powerful

message. This is a day that David Cameron will never forget. But the

leader of this country is counting on the fact that others will forget

and move on. With me is Richard Bourne, a senior

fellow of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies here in London,

who has been involved in Commonwealth activities for more

than 30 years. Do you think the Commonwealth heads

of government meeting should have gone ahead in Sri Lanka? No, it was

a great mistake. If you think about it, after the Nigerian civil war, it

was over 30 years before there was a Nigerian summit. It was plainly far

too soon. Just had to settle. These human rights allegations, very

serious, should have dealt with. There should have been a process of

reconciliation which has hardly begun. Why do you think it has

happened then? As I understand it, in 2009, there was a suggestion it

should be held in 2011 in Sri Lanka. But the then British Prime

Minister, Gordon Brown, persuaded his ministers and others to delay

this and the Australians hosted it. I think what was very unfortunate

was that the Sri Lankans was left with the expectation of holding it

now. And it has the chairmanship of the Commonwealth now? Yes, but this

is fairly meaningless. But it is symbolic. This was only invented in

1999, so it is a fairly recent innovation and the so-called element

to persons group -- eminent persons group who were tasked with

modernising the Commonwealth think it should be abolished. There have

been three Australian Prime Minister 's .Mac but could there be a move to

strip Sri Lanka of this? I know that other countries have been pressing

for this. I red of an MP in New Zealand asking for this. -- I heard

of an MP in New Zealand. The fact that the Sri Lankan government

denies these allegations, saying they have their own justice system,

but the Commonwealth is based on shared values, and if there has-been

shared values, and if there has been devaluation, should there be a

stronger response? Yes. This has been proposed. But leaders have

decided not to go ahead with proposals. It would have provided a

more objective approach. At the moment, they are very dependent on

what the secretary general does or does not want to do and he is

concerned with politics. In this case, the Indian Prime Minister is

not in Sri Lanka. It sounds very intricate. Thank you.

Now a look at some of the day's other news.

Gunmen have opened fire on a protest against armed militias in the Libyan

capital Tripoli, killing at least 13 people and wounding dozens more. The

protesters were demanding that a militia from Misrata leave the city.

There have been increasing demonstrations demanding that the

militias disband or join the army, in line with an end-of-year deadline

set by the interim government. Albania has rejected a US request to

host the destruction of Syria's stockpile of almost 1,000 tonnes of

chemical weapons. Protesters have been demonstrating in Albania for

days to voice their opposition to the plan. Albania's prime minister

said it was impossible for his country to get involved in the

operation. People in chilly go to the polls

this weekend to choose a new President and the two main

contenders are women who are childhood friends - the former

president Michelle Bachelet and Evelyn Matthei. Dr Bachelet is the

candidate for a centre-left coalition of parties and has a

healthy lead in the opinion polls. She was president between 2006 and

2010. She's the daughter of a high-ranking air force officer who

died while a prisoner of the military junta led by General

Augusto Pinochet. Dr Bachelet was herself tortured and spent some

years in exile. Meanwhile, Evelyn Matthei is the conservative Alianza

party candidate. She's also the daughter of a high-ranking air force

officer and the two families were friends until her father was

promoted as head of the air force under General Pinochet. Seven others

candidates are also standing. If nobody gets more than 50% in the

first round, there will be a run-off. Gideon Long joins us from

Santiago. First of all, it is extraordinary

that you have these two women, childhood friends, very different

histories and backgrounds as the main contenders? Yes, an

extraordinary story. They met each other over 50 years ago. They grew

up on this year for space in the North of chilly. Their fathers were

close friends until the military coup. Dr Bachelet's father was

tortured and died in custody. Meanwhile, Evelyn Matthei's father

went on to ban the Armed Forces. Meanwhile, Evelyn Matthei's father

went on to ban the Armed Forces An incredible personal story behind

these elections. How far are these backgrounds relevant to electors? It

has not been a huge issue during the election campaign, in part because

the two women have tried to play down their past. They think it is

more important to concentrate on the issues of the future. But I do

wonder if Evelyn Matthei's background has not played against

her slightly. Many years ago, she voted for another eight years of

rule by military junta. Dr Bachelet is overwhelming favourite to win

this election. Education is her number one aim. It has been a huge

issue here over the last few years. She was the education for all

students. She will pay for that through tax reforms. She wants to

these tax reform -- she wants to raise corporation taxes.

Thank you. That is all from this programme.

From the, and the rest of the team, good night.

Good evening. The weekend is pretty much upon us. Tomorrow looks like

being a cloud of fear for many areas with the brain across northern and

western parts. High pressure will keep it fairly settled a cross their

south. The wind is ever present as well. Watch out for the density of

this for all the way from the West Country to the wash. The far South

East keeping the best of the sunshine. Generally speaking, and a

lot of cloud around. The best of the sunshine there. Not doing very much

for the temperatures have ever. In the West, the cloud is thickening

up. Then maybe the odd spot