Maniolas

Ebola health care workers carry the body of a middle aged man that they suspected of dying from the Ebola, on the outskirts of Monrovia, Liberia, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014. AP MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang vowed on Sunday to step up efforts against the Ebola virus following a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing that nearly half of Filipinos had only partial or little knowledge of the deadly disease, which has killed 4,960 people mostly in West Africa. Presidential Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma cited the need for “correct and sufficient information” so the public could take the necessary measures and avoid panicking, as governments has been working to prevent the entry of the virus in the Philippines. Coloma noted that the SWS survey conducted from Sept. 26 to 29 showed that 73 percent of the respondents said they were aware of the disease. But 44 percent of them said their knowledge of the virus was partial or little. The Department of Health earlier put up an online “Ebola Resource Center” (http://www.healthpromo.doh.gov.ph/ebola/) containing updates on the virus, which has infected a total of 13,268 people, mostly in West Africa, as of Nov. 4. Most of the cases were recorded in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, where authorities have been trying to contain the outbreak. In the Philippines, Coloma cited the DOH’s “preparedness plan” containing guidelines on “case detection and reporting, outbreak management and response, surveillance at points of entry, case management, interagency coordination, planning, and resource allocation.” Filipino peacekeepers arriving from Read More …

China’s President Xi Jinping delivers an opening speech for the APEC CEO Summit as part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2014. AP BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping offered the world a vision of a Chinese-driven “Asia-Pacific dream” on Sunday, echoing his oft-quoted but never clearly defined “Chinese dream.” “We have the responsibility to create and realize an Asia-Pacific dream for the people of the region,” the Chinese Communist chief told the opening in Beijing of the Apec CEO Summit, a gathering of business and political leaders that precedes the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ gathering. Such a dream, he said, was “based on a shared destiny of all of the Asia-Pacific” and incorporated peace, development and mutual benefits. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation area includes 40 percent of the world’s population, almost half its trade, and more than half its GDP. China would focus on “managing its own affairs well” while looking to “bring more benefits to the Asia-Pacific and the world with its own development,” Xi said. As “China’s overall national strength grows,” he told his audience, it would be able and willing to offer “new initiatives and visions for enhancing regional cooperation.” “China wants to live in harmony with all its neighbors,” he added. But Beijing is embroiled in enduring territorial disputes with Japan over islands in the East China Sea, and several of the countries around the strategically vital South China Sea. Under Xi Read More …