World News: Flood and landslide fears as typhoon lashes Philippines

Thousands of people in the path of storm Megi have fled their homes and taken shelter in emergency evacuation centres.

Megi is the most powerful typhoon to hit the Philippines since 2006 when 155mph winds set off mud slides that buried entire villages, killing about 1000 people.

Thousands of military reserve officers and volunteers were on standby today, along with helicopters.

Rescue boats and thousands of food packs have been pre-positioned near vulnerable areas.

Benito Ramos, a top disaster response official, said: "This is like preparing for war."

Farmers have harvested as much as they can of their crops. One man was presumed drowned after he slipped and fell into a river as he tried to rescue his water buffalo.

The typhoon whipped up huge waves and toppled electricity poles, cutting off power, phone and internet services in many areas.

There was zero visibility and radio reports said the wind was so powerful that people could not take more than a step at a time.

Divisions affect climate talks

Delegates from more than 190 nations today kicked off a UN conference in Japan, aimed at preserving diverse species and ecosystems threatened by pollution and exploitation. But the talks at the UN Convention of Biological Diversity face some of the same divisions that have bogged down global climate negotiations.

Three killed in roadside blast

A ROADSIDE bomb killed three civilians in western Afghanistan today.

Police said the blast in Herat was caused by a bomb hidden in a sack in an irrigation ditch.

When officers went to inspect the object, it exploded. The three civilians who were killed were walking nearby and caught up in the blast.

Hopes fade for missing miners

Hopes were fading today for the seven Chinese miners still missing after a deadly gas leak over the weekend that left 30 dead.

More than 200 men escaped after the Saturday morning leak at the mine owned by the Pingyu Coal & Electric Co. Ltd in Yuzhou, Henan province.

Police tightened security around the mine, with dozens of officers blocking entry points.

China's mines are the deadliest in the world, with more than 2600 people killed in accidents in 2009.

Suu Kyi plans a special tweet

BURMA'S detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi plans to get a Twitter account once she is released from house arrest so she can get in touch with the younger generation. Officials said today foreign media will not be allowed into the country to cover its November 7 election.

Tourists fail to return from isle boat trip

South Korea: Police say dozens of Chinese tourists visiting a resort island have deserted their group, possibly to stay in the country illegally.

About 1300 tourists went on a ferry trip to Jeju Island, but 44 failed to return.

Mexico: Residents of Iztapalapa, a borough of Mexico City, have set a world record for the biggest enchilada.

It's 230 feet long and weighs almost one-and-a-half tonnes.