10 News Wednesday, January 20, 2010 D By Alfred de Montesquiou in Port-au-Prince US soldiers arrive as police shoot on sight During the day, desperate people fought with knives, guns, bricks, wood and anything they could use as a weapon to get food and water. With the death toll estimated at 200,000 and with about 1.5million homeless, the US military shrugged aside barbed comments from the French that they were occupying Haiti to begin airdrops. Maj Gen Daniel Allyn, the US operations deputy commander in Haiti, said: We do not underestimate the challenge. We are making progress and building our capacity to deliver more to those most in need. The number of daily flights making it into Port-au- Prince had yesterday risen to 100, up from 40 last weekend. But the citys port remains blocked and supplies of food, water and medical equipment are still struggling to reach needy regions. Meanwhile, aid agencies have claimed that more than one million children have been orphaned by last weeks earthquake. And amid a desperate shortage of supplies, doctors are performing amputations to help boost earthquake victims chances of survival. With wards filled to capacity, some doctors were forced to sever limbs on tiled counters in the gardens of Port-au-Prince General Hospital. THOUSANDS of American troops landed at Haitis quake-wrecked presidential palace yesterday as law and order threatened to spiral out of control and survivors grew increasingly desperate for aid. In haunting echoes of Vietnam, 20 US Navy helicopters touched down in the grounds, spilling out dozens of troops who will aim to restore calm to the streets. They arrived as residents of the shattered capital of Port-au-Prince claimed police officers were operating a shoot-on-sight policy for looters at night. Irish UN official numbers among earthquake dead AN IRISH citizen has been confirmed killed in the Haitian earthquake. Andrew Grene, a senior UN official who was working in Port au Prince, had dual US/Irish citizenship. Born in Chicago, he spent much of his youth in Co Cavan. His mother is an emergency room doctor in Chicago, while his late father, a University of Chicago professor, was born in Donnybrook. Ireland is providing 600,000 to assist in the UN relief effort. Port-au-Prince a morgue, says singer Wyclef HAITIAN-born musician Wyclef Jean has defended his charity in the wake of questions about its practices while calling on the global community to enable the evacuation of his homelands earthquake-ravaged capital. Port-au-Prince is a morgue, Jean (pictured) said at a press conference, recounting how he collected the corpses of children and adults from the streets on his recent trip. At least 2million people should be moved to tent cities outside the city to allow for aid to reach them and so the clean-up can begin in earnest, he added. The Wyclef Jean Foundation Inc, also known as the Yle Haiti Foundation, criticised by charity watchdogs who raised doubts about its accounting practices and ability to function in the earthquake-hit nation, has received more than $2million in donations in two days. Relief: A boy runs to safety after receiving an aid parcel in Port-au- Prince Picture: Reuters Haiti quake Aid: Bill Clinton meets victims worlddigest AMERICA: The first of three predicted storms has hit California, leaving 55,000 homes without power and forcing many to flee. More than 100 families in the La Canada-Flintridge area north of Los Angeles were told to leave their properties. The area is at risk of mudslides after last years wildfires left hillsides barren. Flash flood warnings have been issued for Los Angeles and half of California is on coastal flood watch. This weeks storms could be the worst to hit since 2005, when ten people died. Hundreds flee as storms sweep in NETHERLANDS: Amsterdams prostitutes could have working hours restricted under proposals to fight human trafficking and exploitation of young women. Deputy mayor Lodewijk Asscher (pictured) wants to raise the minimum age limit from 18 to 23 and close brothels from 4am to 8am. Only the biggest creeps are walking around then, he said. Hookers face age and hours limits RwANDA: Those suspected of carrying out the 1994 genocide are to be identified and arrested in a joint effort with Zambia. Hundreds of suspects are thought to be living in Zambia and across southern Africa as refugees. Both Zambia and Rwanda will track down genocide suspects, said Zambian minister Kabinga Pande (pictured). Renewed hunt for genocide suspects CHINA: A former supreme court judge was jailed for life yesterday for taking 400,000 in bribes. Huang Songyou also stole more than 100,000 in government funds while president of a separate court in the southern province of Guangdong in 1997. Huang knowingly violated the law by trading power for money and taking a hefty sum of bribes, which has produced a bad impact on society, commented a Chinese news agency. Huangs property was also confiscated as part of the supreme court ruling. Judge is jailed for 400,000 bribes and finally... RUSSIA: Pushy Tamara Nikolaevna was so determined to find a man for her daughter she posed as her on online dating sites. Suitors had to be solvent, kind, steady and from good families, said Mrs Nikolaevna, 42, from Kazan. Her plan worked as Ekaterina, 22, has married civil servant Bruno Trushasu. index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html