the rain, here we've got quite a lot of food in these sacks here, there's enough apparently for five families to last lee days. we've also got boxes of what looks like noodles and a lot of water here. a lot of people in town saying water is the one thing they really need. now the back of the ship, you can see, we've got a red cross vehicle there, what looks like an ambulance and military, also quite a lot of rice, people wanting to bring into town. that's one of the big staple foods here. so first aid is arriving, but to be honest, given the scale of the situation in tacloban, it's not that much stuff. they're going to need much more than this. while we've got aid coming into tacloban over there, there are thousands of people trying to get out of the city, so many of them have lost their homes. this ship here is going to evacuate a thousand people from tacloban. these people have packed up their bags, whatever they've still got left.

many of them would have lost their homes. these are the ones that were lucky enough to have got a ticket at a gate to the port, it's a different story. these people are all desperate to get on board that ship, but they don't have a ticket. and the one thing we've heard constantly over the last few days, we're hearing it here, is there's no food and no water in tacloban, and that's why they're wanting to get out. there are also rumors that things are becoming more violent, people are beginning to attack each other for food. houses are being robbed. right now those things are rumors, but when people are desperate like this, such rumors can spread quickly. the aid is coming in, beginning to arrive. what's needed is to get it out to the people. >> well, three residents of tacloban join me now. bert, melanie and their

daughter, sandy. you were here for the typhoon, but you were safe because you were staying where we are now just on a hill. just tell me what it was like when typhoon haiyan struck. very frightening -- we don't know what to do. -- thinking about my family, >> and melanie, you came up here because you thought it would be safer, but when you went back to where your house was, what had happened to that and your friends and other relations? >> our house is already falling down. we have friends here with their

daughters, and also someone always died. >> what has life been like since the typhoon, how frightening has it been? what has been happening in this town? >> yes, everything is destroyed. >> and what about the reports of armed gangs going around, what has happened here? people left prison, what did they do? >> they came in the house in every village and they ask for food or money. we don't have money, you going to kill us. >> and were people killed? >> yes. >> and reports of women also being -- >> yeah, yeah, women they're going to rape. >> and how much support and how much aid have you had since haiyan? have you had anything at all? >> no.

the roads are closed, the airport, the same with the -- the port as well. >> yeah. >> and melanie, how difficult has it been for your children, you're 8 aren't you? >> what? >> how old are you? >> 8. >> how difficult has it been for your children, melanie? >> very difficult. >> do they remember? >> yes, every night, we stop the storm, please, please, going to stop. this is the first time we've

experienced it. >> thank you very much for joining us melanie and sandy. well, tacloban was hit particularly badly, of course, but typhoon haiyan hit elsewhere, just a few miles away from where we're standing now. andrew harding has been to have a look at that particular village there. >> this is where the storm first hit land. it's an isolated village right on the coast. as you can see, the devastation here is complete and spectacular. no houses standing, a lot of people killed, washed out to sea, when the floods came running over the land here. most of the damage though done by the wind. there is literally nothing left standing here. what's interesting is that although it was the first to be hit, it seems to be one of the last areas in the philippines to get really significant aid. this place has been cut off for many days because of the storm damage. there is though a big runway

just up the road there and that finally is open. we started today to see the very first big cargo flights coming in to bring aid. little bit further, beyond that, it is own of giuang, completely leveled. there have been serious problems with looting and desperation as people waited for the outsiled world to get to them and bring help. what i can tell you is that town is much calmer. the local authorities do seem to be in control. while people are pretty desperate, supplies are getting in, people are cuing in a much more orderly fashion for things, and generally, there is a sense of some law and order in town. >> well, there is still many thousands of people in this area still in desperate need for aid. as i was saying earlier, we saw those people desperate to get out, but also cuing for those biscuits and water. just below where we are standing

at the moment, there is a city, communal area, where some of the bodies that have been bagged are now being stored. the thinking is that they will be buried in some mass grave, after being fote graphed and tagged. we're hearing flights coming in ll the time. with all the people here in tacloban, and the surrounding areas, hoping that tomorrow the anniversary, the first week's anniversary of typhoon haiyan will bring much more aid and much more comfort for them. back to you in london. >> tim, thanks very much indeed. tim wilcox there in tacloban. to give us a picture of just how outerly grim it remains across much philippines. jojo is the director news director in manila and joins me

on the line now. it does seem as if the government is coming in for a lot of criticism, as well. would you share that criticism? yes, the main criticism during an ongoing disaster is aid is coming in too slow. it's not reaching the people who need it most, particularly those hit in the hardest hit areas. time to ment -- it's as hings as quickly possible to the affected areas. >> they told the bbc, it's essentially, because local government has been sent into utter shambles and they've never had to deal with an aid project

of this magnitude. fair comment? >> yes. under the law, local disasters are usually handled the local government. the national government has to declare a state of national clamity just to get the authority to bring in all the aid. >> if i go back to the weekend, when the scale of this damage was gradually being revealed, i think the president was quoted as saying he was reserving judgment on the role that the government particularly on the island had played, and there were question marks as to whether they had prepared properly enough. is that a debate, a discussion, that is still going on? the office, any

criticism, any judgment will come after aid is given to those hit by the typhoon. but the government scientist, perhaps the warning did not reach -- >> thanks very much for talking to us. >> thank you. >> and thank you for being with us here on "bbc world news." a lot more still to come, including a farewell to a ricketting legend.

234r one of the world's rarest diamonds, the pink star, named for its color, was sold for $83 million. now the gem was sold to isaac wolf, a well known new york diamond cutter who's renamed it now the pink dream. reports from geneva. >> 60 carets of pink perfection, this is one of the rarest diamonds in the world. most pink diamonds are less than a tenth of the size of the pink star. >> one of the most remarkable gemstones ever to appear at auction, the pink star -- >> it was always expected to fetch a record price at the auction, but when it finally came under the record, it didn't just break the world record, it smashed it. >> ladies and gentlemen, 6 million franks is the biggest bid right here, and it's right here. congratulations. >> after just five minutes of

tense bidding, 68 million swiss franks, or $74 million were on offer. that commission, and the final price tag, was $83 million, almost twice the previous amount for a diamond sold at auction. the record-breaking sale marks the end of an unusually glamorous jewelry season in geneva. earlier this week, a rare orange diamond also fetched a higher than expected price. it seems that while currency, and even gold may be risky investments, diamonds truly are forever. >> pink dream, pink nightmare if you're having to ensure it. plenty more on all our stories, you'll find the latest on the relief effort following typhoon haiyan, and updates from all our orrespondents in the area.

sudan's economy has been on a downward spiral for some time now. combination of sanctions and loss of oil revenue following the secession of south sudan led the government to cut back on fuel subsidaries. that was followed by violent protest and the government has been accused of a brutal crackdown. here's the report. >> all they have left is a photo, and their memories. a pharmacist was one of those killed during the protests. his grieving relatives say he simply wanted a better sudan. these were not the first demonstrations about rising prices. but the killing of so many protesters shocked sudan. the authorities are desperate to limit the political damage caused by the crackdown. demonstrations created

harm to the property of people and the property of the government. >> the streets have returned to, well, something like normal. the demonstrations are certainly over for the moments at least. but the people are traumatized by the deaths of so many people, and on top of that, the underlying reasons for those protests, both political and economic, still remain. that is a serious concern for the governing national congress party, which also has to deal with the defection of several high profile figures. public anger at is growing, but this economic crisis has deep, political roots. >> the government's in security and defense and that needs to be stopped. the other thing is the heavy debt which is government is facing is still there, and the problem is the government -- >> back at the house, they're

facing life without him. this family is the symbol of the new mood here. and with the likely to get any better, the government is nervous. >> let's get a round up of some f the other stories. the attacks coincide with the assurea, the most important event in the muslim calendar. it commemorates the death of -- e leader of he's, vowed to keep his forces in syria fighting alongside the regime. he also said his presence in syria was justified. the obama administration has said barely 27,000 americans enrolled for health insurance

through its troubled federal website in the firs month. the administration originalliest mated nearly half a million would sign up. but about a hundred thousand were insured in total, most of them through the state run websites. well, this is it, india's little master has been playing for his country for the very last time. there was a huge roar as he went nto bat in his hometown of mumbai. he's actually 40 years old now, drawing stumps on an incredible career, which really has marked him as india's finest sportsman n the history of the game. >> india is in the grip of the last bout of fever. fans were viewing for the start

of his last match. >> we are very lucky to watch his match! >> at the practice beforehands, crowds were trying to get a last gliment of the man who's been hitting crooked milestones for nearly a quarter sently. this was one of them, when he overtook the record for the most number. as he prepares to retire, no batsman is even close to that. everyone wanted to be there for this last game, including hollywood stars. fans had come from all over the world, among them this woman, from london. >> all the dreams he's made come true, not just for me, for the country, for the team, for all the fans. and, this is history in the making. this is his last ever match and i'm feeling really emotional about it. if you score, you are not going to be beat, you are going to be god.

>> for indians, this is going to be one of those where were you moments, when he finally retires. and tickets for the game have reportedly been changing hands for up to 40 times at face value on the black market. it's almost good-bye for good, but his fans say his effect will last forever. for a country that's not always so sure about itself, he's given india the belief they can be the best in the world. andrew north, "bbc news," in mumbai. >> let's go over to mumbai now. we're at the stadium where the match is taking place. let's start with the brass tax of this. how's he doing? >> he's doing extremely well. he's batting on 38, and he's going to be back tomorrow and there will be plenty of people

egging him on. just outside the main gate of the stadium where a short while ago the cricket team left, he was on it and people around him just went denis leary. they were waving widely at him. we have the west india team coming on as well. you can see the passion of the fans as well, busy waving. this is the team that's shown up for his final game. plenty of excitement here. game match finish for the day, about an hour ago, no one's left. there are hundreds of people out here on the streets just waiting to see this moment. it's the last time they'll see him and no one wants to let go of the moment. >> no, i can imagine. i'm glad the bus missed you there, i was getting worried there. it's an achievement in itself that he got off the markment people refer to the great john bradley, the australian, he was out in the beginning. that would be something to go ut with a century.

>> i think the fact is that he's played for a quarter of a century, he's always been compared to many cricketters, don bradman being the premier one of all. i think the one that takes knowledge most of all is that he's played as long as he has and played with the expectations of 1.2 billion people riding on his shoulders every time he went out to bat. it's that incredible pressure that he's always had on him and he's managed to continue playing, continue performing and do as well as he does. i think that's what sets him apart from all those other people he's often compared to. >> i see you standing outside the gate. be s no -- there will stadiums, towns named after him. does he have a game plan for the uture?

>> there's already a pavilion named after him. he hasn't really told anyone what he's going to do after he leaves, but i think it's fair enough to make a guess, the fact that he will be associated with the game. he is important of the franchise, and has given enough indication that he would continue taking on, probably more important manage role with them, maybe become part owner, who knows. he's a member of parliament but he's not interested in politics. he's never really shown any inclination. whatever he does, he'll stay in touch with the game that he loves, that has given him so much. he was once asked, frankly i have no idea. >> well, i guess he can do what he wants. thanks very much indeed. do make sure you stay with us here on g.m.t., because coming up in business we'll be having a look at brad, asking just how much that cricket legend is worth, and if his commercial

appeal is going to change, of course, possibly once he's left the sport. thanks for watching g.m.t. stay with us for the next half-hour. >> funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation, newman's own foundation, giving all profits to charity and pursuing the common good for over 30 year union bank, and united healthcare. >> my customers can shop around, see who does good work and compare costs. it can also work that way with health care. with united healthcare, i get information on quality ratings of doctors, treatment options, and estimates for how much i'll pay. that helps me and my guys make informed decisions. i don't like guesses with my business and definitely not with our health. >> that's health in numbers. united healthcare.

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welce back to "newsline." i'm yuko aotani in tokyo. here some of the stories we're following at this hour. relief workers in philippines are finding themselves blocked by debris and a lack of fuel. following demand from other asian nations have put the brakes on the growth of japan's

economy. and a frenchman is doing his best to promote a japanese staple many foreigners find more than a little unappetizing. relief workers are streaming into areas of the philippines devastated by typhoon haiyan with loads of aid. they are finding themselves blocked by debris and out of fuel. authorities have confirmed the deaths of more than 2,500 people. more than 500 bodies have been found in a single day, and they said they expect to find more victims. united nions officials say the typhoon has left more than half a million people homeless. the philipine government ordered more than 10,000 soldiers and police to hit the hardest hit areas. but the storm hit 17,000 communities and the teams don't

have enough vehicles to get where they need to go. relief workers from abroad are running into similar problems. many of them have been unable to get through roads blocked by debris and some can't find enough fuel to get around. a group of filipinos living in northern japan is doing what they can to help their loved ones back home. they've gathered at a church to pray. four of the women are from layte island. one is still waiting to hear if her family is safe. another said she got in touch with her family and learned her home was gone. she hasn't heard from them since. >> translator: i can't contact my family on the island. i can't sleep. >> translator: i wish i could get some rice to people in the

area. >> the women say they hope their country will recover quickly from the disaster. u.s. central bank chief nominee janet yellen has said the federal reserve will continue its monetary easing under her watch. the fed vice chair released a remark she's prepared for a confirmation hearing on thursday at the senate banking committee. yellen says the u.s. economy is significantly stronger and continues to improve. but she notes that unemployment is still high. she says the central bank is using monetary tools to support a more robust economy. it will aid the fed in reducing its accommodative monetary policy. japanese have seen public works projects going up all around them. they're seeing new business and infrastructure.

those investments have helped the economy grow in the last latest quarter but not at the same pace as earlier in the year. the cabinet said gross domestic product rose 0.9%. that translates to analyzed growth of 1.9%. that's down from 3.8% in the previous quarter. though investments in public works shot up 6.5%, the government is spending more and more in northeastern japan and other projects. housing went up 2.7%. japanese consumers are anticipating an increase in april in the consumption tax. some are hurrying to buy homes before the tax comes into effect. consumer spending edged up at 0.1%. capital investment rose 0.2%. economies elsewhere in asia lost steam and exports dropped 0.6%. that was the first decline in