The death toll from one of the strongest typhoons on record has risen above 5,000 in the Philippines and is likely to climb further.

Rural communities hit by the super typhoon in the Philippines are refusing to eat fish for fear it may contain human remains, while their livelihoods were also destroyed during the coastal destruction.

At face value, it may have appeared more than a little crass of the Asian Tour to go ahead with the Manila Masters last week in the wake of the devastation that visited other parts of the Philippines in the form of Typhoon Haiyan.

Emily Sagalis cried tears of joy after giving birth to a “miracle” girl in a typhoon-ravaged Philippine city, then named the baby after her mother who went missing in the storm.

One of the most powerful typhoons on record has slammed into the Philippines, setting off landslides, knocking out power in one province and cutting communications in island regions.