Young men often force way to front of delivery lines or steal from others

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Relief workers began handing out women-only food coupons, launching a new phase of what they hope will be less cutthroat aid distribution to ensure that families and the weak get supplies following Haiti’s devastating earthquake.

Young men often force their way to the front of aid delivery lines or steal from it from others, meaning aid doesn’t reach the neediest at rough-and-tumble distribution centers, according to aid groups.

The World Food Program coupons can be turned in by women at 16 sites in the capital starting Sunday, and entitle each family to 55 pounds of rice.

U.N. officials say they are still far short of reaching all 2 million quake victims estimated to need food aid.

Meanwhile, federal agencies scrambled to explain the U.S. military’s suspension of medical evacuations of critically ill Haitians to the United States in a dispute over where the victims should be treated.

“We have 100 critically ill patients who will die in the next day or two if we don’t Medevac them,” said Dr. Barth Green, chairman of the University of Miami’s Global Institute for Community Health and Development. That included 5-year-old Betina Joseph, who developed tetanus from a small cut in her thigh. Doctors said Saturday that she had just 24 hours to live if not provided with respirator care.

White House officials said they were working to increase hospital capacity in Haiti and aboard the USNS Comfort hospital ship as well as in the United States. U.S. Ambassador to Haiti Kenneth Merten said about 435 earthquake victims had been evacuated before the suspension, and that he was “sure the Department of Defense wants to do the right thing.”

Growing sanitation crisis
Relief officials were facing a growing sanitation crisis that could spread malaria, cholera and other deadly diseases throughout the chaotic camps.

Shortages of food, clean water, adequate shelter and latrines are creating a potential spawning ground for epidemics in a country with an estimated 1 million people made homeless by the Jan. 12 quake.

In one camp, a single portable toilet served about 2,000 people, forcing most to use a gutter that runs next to an area where vendors cook food and mothers struggle to bathe their children.

Survivors have erected flimsy shelters of cloth, cardboard or plastic in nearly every open space left in the capital.

Women wait until night to bathe out of buckets, shielding their bodies behind damaged cars and trucks. Water is recycled — used first for brushing teeth, then for washing food, then for bathing.

“My 1-year-old has had diarrhea for a week now, probably because of the water,” said Bernadel Perkington, 40. “When the earthquake happened I had 500 gourdes (about 15 U.S. dollars), which I was using for clean water for her. The money for that ran out yesterday.”

No. 1 seed claims fourth Aussie championship, beating Murray 6-3, 6-4, 7-6

MELBOURNE, Australia - Roger Federer dismantled Andy Murray in the Australian Open final Sunday to extend his record to 16 Grand Slam titles and prolong an already long British drought.

Federer collected his fourth Australian Open title with a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (11) win at Rod Laver Arena that, apart from the tiebreaker, lacked the drama and raw emotion of his five-set loss here last year to then No. 1-ranked Rafael Nadal.

Last year, Federer sobbed when Rod Laver presented the winners’ trophy to Nadal, having missed a chance to equal Pete Sampras’ record 14 career majors.

This time, Murray was on the verge of tears, drawing deep breaths as he apologized for failing to end a 74-year-old drought for British men at the Grand Slam tournaments.

“Firstly, congratulations Roger, his achievements in tennis are incredible,” the 22-year-old Scot said. “He was a lot better than me tonight.

“Hopefully, one time I can come back and win here,” he added, his voice breaking. “I got great support back home the last couple of weeks. Sorry I couldn’t do it for you tonight but …”

Murray could barely finish his thank you, explaining: “I can cry like Roger; it’s just a shame I can’t play like him.”

Federer, who had to be consoled by Nadal last year, offered Murray some reassurance.

“Well done for your incredible tournament; you played it fantastic,” Federer said. “You’re too good of a player not to win a Grand Slam, so don’t worry about it.”

Federer dropped serve only twice in the match and hit 46 winners. He said he felt as good as ever.

“I’m over the moon winning this again. I think I played some of my best tennis in my life these last two weeks,” he said.

Federer saved five set points and wasted two match points in the tiebreaker with some uncharacteristic shot selection before clinching it when Murray netted a backhand after 2 hours, 41 minutes.

Murray was desperate to become the first British man since Fred Perry in 1936 to win one of the four tennis majors, but seldom had the answers to Federer’s unrivaled finals experience.

He had set a record for British men just by reaching two major finals in the Open era.

Federer was playing in his 22nd Grand Slam final and 18th of the last 19.

He also beat Murray in straight sets in the 2008 U.S. Open final, the only previous meeting between the pair at a Grand Slam. Murray still holds a 6-5 advantage over Federer in career head-to-heads - one of only four players who can boast such an advantage - but has lost the last three.

“I don’t feel great,” Murray said. “I think it was more the way the end of the match finished … obviously it was pretty emotional end to the match.

“If it was a complete blowout, if I lost 3, 4, and 2, you know, it probably wouldn’t have happened. But I had my chance to get back into the match. That was probably why I was upset.”

Federer had just discovered in Melbourne last year - unknown widely at the time - that he was to be the father of twins.

The emotions bubbled over after his loss to Nadal. But he recovered from that defeat to claim his first clay court major at the French Open, completing a career Grand Slam of titles and equaling the Sampras record.

He regained his Wimbledon title to set the record for most men’s majors in his own right with 15. After his twin daughters were born, Federer reached his fourth Grand Slam final of the year at the U.S. Open, only to lose in an upset to Juan Martin del Potro.

Federer ensured no recurrence of the upset here and added the 2010 title to his wins at Melbourne Park in 2004, 2006 and ‘07, becoming only the fifth man to win four Australian titles.

American Andre Agassi, who won the last of his four here in 2003, was the last father to win a Grand Slam title.

“It’s also very special the first Grand Slam as a father,” Federer said as his wife, Mirka, smiled and clapped from the stands, almost crying herself. “You get the best out of me.”

Federer got on top early, taking a 2-0 lead. But Murray broke back immediately with consecutive passing shots - one which the Swiss star even had to applaud.

Federer had to save three break points in the fifth game before holding with back-to-back aces. He then broke Murray in the eighth game, lifting his intensity in perfect time so that he could serve for the set.

Federer dominated the second set after breaking Murray’s serve in the third game, but his intensity dropped slightly in the third.

Murray pounced, breaking in the sixth game and taking a 5-2 lead.

He didn’t face a break point until he was serving to force a fourth set, when Federer rallied again, winning four of the next four games to force the tiebreaker.

After saving three set points, Federer missed his first chance to finish it off when his curling forehand just missed the line.

His unusual decision to try a drop shot at 10-9 backfired when Murray surged to the net and put a winner over Federer’s head.

“I was concerned it would go a fifth and I wouldn’t win the title,” Federer said of that split second. He didn’t show any nerves, though, saving another set point and finishing off on his third match point.

China has threatened to slap sanctions on American companies that sell arms to its rival Taiwan as part of a range of punitive actions Beijing is taking to protest the deal.

China also summoned U.S. ambassador Jon Huntsman to express its anger over Washington’s announcement, the official Chinese news agency Xinhua said, citing the Foreign Ministry.

Beijing also suspended plans for visits between the Chinese and U.S. militaries and postponed a high-level arms control meeting, it announced Saturday, following Washington’s $6.4-billion arms deal with Taiwan.

China’s Defense Ministry said the decision was made “in consideration of the serious harm and impacts on Sino-U.S. military relations” brought about by the arms deal, according to Xinhua.

“China will make further judgments as appropriate,” Xinhua reported.

China had already complained to the United States about the deal, announced Friday by the Obama administration.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei called it a “rude interference in China’s internal affairs, severely endangering China’s national security” and said China expressed its “strong indignation.”

The arms sale includes 60 Black Hawk helicopters, totaling $3.1 billion; 114 advanced Patriot air defense missiles; a pair of Osprey mine-hunting ships; and dozens of advanced communications systems.

The deal with Taiwan — which neither China nor the United States recognizes as an independent country — does not include F-16 fighter jets, which China has vehemently opposed.

The State Department described the latest round of arms sales to Taiwan as a way to guarantee security and stability, despite China’s objections.

“This is a clear demonstration of the commitment this administration has to provide Taiwan with defensive weapons it needs and as provided for in the Taiwan Relations Act,” State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Friday.

He said the action is consistent with Washington’s “one-China” policy and will help maintain security and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

The arms sales come as the United States is hoping to persuade China to sign on to harsher sanctions against Iran and just after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized China for its policies relating to the Internet.

Crowley would not speak directly about the timing of the announcement of the sales, and about the fact that the arms package does not include F-16s.

A senior U.S. official said later that the United States expected Chinese criticism of the arms deal, but does not expect permanent damage.

The official said he believed Clinton had discussed the sale in London with her Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of Thursday’s international conference on Afghanistan.

“This relationship between the United States and China is broad, it’s deep. There are a large number of issues. We don’t see eye to eye with them and we have to have and do have the ability to speak honestly,” the official said.

The arms deal is the latest chapter in a decades-long uneasy standoff. China claims Taiwan is its own territory and has threatened to invade if Taiwan ever declares independence. The United States has said it will defend Taiwan if China ever attacks.

The government in Taiwan began as the remnant of the government that ruled over mainland China until a Communist insurrection proved victorious in 1949. With the Communist takeover of mainland China, the losing faction fled to the island of Taiwan. Taiwan is formally known as the Republic of China, while Communist China’s official name is People’s Republic of China.

Many Western nations and the United Nations recognized Taiwan as the legitimate Chinese government until the 1970s.

The UN is to begin a major programme of food distribution in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, almost three weeks after the deadly earthquake.

Sixteen sites have been set up across the city with the aim of reaching two million people over two weeks.

The move came as doctors voiced concern that the US had halted the evacuation of the critically injured to the US.

And 10 Americans were held on suspicion of trying to take children out of the country unauthorised.

A Haitian government spokesman, Yves Christallin, said the Americans were caught with more than 30 children on the border with the Dominican Republic, where they said they had an orphanage.

The group from Idaho-based charity New Life Children’s Refuge told the BBC they wanted to take quake orphans to an orphanage in the Dominican Republic.

Women only

The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) said it had established fixed sites for food distribution, to begin on Sunday.

Only women will be allowed to collect earthquake relief supplies, because - the WFP says - this has proved that is the best way to get food to the people who need it.

Men will be encouraged to wait outside the distribution centres to accompany women after they have been given rations, because lone women would be more vulnerable to attack.

The WFP would work with the local authorities to ensure that men in need of assistance were not excluded, it said.

On Saturday, the UN body started to hand out food coupons for the distribution sites.

Each family will be entitled to collect 25kg (55lb) of rice rations, designed to last two weeks.

“Up until now the nature of this emergency has forced us to work in a ‘quick and dirty’ way simply to get food out,” said Executive Director Josette Sheeran.

“This new system will allow us to provide food assistance to more people, more quickly through a robust network of fixed distribution sites.”

The WFP says it has reached 600,000 people with over 16 million meals since the earthquake, amid huge logistical problems caused by damage to local infrastructure.

‘Kids will die’

A senior US medic told the BBC that scores of people injured in the earthquake could die if the US did not resume emergency evacuations soon.

“The consequences - in the kids with crushed chests and on ventilators and respirators, and some of the adults - are they will die,” Barth Green, a senior American doctor at a field hospital in Port-au-Prince airport, told the BBC.

Among the patients was a five-year-old girl suffering from tetanus in a small leg wound.

She would die within a day unless evacuated, Dr David Pitcher, a medic at the temporary field hospital, told the Associated Press.

The US military stopped the flights to Florida on Wednesday.

A White House spokesman told the BBC the move was due to “logistical issues”, not because of a row over medical costs as had been reported earlier.

“There has been no policy decision made to suspend medical evacuation flights. This is an unprecedented relief effort with enormous logistical hurdles, and we are working through those in an effort to resume medical evacuation flights,” the White House spokesman said.

Hundreds of patients with spinal injuries, burns and other wounds have been evacuated to the US since the 12 January quake that killed up to 200,000 people.

China has intensified efforts over the past year to control what the media can say, a report by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) says.

It says hundreds of regulations have been introduced since the Beijing Olympics in 2008 to restrict reporters writing on social unrest or scandals.

Journalists were told they could only use the official Xinhua news agency during the 2008 tainted baby milk row.

They were also told not to travel to report on the Sichuan quake in 2008.

Other restrictions included a specific prohibition of topless photographs of actress Zhang Ziyi on a Caribbean beach, according to the IFJ report released in Hong Kong.

It adds that China particularly targeted online media and chatter, often refusing online journalists official accreditation.

Social networking sites organising public protest gatherings have particularly unnerved the Chinese authorities.

Foreign journalists encountered violence and their equipment was destroyed in some cases, according to the report.

But it adds that while the government has had some success in stopping information leaking out about social unrest, it is struggling to stop commentary from reaching the outside world.

China has so far made no public comment on the IFJ report.