Sara Thomson's first trip to the hairdresser was for a good cause - the salon is donating its day's takings to the victims of the Philippines typhoon.

When a newspaper for Filipino workers in NZ told readers how to donate to the typhoon relief effort, it skipped a list of government bank accounts. But why?

In front of the mansion that Imelda Marcos built to store the glittering keepsakes of her life, workmen were slowly clearing the debris and sweeping away mounds of mud.

Devastation in Philippines highlights urgency of Warsaw summit to pave the way for an agreement to bring down global emissions.

Althea Mustacisa was born three days ago in the aftermath of the killer typhoon that razed the eastern Philippines. And for every one of those three days, she has struggled to live.

People swept dirt from the pews and wiped clean the mud-covered, ornate tile floors of a church. The sound of hammers hitting nails and the buzzing of chain saws reverberated in the streets. Debris was piled on corners and set ablaze.

Japan is preparing to send as many as 1,000 troops to the storm-ravaged Philippines, and naval vessels and aircraft in what could be Tokyo's biggest postwar military deployment.

International effort picked up pace yesterday, with helicopters buzzing back and forth between Tacloban and the USS George Washington's carrier group, delivering crates of food.

Scores of unidentified bodies were interred together in a hillside cemetery without any ritual - the first mass burial in this city shattered by last week's Typhoon Haiyan.

Close your eyes and hold your breath, and you could imagine you are in a normal sports stadium. You hear a ball bouncing and the children's cheers echoing under the cavernous dome.

A street appeal and an open air concert are planned for next week in a bid to raise money for the typhoon stricken Philippines.

Relief operations in the typhoon-devastated Tacloban region picked up pace yesterday.

Walking with just one broken rubber flip-flop, Marcel Stutz, a farmer, led his young children and wife past putrefying corpses down an avenue that would take them to the airport and to safety.

NZ will send an air force Hercules to help in the storm-hit Philippines, but Prime Minister John Key's official visit to Manila next week has been postponed.

Food, water and medical aid has been sent to the Philippines - but few in the worst-hit areas are receiving any help.

A relief worker on the ground in the Philippines has described nightmarish scenes, but says the Filipino people are being resilient through the crisis.

From a music marathon to food and garage sales, local Filipino community groups are rallying to raise funds for victims affected by Typhoon Haiyan.

Kiwis are being asked to help with efforts to get food and water to thousands of people in the Philippines, following the deadly typhoon that has devastated the region.

The Government has given a further $2 million to help the Philippines in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan.

The United Nations was "expecting the worst'' over the final body count from Typhoon Haiyan, which ripped through the Philippines killing tens of thousands.