Worldwatch

Unnatural Disaster
THE PHILLIPINES: The Philippines is accustomed to cleaning up after the destruction caused by the dozen or more monsoons that take swipes at the archipelago each summer and autumn. But the island of Luzon is unlikely to recover swiftly from the havoc of last week, when two storms slammed into the coastal areas of Quezon province north of Manila, because the disaster was only partly natural — and largely the work of man. Normally, the roots of trees that cover the interior Sierra Madre mountains would absorb the rain. But four decades of logging — much of it illegal — has steadily denuded the island's mountains

MEANWHILE IN BELGIUM … A Room to Remember Tom Hanks faced the prospect of being bedless in Bastogne when he announced late plans to visit the town next week for the 60th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. With all hotels booked, the local tourist office launched an appeal, eventually finding the Saving Private Ryan star a house to rent. Who says the transatlantic alliance is dead?