Mexican oil rigs crash leave 10 dead

MEXICO CITY -- At least 10 people died after two oil platforms crashed into each other in high winds in the Gulf of Mexico, causing a gas leak that forced the evacuation of all workers in the area, state oil firm Pemex said Wednesday.

Mexican oil rigs crash leave 10 dead

MEXICO CITY -- At least 10 people died after two oil platforms crashed into each other in high winds in the Gulf of Mexico, causing a gas leak that forced the evacuation of all workers in the area, state oil firm Pemex said Wednesday.

16-year-old girl killed in Las Piñas road mishap

MANILA, Philippines -- A 16-year-old girl was killed in a vehicular accident in Las Piñas City early Thursday, a radio report said.

Bush: World must shape post-Castro Cuba

WASHINGTON -- President George W. Bush on Wednesday urged the world to push for change in Cuba, saying Fidel Castro's fading grip on power offered a chance to replace his "tropical Gulag" with democratic rule.

Wall Street claws back most losses in volatile session

NEW YORK -- US stocks ended mostly lower Wednesday, clawing back from steep losses in a volatile session in which housing and credit troubles were highlighted by economic data and a massive writeoff by Merrill Lynch.

Discovery astronauts inspect shuttle wings, nose for damage

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida -- Shuttle Discovery astronauts checked the orbiter's wings and nose for damage on Wednesday using lasers and a camera atop its robotic arm, a day ahead of its rendezvous with the International Space Station.

Shell CNG stations start operations

BIÑAN, Laguna, Philippines -- After years of delay, the Shell Companies in the Philippines started Wednesday the commercial run of its "mother-daughter" refilling stations for compressed natural gas (CNG).

US home sales hit fresh lows

WASHINGTON -- Sales of US homes and apartments tumbled a hefty eight percent in September, extending one of the nation's worst housing slumps in decades, an industry group said Wednesday.

Malibu evacuation orders lifted as wildfires contained

LOS ANGELES -- Celebrities were given the all clear to return to the exclusive Pacific Ocean paradise of Malibu on Wednesday after fires ringing the enclave were snuffed out, officials said.

BIR to pursue cases vs banks on doc stamps tax

MANILA, Philippines--The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said it would not drop the cases against banks that it said owed the government several billions of pesos in documentary stamp tax (DST), even if they applied for tax amnesty.

Microsoft to take stake, expand alliance with Facebook

SAN FRANCISCO -- Microsoft will take a 240-million-dollar stake in the wildly popular social-networking website Facebook as part of an expansion of the strategic alliance of the two firms, the companies said Wednesday.

World oil prices surge as US energy reserves dive

NEW YORK -- World oil prices rallied Wednesday on news that US energy stockpiles fell more than expected last week, fueling supply concerns ahead of the northern hemisphere winter.

Sale of PNOC-EC shares set

MANILA, Philippines--Government-owned PNOC Exploration Corp. (PNOC-EC) expects privatization of 60 percent of its stock to be done in the first quarter of 2008, company president Rafael del Pilar said Wednesday.

(UPDATE) Strong quake strikes off Indonesia's Sumatra

JAKARTA -- A strong earthquake measuring 7.0 struck off the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island on Thursday, briefly triggering panic and a tsunami alert, the Indonesia meteorological agency said.

Airbus superjumbo set for first commercial flight

SINGAPORE -- After long delays and billions of dollars in cost overruns, the Airbus superjumbo -- the biggest airliner ever built -- was set to take to the skies Thursday for its first commercial flight.

Lafayette ships $8.3M worth of copper, zinc

MANILA, Philippines--Australian firm Lafayette Mining Ltd. said Wednesday its Philippine operation, which was previously shut down because of environmental problems, made four shipments of copper and zinc concentrates in the third quarter, valued at about $8.38 million.

GMA Network 3-qtr profit up 17% at P1.8B

MANILA, Philippines-- (UPDATE) Television and radio firm GMA Network Inc. reported an after-tax consolidated net income of P1.788 billion in the first three quarters of 2007, up 17 percent from P1.532 billion in the same period last year.

Ayala Corp. raises size of bond float to P8B

MANILA, Philippines--(UPDATE) Conglomerate Ayala Corp. said Wednesday it had board approval to increase its bond offer to P8 billion from P7 billion.

6 Customs men suspended over undervalued cars

MANILA, Philippines -- The Office of the Ombudsman on Wednesday ordered six Bureau of Customs employees suspended for alleged involvement in the smuggling of 14 luxury cars, which were undervalued at about P1 million each, at the Subic Bay Freeport in February 2007.

Filipino on Time magazine’s list of Green heroes

MANILA, Philippines -- In the eyes of fellow environmentalists, Von Hernandez is the kind who walks his talk, and gets the job done.

Where’s our P500,000 cash? governors ask

MANILA, Philippines -- At least seven governors have neither heard of their league’s “capacity-building program” (CBP) nor have they ever received money for such a program supposedly meant for neophyte governors.

‘Z’ camp denies Darchinyan bout

MANILA, Philippines -- Z “The Dream” Gorres will not fight Vic Darchinyan in an elimination bout for the No. 1 ranking of the International Boxing Federation on Dec. 1, contrary to what popular boxing website sportsnut.com reported Wednesday.

SC receives first writ of amparo plea

MANILA, Philippines -- The mothers of two missing students of the University of the Philippines Wednesday sought a writ of amparo (or protection) from the Supreme Court to order the military to free their daughters and the latter’s companion.

Inton snares 7 swim golds

MANILA, Philippines -- Angelica Inton of Miriam College bagged seven gold medals in the swimming competition of the Athletic Association of Private Schools (AAPS) held last Oct. 20 at the Amoranto Sports Complex in Quezon City.

Esperon blinks, orders release of Jonas Burgos report

MANILA, Philippines -- Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr., Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff, Wednesday announced he was releasing the military report on how the license plate of an impounded vehicle ended up being used by the kidnappers of activist Jonas Burgos.

PLDT expects to hit hiked profit target

MANILA, Philippines--Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) expects to reach its upgraded net income target of P34 billion for this year, company chairman Manuel Pangilinan said Wednesday.

Laguna paces Bicol-SL games

NAGA CITY -- Mark Jake Reyes thought it was a mediocre run but he still ended up with the gold medal.

Citigroup sees P42.50:$1

MANILA, Philippines--US-based financial giant Citigroup expects the peso to head toward 42.50 to the dollar at yearend, given strong foreign exchange inflows from overseas Filipinos' cash remittances and capital-raising activities by local companies in the fourth quarter.

Billion dollars damage from California wildfires

LOS ANGELES -- Fires raged across California for a fourth day Wednesday as officials said property worth 1 billion dollars had been lost and President George W. Bush declared the region a major disaster zone.

ZTE inquiry resumes; Cabinet men not going

MANILA, Philippines -- Malacañang has barred Cabinet OFficials and government executives from appearing further in the Senate probe of the National Broadband Network (NBN) project, citing President Macapagal-Arroyo’s cancellation of the $329-million contract awarded to ZTE Corp. of China.

RP five battles Mail and More

Humbled in its debut in the 2008 Philippine Basketball League V-Go Extreme Energy Drink, the national quintet honing its skills for the coming Southeast Asian Games in Thailand tries to avoid further loss of face when it plays Mail and More at 2 p.m. Thursday at The Arena in San Juan City.

Businessmen remain upbeat on economy

MANILA, Philippines--The business community remains upbeat about the Philippines’ prospects amid the challenges posed by globalization and the controversies in the political arena, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) said Wednesday.

Ayala: 'Nothing extraordinary' about G2 basement conditions

MANILA, Philippines -- “Nothing extraordinary” was how Ayala Land Inc. (ALI), operator of the Glorietta shopping complex in Makati City, Wednesday described the condition of the Glorietta 2 (G2) basement before the Oct. 19 explosion that killed 11 people and injured more than 100.

UAAP bets pace Unigames

BACOLOD CITY -- Freshman Luville Dato-on of University of Santo Tomas has a penchant for churning out golden performances in national meets.

Red Bull holds off Welcoat

MANILA, Philippines -- Junthy Valenzuela scored 27 points, including 16 in the first seven minutes of the fourth period, as Red Bull hacked out an 86-75 decision of Welcoat in the Smart-PBA Philippine Cup eliminations Wednesday night at the Araneta Coliseum.

RP corals hurting from effects of global warming

ALAMINOS CITY—The country’s coral beds may be underwater but they are not immune from the effects of global warming, a scientist who pioneered the study of corals in the Philippines warned.

Foxy Thai mauls off-form Tipon

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS -- Joan Tipon’s Olympic dream will have to wait for now. The reigning Asian Games bantamweight champion started cold and lost to arch-rival Worapoj Petchkoom of Thailand, 13-5, at the start of the International Amateur Boxing Association World Boxing Championships here Tuesday.

Opposition to Estrada pardon gaining ground

MANILA, Philippines -- Lawyers, militants and anticrime crusaders -- and at least one academic institution -- have found common cause in opposing a presidential pardon for ousted President Joseph Estrada, a convicted plunderer.

Panlilio doubts LPP claim on cash source

MANILA, Philippines -- Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio Wednesday expressed skepticism over claims that the P500,000 he and Bulacan Gov. Joselito Mendoza each received in Malacañang on Oct. 11 had come from the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP).

Security measures in place for November holidays

MANILA, Philippines – Police in some parts of Metro Manila have already put in place security measures for the observance of All Saints’ Day on Nov. 1 and All Souls’ Day on Nov. 2.

Mindanao railway plan revived in talks

DAVAO CITY—Plans to put up a Mindanao railway system were revived anew here with a foreign company expressing interest in helping finance the project.

500 families flee homes as soldiers, NPAs clash

BACOLOD CITY—At least 500 families from a mountain village in Calatrava, Negros Occidental have fled their homes in the wake of clashes between the military and communist rebels.

MMDA, Ynares hold talks on Metro trash

MANILA, Philippines – Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chair Bayani Fernando and Rizal Gov. Casimiro Ynares III will discuss today the agency’s request for the province to accommodate garbage from the metropolis for six more months.

Libya offers to host talks with MILF

COTABATO CITY—Libya has offered to host peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Murder raps to be filed vs Gonzalez

Acting Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera has reversed the findings of a Manila prosecutor who earlier recommended the dismissal of the charges filed against businessman Luis Gonzalez and his driver, Antonio Buenaflor, in connection with the death of Gonzalez’s stepbrother and the attack on his companion last March.

Maddie parents reject sedative allegations

MADRID -- The parents of British girl Madeleine McCann who disappeared in Portugal rejected Wednesday as "outrageous" allegations they gave their children sedatives, in their first television interview since being named as suspects in the case.

Dow shakes off loss

NEW YORK - Stocks clawed their way back from steep losses on Wednesday that were triggered by Merrill Lynch announcing its first loss in nearly five years, on speculation that the Federal Reserve would cut the discount rate. Reuters

ABS-CBN to broadcast world pool

The biggest pool tournament in the world will now be broadcast live over ABS-CBN network on November.

California fires helped by slowing winds

SAN DIEGO - Firefighters battling 15 fires across Southern California got a break from slowing winds on Wednesday, but major blazes burned unchecked for a fourth day after forcing the largest evacuation in California's modern history.

All malls to be inspected

Police investigators called it an accident waiting to happen while property firm Ayala Land rejected police suggestions that an accidental gas explosion led to last week's deadly blast that killed 11 people at one of its shopping malls.

Senate hearing on ZTE should also be cancelled

Since President Arroyo has ordered the suspension of the ZTE deal for the national broadband network (NBN), Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said all cases involving it and the Senate investigation into it should also be dropped.

Valenzuela gets it done for Red Bull

Red Bull mainstay Junthy Valenzuela continued to take up the slack with their stars gone as he led the Bulls to an 86-75 win over Welcoat in the 2007-08 Smart PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

79 bets vie in Macau Asian indoor games

Seventy-nine athletes, including trainees for the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand in December, make up a 117-man Philippine delegation which will compete in the Macau second Asian Indoor Games which starts Friday in several venues interspersed within the former Portuguese colony.

PSA draws support for Olympic drive

Support for the Philippine Sportswriters Association's My Olympic Dream Project, in cooperation with Brickroad Fitness and Aspen Spas, the other day snowballed with shoe and sports apparel maker Accel and Informatics International College-Cainta throwing their support to PSA efforts to raise P2 million for the benefit of Filipino athletes competing in next year's Beijing Olympics.

20 hurt in Cam Sur road mishap

Twenty people were hurt when a six-wheeler truck accidentally hit a passenger jeepney Wednesday afternoon in Camarines Sur province.

Clan wars threaten peace talks in south

Deadly clan wars, which feed on unlicensed firearms and weak law enforcement, could disrupt peace talks aimed at settling a Muslim insurgency in the Philippines and should be dealt with more effectively, peace advocates said Wednesday.

Safe Havens for Corrupt Officials Shrinking

World Bank and UN launch initiatives to strengthen states’ capability to confiscate ill-gotten wealth.

Pardon Opens Door for Erap Presidential Bid in 2010

A grant of unconditional pardon by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on former President Joseph Estrada will throw a monkey wrench in...

(GMA7) Death toll in blast rises to 11; probers doubt bomb theory

The death toll from the Glorietta 2 mall explosion in Makati rose to 11 on Sunday as investigators cast doubts...

(GMA7) C-4 bomb component used in Glorietta blast - PNP chemist

Traces of a main component of the powerful C-4 military grade plastic explosive were found at Glorietta mall in...

Cable Operators Up in Arms Against Smart

Even without clear regulatory rules, Smart wants to introduce mobile TV.

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