Will De Venecia son show up when Senate resumes NBN probe?

MANILA, Philippines -- The Senate will resume its probe next week on the alleged bribery attempts in the $329-million National Broadband Network deal with ZTE Corp. of China, but senators are not sure if star witness Jose “Joey” de Venecia III will show up.

Security Bank income up 36%

MANILA, Philippines--Medium-sized commercial bank Security Bank Corp. reported a 36-percent rise in net income in the first three quarters of the year to P1.83 billion from P1.35 billion in the same period last year.

Ousted Pakistan judge urges anti-Musharraf uprising

ISLAMABAD – (UPDATE) Pakistan's deposed chief justice urged people to "rise up" against President Pervez Musharraf's emergency rule Tuesday, as the government ignored a global outcry and cracked down on fresh protests.

Top Yahoo officials apologize to mother of jailed newsman

WASHINGTON – (UPDATE) Top Yahoo officials at a US congressional hearing Tuesday nodded in silent apology to the mother of a Chinese journalist, who was jailed after the Internet giant provided information to Beijing police.

FDC to issue 3.5-B shares

MANILA, Philippines--Filinvest Development Corp. (FDC), the publicly listed holding firm of the Gotianun family, has applied with the Securities and Exchange Commission for issuance of up to 3.5 billion new and existing shares.

Finally, a boulevard named after ‘Ka Pepe’ Diokno

MANILA, Philippines -- Two decades after his death, one of the brightest beacons during the dark days of martial law was finally paid homage.

Domestic outsourcing business expected to rise

MANILA, Philippines--The outsourcing trend is expected to take deeper roots among local companies as more Filipinos get the hang of making purchases and transactions by phone or the Internet, an official of Pilipinas Teleserve Inc. said.

Energy conservation measures pushed anew

MANILA, Philippines--With oil prices spiraling across the globe, the Department of Energy has renewed efforts toward energy conservation, calling on the people to cut down on use of lights and air-conditioning, and to observe proper driving habits to save on fuel.

Greenpeace warns public on dangers of GMO rice

MANILA, Philippines--The environment group Greenpeace on Tuesday warned the public of an impending “economic and ecological disaster” if genetically modified rice became available commercially.

Ayala’s IMI, Zesto vying for ASEAN awards

MANILA, Philippines--Two Philippine companies have made the list of 12 finalists vying for four prizes in the first ASEAN Business Awards (ABA), winners of which will be announced during the ASEAN Business Investment Summit on Nov. 18.

Former houseboy says employer made him sex slave for 6 years

MANILA, Philippines – A 33-year-old man has sued his former employer, whom he claimed made him a sex slave for six years.

EPD cops to seek new ruling on Boratong case

MANILA, Philippines – The police will use all legal means to pursue the murder case filed against the Boratong couple, whom they accused of operating a compound of shabu dens in Pasig City which was raided last year, Eastern Police District chief, Senior Supt. Nilo de la Cruz, said yesterday.

Palace backs BIR, BoC exemption from pay standardization

MANILA, Philippines--President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will certify as urgent a House bill exempting employees of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and Bureau of Customs (BoC) from the Salary Standardization law, the bill’s author said.

Beyonce in town for one-night concert

MANILA, Philippines – International pop superstar Beyonce Knowles flashed a wide smile upon arriving in Manila yesterday afternoon.

40 killed in Afghanistan's deadliest suicide attack

PUL-I-KHUMRI, Afghanistan -- Forty people including six lawmakers were killed in a suicide blast in Afghanistan on Tuesday in the deadliest attack since the 2001 fall of the Taliban, a health official said.

Oil drilling in Visayas to start this month

MANILA, Philippines--Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. Ltd. (Japex), operator of Service Contract 46, will drill this month the first exploratory well within its contract area covering the Tañon Strait in Central Visayas, Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes said.

Sacks found in Taytay yield 4 bodies

MANILA, Philippines – The police are trying to identify two men and two women—one of them pregnant—whose bodies were stuffed separately into sacks and dumped near a bridge in Taytay, Rizal province yesterday morning.

45 illegal African emigrants die of thirst on boat

NOUAKCHOTT – (UPDATE 2) At least 45 African migrants have died of cold and thirst after their boat ran aground in the Atlantic Ocean trying to reach Europe, a Mauritanian security official said on Tuesday.

Oil closes at record $96.70 in New York

NEW YORK -- The price of oil closed at a record high of $96.70 a barrel in New York, after earlier hitting an all-time peak above $97, amid concerns about tight US supplies.

Mutinying Filipino sailors held after docking in Mauritius

NAIROBI -- Mauritius authorities on Tuesday detained nine Filipino sailors who staged a mutiny and seized control of a vessel off the island's coast, a maritime official said.

Teacher shot outside a Miami school, suspects on the loose

MIAMI -- Three Miami schools were shut down Tuesday, after a teacher was shot outside one of the buildings during an apparent robbery attempt, police told local media.

US envoy backs ‘accidental gas explosion’ theory

BAGUIO CITY -- The Philippine National Police’s “accidental gas explosion” theory has found another backer in US Ambassador Kristie Kenney, who said American experts had also concluded that the Oct. 19 blast at the Glorietta 2 mall in Makati City was “a tragic accident.”

Bayan exec freed after 4 days with Army

CALBIGA, SAMAR—The military released on Thursday the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) spokesperson in Eastern Visayas, four days after he was “invited for questioning.”

Ingrates, NPC execs call Angono artists

MANILA, Philippines -- Accused of censoring, bastardizing and ruining the press freedom mural it commissioned from a group of artists, the National Press Club (NPC) Tuesday turned the tables on the painters, calling them ingrates.

Gov’t says nuclear power isn’t a priority

MANILA, Philippines--The option to venture into nuclear power generation will serve as the government’s last resort, in case no new additional capacity comes in before a projected 2010-2011 critical period in Luzon, Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes said.

Archers, Lions head Champs League cast

MANILA, Philippines -- They have proven that they’re the best in their respective leagues. It’s time to test their true worth when ranged against other champions.

Unidentified man shoots QC law enforcer

MANILA, Philippines – A police officer is in critical condition after he was shot by a still unidentified suspect in Quezon City yesterday morning.

BSP moves to help exporters cope with rising peso

MANILA, Philippines--The central bank, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), has lined up new measures to help exporters cope with the adverse impact of a strong peso, including initiatives to boost access to bank loans.

MILF to join hunt for Lintang Bedol

COTABATO CITY—The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) yesterday said it was willing to help the police in hunting down controversial Maguindanao election supervisor Lintang Bedol, who police said is now a fugitive and armed.

Murder raps filed vs Gonzalez, driver

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Justice the other day filed charges against businessman and grandson of former President Elpidio Quirino, Luis Gonzalez, and his driver Antonio Buenaflor, in connection with the death of Gonzalez’s stepbrother.

SM Prime may fold in China malls

MANILA, Philippines--The family of mall czar Henry Sy may soon transfer its China malls to Manila-listed mall operator SM Prime Holdings Inc. as part of the company’s growth strategy.

Beach tossers sure of medal

MANILA, Philippines -- They’ve pitted their skills against the world’s best with some success. Filipino beach volleyball bets Heidi Ilustre and Diane Pascua now believe they are ready to do battle in next month’s Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.

ICTSI takes over Georgia’s Batumi terminal

MANILA, Philippines--Publicly listed port operator International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) officially took over operations at the Port of Batumi in Georgia through subsidiary Batumi International Container Terminal LLC (BICTL), the parent company said in a statement Tuesday.

San Miguel Brewery eyes P25B from IPO

MANILA, Philippines--San Miguel Brewery Inc., the domestic beer business unit of the beverage and food conglomerate San Miguel Corp., aims to raise as much as P25.2 billion from an initial public offering (IPO) of stock in the first quarter of next year.

Estrada told to pay gov’t P600M in 5 days

MANILA, Philippines -- Deposed President Joseph Estrada Tuesday vowed not to relinquish his home in Greenhills and his sprawling estate in Tanay without a fight, as the Sandiganbayan threatened to seize these assets should he fail to pay the government more than P700 million.

Five groups remain in race for PNOC-EDC stake

MANILA, Philippines--From the 14 pre-qualified, only five groups are vying for the government’s 60-percent stake in the publicly listed geothermal power producer PNOC Energy Development Corp. (PNOC-EDC).

GM to take $39-B charge

LOS ANGELES - General Motors Corp. said on Tuesday it would book a $39 billion non-cash charge in the third quarter related to deferred tax assets in the United States, Canada and Germany.

100 solvent users rounded up in QC

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) apprehended at least 100 alleged solvent users in a "clean-up" operation conducted in several areas in Quezon City starting Tuesday night.

Henin makes winning start at WTA Championships

MADRID - World number one Justine Henin began the defense of her WTA Championships title with a 6-1 7-6 win over Russian Anna Chakvetadze on Tuesday.

Filipino sailors in mutiny jailed in Mauritius

NAIROBI - Mauritius authorities on Tuesday detained nine Filipino sailors who staged a mutiny and seized control of a vessel off the island's coast, a maritime official said.

Bush seeks tougher import and food safety rules

WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush on Tuesday proposed tougher inspection rules meant to keep dangerous food and other products out of the United States and said he wants broader power to recall food that is unsafe for US consumers.

PAGASA eyes LPA as 'Kabayan' exits

Weather forecasters closely monitored a low pressure area (LPA) Wednesday east of the country as typhoon "Kabayan" (international codename: Peipah) slowly moved out of the Philippine area of responsibility.

(UPDATE) DPWH shuts Osmeña bridges to traffic

The Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH) will close to traffic two bridges along Osmeña Highway in Manila Wednesday (not Tuesday night as reported earlier) for repairs.

Wall Street gains on energy, Cisco

NEW YORK - Stocks rose on Tuesday as oil prices topped $97 a barrel and lifted shares of Exxon Mobil Corp and other energy producers, while optimism a day ahead of Cisco Systems Inc earnings drove another rally in technology shares.

Astronomers find system with five planets

WASHINGTON - NASA scientists said they discovered a fifth planet orbiting a star outside our own solar system and say the discovery suggests there are many solar systems that are, just like our own, packed with planets.

Mayor girds for legal war over sloppy bridge work

The mayor of Valenzuela has threatened to file a lawsuit against certain officials for the alleged crude repair work done on the Tullahan Bridge that divides the city and neighboring Malabon.

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