NEWSBREAK EDITOR GETS DEATH THREATS
31 March 2010
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Marites Da?guilan Vitug (pictured above), editor-in-chief of the Philippines online news outlet Newsbreak, has received at least eight death threats in connection with a book she wrote that was critical of the country's Supreme Court, Vitug said in an interview.
"I started receiving texts on my phone," Vitug told Asia Sentinel. "The police are investigating. It's hard to say...
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IMMIGRATION WORRIES SIGNAL START OF BRITISH ELECTION BATTLE
31 March 2010
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British Prime Minister Brown going on the offensive on immigration outlining hardline policies which will further limit care workers and NVQ student entry to the UK (video of speech below)
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has made a major pre-election speech in which foreign students as well as care workers are targeted for exclusion from the United Kingdom. The general...
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MALACANANG FAIL TO EXPLAIN SACKING OF ENVOY TO GERMANY
31 March 2010
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A Malacanang press briefing failed to explain precisely why the Ambassador to Germany was fired?
?I wish to clarify, once and for all, that all of the appointments recently made by President Arroyo constitute a timely and legitimate exercise of her appointing authority, consistent with law, civil service and other regulations, and invoking the highest national interest by...
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ANGER OVER EUROPEAN AIR BAN
31 March 2010
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RP's two major carriers are now banned from flying into Europe
Alfonso Cusi, director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), defended the safety of?Philippine airlines in the wake of the shock news that the European Union has banned all carriers from??European airspace. ?He added that the EU ban does not mean that Philippine...
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NPA IN HUNT FOR TERROR BOSS WHO STOLE EXTORTION MONEY
30 March 2010
Another New People's Army (NPA) rebel leader in Mindanao is the object of a manhunt operation by his own group after he allegedly embezzled undetermined amount of extorted money.
Vicente Taoy, alias Benal, secretary and political officer of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA?s Guerilla Front-2 of the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC) is the second documented NPA leader...
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AXA & METROBANK BRINGING IN NEW INSURANCE FOR OFW REMITTERS
30 March 2010
The local unit of the AXA Group, one of the largest financial protection and wealth management companies in the world, is crafting a new product aimed at dominating the US$ 17-billion remittance market in the Philippines.
AXA Southeast Asia chief executive David Matthews and AXA Life Insurance and Investments (Philippines) president and chief executive officer Rien Hermans said the company...
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AMPATUANS CLEARED OF REBELLION CHARGES BY JUDGE
30 March 2010
A Philippine court has dismissed rebellion charges against a powerful clan leader and dozens of his followers but they remain in custody for their alleged role in the election-related massacre of 57 people, officials said Monday.
The Nov. 23 slaughter was unprecedented even in a country known for election violence and political killings that have claimed hundreds of lives in...
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AMPATUAN's THEFT OF BILLIONS LEFT MAGUINDANAONS POVERTY STRICKEN
29 March 2010
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The contrast: one of the many mansions owned by the Ampatuans as the backdrop for the rural poverty that still exists
Second of Three Parts
IN THE nation?s third poorest province, Maguindanao, the poverty incidence is a staggering 62 percent ? five of every six residents live on less than a dollar a day. And by all indications, every...
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WEALTHY AMPATUANS IN DIRT POOR MAGUINDANAO
29 March 2010
First of Three Parts
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One of the many Ampatuan mansions paid for?by the theft of money meant for the development of Maguindanao
MAURA Montano doesn?t live in General Santos City anymore ? not after the family breadwinner, Montano?s daughter Marife or ?Neneng,? who worked at radio station DXCP and Saksi Balita, was killed along with 57 others in Ampatuan,...
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LIST OF EVENTS FOR FILIPINOS IN THE UK
29 March 2010
List of UK events - issued by the embassy in London
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Event
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Date/Time
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Venue
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Remarks
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1. 2010 PFA Annual General Assembly
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3 April 2010
Saturday
9am ? 6pm
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Room 1, QuAD Centre, QA Hospital, Cosham, Portsmouth PO6 3LY
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Organized by the...
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MAGUINDANAO MASSACRE: 189 SERVED WITH ARREST WARRANTS
29 March 2010
The Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) started serving on Thursday the warrants of arrest against 189 suspects, including police officers, in the massacre of at least 57 civilians and media practitioners in Maguindanao province last year.
PNP-CIDG director Chief Supt. Francisco Don Montenegro said that at around 10:30 a.m. today, the CIDG served 47 warrants of arrest...
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PINAY HURT IN MOSCOW TERROR BOMBS
29 March 2010
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One of the injured being placed in an ambulance outside the Lubyanka metro station (with video)
The devaststing bombs which ripped through Moscow's Metro rail system have claimed a Philippine victim.
Filipina Maria Aileen Ponting was?one of?those injured in?one of two suicide blasts which hit the world's largest underground railway system in Monday's morning?rush hour.
She was...
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CHINA HARDENS CENSORSHIP ON GOOGLE AS ROW DEVELOPS
28 March 2010
China has introduced a swathe of new limits on media coverage of the world's largest search engine run by Google Inc., according to a U.S.-based research network at the University of California, Berkeley on Friday.
Google earlier this week withdrew its China-based operations and has begun redirecting online visitors to Hong Kong.
Users who type in www.google.cn in the search...
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'NOYNOY' HAS EXCEEDED TV QUOTA
28 March 2010
Liberal Party (LP) presidential candidate Benigno Simeon ?Noynoy? Aquino III has exceeded the 120 minutes allowable time to place political advertisements on ABS-CBN.
In a press briefing, Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez said that the LP standard-bearer can no longer place an advertisement in the said television network using his personal fund, but he will be allowed if his party will...
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NEW ANTI-CORRUPTION GROUP TO SHINE A LIGHT ON GRAFT
27 March 2010
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Manila
A new project?has?been started with the single aim of exposing public corruption in the Philippines - by the simple process of giving a platform for whistleblowers and ordinary members of the public who spot corrupt practices to let the rest of the country, as well as the media, know what is happening.
The basic premise is that corrupt...
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VITAMIN E LOADED CONTACT LENSES CAN WARD OFF GLAUCOMA
27 March 2010
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Vitamin E, loaded into special medicated contact lenses, can keep glaucoma medicine near the eye - - where it can treat that common disease -- almost 100 times longer than possible with current commercial lenses, scientists reported Wednesday.
In a presentation at the 239th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society held in San Francisco, they described the use...
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UK IMMIGRATION MATTERS
27 March 2010
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Highly Trusted Sponsor Scheme For Tier 4 Sponsors Launched By UK Border Agency
The UK Border Agency has announced details of the newly launched ?Highly Trusted Sponsor Scheme? for education providers under Tier 4 of the points-based system.
Tier 4 sponsors...
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VISITORS TO RP WILL GET STICK-ON VISAS TO COMBAT IMMIGRATION FRAUD
26 March 2010
Fake immigration stamps will soon be a thing of the past as the Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced Wednesday its plan to implement a stick-on visa for foreigners arriving in the country.
Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan made the disclosure in his remarks welcoming newly-installed Justice Secretary Alberto Agra when the latter visited the BI main office in Intramuros, Manila Tuesday....
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AALDEF WANT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN THE US TO REGISTER FOR THE CENSUS
25 March 2010
As the April 1 deadline for returning Census 2010 forms approaches, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) cited a compelling reason for undocumented immigrants to participate in the Census:? the completed census form can be used to prove "physical presence" in the United States, in the event that a legalization program is enacted by Congress in the...
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WASHINGTON MARCH SEES 200K WANTING IMMIGRATION REFORM
25 March 2010
It was d?j? vu ? the sea of humanity chanting a message of hope and anticipation, pockets of people praying, dancing, singing. In another time and place the scene might have been called ?People Power? but at the Mall last Sunday, it was America?s future staring the nation?s leaders in the face.
?March for America? organizers estimated the crowd at...
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PRAGUE BECOMES THE WORLD's GAY PORN CAPITAL
25 March 2010
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PRAGUE, Czech Republic ? Martin Justel is 20, as old as the Czech democracy and, arguably, just as mature.
He is scrawny and too tall for his body mass. He has a baby face, short auburn hair, long eyelashes and a vacant expression. He looks hardly 18 but his eyes, blinking slowly, convey the gloom and servitude of somebody...
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ENTREPRENEUR OF 2010 SEARCH BEGINS
25 March 2010
The search for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Philippines 2010 was launched Tuesday by the Sycip Gorres Velayo Foundation via cable television show 'Mornings at ANC' at the 14th Flr. of the E. Lopez Bldg, Quezon City.
Chairman Atty. Vic Noel of the SGV Foundation kicked off the search with a call for nominations in the company...
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NEW HEART PROBLEMS FORCE ARROYO's HUSBAND BACK IN HOSPITAL
25 March 2010
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First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo was rushed to the hospital Thursday morning due to back pains related to his past heart surgery, Malacanang said today.
The First Gentleman was brought to the St. Luke?s Medical Center in Global City in Taguig at around 8 a.m. after complaining of back pains that was traced to an aorta operation in 2007,... [More]
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WHY THE INTERNET SCARES CHINA BUT NOT RUSSIA
24 March 2010
Have you ever wondered why the Kremlin does not control the Internet as China does?
China surpasses Russia on every conceivable front. After Russia suffered more than any other country in the Group of 20 during the crisis, economists rallied to rename BRIC as BIC, while China overtook Germany to become the world?s largest exporter.
During 10 years of Vladimir...
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EX-COP IMPLICATED IN MAGUINDANAO MASSACRE RE-ARRESTED
24 March 2010
A retired police official linked to anomalies involving the procurement of guns allegedly used in the Maguindanao massacre was re-arrested by police before dawn Wednesday.
Retired Superintendent Piang Adam, who escaped from his detention cell in Sultan Kudarat last February, was re-arrested by police in Davao City at 5:30 a.m. today, said Chief Superintendent Josefino Cataluna, regional police director of...
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AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL CRITICAL OF MALAYSIA OVER TREATMENT OF MIGRANT WORKERS
24 March 2010
Migrant workers are lured to Malaysia by promises of high salaries but often end up being exploited and abused, Amnesty International says in a report that urged the government to better protect foreign laborers.
About 2 million foreigners work in Malaysia legally, and an estimated 1 million more work illegally. Most come from poorer Indonesia. Others are from Bangladesh, India,...
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LIBERAL PARTY FIGHT BACK OVER HACIENDA LUISITA ISSUE
24 March 2010
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He who enjoys mudslinging must be standing on a filthier backyard.
This is the message of Liberal Party (LP) legal counsel Edwin Lacierda to Nacionalista Party (NP) senatoriable Atty. Adel Tamano on the controversial Hacienda Luisita row.
?NP senatorial bet Adel Tamano, who spoke against Sen. Noynoy Aquino in Tarlac yesterday, was kind enough to bring up the...
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TAXMAN HITS MMDA's BANK ACCOUNTS OVER P120-M DEBTS
24 March 2010
The Bureau of Internal Revenue has seized three bank accounts belonging to the Metro Manila Development Authority and may confiscate its vehicles and equipment if it fails to settle back taxes amounting to P120 million.
?We have garnisheed MMDA?s bank accounts, Revenue Commissioner Joel Tan-Torres said.
?It has not been paying withholding tax for 2000 and 2001, [and] we were...
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ARROYO: SURFING THE WAVES TO KEEPING POWER
23 March 2010
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To an extraordinary degree,?President Arroyo?is seeking to lock up the House of Representatives by packing it with former members of her administration, family members and other allies, according to a new report by the Manila-based Pacific Strategies and Assessments, clearing the path for her to become a powerful House Speaker.
"If there was ever any doubt, it is now...
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LINGAYEN TO HOLD THE "MOTHER OF ALL FESTIVALS" APRIL 5
23 March 2010
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A festival, dubbed as 'Mother of all Festivals,' will unfold here as the province celebrates its 430th foundation day on April 5.
This will be the maiden Pangasinan Day celebration, made possible by a provincial board ordinance adopting April 5 as foundation day of the province following a research and study conducted by a committee created by Governor Amado...
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CITY GIVES FREE INTERNET ACCESS
23 March 2010
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The city government?of Balanga in Bataan?has launched the free use of laptop computers with internet access in line with its vision of a world-class University Town.
The free use of laptop computers with internet access have been set up over the weekend in three tents at the Plaza Mayor de Balanga fronting the Balanga City Hall.
City...
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LAKAS CALL FOR FOREIGN POLL OBSERVERS
23 March 2010
Two Lakas-Kampi-CMD senatorial bets on Saturday afternoon urged the government to invite more foreign election observers to diffuse the tension brought by speculation of a military junta in case of failure of elections in the country.
Expressing belief that neither failure of elections nor military takeover would occur, former Justice Secretary Silvestre Bello III and Atty. Raul Lambino said the...
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NESTLE FACES INDON BOYCOTT OVER PALM OIL ROW
23 March 2010
Oil palm planters in 20 Indonesian provinces are ready to boycott Nestle products if the foreign company really stops buying crude palm oil (CPO) from national producers, a spokesman said.
"About 10 million oil palm farmers spread in 20 Indonesian provinces have stated their readiness to boycott Nestle products. Apkasindo (Association of Indonesian Oil Palm Farmers) is now preparing to...
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MANNY MAY RETIRE
23 March 2010
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Manny Pacquiao at the concert in SM Mall of Asia in Pasay (Photo credit: Mike Alquinto/NPPA Images - click to enlarge)
Manny Pacquiao hinted at possible retirement shortly after arriving to another hero?s welcome by adoring fans at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and then during a colorful welcome at the New World Hotel in Makati City.
Insidesports.ph, Standard...
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BISHOPS WRONG OVER CONDOMS SAYS W.H.O.
23 March 2010
The World Health Organization on Monday backed a government campaign to promote the use of condoms to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS, but over strong objections from the Catholic Church.
Disputing a claim by Catholic bishops, a WHO official said condoms were ?extremely effective? against HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
?The correct and consistent use of good quality condoms...
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IMELDA MAY BE EVICTED
22 March 2010
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The Fort penthouse being rented by former First Lady Imelda Marcos is on the block again.
The 670-square-meter, six-bedroom, two-floor unit with a 280-square meter meter garden and a helipad at One McKinley Place has been placed on the market for the second time in as many years by the owner, Go Negosyo?s Jose Concepcion III.
Mrs. Marcos, who...
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TUNA FISHING FIRMS AFFECTED BY BAN GETTING GOV'T SUPPORT
22 March 2010
At least two tuna fishing companies here have availed of the emergency employment and livelihood programs of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to assist their workers who had been displaced as a result of the two-year fishing ban in the international waters off the central and western Pacific Ocean.
Lawyer Ma. Gloria Tango, DOLE Region 12 director, said...
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MANNY VILLAR INVADES TARLAC
22 March 2010
Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Manny Villar continued to draw big crowds in every area he visited to woo voters and Tarlac, considered as bailiwick of top rival Noynoy Aquino, is no exception.
Thousands of people, including supporters and local leaders welcomed Villar and his running mate candidate Loren Legarda throughout the whole-day Tarlac campaign sortie on Saturday.
Accompanied by NP senatorial...
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PRINCESS OF THE STARS OWNERS & CAPTAIN TO FACE TRIAL
22 March 2010
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The Department of Justice (DOJ) will ask the Manila City Regional Trial Court to push through with the arraignment against officials of Sulpicio Lines and the captain of the ill-fated Princess of the Stars.
In a resolution dated March 22, Justice Secretary Alberto Agra denied the petition for review filed by Edgar Go, Sulpicio Lines 1st Vice President for...
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NEW KUWAITI LABOR LAWS AIM TO STOP CONTRACT SUBSTITUTION & OTHER PAY PROBLEMS
21 March 2010
Jess (not his real name) was recruited from the Philippines to work as a security guard in Kuwait. Based on his employment contract signed before accepting the job, he knew that he would be working eight hours per day for which he would receive KD120 (PhP 19,000) per month. Prior to starting the job, however, he was asked to sign...
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MAKATI FIRMS MAIN TARGETS IN COMPUTER SOFTWARE PIRACY CHECKS
21 March 2010
Companies in Makati have been given until March 26 to replace pirated software or face the consequences in a full bodied campaign.?
Other business districts will be placed under a similar ?countdown campaigns? this year but the Pilipinas Anti-Piracy Team (PAPT) will first focus on Makati where business software piracy reports are concentrated, an inter-agency authority said.
A grace period...
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OFW REMITTANCES EXEMPT FROM DST: DETAILS OF RA 10022
21 March 2010
Money sent?home by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) -- cited by both the government and private sector analysts alike as a key driver of private consumption that, in turn, will help prod economic growth this year -- will soon be exempt from the documentary stamp tax (DST).
This, after President Gloria M. Arroyo allowed a measure that amends Republic Act No....
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DOLE PROMISES MORE PROTECTION FOR OFW's
21 March 2010
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is beefing up its drive to protect overseas Filipino workers by empowering officials handling OFWs with updated labor policies from major host countries across the globe.
?It is designed to equip the participants with a thorough knowledge of pertinent legal assistance and other services for our OFWs,? Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) chief...
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MAJOR CHANGES TO US IMMIGRATION LAWS ON THE WAY
21 March 2010
U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday praised a bipartisan immigration reform framework put forward by two Senators, saying the next step is to translate the framework into a legislative proposal.
The framework was brought forward by Democratic Senator Charles Schumer and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham in an article posted on Washington Post's website earlier Thursday.
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CLAIRE DELA FUENTE ORDERED ARRESTED OVER P400-M UNPAID TAXES
21 March 2010
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The Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) said on Friday it has issued a warrant of arrest against 1970?s jukebox queen Claire Dela Fuente for allegedly failing to pay the taxes owed by her bus company.
In a one-page resolution dated March 10, 2010, CTA Associate Justices Juanito C. Castaneda Jr., Caesar A. Casanova and Cielito N. Mindaro-Grulla...
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FEARS GROW OF POWER VACUM IF MAY ELECTIONS GO WRONG
19 March 2010
Manila
With less than 60 days left before Filipinos go to the polls in the country?s first fully automated elections, there are growing concerns over transparency and the risk that the system will break down leading to political instability.
The announcement on Wednesday that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo can name the country?s next chief justice has added to the growing...
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VISA ADVISOR's TRIAL WILL NOT BE DELAYED FURTHER RULES GUERNSEY JUDGE
19 March 2010
An attempt to further delay?a trial for fraud and theft by an immigration advisor's legal team failed on Thursday as a judge set a fixed date for the trial.
Guernsey resident Angelique Blin, who is facing seven counts of fraud with seven alternative charges of theft relating to money transfers of ?16,000, had tried to argue that as she was...
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VIDEO SHOWS CAR DRIVERS NARROW ESCAPE
18 March 2010
Terrifying video documents the moment a car was caught in front of a truck on a motorway in the north of England.
It appears the driver of the truck did not realize he had caught the car by his front fender.
Other motorists alerted the driver of the truck who brought the ordeal safely to an end.
The car driver...
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LONDON CALLS ON ARROYO TO DISBAND MILITIAS
18 March 2010
Amnesty International, the Campaign for Human Rights in the Philippines, the International Federation of Journalists and the National Union of Journalists organized an event in London to put pressure on the Arroyo administration to disband all private political armies.
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A minutes silence for the victims of the Ampatuan massacre
In the run-up to the May 2010 national...
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LAKAS-KAMPI DENY THEY ARE RUNNING OUT OF MONEY
18 March 2010
A Palace official assured administration-backed Lakas-Kampi-CMD coalition party's financial capability to continue pursuing its election campaign this year.
"I'm sure we'll be able to sustain this campaign," Lakas-Kampi-CMD stalwart and presidential legal adviser Prospero Pichay said Tuesday during a Palace briefing.
He gave this assurance after reports said some Lakas-Kampi-CMD bets are concerned about financial support the coalition is extending...
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SUGAR PRODUCERS COMPLAIN ABOUT SMUGGLING
18 March 2010
The National Federation of Sugarcane Planters (NFSP), Inc. calls on the government, through the Bureau of Customs (BoC), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), to immediately act against sugar smuggling in the country as it ?poses a very serious threat to the already endangered sugar industry,?
?Sugar smuggling has once again reared its ugly...
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LIST OF UK EVENTS FROM 17 MARCH 2010
18 March 2010
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Event
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Date/Time
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Venue
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Remarks
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1. Filipino, Learn the Philippine National Language
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7 ? 27 Mar 2010
(4 consecutive Sundays)
2.00pm ? 4.00pm
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Philippine Embassy, 6 Suffolk St., London SW1Y 4HG
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Organized by the Philippine Generations Limited (Adrian Williams, Chairman:...
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VILLAR's TEAM ON THE RAMPAGE OVER HACIENDA LUISITA "LIES"
17 March 2010
Sen. Benigno ?Noynoy? Aquino III, the Liberal Party standard-bearer, came under fire Tuesday after his cousin was quoted in The New York Times article published March 14 as saying that the Cojuangco family would not give up Hacienda Luisita.
The distribution of all agricultural lands to farmers?over 1 million hectares in the most productive areas of the country that had...
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"NOYNOY" COMPLAINS OF ATTACKS OVER HACIENDA LUISITA ISSUE
17 March 2010
Liberal Party standard bearer and Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III said on Wednesday that his family on the maternal side?the Cojuangcos?has been unduly put at a disadvantage by parties out to distort the facts about the Hacienda Luisita issue to derail his presidential bid.
Aquino who said he has been answering the question since 2004, explained that the family was...
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FIRE DESTROYS MATI COCONUT PLANT
17 March 2010
MATI CTY - Four fire engines tackled a fire which almost destroyed a plant in Mati.?
The Coconut Husk Processing Plant in Dahican, here in this city was hit by a mystery fire.
According to Board Member Erik N. Rabat (2nd District, Davao Oreintal), owner of the plant, the fire started in the back of the plant just after 10:30...
[More]
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JAILED GENERAL PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO NEW CORRUPTION CHARGES
17 March 2010
Former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Gen. Carlos Garcia has pleaded not guilty to the money laundering charges filed against him by the Office of the Ombudsman before the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan.
In a re-arraignment done by the Sandiganbayan 2nd Division headed by Associate Justice Edilberto Sandoval and members, Justices Teresita Diaz-Baldos and Samuel Martires, Garcia entered a ?not...
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CLOSURES OF BUSINESSES OVER VAT RECEIPTS STEPPED UP
17 March 2010
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) closed on Monday a business establishment in Makati City for failure to issue value-added tax (VAT) receipts, resulting to government losses in VAT revenues.
BIR Deputy Commissioner for Legal and Enforcement Gregorio V. Cabantac said in a statement the bureau padlocked Geminus Karaoke Club operating at Unit G, The Gallery Bldg., Amorsolo St., Legaspi...
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NAGA CITY SHERIFF SUSPENDED OVER BRIBE
17 March 2010
The Supreme Court (SC) suspended on Monday a court sheriff for one year without pay due to his questionable acceptance of an amount from an accused in a court case without an official receipt.
In a nine-page decision, the SC's Third Division imposed the penalty on Achilles Andrew Regalado, Sheriff IV of the Naga City Regional Trial Court (RTC).
Court...
[More]
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FILIPINA MURDERED IN SINGAPORE
17 March 2010
Authorities found on Monday a body of a Filipina with stab wounds in an apartment in Singapore, a report said.
The remains of 30-year-old Roselyn Pascua were recovered by the police past 3 a.m. in her room at Peony Mansion, a low-cost lodging house along the city?s Bencoolen Street.
In a report from The Straits Times,?authorities have alerted taxi drivers... [More]
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RP's STEEL INDUSTRY HURT BY UNFAIR CHINESE SUBSIDIES
17 March 2010
China is subsidizing export of pre-painted and galvanized steel sheets and still enjoys zero duty on export of these products to the Philippines under the ASEAN-China Free Trade Act (ACFTA), dealing Philippine steel roof producers a double whammy from which the industry may not recover, the Filipino Galvanizers Institute (FGI) said.
In a statement, FGI president Salvio Perez said that...
[More]
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HACIENDA LUISITA: COJUANGCO's NO TO ANY DISTRIBUTION OF THE LAND
16 March 2010
The Cojuangcos have rejected the plan of presidential candidate Benigno Aquino III to transfer ownership of the vast clan-owned Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac to thousands of farmer-beneficiaries.
The New York Times reported over the weekend that Fernando Cojuangco, chief operating officer of Azucarera de Tarlac and Jose Cojuangco & Sons, rejected Aquino?s campaign promise to distribute up to 4,915 hectares...
[More]
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FILINVEST GETS GO AHEAD FOR MAJOR PROJECT IN CEBU
16 March 2010
The City government awarded Real estate giant Filinvest Land Inc. (FLI) an ownership title to a 2.6-hectare lot of the South Road Properties (SRP) after it paid an additional P72.5 million.
The payment will pave the way for the company to begin the construction of its project in early May.
FLI vice president Tristan Las Marias turned over the check...
[More]
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FIRE VICTIMS KILL OCCUPANT OF HOUSE WHERE BLAZE STARTED
16 March 2010
Irate fire victims in Sampaloc, Manila on Saturday beat and stabbed to death a 42-year-old man who resided in a house where a two-hour fire allegedly originated last Tuesday.
Police identified the fatality as Benjamin Flores, 42, of 934 Norma St., Sampaloc, Manila. The victim died from 30 stab wounds.
Chief Insp. Erwin Margarejo, chief of the Manila Police District...
[More]
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NEW ZEALAND MAY UNITE WITH AUSTRALIA
16 March 2010
A latest opinion poll has found 40 percent of New Zealanders support a debate about becoming a state of Australia.
The UMR Research poll, released on Sunday, surveyed 1,000 people on both sides of the Tasman.
Approximately a quarter of New Zealanders favored the country becoming part of Australia with 71 percent opposed to the idea.
Thirty-seven percent of Australian...
[More]
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FIL-AM DIPLOMAT ON THE RUN AFTER MAJOR FRAUD
16 March 2010
A Filipino American official of the United States Department of Homeland Security who fled his post in South Korea is wanted in California in connection with a $240,000 wire fraud, according to a statement seen Monday.
Dario Tomas, 51, was charged on Friday by a federal grand jury with defrauding investors by falsely promising to open a computer training school...
[More]
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JAPAN EXPECTED TO EASE LAWS ON FOREIGN NURSES & DENTISTS
16 March 2010
Japan may lift work visa restrictions for foreign nurses and dentists to help care for its fast-aging and shrinking population, the government said Monday.
The immigration bureau is considering a plan to abolish visa limits for hundreds of nurses from the Philippines and Indonesia that currently restrict them to working in Japan for only seven years.
A bureau official said...
[More]
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CHURCH OUT OF STEP ON CONTRACEPTION VOTERS TELL SURVEY
14 March 2010
SOME 87 percent of Filipinos will vote for a presidential candidate who advocates a reproductive health program, while 64 percent will elect one who promotes modern methods of family planning, a new survey shows.
The survey, conducted by Pulse Asia, asked 1,800 registered voters about their views on family planning between Feb. 21 and 25. The study was commissioned by...
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CHLORINE PROMOTED TO HALT SPREAD OF MANGO BLACK SPOT DISEASE
14 March 2010
One way of eradicating anthracnose disease in mango fruits is the application of chlorine, according to the Bureau of Postharvest Research and Extension (BPRE), a satellite organization under the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Anthracnose, also called black spots is caused by a fungus known as Colletotrichum gleosporioides and is considered a very serious disease that infects all parts of mango,...
[More]
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MAJOR LUZON BURGLARY GANG ARRESTED
14 March 2010
A notorious robbery gang preying on residents of posh subdivisions in various Central Luzon provinces was believed to have been busted after its alleged head and a member were collared by a composite team of Nueva Ecija and Tarlac and regional police forces here, police reported on Thursday.
Sr. Supt. Ricardo Marquez, Nueva Ecija police director, identified the suspects as...
[More]
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DEALERS CAUGHT TRYING TO SELL A KILO OF COKE TO COPS
14 March 2010
Operatives of the Manila Police District (MPD) arrested during a buy-bust operation on Tuesday two suspected drug traffickers for allegedly selling P5-million worth of high-grade cocaine.
Manila Mayor Alfredo S. Lim and Supt. Ernesto Tendero, chief of the Manila Police District (MPD)-Station 2, identified the suspects as Jolly Sorinao, 36, married, of 16 Casoy , Zone 1 Signal Village, Taguig...
[More]
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DRIED FRUIT & JUICE EXPORTS TO MIDDLE EAST RISING
14 March 2010
Philippine dried fruits and tropical fruit juices received increased inquiries from buyers from Middle East buyers, the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry said. in the recent Gulfood 2010, Middle East?s leading food fair,
According to CITEM, the inquiries followed after the country?s participation in the recent Gulfood...
[More]
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RP's MEDICAL TOURISM GROWTH CONTINUES
14 March 2010
Even the next administration will continue to gain from the growing medical tourism industry which is expected to become a $ 3-billion industry by 2015.
This was pointed out by National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Director Dennis Arroyo during the press briefing that followed the joint NEDA-Cabinet meeting held this morning in Malacanang.
Arroyo said that around 200,000 foreign patients...
[More]
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POWER CRISIS: COMPANIES RELYING MORE ON THEIR OWN GENERATORS
14 March 2010
Big business establishments in Davao Region are now providing their own generator sets to help ease the power problem especially in Mindanao.
SM City Davao, one of the largest mall operators in the region, is now running its own generator set every two hours daily in the afternoon.
The Marco Polo Davao also utilizes its generator set every day to...
[More]
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ECOWASTE's TOP TIPS FOR GETTING THROUGH THE HOT SPELL
14 March 2010
An environmental group has come up with practical suggestions that can help Filipino families cope with the scorching summer heat.
The EcoWaste Coalition Tuesday released their ?Init Survival Tips? as temperature continues to soar with the onset of summer.
Last Saturday, temperature rose to 35.8 degrees celsius in Metro Manila and 37 degrees celsius in Tuguegarao City in Cagayan Valley....
[More]
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UK IMMIGRATION MATTERS ROUND-UP
13 March 2010
UK Border Agency ?correction? on Tier 4 student visa applications
The UK Border Agency has issued the following important correction to sponsors in relation to Tier 4 applications?Full story
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Other stories: http://www.immigrationmatters.co.uk/category/news
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UK Border Agency cleared of systemic...
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FISHERMEN
13 March 2010
If you currently employ fishermen from outside the European Economic Area (EEA), you are reminded that the new concession to allow applicants to work on fishing vessels operating within the 12-mile limit starts today.
The concession application period will run for three months, ending on 31 May 2010, and the number of successful applicants is limited to 1,500. Applications can...
[More]
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IRISH PINOY SAVED FROM DEPORTATION THREAT
13 March 2010
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Technical, Electrical and Engineering Union Press conference: Left to right ?Jim Wyse, hunger striker, Eamon Devoy, General Secretary Designate of the TEEU, John Recto, hunger striker and John Guinan, hunger striker - more photos below
Heavy guns brought to bear on behalf of Pinoy under threat of deportation
Dublin?
A Filipino electrical engineer who had his immigration status...
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NOW POPE LINKED TO CHILD ABUSE COVER-UP
13 March 2010
Pope Benedict was personally drawn into the sex abuse scandals last night after revelations of a cover-up in the Archdiocese in Munich?in Germany?the 1980s, when he was in charge there.
His former archdiocese acknowledged it transferred a suspected paedophile priest while Pope Benedict was in charge -- as criticism mounted over a 2001 Vatican?directive he penned instructing bishops to keep...
[More]
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"MR CONDOM": ITALIAN SEXOLOGIST's SAFE SEX PROMO IN RP
12 March 2010
An Italian sex therapist known throughout the world for distributing free condoms to promote safe sex has visited Cebu to expand his advocacy.
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But Dr. Giuseppe Cirillo, also known as ?Mr. Condom,? said he respects the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and that his condom advocacy is mainly to promote safe sex and protect the sexually active...
[More]
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IRELAND STUMBLES INTO A DIPLOMATIC MARRIAGE ROW
11 March 2010
The Irish government have blundered into a diplomatic nightmare over a ruling affecting thousands of foreign nationals, including Filipinos, who have had their marriages held in their embassies or consulates in the Republic.
Thousands of foreign couples who have got married at their country?s embassies in the Republic of Ireland in the past few years have being told their marriages...
[More]
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RUBY ROSE MURDER: CHARGES UPHELD & DROPPED
11 March 2010
Former Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera yesterday reinstated businessman Manuel Jimenez III as respondent in the murder of his estranged wife, Ruby Rose Barrameda, sister of actress Rochelle Barrameda.
In a 12-page resolution, Devanadera granted the petition for review of the Barrameda family which sought Jimenez? inclusion as a respondent and ordered the filing of parricide charges.
Devanadera also granted the...
[More]
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ESTRADA CAMP: MANNY VILLAR's "POOR BACKGROUND" IS A FAIRYTALE
11 March 2010
The ?rags-to-riches? story of Nacionalista Party standard bearer Sen. Manuel ?Manny? Villar is nothing but a fairy tale, scripted, produced and directed by the NP presidential candidate.
?Growing up in Tondo, selling prawns in a palengke (market) do not make a man poor,? the Estrada camp yesterday said in a statement.
Manny Villar not only stole the pro-poor slogan of...
[More]
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MINDANAO's POWER CRISIS NOW DECLARED A CALAMITY
11 March 2010
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has approved a recommendation declaring a state of calamity in Mindanao, allowing government to use disaster funds to address the power crisis besetting the Philippines? second-largest island.
This was disclosed on Thursday by Mindanao Development Authority chairman Jesus Dureza, who, until last year, was the Arroyo government?s press secretary.
Dureza made this disclosure while accompanying the President... [More]
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HUNDRED ISLANDS FESTIVAL A TOURIST DRAW
10 March 2010
Alaminos, Pangasinan?
Preparations are now underway for the Gali?La Hundred Islands Festival 2010 slated from March 13 to 23, this year.
Expected to draw local and foreign tourists, the festival will kick off along the main thoroughfares in the city?s central business district, and in the city?s pride -- the world famous Hundred Islands National Park.
With the theme ?Kilos...
[More]
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SHANGHAI's EXPO PROMISES TO BE WORLD CLASS EVENT
10 March 2010
Visitors to the upcoming Shanghai World Expo should expect a "surpising" show as China's economic hub, Shanghai, is gearing up its final preparations for the world-class event, an organizing official said here Monday.
Finishing touches being made, the Chinese have proved that completion dates for big events are adhered to
Photo credit:?KH-wiki-en?
Wan Jifei, executive director of the...
[More]
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NO SAFARI's IN THE PHILIPPINES
10 March 2010
All forms of wildlife hunting are prohibited in the Philippines.
This, according to Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Horacio Ramos in an advisory issued recently, sternly warning the public that the ?DENR does not allow hunting of wildlife in any place in the country.?
Ramos?s move to reiterate the entire Philippines being ?off limits? to wildlife hunters...
[More]
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AMPATUAN MASSACRE: DAMNING TESTIMONY FROM A SURVIVOR
9 March 2010
London
Last week, Amnesty International hosted a forum in London to raise awareness on the subject of the worst killing ever of journalists. 30 were confirmed dead, the worst media killing since WWII. In total 57 people were butchered, although there are strong suspicions that several more have been left out of the final total of the?Maguindanao horror?...
[More]
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POPE's BROTHER DENIES KNOWLEDGE OF SEXUAL ABUSE AT HIS CATHOLIC CHOIR SCHOOL
9 March 2010
The pope's elder brother, Georg Ratzinger, said Tuesday that alleged sexual abuse at the German choir school in the 1950s and 1960s he worked at for 29 years was "never discussed".
Ratzinger, 86, who ran the Domspatzen choir attached to the boarding school from 1964 to 1993, said: "Things like this were never discussed... At the beginning of my time...
[More]
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UK IMMIGRATION MATTERS ROUNDUP - IMMIGRATION FEES RISE & NEW FORMS ANNOUNCED
9 March 2010
New UK Immigration Fees & Forms Announced
Rap Singer Wins Entry To UK
New Strategy To Protect UK Borders
Tier 4 Student Visa Rules Changes In Force
Student Laws "Discriminatory" Says Indian Student Body
Bogus Student College Exposed As "Visa Factory" By BBC
RP Embassy In UK Detail New Student Visa Changes?
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London
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By Charles Kelly
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The...
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RP's NEW IMMIGRATION LAWS: FOREIGN BUSINESS LEADERS SIGNAL APPROVAL
9 March 2010
The Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines (JFCP) expressed support to the proposed Philippine Immigration Act now pending in Congress, saying it will draw more tourists and investors into the country.
In a meeting with Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Marcelino Libanan, JFCP officials said the proposed bill would encourage more foreigners to visit and do business in the country...
[More]
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NEW TEST UNVEILED FOR CALL CENTER APPLICANTS
9 March 2010
The days of outsourcing companies having to sift through thousands of applications could be over due to a new competency test devised by the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP).
The BPAP National Competency Test (BNCT), launched yesterday, will gauge an applicant?s verbal and numerical learning ability, English proficiency, perceptual speed and accuracy, computer literacy and service orientation. It...
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SHOOTOUT IN MINDORO: NPA BARES ITS TEETH
8 March 2010
Hundreds of Filipino troops are searching for communist guerrillas who killed 11 soldiers Saturday in an ambush of a platoon of soldiers patrolling in a remote village in the island of Mindoro 140 km south of Luzon. Seven soldiers were wounded.
It was the worst government loss this year, coming just three weeks before the communist-led rebel forces celebrate their... [More]
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PRECISION TRAINING SCAM: THE PEOPLE CARRIER
8 March 2010
London
New information has come to light in the Precision Training saga. Besides the basic scam of taking money from students and employers in the guise of giving training for NVQ's and not supplying, the heads of Precision added insult to injury with another little way of getting money out of hapless foreign students - the cost of travel when...
[More]
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ARROYO'S EFFIGY BURNT DURING WOMENS DAY DEMO
8 March 2010
Manila?
Filipino Women activists burn an effigy of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo during the celebration of International Women's day held near the Malacanang Palace in Manila Philippines. Anther photo shows Liberal Party Senatorial candidate Liza Hontiveros Baraquel clenching her fist while delivering a speech during the demonstration on the Reproductive Health issue.
Baraquel made her speech amid a crowd of...
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MARCOS: WHY & HOW HE LOST AS DICTATOR
7 March 2010
It is 24 years since the momentous changes that ended the Marcos Dictatorship, EDSA 1, bringing in the Aquino administration and restoring democracy to the Philippines.
There are still some mysteries surrounding the last days; was it a true revolution or was it like the ending of the Ceau?escu regime in Romania which was a coup, a mistake as happened...
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WANT A NUCLEAR BOMB?
7 March 2010
Building a nuclear weapon has never been easier. NATO's Michael R?hle provides step-by-step instructions for going nuclear, from discretely collecting material to minimizing the fallout when caught. These simple steps have worked for the likes of Israel, Pakistan or North Korea, and your country could be next.
Tired of being bossed around? Want your neighbors to treat you with more...
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TOYOTA's LEGEND DIES
7 March 2010
Toyota used to be the star of the auto world. Now its reputation is in tatters after quality problems led to a series of fatal accidents and massive vehicle recalls. But the problems at the company started a long time ago, when the Japanese carmaker decided to emulate its American rivals.
There are winners who look a lot like losers....
[More]
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AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL LEAD A FORUM CRITICAL OVER AMPATUAN MASSACRE
7 March 2010
A coalition of human rights and media advocates convened in London, on the 100th day since the brazen November 23, 2009 Ampatuan massacre in Maguindanao, and castigated President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's failure to disband militias who were said to be behind the grisly crime, among others.
Representatives of Amnesty International (AI), the United Kingdom's National Union of Journalists (NUJ), the... [More]
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DUBAI MALL STABBING LEAVES FILIPINA BEAUTY WORKER CRITICAL
7 March 2010
A Filipina and her Nepali partner, who stabbed her before stabbing himself while she was on duty in a beauty salon at Wafi Mall, are currently undergoing treatments for severe injuries at?a Dubai?hospital, a senior police source confirmed.?
Late on Thursday evening, Gulf News reported on an attack when a Filipina, in her thirties, was stabbed by a man in...
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AN OFW's WIFE DESCRIBES LIFE WHEN THE HUSBAND IS AWAY
6 March 2010
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Lesson for 2010 Int?l Women?s Day?
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Wife takes migration costs for peanuts?
by JEREMAIAH M. OPINIANO and ISAGANI DE LA PAZ
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OFW Journalism Consortium?
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| Batangas province |
| Temporary contract workers |
3,329 (year 2007) |
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1,812 (year 2007) |
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1,517 (year 2007) |
| Permanent residents |
2,608 (from 1988 to 2007) |
| Filipino spouses... |
[More]
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OFW LIVES IN PRAGUE 1
6 March 2010
Growing Pinoy headcount warms life in the Czech Republic?
?Prague's famous astronomical clock?
by JEREMAIAH M. OPINIANO
OFW Journalism Consortium?
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PRAGUE (PRAHA), Czech Republic ?THEY stepped outside the moss-covered stone-church in cadence with the white flakes falling languorously from...
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OFW LIVES IN PRAGUE 2
6 March 2010
Repairmen from central Philippines?keep Prague-based firm warm?
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Panoramic view of Prague Castle - click to enlarge
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by JEREMAIAH M. OPINIANO
OFW Journalism Consortium?
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PRAGUE (PRAHA), Czech Republic...
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OFW FAMILIES SPENDING PATTERNS STUDY BY THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
6 March 2010
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OFW families spending less on food, more on health?ADB study?
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by JEREMAIAH M. OPINIANO
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OFW Journalism Consortium?
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MANILA?MORE families of overseas Filipino workers are spending less on food and more on health, a...
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OFW MONEY IN DEVELOPMENT USE STUDY
6 March 2010
Study cites two regions ?efficiently use??OFW money for dev?t?
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by JEREMAIAH M. OPINIANO
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OFW Journalism Consortium?
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MANILA?PHILIPPINE regions with higher growth rates used remittances for development efficiently, a paper by a University of...
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POLL BETS SPENDING PROMISES FOR OFW's
6 March 2010
by RUBEN JEFFREY ASUNCION
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OFW Journalism Consortium?
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MAKATI CITY?THREE candidates gunning for the presidency promised if elected, they will throw cash and strike deals with labor receiving countries in relation to overseas employment of Filipinos.
However, former Defense...
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GORDON's ACCUSATIONS ARE LIES SAYS MANNY
6 March 2010
Nacionalista Party (NP) presidential candidate Manny Villar expressed suspicion on Thursday that his opponents in politics have been conspiring in what he perceived as efforts to damage his character and integrity.
?They are ganging up on me. But I won?t stop in pursuing my dream to end poverty whether I win or lose in the coming presidential elections,? Villar said...
[More]
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LOW WATER LEVELS HIT HYDRO PLANTS
6 March 2010
?Power supply situation in Luzon and Mindanao slide down further after more power plants went off line due to low water elevation as a result of the El Nino dry spell.
As of 5am Thursday, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said hat Luzon posted a generation deficiency of 446 megawatts (MW) while Mindanao?s insufficiency hit 650...
[More]
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POWER OUTAGES TO REMAIN
6 March 2010
Despite the reconnection of some plants in the Luzon grid, the power supply situation in Metro Manila and some parts of Luzon will continue to be unpredictable.
The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said that as of 4:30 p.m. Thursday, the power supply in Luzon attained 83 megawatts (MW) of power reserves, a significant improvement from a generation...
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ORIENTAL MINDORO: 10 SOLDIERS KILLED IN NPA AMBUSH
6 March 2010
At least 10 Philippine Army soldiers were killed Saturday morning in an ambush by suspected communist rebels in a remote village in the southern Oriental Mindoro town of Mansalay, a military official said.
A platoon of government troops was responding to a report of communist election extortion when waylaid by New People?s Army rebels at around 5:30 a.m. in the...
[More]
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OFW HUNGER STRIKE: ROGUE SAUDI FIRM ANNASBAN BACK IN THE NEWS
6 March 2010
Migration, for many people around the world, is sometimes the best, if not the only, option to improve their life choices, according to the United Nations Development Programme. For some Filipino workers now stranded in Saudi Arabia, however, overseas employment proved to be a choice they regret having made.
Now on their third day of staging a hunger strike, five... [More]
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LATEST UPDATES & EVENTS LIST ISSUED BY THE EMBASSY IN LONDON
6 March 2010
EMBASSY?S MATRICES OF UPCOMING EVENTS/ADVISORIES/PRESS RELEASES
As of 5 March 2010
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Event
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Date/Time
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Venue
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Remarks
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1. Filipino Women?s Association UK (FWA UK)
Salo-Salo
(A Festival of Filipino Cuisine / Handicrafts/ Raffles / Tombola
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6 Mar 2010
Saturday
12.30 ? 4.30 pm
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Chiswick Catholic Centre
2 Duke?s Rd., London W4 2AE
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Organized by FWA UK.
For more...
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[More]
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MAGUINDANAO MASSACRE: AMPATUAN HITMAN OFFERS A DEAL IN RETURN FOR PROTECTION
5 March 2010
A man who says he took part in last November's massacre in the southern Philippines has told Al Jazeera how he now fears he too will be killed as the alleged mastermind of the killings seeks to silence potential witnesses against him.
In an exclusive interview, the man known as "Jesse" told how he had been ordered to kill a...
[More]
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CRUISE SHIPS BRINGING HIGH VALUE TOURISTS IN
5 March 2010
The Department of Tourism (DOT) expects a hike in the country?s volume of tourists with the arrival of international cruise ships to the Philippines.
Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said that the cruise influx will boost local tourism and subsequently bring benefits to the local economy, such as tourism-led business ventures and employment.
"In addition to our chartered flights, the cruise...
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DEFECTIONS HIT THE LIBERAL PARTY
5 March 2010
Some 300 local leaders and candidates in three provinces of Caraga Region have jumped ship from Liberal Party to the Nacionalista Party in a show of support for the candidacy of NP presidential candidate Manny Villar.
Villar made this announcement on Wednesday during a campaign sortie here where the NP slate arrived on board five helicopters at the Surigao del...
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DACER-CORBITO MURDERS: RAY AQUINO's EXTRADITION GRANTED BY US JUDGE
5 March 2010
A United States District Court ordered on Thursday the extradition of former Filipino police officer Michael Ray B. Aquino to the Philippines after establishing probable cause of his involvement in the double murder of Salvador "Bubby" Dacer and Dacer?s driver, Emmanuel Corbito, more than nine years ago.?
In a one-page order dated March 4, 2010, the US District Court of...
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IRISH COUNT THE COST AS INVESTOR CONFIDENCE IS RESTORED
4 March 2010
Reporting??from Dublin - The outside world applauded last December when Ireland unveiled its harshest budget in a generation. Stinging cuts and higher taxes were needed to tame a runaway public deficit and give the limping Celtic Tiger some of its roar back, officials said.
Three months later, Ireland has become something of a poster boy for good behavior in bad... [More]
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SAN MIG's GIANT DAM PROJECT SCUPPERED OVER CHARGES FOR UNUSED WATER ROW
4 March 2010
The government has scrapped San Miguel Corp.?s (SMC) bid to put up a huge dam that was supposed to supplement the water supply of the Philippines? capital region.
In a press conference, Diosdado Allado, administrator of state-run Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), on Wednesday said the agency had written to SMC, informing the food and beverage giant that the...
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DROUGHT MEANS MORE BROWNOUTS IN MANILA & LUZON
4 March 2010
It was lights out again for a number of areas in Luzon on Wednesday after another power plant bogged down.
Data from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines showed that Luzon suffered a power generation deficiency of 236 megawatts after production from the 700-megawatt Caliraya-Botocan-Kalayaan hydroelectric power plant in Laguna was affected by the prolonged dry spell.?Two units of...
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MURDERED JUTENG WHISTLEBLOWER WAS ABOUT TO EXPOSE ALLEGED BICOL CONSTRUCTION SCAM
4 March 2010
A former official of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said the killing of Wilfredo ?Boy? Mayor was a warning to other whistleblower but likewise with would-be whistleblowers.
Archbishop emeritus Oscar Cruz said the death of the jueteng scandal witness was meant to silence other witnesses.
?They did not only murder one person but they sent the message,...
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Posted at: 02:26 | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink | | del.icio.us
SEIZED DOCUMENTS, LAPTOP & FLASH DRIVES REVEAL NPA's EXTORTION ACTIVITIES
4 March 2010
The communist rebel movement in Catanduanes generated from its extortion activities P1.1 million last year and is making more this year from ?permit-to-campaign, permit-to-win (PTC-PTW)? fees being demanded from local candidates, the Philippine Army (PA) revealed here.
From a candidate for congressman of the lone district of the province alone, the New People?s Army (NPA) is demanding P2.2 million as...
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Posted at: 02:10 | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink | | del.icio.us
JAPAN's ECONOMY IN DANGER OVER TOYOTA ADMITS ECONOMY MINISTER
4 March 2010
Japan's minister for economy, trade and industry Masayuki Naoshime said on Tuesday that there was a possibility that the current crisis at Toyota Motor Corp., which has led to a recall of millions of vehicles across the world, could have an impact on Japan's economy.
"I have heard that Toyota has felt an adverse impact on the number of sales...
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Posted at: 02:01 | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink | | del.icio.us
NEW UK VISA OFFICE OFFICIALLY OPENED IN MAKATI
4 March 2010
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The British Embassy?s Charge d? Affaires Colin Crorkin (left) with James Sharp, the UK Border Agency?s ?Regional Director for Asia Pacific?and Alexander Ajit, VP and head of VFS Global North & South East Asia?during the inauguration of the new office of the UK Visa Application Centre (UK VAC)?
Filipino skilled workers in the United Kingdom...
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Posted at: 01:44 | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink | | del.icio.us
6 YEARS JAIL FOR CONGRESSMAN IN LAND SCAM
4 March 2010
The anti-graft court on Wednesday sentenced Sorsogon Rep. Jose Solis to six to 10 years in jail for illegally awarding the title of a piece of land in Laur, Nueva Ecija, to a private person in 1999, when he was head of the National Mapping and Resource Information Administration.
The Sandiganbayan?s Third Division found Solis and his co-defendant, Florencia Garcia-Diaz,...
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Posted at: 01:07 | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink | | del.icio.us
PRECISION TRAINING - OFFICIAL MOVES TO LIQUIDATE RELEASED BY THE INSOLVENCY SERVICE
3 March 2010
The British Government's Insolvency Service have officially released news of the start of the winding up of Precision Training after the owners went into hiding fleecing so many people and not providing the training.
The press release is below, and it says their investigations are still continuing, but that no official information will be released until the winding up hearing...
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Posted at: 07:10 | 3 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink | | del.icio.us
AJ GLOBAL - BBC's LATEST NEWS
3 March 2010
The BBC's Radio 4 consumer affairs program "You & Yours" broadcast on Wednesday 3rd March an update on the AJ Global money remittance scandal, along with news on new regulations for money remittance companies based in the UK.
Journalist Melanie Abbott attempted to get an interview with the Ubando's but they were not contactable.?
You can listen to the program...
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2 MORE LUZON POWER PLANTS FAIL, BROWNOUTS INCREASE
2 March 2010
The shakiness of Luzon?s power situation reared its head anew yesterday as two plant shutdowns forced Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) to implement rotating brownouts in the capital and nearby provinces.
Authorities could not say whether power interruptions would continue, only noting that the companies concerned were working to bring plants back online to augment supply.
Less than two weeks after...
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Posted at: 05:27 | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink | | del.icio.us
"TIE A YELLOW RIBBON"
2 March 2010
The tone of presidential candidate Benigno Aquino III has switched from a campaign promising hope to directly attacking his closest rival, with the Liberal Party standard-bearer now accusing Manuel Villar Jr. of the Nacionalista Party of copying his campaign strategy.
Aquino, who was in Cebu over the weekend, said the Villar camp had also resorted to tying orange ribbons along...
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Posted at: 05:18 | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink | | del.icio.us
PREVIOUS SCAMS GIVEN AS REASON FOR BSP TO REJECT CALLS FOR GOLD CERTIFICATES
2 March 2010
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas shrugged off a private sector proposal for the BSP to issue gold certificates.
BSP Deputy Governor Diwa C. Guinigundo said while such could widen the number of instruments in the market, the gilt-edged certificates historically have been prone to abuse.
He related a number of incidents concerning people, often educated and ostensibly less susceptible to...
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Posted at: 05:04 | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink | | del.icio.us
INVESTIGATION GOING ON OVER FUEL TANKER DEATH CRASH
2 March 2010
A north-bound motorcycle rider was killed Sunday morning after he overtook a double-cab pick-up truck but failed to return to his lane and instead collided head-on with an approaching fuel tanker truck along a national highway in Calo, San Jose town in Negros Oriental.
Florencio Cabugnason, 32, single, and a resident of Manjuyod town in Negros Oriental, was thrown off...
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Posted at: 04:43 | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink | | del.icio.us
MAKATI SHANGRI-LA TO HOST THE FIRST FOREIGN EXCHANGE EXHIBITION
2 March 2010
The Russian's are coming, to open the first foreign exchange business exhibition in the Philippines.?
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Russian exhibition giant FINEXPO is hosting the Philippines Forex Expo on the 16th and 17th April this year at Makati's Shangri-La Hotel. And entrance is free.
FINEXPO is the producer of huge international exhibitions, forums and conferences all over the world for the...
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Posted at: 02:17 | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink | | del.icio.us
UKRAINIAN SAND ARTIST A YOU TUBE WOW
2 March 2010
Ukranian sand artist, Kseniya Simonova, who moved audiences to tears as she won Ukraine?s Got Talent, has become an online sensation with more than twelve million hits.??
Using just sand, with a background sound track, Kseniya gave an emotional 8 minute interpretation of her country's suffering during the German occupation of World War II, on the "Ukraine's Got Talent"...
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Posted at: 01:53 | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink | | del.icio.us
THAILAND STARTING A CRACKDOWN ON FOREIGN WORKERS
2 March 2010
The Middle East chapter of migrants? rights group Migrante has urged the Philippines to help put a stop in the impending crackdown of migrant workers in Thailand.
In a statement, Migrante-Middle East said the Philippines, as one of the signatories to the United Nations Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and their Families, should formally... [More]
Posted at: 01:18 | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink | | del.icio.us
AMNESTY FOR ILLEGAL OFW's IN OMAN ENDS MARCH 31
2 March 2010
Illegal or overstaying Filipino expatriate workers in Oman stand to benefit from an amnesty allowing them to leave the country before March 31.
The Arabian country in Southwest Asia has advised countries, including the Philippines, of the amnesty period, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said.
The Oman Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a note verbale to the Philippine... [More]
Posted at: 01:08 | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink | | del.icio.us
GREEK MESS, GREEK TRAGEDY, GLOBAL MESS
1 March 2010
Everyone is discussing what Fortune magazine is calling the ?Greek maelstrom? and everyone is pointing the finger at someone else.
The Greek government is accused of cheating and allowing Greeks to live beyond their means. The European Union is accused of having created an impossible structure for the euro. Goldman Sachs is accused of having enabled the Greek government to...
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Posted at: 07:57 | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink | | del.icio.us
CHINESE SPIES WERE "SLOPPY" SAYS FBI
1 March 2010
FBI surveillance video made public Sunday reveals details of a Chinese espionage operation to obtain secrets from the Pentagon through a group of Americans who spied for China.
The rare video footage was the high point of a multiyear investigation into Chinese espionage carried out by a ring of military intelligence agents operating from Guangzhou, China.
The tape, made public...
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Posted at: 07:46 | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink | | del.icio.us
BRIT-FILIPINO DUO FUSE ON THEIR WAY TO FAME
1 March 2010
F?SE? from London has wowed the judging panel and sailed through the audition stage of Live and Unsigned. F?SE?, a duo bringing together the very best of Western and Eastern musical traditions, will now be competing against the other most talented bands and artists in the country at the live shows of Live and Unsigned 2010 ? all in...
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Posted at: 06:16 | 4 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink | | del.icio.us
ESPERAT MURDER SUSPECTS BACK WORKING FOR AGRICULTURE DEPT
1 March 2010
On the run for more than a calendar year from court-ordered arrest warrants, Osme?a Monta?er and Estrella Sabay,?the alleged masterminds in the 2005 murder of Philippine investigative journalist Marlene Garcia-Esperat, are now out of hiding and back at work as senior Department of Agriculture finance officials, according to recent reports?in the Philippine?Daily Inquirer.
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Posted at: 05:19 | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink | | del.icio.us
ILOILO MAYORAL CANDIDATES IN MEXICAN STAND-OFF
1 March 2010
A near shootout erupted Friday in Estacio, Iloilo between security escorts of incumbent Estacio town mayor Restituto Mosquea and former mayor Rene Cordero.
Chief Insp. Dwight Ponte, Estancia police chief, said the shootout nearly happened on Friday in Brgy. Bayuhay, Estancia when the group of Mayor Mosqueda and former mayor Cordero crossed path.
Ponte said it was not immediately known...
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Posted at: 04:11 | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink | | del.icio.us
BALANGAY VOYAGE TAKING SHELTER IN CASE OF A TSUNAMI
1 March 2010
After the Chilean earthquake came a tsunami warning. Fortunately it was just that, a warning.
During the course of the time between the earthquake and the expected tsunami, precautions were made in case of a repeat of the Asian tsunami, this included the people of the Balangay voyage taking shelter as well.?
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Stunning photos of the Balangay voyage,...
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Posted at: 03:07 | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink | | del.icio.us
ABU SAYYAF IN MASSACRE OF INNOCENT CIVILIANS
1 March 2010
After suffering a series of setbacks in the hands of the military, the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf group retaliated against hapless civilians in a village in Basilan on Saturday, leaving 12 people dead and 10 injured during the dawn attack.
About 70 Abu Sayyaf gunmen backed by rogue elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front fired grenade launchers and automatic rifles...
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Posted at: 02:16 | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink | | del.icio.us
BAGUIO's FLOWER FESTIVAL
1 March 2010
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It's not all doom and gloom - Baguio held its flower festival on Sunday with a selection of stars as well.
See if you can recognize them. (Click on the images to expand)
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?(Photo Credtis: Paul Kristian Darang and Voltaire Domingo/NPPA...
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FREE CONDOMS: NOW HEALTH DEPT EXTENDS DISTRIBUTION TILL JUNE
1 March 2010
Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral said she would keep distributing the condoms until June 30 or until the end of her term despite calls from Catholic bishops for her to resign or for President Macapagal-Arroyo to fire her.
?I serve at the pleasure of the President,? Cabral told reporters in defending her condom distribution as part of the Department of Health?s...
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Posted at: 01:27 | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink | | del.icio.us
LACSON: KIDNAP CHARGES ADDED TO THE FUGITIVES WOES
1 March 2010
Besides facing a double murder case, another set of charges is hounding fugitive Senator Panfilo Lacson.
The Department of Justice on Monday issued a subpoena summoning Lacson to attend the preliminary probe on the kidnapping and serious illegal detention charges filed by former intelligence agent Mary ?Rosebud" Ong.
State Prosecutor George Yarte Jr. issued the subpoena ordering Lacson and several... [More]
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