More Global Economics -2:

Yahoo formally rejects Microsoft offer

02/11/2008 | 10:41 PM
SUNNYVALE, Calif. - Yahoo Inc. has formally rejected Microsoft Corp.'s $44.6 billion takeover bid as inadequate. The response had been expected after Yahoo's intentions were leaked over the weekend.

Yahoo's rebuff raises the stakes in a battle involving two of the world's most prominent technology companies.

Many analysts expect Microsoft to raise its offer by $5 billion to $12 billion to entice Yahoo to sell. Yahoo is believed to want a bid of at least $56 billion, or about $40 per share.

Microsoft's first offer, which was made public Feb. 1, was originally valued at $31 per share. Microsoft also could take its bid directly to Yahoo shareholders.

The decision could provoke a showdown between two of the world's most prominent technology companies with Internet search leader Google Inc. looming in the background. Leery of Microsoft expanding its turf on the Internet, Google already has offered to help Yahoo avert a takeover and urged antitrust regulators to take a hard look at the proposed deal.

If the world's largest software maker wants Yahoo badly enough, Microsoft could try to override Yahoo's board by taking its offer — originally valued at $31 per share — directly to the shareholders. Pursuing that risky route probably will require Microsoft to attempt to oust Yahoo's current 10-member board.

Alternatively, Microsoft could sweeten its bid. Many analysts believe Microsoft is prepared to offer as much as $35 per share for Yahoo, which still boasts one of the Internet's largest audiences and most powerful advertising vehicles despite a prolonged slump that has hammered its stock.

Yahoo's board reached the decision after exploring a wide variety of alternatives during the past week, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press. The person didn't want to be identified because the reasons for Yahoo's rebuff won't be officially spelled out until Monday morning. <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/80120/Yahoo-formally-rejects-Microsoft-offer>

EU warns firms on text charging


The cost of calling from abroad has become much cheaper
Europe's mobile phone operators have been warned they must cut the cost of texting and internet access for users who are overseas or face regulation.
The warning came from EU Commissioner Viviane Reding at the industry's main European trade fair in Barcelona.
A text sent while abroad can cost as much as 49 pence ($0.95) and a study found that transferring 1 megabyte (MB) on average costs £4.11.
Mobile phone companies say they have already begun cutting prices.
Rory Cellan-Jones
Roaming the internet abroad has so far been treated as a businessman's perk which companies will pick up the huge bill for
Rory Cellan-Jones
BBC Technology Correspondent

"I urge the industry to bring down prices in a dramatic way," she said.
"If the industry does what it claims it can do, bringing prices down to normal, then of course, regulation will not be necessary," said Ms Reding.

Business perk

The new generation of phones have made it easier to surf the internet and email, but it is still an expensive option.

"Roaming the internet abroad has so far been treated as a businessman's perk which companies will pick up the huge bill for," said BBC Technology Correspondent, Rory Cellan-Jones.

"But it is becoming a big consumer thing and consumers are getting cross about how much it costs."

The mobile phone industry said costs are coming down quickly, particularly for mobile internet access.

"Accessing the internet and web pages while you're roaming around Europe using a mobile phone can be expensive," said Tom Phillips, head of Government and Regulatory Affairs at the GSM Association.

"But it's a very new service, it's growing in popularity and the prices are coming down very quickly."

Last year the EU adopted regulations that forced mobile phone companies to lower the costs of making calls while outside a caller's home country.

On average those "roaming" charges were halved. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7238279.stm>

Hollywood writers to end strike


The Oscars are likely to go ahead now the deal has been ratified
US film and television writers have voted to end a three-month strike and return to work.

The back-to-work order was approved by 92.5% of the 3,775 Writers Guild of America members who voted after a deal was struck by leaders at the weekend.

Industrial action was sparked by a dispute over additional pay for work sold on DVD or over the internet.

The strike has crippled TV and film production and led to the cancellation of the Golden Globe awards ceremony.

"The strike is over. Our members have voted. Writers can go back to work," WGA president Patric Verrone said following the ballots held in New York and Los Angeles.

Union leaders agreed a deal on Sunday giving writers an increased share of the profits from TV shows and films offered over the internet and other new media.

"At the end of the day, everybody won," said the head of the CBS television network, Leslie Moonves.


Our writers are going to be writing very fast
Oscars producer Gil Cates
"It was a fair deal... and it recognises the large contribution that writers have made to the industry."

The deal means the Academy Awards ceremony will take place as planned. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7242139.stm>

UK supermarkets set for shake-up


The big four supermarkets dominate the grocery market
Supermarkets may be forced to sell land to allow rivals to open in areas where there is not enough competition.

The measure is likely to be among the Competition Commission's suggestions to remedy problems it has identified in the UK's grocery market.

There could also be a call for an ombudsman to protect food suppliers in any disputes with the big four supermarket chains.

The regulator will release its long-awaited report at 1630 GMT.

According to market research group TNS Worldpanel, the UK's big four - Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons - now account for more than three-quarters (76.2%) of the grocery market.

They stand to be most affected by any changes to the system.  <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7245944.stm>

Cuts 'threaten UK intelligence'

By Gordon Corera
BBC News security correspondent


The DIS assesses intelligence from agencies such as GCHQ
Planned job cuts could undermine the UK's intelligence performance, former top security officials have warned.

A reduction of 121 posts has been proposed for the Defence Intelligence Staff (DIS) which analyses information from GCHQ, MI6 and the MoD.

John Morrison, former Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence, said the losses would be "ludicrous" and mean giving up large areas of the DIS's work.

The MoD insisted intelligence capability would not be compromised. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7245917.stm>

BA and Virgin to pay out refunds


Virgin tipped off the authorities that there had been price collusion
People who flew long-haul with British Airways or Virgin Atlantic between 11 August 2004 and 23 March 2006 will be eligible for a refund.

Virgin and BA have reached agreement on a class action suit, which will now have to be approved by US courts.

BA was fined for price-fixing on fuel surcharges while Virgin also admitted breaching the law but escaped a fine.

The refunds will be worth one-third of the fuel surcharge, between about £1 and £11.50 for each flight. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7246242.stm>

Overseas Filipinos sent home $14.4-B in 2007

02/15/2008 | 05:36 PM
Money sent home by overseas Filipinos in 2007 reached $14.4 billion, or 13.2 percent higher than the previous year’s $12.8 billion remittances sent through the banking system, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas reported on Friday.

However, the amount was below the original BSP projection of $14.6 billion total remittances for last year, but it was $100 million more than the reduced projection of $14.3 billion.

BSP Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr said the higher remittance level was corresponding to the increase in the number of Filipino workers deployed overseas.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration has reported that deployment of workers in December 2007 grew 20.8 percent to 73, 643 compared to the previous month. The total number of Filipino workers deployed abroad in 2007 reached 1, 073, 402, or one percent higher than the previous year.

Remittances from overseas Filipinos have been the powerhouse behind the country’s robust growth in 2007. Despite the excess liquidity created by strong foreign exchange inflows, monetary officials said remittances have been funding domestic consumption.

BSP said that in December alone, remittances coursed through banks reached $1.4 billion, the highest monthly remittance level since May 2006. <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/80736/Overseas-Filipinos-sent-home-144-B-in-2007>

Prince, Village People to sue file-sharing site Pirate Bay

02/15/2008 | 11:23 PM
STOCKHOLM, Sweden – Prince and the Village People are planning to sue the Swedish file-sharing site The Pirate Bay for millions of dollars for helping people download their music online, a lawyer working on the case said Friday.

The artists are planning lawsuits both in the US and in Sweden, said Lars Sandberg, a lawyer assigned to work on the Swedish side of the case.

"Work has been initiated to claim damages from those who are behind The Pirate Bay," Sandberg told The Associated Press. He confirmed reports in Swedish media that the artists would seek damages of millions of dollars.

Swedish authorities have ramped up the pressure on The Pirate Bay, a site used by an estimated 10 million to 15 million users around the world to share films, music and other copyright-protected material.

Four Swedes accused of being the organizers of the site were charged last month with helping others break Swedish copyright law.

Plaintiffs in that case include Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., MGM Pictures Inc., Colombia Pictures Industries Inc., 20th Century Fox Films Co., Sony BMG, Universal and EMI. They have until February 29 to file claims for damages. <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/80775/Prince-Village-People-to-sue-file-sharing-site-Pirate-Bay>

'Mercy and realism' in Bush visit

By David Loyn
BBC international development correspondent


President Bush says he has a heartfelt commitment to Africa
Six years ago President Bush stunned a major international summit on aid finance by offering far more money to the poorest countries in the world than most people had expected.

It was six months after 9/11 and in his speech outlining US spending plans, he made the link explicit: "We fight against poverty because hope is an answer to terror."

But that was only the first motivation for the aid increase in a list that included a strong moral sense that this was the right thing to do - a theme he returned to in a BBC interview on the eve of what is likely to be his last African visit as president.

"I've got a firm, heartfelt commitment to the continent of Africa and have ever since I became president," Mr Bush said.

The Monterrey Summit in 2002 kicked off a period of more professionalism and seriousness of purpose in development spending - particularly for Africa.

Aids programme

But despite big gestures from Washington and spending that has dwarfed funds from any other country, there are still serious questions over whether the US has delivered on its promises.

The main concern is on the focus on HIV/Aids projects that promote sexual abstinence, and deny funds to groups who try to help commercial sex workers.

PRESIDENT BUSH'S ITINERARY

Benin - Cotonou: arrival ceremony, meets president
Tanzania - Dar-es-Salaam: meets president, tours hospital; Arusha: tours hospital, textile mill and girls' school
Rwanda - Kigali: meets president, visits genocide memorial
Ghana - Accra: meets president, state dinner
Liberia - Monrovia: meets president, visits university

Bush in Africa: Your views

In his five-nation African tour President Bush will visit programmes funded by PEPFAR, his personal anti-Aids initiative that gives money only to groups that follow strict US moral conditions.

The US emphasis on abstinence and trying to encourage people to remain loyal to one partner does strike a chord in traditional African societies, but despite its popularity among church groups, and the billions of dollars promised, the evidence suggests that it does not save lives.

Research, such as a study recently published in the British Medical Journal, has found no evidence of a decrease in infection in abstinence programmes.

The study, among Americans aged 18-21, said that "none of the programmes made any significant difference in preventing pregnancy, reducing unprotected sex, or delaying sexual initiation".

US money is making a huge difference though to those already infected by providing anti-retroviral drugs to more than a million people.

Hard power

In his BBC interview President Bush said there was another key element in the trip. As well as being "a mission of mercy", it is a mission that recognises the "cold realism of the world in which we live".

Africa is seen by the Bush White House as a key front line in their battle against Islamist extremism.


President Bush visited Africa in 2003

They have been wary of direct military involvement since the chaos of the retreat from Somalia after the "Blackhawk Down" incident in 1993. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7246663.stm>

One-stop clinics 'are the future'


'Polyclinics' may threaten the patient base of hospitals
Clinics manned by a single doctor should be replaced by one-stop health shops run by several GPs, health minister Lord Darzi has told the BBC.

So-called 'polyclinics', which house GPs alongside medical services normally offered at hospitals, are better suited to patients' needs, Lord Darzi said.

He has already proposed them for London and says they would work nationwide.

But the British Medical Association says they will be wasteful and will undermine continuity of patient care. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7248132.stm>

Stress may hit cancer virus fight


Cervical screening can spot signs of cancer developing
A stressful life may make it tougher to fight the virus which causes the majority of cervical cancer cases, say scientists.

HPV is a sexually transmitted infection - but only a small percentage of women who catch it develop cancer.

US researchers, writing in the journal Annals of Behavioural Medicine, said that stressed women had a weaker immune response to the virus.

But the study did not prove that stress was the root cause of the problem. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7247653.stm>

Bands set for longer music rights

Roger Daltrey has been calling for extended music rights
Music performers could see a big boost to their lifetime earnings under planned changes to music rights proposed by the European Commission.

The Commission wants to extend the copyright period for music performers from 50 years to 95 years.

British stars like Cliff Richard and Roger Daltrey have been pushing for such a move, but the UK government has resisted changing the rules.

The Commission says it will also benefit less well known musicians. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7244928.stm>



Employing humans to look after a building can be expensive

Rise of the cyber doormen

Doormen are the eyes and ears of New Yorkers, providing a personalised service to their residents and acting as a filter to the outside world at the same time. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

"We handle people's dry cleaning, their food deliveries, take care of their pets and a couple of times we had to do some resuscitation," says doorman Bob Moll.

But at many buildings such a high level of service can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per year, a fee that is passed on to residents. The majority of smaller dwellings, with fewer people to share the cost, have to do without.

But now there is a technological alternative that is becoming more popular - an operator who is stationed miles away who controls the latch.

Security company Cyberdoorman installs a remote access infrastructure in your building, including a camera setup. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/click_online/7244445.stm>

Switch to digital TV may benefit a few

02/16/2008 | 08:35 PM
NEW YORK - TV's big switch from analog to digital broadcasts will be complete in just one year, on Feb. 17, 2009, and many consumers are puzzling over how the shift will affect them: Do they need a new converter box, a new TV, a better antenna? But it's pretty clear which business interests stand to gain.

Cable and satellite TV companies could see a wave of new subscribers as people with older TVs pass on hooking up converter boxes to older televisions or buying new sets. Local stations are already using some of the extra capacity digital broadcasting frees up by launching auxiliary TV channels with weather and traffic reports, and they're looking for ways to bring programming to portable devices.

The Federal Communications Commission began the switch many years ago to free up a large chunk of U.S. airwaves, which the government is in the process of auctioning off, a process that will net billions of dollars for public coffers. Making all UHF broadcast spectrum above channel 52 available will allow for powerful new wireless services, and possibly for a new network for public safety officials to use during disasters.

Most U.S. TV stations already broadcast digital signals as well as analog. What's happening a year from Sunday is they'll switch off the analog signals. No one with cable or satellite service will be affected, nor will anyone who gets stations over the air with a newer TV with a digital tuner.

Those who will be affected are the 13 million or so households that get TV broadcasts exclusively over the air and have a TV more than a few years old — or even a newer TV that's relatively small. Also affected are TVs not connected to cable, even if a home has cable.

A Nielsen Co. study released Friday found that 16.8 percent of all U.S. households have at least one analog television set that would not work following the switch. And Hispanics are nearly twice as likely as whites to be without TV reception.

Affected households can get a digital converter box, buy a new television or sign up for cable or satellite service or one of the newer cable-like services being offered by phone companies.

A government program said Friday that it will begin sending out coupons Tuesday worth $40 each to any U.S. household that requests them to subsidize buying a box. Each household is entitled to two coupons for the boxes, which are just coming into stores now, start at $40 or $50, making this option easy and practically free. The government says it has funds for 33 million coupons. To get one, go to http://www.dtv2009.gov. or call 1-888-DTV-2009 (1-888-388-2009).

All TVs being sold today have digital tuners, which are sometimes called ATSC tuners, after the technical standard used to make them (the analog standard was known as NTSC). If your current TV is less than a year old, the initials "DTV" appear somewhere on its front, or its screen is rectangular, you're probably OK. If you still have the owner's manual, check there whether the tuner is digital.

The new signal could mean the picture on some televisions will improve, but it doesn't guarantee high-definition visuals. That depends on whether a particular TV is set up to receive high-definition programming and whether a program is broadcast that way.

The switch could give an economic boost to retailers and manufacturers, who would benefit from selling the boxes and new TVs. And cable providers could get a boost over the next year or two from consumers who sign up for new service rather than deal with the other options.

According to a report Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. released Friday, an estimated 1.4 million households will likely switch to pay TV service as a result of the digital TV transition — enough to significantly lift the growth rates for the cable industry in 2009, compared to recent years.

Chris Murray, senior counsel for Consumers Union, says his organization is watching that pay TV operators don't take advantage of confusion over the digital transition to push people into buying cable to view digital TV broadcasts. It isn't necessary.

So far he hasn't seen any abusive behavior, but he said: "We want the folks in the marketplace to know that we're watching."

Brian Dietz, a spokesman for the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, a cable TV industry group, notes that cable's educational ads about the transition don't say consumers have to switch to cable.

For retailers, Bernstein analysts say the economic boost is likely to be incremental. The market for the converter boxes is likely to be about $1.4 billion, and for new TVs about $1.7 billion, for a total of $3.1 billion — still a relatively tiny part of the $150 billion U.S. consumer electronics market.

The cost to broadcasters of new digital equipment is relatively small. Tim Thorsteinson, president of the broadcast division of Harris Corp., a major manufacturer of broadcasting equipment, says it costs about $500,000 to upgrade a typical TV station.

The transition comes at a tough point for local TV stations, however, because they are seeing live viewership erode amid a proliferation of ways to watch video — over the Internet, on iPods and DVDs.

Mark Aitken, director of advanced technology at Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., a major broadcaster based near Baltimore, says digital technology gives TV owners several important ways to hold onto viewers, mainly high-definition broadcasts, which can be a lot more pleasant to watch than YouTube videos.

Aitken calls using HDTV broadcasts the "low-hanging fruit" for TV stations to take advantage of. He points to another big possibility: sending live TV broadcasts to portable devices like cell phones. Adapting the handsets would be simple technically; the far bigger issue is getting broadcasters, programmers, mobile device makers to agree on a standard.

Just next week, a preliminary field trial for three competing technologies for portable TV viewing is getting under way in San Francisco, Aitken said. The industry could have a candidate for the a new mobile TV standard in place by the third or fourth quarter of this year. - AP <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/80861/Switch-to-digital-TV-may-benefit-a-few>

Free business book is Web sensation

02/17/2008 | 01:27 AM
NEW YORK - The Oprah touch doesn't just work for traditional books. More than 1 million copies of Suze Orman's "Women & Money" have been downloaded since the announcement last week on Winfrey's television show that the e-book edition would be available for free on her Web site, http://www.oprah.com.

"I believe `Women & Money' is the most important book I've ever written," Orman said in a statement released Saturday by Winfrey. "So this was not about getting people to buy the book, but getting them to read it, and that was the intention behind this offer."

According to Saturday's statement, more than 1.1 million copies of Orman's financial advice book were downloaded in English, and another 19,000 in Spanish. The demand compares to such free online sensations as "The 9-11 Commission Report," which the federal government made available for downloads, and Stephen King's e-novella, "Riding the Bullet."

The publishing community has endlessly debated the effects of making text available online, with some saying that free downloading is a valuable promotional tool and others worrying that sales for paper editions would be harmed. The Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers each have sued Google for its plans to scan and index books for the Internet.

The offer for "Women & Money," originally released a year ago by Spiegel & Grau, a division of Random House, Inc., has not kept people from buying the traditional version. As of Saturday, the book ranked No. 6 on Amazon.com. The paper edition of "The 9-11 Commission Report," published in 2004 by W.W. Norton and Co., was a best seller for months.

"I can tell you that with respect to the `9-11 Report,' the free download did not seem to hurt sales at all," Norton publisher Drake McFeely told The Associated Press on Saturday. "There were people who wanted it quickly, in a less convenient form, and that was clearly a different market from the people who wanted the traditional book."

He said free downloading of books does concern publishers, but "if Norton had been given the opportunity for an Oprah Winfrey plug, and part of the deal was making the book free online, we would have gladly taken it." - AP <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/80888/Free-business-book-is-Web-sensation>

Machines 'to match man by 2029'

By Helen Briggs
Science reporter, BBC News, Boston


Tiny machines could roam the body curing diseases
Machines will achieve human-level artificial intelligence by 2029, a leading US inventor has predicted.

Humanity is on the brink of advances that will see tiny robots implanted in people's brains to make them more intelligent, said Ray Kurzweil.

The engineer believes machines and humans will eventually merge through devices implanted in the body to boost intelligence and health.

"It's really part of our civilisation," Mr Kurzweil explained.

"But that's not going to be an alien invasion of intelligent machines to displace us."

Machines were already doing hundreds of things humans used to do, at human levels of intelligence or better, in many different areas, he said.

CHALLENGES FACING HUMANITY

Make solar energy affordable
Provide energy from fusion
Develop carbon sequestration
Manage the nitrogen cycle
Provide access to clean water
Reverse engineer the brain
Prevent nuclear terror
Secure cyberspace
Enhance virtual reality
Improve urban infrastructure
Advance health informatics
Engineer better medicines
Advance personalised learning
Explore natural frontiers

 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7248875.stm>

Lockheed wins $1bn Indian order

Hundreds of global weapons' firms have descended on the defence fair
The US defence firm Lockheed Martin has won an order worth about $1bn (£512m) from India for six Super Hercules C-130J military transport aircraft.

News of the deal, agreed in January, emerged during South Asia's biggest defence fair in New Delhi.

Hundreds of global weapons firms are displaying their wares at DefExpo2008 in an effort to grab a share of India's expanding defence budget.

India is keen to modernise its Soviet-era weaponry.

Cold War politics meant that India relied on Russian military hardware and it currently has no US-made combat aircraft.

India's air force flies Russian-made MiG fighters, British Jaguars and French Mirages.

Lockheed, the world's biggest defence contractor, is bidding against US aerospace giant Boeing and Russian and European rivals for contracts, including a deal worth as much as $12bn to sell 126 multi-role fighters jets.

Over the weekend, the state-run Israel Aerospace Industries and business conglomerate Tata agreed a joint venture to produce drones, radar and electronic warfare systems.

Israel is India's second largest arms supplier after Russia, with France in third place. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7250474.stm>

US movie firm to open Philippine unit

02/19/2008 | 01:13 PM
US-based Radiant ERA Holdings LLC is establishing a presence in Manila in order to take advantage of talents in the local entertainment industry.

In a statement. the firm said its local entity, Radiant Studios, will be involved in both live action production and an animation studio to fulfill both its slate of projects as well as service its growing number of clients.

Radiant Studios said its first locally made film will be a romantic comedy starring both the country's talent and Hollywood actors.

The production budget slated for the film is less than $5 million.

The film is set to be launched for theatrical release locally sometime in June to July this year.

"This is only the first of many films that we are producing here in the Philippines under the Radiant group. We also own Glow Animation, which is currently preparing for another animated feature for worldwide release in 2009," said Jovie Saddul, chief operating officer of Radiant ERA Holdings. <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/81220/US-movie-firm-to-open-Philippine-unit>

RP stocks slip on political tension from ZTE mess

02/21/2008 | 12:31 PM
Philippine share prices ended weaker for the second consecutive day on Thursday as the recovery in Wall Street and upbeat mode in other Asian markets were dampened by the political issues on the local front, analysts said.

The 30-company Philippine Stock Exchange index dropped 4.99 points or 0.1569 percent to 3,176.06 while the all-share index lost 0.28 points to 0.0144 percent at 1,944.51.

Losers narrowly beat gainers 44 to 41 while 63 stocks were flat.

Volume traded reached 1.82 billion valued at P2.61 billion. <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/81556/RP-stocks-slip-on-political-tension-from-ZTE-mess>

Domain name for Asia up for grabs

There are big hopes for take-up of .asia
The so-called landrush for the latest domain name suffix - .asia - has begun.

DotAsia, the organisation overseeing the registration, is expecting huge demand for the first domain name extension for the Asia Pacific region.

But some in the industry are concerned about the proliferation of domain name suffixes in recent years.

While others think that the business of buying domain names has become more about protecting brands than promoting them. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7255320.stm>

Planet's Burma guide 'unethical'

Rangoon's Shwedagon Pagoda, magnet for tourists and protestors
The TUC has called for a boycott of Lonely Planet guidebooks until the Burma edition is withdrawn from sale.

The trade union umbrella organisation says travel to Burma is unethical and helps prop up the military government.

Last year, Lonely Planet was bought by BBC Worldwide Limited, the commercial arm of the Corporation.

In a statement, the BBC said the guide book - one of 288 published by Lonely Planet - "provides information and lets readers decide for themselves".

The TUC, Tourism Concern, Burma Campaign UK and the New Internationalist have launched an online petition calling for the immediate withdrawal of the book. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7257356.stm>

Apostrophes can confuse computers

02/22/2008 | 10:42 PM
NEW YORK – It can stop you from voting, destroy your dental appointments, make it difficult to rent a car or book a flight, even interfere with your college exams.

More than 50 years into the Information Age, computers in the U.S. are still getting confused by the apostrophe. It is a problem familiar to O'Connors, D'Angelos, N'Dours and D'Artagnans across America.

When Niall O'Dowd tried to book a flight to Atlanta earlier this year, the computer system refused to recognize his name. The editor of the Irish Voice newspaper could book the flight only by changing the way his name was written.

"I dropped the apostrophe and ran my name as 'ODowd,"' he said.

It is not just the bad luck of the Irish. French, Italian, and African names with apostrophes can befuddle computer systems, too. So can Arabic names with hyphens, and Dutch surnames with "van" and a space in them.

Michael Rais, director of software development at Permission Data, an online marketing company in New York, said the problem is sloppy programming.

"It's standard shortsightedness," he said. "Most programs set a rule for first name and last name. They don't think of foreign-sounding names." <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/81850/Apostrophes-can-confuse-computers>

FVR calls on Filipinos to live EDSA spirit; Church kicks off ‘communal activities’

ALEXIS DOUGLAS B. ROMERO, BusinessWorld Reporter
02/22/2008 | 10:32 PM
Former President Fidel V. Ramos on Friday called on political leaders and the media to focus on the things that would benefit the people and not just on the controversies that emanated from the supposedly overpriced national broadband network (NBN) deal.

Mr. Ramos made the remarks at the Libingan ng mga Bayani where he attended the opening ceremonies of EDSA (Epifanio delos Santos Ave.) I People Power Commemoration Week from Feb. 22 to 25. The opening ceremonies included a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Monday marks the 22nd anniversary of the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution which ousted President Ferdinand E. Marcos after the military withdrew its support for Mr. Marcos and backed the mass actions of pro-democracy forces led by Corazon C. Aquino.

Civil society and militant groups are preparing to launch a massive protest rally in commemoration of the said event.

The synchronized tying of white ribbons, candle-lightning, masses and forums were held in several parts of Metro Manila yesterday to signal the start of what the Church called series of "communal activities" set to formally begin on Monday coinciding with the 22nd anniversary of the EDSA I People Power revolt.

Former Philippine ambassador to the Vatican and head of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), Henrietta de Villa said, "The idea behind the activities is to further inform the public of issues involved in the revelations made at the past Senate hearings," where former president of the Philippine Forest Corp. Rodolfo Noel "Jun" I. Lozada, Jr. disclosed alleged multi-million dollar kickbacks in a scrapped ZTE-NBN telecommunications deal.

Mr. Ramos, who was one of the main players at the first people Power revolt, said, "This [opening ceremonies] is not the proper place to discuss politics. We are honoring the heroes and our ancestors who sacrificed their lives so the next generation of Filipinos, especially the youth, would have freedom and democracy," he said.

"There are important things not being given proper attention by our leaders and the media like the economy, education, livelihood of old soldiers and veterans. We must look into these things and not just the ZTE Corp. broadband issue. I hope they listen to what I say." <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/81847/FVR-calls-on-Filipinos-to-live-EDSA-spirit-Church-kicks-off-communal-activities>

Microsoft opens up, but EU remains skeptical

02/22/2008 | 07:36 AM
REDMOND, Wash. - Microsoft Corp. said Thursday it will share more information about its products and technology in an effort to make it work better with rivals' software and meet the demands of antitrust regulators in Europe.

European Union regulators, however, expressed skepticism, saying the software maker did not address monopoly abuse in the past or allegations it seeks to undercut rivals by bundling Internet Explorer with the Windows operating system.

Microsoft said it is expanding access outside software developers have to information about the way its programs work. The software maker said it will give away documentation and computer code needed to make outside applications work together with Office, Windows and others. In the past, Microsoft charged for this information. <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/81703/Microsoft-opens-up-but-EU-remains-skeptical>

Liechtenstein fury at German tax snoop

By Steven Rosenberg
BBC News, Vaduz


Prince Alois denies the tax haven helps the rich break the law
Walking around Liechtenstein for the first time, there are two things that strike me most about this place: manure and money.

The smell of manure - that comes from the farmland that surrounds this rural principality.

The money… well, you can see that from all the shiny banks and investment firms that jostle for space in the capital, Vaduz.

These are the companies that have made Liechtenstein one of the richest states in Europe. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7259913.stm>

Anne Frank given musical makeover

By Steve Kingstone
BBC News, Madrid


Cuban-born tennager Isabella Castillo plays the lead role

A controversial new musical telling the life story of Anne Frank opens in Madrid later this month.

The producers call it an educational and sensitive portrayal of Anne's two years in hiding from the Nazis during World War II.

But her only living relative says showbusiness is profiting from the Holocaust.<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7259554.stm>

Arroyo: I learned about ZTE mess on eve of signing deal

02/23/2008 | 08:21 AM
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Saturday said she learned that something was wrong about the Philippine government's $329.48-million National Broadband Network (NBN) project with China's Zhong Xing Telecommunications Equipment (ZTE) Corp the night before she witnessed the signing of the NBN-ZTE contract.

Mrs Arroyo told radio dzRH that the day before she witnessed the signing of the NBN-ZTE contract on April 21, 2007 in Boao, China, she was advised about the supposed irregularities in the project.

However, she said she could not readily terminate the deal that would be funded through a loan from the Chinese government.

On September 22, 2007, or five months after she knew about the ZTE mess, and during the height of NBN-ZTE controversy that was linked to her husband, Mrs Arroyo canceled the NBN-ZTE contract.

"Sumbong sa akin the night before signing of the supply contract, that was one of many signings. (Pero) paano mo i-cancel the night before, may ibang bansa kang kausap (Someone told me about it the night before the signing of the supply contract. That was one of many signings. But how can you cancel a deal the night before, when you are dealing with a foreign country)?" she said.

Mrs Arroyo, however, did not say who told her about the irregularities, and what were these all about. <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/81878/Arroyo-I-learned-about-ZTE-mess-on-eve-of-signing-deal>

Japan blasts satellite into space


The launch is part of an ambitious space programme
Japan's space agency has launched an experimental communications satellite designed to enable super high-speed data transmission in remote areas.

An H-2A rocket carrying the satellite Kizuna (Winds) was launched from the southern island of Tanegashima, about 1,000km (620 miles) south of Tokyo.

A ship entering restricted waters near the launch site slightly delayed the lift-off.

The launch had been postponed by a week because of a mechanical fault.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa) said the satellite had separated from the rocket and successfully entered its intended orbit, 283km from Earth.

The agency said that with Kizuna, it hoped to enable data transmission of up to 1.2 gigabytes per second at a low cost across Japan and in 19 different locations in South-East Asia. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7260673.stm>

Airline in first biofuel flight


Virgin has not revealed what the biofuel is
The first flight by a commercial airline to be powered partly by biofuel is to take off from London.

Billed as a green fuel breakthrough, the Virgin Atlantic flight to Amsterdam will not have any passengers on board.

Earlier this month, Airbus used the world's largest passenger jet, the A380 to flight test another alternative fuel - a synthetic mix of gas-to-liquid.

Many environmentalists argue that cultivating biofuel is not sustainable and will lead to reduced land for food.

Virgin's Boeing 747 will have one of its four engines connected to an independent tank filled with biofuel, which is derived from plants.

It's not necessarily going to be the silver bullet for the long term future but it will prove that a fuel like this can fly at 30,000 feet
Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Atlantic president

This reduces risk to the flight because there are three other engines which can power the plane using conventional fuel if there is a problem.

The three-hour Airbus flight from Filton near Bristol to Toulouse on 1 February was part of an ongoing research programme. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7261214.stm>

Boeing tries to hold onto tanker deal

02/23/2008 | 09:05 PM
WASHINGTON - The Air Force is likely days away from handing out one of the biggest Pentagon contracts in years — a deal valued at up to $40 billion to replace 179 planes in its fleet of aerial refueling tankers.

For the three companies bidding, there is more at stake than just the monetary award: jobs and reputation.

Boeing Co. has supplied the Air Force with refueling tankers for nearly 50 years and doesn't want to let go of that. The incumbent is considered the favorite to win — an assumption already reflected in its stock price.

But European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. and its U.S. partner, Northrop Grumman Corp., want to be in on the game. For France-based EADS, the parent of rival Airbus, the contract is an entree into the massive American military market just as overseas spending cools. And for Northrop Grumman, it would tap into a major new military revenue stream at a time when Pentagon spending may be leveling off. <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/81925/Boeing-tries-to-hold-onto-tanker-deal>

China sticking to 'tight' policy despite storms, US slowdown

02/25/2008 | 02:13 PM
BEIJING - China's biggest economic risk this year is inflation and the central bank will stick to a tight monetary policy despite the impact of January snowstorms and the US credit crisis, said a central banker quoted Monday by news reports.

''This year we will closely monitor the increase of the money supply and carry out a tight monetary policy,'' said Yi Gang, a vice governor of the People's Bank of China, quoted by the business magazine Caijing and other outlets.

Yi said that was despite the fact that China expected its economy to feel the impact of the US subprime mortgage crisis and snowstorms in January that wrecked crops and pushed up inflation.

The bank shifted its monetary policy from ''prudent'' to ''tight'' in December in an effort to prevent the fast-growing economy from overheating and rein in inflation. China raised interest rates six times last year and increased the amount of reserves banks are required to hold on 10 occasions.

China's economy expanded 11.4 percent last year and consumer inflation in January hit an 11-year high of 7.1 percent.

The central bank told commercial lenders to expand credit to farmers who were hurt by the storms. That prompted speculation it might ease controls imposed in an effort to prevent the fast-growing economy from overheating. - AP <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/82078/China-sticking-to-tight-policy-despite-storms-US-slowdown>

Ermita mum on Arroyo admission of ZTE deal irregularities

02/25/2008 | 01:25 PM
A top aide of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Monday seemed to evade questions on the Chief Executive’s admission that she had knowledge of irregularities in the $329-million national broadband network (NBN) deal with China’s ZTE Corp. even before it was signed.

At the sidelines of the EDSA People Power 1 anniversary celebrations at the People Power monument in Quezon City, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita curtly answered media queries on the President’s admission.

“Well alam mo naman yun ang ibig sabihin lang ng Pangulo, nagsasabi lang siya ng katotohanan. Sa katunayan, (she moved) last September to cancel (the contract) na patunay lamang na all along alam na ni Presidente arroyo ang dapat niyang gawin lalo na when it started creating a lot of noise," Ermita said.

When pressed further to explain the lull between the time when the President was first given the information that the contract was flawed and the time when the contract was actually canceled, Ermita declined to comment. <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/82076/Ermita-mum-on-Arroyo-admission-of-ZTE-deal-irregularities>

Russian passion for stocks and shares

By Duncan Bartlett
Business reporter, BBC News, Moscow


Micex is Russia and Eastern Europe's biggest stock exchange

Russia's enthusiasm for capitalism is evident at the thriving Micex stock exchange in the heart of Moscow.

The exchange has seen its volumes double every year since it opened in its present form in 2005, and it now trades $17bn (412bn roubles) worth of equities, bonds, derivatives and currencies every day.

But visitors to the building will not meet any excited bankers shouting and waving their hands.

Like most modern exchanges, Micex operates entirely by computer. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7265036.stm>

Dollar falls to record euro low


The dollar is falling as investors worry about the US economy
The dollar has fallen to a record low against the euro as traders bet that further interest rate cuts will be needed to stem a US recession.

The euro rose to $1.509 after buying $1.50 on Tuesday for the first time. Sterling climbed against the greenback too, reaching almost $2.

Lower US rates tend to send investors in search of other currencies which give a better rate of return.

The view is that UK and eurozone rates will not fall as much as in the US.

The UK pound traded at $1.988 in morning European trade after a raft of gloomy economic numbers issued on Tuesday.

In addition, Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Donald Kohn suggested that risks of a cooling economy were overshadowing the worries of rising inflation, hinting that US rates will be cut below their current level of 3%. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7265963.stm>

Stocks mixed as political noise spooks players

02/28/2008 | 12:32 PM
Philippine share prices ended marginally higher on Thursday as investors, worried about political developments in the domestic front, remained on the sidelines, analysts said.

The 30-company Philippine Stock Exchange index jumped 7.85 points or 0.25 percent to 3,112.85 while the all-share index gained 3.41 points or 0.18 percent at 1,909.44.

Despite the main index's advance, losing stocks edged out gainers 55 to 48 while 52 stocks were unchanged.

Volume traded reached 1.28 billion valued at P2.7billion. <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/82591/Stocks-mixed-as-political-noise-spooks-players>

Some users blocked from Microsoft Hotmail

02/27/2008 | 06:18 PM
SEATTLE - An undisclosed technical glitch blocked users from logging on to Microsoft Corp.'s free Web-based e-mail service and other sites Tuesday.

After several hours, the software maker was able to reduce but not completely fix the problem that left Web surfers around the world unable to access Hotmail and other services that require a Microsoft login. Those include the Xbox Live video game community site and the Windows Live Messenger instant messaging program.

"The issue is purely impacting the login process for customers and largely does not impact customers who were already logged in," said Microsoft spokeswoman Samantha McManus in a statement. "We have made significant progress in decreasing the number of customers currently affected since initial reports, but the issue has not yet been completely resolved."

Microsoft did not say what caused the problem.

McManus said the sites will be working again for all users "shortly." - AP <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/82469/Some-users-blocked-from-Microsoft-Hotmail>

Details emerge on YouTube block

Net hardware changes led to YouTube traffic hitting a dead end
Pakistan has rejected claims that it was responsible for blocking global access to the YouTube video clip site.

YouTube was hard to reach this week following action by Pakistan to block access inside its borders for its hosting of a "blasphemous" video clip.

Analysis suggests the block was taken up by net hardware that routes data effectively cutting off the site.

But a spokeswoman for Pakistan's telecoms authority said the problem was caused by a "malfunction" elsewhere. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7266600.stm>

Google slips amid signs of ad slowdown

02/27/2008 | 08:56 AM
SAN FRANCISCO - The US economy is wheezing so badly that even Internet power Google Inc. and its once-robust stock is looking haggard.

The focus on Google's recent deterioration sharpened Tuesday as investors reacted to the latest evidence indicating fewer people in the United States are clicking on the Internet ads that generate most of the online search leader's profits.

The unsettling trend, captured in a closely followed report from Internet research firm comScore Inc., shoved Google shares to an 11-month low. The drop extended a slump that has lowered the Mountain View-based company's market value by 33 percent, or about $70 billion, during the first seven weeks of the year. The tech-laden Nasdaq composite index has declined by 12 percent during the same stretch.

The sell-off represents a sobering shift in Wall Street's sentiment toward Google, whose dominance of the lucrative Internet search market had convinced many investors that the company would thrive even in a recession. <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/82394/Google-slips-amid-signs-of-ad-slowdown>

Olympics 'threat to water supply'

An extensive pipe network will bring water to Beijing from the provinces
The diversion of water for the Beijing Olympics threatens the livelihoods of millions of people, a senior Chinese government official has said.

The official, An Qiyuan, from Shaanxi province, told the UK's Financial Times newspaper that people in north-western provinces should be compensated.

He warned of social upheaval and environmental harm because of the strain put on local water supplies.

China is building a huge network to divert water to the north.

The project will divert water from rivers in the south via tunnels, dams and canals to cities in the north where consumption is at an all-time high.

Part of the massive project was brought forward to provide water for the Olympics in the summer.

Mr An, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Committee in Shaanxi, said the diversion of water supplies would have a severe effect. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7266681.stm>

Scientists advance 'drought crop'

By Matt McGrath
BBC News science reporter



For many, a drought means devastation as crops dies
Scientists say they have made a key breakthrough in understanding the genes of plants that could lead to crops that can survive in a drought.

Researchers in Finland and the United States say they have discovered a gene that controls the amount of carbon dioxide a plant absorbs.

It also controls the amount of water vapour it releases into the atmosphere.

This information could be important for food production and in regulating climate change. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7268079.stm>

Air tanker deal provokes US row

Airbus and Northrop Grumman's KC-30 design won the prize
Boeing's loss of a $40bn contract to build a new in-flight refuelling aircraft for the US military has drawn angry protests in Congress.

Lawmakers from Washington state and Kansas, which have big Boeing plants, voiced "outrage" that it had gone to a consortium including Europe's Airbus.

The planes will be assembled in Alabama but constructed largely in Europe.

Boeing has said it is awaiting an explanation from the military before deciding whether or not to appeal.

We are outraged that this decision taps European Airbus and its foreign workers to provide a tanker to our American military
Statement by congressional lawmakers from the Seattle area

The new aircraft, named the KC-45A by the US Air Force, is based on the Airbus A330 and will be manufactured in partnership with US defence firm Northrop Grumman.

Its job will be to refuel the vast array of US warplanes and the contract is worth in the region of $40bn over 15 years.

It is a huge blow for Boeing, the BBC's Vincent Dowd reports from Washington.

America has around two-thirds of all such aircraft in use anywhere, and a senior figure in the company said recently if it lost this contract it could be out of the refuelling market totally for years. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7272272.stm>

Church's intelligence network confirms corruption serious

03/01/2008 | 08:03 PM
MANILA, Philippines – The Catholic Church's intelligence network has confirmed corruption as a serious problem affecting government bureaucracy from “top to bottom" as well as the whole of society.

Tagbilaran Bishop Leonardo Medroso said on Saturday that priests and basic ecclesiastical communities have been reporting information on specific cases of corruption.

"Bishops have their own network and they know the situation in their diocese from top to bottom because we have our priests down there ... So when we said it (corruption) was from top to bottom, that is serious," Medroso said in an interview on Church-run Radyo Veritas.

This was the reason why the CBCP issued a pastoral letter last Feb. 26 condemning the culture of corruption from "top to bottom" of government and society, he added.

Excerpts of the interview were posted on the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines Web site Saturday night.

Meanwhile, Manila auxiliary bishop Broderick Pabillo said that doing something about political and economic issues is the laity’s responsibility, and not the clergy’s.

Speaking at the 38th pastoral assembly of the Malaybalay diocese, Pabillo asked the laity to be "Catholic enough" by doing their social duties.

Last Tuesday, Catholic bishops slammed endemic government corruption but stopped short of urging President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to resign. <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/82927/Churchs-intelligence-network-confirms-corruption-serious>

Immigration points system begins

An immigration officer at Heathrow Airport
The government has launched the first stage of a new points-based system for migrants from outside the EU.

It will initially only apply to highly skilled workers already in the country who want to extend their stay.
But by the end of 2008, every graduate with good English, on £40,000 or the local equivalent, will potentially have enough points to seek work in the UK.
The Tories say there should be a yearly cap on immigration, the Lib Dems say the rules could cause skills shortages.
Under the new system, skilled workers in occupations where there is a shortage will also be able to enter, provided they have a job offer.

'Biggest change'

But low skilled workers from outside the EU will be barred for the foreseeable future. The government believes it can fill all manual work vacancies from EU countries which, with the exception of Romania and Bulgaria, face no restrictions on working in the UK. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7269790.stm>

Final goodbye for early web icon

By Jonathan Fildes
Science and technology reporter, BBC News



A web browser that gave many people their first experience of the web is set to disappear.

Netscape Navigator, now owned by AOL, will no longer be supported after 1 March 2008, the company has said.

In the mid-1990s, as the commercial web began to take off, the browser was used by more than 90% of people online.

Its market share has since slipped to just 0.6% as other browsers such as Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) and Firefox have eroded its user base.

The company recommends that users upgrade their browser to either Firefox or Flock, which are both built on the same underlying technologies as Navigator.

"I think we represent the hope that was of Netscape," Mitchell Baker, chair of the Mozilla Foundation which coordinates development of Firefox, told BBC News.

"We have picked up many of the things that Netscape launched but we've taken them further in terms of openness and public participation."

Ms Baker was one of the first employees at Netscape in 1994. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7270583.stm>

Cayetano ‘reluctant’ to call probe into SouthRail

03/02/2008 | 07:03 PM
Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee, is reluctant to call an investigation into the alleged overpriced South Railways project because of lack of witnesses.

Senate witness Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr had earlier claimed he was able to minimize graft in the $932-million SouthRail project, another anomaly-tainted deal of the Arroyo administration with China.

He said he alerted authorities on the alleged padding of the cost of the project. He said those who are involved in the project were reprimanded.

Cayetano said that despite the testimony of Lozada, with only the latter as the resource person or witness, his panel could not start the investigation.

Besides, he said his panel is still focused on the investigation into the scandal surrounding the $329-million national broadband network government project with China’s ZTE Corp. <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/83011/Cayetano-reluctant-to-call-probe-into-SouthRail>

A fine balance in the UK's electricity

By Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News website

So you flick on your light switch, plug in your kettle, fire up your computer - and hey presto, the electricity arrives.

But it does not come out of thin air.

It has to be generated somewhere - in a nuclear power station, a hydro-electric dam, a wind turbine - and as these devices are run by companies rather than charities, they are not going to run unless their output can be sold.

In any case, too much electricity coming into the national grid can produce overloads, tripping circuit-breakers and producing blackouts; too little, and the frequency of the supply (that famous 50 hertz) falls.

The planning designed to ensure that just the right amount of electricity is generated to meet demand is highly complex.

"We have a team of people who do nothing but demand-forecasting, and that means everything from long-term trends to looking at the day ahead," says Stewart Larque, a spokesman for the UK National Grid.

Everyone makes their own forecasts and then has to cover themselves
Bert den Ouden, APX
"The things they look at include everything from weather forecasts, which means factors like temperature, cloud cover, and light, to the TV schedule, which can produce big surges in demand.

"Our control room works, in fact, on minute-by-minute forecasts, and they are accurate to within 1%." <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7268832.stm>

Palace, BSP bothered by OFW remittance boycott

03/03/2008 | 04:12 PM
MANILA, Philippines – Even before it gets off the ground, militant migrants groups’ “no remittance day" campaign is already creating discomfort for the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and Malacanang.

Deputy presidential spokesman Lorelei Fajardo described the move as “irresponsible and tantamount to economic sabotage."

BSP deputy governor Diwa Gunigundo candidly admitted that non-remittance by overseas Filipino workers would have tremendous impact on the economy.

He appealed to Filipinos overseas to find other ways to express their disgust at the Arroyo government. “This (remittance boycott) will have a big effect to the country. Perhaps they can still find other ways [to express their protest]," he said.

Militant group Migrante International and its chapters and affiliates across the globe have been campaigning for a “zero remittance" day at least once a month as a form of civil disobedience to the government amidst mounting calls for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

The United Filipinos in Hong Kong already kicked off the campaign on March 2, the first Sunday of the month when most OFWs remit their salary, as a sign of outrage over the corruption scandals facing the Arroyo government.

Hong Kong is one of the top five country destinations of OFWs and consequently, a major source of remittances.

“Our money should not be used to support a most corrupt regime. No Remittance Day is our way of expressing: Enough with corruption. Enough with plundering our money," Unifil chairperson Dolores Balladares said in a statement last week. <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/83113/OFW-remittance-boycott-bothers-Palace-exec-BSP>

Stock markets fall on US worries

The weak US economy is taking its toll in Japan
European and Asian stock markets have fallen as investors continue to worry about a possible US recession.

All the main markets fell after sharp declines in US stocks were seen on Wall Street on Friday.

London's benchmark FTSE 100 index dropped 1.4% to 5,805.6 in early trade. German and French shares fell too.

Earlier, Tokyo's Nikkei index had closed down 4.5% on fears that the weak US dollar would make Japan's US exports more expensive and hurt demand.

The weakening dollar fell to its lowest level against the yen for three years. In early trading in Tokyo it was as low as 102.90 yen. It later recovered to 103.20 yen.

The Nikkei 225 closed down 610.84 points at 12,992.18, its lowest level for six weeks.

Shares of big exporting companies such as Toyota and Honda suffered large falls.

"What you have seen in Japan reflects in part the strength of the currency. When the currency goes up sharply in an exporting nation, that is pretty bad for the shares," Charlie Morris from HSBC Investments told the BBC.

Shares in car maker Honda fell 5.8% to 3,070 yen and rival Toyota's shares were 3.3% down at 5,560 yen.

"Investor fears of a US recession have strengthened. There is even a growing view that the US economy has already entered into a recession," said Ryohei Muramatsu of Commerzbank in Tokyo.

In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng index ended the day down 3.1% at 23,584.97. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7274309.stm>

Fil-Am in American Idol faces cyberspace scandal

03/05/2008 | 06:37 PM
The latest season of the popular talent show American Idol is proving to be more than just singing and scornful Simon Cowell remarks.

Recently, it's also about scandals and stunning revelations on the background of its roster of contestants.

That includes Filipino-American Ramiele Malubay.

According to reports, controversial photos of Ramiele are currently popping up in cyberspace, showing the 20-year-old talent grabbing the breast of a co-worker in a sushi bar.

Fox News reported that there's another photo where, this time, the hand of Ramiele's friend was caught placed on her breast.

People think the revealed photos may either strengthen or weaken Ramiele's chances going on to the final stretch of the contest. "If you're hated, you're doing something right," wrote Ramiele when asked to list down her favorite quote on her profile.

But Ramiele's issue paled in comparison to the scandal faced by another semi-finalist named David Hernandez. The Associated Press recently reported that David used to be a gay-club stripper rendering lap dances on mostly male patrons.

The report said that David was employed at Dick's Cabaret, a club joint located in Phoenix, for three years.

Speaking to AP, Dick's Cabaret manager Gordy Bryan was quoted saying: "He had the look and the type that people like, so he made pretty good money here."

Based on his employment record, it was found that David last reported at Dick's Cabaret on September 30, 2007. He never renewed his state license.

If there's any good news for Ramiele and David, it seems they will both stay on American Idol despite the controversies hounding them—until they are voted out of the show, of course. <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/83482/Fil-Am-in-American-Idol-faces-cyberspace-scandal>


Poverty incidence even worse than NSCB report - militant think tank

03/05/2008 | 04:18 PM
MANILA, Philippines- Poverty incidence in the country is even worse than what the National Statistical Coordination Board has presented, militant think tank IBON Foundation said Wednesday.

"The poverty incidence could actually be worse than reported due to such low poverty threshold," said IBON executive editor Rosario Bella Guzman in a statement.

According to the NSCB, the number of poor Filipinos increased to 27.6 million in 2006, 16 percent more from the 23.8 million recorded in 2003.

The study defines the poor as those whose incomes fall below the official poverty threshold as defined by the government.

The poverty threshold is the cost of minimum basic needs, food and non-food. According to the latest government estimate, a Filipino family of five needed P6,274 per month, or P209 per day, to stay out of poverty.

This means that the government expects each person to survive on P41.25 a day.

"In fact, poverty in the Philippines could be so widespread that the NSCB is using these low threshold figures to understate the actual extent of poverty," said Guzman.

She noted that in IBON's self-rated poverty survey conducted last January, 71.7 percent Filipinos considered themselves poor.

Still, she said the NSCB figures validates the research group's findings that poverty in the country is actually worsening for the past seven years. - GMANews.TV <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/83466/Poverty-incidence-even-worse-than-NSCB-report---militant-think-tank>

Tanzanian care revolution begins

By Dan Dickenson
BBC News, Tanzania


Asma lacks support from an extended family

Getting her 14-year-old son, Haji, ready for school is a symbolic step towards normalcy for Tanzanian Asma Yusuf.

It may be an everyday occurrence for families across the world, but 30-year-old Asma is a widow with five children and no job and is one of the poorest people in an already poor neighbourhood: Temeke, in Dar es Salaam.

Her mud house with its disintegrating grass roof is conspicuous among her neighbours' brick-built houses with corrugated iron roofs.

"Before I was facing a miserable life. I had little money, we had little food and I couldn't afford to send my children to school," she said.

"I didn't know how my family could survive."

Turned around

Asma says her life has turned round following the intervention and help of her local authority

"I have been given books and a school uniform for my son. He has been able to go to secondary school for the first time."

The financial and material support from Temeke Council has addressed very immediate needs but social support has also been invaluable, she says.

"Perhaps what has been most useful is the advice I have been given about how to look after my children without the help of an extended family."

That advice has included a range of life skills: caring for her family, managing the small amount of money she makes from selling small fried bread rolls known as mandazi, as well as advice on family planning and HIV/Aids prevention. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7239047.stm>


Boy band mogul admits $300m fraud

Lou Pearlman will help investigators prosecute his accomplices
Lou Pearlman, the man behind boy bands 'N Sync and the Backstreet Boys, is set to plead guilty to a $300m (£152m) fraud scheme, prosecutors have said.

In a plea agreement, the music mogul has admitted running scams that defrauded investors and major banks for more than 20 years.

Mr Pearlman entered a not guilty plea last year, but is scheduled to reverse that in court in Florida on Thursday.

The charges carry a maximum of 25 years in prison and a $1m (£506,000) fine.

Mr Pearlman, 53, is expected to plead guilty to two charges of conspiracy, money laundering and making false statements during a bankruptcy proceeding.

Plea agreement

According to the 47-page plea agreement, Mr Pearlman has admitted enticing investors and banks to invest millions of dollars in two companies that "existed only on paper". <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7278816.stm>

BSP firm on decision to leave exchange rate alone

03/06/2008 | 05:28 PM
MANILA, Philippines- Despite strong protests from overseas Filipinos and the export industry, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Thursday stood by its position that it would not intervene heavily in the foreign exchange market.

The central bank also said it cannot afford to impose multiple exchange rates to benefit specific sectors which are hurt by the weakening US dollar.

Last week, overseas Filipinos in Hong Kong declared a one-day "remittance boycott" as a form of civil disobedience against an administration that they believe is not doing enough to make sure the weakening US dollar does not corrode their earnings.

Hong Kong is one of the top five country destinations of OFWs and consequently, a major source of remittances.

Militant group Migrante International’s chapters in the Middle East and in other countries will follow on March 8, coinciding with the annual observance of Women’s Day.

"Heavy intervention cannot be sustained for a long period of time because it could create problems for monetary policy," the BSP said in a statement.

"If the BSP continues to buy large amounts of dollars, it will have to siphon off the equivalent amount of pesos it has released in the market to keep inflation stable," the BSP said.

According to the central bank, it would not be able to do this without incurring massive costs. Managing foreign exchange volatility in the first eleven months of 2007 cost the central bank P83.9 billion.

The BSP said that if it does not absorb excess pesos that it would use to buy dollars from the market, money supply will rise sharply, leading to spikes in consumer prices and a weakening of the peso's purchasing power.

On the other hand, the BSP said fixing the exchange rate would be even more expensive, since it would have to commit to sell or buy any amount of foreign currency demanded in excess of what can be supplied by the market.

In times of massive dollar inflows, the BSP said it would have to buy the excess dollars to keep the foreign exchange at the desired level.

"In so doing, reserves are accumulated but pesos are released into the system from which inflationary pressures could result," the BSP said.

"This will be very costly in terms of the difference between the cost of borrowing to pay for the dollar purchases and the return to the BSP on the foreign exchange purchases," it added. - GMANews.TV <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/83639/BSP-firm-on-decision-to-leave-exchange-rate-alone>

ATV: A truck engineered for space

The "Jules Verne" is Europe's first Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) to fly to the International Space Station.

Built for the European Space Agency (Esa), the ATV is a sophisticated, automated spacecraft that can find its own way to the orbiting platform.

It docks at the Russian end of the ISS. Once attached, astronauts can enter its pressurised module and remove several tonnes of cargo - air, water, scientific equipment, food, and clothing.

The vehicle will also pipe fuel through to the station; and even use its own thrusters to maintain the platform's altitude.

The maiden voyage begins on Sunday. Nicolas Chamussy is the ATV programme manager at prime contractors EADS Astrium. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7268748.stm>

Asian markets tumble amid worries about US credit crisis

03/07/2008 | 02:15 PM
SEOUL, South Korea - Asian markets plunged Friday after another overnight drop on Wall Street that was spurred by news about rising foreclosures on US mortgages.

That intensified concerns about the US credit crisis and broader economy, a vital export market for Asian companies.

By afternoon, Japan's Nikkei 225 index had fallen 3.2 percent to 12,785, while Hong Hong's Hang Seng index was down 2.9 percent at 22,678.16.

Markets in Australia, India, China and South Korea also dropped sharply.

Worries about further fallout from the US credit crisis grew Thursday after the Mortgage Bankers Association said the proportion of all mortgages nationwide that fell into foreclosure jumped to a record 0.83 percent in the final quarter of 2007.

Separately, the Federal Reserve reported that Americans' home debt exceeded their equity for the first time since the central bank began tracking the figures in 1945. Homeowners' percentage of equity fell to 47.9 percent in the fourth quarter.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 1.75 percent Thursday to 12,040.39.

Investors were also bracing for a key US jobs report later Friday. Economists on average were predicting a modest gain in February payrolls, though some expect a decline. - AP <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/83753/Asian-markets-tumble-amid-worries-about-US-credit-crisis>

FDA: Heparin illnesses now in Germany

03/07/2008 | 08:55 AM
WASHINGTON - Dialysis patients in Germany have gotten sick using a different brand of the blood thinner heparin than was linked to 19 American deaths, U.S. officials announced Thursday, sparking concern that the problem could be more widespread than originally believed.

In reaction, the Food and Drug Administration urged all U.S. suppliers of heparin to start using some special high-tech tests to make sure their products are free of a contaminant that is the prime suspect for hundreds of allergic-type reactions linked to Baxter International's U.S.-sold heparin injections.

Baxter wasn't implicated in the German illnesses, and that's what raises the question of a bigger heparin problem.

Instead, the FDA said that Germany is recalling heparin made by a German company that uses a different supplier of raw heparin ingredients than Baxter does.

Heparin is derived from pig intestines, and Baxter gets its supply from China, which is the world's leading source of heparin. The FDA wouldn't say whether the German company, which it identified as RotexMedica GmbH, also bought from a Chinese supplier.

Nor was it clear whether Germany has started testing its drug version for the contaminant, a compound that mimics heparin so precisely that it's not detected by standard drug-quality tests.

The FDA posted on its Web site Thursday instructions for how manufacturers can do additional specialized testing for the fake ingredient.

"We're concerned about, worldwide, this contaminant in heparin and making sure it stays out of the heparin supply," the FDA's chief medical officer, Dr. Janet Woodcock, said. "With this testing method, there'll be a way to protect the heparin supply." <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/83719/FDA-Heparin-illnesses-now-in-Germany>

EU rejects EADS golden share idea

EADS won part of a huge US tanker contract last week
Golden shares have no place in the single market, the EU Commission has said, following reports that EADS is considering their use.

The French and German governments are making plans to stop anyone buying more than 15% of the aerospace and defence firm, the Financial Times said.

One option would be to give Paris and Berlin golden shares that would give them extra voting powers.

The two governments have been in talks about how to protect the company.

Last year, Dubai's sovereign wealth fund bought 3.1% of EADS, while the state-controlled Russian bank VEB bought 5%.

Less friendly countries

Last week, EADS won part of a $35bn deal to provide tanker aircraft to the US government, defeating its rival Boeing.

The deal has been criticised by some in the US who feel that foreign companies should not be given such big military projects.

If Airbus were to be controlled by companies from less friendly countries, there would probably be even greater opposition to its winning contracts.

But the EU has clearly opposed the use of golden shares to prevent that happening.

"The general view on golden shares is clear," said Commission spokesman Oliver Drewes.

"The European Commission doesn't think golden shares have their place in the single market." <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7283483.stm>

Sydney police free sex captives

olice freed 10 South Korean women from the brothel
Australian police say they have broken up an international sex-trafficking ring after rescuing 10 South Korean women from Sydney brothels.

Five people have been arrested and charged with offences including people trafficking and debt bondage.

Police said the women were lured to Australia and forced to work up to 20 hours a day in legal Sydney brothels.

They had agreed to work in the sex industry, but were deceived about conditions, police said.

"My understanding is that they came to Australia to work in the sex industry, but under more reasonable conditions," Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Tim Morris said. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7282711.stm>

IBON: Spratly deal a repeat of disastrous Malampaya sale

03/07/2008 | 07:20 PM
MANILA, Philippines - A reported deal between the Philippine government and China on the joint exploration of the contested Spratly Islands may be a repeat of the government's sale of Malampaya, militant think tank IBON Foundation said Friday night.

IBON research head Sonny Africa said the Spratly deal violates the Constitution and threatens to have the Philippines on the economic losing end.

"This is the experience with the Malampaya natural gas project where foreigners disproportionately benefit from the country's natural gas resources," Africa said.

Africa said the $4.5-billion Malampaya Deepwater Gas-to-Power Project exploits some 3.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves, or 95% of the country's proven such reserves.

But the project is 45% owned by Shell Philippines Exploration, 45% by Chevron-Texaco and only 10 percent by Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC).

Shell and Chevron-Texaco thus control virtually all of the country's natural gas and corner the largest share of benefits from its exploitation, he said.

"For their investment SPEX and Chevron-Texaco expect to get $14 billion back over 20 years, or P574 billion at current exchange rates.

As it is, Shell Philippines Exploration BV declared net income of P3.5 billion and Chevron Malampaya LLC of P7.5 billion in 2006, or a total of over P11 billion. The Department of Energy, in turn, declared Malampaya gas sales revenues of just P5.4 billion in 2006," Africa noted.

He said Shell and Chevron benefited from significant incentives under PD 87 of 1972 and Service Contract No. 38.

Both are allowed to deduct all operating and capital expense (not exceeding 70%) from gross income and are exempted from income tax, entitled to duty free importation and unrestricted entry of foreign personnel.

On the other hand, the government failed to negotiate any kind of meaningful technology transfer, meaning a perpetual reliance on foreign firms for exploitation of our energy resources.

"Such government neglect is to blame for the never-ending argument that foreign investment is needed for the expertise they bring. Foreign firms will always disproportionately benefit from the country's natural resources as long as they have this technological leverage," he said.

Africa noted the Malampaya project was officially inaugurated in October 2001, and remains the country's single largest foreign investment project in the country's history.

It was immediately criticized for violating the Constitutional limit on foreigners of 40% on exploration, development and utilization of natural resources. - GMANews.TV <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/83821/IBON-Spratly-deal-a-repeat-of-disastrous-Malampaya-sale>

Recession fears stalk America

By Matthew Price
BBC News, New York


Fears of a downturn are widespread across the US
It is 0900 as the M-train from Manhattan rattles and squeals its way across the Williamsburg Bridge.

Below, New York's East River swells and surges grey and cold. The train slows to a halt, and a handful of people get out.

The roads from the subway station are lined with old warehouses.

Graffiti is scrawled across much of the brickwork.

Inside one of the buildings is the Brooklyn Brewery - where they make one of the top draft beers in the city.

There are pressures from every direction - it's a perfect storm
Steve Hindy
Brooklyn Brewery
On the floor by the warehouse doors are some sacks of grain. Malt from England is embossed on the sacks in red ink.

The brewery imports the grain, and that is proving expensive these days.

"There are pressures from every direction. It's a perfect storm. We've got a weak dollar," says Steve Hindy, who helped set up the company in the late 1980s.

"We've had bad hop and barley crops around the world, and the government here is forcing farmers to grow corn for ethanol. [There are] higher fuel prices. We're being hit from all directions." <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7284650.stm>

Mugabe approves new ownership law

Mr Mugabe blames foreign enemies for destroying Zimbabwe's economy
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has approved legislation giving local owners the right to take a majority share of foreign companies.

Mr Mugabe's formal approval of the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Bill comes three weeks ahead of his country's presidential elections.

Under the legislation, every company must have at least 51% of their shares owned by black Zimbabweans.

If not, the government will block new investment, mergers or restructuring.

The new law means some of the country's biggest businesses - such as the mining giant, Rio Tinto, and Barclays Bank - will have to find local partners. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7286513.stm>

India's wages surge but risks multiply

By Karishma Vaswani
India business correspondent, BBC News, Mumbai

Indian salaries climbed by an average 15% last year, the fastest rate of growth worldwide, a survey has claimed.
And that growth is expected this year as well, even though the economy is set to slow.
So who exactly is making all this money?

It has been a good year for 35-year-old chauffeur Bharat Jadhav.
Getting people about in Mumbai's crazy traffic is a real skill

He is a secondary school graduate, which means he left school with a basic education at the age of 15.
Finding a well paying job was tough a decade ago when he first arrived in Mumbai - jobs for people with his qualifications were few and far between.
Even if you did eventually find a job, it tended to be some form of menial labour, with minimal wages.
Bharat managed to get a job as a driver - but even then, the salary at that time wasn't enough to make ends meet.
But thanks to the boom in the economy over the last ten years, Bharat is now making more than $150 a month.
"You can make good money now in Mumbai as a driver - although the salary does depend on the boss," he says as he washes his car.
"My wages have gone up every year by over $100 - that's almost a 20% jump annually."
That is because there is a real shortage of personal chauffeurs in Mumbai.
And vacancies have multiplied - as a result of more executives taking up posts in the city who need someone reliable to drive them around in Mumbai's mad traffic to and from their meetings.
Some drivers can command almost $300 a month if they speak some English. That is just a little bit lower than starting salaries of entry-level call centre workers outside of Mumbai. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7282983.stm>

German train strike is called off

The Verdi union is pushing for an 8% pay rise for its 1.3m members
German train drivers' union, GDL, says it will not strike on Monday after reaching an agreement with the railway operator Deutsche Bahn.
But rail services will still be affected. The union warned on Saturday that, even with a deal, there would not be enough time to adjust schedules.
Germany has been struck by a wave of industrial action as powerful unions push for sharp pay increases.
Berlin's public transport is being severely disrupted due to strikes.
The capital's transport operator, BVG, and the Verdi public sector union are divided over pay issues.
In a separate dispute, wage talks between the German government and Verdi ended on Friday with no agreement.
Verdi wants 8% pay rises for two million federal and local government staff, including public transport workers and kindergarten staff. Up to 100,000 workers have held warning strikes in recent days, which have disrupted airports, theatres and hospitals.  <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7286181.stm>

Human trafficking: Victims' families are part of the problem – and the solution

BONG S. SARMIENTO, Philippine Human Rights Reporting Project
03/11/2008 | 10:15 PM
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines — Sheila, Valerie and Bridget (not their real names) hail from poor families here and have set their sights to as far as Manila, Brunei and Japan for jobs as domestic helpers to support their families back home.

But instead of finding work as domestic helpers, they ended up as prostitutes and their recruiters – human traffickers -- have simply disappeared into thin air.

Promised heaven, they were delivered instead into a living hell.

The trio’s cases were among the 11 filed as of last December in the courts here since the Local Inter-Agency Task Force against Trafficking in Person was created by the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003.

The crime is defined by law as being the recruitment, transportation, transfer or harboring, or receipt of persons with or without the victim’s consent or knowledge, within or across national borders by means of threat or use of force, or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception abuse of power or position.

It includes having control over another person for the purpose of exploitation including sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery, servitude or the removal or sale of organs.

Violation of the act entails an imprisonment of six years to life imprisonment and a fine of between PhP 500,000 – PhP 2 million.

Dubbed “Tuna Capital of the Philippines," General Santos City in southern Mindanao is considered a trafficking “hotspot" because of the proliferation of bars and transit houses, according to the Visayan Forum Foundation, a non-government organization that works to monitor and curb the crime. The city with its large seaport is a traditional crossing point to nearby Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia.

But on top of its strategic location, human trafficking thrives in this city because of effective parental consent, according to Rebecca Magante, chief of the local social welfare and development office and secretariat head of LIATFAT. <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/84376/Human-trafficking-Victims-families-are-part-of-the-problem--and-the-solution>

Price-fixing probe hits airlines


Lufthansa said it was co-operating fully with the European Commission
Several international airlines have been raided by European Commission officials investigating price-fixing on flights between Europe and Japan.

Germany's biggest airline Lufthansa confirmed that its offices in Frankfurt had been searched.

Sources at Alitalia quoted by Reuters said that the Italian flag-carrier had also been raided.

Surprise searches happen at an early stage in investigations and do not imply any wrongdoing by the companies.

A statement from the Commission simply confirmed that it had, "carried out unannounced inspections at the premises of a number of international airline passenger carriers".

It is not clear, how many other airlines are under suspicion.

Lufthansa explained the motive behind the raid on its offices.

"The Commission has information that passenger aviation companies including Lufthansa in Europe and in Japan may have taken part in anti-competitive price fixing and collusive behaviour in traffic between the EU and Japan," Lufthansa said in a statement. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7290061.stm>


Bordeaux resists Sarkozy's charms


Bordeaux residents are cautious about Sarkozy reforms

Between the two rounds of the French local elections, BBC correspondent Emma Jane Kirby is travelling around France, testing the temperature of voters.

In Bordeaux centre-right mayor Alain Juppe was re-elected in the first ballot. But will this conservative city ever accept President Sarkozy's programme of reforms?

Bordeaux is a city that drips with 18th-Century elegance and splendour.

A major wine centre, it is also a Unesco world heritage site, its Gothic cathedrals and perfectly manicured streets of mansions forever protected from the infiltration of modern high-rise blocks or urban sprawl.

Not surprisingly perhaps this is a rather conservative town and although the residents were happy to vote for Alain Juppe again in Sunday's elections - after all, he was largely responsible for cleaning up the place - many are not big fans of fellow UMP party member Nicolas Sarkozy. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7289927.stm>

Scientists warn of wheat disease


Scientists are trying to find varieties with natural resistance
Scientists say poorer populations in vulnerable countries could starve if a disease called Ug-99 hits yields hard enough to push up wheat prices.

There is already a global wheat shortage and UN agencies are concerned about the impact of high food prices.

Ug-99 is a form of black stem rust that prevents wheat taking up nutrients and can wipe out whole harvests.

Scientists at the John Innes Centre, in England, are trying to find wheat with a natural resistance to the disease.

Most wheat grown in Africa, Asia and China, has little resistance to Ug-99.

The BBC's Anna Hill says scientists at the John Innes Centre are testing a wide variety of native wheats from Asia and Africa to see if they can find natural resistance to the disease and breed new varieties from them.

But this could take more than five years, by which time Ug-99 could already be causing wide spread harvest failure.

The UN World Food Programme has warned that the rise in basic food costs could continue until 2010 because of rising energy and grain prices.

Some food prices rose 40% last year, and the WFP fears the world's poorest will buy less food, less nutritious food or be forced to rely on aid. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7293326.stm>

France's sordid housing crisis

By Jonny Dymond
Europe correspondent, BBC News


Protests about the housing situation are becoming common in Paris

It took six months for Liberation journalist Ondine Millot to get to the truth about the most sordid side of France's housing crisis.

Look through some property websites and you can see the advertisements: the phrase you are looking for is contre services - when a room in an apartment is offered, sometimes "free", in exchange for services.

Sometimes the service is perfectly innocent - cleaning the apartment or washing clothes, to defray some of the high cost of renting property.

But sometimes it is not: instead the requests are sexual, demeaning, bordering on the perverse. "Sex twice a month," is one blunt demand. Another asks for someone "open in spirit and elsewhere".

"Flat in exchange for libertine services," goes another. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/crossing_continents/7290139.stm>

NBI rescues 40 from trafficking ring in Metro Manila

03/13/2008 | 11:30 PM
MANILA, Philippines - National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents rescued at least 40 girls from a human trafficking syndicate in a raid on two apartments in Metro Manila Thursday night.

Radio dzBB reported that as of 10 p.m., NBI's anti-human trafficking division was transporting the 40 "rescued" girls to NBI main headquarters in Manila.

As of posting time, it was not clear whether arrests were made during the raid and where it was conducted.

According to the report, the raid stemmed from a complaint by five victims who managed to escape from their “captors" a few days ago. - GMANews.TV <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/84735/NBI-rescues-40-from-trafficking-ring-in-Metro-Manila>

Spratlys row generating interest in PNOC unit

03/13/2008 | 11:10 PM
Controversy over a pre-exploration project is priming investors’ appetite for the Philippine National Oil Co.-Exploration Corp.’s (PNOC-EC) secondary offering, tentatively slated later this year, analysts said.

The government is studying the stake sale of PNOC-EC, which has a market capitalization of P8.39 billion, and the only PNOC subsidiary left on the exchange after the privatization of the firm’s geothermal unit.

"So far, the controversy over the JMSU (Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking) is putting [PNOC-EC] in a prime spot," said an analyst who is advising potential investors, and who declined to be named.

The national oil company’s agreement with China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) and Vietnam Oil and Gas Corp. (PetroVietnam) for seismic studies in the Spratly Islands off Northern Palawan was recently questioned in the media for being "biased" towards foreign interest.

Politics aside, the source said, "All this is reminding us that there is a whole bank [sic] of reserves of oil within our waters, and that is a big thing in the era of $100 per barrel of oil."

The sale of 1.5 billion primary and 600 million secondary shares in PNOC-EC had been set for the first quarter this year, but was moved to make way for the auction of one of its service contracts.

Citibank has already been chosen as financial advisor for the stake sale.

PNOC-EC shares barely trade in the market due to a very small public float. On Thursday, in the first transaction for the year, a one-time deal hiked its preferred shares up by 40% to P24.50 apiece. Common shares, untraded since May last year, have stayed at P2.24 apiece.

"This is an insignificant rise, since it is not complemented by significant value. It’s worth only about P60,000," said Claire Quiray, analyst at Accord Capital Equities Corp. "You cannot define its impact."

Ms. Quiray however said that people are paying attention, and that the shares could be pulled either way by speculation.

Joseph Y. Roxas, president of Eagle Equities Inc., meanwhile, emphasized that the shares are "illiquid."

"They not tradeable. PNOC-EC is [about 99% owned] by the government now. But the issue over the exploration contract has a long-term effect on the company, in the sense that whatever comes out of it is [commercially] important," he said.

Both Mr. Roxas and Ms. Quiray said the government should continue with the contract, and eventually pursue an exploration agreement.

"[Not continuing with the deal is] like saying the Philippines is rich in resources, and then you don’t know where they are, and you don’t use them," Mr. Roxas said.

PNOC-EC has passed the halfway-mark for a 2D and 3D seismic study of some 11,022 kilometers, but results from data processing could only be known after a year.

The three-country agreement is worth $15 million, and was "designed to be scientific in nature and does not affect territorial claims of the respective countries of the area."

PNOC-EC holds the country’s largest acreage of service contracts, and controls the government’s 10% stake in the Malampaya service contract, involving a gas-rich field in the South China Sea. — Maria Kristina C. Conti/BusinessWorld <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/84727/Spratlys-row-generating-interest-in-PNOC-unit>

Google your way to a wacky office

By Jane Wakefield
BBC Technology reporter, BBC News website, in Zurich

Sliding into work at Google HQ

If your ideal workspace includes a slide, a games room, a 'chill-out' aquarium and plenty of free food then you had better get your CV into Google.

Dotcom companies were defined by beanbags and pizza but Google, a company that came to prominence after the bubble had burst, has taken that image to a whole new level.

Meeting 'pods' in the style of Swiss chalets and igloos, fireman poles to allow easy access between floors and a slide to ensure that people can get to the cafeteria as quickly as possible are all part of a design of its new European engineering headquarters in Zurich Switzerland.

The building was designed for - and partly by - the 300 engineers who will work there.

The wacky office is both a showcase for Google's unconventional approach to business and a symbol to prove that Google is no longer a US-centric firm.

But as the search giant expands its wings so criticism about its dominance becomes ever louder.

The civil liberties lobby is hot on its heels with questions about what it plans to do with all the data it is collecting while others question its expansion into new areas - with its purchase of advertising outfit DoubleClick causing particular controversy.

Google stresses that it puts users before making money but an 18% drop in its share price at the beginning of the year proved that it wasn't immune to the US economic downturn and some question how long its good intentions can last if profits continue to fall. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7290322.stm>

The 'big daddy' of space robots

By Jonathan Amos
Science reporter, BBC News


Dextre is the third component in Canada's ISS robotics system

Enlarge Image
"I see this as the great-grandparent of futuristic robots like R2-D2 and C-3PO," enthuses Dan Rey, from the Canadian Space Agency.

"This is a very major step forward where now we have a robot that can do human-scale tasks in the harsh conditions of space."

Rey is talking about the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator; and if that name doesn't really trip off the tongue then simply call this robot Dextre. It sounds almost human.

The two-armed machine was a passenger on shuttle Endeavour when the orbiter blasted off from Florida to the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday.

Unlike R2D2 or C-3PO, it didn't get to sit up front with the astronauts, of course. Dextre rode in the back, in the payload bay, strapped down to a pallet.

Its 3.5m-long limbs were detached and set to one side; its "hands", too, had been removed for flight.

One of the main mission goals of Endeavour's crew will now be to unload Dextre on to the orbiting platform and re-assemble the robot.

The lessons we learn with it we will apply on the Moon or on Mars, for co-operative robotics with astronauts
Dan Rey, Canadian Space Agency
"You can think of Dextre as an external handyman," Dr Rey tells BBC News. "Despite its tremendous size, Dextre is the very first space robot able to do delicate motions.

"It will take the 'vital organs' of the space station and when they are defective, change them out. So if it's a failed unit, it replaces it with a spare." <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7293953.stm>

Nigerian deals 'wasted billions'


Olusegun Obasanjo is still influential in Nigeria's ruling party
Some $2.2bn-worth of Nigerian energy contracts were awarded without a bidding process by the former president and his energy minister, officials say.

One was to a company with less than $200 of base capital at the time, a witness told a parliamentary committee.

It is investigating why $16bn of investment in the energy sector during Olusegun Obasanjo's eight years in power failed to end power shortages.

Ex-President Abdulsalami Abubakar heads one of the firms, the committee heard.

He is chairman of Energo Nigeria Ltd, which received a $163m contract to build a power station by 2009.

According to a state official, only 5% of the work has so far been completed.

The staff in the Ministry of Energy was never involved
James Olotu
Government official

The BBC's Ahmed Idris in the capital, Abuja, says this week's parliamentary hearings, which are being aired on television, are causing a stir with their revelations.

He says many parts of the country go for days without electricity and businesses and many homes rely on their generators.

When President Umaru Yar'Adua came to power last year he announced he would declare a "state of emergency" on the country's energy crisis.

Nigeria currently has 10 power stations - they are all between 20 and 30 years old.

Last month, Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan said power cuts were an "embarrassment" to Nigeria - after black-outs affected a meeting he was attending. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7296466.stm>

Nauru seeks to regain lost fortunes

By Nick Squires
BBC, Nauru

There are not many countries you can bicycle around before breakfast. One of the very few is Nauru, a Pacific island nation halfway between Australia and Hawaii.


The island of Nauru is the world's smallest independent republic

Dubbed Pleasant Island in the 18th Century by the captain of a passing British ship - it is the world's smallest independent republic, a coral speck dwarfed by the vastness of the Pacific Ocean.

On most assignments, one of the first tasks is to hire a car. On Nauru, it didn't really seem worth the bother, I opted instead for a battered mountain bike.

It took me about an hour and a half to cycle the narrow coast road, sweating profusely beneath the fierce equatorial sun. Before I knew it, I was back where I started. I had just circumnavigated the entire country.

Nauru may be little, but it once enjoyed enormous wealth. In fact Nauruans were among the richest people, per capita, in the world.

Hardly anyone thought of investing the money. Dollar notes were even used as toilet paper

A quirk of nature means that their island consists of some of the world's purest phosphate - the legacy of millions of years of sea bird droppings reacting with an uplifted coral.

Spending spree

From independence from Britain and Australia in 1968, until the 1990s, Nauru earned a fortune exporting its phosphate for fertiliser.


Islanders are returning to fishing now the money has run out
The decades of mining left the once-lush interior a bleak moonscape of strange, grey coral spikes - all that is left once the phosphate-rich top soil is scooped out of the ground - but Nauruans did not care.

They gave up their jobs, brought in migrants from other Pacific islands to do the hot, dirty work of digging and sat back waiting for the royalty cheques to drop into their hands.

They then went on an extraordinary spending spree. Families who had never left the island would charter aircraft to take them on shopping expeditions in Hawaii, Fiji and Singapore. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7296832.stm>

Phorm 'illegal' says policy group


Phorm says its system will have security benefits
Online advert system Phorm is illegal in the UK, the Foundation for Information Policy Research (Fipr), has argued in an open letter.

BT, Talk Talk and Virgin have all signed up to use Phorm, which targets adverts to users based on web habits.

Fipr believes Phorm contravenes the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (Ripa), which protects users from unlawful interception of information.

Phorm and BT have said the technology does not breach any UK laws.

The debate over the deployment of Phorm, legal or otherwise, is based on the interpretation of Ripa.

Fipr has written an open letter to the Information Commissioner Richard Thomas in which it argues that Phorm must not only seek the consent of web users but also of website operators.

Phorm's system works by "trawling" websites visited by users and then matches keywords from the content of the page to a profile.

Users are then targeted with adverts that are more tailored to their interests on websites that have signed up to Phorm's technology. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7301379.stm>

RP budget deficit down to P13.9 billion in January - DOF

03/19/2008 | 03:01 PM
MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine government posted a P13.9 billion deficit in January compared to the P29.7 billion recorded a year ago, the Department of Finance said Wednesday.

This brings the government closer to target of balancing the budget by end-2008. - GMANews.TV <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/85459/RP-budget-deficit-down-to-P139-billion-in-January---DOF>

Glimmer of hope for Sudan ex-slave

By Joseph Winter
BBC News

Two of Arek Anyiel Deng's children are now going to school in Madhol, a poor, dusty village in South Sudan.


Anyiel wants all her children to go to school like Khalid (l) and Mariem (r)

But not much else has improved in the life of this former slave and her six children a year after their plight touched BBC readers and listeners.

"I would like to send them all to school but then I would have no money left," she says.

Khalid and Mariem have now completed their first year at school and hope to start their second in April.

Going to school means they can integrate into the local Dinka society and may provide them with some kind of future in the area around Malualbai.

Last year, she explained how her children were too ashamed to be the only pupils in the local primary school not to wear uniforms - simple blue smocks - prompting BBC readers and listeners to send her money. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7303128.stm>

Maternity units closed to mothers


Some maternity units frequently have to turn women away
Many hospitals across England had to turn away women in labour last year because they were full, figures show.

More than 40% of 103 trusts that responded to a survey by the Tories said they had shut their doors or diverted women to other sites.

Larger maternity units seemed to be more at risk of having to close, the inquiries by the Tories suggested.

The government said maternity units sometimes were forced to take action because it was hard to predict demand.

Labour's manifesto statement says that by 2009 all women will have choice over where and how they have their baby.

It is a major cause of anxiety to telephone, or even arrive at a maternity unit, when in labour to find the doors are shut
Spokesperson, National Childbirth Trust

It also promised that every woman would be supported by the same midwife throughout her pregnancy.

Out of 103 trusts - 70% of the total - providing maternity services that responded to the freedom of information request, 42% had to close their units or divert women to another site at least once in 2007 because of capacity problems.

One in 10 said they had shut their doors more than 10 times.

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, one of the biggest maternity providers in England, reported closing 28 times.

Of those trusts that had to turn women away, 74% had more than 3,000 births last year, the Conservatives said. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7304811.stm>

Traditional media firms to challenge large portals

03/22/2008 | 12:57 PM

NEW YORK - Traditional media companies trying to stem the flow of advertising dollars to Google and other large Internet companies are increasingly building ad networks of their own, anchored by their brands.

The latest, Forbes Inc. is expected to announce Monday that it will start selling ads this spring for about 400 financial blogs. In recent months, Conde Nast, Viacom Inc., CBS Corp. and other major media companies also have unveiled topic-specific ad networks to lure advertisers that want to buy more ads than any single site can sell.

If newspapers, magazines and broadcasters cannot expand online ad inventory, they are "under threat of becoming less and less relevant to the advertiser," said Russ Fradin, chief executive of Adify Corp., whose technology runs ad networks for Forbes and others.

But these media networks — some linking fewer than a dozen hand-picked Web sites — may have a tough time competing with the larger networks of thousands assembled by Google Inc., Yahoo Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Time Warner Inc.'s AOL.

Those companies have been expanding, too, spending at least $11 billion collectively to buy smaller ad networks and technologies — and in Microsoft's case, also bidding more than $40 billion for Yahoo.

"As our technology has continued to advance, we've gotten better and better," said Lynda Clarizio, president of AOL's emerging Platform A advertising unit. "We can handle a lot of demand from advertisers."

The expansion drive by both sides comes as Internet users increasingly divide their time across scores of sites large and small. Advertisers would rather not deal with thousands of individual Web sites. Media companies and Internet portals alike are promoting networks as a way to reach larger audiences with "one-stop" ad buys.

So far, the portal ad networks have largely succeeded in selling their affiliates' leftover ad inventory at discounted rates and sharing revenue.

Now, by employing targeting techniques such as matching ads to visitors' surfing habits, those large networks also are stepping up their bid for higher-value ads — the ones that have traditionally gone to sites run by the media companies.

Accustomed to selling ads on their own in offline channels, many traditional media companies have been resisting overtures to join the larger networks.

"One of the big ones said to us, 'You guys are really good at creating content and we're really good at selling advertising. It would be perfect,'" said Sarah Chubb, president of Conde Nast's online division, CondeNet, which has signed up a handful of blogs on fashion and technology. "We're pretty good at selling advertising, too."

Smaller networks can offer advertisers a consistent audience on pre-approved sites, while giving those sites individualized attention.

"The folks at Forbes really understood our business," said Steve Woit, publisher of Xconomy, a blog joining the Forbes network. "A larger network, whether it's Google or others, has to deal with every industry and large consumer sites."

Rather than join the large networks, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. figures it is better off recruiting one or two dozen leading lifestyles sites that meet its editorial standards and selling higher-priced ads to Macy's, Ace Hardware and other brands. Martha's Circle launched in November.

"Publishers are brand stewards," said Wenda Harris Millard, the company's president for media. "The folks ... who are assembling these massive networks, most come out of the technology sector. Some of them are good business models, but they are not about protecting brands."

Viacom's MTV and Nickelodeon have ad partnerships with independent parenting sites and are launching groups this spring around music and men's lifestyles. CBS announced last week several local ad networks around CBS-owned stations.

Other media companies are forming networks among themselves. In February, Gannett Co. and Tribune Co., the nation's two largest newspaper publishers, joined Hearst Corp. and The New York Times Co. to form QuadrantOne to collectively sell some online ads. On Thursday, QuadrantOne said another 26 newspaper companies have joined.

Operators of the larger networks, however, say smaller networks can never produce on the scale advertisers are seeking.

Todd Teresi, a Yahoo senior vice president, said the media companies' efforts are a "valid path to go, a first step."

But even if a media company can assemble 10 or 20 like-minded blogs, he said, overall traffic wouldn't be growing as much compared with what a large Internet company can offer.

In fact, Forbes is initially looking to increase business by just 10 percent to 15 percent, even with hundreds of bloggers.

And in mid-March, The Washington Post Co. ended its 16-month-old ad network because many advertisers had cheaper options through the large portals and blog-specific networks like Blogads.

"We were holding out for value but there was too much inventory," said Jeff Burkett, director of ad innovation with the Post's interactive unit.

Instead, the Post hopes to increase ad opportunities by boosting traffic. For starters, it plans to start carrying items from the PaidContent blog and will likely share ad revenue.

Yet the media companies are finding their own networks hard to resist, even if they join the larger efforts. MSNBC.com, a joint venture between General Electric Co.'s NBC and Microsoft, uses Microsoft's ad technology and sales teams but also recently formed networks around politics and the female-heavy "Today" show.

"We can't match what Microsoft does, ... but they represent a lot of different products," said Kyoo Kim, vice president of sales with MSNBC.com. "We want to make sure we protect our brand and be in charge of our own destiny as well." - AP  <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/85724/Traditional-media-firms-to-challenge-large-portals>

Recruitment firms encourage retired OFWs to go into rice production

03/23/2008 | 02:27 PM
MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Labor and Employment should redirect its reintegration program for returning Overseas Filipino Workers to rice production to ease the impact of the impending supply shortage.

This was the suggestion made by the Federated Association of Manpower Exporters (FAME) in the wake of a looming shortage of the country's staple food.

"Encouraging returning OFWs who opt to settle in the provinces to go into rice production is better than helping them set up sari-sari stores, " FAME vice president Jackson Gan said.

Gan noted that the DoLE’s National Reintegration Center for OFWs could tap the help of the Agriculture department in setting up rice farming seminars for retired OFWs.

The NRCO is currently involved in providing returning migrants technical assistance for self-employment or entrepreneurship, access to credit/microfinance, counseling on business or savings mobilization schemes, and psychosocial counseling.

According to Gan, also the president of the Philippine Coconut Exporters Association, acting Labor Secretary Marianito Roque could request the Agriculture department to tap into the P1.5 billion fund released by Malacañang to help OFWs who wish to venture to rice production.

President Arroyo has recently approved an additional P1.5 billion fund for the Department of Agriculture to mitigate the shortage in rice supply that has reached a critical stage in the face of price increases in Vietnam and Thailand.

The DA earlier admitted that the country’s rice reserve is expected to last for less than two months as world prices increase to 25 percent more compared to last month. - GMANews.TV <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/85821/Recruitment-firms-encourage-retired-OFWs-to-go-into-rice-production>

Arroyo neglect, gov't infighting jeopardize RP's territorial claim

VERA Files
03/24/2008 | 01:56 PM
(First of two parts)

MANILA, Philippines - Neglect by President Gloria Arroyo and squabbles over turf and money have derailed government efforts to establish the country's new archipelagic baseline, and may jeopardize the Philippines' claim over resource-rich Spratlys that fall within its extended continental shelf.

With a year left before the May 13, 2009 deadline for filing its claim for an extended continental shelf under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Philippines is nowhere near completing the studies, surveys and report required to bolster the country’s claim over its extended territory.

The UNCLOS, which the Philippines ratified 14 years ago, requires coastal states to declare their extended continental shelf, which is the underwater extension of the land.

In Congress, lawmakers are debating a redefined archipelagic baseline bill. Although there is no deadline to the filing of a country's archipelagic baseline with the UN, it is, however, going to be the basis for measuring all maritime regimes or zones: territorial sea (12 nautical miles from the baseline), contiguous zone (24 nm), economic exclusive zone (200 nm), continental shelf (200 nm) and extended continental shelf (350 nm).

The drafting of the country's claim under the UNCLOS is a tale of infighting among agencies wanting to take the lead and subsequently controlling the billions of pesos of government fund for that undertaking, including a $250,000 grant from the Norwegian government.

It is also a story of President Arroyo’s failure to give importance to the complicated tasks involved (such as marine hydrographic, gravity and magnetic surveys and studies) to come up with data required in drafting territorial baseline despite the urgency of a May 2009 deadline.

In 2001, President Arroyo abolished the Cabinet Committee on the Treaty on the Law of the Sea, created under Ferdinand Marcos and maintained by the three succeeding presidents – Corazon Aquino, Fidel Ramos, and Joseph Estrada. Arroyo replaced it with the mid-level Maritime and Ocean Affairs Center (MOAC), which was just a unit in the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) then headed by Assistant Secretary Alberto Encomienda.

It was only in March 2007, after six years, that Arroyo restored the issue as a Cabinet-level concern when she issued Executive Order 612 creating the Commission on Maritime and Ocean Affairs (CMOA) under the Office of the President. The CMOA is to be chaired by the Executive Secretary with the Justice Secretary and Foreign Affairs Secretary as vice chairs.

The initial members were the departments of national defense, environment and natural resources, budget and management, transportation and communications, tourism, trade and industry, National Security Council, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, National Mapping and Resources Information Authority (NAMRIA), and the Philippine Coast Guard.

Arroyo designated the Department of Foreign Affairs as the lead agency and secretariat of the CMOA. She also committed a major oversight: she excluded from the EO creating CMOA the Department of Energy, which had been involved in doing scientific studies on the country's continental shelf with other agencies. <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/85939/Arroyo-neglect-govt-infighting-jeopardize-RPs-territorial-claim>

Call for delay to biofuels policy

By Roger Harrabin
BBC Environment Analyst


Ministers want 2.5% biofuels to be mixed in petrol at the pumps
The UK's chief environment scientist has called for a delay to a policy demanding inclusion of biofuels into fuel at pumps across the UK.

Professor Robert Watson said ministers should await the results of their inquiry into biofuels' sustainability.

Some scientists think biofuels' carbon benefits may be currently outweighed by negative effects from their production.

The Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO) is to introduce 2.5% biofuels at the pumps from 1 April.

Professor Robert Watson warned that it would be insane if the RTFO had the opposite effects of the ones intended.

He said biofuels policy in the EU and the UK may have run ahead of the science.

His comments in an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme appear on the day when a coalition of pressure groups from Oxfam to Greenpeace writes to the Department for Transport (DfT) demanding that the policy be delayed until after the review. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7309099.stm>

EU 'committed' to stiff CO2 cuts

By Roger Harrabin
BBC environment analyst

Europe's environment chief Stavros Dimas says the EU's leaders are still committed to ambitious CO2 cuts of up to 30% by 2020, despite the appearance of back-tracking at last week's European summit.


Mr Dimas said the EU had set itself ambitious CO2 goals

Mr Dimas said it was natural for national leaders to debate the precise details of how the cuts would be implemented - but that did not suggest a weakening of overall resolve.

Green groups gave a shudder last week when they heard Europe's big players - especially Germany - were looking for a climate deal that would protect some of the most polluting industries and allow the continued manufacture of gas-guzzling luxury cars.

But in an interview for BBC News, Commissioner Dimas said necessary concessions made to protect jobs would not jeopardise Europe's 2020 targets on CO2.

He admitted that Europe's industries were involved in ferocious lobbying to win favourable terms from the regime of carbon cuts.

And he agreed that Europe's goals would seem even more ambitious when emissions from international aviation and shipping, which are currently not included in the targets, were taken into account. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7308036.stm>

Massive planting of jatropha planned in idle Samar lands

03/24/2008 | 10:44 PM
TACLOBAN CITY — About 181,000 hectares of state- and privately-owned idle lands in the three Samar provinces are being eyed for the cultivation of jatropha.

Officials of the departments of Agriculture (DA), Agrarian Reform (DAR), and Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will convene next month in Eastern Samar to discuss a proposal by the Korean International Bio (KIBio) 2007 Corp. for a contract growing arrangement involving the idle lands.

Leo Cañeda, DA regional executive director for Eastern Visayas, said this would be a model agribusiness project in compliance with the Biofuels Act.

DAR will be tasked to identify the farmers in the agrarian reform communities that would benefit the project, DENR will check compliance with environmental laws, while DA will focus on the production side.

Wilson Cerbito, DA regional technical director for research and development, said this would be in line with the government’s goal to develop two million hectares of idle lands in the country from 2005 to 2010.

Moon-Shik-Kim, director of KIBio, recently sought the support of government agencies to facilitate the contract growing arrangement with farmers who own at least one hectare of idle land or a coconut farm without intercropping.

The company started the production of jatropha seedlings in a five-hectare farm in San Roque, Northern Samar in July last year with an investment of $5 million. Some of the seedlings were recently transferred to about 300 hectares of land owned by local farmers.

At least 5,000 hectares of farmland in the province are now subject to negotiations for a similar venture. — S. Q. Meniano, BusinessWorld <http://www.gmanews.tv/story/86030/Massive-planting-of-jatropha-planned-in-idle-Samar-lands>

Scarlett mother fears for safety


Scarlett's mother fears her family now has enemies in Goa
The mother of British teenager Scarlett Keeling has said she fears for her safety after speaking out over her daughter's death in an Indian resort.

Fiona McKeown has said she fears she could be targeted by the people who killed her 15-year-old daughter in Goa.

She told the BBC she had sent her children back to the UK for their own safety and had gone into hiding.

A pathologist's report has been published concluding that Scarlett was forcibly drowned in shallow water.

Warning

Ms MacKeown has criticised the police handling of the case, as they initially reported Scarlett had accidentally drowned, despite severe bruising on her body.

Following further investigations they said she was drugged and raped, before being left for dead.

Ms MacKeown is now in an undisclosed location and is keeping a low profile amid fears that she has made enemies in the region over her pressure on the police.

There's been a huge amount of pressure and the business - the drug trade on the street - has gone down
Lawyer Vikram Varma

She told the BBC: "I moved my children out of the country about two weeks ago because I was worried about their safety.

"We've been warned by lots of locals and press to watch out for our safety. We don't really have any police support or government support in this situation at the moment."

Ms MacKeown said she was planning to ask the police for protection.

Her lawyer Vikram Varma told the BBC that it appeared Ms MacKeown was in danger because she had exposed the "nexus between the drug mafia and the police".

"And because of this exposure there's been a huge amount of pressure and the business - the drug trade on the street - has gone down," he said.

"So they are extremely unhappy with that and they blame her for causing this fall in business."

The pathologist's report, by the Goa Medical College, says Scarlett was held under water for five to 10 minutes, and labels the death a "textbook homicidal drowning".

The partially-clothed body of Scarlett, from Bideford, was found in the resort of Anjuna in Goa on 18 February. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7310282.stm>

Kremlin hand behind spy charges?

By Rupert Wingfield-Hayes
BBC News, Moscow

On the surface it is a straightforward case of industrial espionage.


The Kremlin wants to regain control over Russia's energy assets
Russian security agents arrest two Russian-American brothers, one of whom works for a large Anglo-Russian oil company, and charge them with stealing industrial secrets.

The statement from the federal security service (FSB) says the men were caught in an "attempt to receive confidential information and commercial secrets from a Russian citizen".

It says the information was intended "for the use of foreign oil and gas companies with the goal of obtaining a concrete advantage over Russian competitors".

And that may be exactly what happened.

But the immediate reaction of people in the oil industry here in Moscow has not been: "Did they do it?" but instead: "What is the Russian government up to this time?"

Many suspect that the charges against Ilya Zaslavsky and his brother are politically motivated. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7307716.stm>

NGOs: RP foreign aid system in crisis due to NBN, ODA projects

03/25/2008 | 11:45 AM
MANILA, Philippines - The foreign aid system in the Philippines is suffering from a crisis caused by a number of scandals and anomalies that involved development aid projects such as the Arroyo administration's $329.48-million National Broadband Network project with China's Zhong Xing Telecommunications Equipment Corp.

This was the result of the "Citizens' Report on ODA" or the study on the state of the official development assitance (ODA) in the Philippines by about 100 nongovernment and civil society organizations under the Official Development Assistance Watch, which was presented on Tuesday during the "People's Alternative to the Philippine Development Forum," at the University of the Philippines' Bahay ng Alumni in Diliman, Quezon City.

The groups were led by the Freedom from Debt Coalition, the Transparency and Accountability Network, Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment Through Alternative legal Services or IDEALS and the Philippine Human Rights Advocates.

"There is a consensus among independent Philippine ODA reviewers and investigators that development assistance has become an oxymoron. The volume of evidence, which includes reports by the Commission on Audit, show the preponderance of irregularities and corrupt practices, as well as mis-directed, ill-conceived projects that were wasteful, useless, and burdensome for the people," the groups said in a statement.

Aside from the NBN project, the groups said other foreign-assisted government projects that were "deemed to be illigitimate," should be canceled "because debts were incurred to finance (these) flawed, and anti-people" undertakings.

These projects, mostly bankrolled through ODA, include the North Luzon Railways Project, the South Luzon Railways Project, the Secondary Social Expenditure Management Program - Secondary Education Development and Improvement Project or the "text book scam," and the Small Coconut Farms Development Project.

Loan intensive

The study likewise noted that the growth of the Philippine economy "continues to be slow and poverty remains a major challenge," despite decades of receiving huge sums of ODA.

The groups said the country received a total of $37.9 billion in development assistance from 1986 to 2006. Also, there was a surge of new loan approvals in 2007 worth at least $1.26 billion.

However, in that 20 years of assistance, loans (84 percent) dominated grants (16 percent), while ODA's share of the country's external debt stood at 41 percent as of June 2006, according to the groups.

"The attendant loan obligations that have to be repaid, which includes interest rates ranging from 0.75 percent to 6.94 percent, and additional charges such as front end fees and commitment fees, adds to the burden shouldered by the Filipino people," the groups said. - GMANews.TV<http://www.gmanews.tv/story/86087/NGOs-RP-foreign-aid-system-in-crisis-due-to-NBN-ODA-projects>

Bus passengers in EU law 'farce'


Some passengers are having to get off buses twice
Passengers across the UK have been hit by EU rules on working hours meant to protect drivers, bus companies say.

Western Greyhound in south-west England has broken one route into three so that passengers have to change buses twice.

The rules on routes longer than 50km (30 miles) are too costly to implement and the result is a farce, it says.

But the European Commission says there is no problem elsewhere in Europe and the companies are trying to bypass laws which ensure drivers are not tired.

The companies are forcing clients to get on and off again... we just want to be sure the average working time is nine hours a day
Michele Cercone
European Transport Commissioner's spokesman

Under the EU drivers' hours rule, drivers on routes longer than 50km are not allowed to work more than nine hours a day because they need more rest.

Western Greyhound says that would be fine for companies operating large depots with a large number of drivers.

But, it argues, for smaller companies often with two or three drivers, longer routes have become impossible to operate. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7312519.stm>


Diary from the middle of nowhere

Our environment correspondent David Shukman is on the remote Pacific island of Midway to report on the threat of plastic rubbish drifting in the ocean. Plastic debris collects around the island, scene of a seminal World War II battle, with serious consequences for its wildlife. David will be reporting on the issue this week for the BBC website, radio and TV. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7312777.stm>


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Global Economics-03
Globalisation Index
News Index
Index Nation States
Index Cultural Systems
Some personal Reflections on the  News
Theory Forming and Articulation
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