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By JOYCE CLAVECILLAS
ABS-CBN Iloilo

The Philippine Coast Guard has already issued permission to the salvage company hired by Oceanic Container Lines, Inc. to recover the sunken M/V Ocean Papa that sank along with its chemical cargo off Culasi, Antique last month.

The PCGs Western Visayas district approved the application for salvage filed for CJ Gaspar Salvage and Lighterage Company, which meant that the retrieval operations will start next week.

According to Commodore William Melad, PCG Western Visayas commander, it will take CJ Gaspar nine days before it could transfer all the equipment and manpower in Culasi and start operations.

Authorities are working on fishing out the vessel and 86 container vans inside its cargo hold. One of the container vans had 80 steel drums of Toluene Di-Isocyanate.

Melad said it will take the salvage crew 102 days to finish the entire retrieval operation.

Meanwhile, the Special Board of Marine Inquiry has formally started its investigation Monday.

The board headed by PCG Western Visayas deputy Capt. Bon Dan Chan summoned Ocean Papa's crew members who survived the capsizing.

The board also invited the operations officer of Oceanic Container Lines in charge of the Ocean Papa.

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Former Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines president Mel Lopez said Friday the way is clear for lightflyweight boxer Harry Tañamor to bring home an Olympic medal from Beijing but it wont be easy sailing to blow by two-time world champion Zou Shiming of host China and European titlist David Ayrapetyan of Russia.

There are 29 contenders in the 48-kilogram division with seven entries from Asia, eight from Europe, six from the Americas, seven from Africa and one from Oceania. Aside from Tañamor, expected to vie for top honors are Zou, Ayrapetyan, Luis Yanez of the US, Yampier Hernandez Gonzalez of Cuba, Erzhan Zhakypov of Kazakhstan and Amnat Ruanroang of Thailand.

Yanez, 18, is a longshot but US coach Dan Campbell is convinced the Duncanville, Texas, qualifier will bring back the first American lightflyweight medal since Michael Carbajals silver in 1988. The last US lightflyweight gold medalist was Paul Gonzales in 1984.

The US has won only three gold medals in boxing in the last four Olympics compared to Cubas 20 and Russias seven so there is pressure on Campbell to turn the corner this year.

Former US national coach Al Mitchell said winning an Olympic gold in boxing is the hardest thing in the world. He explained: Its the peer pressure, the opposition, the country youre in – especially if youre an American – and on top of all that, youre representing your country. Its a hard rock. Mitchell said its unlike in the pros where there are several world titles on the line and lots of chances to win.

Lopez, whose son Manny now heads the ABAP, left for Beijing Friday to witness Tañamors quest for glory.

Luck of the draw is a factor, said Lopez, referring to the preliminary matchups where a loss will mean an automatic exit. But whatever is the draw, Harrys ready to fight. Hes determined.

The draw was held Friday in the Grand Ballroom of the Asia Hotel in Beijing. AIBA advisory council members and 12 International Olympic Committee representatives conducted the draw via the manual system.

The first round of preliminaries will be held on Aug. 13 at the Workers Indoor Arena. The second round of preliminaries are set on Aug. 16, the quarterfinals on Aug. 19, the semifinals on Aug. 22 and the finals on Aug. 24.

Tañamor, who was born in Negros Oriental but raised in Zamboanga City, will turn 30 on Aug. 20, the day after the quarterfinals.

If Harry loses, disgrasya, said Lopez. It will be a different Harry in the ring this time. In the past, he was unsure of himself, urung-sulong. But now, hes mentally stable. He was taken out of the national team for disciplinary reasons and didnt compete in the last Asian Games but for two years now, hes been on the right track. His wife and two kids are very supportive.

Lopez said Tañamor reworked his boxing mechanics training with Cuban coach Enrique Steyners who will be in his corner alongside Pat Gaspi in Beijing.

Harry learned a lot from Steyners, continued Lopez. Before, he had difficulty finding his mark against a moving opponent. Now, his footwork is better and he is able to twist without losing his balance. His punches come from the shoulder and he knows how to land clear shots that wont be missed by the judges.

Lopez said he expects fair officiating with Pakistan despot Anwar Chowdrys ouster and the arrival of Taiwans Dr. Ching Kuo Wu as AIBA president.

I think Harry has better than a 50-50 chance to get a medal, basta wala lang disgrasya, said Lopez. Hes in the best shape of his career. He knows hes the only hope for a medal in boxing. But hes prepared to handle the pressure.

Last May, Tañamor warmed up for Beijing by claiming the gold at the first AIBA President Cup in Sinjhuang City, Taiwan. He took the crown after waylaying Eduard Bermudez of Venezuela, Purevdori Serdamba of Mongolia and Essomba Thomas of Cameroon. The tournament featured seven Olympic qualifiers.

Asia has 62 of 286 slots in boxing where gold medals will be at stake in 11 weight divisions. China and Kazakhstan lead the Asian countries with 10 qualifiers each. Thailand has eight, Uzbekistan seven, India and South Korea five each, Mongolia four, Iran and Tajikistan three each, Japan two, and one apiece for the Democratic Republic of Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Sri Lanka, Turkmenistan and the Philippines.

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Shower curtains made of polyvinyl chloride are dangerous to public health and the environment, according to a study done by a United States-based environmental non-profit group.
In its report, Center for Health, Environment and Justice warned that PVC shower curtains released chemicals that are hazardous to public health and contaminate the air.
Among these toxic chemicals are volatile organic compounds , phthalates and organotins.
"This study found PVC shower curtains can release as many as 108 VOCs into the air. VOCs are chemicals that easily turn into gases and contaminate our air," CHEJ said.
It further warned: "Some of these chemicals cause developmental damage as well as damage to the liver and central nervous, respiratory, and reproductive systems. Some can cause cancer in animals; some are suspected or known to cause cancer in humans."
CHEJ said a new PVC shower curtain will normally release a strong chemical odor, which may persist in the homes for days or even months. This "new shower curtain smell" may cause a person to feel nauseous or sick.
The group also pointed out that indoor air pollution, such as the release of high levels of these toxic chemicals, is cited by the World Health Organization and American Lung Association as one of the major risks to human health, CHEJ said.
"Since people spend a large portion of time in their home, they may be exposed to harmful levels of chemicals released from PVC shower curtains, as well as other PVC consumer and building products," it said.
The report titled "Volatile Vinyl: The New Shower Curtain's Chemical Smell" was released globally on June 12 in 17 states in the US, Bulgaria, Canada, India, Lebanon, Philippines, South Africa and the United Kingdom.
Manny Calonzo, president of the waste and pollution watchdog EcoWaste Coalition, told that PVC shower curtains are being sold in several popular shops in Metro Manila.
Calonzo warned that, added to the consumers lack of knowledge about the hazardous effects of these products, the shower curtains in retail shops are not properly labelled.
"Usually, we can only see the brand but they never indicate the chemical component of these products. Worse, other products dont say if they contain PVC. If the product has insufficient label it is best to exercise caution," Calonzo said.
He said his group plans to provide the local retailers a copy of the CHEJ report, with the hope that they will eventually be persuaded to recall the PVC shower curtains from their shelves and label the material content of shower curtains.

"We really dont know if they will exercise corporate social responsible and listen to our suggestions," he said.
Aside from shower curtains, he said table cloths and some school supplies including bags, pencil case, plastic cover, and pencil case contain PVC.
EcoWaste Coalition has already informed the office of Sen. Pia Cayetano, chairwoman on the environment and natural resources committee, about the report.
Calonzo said he hopes by next session of Congress the group can meet with the lawmaker.
The group said the report should also push the National Solid Waste Management Commission, Department of Trade and Industry and other agencies to enforce the phase out of non-environmentally acceptable products. Trina Lagura,

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A large fire struck a commercial building in Albay Sunday morning and nearly damaged the Tabaco City Hall, ABS-CBN Regional Network Group reported.

The report said the blaze started around 5 a.m. and quickly spread because the buildings upper floors were made of wood.

Four business establishments in the building were destroyed. Even the house of building owner Alfonso Lao was not spared.

Part of the Tabaco police office was also damaged by the fire. Authorities said they were able to salvage important documents.

The blaze was placed under control at 6:30 a.m.

Tabaco fire officials estimated the damage at P3 million.

No one was reported killed or injured in the fire.

Investigators said the blaze may have been cause by faulty electrical wiring.

Tabaco Mayor Crisel Lagman Luistro, meanwhile, said she is thankful that the fire did not reach the city hall.

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OSAKA, Japan - Losing weight has become monkey business at a Japanese zoo, which has put about 50 primates on a strict diet after some became so obese they couldn't move around.
The fat Rhesus monkeys are a popular attraction at the park, and gained fame in Japan after media dubbed them "metabo monkeys", a play on the Japanese slang for metabolic syndrome -- a form of human obesity.
"We don't really know the exact reason why the monkeys grew fat, but we reckon its because the monkeys are not only fed once a day by us, but also because this park is open 24 hours a day to visitors, who throw food into the enclosure," said Ohama park superintendent Syoji Hasegawa.
The keepers at Ohama park in Western Japan have halved the animals' calorie intake, replacing favorite foods such as sweet potatoes with wheat-based snacks.
The zookeepers imposed the diet late last year after finding that some of the monkeys weighed almost 30 kg -- at least three times heavier than average.
Park officials have not weighed the animals recently but the diet appears to have worked as some monkeys now have saggy skin -- evidence of weight loss.
Although signs clearly tell visitors not to feed the monkeys, park officials say many people still throw them food.
That has prompted the park to consider building a new enclosure for the animals to cut them off from visitor titbits.

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Agence France-Presse
GENEVA - A new sense of optimism surrounded WTO negotiations on a new global trade pact Saturday amid hopes of a breakthrough after seven years of deadlock.
Key deal-makers said most of the 35 leading trading nations meeting here have bridged their differences, but fears remained that emerging market countries India and Argentina could ruin the upbeat mood.
"I think the situation looks strong. I think we can be very hopeful now," said European Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson as he left talks late on Friday.
"What is emerging is a deal that is not perfect, not beautiful, but is good for the global economy and good for development."
Ministers from 35 leading economies have been meeting here all week to discuss reductions in subsidies and import tariffs with the aim of mapping out a new free-trade deal, called the Doha Round, to boost world commerce.
The Doha Round was launched in the Qatari capital seven years ago but has foundered because of disputes between the rich developed world and poorer developing nations on trade in farm and industrial products.
Despite the optimism -- in stark contrast with a feeling Friday that talks faced imminent collapse -- the United States warned that a handful of countries could still torpedo the goodwill.
"There are a handful of large emerging markets that quite frankly risk unraveling the entire package," said United States Trade Representative Susan Schwab in reference to a draft agreement under discussion.
She added, however, that whilst there was "more work to do, it is a path forward."
Argentina said it would be unwilling to accept the proposed agreement as it stands and diplomatic sources told AFP that India was also standing in the way of progress.
Indian Commerce Minister Kamal Nath has insisted all week that he will protect his country's millions of subsistence farmers and nascent industry, which are shielded from imports by tariffs levied on foreign goods.
"There is no agreement but there are certain areas of concerns, certain areas of consensus," he said late Friday.
Mandelson said India would eventually come on board, telling reporters: "I don't think India will be the one to break a world trade round. I really don't."
The talks Friday focused on trade in farm and industrial products -- the two main sticking points of a deal -- but attention is set to turn Saturday to the services sector.
Talks are set to over-run their original program, which foresaw an end on Saturday, and continue throughout the weekend and early next week, sources said.
"There is a convergence among the seven on several key figures for agriculture and industrial products," said Brazil's trade negotiator, Foreign Minister Celso Amorim.
"My opinion is that the chances of reaching an accord have risen to 65 percent from 50 percent," he added.
The marked turnaround Friday emerged after meetings between seven key trading powers -- the United States, the European Union, Australia, Brazil, China, India and Japan -- which finally made progress after five days of deadlock.
The talks then widened to a ministerial conference of all 35 key nations invited to Geneva to broker the pact.
Anything approved by the 35 parties would still have to be cleared by all 153 WTO member states. A new pact can only be adopted with unanimity.
WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy had warned earlier on Friday that the talks faced failure unless countries showed flexibility and determination.
Among new proposals he put forward Friday was a further cut in the US annual farm subsidies to 14.5 billion dollars and a clause to prevent developing countries from shielding entire sectors from tariff cuts, a source told AFP.
Diplomats and negotiators had said that Friday would be make-or-break at the end of grueling week of bargaining that had produced scant evidence of progress.
"No one is happy with every detail that's in the direction forward today. But there is acceptance I think, in the main, that... it's the basis for moving forward," said Australian Trade Minister Simon Crean.
However the Australian minister cautioned that the package could only be accepted on a "take it or leave it" basis.
"It has to be accepted in the totality, not trying to pick apart aspects of the detail," he said.
"I think that's the spirit in which people wanted to proceed. Today was a very significant advance."

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Publicly-listed Prime Gaming Philippines Inc. said Wednesday it would repurchase no more than P420 million worth of its shares to boost the price of its stock.

In a letter to the stock exchange, the company it would buy the shares on a date and at a price to be determined by its management.

"The rationale of the buyback program is to enhance shareholder value for long-term investors," it said.

Prime Gaming last traded at P120 per share on Tuesday.

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Another victim was added to the list fatalities in the bomb explosion that ripped through a building in front of the Edwin Andrews Air Base in Zamboanga City Thursday morning.

Police said a total of three people have died while 17 others were wounded in the blast.

The blast took place shortly after 10 a.m. in front of the air base's gate in Barangay Sta. Maria, where relatives of soldiers were waiting for the arrival of a C-130 cargo plane bound for Manila. Soldiers' relatives are entitled to free military transport.

Four of the wounded were identified as Jason Ilanda, Isagani Alvaran Jr., Nur Solaiman, and Sha Abdul, engineers of the US-funded Alliance for
Mindanao Off-Grid Renewable Energy Program . They have been rushed to a nearby hospital and were being treated for splinter wounds.

Two of the injured victims are staff members of Zamboanga City 1st District Rep. Maria Isabelle Climaco.

Police earlier confirmed that the blast was caused by an improvised explosive device. The police, however, have yet to determine if the explosion was a terrorist act.

Reports said the shrapnel from the explosion tore through Climaco's office, which is located on the lower part of the building. The explosion also damaged AMOREs office.

There were also reports of damaged vehicles, including one owned by former school superintendent Abdurrahman Keno.

Senior Superintendent Ludimer Betran, city police chief, said police investigators were still determining if the offices of the congresswoman and AMORE were the targets of the blast.

Military and civilian flights share the single runway at Zamboanga, but the civilian terminal is at a distance of about three kilometers from the base area.

Zamboanga is one of the biggest cities in Mindanao in the violence-wracked southern Philippines. There was no immediate claim for the attack, but suspicion was centered on the Abu Sayyaf, a group of Islamic radicals who operate from the islands of Jolo and Basilan, off Zamboanga.

"It's a command detonated bomb, said Colonel Darwin Guerra, Philippine Army commander in the city. "We recovered fragments of a cell phone in the area."

There was no damage to the air base, he said. With Manny Mogato, Reuters

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Agence France-Presse
BARCELONA, Spain - Defending drivers world champion Kimi Raikkonen topped the times on Friday afternoon as Ferrari dominated the opening day's practice ahead of Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix.
The 28-year-old Finn, who is this year's early season leader, clocked a best time of one minute and 21.935 seconds in the second session having been fastest in the morning with 1:20.649.
His Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa of Brazil was second fastest in the morning and fifth in the afternoon when his compatriot Nelson Piquet clocked the second best time for Renault.
Local hero and twice former champion Fernando Alonso in the second Renault was third fastest as the French team played to the crowd on the opening day of the meeting.
Alonso said in advance of the Grand Prix that he did not expect his team to be in the scrap for a podium finish and his team's effort on Friday suggested they were running with light fuel loads.
Briton Lewis Hamilton, 23, who won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix for McLaren but then suffered two increasingly-disappointing outings, wound up 11th for the Mercedes-Benz powered team.
That put him one place ahead of Pole Robert Kubica of BMW Sauber and two in front of Germany's Nick Heidfeld in the second BMW, the team that currently leads the constructors championship.
Hamilton's McLaren team-mate Heikko Kovalainen of Finland was down in 16th place, a result that appeared to suggest that the Anglo-German team were experimenting with their settings and fuel loads rather than seeking out and out speed.
The session was run in dry, warm and sunny conditions with an air temperature of 24 degrees, rising to 25 as the Spanish spring arrived, and a track temperature of 37 degrees.

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Some areas of Pasay City will have no water for 16 hours from 12:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 25, due to repair works, Maynilad Water Services Inc. announced Friday.

The affected areas are San Rafael district, particularly the area bounded by EDSA, Roxas Boulevard Service Road, Libertad Street and Taft Avenue; San Jose District, particularly the area bounded by Libertad Street, Roxas Boulevard Service Road, Buendia Avenue and Taft Avenue ; and San Isidro district, particularly the area bounded by Buendia Ave., Roxas Blvd. Service Road , Chingkiang Street and Taft Avenue.

Meanwhile, areas that will experience low pressure to no water include San Roque and Santa Clara districts.

The repair and maintenance works are part of Maynilad's continuing program to upgrade and improve its service to customers in these areas, the company said.

Maynilad advised its affected customers to store water good for the duration of the water service interruption or call Maynilad Water Hotline 1626.

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The Philippine Star
Prosecutors have asked the Sandiganbayan to order the Marcoses and their associates to pay the government more than P51 billion for their alleged kickbacks from Japanese firms that provided equipment for government projects.
The government is seeking to recover ill-gotten wealth consisting of funds and other properties which the defendants allegedly amassed during their rule from Dec. 30, 1965 to Feb. 25, 1986.
In a civil suit filed on March 14, 2008, prosecutors asked the anti-graft court to order the defendants to pay the government moral damages in the amount of P50 billion and exemplary damages in the amount of P1 billion, as well as attorneys fees, litigation expenses, judicial costs, nominal damages, temperate damages and actual damages in unspecified amounts.
The prosecutors urged the Sandiganbayan to order the defendants to return and reconvey to the government all funds and other properties which they had acquired through "abuse of right and power and through enrichments."
The court was also urged to order the defendants to jointly and severally pay the government the amount of the funds and other properties with interest from the date of unlawful acquisition up to full payment.
The prosecution also wants the defendants to account to the government all legal or beneficial interests in funds, properties and assets of whatever kind in excess of their lawful earnings or lawful income from legitimately acquired property.
In total, the evidence is overwhelming to prove that the assets and properties of defendants were obtained illegally and illicitly, by taking undue advantage of their position and authority, prosecutors added.
Records showed a Reparations Commission headed by the late Gen. Eulogio Balao was created during the Marcos administration to supervise and determine the various equipment needed by the different government agencies for their projects like flood control, telecommunications, agriculture, and construction of public highways.
The Reparations Agreement between the Philippines and Japan was set up to allow Japan to compensate the Philippines for the damages brought about by the Japanese invasion and occupation during World War II.
Through this agreement, the Philippines was able to acquire various equipment from Japan for use in numerous government projects.
To circumvent the lawful process of bidding the government projects, the contracts were not awarded to the Japanese contractor offering to sell the equipment at a lowest price, but contractors and traders who are willing to give kickbacks to the Marcoses, prosecutors said. �“ Sandy Araneta

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By CAI U. ORDINARIO
Business Mirror Reporter

Around 2.6 million more Filipinos are projected to be added to the already bursting-at-the-seams population of Metro Manila by 2020, according to the latest report released by the Asian Development Bank .

The ADB report titled “Managing Asian Cities” is projecting the population growth rate in Metro Manila to hit around 24 percent from 2006 to 2020. This will also add to the expectation that the Philippines will have an urban population of 34.8 million by 2030, or a 67.1-percent increase
from 2005, and account for 3.2 percent of the countrys population by that time.

Metro Manila was identified in the report as one of the six Asian cities whose population is already equal to the size of the population in some countries. Using 2005 data, the report said that Metro Manila already had a population of 10.68 million.

The other five cities are Shanghai in China with 12.66 million people; Mumbai in India, 18.34 million; Jakarta in Indonesia, 13.19 million; Bangkok in Thailand, 6.6 million; and Tokyo in Japan, 35.33 million.

The urban population of East Asia is expected to increase by an average of 21 million every year between 2006 and 2030, with an annual increase of 17 million in China, 1 million in Vietnam and 0.2 million in the Philippines.

Most of this growth, the ADB said, will be accommodated on the urban fringe.

However, the ADB said neither markets nor the governments provide the right incentives for sustainable development in these areas.

The consequences of this failure are large and many. The ADB said these consequences include the proliferation of unserviced informal settlements, development that leaves existing residents worse off, encroachment on environmental areas and even more pollution.

“The circumstances vary sharply between countries. For example, rapid growth, strong institutions and proactive approach to urbanization are different from conditions in the Philippines, where there is a general lack of effective planning control or direction,” the report stated.

“The issue is not so much a lack of understanding by governments, but their priorities and efforts. These determine outcomes,” the report added.

The increase in the number of Filipinos residing in the metropolis, and consequently, the number of the Philippines urban population, is also seen to create or worsen the current problems of the city on slum dwelling, pollution and solid- waste management, among others.

In terms of pollution, the increase in urbanization will encourage the building of roads and highways which, in turn, would increase vehicle ownership and worsen air pollution.

In Metro Manila, the ADB report stated that the number of private vehicles is seen to grow by 12 percent every year and double every six years.

Due to these, the ADB said there is an urgent need to foster sustainable development for Asian cities like Metro Manila. Failure to do so, the ADB stressed, will not only significantly endanger the sustainability of living in these cities but also the planet itself.

The ADB said that countries, for one, should move for local government reforms, allowing them more financial room and authority to implement changes, including structural improvement that will lift millions out of poverty.

These changes may include expanding projects that cater to low-income housing that will not only remove slum dwellers, but also help increase the chances of cities to combat the growing threat of poverty and displacement.

“Fostering sustainable development for Asias cities is one of the most important tasks of the 21st century. New partnerships with the leaders of self-reliant cities and new support to dependent cities must be a priority for national governments, international and local financial institutions and nongovernment organizations,” the report stated.

“For development agencies there can be no more important objective than this. Failure will result in environmental depravation and social deprivation for billions. Taking the action required for coordination among agencies and for long-term engagement is the ultimate global public good,” it concluded.

Costs mount as Mississippi floodwaters crest

Reuters

PALMYRA, Missouri - The crest of the swollen Mississippi River moved relentlessly downstream on Saturday as volunteers manned sandbagged levees, nursed hopes and coped with the costs of the worst Midwest flooding in 15 years.

"At times like these you don't know whether to cry or laugh. But here in the Midwest we tend to favor the latter," said Charlotte Hoerr, who with her husband Brent farms land not far from the river in this small Missouri town.

The river's relentless violence overcame more than two dozen levees this week, submerging small towns and vast stretches of prime farmland as the nation's most vital waterway absorbed the runoff of torrential rains that put many Iowa towns under water last week.

The Midwest flooding and storms blamed for 24 deaths since late May have caused damage in the billions of dollars and are expected to push US and world food prices higher.

Up to 5 million acres may have been lost to just-planted crops at the heart of the world's top grain and food exporter. Prices for corn, cattle and hogs all set records this week due to the floods, as a world economy already slammed by inflation from soaring energy prices absorbed the blow.

The spillage onto the Mississippi's vast flood plain covered thousands of acres of crops. But several days of dry weather this week cut water flows, as did the levee breaches.

"It's starting to feel like the worst of the crisis has passed," said Farm Bureau official Blake Roderick in nearby Hannibal, boyhood home of author Mark Twain.

The river in Hannibal was expected to crest Saturday at 28.2 feet, below the record 31.80 feet set in the 1993 flood.

"We're still concerned that levees will be overtopped," said Ron Fournier, a spokesman for US Army Corps of Engineers. "If the sandbags don't hold, there's going to be water in agricultural fields and residences."

East St. Louis threatened

St. Louis, 100 miles south, saw the river crest on Friday well below levels seen in the last major flood in 1993.

One worry was water seeping underneath levees across from St. Louis in the impoverished Illinois city of East St. Louis.

If the decades-old levees there failed, the river would spill onto a flood plain where 150,000 people live, said Timothy Kusky, a flood expert at Saint Louis University.

President George W. Bush toured some of the devastation in Iowa on Thursday, and the White House said relief would be made available from $4 billion in the government's disaster fund.

Bridges and highways have been swamped, factories shut down, water and power utilities damaged, and the earnings of railroads, farmers and myriad other businesses disrupted.

"Now we begin the process of assessing debris removal and short-term and long-term housing needs," said Bret Vorhees of Iowa Emergency Management. He said requests had declined for sandbags, water pumps, shelter and security.

Flood relief was rapidly becoming a political issue in an election year in the United States. Republican presidential candidate John McCain toured Iowa on Thursday, separately from Bush, while Democratic candidate Barack Obama helped stack sandbags earlier in the week in Quincy, Illinois.

"I've seen firsthand the growing magnitude of this flooding disaster, and unfortunately the end is not yet in sight," Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich said on Friday, saying he had asked Bush for faster aid for 20 flooded Illinois counties.

Don Rust, a farmer from Ursa, Illinois, not far from Quincy, estimated cropland 13 miles long and six miles wide was flooded in his area.

"It's a disaster, alright," said his wife Lisa, surveying the scene. "Welcome to the Midwest."

Christian fizzles, Karylle sizzles and Rowena Vilar steals the West Side show

Last week, I braved Friday night traffic on EDSA to catch Stages' production of West Side Story, the musicale inspired by William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, starring balladeer Christian Bautista and Zsa Zsa Padilla's fairhaired daughter, Karylle.

I was coming to the play cold both literally and figuratively . All I had for ammunition were an umbrella, brief remembrances of the 1961 movie and the knowledge that West End star Joanna Ampil and Karylle were subbing for the part of Maria.

I needn't have bothered. A montage of young hooligans hanging onto a chain link fence starts off the story on a sinister note and ratchets up the tension with the first near-rumble between the American Jets, complete with 70s Hell's Kitchen accents, and the Puerto Rican Sharks . There's an overall familiarity to the love story of Tony and Maria , two starcrossed lovers who become victims of fate. When they meet at a dance and see each other from a crowded room, you know that they will fall in love, know that people will come in between them, know that they will try to defy the odds and fail completely. What matters though is the journey and for those who have seen the show, the overall experience of West Side Story is akin to a sledgehammer blow to the senses.

First off, the cast assembled by Menchu Launchengco-Yulo is truly superb. Every person who's seen even parts of the the musicale before knows the various demands made to the cast both in song and dance. There is not a song to be wasted in the bunch, and thankfully, the entire cast delivers, whether its the confrontational America, the tension filled Cool, or even the soaring Tonight. Even the sets and the lighting brought a different character and tone to the whole tale.

When I first heard that Bautista would be playing the lead in a Broadway musicale, I honestly thought that he was too vanilla and his voice too saccharine sweet to handle the vocal calisthenics needed for the part of the reformed gangleader and romantic lead Tony. To his credit, Bautista carries himself well through most of the singing except for some high notes that came off reed-thin instead of overpowering. Acting-wise, he makes a believable lovestruck suitor although a bit stiff on stage.

On the other hand, Karylle was a revelation! The actress, whom I last saw as one of the four leads in the TV show Encantada, hits the tough high notes like a pro. Her ballet background serves her well in the flirty but fun I am Pretty, and her scenes with Bautista are both tender and radiant.

The biggest surprise of the evening, however, came from Australian-born Rowena Vilar who plays the role of Anita. Vilar electrifies every scene she is in simply through her presence, her verve and her total commitment to character. After the first act, our small group was raving about her performance and asking who she was. She simply mesmerizes the audience through her every perfect song and dance and dredges up the audience's compassion in the near rape scene at Doc's bar. No wonder Lea Salonga is so impressed with her.

Other cast members also carry off their performances well although not as memorable as these three. One minor quibble though: there were several times when the sound system would pop and crackle, which sometimes obscured what the actors were saying.

Without a doubt, this is THE theater event of the year and should be watched by an even greater number of people before its theatrical run ends.

Valero says Pacmans climb in weight a sign of greatness

By DENNIS GASGONIA
WBA super featherweight champion Edwin Valero, who has been hounding boxing icon Manny Pacquiao for a fight, described the Filipino's climb in weight as a "sign of greatness."
In an interview with boxing writer Kieran Mulvaney for ESPN.com, Valero said that this has made Pacquiao something "special."
"Its a sign of greatness. Pacquiaos a phenomenon. Doing something like that is almost unheard of. Its like Oscar De La Hoya. He started at 130 and was fighting for titles at 160. Thats something special. Pacquiao is special," he was quoted as saying.
After capturing the WBC 130-pound division title from Juan Manuel Marquez, Pacquiao challenges 135-pound division king David Diaz for a fight on June 28.
Prior to that, Pacquiao fought at 112 pounds to win the WBC flyweight crown and went up to 122 pounds to snatch IBF super bantamweight title. He started fighting at 106 pounds as a light flyweight.
Valero believes that Pacquiao "can go all the way up to welterweight. He's special and he has that thing about him."
The Filipino himself believes he really needs to go up in weight since he is still a "growing boy."
"I am still growing," he told Mulvaney, "I am a growing boy."
Skeptics earlier ponder on the effects of Pacquiaos move to lightweight, saying that this might affect his punching power.
Pacquiao, however, believe that the added pounds will not be much of a factor when he faces Diaz on June 28.
"Moving up in weight is not a problem for me because I will maintain my speed and power," the heavy-hitting Filipino told boxing news Web site FightFan.com.
To this, WBO bantamweight king and Pacquiao friend Gerry Pe�±alosa, agreed.
"At sparring I usually see him in LA weighing 145. He moves good at 145, so how much more at 135?" said Pe�±alosa in an interview over Manila based radio station dzSR.
Pe�±alosa has been training alongside with Pacquiao in the past at coach Freddie Roachs Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles A that is why he is familiar with his comrades regimen.
He added that Pacquiaos movement up in weight is in fact an advantage for his fellow Filipino.
"So at 135, I can see his power�¦ because he didnt need to shed much weight, so his strength is still there and may even be increased," said Pe�±alosa. With a report from Philboxing.com

Arabs say racism on rise as Israel turns 60

Reuters

SAKHNIN, Israel - Salwa Abu Jaber believes her story shows Israel discriminating against its Arab citizens, 60 years after the state was established as a haven for Jews.

The 32-year-old mother of four from northern Israel said her five-year-old daughter has never seen her father, who lives in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Separated from the man for five years, she says she has been forced to divorce him.

Thousands of families have been similarly split by a 2003 ban on Palestinians in the West Bank from reuniting with their families inside Israel, imposed citing security reasons after the Palestinian uprising or intifada began in 2000.

"In practical terms, Israel forced the divorce on us," Abu Jaber said. "We could not continue to live like this any longer. If this is not racism, then what is it?"

This week, as Israel celebrates the anniversary of its foundation, its supreme court has said it found merit in the position of numerous petitions filed by rights groups against the law that keeps the families apart.

But Israeli Arabs -- those Palestinians who remained after hundreds of thousands fled or were expelled from their homes when Israel was created -- say institutionalized racism and illegal killings of Arabs have increased since the intifada started.

After 1948, about 120,000 stayed and were granted Israeli citizenship. Now about one in five Israelis is Arab, and many prefer to be called Palestinians like their kin outside Israel.

Israel denies it discriminates and touts its credentials as a multi-cultural democracy, arguing all citizens have the vote and are equal under the law. Arabic is an official language, alongside Hebrew.

Arabs say they also struggle to get jobs, housing and land.

"Arab citizens ... are related to more as enemies than as citizens with equal rights," the Association for Civil Rights in Israel said in its annual report.

The group said "racist incidents" against Arab citizens rose 26 percent in 2006. It did not have more recent figures. Poverty rates are four times higher among Israeli Arabs in comparison to Israeli Jews, according to Haifa-based advocacy group Mossawa.

Twelve Arab lawmakers including a cabinet member hold seats in Israel's 120-member parliament, but less than 8 percent of the country's civil service workforce is made up of Israeli Palestinians, according to a recent civil service report.

Affirmative action

The Israeli government acknowledges the gap between the Israeli Jews and Arabs and says it is taking affirmative action to boost the number of Arab civil servants to 10 percent by 2012, particularly in high-ranking posts.

"Israeli Arabs enjoy more freedom, more civil rights that any of their compatriots across the borders," Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's spokesman, Mark Regev, said.

But some rights groups, including ACRI, say Israel has also been using the law to cement the state's Jewish character.

Such draft bills, approved by parliament in 2007, include banning Arabs from buying land controlled by the Jewish National Fund, a quasi-governmental group that was founded before the state of Israel to buy and develop land in Palestine and later oversaw land distribution in the Jewish state.

The JNF also controls land owned by Palestinians before they fled or were driven from their homes when Israel was founded.

Another bill makes eligibility for national insurance benefits dependent on completing military service. Few Arabs serve in the army: unlike for Jews, service is not compulsory.

"The Palestinians inside Israel are being discriminated against in all spheres except for one: the right to vote," Mohammad Barakeh, a member of Israeli parliament, said.

Olmert's spokesman Regev said the bills did not reflect racist attitudes against Arabs, rather "legitimate differences of opinions."

License to kill?

About 1.5 million Arabs reside in Israel with 5.5 million Jews, but 3.8 million Palestinians live in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.

US President George W. Bush is hoping for an agreement this year to create a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside Israel.

To Israelis, the government justifies holding talks about creating a Palestinian state by saying the alternative is a single state where Arabs would soon outnumber Jews.

A recent poll by Israel's parliamentary TV station showed 76 percent of Jewish Israelis give some degree of support to transferring Palestinians living inside Israel to a future state -- an option most Arab citizens strongly reject.

"The Jews are the ones who immigrated to our homeland and took our land. We did not immigrate to their land so we cannot leave," said Jamal Zahalka, an Arab lawmaker.

The outbreak of the latest Palestinian intifada marked a turning-point in the way Israel treats its Arab citizens, many say, especially after 13 unarmed Israeli Arabs were killed in October 2000 when police used live ammunition to disperse protests in support of Palestinians in the occupied territories.

Rights groups say a January Israeli court decision not to indict the alleged killers due to "insufficient evidence" was tantamount to giving police a license to kill Arabs.

Two rights groups documented the killing of 41 Arabs by Israeli police or in "racist attacks" by Jews and security guards since 2000. Of those, only one suspected killer has been indicted, said Jafar Farah, director of advocacy group Mossawa.

"The message of decision is the following: Israel is allowed to kill Arabs and to make mass arrests," said Abeer Baker, a lawyer with advocacy group Adala in Israel, which represented the families of those killed in the 2000 protests.

The court case rekindled painful memories for the families of those killed.

"They are re-opening my wounds," said Raoofa Lawabneh in Sakhnin in northern Israel as she held a poster of her son, Iyad, who was among those killed. "I wish to see his killer in jail before I die," said the 68-year-old mother of eight.

Many Israeli Arabs say they have lost faith in Israeli justice, arguing police were more restrained while dispersing gatherings by Israeli Jews.

"How come in a country that claims democracy, policemen shoot and kill citizens but no charge sheet is made?" asked Mossawa's Farah. "When it comes to Arab citizens, the law-abiding state does not exist."

Zimbabwean man jailed for selling urine cooking oil

Agence France-Presse
HARARE - A Zimbabwean man has been jailed for two years after he sold urine to residents in a mining town claiming it was cooking oil, a state daily reported Thursday.
The Herald newspaper said Piccard Mudzingwa, 28, approached one of the victims at a bus terminus in the southern mining town of Zvishavane selling bottles containing a liquid he said was cooking oil.
The victim discovered she had been duped when she was preparing supper the following day and reported Mudzingwa to the police.
He was arrested when he attempted to repeat the trick on another woman.
Cooking oil is among commodities that are in short supply in Zimbabwe as the country battles an economic crisis with 165,000 percent inflation and 80 percent unemployment.

Dark Knight leads box office for 4th weekend

LOS ANGELES - Batman outwitted a pair of stoners to lead the North American box office for a fourth weekend on Sunday, becoming the third-biggest movie of all time.

The Dark Knight sold about $26.0 million worth of tickets during the three days beginning Friday, taking its haul to $441.5 million after 24 days, said Warner Bros. Pictures.

The superhero sequel now ranks at No. 3 on the all-time list, behind Titanic with $601 million and Star Wars with $461 million.

But adjusted for inflation, the Caped Crusader ranks more modestly at No. 49, according to tracking firm Box Office Mojo. The 1939 epic Gone With the Wind wins by that measure with $1.4 billion in today's dollars.

Warner Bros., a unit of Time Warner Inc, said it expects Dark Knight to surpass Star Wars next weekend and end up with about $520 million.

The last movie to enjoy an unbroken four-week reign at No. 1 was The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King in 2003-2004, according to Box Office Mojo.

Internationally, The Dark Knight has earned $263.1 million, with Britain contributing $69.3 million and Australia $35.6 million.

The drug-fueled caper Pineapple Express, named for a strong brand of marijuana, opened at No. 2 in North America with $22.4 million. It would have been No. 1 had Columbia Pictures not opted to open the picture two days earlier than usual on Wednesday to maximize sales during the school holidays. The film's five-day total stands at $40.5 million.

Seth Rogen and James Franco play a pair of pot aficionados on the run after witnessing a murder.

'Beyond expectations'

Columbia said the opening was beyond expectations given that the budget was a modest $27 million. Not surprisingly, men aged 25 and under made up the bulk of the audience, the Sony Corp unit said.

Another Wednesday opener was the teen-oriented female drama The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, which came in at No. 4 with $10.8 million for the weekend. The five-day haul stands at $19.7 million. The audience was 90 percent female, said Warner Bros., which co-financed the $26.5 million film with FedEx Corp founder Fred Smith's Alcon Entertainment.

Its 2005 predecessor, released before co-stars America Ferrera and Blake Lively won acclaim with their respective TV shows Ugly Betty and Gossip Girl, earned $9.8 million during its first three days, and finished with $39.1 million.

Elsewhere, Universal Pictures' The Mummy: Curse of the Dragon Emperor slipped one place to No. 3 with $16.1 million in its second weekend; its 10-day total rose to $70.7 million. Universal, a unit of General Electric Co, said the Brendan Fraser adventure was the No. 1 movie internationally for a second weekend with $56.1 million from 49 territories; the foreign tally stands at $141 million.

Columbia's comedy Step Brothers fell two to No. 5 in North America with $8.9 million, and now has a $80.9 million after three weekends.

Despite fare hike, transport sector still wants VAT on oil removed

Bus drivers and operators said they are not fully satisfied with the fare hike that will be implemented Friday, saying they still want the government to remove value-added tax on petroleum products instead.
Bus operators patiently waited at the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board Thursday to get their new fare matrices, which will be posted on each bus that ply Metro Manila's roads.
Each fare matrix is customized for each registered bus. It states the fares - regular and discounted - throughout the whole route of the particular bus.
To ensure that the posted fare matrices are authentic, the LTFRB placed a gold seal underneath the signature of LTFRB chair Thompson Lantion.
While they will soon charge higher fares, bus operators and drivers said they are not satisfied with the hike because commuters will be the ones who will shoulder the burden.
They instead turned their ire on the oil companies, whom they said only pass to the drivers the burden of the VAT levied by the government on petroleum products.
They also berated President Arroyo for not budging to repeated calls to remove the controversial consumption tax.
Drivers and operators said the VAT is the transport industry's biggest burden. Because of this, discounts of even a few centavos - which they gave to passengers before - are not feasible anymore, they said.
Starting Friday, minimum fare will be pegged at P10 for ordinary buses, and P12 for airconditioned buses. In addition, for each succeeding kilometer, passengers have to pay P1.95.
On Saturday and Sunday, the board will also release fare matrices for jeepneys. Starting Monday, jeepneys will charge a P8.50 basic fare.
An additional P10 tip will also be levied on taxi passengers starting July 23, and taxis with special stickers issued by the agency are the only ones that can legally charge the tip.
The agency, meanwhile, also reminded commuters to report to the LTFRB drivers and operators who will violate the rules of the new fare hikes. -- Report from Ron Gagalac, ABS-CBN News

Suspected sex workers arrested in Angeles

ANGELES CITY - Four suspected sex workers were arrested over the weekend during anti-vagrancy operations along Fields Avenue as part of a crackdown against the illegal sex trade here.

Police said the women were brought to the police community assistance center 41 and detained following a surprise raid along corner Johnny's and Mcarthur Higwhay Streets last Friday.

Police identified them as Elainie Sanchez Ocampo, 26, of Barangay San Jose; Cynthia Batillo Yanga, 19, of Harian Extension, Barangay Balibago; Ivy Palalon Ricona, 19, of Barangay Aguso, Mabalacat, Pampanga and Leny Velasquez Perez, 23, of Magiliw St., Filipina Subdivision, Barangay Dau, Mabalacat, Pampanga.

Authorities said commercial sex workers frequent a dimly-lit alley parallel to Fields Avenue to pick up customers.