historicans

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The Philippine Star
Francisco "Django" Bustamante and Dennis Orcollo hope to live up to their lofty tag as the only Filipinos to top the world rankings when they compete in the Elite Professional division of the first Senate President Manny Villar Cup Cebu leg starting Friday at the Trade Hall of SM City in Cebu.
They are also looking at this tournament, presented by Villards: Tulong sa Pagsulong ng Philippine Sports, in partnership with the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines and sponsored by Camella Communities, as part of their buildup to become a world champion.
"Thats my ultimate goal ā€“ to become a world champion," said Bustamante who finished runner-up to American Earl Strickland in the World Pool Championship in 2002, the year he was world No.1.
"But I know that to do that, you have to build some sort of a momentum and that includes winning tournaments like the Villar Cup," added the 43-year-old Tarlac native. "So I will make the most out of this, and hopefully I will win it."
Bustamante will be seeing action in the Villar Cup for the first time, having missed the series first leg last month in Alabang as he competed in the World Pool Masters in Las Vegas.
Orcollo, the current world No.1, also feels his time has come to finally hoist a world title.
"I will use this Villar Cup as a stepping stone in achieving my dream," said the 29-year-old stalwart of the star-studded Bugsy Promotions of businessman Perry Mariano, who trounced four-time Guinness Tour leg winner Chang Jung-lin of Taiwan, 13-5, in a challenge match.
But both Bustamante and Orcollo know that realizing their hopes of winning the Villar Cup would be such a tall order with all of the countrys world-class cue artists plus a horde of up and coming stars vying for the title and the P400,000 top prize.
Besides the two, the other players competing in the event are former world titlists Efren "Bata" Reyes, Ronnie Alcano and Alex Pagulayan, current world No.1 Dennis Orcollo, former worlds top-ranked player Francisco Bustamante, 2007 World Pool runner-up Roberto Gomez, reigning national champion Lee Van Corteza, former Asian Games gold medalist Gandy Valle, and Villar Cup opening leg winner Warren Kiamco, among others.

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Reuters NEW YORK - The visiting Detroit Pistons edged the Orlando Magic 90-89 on Saturday to take a commanding 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semi-final playoff series. Tayshaun Prince scored the go-ahead basket on a running jumper for Detroit with 8.9 seconds left and Hedo Turkoglu missed a desperation layup with time expiring to put the Pistons one victory away from reaching the conference finals. In the other Eastern semi-final, the Cleveland Cavaliers returned home after dropping the first two games in Boston and crushed the Celtics 108-84 to draw within 2-1 in the series. The Cavs stormed to a 32-13 first-quarter lead in handing the Celtics their four straight road defeat in the playoffs. Game Four is in Cleveland on Monday. LeBron James and Delonte West led a balanced Cleveland attack with 21 points each. Kevin Garnett was Boston's top scorer with 17. Richard Hamilton scored 32 points to lead Detroit. Prince scored 17 points and Rasheed Wallace contributed 16 and eight rebounds for the Pistons, whose leading guard Chauncey Billups did not play because of a hamstring injury. Turkoglu led the Magic with 20 points. "A lot of times I thought the guys could've thought it's not our night, but our guys grinded it out," Pistons coach Flip Saunders told reporters. "We got aggressive defensively." Orlando led 27-21 after the first quarter and extended the lead to 55-44 at the intermission. The Pistons trailed by 15 points at 63-48 but powered their way back by going on a 15-0 run and went into the final quarter knotted at 70-70. Part of their success was down to the way they pressured Orlando center Dwight Howard, who did not score a basket after the first quarter. "Every time he got it, our guys were very active," Saunders said. "Every time he put it on the floor, we tried to meet him a little earlier, not give him good post position." Howard was held to eight points on 3-for-12 shooting. Game plan Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy blamed himself for not countering the Pistons' game plan. "Losing the 15-point lead in the third quarter, that kind of stuff happens," Van Gundy said. "My frustration was that we couldn't get stops and rebounds and get out in transition. And I wasn't able to find us stuff to get shots in the half court. "My frustration is with myself," he added. "They turned it into a grind it out, body on body game." Van Gundy said poor defensive rebounding slowed the Magic running game and gave Detroit extra points. "The second-shot possessions killed us," he said. "They had 18 second-chance points." The Pistons can clinch the series with victory in Game Five in Detroit on Tuesday. "It's a bad loss, but it's not devastating," Van Gundy said. "We've got to get it done in Game Five. We've got to go up there with great energy and get it to be our kind of game."

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Reuters
SINGAPORE - Asian governments are over-reacting to surging food prices by resorting to market-distorting export curbs and they should use fiscal measures instead to help the poor, the Asian Development Bank said on Tuesday.
World rice prices have surged, not only because stocks have hit their lowest level in decades, but also because of growing disposable incomes, high fuel prices driving production costs, erratic weather and stagnant yields, said Rajat Nag, ADB's managing director general.
"The era of cheap food is over," Nag told reporters at Singapore's Foreign Correspondents Association. "We want to temper what we think is a bit of an over-reaction. There is still enough supply." The growing unease over rice supplies has reached fever pitch in recent weeks as surging food inflation prompted India and Vietnam to curb exports, hoping to tame prices at home -- while goading them higher abroad.
"Banning of exports is no different from hoarding at a national level," Nag said.
The price of rice from Thailand, the world's number one exporter, has more than doubled this year. The benchmark Thai 100 percent B grade white rice was quoted at a historic high at $950 a ton this week, up from $383 earlier this year.
"We believe the situation in Asia is one marked by very high food prices and not supply shortages," Nag added.
He also said that direct help to the poor was preferable to raising interest rates to tackle the problem of rising prices.
"It is an entitlement issue, the ability to buy. You have got to get support to the poor immediately. We'd rather that be done through direct fiscal stimulus than monetary policy," he said.
The comments from ADB echoed recent statements by the International Monetary Fund and the United Nations, urging countries to ensure more funds in the hands of the poor to buy food, instead of resorting to protectionist trade barriers.
Nag said food prices could ease from current levels because of cyclical factors but would settle at a relatively higher level, compared with levels seen in previous years.

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TORONTO - Canada's Stratford Shakespeare Festival begins its new season this week with themes to do with money, power and jealousy being played out behind the scenes as well as onstage.
The festival, based in the bucolic southwestern Ontario town of Stratford, the namesake of William Shakespeare's birthplace in England, is the largest classical repertory theater in North America based on both budget and attendance.
And while Hamlet, played by Ben Carlson, confronts the ghost of his father in a preview performance of the great Shakespearean tragedy on Wednesday, the festival's general director, Antoni Cimolino, will be confronting a specter of a different sort.
He will be tackling the financial fallout from recession fears, high gas prices, and a weaker U.S. dollar.
Beyond economic anxieties, the theater company is also trying to bounce back from backstage warfare, which provoked the resignation of two of its three artistic directors in March after a power struggle, leaving director Des McAnuff at the creative helm.
Neither McAnuff nor Cimolino would comment on the disarray generated by the backstage dramatics -- apparently over division of work -- that led to the resignations of Marti Maraden and Don Shipley.
"It's now weeks and weeks ago," McAnuff said. "It's time to really focus on the future."
Although Canadian ticket sales for 17 plays to be produced this season are only modestly down from last year, the festival is facing some real challenges in maintaining the previous high level of attendance from U.S. theater-goers, Cimolino said in an interview. About 35 percent of the festival's audience in previous years has come from the United States.
The Canadian dollar appreciated 17.5 percent against the U.S. dollar in 2007 and, combined with a slumping American economy, the previous discount U.S. visitors received when visiting Canada has been erased.
A large portion of ticket sales are from Michigan, Cimolino said. "We find we're down about 12 percent in that state from last year."
In 2007, Americans counted for a large share of total earned revenues of C$40.6 million at the festival.
Americans have played a major role in sustaining the four-theater festival since it began in a tent in 1953 with Alec Guinness performing in Shakespeare's "Richard III" directed by British artistic director Tyrone Guthrie.
"The Americans who come up tend to stay longer and see more shows than our Canadian patrons," Cimolino said.
As part of its effort to keep sales steady, the company is offering deals on select ticket prices, Cimolino said, adding that actors Christopher Plummer, Simon Callow, Brian Dennehy and Stephen Ouimette will be big draws at the box office.
Both Cimolino and McAnuff, who was artistic director of La Jolla Playhouse in California for 20 years, cite a new emphasis on diversity in casting, and continuing to produce, along with modern plays and musicals, Shakespeare and the classics.
"I don't plan to conduct some sort of bloodbath here at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival," McAnuff said. "I think it's a strong institution with a very bright future, but there will certainly be changes in emphasis."

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VATICAN CITY - The Vatican's chief astronomer says there is no conflict between believing in God and in the possibility of intelligent life on other planets that is perhaps even more evolved than humans.
"In my opinion this possibility exists," said Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes, a 45-year-old Jesuit priest who is head of the Vatican Observatory and a scientific adviser to Pope Benedict.
"How can we exclude that life has developed elsewhere," he told the Vatican newspaper in an interview in its Tuesday-Wednesday edition, explaining that the large number of galaxies with their own planets made this possible.
Asked if he was referring to beings similar to humans or even more evolved than humans, he said: "Certainly, in a universe this big you can't exclude this hypothesis".
But, in the interview headlined "The extraterrestrial is my brother," he said he saw no conflict between belief in such beings and faith in God.
"Just as there is a multiplicity of creatures on earth, there can be other beings, even intelligent, created by God. This is not in contrast with our faith because we can't put limits on God's creative freedom," he said.
"Why can't we speak of a 'brother extraterrestrial'? It would still be part of creation," he said.
Funes, who runs the observatory which is based south of Rome and in Arizona, held out the possibility that the human race might actually be the "lost sheep" of the universe.
"There could be who remained in full friendship with their creator," he said.
The Vatican Observatory is one of the world's oldest astronomical institutes. As early as the end of the 1700s, three Vatican-sponsored observatories were studying the stars from Rome, and in 1891 Pope Leo XIII formally established the Vatican Observatory inside the Vatican behind St Peter's dome.
By 1935, Rome's urban sprawl made stargazing difficult, so Pius XI moved the observatory to the summer palace south of Italy's capital. Since 1981, the principal observing site has been the Vatican's research institute in Tucson, Arizona.
Funes, an Argentine, said he believed as an astronomer that the most likely explanation for the start of the universe was "the big bang", the theory that it sprang into existence from dense matter billions of years ago.
But he said this was not in conflict with faith in God as a creator. "God is the creator. There is a sense to creation. We are not children of an accident ...," he said.
"As an astronomer, I continue to believe that God is the creator of the universe and that we are not the product of something casual but children of a good father who has a project of love in mind for us," he said.

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Reuters
SEATTLE - Tens of thousands of people packed a Seattle sports stadium on Saturday to hear the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, call for nonviolence and to make the 21st century a "century of dialogue."
Drums played, American Indian chiefs wearing feathered head-dresses danced and organizers said about 51,000 people -- many of them families -- listened under sunny skies to the Dalai Lama speak about compassion.
Sitting in a red chair under a canopied stage on the stadium field, the robed leader made no reference to recent turmoil in Tibet nor to suggestions that world leaders should boycott the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
The Dalai Lama said on Friday he did not support a boycott of the Beijing Olympics. He has rejected Chinese claims that he orchestrated deadly rioting across Tibet last month over a campaign for independence.
On Saturday, the official Xinhua Chinese news agency reported the arrests of nine Buddhist monks suspected of bombing a government building in Tibet.
Saturday's mass gathering in Seattle was the largest of a five-day community event to promote compassion in every day life organized by the group Seeds of Compassion.
"I don't expect to hear any political message. I am not viewing this as a religious event, but it seems like a unique opportunity," said small business owner Patrick Burningham, 42, who was in the crowd.
A 1,000-person cultural procession of people wearing Chinese, Japanese, African-American, Native American and other national dress kicked off the festivities to an accompaniment of more than 100 drummers.
In his wide-ranging, 45-minute address, the Dalai Lama called for the elimination of nuclear weapons and spoke of the role of women in nurturing compassion. He also discussed the need for nonviolence and said the 21st century should be a "century of dialogue."
Student Derek Albietz, 21, said he had always been interested in the Dalai Lama's views.
"It is my first opportunity to see him in person. I want to hear his thoughts on compassion and science and how to help the world," Albietz said.

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Reuters

WASHINGTON - Barack Obama was on the brink of winning the Democratic presidential nomination on Tuesday, claiming the support of a steady parade of uncommitted delegates and pushing rival Hillary Clinton to the verge of defeat.

At least 20 superdelegates -- party officials free to back any candidate at the August nominating convention -- and 10 delegates pledged to former rival John Edwards announced their support of Obama, who would be the first black presidential nominee of a major US political party.

That put Obama fewer than 15 delegates from the 2,118 he needs to face Republican John McCain in November. He could clinch the honor after polls close in the final two contests in Montana and South Dakota, which have 31 delegates at stake.

Facing defeat, Clinton told a conference call with New York members of Congress that she would be open to becoming Obama's vice presidential running mate.

But her campaign said she did not plan to concede to Obama at a rally in New York later on Tuesday.

"The nomination fight goes on until somebody gets the magic number and that isn't there today and that is not at all what Senator Clinton is going to talk about tonight," Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe told CNN.

Voting ends in South Dakota at 7 p.m. MDT/9 p.m. EDT , and in Montana an hour later, with results expected shortly afterward.

Obama planned a victory celebration to kick off the general election campaign against McCain after the South Dakota and Montana polls close. He will hold it at the St. Paul, Minnesota, hockey arena that will host the Republican convention in September.

His campaign had urged the approximately 150 undecided superdelegates to make their endorsement before the voting ends, so the delegates he wins in the two states could allow him to clinch the Democratic race.

A steady flow of superdelegates made their announcements throughout the day. Former President Jimmy Carter will endorse Obama when the polls close, the Carter Center said.

Rep. Maxine Waters of California switched from Clinton to Obama, saying "now is the time for us to unite so that real change is possible in November."

US Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, third-ranking Democrat in the US House of Representatives and the top-ranking black member of Congress, formally announced his support for Obama and urged other superdelegates to announce their decisions so Obama could wrap things up by day's end.

'Process draws to a close'

"Today the primary process draws to a close," Clyburn said. "I believe the time has come for all unpledged delegates to make their choices known."

A group of 17 uncommitted Senate Democrats met to discuss the timing of a potential endorsement of Obama. They will meet again on Wednesday but are not expected to make their announcements by Tuesday night, a Senate aide said.

"Senator Clinton needs to be left alone. Let's get through the primary process and let this week work it's course," Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid told reporters.

Clinton and her campaign have sent mixed signals over the last two days about how long she would stay in a presidential race that she began as a heavy favorite but now has little chance of winning.

During the conference call on Tuesday, she was asked about running as the No. 2 to Obama. "I am open to it," she replied, according to a party aide.

Her campaign backed away, saying she was asked if she was open to the idea of being vice president and "repeated what she has said before: she would do whatever she could to ensure that Democrats take the White House back and defeat John McCain."

Campaigning in South Dakota on Monday, Clinton said the end of the voting marked "the beginning of a new phase of the campaign" in which she will seek to convince superdelegates she would be the strongest candidate against McCain in November.

With no more campaign trips to plan, workers who handle Clinton's advance travel arrangements have been told to go to New York or head home until further notice, aides said.

Both Obama and Clinton will speak to a pro-Israel lobbying group in Washington on Wednesday, and Obama said he expected to be talking to Clinton again soon.

He said he told her in a phone conversation on Sunday that "once the dust settled I was looking forward to meeting with her at a time and place of her choosing."

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By Carmela Fonbuena /Newsbreak

On May 5, Senate President Manuel Villar received a letter from Iloilo Rep. Raul Gonzalez Jr. expressing apprehension that certain bills approved by the House of Representatives may not be passed into law because of Senator Antonio Trillaness IVs inability to report to work.

"Frankly, Im quite apprehensive for the fate of the said bills particularly because my Senate counterpart, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, is reputed to be unable to attend hearings on account of his continued detention for rebellion charges," Gonzalez wrote Villar.

Trillanes and Gonzalez are chairs of their respective legislative chambers committees deliberating on laws that will improve and regulate the government bureaucracy. The House committee on civil service and professional regulation has transmitted two approved bills to the Senate. The Senate committee on civil service and government reorganization has not approved a single bill.

"We did our part," Gonzalez told /Newsbreak. He said that the letters intent is to push the Senate to do its part.

On the first working day this year, January 2, Trillaness committee received the approved version of House Bill 3274, which seeks to amend the Customs Brokers Act of 2004 to cut corruption in the Bureau of Customs. This bill was identified by the Legislative and Executive Development Advisory Council as a priority bill.

On March 12, the House transmitted HB 3514, the Real Estate Service Act , which seeks to correct the market values of real estate properties in the Philippines .
According to Ching Agcaoile of the Department of Finances chief of local treasury operations, the RESA bills approval in the House improved DOFs rating in the World Bank and the Australian Agency for International Development . Its passage into law will boost the confidence in the land market and, as a result, will invite more investors to the country, Agcaoile said.

"Considering the immense importance of the said bills to the concerned professionals and our public servants, I turn to you for help in shepherding the said pieces of legislation in the Senate," Gonzalez said in his letter to Villar.

Agcaoile, who is helping the Senates technical working group study the bill, is also concerned that the RESA bill will be "derailed" because of the situation in the Senate. The DOF helped the House in passing the bill.

Legardas neglect?
Trillanes, with the support of several senators, had asked the courts to allow him to leave his detention cell in Fort Boninfacio to be able to perform his functions as Senator. He was turned down. He also asked the courts to allow him to invite his staff and politicians to his detention cell so he can work. He was again turned down.
Because of the situation, the Senate Minority had appointed Senator Loren Legarda as acting chairman of the committee. Trillaness staff performed the secretariat functions. But no bill was passed under Legardas watch.

Legarda also chairs two other committees in the Senateā€”the committee on economic affairs and the committee on social justice, welfare and rural development. These two committees have passed at least one bill each.
The Magna Carta for Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enteprisesā€”which seeks to provide incentives to small scale entrepreneursā€” was already ratified by Congress. It is only waiting for the Presidents signature for it to become a law. Senate Bill 2092ā€”the Barangay Livelihood Skills Training Actā€”was also approved by the Senate committee on social justice, welfare, and rural development. The House is still deliberating on its version of the bill.

Lacson takes over
Unknown to Gonzalez, the Senate Minority on April 29 has appointed Senator Panfilo Lacson as Legardas replacement. It was a week before Gonzalez sent Villar the letter. Lacson, who is not heading any committee in the Senate, is the chairman of Trillaness committee in the 13th Congress.
When /Newsbreak told Gonzalez about Lacsons new appointment, Gonzalez said that it doesnt matter who will chair the committee. "Im hoping that the Senate President will be able to talk to the chair of the committee so that important pieces of legislation will receive the proper attention," Gonzalez said.

"Weve already consumed the first year of the 14th Congress. In two years, we will have the 2010 presidential elections. Once the campaign fever sets in, a lot of business will be sidelined."

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Reuters

VIENNA - Turkey flirted with unlikely glory but in the end it was Germany, as usual, who battled into another major final with a thrilling last-gasp 3-2 victory in Basel on Wednesday at Euro 2008.

Germany started as hot favorites against a Turkish side depleted by suspensions and injuries but mostly looked second best in the most exciting match of the tournament so far.

In the end, after a game which had every twist and turn imaginable, Germany grabbed a last-minute winner through fullback Philipp Lahm after Turkey looked to have forced the match into extra time with a late goal themselves.

Some of the thrills were lost on television audiences as a storm in Vienna cut the signal from the tournament's International Broadcasting Centre in the Austrian capital, blacking out screens during and at the end of the second half.

In Vienna, where Thursday's second semi-final between Russia and Spain will be played at the Ernst Happel stadium, thousands of fans were evacuated from public viewing areas because of the storm.

Germany, who had also won their quarter-final 3-2 versus Portugal, said they would not be complacent against the Turkish underdogs but showed every sign of falling right into that trap.

The Turks dominated the early play and took a well-deserved lead in the 22nd minute after Kazim Kazim had struck the bar for the second time.

This time Ugur Boral was on hand to turn in the rebound with German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann haplessly scrambling to clear with first his leg then his hand.

Germany leveled against the run of play just four minutes later with one of the best goals of the tournament, Bastian Schweinsteiger neatly flicking home a Lukas Podolski cross.

Real drama

But the real drama was reserved for the closing minutes.

Germany seemed to have scored the winner in the 79th when Turkish keeper Rustu Recber rashly came out of his goal and failed to deal with a cross, leaving Miroslav Klose to head into an empty net.

But the plucky Turks were not done yet. Semih Senturk, scorer of the sensational last-minute equalizer against Croatia in the quarter-final, netted again four minutes from time with a close range effort.

The match was heading for extra time when Lahm popped up in the Turkish box and smashed the ball home to the huge relief of his team.

"It was one of most beautiful moments in my life, getting into the final," he said. "We missed that at the World Cup. Today it worked out."

Turkey, who had 20 shots to Germany's nine, at times had observers wondering whether they were not going to repeat Greece's unlikely triumph at Euro 2004 in Portugal.

Russia, another outsider who have done better than many expected, prepared for their clash with Spain by focusing on the match and ignoring transfer rumors surrounding their players.

Their Dutch coach Guus Hiddink said his players, almost all with Russian clubs, were keeping their feet on the ground.

"Maybe they get calls that I don't want but I can't control that," he said. "But...they are very stable and they love to play football. It doesn't distract them."

Spain did have a distraction with Turkish club Fenerbahce announcing they had reached agreement with their national team coach Luis Aragones to take over in Istanbul next season.

But Aragones said he was bewildered by the announcement made earlier in the day and that he had signed nothing.

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Having couples agree on the look and style of a room can be an impossible task. But now, there is a program designed to specifically help these types of couples who are in dire need of a room makeover - Lifestyle Networks "Get it Together". There are hundreds of different factors to consider when designing a room ā€“ color, accessories, furniture and a whole lot more. Most of the time, it seems like a never-ending task and just a waste of time to even conceptualize what a room would look like. With the ingenuity, creativity and help of designer Chayse Dacoda, these couples now have a solution to their problems. Chayse Dacoda, a known and talented designer from the US, has found an easy way to get to the heart of the matter on "Get It Together". Chayse lets the couple take the "Design Taste Test" to know the similarities and differences of each individual. After reviewing the couple's answers, he comes up with a plan based on their personal tastes. By uniting the couples similarities and differences in terms of designing, the result of the room is simply fabulous and stunning. See more of Chayse Dacodas room makeover miracles and masterpieces in "Get it Together" which premieres on May 20 at 4:30 pm only on the Lifestyle Network.

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Reuters

The Philippines said on Wednesday it has deferred the sale of two geothermal power plants by about three weeks to give interested buyers more time to complete bidding requirements.

The sale of the 289 megawatt Tiwi Plant in Albay province, and the 458.5 MW Makban in Laguna and Batangas, all on the main island of Luzon, was moved to June 27 from June 4.

"We decided to extend the bid submission deadline for the Tiwi-Makban geothermal complex to heed the request of the nine prospective bidders for more time to complete their deliverables, including conducting their due diligence," the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Managament Corp said in a statement.

PSALM, which is tasked to oversee the sale of the government's power assets, said it expects a successful auction after power supply contracts were attached to the sale of the plants.

The government has been guaranteeing supply contracts for plants it wants to sell to assure potential buyers of a ready income stream.

Philippine geothermal firm PNOC-Energy Development Corp, which was bought by local power producer First Gen last year, is among the interested bidders.

The Philippines has 22 active volcanoes and is the world's second largest producer of geothermal energy after the United States, as it sits on the seismically active Ring of Fire that also includes Indonesia.

Geothermal power accounts for 18 percent of the Philippines' energy mix.

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The Adamson Falcons clipped the Ateneo Eagles, 25-7, 25-14, 23-25, 25-22, to win Game 1 of their best-of-three series for the Shakeyā€˜s V-League Season 5 crown Tuesday at The Arena in San Juan.
A report posted on SportsNews.ph said Adamson drew a masterful performance from Neriza Bautista who ripped Ateneos net defense with 30 hits.
Lady Falcon Rissa Laguilles added 16 attacks, pushing Adamson closer to winning the title.
Adamsons Angela Benting and Jill Gustillo also kept their defense on check as they held Ateneos Thai import Em-orn Phanusit down to seven points, in contrast to her 25 point-scoring spree in their semis meeting last May 20.
The Falcons will be going for the kill on Friday.
San Sebastian beat Lyceum, 25-17, 27-25, 25-23, in the first game to take a similar 1-0 lead in their own best-of-three series for third place. With a report from SportsNews.ph

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Al Jazeera
WASHINGTON ā€“ The United States' senior military officer has said he will probably recommend withdrawing more US troops from Iraq if security there improves.
The statement by Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, came as the last of the 20,000 soldiers from the so-called surge last year officially ended their tour.
Mullen's comments also came as Iraqi forces took over security control of Diwaniyah province from US troops. Diwaniyah is the 10th of Iraq's 18 provinces to fall under the control of Iraqi forces.
Officials said the remaining eight provinces could be under Iraqi control by December.
US officials say the level of violence across the country is down to a four-year low based on reports of US and Iraqi military deaths, attacks on Iraqi civilians and sectarian violence.
'Unquestionably better'
Mullen said more progress had been made in Iraq than he expected, although he said it had not reached "a tipping point" and was not "irreversible".
"But security is unquestionably and remarkably better," he said following a recent visit to Iraq.
"Indeed, if these trends continue I expect to be able early this fall to recommend to the secretary and the president further troop reductions."
Violence continued in Iraq on Wednesday, however, with a car bombing at a popular market in the country's north, police said, killing at least 15 people, including seven children.
Nearly 100 people were injured in the explosion near the town of Tal Afar, 420km northwest of Baghdad, police said.
The attack came a day after bombings killed about 40 people and wounded scores in northern Iraq.
Assessment period
The end of the so-called surge of US troops also marks the start of a 45-day evaluation period to assess the security situation in Iraq and determine how many more soldiers could be pulled out.
In recent months US military commanders have pointed to significant improvements in Iraq, including reduced violence and the growing capacity of Iraqi forces.
US officials have been hoping that if security improves, they may be able to send more units to Afghanistan, where they say violence is increasing.
Robert Gates, the US defense secretary, said on Wednesday that officials are looking for ways to send additional troops to Afghanistan this year.
There are at least 140,000 US soldiers in Iraq, about 10 per cent or several thousand more than before the "surge" in late 2007.

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By QUEENIE CASIMIRO
ABS-CBN Zamboanga Zamboanga City police on Wednesday sought to bely criticisms that they are sleeping on their jobs, especially after a recent spate of shooting incidents and the recovery of improvised explosive devices in the city.
Senior Superintendent Lurimer Detran, Zamboanga police chief, explained that as much as they work to increase police visibility in the city, they could only do as much since they still do not have enough number of policemen to guard every corner of the city.
On Tuesday night in Barangay Canelar, a restaurant employee was shot dead after she refused to hand over to a robber the bag of money collected from the restaurant's outlets.
Initial police investigation results showed that Nenita Balumaga was on board the restaurant-owned multicab, with a driver and another companion, when an armed suspect approached them at an intersection and declared a hold-up.
Balumaga, who was in charge of the collection, reportedly refused to give the bag of money to the suspect which prompted the suspect to shoot her.
Balumaga suffered a gunshot wound in the neck.
The gunman left the area on foot while two men onboard a motorcycle, believed to be the gunman's companions, picked up the money from the multicab.
A local shipping company owner on July 3 meanwhile was shot dead while driving home with his wife.
Sixty-nine year old Faustino Saavedra suffered multiple gunshot wounds that caused his instantaneous death. His wife was left unharmed.
The police released on Monday the artist's sketch of the suspect who has yet to be identified.
The City Peace and Order Council meanwhile has recommended that a P100,000 reward be offered for any information that will lead to the arrest of the perpetrators.
Since May this year, about five high-profile crimes, including the kidnapping of a businessman, have been recorded in Zamboanga City.
The victim, Inocente Bautista, was released after his family reportedly paid P10 million ransom to the kidnappers.
As of posting time, not one of the suspects in the recent crimes have been arrested.

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Agence France-Presse
BEIJING - Six-nation talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear activities were to resume in Beijing on Thursday amid cautious optimism they would move a step closer to securing complete disarmament.
The talks have not been held for nine months amid delays in securing from the reclusive North Korean regime a declaration of its nuclear activities, as agreed in a landmark six-nation accord reached last year.
But the North, which conducted an atomic test in 2006, last month finally delivered the declaration, clearing the way for progress in the negotiations between China, the United States, Russia, the two Koreas and Japan.
US nuclear envoy Christopher Hill said after arriving in Beijing for the talks they would focus on how to verify the communist state's declaration, including working out site visits and interviews.
"I don't think there will be any surprises, but it's never over until it's over the six-party process, so let's see how we do," Hill told reporters on Tuesday night after meeting his North Korean counterpart ahead of the talks.
"Verification will probably take longer than just a few days -- it will be weeks, and maybe months."
Hill, as well as nuclear envoys from the two Koreas and China, were busy Wednesday holding bilateral meetings in a bid to save time when the official talks get underway, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.
The talks began in 2003 with the aim of convincing Kim Jong-Il's regime to abandon the nuclear weapons it had spent decades developing, but they have suffered countless setbacks and delays.
China, host of the talks, on Tuesday expressed confidence that further progress would be made this week.
"We are looking forward to the positive achievements of this meeting of the heads of delegations, so as to promote the ushering in of a new stage of the six-party talks process," foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said.
Under the current second phase of the disarmament deal, the North had to disable its plutonium-producing Yongbyon facility and document its nuclear activities.
After it handed over its declaration, North Korea also blew up the cooling tower at Yongbyon, in a dramatic gesture intended to demonstrate its commitment to disarmament.
In response, the United States has eased some trade sanctions and moved towards taking the North off its list of state sponsors of terrorism -- as stipulated under the second phase.
US President George W. Bush softened his hardline stance against North Korea following the 2006 atomic test, and US incentives since offered to Pyongyang for disarming have been a key reason for the recent progress.
The third and final phase of the disarmament deal calls for the North to permanently dismantle its atomic plants and hand over all nuclear material and weaponry.
In return the North would secure diplomatic ties with the United States and Japan, as well as a range of other economic and political rewards.
Hill said he hoped the talks -- due to begin at 4:00 pm Thursday and tentatively scheduled to last three days -- would also touch on how to address this crucial and final phase.

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The Department of Touristm said international visitor arrivals grew 11.7 percent to 276,809 in February this year from 247,731 arrivals recorded a year ago.
This puts the total arrivals in the first two months of the year at 570,612, up by 9.7 percent from 520,256 visitors registered during the same period in 2007.
The average occupancy rate of hotels in Metro Manila improved to 78.6 percent in February from 73.4 percent the month before, the DoT said.
However, the February figure was slightly down from 79.1 percent during the same month last year, due to the completion of more rooms this year.
The number of hotels monitored by the DoT rose to 81 this year from 76 last year. Their combined number of rooms also increased 3.3 percent to 14,334 as of February from just 13,875 a year ago.
Of the total number of rooms, about 6,315 are located along the Roxas Boulevard and the Manila Bay area while 6,282 are in the commercial business districts of Makati, Pasig and Mandaluyong.
Another 924 rooms are in the Quezon City area; 420 rooms are in Alabang, Muntinlupa City; and the rest of 393 rooms are located near the airport in Pasay City.
The average occupancy rate among the 18 deluxe hotels was almost the same at 80.80 percent in February from 80.5 percent a year earlier.
Similarly, the average length of stay of guests at de luxe hotels rose 3.13 percent to 2.64 nights in February this year from 2.56 nights during the same month last year.
Meanwhile, the average occupancy rate at first class hotels eased to 78.6 percent in February from 80.7 percent a year ago. However, the average length of stay at these hotels improved to 2.81 nights from 1.96 nights.

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Police continued their investigation Monday into the death of a high school student who died after falling from the 6th floor of a hotel in Pasay City over the weekend. The victim was identified as 17-year-old Ambrosio Gregorio Robles of De La Salle-Zobel in Alabang, Muntilupa City. ABS-CBN News correspondent Maan Macapagal reported that Robles and five other classmates checked in at Room 653 of the Hotel Sofitel in Pasay after their graduation ball last Friday. The hotels roving security guards said they heard a loud thud before discovering Robless body near the swimming pool past 3 a.m. Saturday. "Around 3:42 a.m., guards heard a thud near the swimming pool and they saw a body sprawled," said Superintendent Marieto Valerio, chief of the Pasay police. Hotel management immediately brought Robles to the San Juan de Dios hospital. Police disclosed that Robless classmates were sleeping when the incident happened. During ocular inspection, probers found beer bottles inside the hotel room and noticed that iron railings protected the balcony. "If he was dizzy, he wouldn't fall off because the railings were designed to prevent guests from falling off. You'd have to climb over it to fall," police said. In his personal Web site, friends described Robles as a former president of the Youth for Christ-Zobel chapter. One of his classmates recounted that Robles seemed happy and contented on the night of their graduation ball. Investigators urged the victims other classmates to coordinate with them to resolve the case. "Other students do not want to talk but we believe they know what happened and that's what we're going to find out," police added.

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A thin column from the sky was seen in the coastal area of Bolinao, Pangasinan Saturday afternoon that lasted for almost 10 minutes,
Residents and fisherfolk here witnessed the actual formation of a twister or tornado above the water as it swirled the water from the sea up to the clouds,
There was no reported casualty during the incident for there were no fisherfolk on the coast.
Robert Caluya was almost on his way to fish when the twister appeared.
He said natural phenomenon such as this threatens him every time he goes off shore.
Caluya even recalled an incident three years ago when his boat was almost taken by a strong tornado. This however did not stop him from fishing which is a major livelihood of most residents living along the shoreline.
For most people however who witnessed the recent incident, the twister is quite a sight to behold.

The countrys weather agency, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services said twisters are usual scenarios to most areas in Pangasinan. These occur due to cloud formations and wind directions.

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Manny Pacquiao kept David Diaz at bay with jabs followed by strong right hooks in round 5.

Diaz, however, tried attacking Pacquiao with several hooks to the body. The Filipino shrugged the attacks, even raising his hands.
Pacquiao battered the Mexican-American's bloodied right eye and often attacked the body.
Diaz missed an upper cut as he struggled to go after Pacquiao.
Blood continued to gush from Diaz's right eye.
Pacquiao ruled Round 5.

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Agence France Presse CLIFTON, New Jersey - World number one Lorena Ochoa of Mexico won her sixth title of the year here Sunday, firing a one-under par 71 to capture the LPGA Sybase Classic for the third year in a row. Two weeks after her four-event LPGA win streak was snapped, Ochoa captured the 300,000-dollar top prize at the two million-dollar tournament with a 54-hole total of 10-under par 206, one stroke ahead of five rivals. The tournament was shortened to three rounds after heavy rain swamped the course Friday, prompting officials to throw out the few scores that had been posted and start the second round anew on Saturday. South Korea's Na Yeon Choi, Britain's Catriona Matthew, Sweden's Sophie Gustafson and Americans Brittany Lang and Morgan Pressel shared second on 207. Despite her sparkling record this season, Ochoa had struggled in her previous two events, finishing fifth at the SemGroup Championship and tied for 12th at last weekend's Michelob Ultra Open. "It feels so good to have defended my title," said Ochoa. "It was getting tight at the end, and I knew a lot of players were making birdies. But it was great to hang on." Ochoa, who seized the lead on Saturday, fended off late charges by Pressel and Matthew, Pressel firing a final-round 66 and Matthew a 67. "I think as professionals we are here to feel ," Ochoa said. "Just to get excitement and get the feel of trying to win a tournament, being close, on the lead - but so many players were behind me. "I think there were like five or six players just right there at 8- and 9-under, so it was a difficult situation. I love the feeling of adrenaline and just trying to be good and be smart and win at the end." Ochoa birdied the second and fifth but gave a stroke back at nine. She added another birdie at the par-five 11th but dropped a shot at 17. Pressel nabbed six birdies without a bogey. "Today, a 66 was about the worst that I could have shot, which is pretty scary because I really hit the ball the best that I could have," she said. "I think I had two holes where I didn't have a birdie opportunity." Sweden's second-ranked Annika Sorenstam, who on Tuesday announced she would retire at the end of the season, fired a 71 Sunday to share 11th on 211.