With tears in their eyes, Vilma Balatbat, 39, and her husband tightly embraced each other, knowing it would be some time before they would be together again.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) warned yesterday that it will not issue a certificate of franchise to public transport operators who are not registered with the Social Security System (SSS).

A total of 59 Filipino workers are facing death penalty in various countries, a Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) official said yesterday.

In light of the latest report of United Nations Special Rapporteur Philip Alston on the state of human rights in the Philippines, a lawmaker yesterday called on President Arroyo to immediately dismantle the Inter-Agency Legal Action Group (IALAG) and for her government to “drop all trumped-up charges” it slapped against local activists.

Several more Third Force type movements have emerged. So far nameless, a movement led by Independent Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, actress Sharon Cuneta, Akbayan Rep. Riza Hontiveros Baraquel, Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo and former Bukidnon Rep. Nereus Acosta has surfaced. It looks pretty much like a Liberal Party faction as Pangilinan, Robredo and Nereus Acosta…

The country’s biggest trade group urged both local courts to reconsider their decision ordering the Commission on Audit (CoA) to open the financial books of the three biggest oil companies amid allegations of price fixing.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) – A Saudi judge told a conference on domestic violence that a man has the right to slap his wife if she spends lavishly on such things as clothing, a Saudi newspaper reported, drawing criticism from rights activists in the conservative kingdom.

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The global financial crisis is taking an increasing toll on Asia’s corporate sector with the region’s economies now among the world’s hardest hit, a senior IMF official warned Tuesday.

MANILA, Philippines—An alliance of Filipino worker groups in the Middle East Monday called on the government to come to the aid of a Filipino woman who had complained that she was raped by her employer’s son but who ended up being jailed for adultery in the United Arab Emirates.

MANILA, Philippines–The level of software piracy in the Philippines remains at 69 percent in 2008 but revenue losses increased to $202 million, according to a recent global report by the Business Software Alliance (BSA).

Brussels (ITUC OnLine): The ITUC has welcomed a new ILO Global Report on forced labour worldwide, which will be submitted to the ILO’s annual International Labour Conference in Geneva in June.

London – Being obese can take years off your life and in some cases maybe as dangerous as smoking, a new study says.

MANILA, Philippines–Several years after being mandated to set up websites, some government offices have yet to allow public to do transactions online, a National Computer Center (NCC) report showed.

BERLIN–The global economy has already passed the worst of the economic crisis and should soon pull out of its slump, led by Asia and China in particular, Hungarian-born US billionaire George Soros said on Monday.

MANILA, Philippines—The semiconductor industry may be on its way to recovery, as capacity utilization of manufacturing plants worldwide have started to pick up this quarter.

Private sector economists expect price increases to slow this year but noted upside risks to inflation, particularly from the peso’s depreciation and a possible recovery of major economies, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said.

FILIPINO consumers have brushed off the impact of the global financial crisis as spending remained resilient in the first quarter of the year, powering the earnings of consumer businesses.

TEN-YEAR-OLD Julian Carlo Miguel “Amiel” Alcantara, a Grade 4 student, died of severe head injuries on February 24 after being run over by a Toyota Hi-Ace in the parking lot of Ateneo Grade School in Quezon City.

MANILA, Philippines – Economists have lowered their projected average inflation rate for this year from 4.5 percent to four percent, falling within the government’s official target inflation of 3.5 to 5.5 percent.

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga, Philippines — Texas Instruments (TI) has announced that its new assembly and test facility is now fully operational here and is “ramping production with the latest packaging technologies.”  

MANILA, Philippines – “The country’s brisk tourism activity will secure the future of some three million Filipinos employed in this industry and even increase their number significantly to help tide the nation over the lingering global economic storm.”

MANILA, Philippines – As admitted by Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap, agricultural output for the first quarter is showing mixed results with preliminary data gathered by The STAR indicating that while the fisheries sector managed to post a growth of four percent from January to March this year, corn production has posted a negative 2.56…

MANILA, Philippines – The Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) is urging for   the country’s voluntary compliance with the Kyoto Protocol.

MANILA, Philippines – The PCs are hanging on marginally better than other products as the global recession mercilessly tears into every industry, including the hi-tech sector.

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines may need to spend about $1 billion should it decide to operate a nuclear power facility, an energy official said.

What you don’t know won’t hurt you” is an adage that we’ve all grown up and old with. Not many have challenged this counsel. Is one truly better off in idyllic ignorance, whether on purpose or unintentionally? Conversely, is peace of mind a lost cause for those who are aware, awake and well- informed?

MANILA, Philippines – The operation of the mothballed $2.3-billion Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) will substantially bring down the cost of electricity, Pangasinan Rep. Mark Cojuangco said over the weekend.

MANILA, Philippines – A total of 273 Filipina nurses and caregivers left yesterday for Japan as part of an agreement between the Japanese government and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

MANILA, Philippines – Activists from various organizations called on foreign donors yesterday to stop giving military assistance to the Philippines in the wake of the findings of the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Extra judicial Killings that President Arroyo failed to make “substantial progress” to stop unexplained killings in the country.

MANILA, Philippines – Fewer Filipino workers are now getting hired abroad contrary to the government’s claim, the recruitment industry said yesterday.