WASHINGTON (AFP) – The global auto industry headed for a major shakeup Thursday as the boss of Fiat prepared to take charge of foundering US manufacturer Chrysler and German icons Porsche and VW moved toward an alliance.

MANILA, Philippines – The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said yesterday that foreign direct investments are expected to drop to only $700 million this year from $1.4 billion in 2008 as investors hold back their plans to invest in the Philippines in the midst of the global economic recession.

Islamic militants justify the move as legitimate on the part of the aggrieved people   COTABATO CITY: The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) hierarchy on Friday issued a statement taking full responsibility for attacks on both military targets and a banana plantation in Tulunan, North Cotabato on Sunday.

Some 49 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have come home after leaving their jobs in a glass factory in Poland over wage and other issues.

The passage of the Reproductive Health bill would boost the Philippines’ fight against poverty, Ambassador Alistair MacDonald of the Delegation of the European Commission in the Philippines said.

Like most people around the world, the Filipinos’ main worry these days was about jobs because of the global economic crisis, the marketing researched firm Nielsen Co. reported Friday.

Amid massive layoffs worldwide due to the global financial crunch, Filipino nurses and other healthcare professionals are still in demand in US hospitals, an immigration consultant said yesterday.

Iceland asked to ease forex policies MANILA, Philippines—The North African country of Libya is poised to be a strong market for skilled overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) this year as it is in need of more than 16,000 migrant workers, Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said over the weekend.

WASHINGTON (AFP) – US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said “it is going to take a while” for the economy to recover from recession while noting “important signs of some stability.”

Reactions to my articles on anti-life, anti-family measures like “reproductive health”, “reproductive rights”, family planning, population control and the use of artificial contraceptives vary from total agreement to conditional support, to critical rejection or indignant disapproval. This is alright. Freedom of expression or free exchange of views, ideas and beliefs is the essence of democracy.…

Oh, to live and diet! The battle with the bulge rages. You’ve tried every diet program on the planet, every fat-zapping procedure and diet pills there are. But so far, the only thing they’ve successfully reduced is your hard-earned money.

For men and women experiencing the most common type of hair loss — androgenetic alopecia, or pattern hair loss — and pondering what, if anything, could be done about it, there’s a mix of encouraging and discouraging news. There’s still no great way to easily restore your hair to its former glory. No drug treatment…

MANILA, Philippines – Controversial party-list Rep. Jovito Palparan of Bantay vowed yesterday to pursue the revival of the Anti-Subversion Law at the House of Representatives as part of his crusade against communist rebels and their front organizations that he claimed are seeking to overthrow the government.

MANILA, Philippines – Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes admitted that tapping nuclear energy as a possible source of power is an option that the Department of Energy (DOE) wants to take.

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – CropLife Philippines has called on the public to know the science behind pesticides and fungicides, belying claims that they are toxic chemicals that have killed people in banana plantations in Mindanao and in other farms.

MANILA, Philippines – President Arroyo yesterday said the P25-million fund she put up for reward to solve political and media killings could help reduce possible election-related violence leading to the national and local elections next year.

The government office that acts as advisory board to the President on matters regarding the advancement of women yesterday expressed its support for the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill, believing that “God would understand” a couple’s family planning choice.

MANILA, Philippines – Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap expects the growth results for the first quarter to be mixed due to the uncertain weather pattern and recent events that are impacting food production.

MANILA, Philippines – The government is eyeing to put in place an extensive credit information system by the end of the year, now that the implementing rules of the Credit Information System Act (CISA) have already been drafted, a ranking official said yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – The government must put in place measures to protect the local steel industry from artificially cheap products dumped into the country.

MANILA, Philippines – The number of displaced workers in the Philippines as a result of the global financial crisis went down in April, indicating that the country is slowly recovering from the difficult economic tide, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) director for policy and planning Dennis Arroyo said yesterday.

The Supreme Court (SC) en banc has “denied with finality” the motion for reconsideration of oil companies seeking a reconsideration of the tribunal’s decision ordering oil firms to move out of the Pandacan Oil Depot.

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) yesterday asked Malacañang to instead use the proposed P25-million informants’ reward for the improvement of the country’s law enforcement, judicial system and witness protection program to end extra-judicial killings.

The Commission on Human Rights said Thursday that it was unsure about efficacy of the P25-million reward fund to counter political killings, even as a Cabinet member argued that money was a good incentive.

Palace creates employment task force President Gloria Arroyo created the Presidential Task Force on Emergency Employment to thwart the effects of the global economic crisis in the country’s economy.

The United Nations’ Office of the High Commission on Human Rights will subject the Philippine government to “a higher level of scrutiny” when it comes to protecting the rights of migrant workers, after the Philippines claimed to be a global “model” among countries sending out workers overseas.

The country is not yet ready to embrace nuclear power. This was the stand made by Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes, when asked if the government was seriously pushing through with nuclear technology for the country’s power requirements.

ADB compares living standards around the world   It would take nearly two centuries for the Philippines to catch up with the living standards of industrialized countries at its current pace of economic growth, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) reported Thursday.

MANILA, Philippines—While he welcomed the job opportunity for the country’s health workers, Nueva Vizcaya Representative Carlos Padilla warned that the conditions set by the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) on the hiring of Filipino nurses and caregivers could only lead to their exploitation.

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine National Police (PNP) plans to offer a P3.235-million bounty for the arrest of 19 suspects in the killing of several militant leaders across the country, a police spokesman said on Thursday.