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A raging fire in a Philippines shopping mall on Sunday likely claimed the lives of 37 people, according to officials who said that they've recovered one body and there was "zero" chances of survival for the other 36 who were trapped inside the four-story building in southern Davao city. Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said firefighters told distraught relatives of the 36 trapped employees of a business outsourcing company at the top floor of the NCCC Mall that nobody could survive the extreme heat and thick black smoke. "They were told that the chances of survival are zero," she said, adding that...

Philippine volcano 'set to erupt' Mayon is the most active volcano in the Philippines The Philippine authorities have ordered the evacuation of about 35,000 people living near a volcano, saying an eruption could take place soon. The alert was raised to four - the second highest level - following increased activity at Mount Mayon, in the centre of the country. It has been rumbling since February and started emitting lava in mid-July. Mayon is the most active volcano in the Philippines, having erupted about 50 times in the past 400 years. People living in the region watched with alarm early...

Rebel Philippine troops end mutiny Rebel leaders agreed to give up after hours of negotiations Renegade Philippine troops have agreed to end their mutiny in Manila and return to barracks, the government says. President Gloria Arroyo went on television to announce that "the crisis in Makati is over - 296 soldiers, including 70 officers, are standing down and returning to barracks". The rebel soldiers had stormed a prestigious shopping complex in Manila early on Sunday, demanding the resignation of Mrs Arroyo, whom they accused of corruption. The breakthrough came after several hours of negotiations between the rebels and senior government...

Thursday, February 13, 2003   Gov’t asks Iraqi envoy with Abu links to leave By Jowie F. Corpuz, CorrespondentThe Philippines yesterday gave Husham Z. Hussein, the Iraqi embassy’s second secretary whom the Department of Foreign Affairs accuses of having links with the Abu Sayyaf and the communist National Democratic Front, 48 hours to leave the country. The DFA summoned the Iraqi embassy’s charge d’ affaires to inform him and his government — through a note verbale — that Hussein has ceased to enjoy the rights and privileges of a diplomat in the Philippines. “I summoned Charge d’ Affaires Samir Bolus...

Philippine Gunmen Said Willing to Free U.S. Hostage Tue May 14, 2:29 AM ET ZAMBOANGA, Philippines (Reuters) - The Philippine military said on Tuesday Muslim guerrillas might release a U.S. woman missionary who has been held hostage for almost a year because her health was deteriorating. "This is a raw information subject to verification," southern military command spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Danilo Servando told reporters. "Perhaps, the Abu Sayyaf is considering this for humanitarian reasons." Manila newspapers, quoting an unidentified emissary in touch with the guerrillas, said Abu Sayyaf guerrillas were considering releasing Gracia Burnham because her health was deteriorating because of...

24 Apr 2002 03:45 GENERAL SANTOS, Philippines, April 24 (Reuters) - Police on Wednesday arrested three more Muslim suspects for lethal bombings in a southern Philippine city and said they were investigating the group's possible links to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network. The three were arrested in pre-dawn raids on their hideout in General Santos city, where police seized about four kg (nine pounds) of bomb-making materials, regional police chief Colonel Bartolome Baluyot said. "We are looking into the possibility that they might have a connection with groups like al Qaeda," Baluyot told Reuters, referring to bin Laden's network which the United...