Web giants get broader surveillance revelations

SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook and Microsoft Corp. representatives said that after negotiations with national security officials their companies have been given permission to make new but still very limited revelations about government orders to turn over user data.

The announcements Friday night come at the end of a week when Facebook, Microsoft and Google, normally rivals, had jointly pressured the Obama administration to loosen their legal gag on national security orders.

901 architecture graduates pass board exams

MANILA -– Out of 1,767 architecture graduates, 901 passed the Architecture Licensure Exam taken on June 7 and 9 in Manila, official reports showed Saturday.

The Professional Regulation Commission said Kenneth Yap Hubiera, a graduate of Ateneo de Davao University, topped the exam, scoring 86 percent in the exam.

Marina warns of revoking franchise of Roro operator

MANILA (Updated, 6:18 p.m.) -- The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) warned Saturday that it could revoke the franchise of the operator of ill-fated vessel that sank off the waters of Burias Island in Masbate on Friday leaving two passengers dead.

Marina Administrator Maximo Mejia Jr. said that he will not hesitate to recommend to the Marina Board the revocation of the franchise or the Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) of the Medallion Transport, owner of M/V Lady of Carmel, if it was found negligent.

Palace: BIR chief is not 'dictatorial'

BUREAU of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Kim Henares was not being dictatorial, Malacanang said Saturday.

In an interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said that Henares was just implementing reforms in the agency to improve tax collections.

Gov’t vows to continue efforts to improve peace

THE Aquino administration vowed Saturday to continue to work hard to address peace and security concerns after the Philippines was ranked as one among the least peaceful countries in the world and in Asia Pacific.

In an interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte, however, welcomed the slight improvement of the country's global peace rating.

Palace: Deles wants permanent end to peace talks

MALACANANG defended Saturday Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles on the accusation of the National Democratic Front (NDF) that she was sabotaging the peace talks.

In an interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said that Deles has been working hard to find a peaceful resolution in the more than four decades communist insurgency.

Search continues for 4 missing after Masbate sinking

MANILA (Updated 4:44 p.m.) -- Rescue workers continued on Saturday the search for four missing persons after a roll-on and roll-off vessel capsized off Masbate on Friday.

The incident involving a vessel of M/V Lady of Carmel of Medallion Shipping Lines killed two passengers while 58 others were rescued.

Google launches Internet-beaming balloons

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — Wrinkled and skinny at first, the translucent, jellyfish-shaped balloons that Google released this week from a frozen field in the heart of New Zealand's South Island hardened into shiny pumpkins as they rose into the blue winter skies above Lake Tekapo, passing the first big test of a lofty goal to get the entire planet online.

Facebook now can say more on US user surveillance

MENLO PARK, California (Updated)— Facebook's top attorney said that after negotiations with US security officials the company has permission to make new, but still very limited, revelations about thousands of government orders to turn over user data.

Ted Ullyot, the company's general counsel, said in a statement Friday that Facebook is only allowed to talk about total numbers and must give no specifics. But he said the company was lobbying to reveal more.

LPA to bring heavy rains in Mindanao

MANILA -- The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) warned on Saturday of possible flashfloods and landslides in Mindanao as the low pressure area (LPA) near Davao City is expected to dump moderate to heavy rains over the region.

In an interview, weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio said that as of 4:00 a.m. Saturday, the LPA was spotted at 345 kilometers (km) east of Davao City embedded along the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).