LPA now tropical depression ‘Fabian’

MANILA (Updated, 1:36 p.m.) - The low pressure area (LPA) spotted west of Batangas has developed into a Tropical Depression named "Fabian," the sixth cyclone to enter the Philippines this year, while Tropical Storm "Emong" continues to move away from the country, a weather forecaster said Thursday.

Weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio earlier said that Emong maintained its strength, but was out of the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) around 2 a.m. Thursday.

Immigration officers on the lookout for suspects in fiscal slay

JUSTICE Secretary Leila de Lima ordered the Bureau of Immigration on Wednesday to monitor the movement of a former Batangas mayor and three others who are allegedly involved in the killing of a prosecutor last week.

Listed on the lookout bulletin were former Sta. Teresita mayor Anna Marie Mendoza, her husband Hermogenes Mendoza, a certain Richard Briones and Jayson Espejo Guerrero, who is now facing a murder complaint before a court in Lemery, Batangas.

Museum, schools to get seized elephant tusks

THIRTY pieces of confiscated elephant tusks will be turned over by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to three government agencies for research and education purposes.

Recipients of the tusks are the National Museum, Commission on Higher Education and Department of Education, said Director Theresa Mundita Lim of the DENR-attached Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB).

SC backs Sereno order against money ban

CHIEF Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno's order stopping the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from limiting cash possession to prevent vote buying ahead of the May 13 polls was recently affirmed by the Supreme Court.

In a two-page resolution dated June 4, the SC sided with the issuance of a status quo ante order last May 10 on Comelec Resolution 9688 and its amended form. The Court's action has a retroactive effect.

1 killed, 5 injured in helicopter crash in Nepal

KATMANDU, Nepal — A helicopter has crashed in remote northwestern Nepal, killing one passenger and injuring five other people on board.

A police official said the helicopter belonging to local Fishtail Air crashed Wednesday evening near Muchu village. That's about 400 kilometers (250 miles) north west of the capital, Katmandu.

Bello to resign if gov't fails to punish abusive embassy officials

MANILA -- Akbayan party-list Representative Walden Bello on Thursday said he is willing to resign if the government will not act on the alleged involvement of embassy officials in the prostitution of distressed female overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Middle East.

"If we do not get criminal prosecution procedures started against these two individuals in particular who are running sex rings, I will resign from Congress in protest at the inaction of our government and its inability to bring the criminals within its ranks to account," Bello said in a television interview.

Al-Qaeda-linked fighters attack UN base in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia -- Al-Qaeda-linked bandits detonated several bombs and breached the main UN compound in Somalia's capital Wednesday, sparking gun battles that killed at least 12 people.

A UN official said at least three foreign and one Somali staff members were believed to be among the dead.

Monsoon floods kill 102 in India, strand pilgrims

LUCKNOW, India -- India's prime minister said Wednesday that the death toll from flooding this week in the northern state of Uttrakhand had surpassed 100 and could rise substantially.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke on his return from an aerial survey of the area, pegging the death toll at 102.

Garcia to Sandigan: Junk suspension petition

MANILA -- Incoming Cebu congresswoman Gwendolyn Garcia asked the Sandiganbayan on Wednesday to junk a motion filed by government prosecutors seeking for her suspension pending the trial of her graft and technical malversation charges.

4.4 magnitude quake hits Quezon, Metro Manila

MANILA -- State seismologists monitored Wednesday a 4.4 magnitude earthquake hitting Polillo Island in Quezon province at 7:05 p.m.

The tremor, which was tectonic in origin, was felt at intensity 3 in Quezon City and Infanta, Quezon; and intensity 2 in the cities of Makati, Taguig and Muntinlupa.