Batanes still under public storm signal no. 1

MANILA –- Public storm signal number 1 remains hoisted over the Batanes Group of Islands as Typhoon Gener made landfall over northeastern Taiwan, the state weather bureau said Thursday morning.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that at 5:00 a.m. Thursday, the eye of Typhoon Gener was located based on satellite and surface data at 405 kilometers north of Basco, Batanes.

Michael Jackson's siblings resume attack on will

LOS ANGELES — More than three years after Michael Jackson's death, his youngest brother continues to raise questions about the validity of the pop superstar's will.

On Twitter and cable TV, Randy Jackson has called the five-page document signed in 2002 a fake. The one place he hasn't made the claims is a courtroom, where legal experts say he faces almost insurmountable hurdles to invalidate the will and stiff odds against ousting the men who run the lucrative estate.

Indian businesses weather blackouts, but at a cost

GHAZIABAD, India — Work making potato chip display racks at Jayraj Kumar's factory barely paused when much of India's power grid collapsed.

The backup generators kicked in automatically and the electric saws, presses and welding machines kept running, just like they do during the five-hour power cuts the factory in suburban Delhi suffers nearly every day.

Questions linger 50 years after Monroe's death

LOS ANGELES — A half century has not dimmed skeptics' suspicions about the death of Marilyn Monroe at age 36, but the intervening decades have seen technological leaps that could alter the investigation were it to occur today.

DNA, more sophisticated electronic record-keeping, drug databases and other advances would give investigators more information than they were able to glean after Monroe's August 5, 1962, death — 50 years ago this Sunday.

2 pig heads hung outside mosque in France

PARIS — Authorities said two pigs' heads were found hanging outside a mosque in southern France.

The local mayor denounced what she described as "intimidation."

8 badminton players tossed from Olympic doubles

LONDON — Eight female badminton doubles players were disqualified from the London Olympics after trying to lose matches to receive a more favorable place in the tournament, Indonesia's team leader said Wednesday.

The Badminton World Federation investigated two teams from South Korea and one each from China and Indonesia. It accused them of "not using one's best efforts to win a match" and "conducting oneself in a manner that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport" in matches Tuesday night.

Miami Heat coach back in town to share NBA glory

MANILA -- The man who steered superstars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and the rest of the Miami Heat to their second championship in the National Basketball Association (NBA) is in Manila to share the victory to his fellow Filipinos.

Erik Spoelstra, whose mother is from Laguna, arrived on rainy Wednesday afternoon at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA)-Terminal 2 in Parañaque City.

Kickstart partners with US Embassy to host Fil-Am Startup founder Garrett Gee

INCUBATOR-accelerator Kickstart Ventures Inc. has partnered with the United States Embassy in Manila to host a startup founders’ meet-up with American technopreneur Garrett Gee, who is visiting the Philippines on a US State Department sponsored speaker program.

YouTube selects 10 short films for Venice Fest

NEW YORK — YouTube's inaugural film festival has selected 10 short films that it will send to the Venice Film Festival.

The Google video site announced Wednesday the finalists of its Your Film Festival. The contest was overseen by director Ridley Scott, whose production company helped winnow the 15,000 submissions down to 10.

12 Malaysians rescued off Maguindanao waters

MANILA (Updated 2:32 p.m.) -- Troopers rescued 12 Malaysian nationals found floating off the coastal waters of Datu Blah Sinsuat, Maguindanao, late Tuesday evening.

Colonel Prudencio Asto, 6th Infantry Division spokesperson, said the rescued individuals were crewmen of the two cargo vessels identified as "M/L Woodman 38" and "M/L Woodman 39," which were allegedly attacked by pirates last July 29.