Saturday, August 09, 2008 (Philippines)

Fireworks explode over the National Stadium as the torch is light during the opening ceremonies for the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Manny Pacquiao leads the Philippine delegation during the parade of athletes, which followed a 3-hour show and featured more than 30,000 fireworks. (Ap photo) AT LEAST 18 families who lost loved ones when the mv Princess of the Stars sank don’t want Sulpicio Lines Inc. (SLI) to ferry human passengers anymore. These families filed a petition before the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) last Thursday, asking for the cancellation of SLI’s franchise as far as transporting, ferrying or carrying human passengers is concerned. The families come from Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga, Bohol, Manila, Cavite and Laguna, among others. [full story]