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MANILA, April 17 (PNA) -- The Philippines has urged the international community to adopt the necessary measures to reduce drastically global greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 80 percent if low-lying and archipelagic countries like the Philippines are to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
Presidential Adviser on Climate Change Secretary Heherson Alvarez said this was the instruction of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo given to him before he left last month for the March 29-April 28 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Bonn, Germany.

ROME, April 16, 2009-Twenty-eight Filipina nuns belonging to the religious congregation "Zelatrici del Sacro Cuore" were among those affected by the earthquake that struck the medieval city of L'Aquila, in central Italy (Abruzzo Region) northeast of Rome last April 6.
According to a report by Ms. Lilibeth V. Pono, Charge d'Affaires of the Philippine Embassy to the Holy See, the Filipina nuns were based in the different houses of their religious congregation located in L'Aquila.

SAN ANDRES, Catanduanes, April 16 (PNA) - This prime coastal town is using the credit facility being offered by the Spanish government to conduct a feasibility study in preparation for the putting up of a wind farm for its supply of electricity.
"We need at least P10 million for this project that will help us find an effective solution to our power problem that the local electric cooperative and the National Power Corporation (NPC) cannot provide," Mayor Leon Mendoza here said over the week.

BAAO, Camarines Sur, April 13 (PNA) - A four-hectare agro-tourism hub along the national highway here is not only a leisure farm where one can find respite and take time to commune with nature but a "pick-your-own-vegetable" organic food production base.
Under this treat, visitors of the La Huerta De los Santos farm in Barangay Sta. Teresita of this farming town some 20 kilometers northeast of Naga City can harvest for themselves the vegetables of their choice that they wanted to buy at farm gate prices either for take home, or cook them fresh for dining.

Kabul (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Two earthquakes have hit Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan, killing at least 22 people and injuring another 30. A 5.5-magnitude quake struck at 01.57 local time (21.27 GMT), followed by a 5.1-magnitude aftershock two hours later.
Ahmad Shekib Hamraz, a disaster management official, said that "the centre of the earthquake is located 45 kilometres km from Sherzad district".
Survivors in Mir Gadkhel village were scrambling through the rubble of flattened houses to recover bodies after the quake.

Catanduanes--An intensified rabies elimination campaign of the provincial government here has reeled off Tuesday (March 31) in the bid to attain a rabies-free Catanduanes by 2012.

NAGA CITY--Reacting to a statement released over the weekend by Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero saying that the national debt doubled under the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Albay Governor Joey Sarte Salceda said the opposition senator failed to account the economic growth experienced during the term of the President.
“Using the same figures [used by Escudero], [it can be deduced that] the national debt radically improved from being 78 percent of the [country’s] gross domestic product (GDP) to 52 percent of GDP,” said Salceda, an economic adviser to the President and former cabinet secretary, told the Inquirer on Sunday.

VATICAN CITY, April 6, 2009 -Residents of L'Aquila, Italy are working to recover from a 5.8 magnitude earthquake that has left 92 dead and some 1,500 people injured. Upon hearing of the disaster, Pope Benedict sent a telegram to the local archbishop offering his prayers for the victims and expressing his solidarity.

Daet, Camarines Norte (7 April) -- The province of Camarines Norte is chosen as one of the three shortlisted areas with good practices from among the ten entries submitted nationwide to the Philippines Against Child Trafficking (PACT).

ROME, April 9, 2009-- The Obama administration has seen three possible candidates it floated for the position of U.S. ambassador to the Holy See sunk due to their views on abortion. Additionally, a source at the Vatican confirmed to CNA that Professor Douglas Kmiec will not become the ambassador due to his stance on life issues.
With the President traveling to Rome in July, when he hopes to meet Pope Benedict XVI, not filling the position would be a major gaffe.

LEGAZPI CITY April 8 (PNA) -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) regional office here announced yesterday that they are now accepting applications for the recruitment of 500 new policemen this year.
Chief Supt. Paterno Bangui, Bikol police regional director, said the recruitment was in line with government's job generation program to provide employment in the countryside.

Sorsogon Province (7 April) -- The RP-US Balikatan humanitarian mission formally opened here April 1 in a simple ceremony at Barangay Guruyan in Juban town, this province.
Barangay Guruyan is one of the identified recipient barangays of the joint military forces' engineering and medical missions.
Barangay Patag in Irosin, also among the identified priority areas, will receive health assistance, school buildings and road component projects.