UP-Ayala Land Technohub facade (UNTV News)

MANILA, Philippines – Humiling sa Korte Suprema ang Unibersidad ng Pilipinas (UP) na magpalabas ng temporary restraining order (TRO) upang mapigilan ang pamahalaang lungsod ng Quezon na isubasta ang UP-Ayala Land Technohub sa Commonwealth Avenue.

Nitong Hulyo ay inabisuhan ng treasurer ng Quezon City ang UP na ibebenta  ang lupang kinatatayuan ng Technohub bilang pambayad sa utang ng unibersidad sa real estate taxes na umaabot sa P117-million.

Sa petisyon, sinabi ni Acting Solicitor General Florin Hilbay na exempted sa real estate tax ang UP base sa charter ng unibersidad.

Nakasaad sa Section 25(A) ng Republic Act 9500 na exempted sa lahat ng uri ng buwis ang UP at sakop nito ang lahat ng ari-arian ng unibersidad.

Hiniling din ng UP na ipawalang bisa ang sinasabing utang nilang buwis.

Pinaunlad bilang isang science and technology park ang Technohub at pinauupahan ito sa mga information technology company.

Ang kinikita sa Technohub ay ginagamit ng unibersidad na pandugtong sa kanilang pondo. (UNTV News)

Ang tinanghal na Song of the Year para sa ikatlong taon ng A Song of Praise Music Festival: “May Awa ang Dios” na likha ni Louise Lyle Robles at binigyang buhay ni Beverly Caimen. (Rovic Balunsay / Photoville International)

MANILA, Philippines – Nagpapasalamat ang mga premyadong performer, composer at musician sa Philippine music industry sa pagkakataong maimbitahan bilang mga hurado sa grand finals night ng A Song of Praise Music Festival (ASOP) Year 3.

Ayon sa singer at composer na si Danny Javier, hinahanggaan nila ang UNTV (Your Public Service Channel) sa pagkakaroon ng natatanging programa sa telebisyon tulad ng ASOP.

“Maligayang-maligaya ang pakiramdam ko sa gabing ito, kasi may palatuntunan pa lang ganito na nagbibigay-daan sa likas na kakayahan ng Pilipino na maglikha ng awitin at ang tema pa ay ang pagpupuri sa Panginoon.”

(Left-Right) Ang mga nagsilbing hurado para sa grand finals night ng A Song of Praise Music Festival Year 3 na sina Dr. Mon Del Rosario, Wency Cornejo, Danny Javier, Willie Nepumuceno, Danny Tan at Alvin De Vera. (MADZ MILANA / Photoville International)

“From beginning to end, I didn’t regret a single second being here, it was an unforgettable experience. I don’t know what to say, na-touch ako, akala ko it will just be an ordinary thing for me like judging a competition, hindi pala ganuon, na-involve ako bigla, parang na-feel ko talaga siya,” nakangiting pahayag ng “Master Impersonator” at batikang performer na si Willy Nepumuceno.

“Congratulations, it was very wonderful, ituloy ninyo ito hanggang ASOP 10,000 times,” dagdag pa nito.

Itinuturing naman ni Mr. Public Service Kuya Daniel Razon ang ASOP bilang kauna-unahang song of praise writing competition sa telebisyon.

“Kung mayroon mang higit na dapat pag-alayan ng ating mga tinig, ng atin mga talent, walang iba kundi yung pinanggalingan po nito,” pahayag ni Kuya Daniel.

“I’m confident that this is the first song writing competition on TV that gives glory and thanksgiving to God.” — Kuya Daniel Razon (Rovic Balunsay / PHOTOVILLE International)

Samantala, nagkamit ng plake ng pagkilala at cash prize na P500,000 ang kompositor ng awiting “May Awa ang Dios” na si Jouise Lyle Robles bilang kampyeon.

First runner up ang “Sa Bawat Araw” sa komposisyon ni Marlon Nabia at inawit ni Shanne Velasco.

Shanne Velasco — Sa Bawat Araw interpreter (PHOTOVILLE International)

Second runner up ang komposisyong “Tanging Gabay” ni Arniel Villagonza at inawit ni Rachelle Alejandro. At third runner up ang awiting “Biyaya” na komposisyon ni Meldin Nabia at inawit ni Bayang Barrios.

(Left-Right) Si Rachel Alejandro para sa awiting Tanging Gabay at si Bayang Barrios para sa awiting Biyaya. (Jonathan Adizas / Photoville International)

Nasungkit naman ng awiting “Hangga’t May Tinig Ako” ang People’s Choice award sa panulat ni Jinnie Adilan, habang itinanghal bilang “Best Interpreter” ang world singing champion na si Beverly Caimen.

(Left-Right) Si Darryl Ong para sa “Hanggang May Tinig Ako” at si Beverly Caimen para sa “May Awa ang Dios”. (Kristine Leigh Domingo / Photoville International)

Dahil sa ganda ng mga likhang-awit, maging ang mga hurado sa ASOP Year 3 grand finals ay umaming nahirapan sa pagpili ng mananalo.

Ayon kay Danny Javier, “Mahirap manghusga, mahirap talaga manghusga, kaya mabuti na lang marami kami.”

Samantala, maging ang mga nanood ay todo ang suporta sa mga finalist at masayang-masaya sa mga naggagandahang papuring awit sa Panginoon.

“Masayang-masaya ako at higit sa lahat, naantig ang puso ko, kasi praising song yun eh, naririnig mo palang para ka na ring nagdarasal, basta umaawit yung puso mo,” pahayag ni Teresita Purisima, isa sa mga nanood sa ASOP grand finals. (Rosalie Coz / Ruth Navales, UNTV News)

Ang isa sa mga miyembro ng APO Hiking Society na si Mr. Danny Javier habang ginagampanan ang pagiging hurado sa ASOP Grand Finals Year 3. (Photoville International)

Ang pagdating ng 133 Filipino UN Peacekeepers na mula sa bansang Haiti. (UNTV News)

MANILA, Philippines – Nakauwi na sa bansa nitong umaga ng Huwebes ang 133 mula sa 157 Filipino peacekeepers na kabilang 17th AFP contingent to Haiti sakay ng chartered flight Russian VIM Airlines.

Kabilang sa mga sumalubong sa mga ito si AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang.

Kasama sa mga dumating ang mga opisyal at tauhan ng Philippine Navy kabilang ang siyam na kababaihan.

Naiwan naman ang 24 sa kanila upang magsagawa ng training at orientation sa mga tauhan ng Phililippine Navy at Marines na umalis noong nakaraang araw.

Ayon kay Philippine Navy Capt. Luzviminda Camacho, ang kauna-unahang babaeng commander na namuno sa misyon sa Haiti, hindi madali ang kaniyang naranasan sa pamumuno sa Philippine contingent.

Aniya, “Malungkot pero masaya na rin kasi ginawa ko yung makakaya ko para ipagmalaki natin ang Pilipinas.”

Sinabi pa nito na sila ang nagsilbing tagabantay sa perimeter ng force headquarters ng UN mission to Haiti at nagbigay ng administrative at logistic clerical services sa force headquarters sa loob ng 11-buwan.

“Being the ambassador for peace doon ay ibinigay namin lahat ng makakaya namin para mag-serve according to the mandated task ng United Nation,” pahayag pa ni Capt. Camacho.

Agad namang idniretso sa V. Luna Hospital ang mga ito para sa mandatory medical check up at quarantine sa loob ng anim na araw.

Noon namang Lunes ay umalis patungong Haiti ang 157 tauhan ng Philippine Navy at Philippine Marines upang pumalit sa mga umuwing peacekeeper. (Lea Ylagan / Ruth Navales, UNTV News)

Ang bagong PDAF scam whistleblower na si Mary Arlene Baltazar na dati ring nagtratrabaho kay Janet Lim Napoles. (UNTV News)

MANILA, Philippines – Nagmistulang family reunion ang bail hearing ni Senator Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr. sa Sandiganbayan, Huwebes.

Ito ay sapagkat kaarawan  ng senador at kasama nitong dumalo sa pagdinig ang kanyang asawa at anak.

Sa entrance ng Sandiganbayan, may listahan ng mga guest ni Revilla na inaasahang dadalo sa nasabing bail hearing.

Dumating din ang mga tagasuporta ng senador na ang ilan ay galing pa ng Bacoor, Cavite.

Hindi na tinapos ng senador ang pagdinig dahil magkakaroon ng maliit na selebrasyon ang kanyang pamilya sa kanyang detention facility sa PNP Custodial Center.

Inihayag rin ng senador sa media ang kanyang wish sa kanyang kaarawan.

“Inaantay ko iyong araw na makuha ko iyong bail at makalabas tayo,” saad nito.

May panawagan rin ito kay Pangulong Benigno Aquino III.

“Mayroon pa siyang 614 days to be exact bilang pangulo ng ating bansa. sa 614 days na iyan ipakita niya ang tunay na pagmamalasakit sa ating mga kababayan at hindi lang focused doon sa mga kalaban.”

Inihayag rin ng senador na mabuti ang kundisyon nito sa PNP Custodial Center, at maraming oras ang nagugugol sa kaniyang pamilya at sarili.

Sa kabila nito ay madalas pa rin daw makaramdam ng sakit ng ulo ang si Revilla.

“Probably we will ask the court na bigyan siya ng pagkakataon na magpa-MRI kasi matagal na rin po siyang hindi nagpapa-executive check-up,” pahayag ng maybahay ng senador na si Bacoor Rep. Lani Mercado-Revilla.

Samantala, nagprisinta ng bagong testigo ang prosekusyon sa bail hearing ng senador.Humarap sa korte si PDAF scam whistleblower Mary Arlene Baltazar na dati ring emplayado ni Janet Lim Napoles.

Ayon sa kampo ng senador, walang naiprisintang bago ang mga testigo.

Ayon kay Atty. Joel Bodegon, abogado ni Revilla, “Actually iyong mga testigo nila eh puro corroborative witnesses lang iyan eh.”

Samantala, mananatiling suspendido si Sen. Bong Revilla Jr. matapos hindi pagbigyan ng korte ang kanyang apela dahil sa kakulangan ng merito. (Joyce Balancio / Ruth Navales, UNTV News)

Nakita na ang bangkay ni Gng. Josefina Gravita, 57 anyos, na umakyat ng Bulkang Mayon sa Albay (UNTV News)

LEGASPI CITY, Philippines – Natagpuan na ang bangkay ng 57 anyos na si Ginang Josefina Gravita na umakyat ng Bulkan Mayon sa Albay.

Ayon sa panganay na anak nito na si Joseph Gravita, naamoy ng kanyang pamangking lalaki ang mabahong amoy na umalingasaw sa unahan ng kanilang bahay kung saan natagpuan ang mga labi ni Aling Josefina.

Posible umanong namatay sa gutom at pagod ang matanda na may problema umano sa pag-iisip habang papaakyat ng bulkan.

Samantala, muling nakapagtala ng 2 rock fall events, 2 volcanic earthquakes habang nanatili sa 1421 ang sulfur dioxide na ibinubuga ng Bulkan Mayon batay sa bulletin na ipinalabas ng PHIVOLCS. (Allan Manansala / Ruth Navales, UNTV News)

Scholarism founder Joshua Wong (C) and other members gesture during a flag raising ceremony in Hong Kong October 1, 2014, celebrating the 65th anniversary of China National Day.
REUTERS/Stringer

(Reuters) – Hong Kong’s leader is willing to let pro-democracy demonstrations blocking large areas of the city go on for weeks if necessary, a source close to him said, while defiant protesters vowed they would not budge.

The city’s streets were calm early on Thursday while police largely kept their distance from the tens of thousands of mostly young people keeping up protests, now nearly a week old, in the heart of the global financial hub.

The protesters want Hong Kong’s leader, Leung Chun-ying, to step down by the end of Thursday and have demanded China introduce full democracy so the city can freely choose its own leader. Leung, appointed by Beijing, has refused to stand down, leaving the two sides far apart in a dispute over how much political control China should have over to Hong Kong.

The popular “Occupy Central” movement presents one of the biggest political challenges for Beijing since it violently crushed pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square in 1989.

Leung, Hong Kong’s chief executive, is prepared to allow the protests to subside and will only intervene if there is looting or violence, said a government source with ties to Leung.

“Unless there’s some chaotic situation, we won’t send in riot police … We hope this doesn’t happen,” the source said. “We have to deal with it peacefully, even if it lasts weeks or months.” Leung could not be reached for comment.

Riot police used tear gas, pepper spray and baton charges last weekend to quell unrest, the worst in Hong Kong since China resumed its rule of the former British colony in 1997.

U.S. President Barack Obama told visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who earlier met Secretary of State John Kerry, that Washington was watching the protests closely and urged a peaceful solution.

“The United States has consistently supported the open system that is essential to Hong Kong’s stability and prosperity, universal suffrage, and the aspiration of the Hong Kong people,” the White House said in a statement about the meeting, also attended by national security adviser Susan Rice.

Universal suffrage is an eventual goal under the “one country, two systems” formula by which China rules Hong Kong. Under that formula, China accords Hong Kong some autonomy and freedoms not enjoyed in mainland China.

However, protesters calling for free elections reacted angrily when Beijing decreed on Aug. 31 that it would vet candidates wishing to run in Hong Kong’s 2017 election.

Wang said before an earlier meeting with Kerry that countries should not meddle in China’s internal affairs.

“The Chinese government has very formally and clearly stated its position. Hong Kong affairs are China’s internal affairs. All countries should respect China’s sovereignty,” Wang said.

“WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO?”

National Day, a public holiday marking the Communist Party’s foundation of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, passed on Wednesday without the police crackdown many in Hong Kong had feared, although some people booed while the national anthem was played at a ceremony.

In the early hours of Thursday, another public holiday, around 200 people had gathered near Leung’s office in Central district and about 50 police officers stood beside metal barriers erected there.

Protesters across the city have dug in, setting up supply stations with water bottles, fruit, disposable raincoats, towels, goggles, face masks and tents.

Even so, some in the crowds wondered how long the status quo could last.

“I don’t think we can stay like this for more than two weeks,” said Moses Ng, a 26-year-old who works in sales and marketing, gesturing towards young people milling around barricaded streets in Causeway Bay, a major shopping district.

“(If so) this action would have totally failed, so we are thinking about what else we can do.”

Others, like 17-year-old secondary school pupil Wong Chi Min, were more defiant.

“People will keep coming back every day,” he said. “We will wait for CY (Leung) to step down so we can choose our own leader. If he doesn’t, we will continue to wait here.”

The Hong Kong Federation of Students, one of the protest organizers, urged people to surround more government buildings from Friday unless the authorities accepted their demands.

But Leung has said Beijing would not back down and that Hong Kong police would be able to maintain security without help from People’s Liberation Army troops from the mainland.

BEIJING’S DILEMMA

China has dismissed the protests as illegal, but in a worrying sign for the Communist Party leadership in Beijing, the demonstrations have spread to neighboring Macau and Taiwan.

China now faces a dilemma.

Cracking down too hard on the movement could shake confidence in market-driven Hong Kong, which has a separate legal system from the rest of China. Not reacting firmly enough, however, could embolden dissidents on the mainland.

A strongly worded editorial in the People’s Daily, the Communist Party’s official organ, criticized the “Occupy Central” protests for being confrontational.

“And now, a handful of people are bent on confronting the law and stirring up trouble. (They) will eventually suffer the consequences of their actions,” it said on Wednesday.

Rights groups said a number of China-based activists supporting the Hong Kong protests had been detained or intimidated by police on the mainland.

Around 5,000 people crowded into Taipei’s Liberty Square on Wednesday in a show of solidarity with Hong Kong. Events are being watched closely in Taiwan, which has full democracy but is considered by Beijing as a renegade province that must one day be reunited with the mainland.

In the world’s largest gambling hub of Macau, a former Portuguese colony and like Hong Kong a Chinese “special administrative region”, organizers said around 1,200 people gathered in Friendship Square to show their support.

In London, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Chinese embassy, some carrying umbrellas that have become the symbol of the Hong Kong demonstrations.

Turmoil in Hong Kong has begun to affect the economy.

Hong Kong radio RTHK quoted Joseph Tung, executive director of the city’s Travel Industry Council, as saying China’s tourism authorities had suspended approval of tourist groups from the mainland to Hong Kong, citing safety issues.

Some banks and other financial firms have begun moving staff to back-up premises on the outskirts of Hong Kong to prevent growing unrest in the financial hub from disrupting trading and other critical functions.

On Wednesday, Italian luxury group Prada said it was monitoring unrest in Hong Kong on a hourly basis and closing shops early when necessary.

Hong Kong’s benchmark share index has fallen 7.3 percent over the past month. Markets are closed on Wednesday and Thursday for the holiday.

(Additional reporting by Charlie Zhu, James Pomfret, Irene Jay Liu, Farah Master, Diana Chan, Twinnie Siu, Kinling Lo, Clare Baldwin, Diana Chan and Anne Marie Roantree in HONG KONG，Sui-Lee Wee in BEIJING, Stephen Addison in LONDON and Lesley Wroughton, Arshad Mohammed, Jeff Mason and Steve Holland in WASHINGTON, and Ahmed Aboulenein in LONDON; Writing by Mike Collett-White and Paul Tait; Editing byMark Bendeich)

Rescuers walk after landing by Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF) helicopter for rescue operations near the peak of Mount Ontake, which straddles Nagano and Gifu prefectures, central Japan, October 1, 2014.
REUTERS/Joint Staff of the Defence Ministry of Japan

(Reuters) – The death toll from a Japanese volcano eruption rose to 47 on Wednesday, the worst in 88 years, after more victims were discovered on the ash-covered mountain.

Military searchers resumed a recovery operation with helicopters early on Wednesday a day after officials called off rescue efforts because of poisonous gas and fears of another blast.

The eruption of 3,067-metre (10,062-foot) Mount Ontake, 200 km (125 miles) west of Tokyo, blanketed the summit with a deadly rain of ash and stone as it was crowded with climbers and hikers enjoying the autumn colors.

Police said earlier 48 people had been killed but later revised the toll down to 47. They did not say why they revised the toll but said more victims could still be on the mountain.

The toll exceeds the 43 people killed in a 1991 eruption in southwest Japan and becomes the deadliest volcano since a 1926 eruption on the northern island of Hokkaido, which killed 144 people, according to government data.

Japan is one of the world’s most seismically active countries. There had been no fatalities since the 1991 eruption of Mount Unzen, which caused a pyroclastic flow of superheated current of gas and rock.

Mount Ontake, Japan’s second-highest active volcano, had a minor eruption seven years ago. Its last major eruption, the first on record, was in 1979.

Hikers said there was no warning of Saturday’s eruption just before noon. Hundreds were trapped for hours before descent became possible later in the day.

(Reporting by Taiga Uranaka and Stanley White; Editing by William Mallard, Robert Birsel)

An estimated 35,000 walruses are pictured are pictured hauled out on a beach near the village of Point Lay, Alaska, 700 miles northwest of Anchorage, in this September 2014 handout photo.
CREDIT: REUTERS/COREY ACCARDO/NOAA/NMFS/AFSC/NMML/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS

(Reuters) - Fast-melting Arctic sea ice has forced some 35,000 Pacific walruses to retreat to the Alaska shoreline, scientists from several federal agencies said on Wednesday.

Walruses are accomplished divers and frequently plunge hundreds of feet to the bottom of the continental shelf to feed. But they use sea ice as platforms to give birth, nurse their young and elude predators, and when it is scarce or non-existent they haul themselves up on land.

“One of the differences between this haul out and other ones is the sheer size and number of animals coming to shore,” said U.S. Geological Survey ecologist Chadwick Jay.

Such haul outs in areas of the Chukchi Sea, which polar bears also use as platforms for hunting, were first observed along Russia’s coasts until Pacific walrus masses began appearing on Alaska’s coastline in 2007, U.S. scientists said.

Researchers monitoring these patterns estimate as many as 35,000 walruses came to shore near the coastal village of Point Lay, about 700 miles (1130 km) north of Anchorage at the weekend. The tusked beasts can be more than 10 feet (3 meters) long and weigh 2,700 pounds (1,225 kilograms).

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service biologist Joel Garlich-Miller said the most pressing conservation concern with such a massive gathering is the possible mortality rate, caused largely by stampedes.

The ice dissipation was likely attributed to changes stemming from global climate change, Jay said.

The mass movement can be treacherous for younger walruses who can be trampled by a stampede triggered by aircraft or predators, such as grizzly bears and polar bears, Garlich-Miller said.

Fish and Wildlife estimates the Pacific walrus population as between 200,000 and 250,000 animals, though the exact number is unknown.

(Reporting by Steve Quinn in Juneau, Alaska; Editing by Eric M. Johnson and Eric Walsh)

A burial team wearing protective clothing prepare the body of a person suspected to have died of the Ebola virus for interment, in Freetown September 28, 2014. CREDIT: REUTERS/CHRISTOPHER BLACK/WHO/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS

(Reuters) - The death toll from the world’s worst Ebola outbreak on record reached 3,338 people out of 7,178 cases in West Africa as of Sept. 28, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday.

It said the total number of new cases had fallen for a second week, but warned against reading any good news into the figures as they were almost certainly under-reported and there were few signs of the epidemic being brought under control.

“Transmission remains persistent and widespread in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, with strong evidence of increasing case incidence in several districts,” the WHO’s update said.

Although the spread of the disease appears to have stabilized in Guinea, where the epidemic originated, “it must be emphasized that in the context of an outbreak of EVD (Ebola virus disease), a stable pattern of transmission is still of grave concern, and could change quickly,” it said.

The WHO data, based on figures from ministries of health, showed 710 dead in Guinea, 1,998 in Liberia and 622 in Sierra Leone.

The WHO report said both Guinea and Sierra Leone reported cases in previously uninfected districts bordering Ivory Coast.

In Liberia, there remained “compelling evidence obtained from responders and laboratory staff in the country that there is widespread under-reporting of new cases, and that the situation in Liberia, and in Monrovia in particular, continues to deteriorate.”

Two U.S. Navy mobile laboratories had arrived in Liberia and would be operational by Oct. 5, while a Chinese team in Sierra Leone had begun testing up to 20 samples a day in Freetown.

In two other West African countries, Nigeria – where eight people died – and Senegal, there have been no further suspected cases in more than 21 days, the incubation period of the disease. The WHO deems an outbreak is over when two incubation periods have passed.

Last week the U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimated there would be 8,000 cases reported in Liberia and Sierra Leone by Sept. 30, but said the true figure would likely be 21,000 after correcting for under-reporting.

(Reporting by Tom Miles; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)

FILE IMAGE: Ang pansamantalang paglaya ni dating pangulong Gloria Macapagal Arroyo noong July 25, 2012 pagkatapos makapagpiyansa ng P1,000,000. (UNTV News)

QUEZON CITY, Philippines — Umaapela ang kampo ni dating Pangulo at ngayo’y Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo na sana’y pahitulutan itong sa bahay na lamang mamalagi.

Ayon kay dating Congressman Danilo Suarez, posibleng makabuti sa kondisyon ni CGMA kung maililipat ito sa bahay habang dinidinig ang plunder case laban sa kanya sa Sandiganbayan.

“Yaman din lang na yung kanyang mga kasamahan doon sa issue ng PCSO, they allowed to post bail ang sa akin siguro yung immediate kung maari dun na lang siya ma-confine sa bahay,” pahayag ng dating mambabatas.

Nagdudulot umano ng stress ang pananatili nito sa VMMC o Veterans Memorial Medical Center bukod pa ang paglilimita sa kanyang lugar na ginagalawan at maging ang oras ng pagbisita.

Nahihirapan din umanong lumunok ng pagkain si Arroyo dahil sa esophageal stenosis.

Nito lamang nakaraang buwan, humarang sa lalamunan nito ang piraso ng broccoli.

Salaysay ni Ex-Rep. Danilo Suarez, “Ready na yung mga anestisya machine eh, that’s what I’ve told. Pero naging successful yung pinasok yung camera, nakita yung object tapos may nilagay na procedure para ma-retrieve.” (REY PELAYO / UNTV News)

FILE IMAGE: Port of Manila (UNTV News)

MANILA, Philippines — Matagal nang may nangyayaring extortion sa pantalan ng Maynila.

Ito ang tugon ng grupo ng mga trucker matapos ihayag ng Malakanyang na pinaiimbestigahan nito ang mga insidente ng pangingikil sa mga truckers upang makakuha ng pwesto sa loob ng pier para paglagyan ng dalang container van.

Ayon kay Abraham Rebao ng Aduana Business Club Incorporated, lumala lamang ang pangongotong noong nagkaroon na ng congestion sa pier.

Ani Rebao, “Ang dati kung tawagin namin piso piso lang ‘yan, piso piso lang. Ngayon na nagkaroon ng port congestion tumaas ang presyo nila. Kaming trucking para lang makapagsauli ng empty kakagatin namin yung gusto nila na halimbawa sasabihin nila may slot pa dito magbibigay kami ng P1,500, P2,000 at the highest P3,000 para lang makapagsauli ng empty.”

Dagdag pa ni Rebao, kabilang sa mga istilo ng pananamantala na nangyayari sa Manila Port ay ang pagpabor sa mga trucking na may maraming kliyente.

Samantala, iginigiit din ng grupo at ng mga broker na hindi akmang solusyon ang paniningil ng pamahalaan ng mas mataas na storage fee sa mga importer upang mapaluwag ang pier.

Ngayong Huwebes, sinimulan na ang pagkolekta ng 5,000 piso mula sa dating 500 pisong storage fee sa kada container upang mapwersa ang mga importer na kuhain ang kanilang kargamento.

Ayon sa grupo, ang dapat aksyunan ng pamahalaan ay ang problema sa tambak na empty containers sa pier na isa sa mga pangunahing dahilan kung bakit congested ang pantalan kahit inalis na ang truck ban sa Maynila.

Pahayag ni Rey Soliman, ABCI EVP, “Bakit hindi natin tingnan kung sino ang may kagagawan ng port congestion. Itong mga shipping lines ang kanilang mga empty containers na palagi nating pinananawagan na ilabas ibalik sa port of origin magkaroon ng espasyo ang port.”

Sa ulat ng cabinet cluster on port congestion, bahagya ng gumanda ang sitwasyon sa pantalan matapos suspendihin ng Manila City Hall ang pagpapatupad ng daytime truck ban.

Ngunit ayon sa CCPC, sinisikap pa nilang mapababa sa 80% ang yard utilization na 64,800 containers lamang ang dapat nasa pier upang maging maluwag ang pantalan nagbabala naman ang Manila City Government na maari nilang ibalik anumang oras ang daytime truck ban kung magiging malala ang problema sa trapiko sa Maynila.

Pahayag ni Mayor Joseph Estrada, “Experimental lang yan. 2 months magulo na naman ang traffic. Ibabalik ko yan, nobody can stop me.”  (VICTOR COSARE / UNTV News)

FILE PHOTO: MRT train on hold (UNTV News)

MANILA, Philippines — Halos isang oras naantala ang operasyon ng MRT 3 pasado alas syete nitong umaga ng Lunes nang matuklasan ng signaling system ng MRT na mayroong bitak sa riles ng tren malapit sa Boni Station.

Agad namang ipinahinto ang operasyon ng MRT mula sa Shaw Blvd. hanggang sa Taft northbound at southbound dahil lubhang delikado na madaanan ng tren ang riles na may bitak.

Agad namang pinuntahan ng maintenance provider ang riles na may bitak upang ayusin, pasado alas otso na ng maibalik sa operasyon ang buong kahabaan ng mrt matapos itong malagyan ng fish plate at c-clamp na ayon sa mrt ay pansamantalang lunas lamang.

Mula ng maitayo ang mrt ay hindi pa umano napalitan ang mga riles ng MRT 3.

Ayon sa pamunuan ng MRT, inako na ng Department of Transportation and Communication ang obligasyon na bumili ng mga bagong riles kahit ito ay obligasyon ng MRT Holdings at ng Global Apt na siyang maintenance provider.

“Kami na gagawin na namin for the sake of the mananakay. So all this things ginagawa natin for the welfare of the passengers,” pahayag ni MRT Spokesperson Atty. Hernan Cabrera.

Ngayong taon ay mabibili na ang mga riles at mapapalitan na ang mga may bitak at sirang riles sa susunod na taon.

“Dapat na siyang palitan. Ibig sabihin hindi na siya tumtugma doon sa requirement ng ating riles para sa operations,” ani Dir. Renato San Jose, MRT 3 OIC.

Inamin naman ng maintenance provider ng MRT na Global Apt na hindi sila nakabili ng riles dahil sa hindi kakayanin ng panahon lalo na at patapos na rin ang kanilang kontrata lalo na at limang daang piraso ng riles ang minimum na kailangang mabili sa supplier.

Samantala, pinirmahan na kanina ang 65 billion na kontrata para sa itatayong LRT Line 1 Extension Project, ito ay karagdagang 11 kilometers mula sa LRT-Taft Station sa Pasay hanggang sa Cavite.

Inaasahan na makakapag dagdag ito ng walong daang libong pasahero sa carrying capacity ng LRT Line 1.

Eleven pesos pa rin ang magiging pasahe sa LRT at dagdag na piso kada kilometro.

Tinataya na bago matapos ang taong 2016 ay matatapos na ang konstruksyon at inaasahang makatutulong sa mga commuter mula sa Southern Luzon. (MON JOCSON / UNTV News)

FILE PHOTO: President Benigno S. Aquino III at 113th Police Service Anniversary at the PNP Multi-Purpose Center, Camp Crame in Quezon City on Friday (August 08, 2014). Also in photo are Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II and PNP Chief Director General Alan Purisima. (Photo by Gil Nartea / Malacañang Photo Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines – Naninindigan pa rin ang Malakanyang na nananatili ang tiwala ni Pangulong Benigno Aquino III kay Philippine National Police Chief Director General Alan Purisima sa kabila ng mga isyung ipinupukol sa kanya.

Ayon kay Presidential Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., bago humarap sa imbestigasyon ang PNP Chief ay pinayuhan na ito ni Pangulong Aquino na kailangang maging maliwanag sa publiko ang mga isyung kinasasangkutan niya.

“Doon naman sa kanilang pagtatalakayan siyempre sinabi lang naman ng Pangulo sa kaniya na kinakailangang ibunyag niya ang buong katotohanan hinggil sa mga usapin na naiharap lalong-lalo na patungkol sa kaniyang Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth.”

Magugunitang ilan sa mga kinuwestyon ni Senator Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero Jr. ay ang pagtanggap ng donasyon ng heneral para sa ipinagawang bagong white house sa Camp Crame sa Quezon City.

Maging ang isyu sa pagbili ni Purisima ng Land Cruiser na nagkakahalaga lamang ng P1.5 million batay sa idineklara nito sa kanyang SALN.

Pahayag naman ng Malakanyang, ang matinding batikos na ibinabato ngayon sa hepe ng pambansang pulisya ay posibleng nanggagaling sa masasamang elemento.

“Sa kaniyang panunungkulan hinarap ni heneral Purisima ang maraming hamon bunga ng pagkakaroon ng mga tiwaling elemento sa pambansang pulisya at hindi maikakaila na ito ang pinagmumulan ng matinding pagbatikos laban sa kaniya,” saad pa ni Coloma. (Nel Maribojoc / Ruth Navales, UNTV News)

FILE PHOTO: Isang powerpoint presentation ukol sa Makati City Hall 2 Parking Building na ipinalabas sa Senado. (UNTV News)

MANILA, Philippines – Lumabas sa imbestigasyon ng Commission on Audit (COA) na may iregularidad ang konstruksyon ng kontrobersyal na Makati City Hall II parking building.

Sa kanyang pagharap sa senado, sinabi ni Atty. Alexander Juliano ng COA na walang construction plan ang gusali nang i-award sa Hilmarc’s Construction Corporation isang buwan matapos ipasa ang ordinance para dito.

Nakitaan din ng COA ng anim na red flags o deficiency ang konstruksyon ng gusali.

Ayon kay Juliano, sa ilalim ng implementing rules and regulations ng Republic Act 9184 o ang Procurement Act, required ang detalyadong engineering activities sa isang proyekto, katulad ng survey, design plans, quantity and cost estimate at schedule ng konstruksyon.

November 12, 2007 nagsimula ang procurement process sa kontrata ng gusali, apat na araw matapos maipasa ang supplemental budget para sa proyekto.

Nobyembre 28 nang ilabas ang kontrata sa pagitan ng Mana Architecture and Interior Design at Makati City o walong araw bago pormal na inadvertise sa isang pahayagan ang proyekto.

“It appears that the negotiated procurement adopted by the BAC on the contract of architectural and engineering service was improper because none of the conditions laid down under RA 9184 was present such as two failed buildings, emergency cases, takeover of contracts, adjacent or contiguous projects, agency-to-agency, highly technical consultants and defense cooperation agreement.”

Dagdag nito, malaki rin ang pagkakaiba ng P105.34 million sa budget na inaprubahan para sa kontrata na nagkakahalaga ng P387.84 million, kumpara sa P282.49 million na nakasaad sa mga dokumentong pinirmahan ni dating Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay.

“Moreover, while there were three bidders who participated in the Phase 1 of the project, it was so unusual, especially when the mode of procurement was public bidding, that with respect to Phases 2 to 4, there was no other bidder who tendered his bids except the lone and winning bidder who also got the award for Phase 1.”

Sinabi pa ni Juliano na ang bids na ibinigay sa Hilmarc’s ay may maliit na variance lamang sa inaprubahang budget sa limang phases ng konstruksyon.

Wala ring inaprubahang budget para sa appropriation noong simulan ng city government ang procurement process sa phase 3 ng gusali.

Batay aniya sa COA inspection reports, “ready for use” na ang gusali noon pang July 7, 2011, subalit nagdisburse pa rin ng city government ang halos P800 million para sa phase 4 at phase 5.

Giit pa ni Juliano, gumastos rin ang lungsod ng Makati sa “unnecessary expenditures” para sa mobilization at demobilization ng phase 2 at phase 4 na aabot sa P14.49 million gayong iisang contractor lang naman ang gumawa sa limang phases ng proyekto.

Noong Setyembre ay nagsagawa ng special audit ang COA sa Makati City Hall II parking building alinsunod sa request ng Office of the Ombudsman matapos sampahan ng plunder complaints rito ang mag-amang Binay.

Subalit bago ito, ipinahayag ni COA Commissioner Grace Pulido Tan sa kanyang pagharap sa imbestigasyon ng senado noong Agosto na walang inissue na kahit na anong clearance ang COA sa nasabing gusali. (Bianca Dava / Ruth Navales, UNTV News)

Prominent surveyor and former government advisor Leung Chun-ying attends a forum for chief executive candidates in Hong Kong March 12, 2012.
CREDIT: REUTERS/BOBBY YIP

(Reuters) – Hong Kong’s leader, Leung Chun-ying, told pro-democracy protesters late on Thursday that he had no intention of stepping down, and warned them that the consequences of occupying government buildings would be serious.

Leung, speaking just minutes before an ultimatum for him to resign expired, also said that Chief Secretary Carrie Lam would hold a meeting with students soon to discuss political reforms. He gave no specific time frame.

“I won’t resign because I must carry out the universal suffrage work,” said Leung, referring to electoral reforms in the former British colony.

In August, Beijing ruled out free elections for the city’s next leader in 2017, triggering mass protests that saw students storm government buildings a week ago and police fire tear gas to disperse them on Sunday.

Leung appealed to the protesters to exercise restraint.

“In any place in the world, if there are any protesters that surround, attack, or occupy government buildings like police headquarters, or the chief executive’s office … the consequences are serious,” he said.

Hong Kong authorities had earlier urged thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators to immediately end their blockade of the city centre. The protests, nearly a week old, have brought large parts of the Asian financial hub to a standstill.

The protesters remained calm after Leung’s address, although many were dissatisfied and said his comments were not enough.

“I don’t think this is sufficient. I think he’s trying to slow down the process and make us go home … (but) people are feeling tired, mentally and physically and the numbers may decrease,” said Nicholas Chan, 20, a journalism student at Chinese University.

“The bargaining power is in the numbers.”

(Reporting by Anne Marie Roantree; Editing by Mike Collett-White)

A poster advertising for the search of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau is pasted on a wall in Baga village on the outskirts of Maiduguri, in the north-eastern state of Borno May 13, 2013.
CREDIT: REUTERS/TIM COCKS

(Reuters) – A man claiming to be Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau appeared in a new video on Thursday, contradicting Nigerian military reports that he had been killed.

The video, seen by Reuters, shows a figure in boots and combat fatigues who looks similar to the man claiming to be Shekau in previous videos.

“Here I am, alive and I will remain alive until the day Allah takes my breath,” he says in the northern Hausa language.

“Even if you kill me … it will not stop us imposing Islamic rule … We are still in our Islamic state, reigning and teaching the Koran.”

Nigeria’s military said last week that the man who had been posing as Shekau in the group’s growing number of videos had been killed in clashes over the town of Konduga.

The military announced the death of Shekau a year ago, saying he had died in battle.

After that, the man appearing in videos as Shekau did look different than in previous images, with a wider nose, less defined bridge and a rounder face.

In the most recent video, this Shekau says “nothing will kill me until my days are over … Some people asked you if Shekau has two lives. No, I have one life.”

In a statement on its website, Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters said the video did not indicate when it was shot with a screen time or date or provide any proof that Shekau was alive.

“As far as we are concerned, the individual who was appearing in video and claiming to be the leader of the terrorist group was killed in the Kondunga battle in September.

“The resemblance of the corpse and that of the eccentric character was incontrovertible. His identity was equally corroborated by people who knew him before we announced his death.”

CAMPAIGN FOR ISLAMIC STATE

Boko Haram, whose violent five-year campaign for an Islamic state has killed thousands, has in the past two months progressed from bombings, raids and kidnappings to trying to seize territory in remote areas near the Cameroon border, possibly inspired by similar moves by Sunni Islamist militants in Iraq and Syria.

The military has had mixed results trying to push back the militants, and low morale, a lack of discipline and poor equipment have hurt its ability to fight effectively.

Nigeria’s military court martialled 97 of its troops for various offenses on Thursday, including mutiny, assault, absconding, house breaking and disorderly behavior, it said.

But holding territory has also made Boko Haram more vulnerable to attacks by Nigerian forces backed by fighter jets, security sources say. The military said it inflicted heavy losses on the Islamists in the past two weeks.

In the latest video, Shekau, bellicose as ever, stands on the back of a pick-up truck, firing an anti-aircraft gun into the air. The video also shows people being stoned to death and being given lashes, both traditional Islamic punishments.

There is also footage of Boko Haram fighters picking through the wreckage of an aircraft Shekau claims they shot down, and of a man they claim was its pilot with a noose around his neck. Nigeria’s military is still looking for a war plane that went missing more than two weeks ago.

“We have shot down more than 10 of your planes,” Shekau says. “We are the ones that killed your pilot, we slaughtered him. And there is nobody that we will not slaughter.”

(Writing by Tim Cocks; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky and Ken Wills)

Muslim pilgrims walk during the annual haj pilgrimage in Mena, near the holy city of Mecca October 2, 2014.
CREDIT: REUTERS/MUHAMMAD HAMED

(Reuters) – Anxious to safeguard Islam’s haj pilgrimage from the threat of Ebola, Saudi authorities are screening pilgrims arriving from West Africa and have deployed mobile laboratories to test any suspected cases quickly.

The kingdom expects nearly 3 million pilgrims in Mecca this year, including 1.4 million from abroad. The health ministry said on Thursday it has been working with the World Health Organization and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to contain the threat of Ebola, which has killed 3,300 people in West Africa this year.

“We came from Lagos and went through screening there and again have been tested here in Saudi, so for sure we don’t have anything,” said Abdelsamad Shoudany, a Nigerian doctor standing outside the Grand Mosque in Mecca.

Inside, huge numbers of people were performing the first of the haj rites, walking around the Kaaba, the black-clad cube toward which the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims face to pray, and which they see as the geographic center of their faith.

Few of the pilgrims, who dress in simple white toweling robes, were wearing face masks or surgical gloves to protect them against the transmission of Ebola or other diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).

“I’ve waited all my life to come here and honestly I wish to die here, so getting a virus is the last of my fears. As you see, I’m already in a wheelchair,” said Ismail Saleh, a 71-year-old pilgrim from Egypt.

Those who have taken such precautions are following the advice of the Saudi Health Ministry, which initially struggled to prevent an outbreak of MERS in April and May that infected hundreds due to poor hygiene procedures in some hospitals.

Saudi Arabia, where the disease emerged in 2012, has had 755 cases, of whom 320 have died. Four new cases have been confirmed in the past week, including two in Medina and Taif where haj pilgrims often travel, the authorities have announced.

“I can’t afford to get MERS or Ebola or any virus. I have my family to take care of,” said Rubina Fahim, a Pakistani mother of three.

SECURING THE PILGRIMAGE

Saudi Arabia earlier this year barred pilgrims from Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia, the three countries worst hit by Ebola, from applying for haj visas. More than 7,000 Muslims in those countries had applied, said the United Nations.

“All pilgrims arriving through the 15 entry points had to fill in an application to tell us where they have been over the past 21 days, since that’s the incubation period for Ebola,” said Saudi Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Mirghalani.

“We had no suspected cases of Ebola or MERS among the pilgrims so far,” he added.

In case of an outbreak of any infectious disease, the authorities have almost doubled the number of health personnel at the haj medical centers to 22,000 from around 12,000 last year, Tariq Ahmed Madani, a special MERS consultant to the Health Ministry, told Reuters.

“Ebola this year presents an added challenge for us, but we have the full support of the government and face no financial restrictions,” said Madani.

He added that the kingdom had recently established a Command and Control Center (CCC) to deal with any outbreak or natural disaster that might occur.

“The center’s opening was timely with haj, but is something that will continue to operate outside the haj period for any incidents Saudi faces.”

The kingdom has this year reduced the numbers permitted to perform haj for safety reasons because of construction work to enlarge the Grand Mosque. Its security services have ringed Islam’s sacred city with checkpoints and other measures to prevent people arriving for the pilgrimage without authorization.

Those procedures, aimed at reducing crowd pressure which can lead to stampedes, fires and other hazards, have been intensified in recent years because of the growing security threat from the many political crises in the Middle East.

Larger numbers of special forces officers were patrolling the Grand Mosque than in previous years.

Last week, Saudi Arabia took part in U.S.-led airstrikes against Islamic State and other militants in Syria, and that group and al Qaeda have both called for attacks inside the kingdom.

“The kingdom has been prepared to defend its kind and its people from terrorism for a long time. We have enforced our security readiness at all the borders of Saudi Arabia,” said Interior Ministry spokesman Major General Mansour Turki.

(Additional reporting By Tom Miles in Geneva; Editing by Angus McDowall and Mark Trevelyan)

People walk inside JP Morgan headquarters in New York, October 25, 2013.
CREDIT: REUTERS/EDUARDO MUNOZ

(Reuters) - Names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses of the holders of some 83 million households and small business accounts were exposed when computer systems at JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) were recently compromised by hackers, making it one of the biggest data breaches in history.

The bank revealed the scope of the previously disclosed breach on Thursday, saying that there was no evidence that account numbers, passwords, user IDs, birth dates or Social Security numbers had been stolen.

It added that it has not seen “unusual customer fraud” related to the attack which exposed contact information for 76 million households and 7 million small businesses.

The people affected are mostly account holders, but may also include former account holders and others who entered their contact information at the bank’s online and mobile sites, according to a bank spokeswoman.

Security experts outside of the bank warned that the breach could result in an increase in crime as scammers will likely attempt to use the stolen information to engage in various types of fraud.

The bank’s customers should be on heightened alert for fraud, said Mark Rasch, a former federal cyber crimes prosecutor.

“All of this data is useful to hackers and identity thieves,” he said. “The kind of information that was stolen is not sensitive itself, but is frequently used to validate people’s identities.”

Tal Klein, vice president with the cybersecurity firm Adallom, said that the breach could undermine confidence in the security of banks and other companies that people assume are well protected from hackers.

“Criminals could literally take on the identities of these 83 million businesses and people. That’s the biggest concern,” he said.

“Until now the assumption has been that the companies that get breached are the ones that have poor security practices, but we know that JPMorgan had a good security program and that they invest heavily in this area,” he said. “So what we are waking up to is that the fundamental nature of security is broken.”

Still, JPMorgan advised customers on its website that it does not believe they need to change their passwords or account information.

Company spokeswoman Patricia Wexler said that the bank is not offering credit monitoring to its customers because no financial information, account data or personally identifiable information was compromised.

At the end of August, JPMorgan said it was working with U.S. law enforcement authorities to investigate a possible cyber attack. As with home break-ins, it can take victims of data attacks months to discover what, if anything, is missing.

(Reporting by Tanya Agrawal in Bangalore, David Henry in New York and Jim Finkle in Boston.; Editing by Ted Kerr and Bernard Orr)

Men walk past damage at an oil refinery and a gas station that were targeted by what activists said were U.S.-led air strikes, in the town of Tel Abyad of Raqqa governorate, near the border with Turkey October 2, 2014. CREDIT: REUTERS/STRINGER

(Reuters) - Australian special forces troops will be deployed in Iraq to assist in the fight against Islamic State militants, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Friday, and its aircraft will also join U.S.-led coalition strikes.

Abbott said in a nationally televised news conference the Australian troops would be engaged in an “advise and assist” capacity to support the Iraqi army in their battle against the militant Islamist group.

The United States has been bombing Islamic State and other groups in Syria for almost two weeks with the help of Arab allies, and hitting targets in neighboring Iraq since August.

European countries have joined the campaign in Iraq but not in Syria.

Last month, Abbott sent aircraft and 600 personnel to the United Arab Emirates in preparation for joining the coalition. He has since said it was likely Australian aircraft would join the strikes to combat Islamic State, which he described as a “murderous death cult”.

While the involvement of Australian aircraft had been flagged, the use of Australian troops on the ground in Iraq was not as widely anticipated.

“Today, cabinet has authorized Australian air strikes in Iraq at the request of the Iraqi Government and in support of the Iraqi government,” Abbott said.

“Also, subject to final legal documentation, cabinet has authorized the deployment of Australian special forces into Iraq to advise and assist Iraqi forces.”

So far Australian aircraft have been limited to humanitarian aid and delivering arms to Iraqi government-backed forces.

Australia is on high alert for attacks by radicalized Muslims or by home-grown militants returning from fighting in the Middle East, having raised its threat level to high and undertaken a series of high-profile raids in major cities.

Officials believe up to 160 Australians have been either involved in fighting in the Middle East or actively supporting groups fighting there. At least 20 are believed to have returned to Australia and have been said to pose a security risk.

One man was charged on Tuesday with funding a terrorist organization, while another was arrested last month after police said they had thwarted a plot to behead a randomly selected member of the public.

Prominent Australian Muslims say their community is being unfairly targeted by law enforcement and threatened by right-wing groups, and there are concerns that policies aimed at combating radical Islamists could create a backlash.

Abbott said Islamic State poses a grave threat to both Australia and the wider world and that Canberra could not afford to shirk its responsibility to contribute militarily to “degrading” the group’s capabilities.

“The Americans certainly have quite a substantial special forces component on the ground already,” he said.

“My understanding is that there are U.K. and Canadian special forces already inside Iraq, so we’ll be operating on a much smaller scale but in an entirely comparable way to the United States special forces.”

The Australian contingent in the UAE is made up of eight Super Hornet fighter jets, an early warning and control aircraft, an aerial refueling aircraft, along with 400 air force personnel and 200 special force soldiers.

(Additional reporting by Matt Siegel in Sydney; Editing by Paul Tait)

Protesters block the entrance of Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying’s office in Hong Kong, October 3, 2014.
CREDIT: REUTERS/CARLOS BARRIA

(Reuters) – Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying agreed on Friday to open talks with pro-democracy protesters but he and his Chinese government backers made clear that they would not back down in the face of the city’s worst unrest in decades.

Leung refused to bow to an ultimatum from protesters to resign and repeated police warnings of serious consequences should they try to block off or occupy government buildings.

He told reporters just minutes before the ultimatum expired at midnight that Chief Secretary Carrie Lam would meet students soon to discuss political reforms, but gave no timeframe.

Tens of thousands have taken to Hong Kong’s streets in the past week to demand full democracy, including a free voting system when they come to choose a new leader in 2017. However, numbers dwindled considerably at one protest site as Hong Kong people returned to work after a two-day holiday.

The protests have ebbed and flowed since last Sunday when police used pepper spray, tear gas and baton charges to break up the demonstrations, which are the biggest since the former British colony was handed back to Chinese rule in 1997.

China rules Hong Kong through a “one country, two systems” formula underpinned by a “Basic Law”, which accords Hong Kong some autonomy and freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland and has universal suffrage as an eventual goal.

Beijing, however, decreed on Aug. 31 it would vet candidates who want to run for chief executive at an election in 2017, angering democracy activists who took to the streets.

While Leung made an apparent concession by offering talks, Beijing restated its resolute opposition to the protests and a completely free vote in Hong Kong.

“For a few consecutive days, some people have been making trouble in Hong Kong, stirring up illegal assemblies in the name of seeking ‘real universal suffrage’,” China’s official People’s Daily said in a front-page commentary on Friday.

“Such acts have outrightly violated the Basic Law, Hong Kong’s law, as well as the principle of the rule of law, and they are doomed to fail,” the commentary warned.

Thousands of protesters had gathered outside Leung’s office in central Hong Kong in anticipation of the ultimatum, but were disappointed when Leung stood firm.

Their numbers fell to hundreds as the sun rose on Friday and Hong Kongers prepared to go back to work after a two-day holiday. Protesters prevented two trucks from delivering supplies for about 100 police guarding Leung’s office.

The stand-off outside Leung’s office was peaceful but police condemned protesters for blocking food, water and medical supplies for officers and said in a statement they would take “appropriate measures” if they did not stop immediately.

In a statement, Leung’s office also described the blockade of pedestrian pathways outside as “serious illegal” activity.

There were also signs of tension between the protesters and government employees trying to go back to work.

“I need to go to work. I’m a cleaner. Why do you have to block me from going to work?” said one woman as she quarreled with protesters. “You don’t need to earn a living but I do.”

The government later declared its main office building closed for the day, with workers going to secondary sites.

Other protest sites in the Central business district and in the densely packed Mong Kok residential district were quiet. The number of protesters in the luxury shopping area of Causeway Bay fell sharply to about 100, with police removing barricades that demonstrators had placed across some streets.

Protesters there called to each other to say they should regroup in the area around Leung’s office later on Friday.

DISAPPOINTMENT, SUSPICION

Some protesters suspect authorities are trying to buy time with their offer of talks to wait for numbers to dwindle.

“I hope the chief executive can stop siding with Beijing and do one thing for Hong Kong people,” Martin Lee, founding chairman of Hong Kong’s Democratic Party, told protesters.

“He should go to Beijing and say ‘I cannot really continue to run this place unless you give Hong Kong people what they deserve and what you have promised.”

The protests so far have been an amalgam of students, activists from the “Occupy” movement and ordinary Hong Kongers. They have come together under the banner of “Umbrella Revolution”, so called because many of them used umbrellas to ward off pepper spray used by police on Sunday.

Some now fear that the lack of any clear leadership could prove to be a telling weakness for the disparate groups.

“We are worrying the movement will lose steam without a clear leader leading. We are worrying that people will go back to normal like nothing has happened,” said protester Kenneth Mok, 22, a civil engineering graduate.

Benny Tai, who began the “Occupy Central” movement, said there were different groups but their goals were the same. Tai also welcomed the chance for talks with chief secretary Lam.

“We hope that we all can make use of this space to have a good dialogue to solve the current situation,” Tai told reporters near Leung’s headquarters.

The protests have brought parts of the Asian trading hub to a standstill. ANZ economists sent out a research note on Friday estimating that the protests may have cost retailers HK$2.2 billion ($283.5 million) so far, with retailers of luxury goods, cosmetics and consumer durables hardest hit.

The “Occupy Central” movement presents one of the biggest political challenges for Beijing since it violently crushed pro-democracy protests in and around Tiananmen Square in 1989.

Cracking down too hard could shake confidence in market-driven Hong Kong, which has a separate legal system from the rest of the country, but not reacting firmly enough could embolden dissidents in mainland China.

Hong Kong’s benchmark share index, the Hang Seng, plunged 7.3 percent in September, in part because of the uncertainty surrounding the protests. It was down 1 percent on Friday, echoing falls in global markets. Spooked by the protests, some banks and other financial firms have begun moving staff to back-up premises on the outskirts of the city. (1 US dollar = 7.7614 Hong Kong dollar)

(Additional reporting by John Ruwitch, Charlie Zhu, Yimou Lee, James Pomfret, Irene Jay Liu, Farah Master, Diana Chan, Clare Baldwin, Kinling Lo, Diana Chan and Jason Subler in HONG KONG; Writing by Paul Tait; Editing by Mark Bendeich)