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The University of St. La Salle defeated University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos clinching anew the 32nd edition of Negros Occidental Private Schools Sports, Cultural and Educational Association (NOPSSCEA) football title at the North Ayala Point football field in Talisay City Sunday. Carrying the team of Ceres-La Salle, they made it back-to-back after winning the title last year. La Salle demolished NOPSSCEA champion West Negros University, 7-0, in the first round and 5-0 in the second round. UNO-R finished second this year while WNU landed at third. Scoring goals for Ceres-La Salle in Saturday's game were Aldrin Dolino in the 30th minute, Paulo Sanchez in the 50th, Joel Bedia in the 56th, and J. Baguioro in the 90th. Former national coach Freddie 'Nene" Lazarito coached the team with back up from transport magnate Leo Rey Yanson, a former La Salle football player. Playing for the team are: Jurex Replentes (goalkeeper), Jimmy Malalo-an, Anthony Tongson, Florence ...

There are now a total of 115 Kasibulan Grassroots Courses and Festivals (GCF) conducted successfully by the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) in the country today. "By the end of October, we should have completed 198 festivals with the support of our 33 Provincial Football Associations (PFA)," said Aquilino Pastoral III of the PFF national grassroots development. He said there are now currently 5,286 plus teacher- coaches, who just earned their grassroots badge and 33,788 new football players identified from ages 6 to 12 years old including girls. The remaining months of the year is allotted to Project 2019 of the PFF where regional, national and international competition will be conducted. Pastoral said Project 2019 is about players who are currently playing in the Kasibulan program,aimed at preparing young boys to play football in the world championship in 2019. PFF recently finished the evaluation of the Grassroots Development Program(GDP) of Kasibulan progra...

The World Bank has lowered its forecast for Russia's 2012 GDP growth to 3.5 percent from the previously projected 3.8 percent, the bank reported Monday. The economic growth forecast for 2013 was also downgraded from 4.2 percent to 3.6 percent. The World Bank's adjusted GDP growth outlook for 2012 coincided with the Russian government's forecast, but proved to be more pessimistic for 2013 than the 3.7 percent projected by the Russian Economic Development Ministry. In 2011, the Russian economy grew by 4.3 percent. "Despite a modest rise in oil prices, we project growth in Russia to decline from 4.3 percent in 2011 to 3.5 percent in 2012, and stay at 3.6 percent in 2013. The revision reflects the poor agricultural harvest and a weaker-than-expected global environment," the report said. 

The death toll has risen to eight after Saturday's explosion triggered by detonators illegally manufactured and stored at a residential building in north China's Hebei Province, local authorities said Monday. Five more bodies were retrieved while rescuers were clearing the debris in the city of Baoding, the city government said in a statement late Monday. Another 27 people are still under treatment in hospital, it added. Two suspects, a 38-year-old man surnamed Ge and his 42-year-old girlfriend, turned themselves in to police Monday noon in the eastern province of Anhui. Ge and two relatives started producing detonators in 2009. Due to poor sales, the three stored unsold detonators at a house of the six-storey building in Dongwuyao Village. The explosion that occurred Saturday afternoon toppled part of the building and also shattered the glass windows of buildings 200 meters away.

An earthquake measuring 6.2 jolted the Banda Sea at 7:43 p.m. Monday Beijing Time, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center. The epicenter, with a depth of about 20 km, was at 4.4 degrees south latitude and 129.2 degrees east longitude.

The first group of 1,523 Togolese Muslim pilgrims will leave the capital Lome Tuesday for Mecca, according the Togolese Muslim Union. In July, the Togolese National Commission for Hajj took measures to ensure proper organization of the visits to avert the difficult situation faced last year by Togolese pilgrims. The whole trip to Mecca for each of the pilgrims has been fixed at a cost of 1.8 million FCFA (3,600 U. S. dollars) inclusive of accommodation for one month and shopping in Mecca. In 2011, close to 1,500 Togolese pilgrims went to Mecca. However, 400 of those pilgrims found themselves in a difficult situation before returning to their country. To improve the organization of pilgrimage for the Togolese Muslims, the Muslim authorities decided that the measures to be taken will include the construction of a Hajj house at a cost of 2. 5 billion FCFA (5 million dollars).

World Bank Monday cut its forecast for the growth rate of the developing countries in the East Asia and Pacific region . The GDP growth for the EAP in 2012 is now projected to be 7.2 percent, a full percentage point down from 8.2 percent last year and also slower than their earlier assessment of 7.6 percent in this May. "This is the slowest growth rate in the Asia Pacific region since 2001. It's even slower than the peak of the financial crisis in 2009," Bert Hofman, the Chief Economist of EAP region of WB said during the press release here. According to the report, tensions on international financial markets have eased in recent months, following developments in Euro area and central bank action in Europe, the United States and Japan. However, their import demands from the EAP region still stay weak due to lackluster recovery in the U.S. and the recession in eurozone. "But uncertainties remain, and should conditions in Europe deteriorate sharply, no develo...

The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) on Monday vows to continue enforcing measures to wipe out small scale insect infestation among the country's coconut trees. PCA reported positive development in its mitigating measures to combat coconut scale insect infestation affecting nine municipalities in Batangas. In a statement, Euclides Forbes, PCA administrator, said that coconut farmers attested to the effectivity of the measures being undertaken – including pruning, spraying, and fertilization . Forbes said that they had already spent over P5 million to treat infected trees, adding that they would continue to provide technical and financial support to totally eradicate the infestation. "Technical staff from LGU's (local government units) and farmers observed that after leaf pruning, coconut trees fully recovered when salt is applied as fertilizer," Forbes said. As of October 2012, there were already 252,967 leaves pruned in the affected municipaliti...

Singapore shares closed 1 percent lower Monday, weighed down by concerns about the outlook for the global economy and corporate earnings despite better-than- expected U.S. jobs numbers at the end of last week. An unexpected drop in the U.S. unemployment rate to below 8 percent was overshadowed by concerns about the earnings season -- which kicks off with Alcoa Incorporated Tuesday. SIAS Research said "the Straits Times Index could be flattish, with fluctuations of about 0.5 percent up or down, and we could see some profit-taking in the week" amid choppy trade. But the research house also added "this could be a good buying opportunity for those who have been sitting on the sidelines... The small- and mid-capitalization and the cyclical could be coming back into play. " NRA Capital said "the Straits Times Index could be range-bound this week, between the 2,900 points and 3,100 points levels, although the bias is toward the downside after the recent rally,...

The Senate passed on third and final reading two bills which would increase the bed capacity of two hospitals in Quezon City and San Fernando, Pampanga. Sponsored by Senate committee on health and demography chairperson Pia Cayetano, House bill 5622 has been approved to increase the bed capacity of the Quirino Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City from 350 beds to 500 beds. Also sponsored by Cayetano, Senate Bill No. 2853 has also been passed seeking to increase the bed capacity of the Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital in San Fernando, Pampanga from 250 beds to 500 beds. "This is to improve the delivery of basic health services in the areas," Cayetano said. House Bill No. 5622 and Senate Bill 2853 were approved with 19 affirmative votes, 0 negative vote and 0 abstention with Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada, Majority Floor Leader Vicente Sotto III and Senators Edgardo Angara, Joker Arroyo, Pia Cayetano, Mi...

The suspected case of severe respiratory disease associated with Novel Coronavirus affecting a four-year-old Saudi Arabian boy was confirmed to be an influenza infection, the Center for Health Protection in Hong Kong said Monday. The center carried out an urgent investigation into the case on receipt of notification from Ruttonjee Hospital Sunday. The boy was admitted to Queen Mary Hospital for isolation on the same day. He has upper respiratory tract symptoms and there is no clinical or radiological evidence of pneumonia. He is stable. The boy tested positive for influenza A (H1N1) 2009 virus but negative for Novel Coronavirus.