Maniolas

Agence France-Presse 4:28 pm | Wednesday, February 19th, 2014 This photograph taken on February 20, 2010 shows two sulpha crested cockatoos before being seized during a joint rescue operation by wildlife authorities and conservation groups at the residential compound of a local wealthy businessman in the Depok district outside Jakarta. Authorities had seized almost 100 exotic animals and birds, including cockatoos, echidnas and wallabies, that had been smuggled into the Philippines for sale to wealthy collectors. AFP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines — Wildlife officers said Wednesday they had seized almost 100 exotic animals and birds, including cockatoos, echidnas and wallabies, that had been smuggled into the Philippines for sale to wealthy collectors. The cache, hidden in small containers in a van, was made up of wildlife from Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, said Eric Gallego, spokesman for the local office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. They included yellow-crested cockatoos and long-beaked echidnas, two species listed as “critically endangered” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. They also included four wallabies from Australia and about 90 exotic parrots from Indonesia, said Gallego. Several of the birds or animals had died, possibly from the stress of long travel in harsh conditions, he told AFP. Law enforcers acting on a tip stopped a van with the wildlife and two attendants in the southern city of Surigao on Mindanao island on Saturday, just as the vehicle was about to board a ship heading north. The birds and animals Read More …

By Matikas SantosINQUIRER.net 3:37 pm | Friday, January 31st, 2014 United Kingdom’s Secretary of State William Hague. Photo from gov.uk MANILA, Philippines—United Kingdom’s foreign secretary thinks the Philippines can be “one of Asia Pacific’s great success stories” citing the strong economy and the hard work of Filipinos both in the country and all over the world. “Your high rates of economic growth are a testament to strong economic policy and the hard work of Filipinos at home and abroad, including thousands in my own country,” William Hague, UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, said in his speech Thursday. “The Philippines clearly has the potential to be one of Asia Pacific’s great success stories and we want to support you in that, to the benefit of both our peoples,” he said. Hague highlighted the newly established direct flights between London and Manila that will boost tourism for both UK and the Philippines and the increase of scholars from the Philippines that will be able to study in universities in the UK. Before his speech, Hague met with Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosaro to discuss the two countries’ economic and diplomatic ties. “Secretary Hague and I reviewed our countries’ economic relations. British investments in the country increased by an impressive 293 percent from P1.72 billion in 2011 to P6.76 billion in 2012, making UK a major source of foreign direct investments,” del Rosario said in a joint press conference after their bilateral talks. “Similarly, our bilateral trade performed Read More …