Manila  - The Philippine government on Monday denied allegations that visiting Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat would seek political asylum for former premier Thaksin Shinawatra after his visa was revoked by the British government.

Somchai arrived for a seven-hour visit to the Philippines on Monday afternoon, triggering rumours of a possible asylum deal for Thaksin and his wife, Pojaman.

Press Secretary Jesus Dureza said there was no truth to the reports and added that should Thaksin make such a request, the Philippines will not approve it.

Iligan City, Philippines  - Philippine troops clashed Monday with Muslim separatist rebels who were allegedly planning to attack towns in a southern province, an army commander said.

The firefight erupted in the town of Wao in Lanao del Sur province, 810 kilometres south of Manila, after intelligence reports warned of a possible attack by up to 200 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels.

Colonel Nicanor Dolojan, an army brigade commander, said government troops launched "clearing operations" against MILF rebels who were "threatening to attack military installations and municipalities of Wao and nearby Bumbaran."

Zamboanga City, Philippines  - Three soldiers were killed and an army officer was missing in a clash with communist rebels in the southern Philippines, a regional army spokesman said Saturday.

Lieutenant Colonel Kurt Decapia said the fighting erupted Friday when army special forces raided an encampment of communist rebels in Monkayo town in Compostela Valley province, 930 kilometres south of Manila.

Manila  - A fisherman was killed in a rare shark attack in the northern Philippines, a police report said Friday.

The report said 38-year-old Joel Bacud suffered shark bites in his rib cage and chest in a rare attack on Thursday off the town of Paoay in Ilocos Norte province, 435 kilometres north of Manila.

Manila  - The Asian Development Bank said Friday that it approved a 1-million-dollar technical assistance grant to help boost the Philippine government's efforts to attain food security amid sharp surges in global food prices.

The Manila-based bank said the grant was to finance an analysis of the Philippines' agricultural and irrigation sectors.

Manila  - At least nine people were killed when a passenger motorboat capsized amid bad weather in the central Philippines on Thursday, local officials said.

It was the second motorboat to sink in the Philippines in three days.

The boat was battered by strong waves spawned by a tropical depression while on its way to an island off Concepcion town in Iloilo province, 450 kilometres south-east of Manila.