Manila - The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) said Tuesday it has received a donation of 500,000 dollars worth of materials that would boost research for cheaper and high-yielding rice varieties.

The Philippines-based institute said the donation pack from 5 PRIME, a Germany-based biotechnology company, includes technologies and reagents for DNA isolation, amplification and molecular analysis.

Manila - The Philippine military scaled down Monday an offensive against Muslim secessionist rebels in the southern Philippines in observance of the start of Islam's holy month of Ramadan.

Armed forces' chief of staff General Alexander Yano said the military will continue to pursue two Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebel commanders who led a series of deadly attacks last month.

Davao City, Philippines  - Three communist rebels were killed Saturday in a clash with government troops in the southern Philippines, a regional military spokesman said.

Manila- Police arrested on Saturday a Filipino Muslim activist
suspected to be involved in past deadly bomb attacks in the
Philippines.

Ruben Omar Pestano Lavilla, 36, was arrested at the Manila's Ninoy
Aquino International Airport shortly after he was deported from
Bahrain, according to police aviation security Chief Superintendent
Atilano Morada.

Morada said Lavilla was one of the founders of Rajah Solaiman
Movement, a radical group of Filipino Islamic converts whose members
were suspected to be involved in terrorist activities.

Lavilla is suspected to have masterminded the bombing of a

General Santos City, Philippines - Five Muslim secessionist rebels were killed in a clash with armed tribesmen in the southern Philippines, a provincial police chief said Saturday.

The five Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) guerrillas were killed Friday by T'boli tribesmen in Lake Sebu town in South Cotabato province, 1,050 kilometres south of Manila, according to Senior Superintendent Robert Kiunisala.

Zamboanga City, Philippines - Four marines were killed Saturday when suspected Islamic militants attacked their encampment on a southern Philippine island, a regional military spokesman said.

Ten more marines were wounded in the fighting that erupted when suspected Abu Sayyaf rebels fired mortars at the marines encampment in Patikul town on Jolo island, 
1,000 kilometres south of Manila, Major Eugene Batara said.

Batara said no casualties were reported on the enemy side.