Manila - The commander of Philippine troops battling Muslim militants holding captive three international Red Cross workers went on leave on Monday after a deal to free one of the hostages collapsed on the weekend.

Marine Major General Juancho Sabban was taking a two-week leave to attend an anti-terrorism conference in the United States starting on March 25, according to navy spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Edgard Arevalo.

Manila  - Philippine shares rose 2.46 per cent Monday on plans by the United States government to buy as much as 1 trillion dollars in toxic assets on banks' accounts.

The Philippine Stock Exchange's 30-share composite index added 45.19 points to close at 1,879.09 from Friday's finish of 1,833.90.

A total of 554.25 million shares valued at 4.73 billion pesos (97.72 million dollars) were traded.

Gainers outpaced losers 53 to 29, with 38 issues unchanged.

Manila  - Single mother Maritess Paloma had a simple dream in mind when she left home to work in Taiwan in June 2008 - to save enough money to buy a house in the northern Philippine province of Bulacan.

The dream crumbled when less than five months later, when she was laid off from her job at a Taiwan semiconductor factory.

Manila  - Three international Red Cross staff being held captive by Muslim militants in the southern Philippines were frightened and outraged when government troops clashed with their captors this week in an apparent bid to rescue them.

The hostages - Swiss Andreas Notter, Italian Eugenio Vagni and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba - were hysterical when they talked by phone with Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross, the Philippine Daily Inquirer said Friday.

Manila  - Philippine shares rose 3.