Kuala Lumpur - The Philippine government remains confident of reaching a peace agreement with Muslim separatist rebels despite a court ruling which temporarily blocked the inking of the long-awaited pact, the Philippines' Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo said Tuesday.

Romulo was confident that the "temporary setback" would be resolved quickly, adding that both Manila and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) had the political will to continue with the signing of the agreement.

Manila - Two militants linked to al-Qaeda were killed in a clash with government troops in a southern Philippine town, a navy spokesman said Wednesday.

Manila - Three communist rebels were killed in a clash with government troops in the northern Philippines on the weekend, an army spokesman said Wednesday.

Manila - Eleven people were killed when two passenger buses collided along a highway in the eastern Philippines on Tuesday, police said.

Sydney - A Qantas Boeing 747 made an emergency landing in the Philippines capital Manila on Friday after a tear in the plane's undercarriage.

The plane, which was on its way from Hong Kong to Melbourne, diverted to Manila.

There are no reports of injuries.

Speaking from Manila airport, June Kane from Melbourne said she heard a loud bang from underneath the plane and saw debris fly through the cabin.

Manila - The Philippine military plans to deploy 320 troops for UN peacekeeping missions in Liberia and Haiti, the Armed Forces chief of staff said Thursday.

General Alexander Yano said 165 Filipino soldiers would be dispatched to Liberia while 155 would be assigned to Haiti for six-month missions.

The Liberia contingent is to leave August 1 while the soldiers going to Haiti are to depart about two weeks later, Yano said.