Manila - The Philippines' agriculture department Saturday ordered a ban on the importation of pigs and pork products from Mexico and the United States amid an outbreak of swine flu virus in the two countries. The virus is suspected to have killed 68 people in Mexico over the past three weeks, while at least eight people have been infected in the US.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said he ordered the import ban as a "precautionary measure" despite no links so far between swine farms and the outbreak.

Manila - Five people were killed when a cargo truck plunged into a ravine Saturday on a northern Philippine highway, a police report said. One more passenger was injured in the accident that occurred at dawn along a highway in Diadi town in Nueva Vizcaya province, 395 kilometres north of Manila.

The victims were aboard the truck that was loaded with fruit and was on the way to nearby Isabela province.

Manila - Two Swiss men were arrested in a southern Philippine city for allegedly operating a cybersex den, a police report said Saturday. The two suspects were arrested Friday during a raid in a three-story house in Kauswagan village in the outskirts of Cagayan de Oro City, 835 kilometres south of Manila.

Seventeen young women, allegedly involved in the cybersex ring were also taken into custody by the raiding team. At least six of the women were caught performing sex acts before a camera attached to a computer which was connected to the internet.

Manila - The Philippines has formed a task force to help a chemical tanker stranded off the coast of Somalia without fuel after being freed by pirates, the foreign ministry said Friday.

The Philippine-registered MT Stolt Strength, with 23 Filipino sailors on board, was released by pirates on Tuesday after five months in captivity. All the crew were unharmed and the ship was supposed to sail to Oman.

Manila - A US Marine whose rape conviction was overturned by the Philippines' appeals court has left the country as protesters denounced the reversal, the US Embassy said Friday.

Lance Corporal Daniel Smith, 24, has been under the custody of the US Embassy in Manila since he was convicted of rape and sentenced to life in prison in December
2006.

Cotabato City, Philippines - Eight Muslim secessionist rebels were killed in separate clashes in two towns in the southern Philippines, a regional military spokesman said Friday.

Colonel Jonathan Ponce said government troops did not suffer any casualties in the fighting in Pikit town in North Cotabato province, 930 kilometres south of Manila, and Datu Piang town in nearby Maguindanao province.