4 die in shootout as rebels seize Philippine bus

Supposed communist guerrillas seized a traveler bus Wednesday then opened fire on pursuing government military in a running gunbattle that killed at least four people in a region east of Manila. At least five New People's Army rebels commandeer the bus in Quezon province's San Francisco town after failing to show aggression a police station.

At the station, troops repelled the rebels, an army proclamation said. When police learned of the rebel presence in the bus, they gave chase, firing warning shots as the guerrillas sporadically blast at them with rifles and pistols.

"Civilian commuters riding the bus were held prisoner as the socialist terrorists fled from the firefight," the army said. Army troops later joined the pursue, which lasted for about an hour and covered a number of miles (kilometers) through three towns, army and police official said.

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Military recruiters told to accept gay applicants

The Defense Department said Tuesday that it is tolerant openly gay workers, but is warning applicants they might not be allowable to stick around for long.

Subsequent last week's court ruling that struck down a 1993 law banning gays from portion openly, the military has suspended enforcement of the rule known as "don't ask, don't tell." The Justice Department is appealing the choice and has asked the courts for a temporary stay on the ruling.

The Defense Department said it would fulfill with the law and had frozen any set free cases. But at least one case was reported of a man being twisted away from an Army recruiting office in Austin, Texas.

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