71.   The new Philippine president confronted coup rumors by telephoning a general Thursday, but her defense minister announced his resignation, alleging the national security adviser was corrupt.

72.   The Philippine president also assured the International Labor Organization the proposed suspension is only a temporary measure and would help the government cope with the Asian crisis.

73.   The Philippine president plans to leave Russia on Saturday and travel to Kuwait, the Czech Republic and Austria.

74.   The Philippine president said his critics should allow an impeachment case against him to take its course instead of demanding his immediate resignation.

75.   The Philippine president said that his government has advanced deregulation and privatization policies and cracked down on crime, making the Philippines a safe place to invest.

76.   The Philippine president traveled to southern islands on Tuesday to rally troops engaged in a campaign to finish off Muslim extremist rebels who kidnapped a U.S. couple.

77.   The Philippine president was also scheduled to meet Friday with Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin and attend a Kremlin reception hosted by Yeltsin.

78.   The two-day visit is the first by a Philippine president to Russia.

79.   The wife of former Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Wednesday she plans to meet the Indonesian and Philippine presidents next week in Kuala Lumpur.

80.   The visit to Russia will be the first by a Philippine president.