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MANILA (AFP) – The Philippine government will slaughter 6,000 pigs on a farm near Manila where the Ebola-Reston virus has been found in the animals and its antibodies in humans, health officials said Friday.

The cull is expected to start Saturday on a farm in Bulacan province where the non-lethal virus was found last year.

Eric Tayag, head of the National Epidemiology Centre, said the cull could take up to seven days to complete.

"It is better to depopulate this (farm) so there will be no fear it will spread," Tayag told reporters.

"The pigs will be humanely electrocuted, their remains burnt and then buried on the farm," he added.

According to the World Health Organisation, the strain infecting the pigs is not dangerous to humans, unlike the four deadly Ebola subtypes found in Africa.

The government earlier imposed a quarantine on two farms in Bulacan and Pangasinan provinces after samples found some pigs were carrying the Ebola-Reston strain.

The strain was first found in laboratory monkeys exported from the Philippines to the US in 1989.

So far, six farmworkers and butchers have been found with the antibodies.

Scientists are still trying to determine if the six caught the virus from pigs.

If such a link is proved it would be the first time humans have contracted the disease from pigs.

The stages in the progression of a relationship as observed by the average love analyst.

(much like children) take time to develop. They grow and mature with love
, care and discipline. A relationship develops through stages. As I have observed there are six stages in a relationship. These consist of the first stage of blissful infatuation, the first, second, and third learning stages, then the turning point and last the stage of mature love.
First Stage
The first stage begins after the two people in the relationship initially become a couple, Before two people get together they obviously see something in each other that they like. Something, no matter what it is strikes their interest. For this they may long or yearn for one another. This is infatuation. After the initial hook this is all a couple has to go off of. It’s the simple bliss of having the person that was and/or is the object of their infatuation. It’s that giddy excitement of having a boyfriend or girlfriend figure from whom romantic affection is received.
Second Stage
The second stage is the first learning stage. This is when a couple begins to learn about each other’s likes and dislikes and hobbies. Things such as religious preference are discovered and learned about. Family is mentioned and perhaps bits and pieces about their lifestyles at home.
Third Stage
In the third stage ( the second learning stage) true personality begins to surface. Are they uptight or laid back? Are they passive or outgoing? Are they serious or fun-loving? In this stage partners become worthy of the title of best friend. They know each other now, their personality; there character. Now as the second learning stage intermingles with a more advanced form of the first learning stage the past is revealed and a deeper understanding of each other and each other’s lifestyles becomes apparent.
Fourth Stage
The fourth stage (the third learning stage) being the last stage just before the turning point is where a lot of break ups occur. Of course break ups can occur at any stage during a relationship in any length of time especially considering that a relationship can progress through the stages at any rate all depending on the couple and how much time they spend together and how well they communicate, but generally break ups will occur most often during the third learning stage and at the turning point. At this stage a couple grows on and becomes a part of one another. Habits are learned and adopted. Mental and emotional habits become clear as anger issues, sensitivity towards certain things, certain passions, strong emotions and weak ones. Are they very emotional or no? Do they show emotion or hide it? Habits in communication and some concerning affection will also become apparent.
Fifth Stage
The turning point comes around generally after the first year has past. There comes an event that marks the apex of the relationship. This is decision time. Based on all that has passed, based on everything that’s been learned or discovered, based on how a couple has grown on one another one must decide if their partner is truly the one for them; if the relationship is worth another year or two or forever. The trick is recognizing the turning point when it happens. If the turning point is ignored a relationship that should have ended could go on helplessly with the same reoccurring problems only to have wasted years before it ends in the very way it would have been expected to at the original turning point.
Sixth Stage
If the turning point is successfully overcome the relationship will come to rest in a state of mature love. This is true love. This is forever love. Recognition of this stage brings about happy, successful marriages.
Conclusion
Even if a relationship does not work out recognizing these stages will make the relationship more fruitful and there are always lessons to be learned from every relationship. By recognizing these stages a couple can watch their relationship progress and grow.

IRBIL, Iraq -- Hawjin Hama Rashid, a feisty journalist in bluejeans and a frilly blouse, had come to the morgue in this Kurdish city to research tribal killings of women. "A week doesn't pass without at least 10," the morgue director said, showing Rashid pictures of corpses on his computer screen.

First, a bloated, pummeled face.

Next, a red, shapeless, charred body. "Raped, then burned," the director said.

Then, another face, eyes half-closed, stab wounds below her neck.

Rashid leaned closer to the screen.

It was the bloody corpse of her best friend, Begard Hussein. Hussein had complained to police about her ex-husband, who had threatened to kill her if she refused to annul their divorce. Rashid had wanted to publish a photograph of her friend's body after she was killed in April, but officials said none existed. "They lied to me," Rashid said as she left the morgue, her sorrow fusing with anger.

From the southern port city of Basra to bustling Irbil in northern Iraq, Iraqi activists are trying to counter the rising influence of religious fundamentalists and tribal chieftains who have insisted that women wear the veil, prevented girls from receiving education and sanctioned killings of women accused of besmirching their family's honor.
In their quest for stability in Iraq, U.S. officials have empowered tribal and religious leaders, Sunni and Shiite, who reject the secularism that Saddam Hussein once largely maintained. These leaders have imposed strict interpretations of Islam and enforced tribal codes that female activists say limit their freedom and encourage violence against them.

"Women are being strangled by religion and tribalism," said Muna Saud, a 52-year-old activist in Basra.

The activists' struggle is part of a broader battle over the identity of a nation in transition. Driving the debate are questions central to Iraq's future: What role should Islam play in government, politics and society? And to what extent should Western attitudes and ideas influence the country?

"Without changing the way society thinks, changing laws on paper is useless," Rashid said.

Since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, satellite television, cellphones and Internet access have deepened the West's imprint on the relatively stable Kurdish region of Iraq, known as Kurdistan. Today, many urban women wear Western clothes and eschew Islamic head scarves. Women make up more than a quarter of the regional parliament.

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Ready, set, relax! Keep your kids safe on your next trip.
On the Airplane
A vacation should be fun for the whole family, and keeping your child safe is an essential element of a good trip. Check out these travel safety tips for your next getaway:

• All children need their own seats on airplanes. And children under the age of 2 or weighing less than 40 pounds should be securely fastened in child restraint seats on planes, according to new recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
• If you plan to use a car seat on the plane, make sure that it's FAA approved. The label on the restraint should read: "This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft." Check the seat size, too. A car seat wider than 16 inches can't fit properly in a coach seat.
• Ask about child-size emergency equipment. Call the airlines to make sure your particular aircraft has emergency equipment, such as life preservers, specifically designed for small children.
• Keep your child belted at all times. Turbulence can happen without warning, so keep your child belted in as much as possible. If your child wants to get up and move around, make sure the seat-belt sign is off before you unbuckle him.
• Don't seat your child on the aisle. Small children enjoy reaching out and exploring. If they are on the aisle, they could get hurt by a person or serving cart going down the aisle.
• Accompany your child to the lavatory. The bathroom may have sharp or hard objects that can injure a child. The lavatory door can trap a child's finger or hand as it opens and closes.