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Beijing, China (AHN) – The chairman of the largest fast food chain in the Philippines disclosed on Wednesday that the company will expand operations in China in 2012 by opening 100 more stores.

Jollibee Foods Corp. Chairman Tony Tan Caktiong is in China as part of the 270-member delegation of Filipino businessmen that Philippine President Benigno Aquino took with him to Beijing to seek trade opportunities and ties.

Jollibee, a Filipino-owned hamburger chain, has surpassed U.S. fast food chain giant McDonald’s in the Philippines in terms of sales and number of stores. The company, known for its red-and-black bumblebee mascot, has one outlet in Hong Kong, 51 Hong Zhuang Yuan branches and 226 Yonghe King stores in mainland China.

Like its Philippine operations, which is a consistent money-maker for the company, Jollibee’s China operations registered a 28 percent growth in the first half of 2011.

Besides its operation in China, the company inked in May an agreement with a Vietnamese company to own and operate several dining establishments in Vietnam, Hong Kong, Macau and southern China.

Meanwhile, Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario signed on Wednesday a five-year development program for trade and economic cooperation expected to boost two-way trade between Beijing and Manila to $60 billion by 2016.

The signing of the agreement, including a memorandum of understanding between the Philippine and Chinese foreign affairs offices and another cooperation agreement between the People’s Television Network and China Central Television, was witnessed by Aquino and Chinese President Hu Jintao.

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Miami, FL, United States (AHN) – Burger King will introduce healthy options on its menu on Monday through the launch of the California Whopper. The new offering is made of guacamole, which is a dip made of mashed ripe avocado, white onion, lime juice and seasoning.

The California Whopper contains 580 calories, 56 grams of fat and 50 grams of carbs.

As part of the launch, the fast food chain will also air this weekend a new ad campaign to promote the California Whopper showing the fresh ingredients being washed, sliced and diced, with an upbeat music as the only audio.

Industry experts pointed out that Burger King actually is a bit of a late bloomer in the fresh food campaign as other fast food outlets such as McDonald’s and Subway’s have been cashing on it for years now.

Alex Macedo, senior marketing vice president of Burger King, said the focus of the number two burger chain is to convince diners to return by coming up with new menu, updating its stores and image. Among the image change of the company is to drop the King character as its mascot.

Along with the launch of the California Whopper, which would sell for $4.49, is the reintroduction of the Breakfast Croissan’wich. Besides guacamole, the California Whopper will have Swiss cheese and bacon.

Burger King reported last week a 2011 second quarter earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of $150.6 million and the opening of 56 more international restaurants.

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Paris, France (AHN) – McDonald’s in Europe said on Wednesday that beginning October its fish sandwiches sold across the continent will have a blue-eco label.

The label, which will be on the wrapper of the fast food chain’s Filet-o-Fish sandwiches, will be issued by the Marine Stewardship Council. The council, a nonprofit organization, certifies if the fish used is sustainable.

The council was established in 1995 by the World Wildlife Fund and Unilever.

McDonald’s serves about 100 million Filet-o-Fish sandwiches yearly in Europe. The item is made of fried white fish, tartar sauces and cheese on a bun.

Besides it Filet-o-Fish sandwiches, McDonald’s coffee in Europe has a certification from the Rainforest Alliance in response to criticisms from green groups which have accused the fast food giant of destructive practices for the food it serves.

The Marine Stewardship Council upheld early this year an objection from the Scottish government to certify the mackerel fishery industry of the Faroes as sustainable. The objection was based on the Faroes unilateral hike of its catch quota in 2010, although the council said that the mackerel fishery industry was managed well.

Recently, largest U.S. supermarket chain Wal-Mart mandated an MSC certification from all its seafood products suppliers or from an equivalent certifying organization for cultured fish. Other major retailers such as Kroger, Costco and Supervalu also required the MSC blue eco-label on their marine products suppliers.

Europeans are fussier than Americans when it comes to the sources of their meals. They insist that foods available at restaurants are environmentally sustainable, while their American counterparts generally accept genetically modified ingredients, a McDonald’s spokeswoman in London pointed out.

McDonald’s operates about 7,000 outlets in 39 European nations.

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Miami, FL, United States (AHN Entertainment) – The most recent revival of the Broadway musical “Hair,” from director Diane Paulus and the Public Theater, rocked the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami Tuesday night with its free-spirited, interactive performance for a run that lasts through Sunday.

As soon you walk into the 2,400-seat Ziff Ballet Opera House to witness the “American Rock Love-Tribal Musical,” you’ll quickly notice the room feels more intimate than the last time you visited. (You’ll also notice an unusually high number of patrons dressed in tie-dye). That intimate feeling holds up for over throughout the two-hours plus of the entire show.

“Hair,” more than any other production, tears to shreds the “fourth wall” between viewer and performer before bringing the house down. This show isn’t for the conservative. Performers are in your seats, tousling your hair, and dancing in the aisles. If you think you need to go to the bathroom, hold it, unless you want to be a part of the show. But then again, everyone in attendance already is.

“Hair” plays like a call to action, one for peace, love, and no war. These aren’t dated ideals, as anyone with a beating heart should still have them. Instead of the show feeling like a product of its time, it has no need to prove its relevancy. It transports the audience, like any good period piece should, into the moment of late 60′s sexual freedom and anti-government resistance.

With book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni, and music by Galt MacDermot, “Hair” follows a tribe of New York hippies whose life filled with love, sex and pot-smoking becomes threatened when draft cards for the Vietnam War arrive. It ultimately becomes the main struggle for Claude (Paris Remillard), who feels torn between service and dissension.

Above all, what makes the show undoubtedly believable is the cast, including energy-filled Steel Burkhardt, Matt DeAngelis as Jagger-loving Woof, and scene-stealing Kacie Shiek as Jeanie. The chemistry between characters, especially between Berger and Claude, is beyond palpable.

There’s no major set pieces or special effects and the Tribe holds the show completely on their shoulders. The cast completely inhabit their roles, all the way down to their bios in the Playbill, which would make you think these aren’t actors at all but fully committed singing and dancing flower children.

The music still holds up incredibly well, with opener “Aquarius” and closer “Let the Sun Shine In” reminding audiences how these Broadway compositions were able to break through boundaries and become huge pop hits. Over 40 years since its original incarnation, “Hair” still feels like it’s pushing boundaries, inspiring some, shocking others, but putting on a show that’s surely unlike anything you’ve ever seen.

“Hair” plays at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts at 1300 Biscayne Blvd in Miami, FL through Sunday. Check arshtcenter.org for tickets or call the box office at (305) 949-6722.

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Frankfurt, Germany (AHN) – Three people with symptoms of E coli bacterial infection have died in Germany since Saturday and 350 cases of infection were recorded as of Monday.

Health authorities revealed that the latest fatality was a 24-year-old woman, who died on Monday. The cause of death is still being investigated.

A 83-year-old woman from the Diepholz area in Lower Saxony died from bloody diarrhea on Saturday while another octogenarian woman died Sunday. Both had symptoms of E coli infection.

The outbreak is being blamed on contaminated raw foods in north Germany, where the number of cases rose from 90 on Monday to 200 on Tuesday. Two canteens of consultancy firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers were closed on Friday after 19 diners became infected.

Last year, a similar outbreak affected 1,000 people.

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Charlotte, NC, United States (AHN) – The aircraft in the 2009 flight that ended in the Hudson River is poised to begin its journey to Charlotte, where it will tell the story of survivors in a museum.

Pieces of the plane piloted by Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger will be delivered on a specially designed truck from the New Jersey hangar, where it was cleaned and prepared for four months, to the Carolinas Aviation Museum.

The Airbus A320-214 will be re-assembled once all its parts arrive, with the last expected to arrive by June 11. The museum is scheduled to be closed for the day to begin the process of putting the plane back together and preparing it for permanent display.

The museum is located beside Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, the destination of the Airbus when it crash landed on the Hudson. Founded in 1992, the museum won against the Smithsonian and other institutions in January to acquire the aircraft, largely because it is located in a city where more than two thirds of the survivors live.

Sullenberger was forced to land the U.S. Airways jetliner on Jan. 15, 2009, on the river less than two minutes after taking off from LaGuardia Airport. All 150 passengers and five crew members of Flight 1549 survived. A bird strike was found to be the cause of the emergency landing.

The aircraft’s trip to the museum follows an announcement from CBS that the 60-year-old Sullenberger would join the network as an aviation expert who will provide commentary on news programs.

Sullenberger, who flew F-4 Phantoms in the Air Force before becoming a commercial pilot, retired last year after flying his last flight, with his co-pilot on the “Miracle on the Hudson” plane.

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Orlando, FL, United States (AHN Entertainment) – Start planning your 2012 family vacations to Universal Orlando. The theme park is going high-tech and 3-D with their new “Despicable Me” ride and their updated 4K high definition “The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man” attraction.

The overwhelming success of 2010′s “Despicable Me” opened the doors for a fantastic theme park opportunity set to open in 2012.

The 3-D CGI adventure will transform the guests into minions and transport them through Gru’s (the evil mastermind) lair. Guests, er….I mean minions….will meet Gru’s adopted daughters, be trained by Gru and end the experience by having a dance party with their fellow minions.

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man is already one of the park’s most popular attractions, combining 3-D and live effects, and will now be able to boast its cutting edge technology when it is reworked in 4K high definition. This will create an unbelievable and realistic experience that will transport guests into the world of Spider-Man, Hobgoblin and Electro.

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Melbourne, Australia (AHN) – A Melbourne, Australia-bound Qantas plane got low on fuel before it could reach its destination and landed in Adelaide to refuel before continuing the flight on Tuesday.

Flight 10 with 249 passengers left Singapore airport with an expected arrival time of 5 a.m. The flight crew then learned the Airbus A380 was low on fuel and the pilot decided to divert to Adelaide, landing there safely at 4:15 a.m.

After refueling and an inspection, the plane was cleared to resume its flight at 5:45 a.m., reaching Melbourne at 7:40 a.m., a delay of two hours and 40 minutes.

Strong winds apparently caused the plane to burn more fuel, according to Capt. Richard Woodward, vice-president of the Australian and International Pilots Association. He said diverting to refuel is rare but the pilot has the discretion on how much fuel to use.

An A380 plane can hold 250 tons of fuel, but the amount causes the plane to use more fuel because of its weight.

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London, England, United Kingdom (AHN) – British Transport Secretary Philip Hammond indicated that the government is ready to end the “war on the motorist” by hiking the motorway speed limit to 80 miles per hour from the current 70.

In preparation for the change, Hammond sought a more thorough cost benefit analysis of speed limits beyond safety issues. Safety concerns alone would lead most governments to lower the speed cap to 10 mph, Hammond said.

Among the other aspects of the issue is the cost of additional travel time with slower speed caps, particularly at a time when petrol prices continue to soar in the international market. Another is the frequent violation of the 70 mph speed limit, which caused the coalition government to spend a lot on purchases of speed cameras after the election.

According to data from the Department of Transport based on a 2009 research, 52 percent of British motorists drive beyond 70 mph on highways, of which 37 percent have 70 to 79 mph speeds.

However, the planned hike on speed limits could result in another rift by the Tory government with coalition partner, the Liberal Democrats. Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne, a LibDem, is against lifting the 70 mph ceiling because driving faster uses more fuel. A 10-mph difference from 70 to 80 speed would consume 10 to 20 percent more fuel.

Because of the recent oil price hikes, survey by AA found that 59 percent of 15,000 British drivers who participated in the poll are willing to slow down if it would save them some money. During the 2008 petrol price hike, average British motorist speed dropped to 69 mph from 70 mph, but the drivers’ speed went up once fuel prices decrease.

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