REYKJAVIK, Iceland – Iceland on Tuesday, January 19, welcomed the first Syrian refugees to reach the country, as 6 families swapped a Red Cross camp in Lebanon for the chilly climes of Europe's extreme north.

The group were met at the airport by no less than the country's prime minister Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson, whose press service said he had expressed the wish that the newcomers would soon feel at home.

The 35-strong group will stay with families in 3 municipalities – Akureyri in the north and Kopavogur and Hafnarfjordur near the capital Reykjavik.

"Thank you Iceland, this is a great country," the Morgunbladid daily quoted one Syrian man as saying.

Local authorities are laying on a range of social programmes to hasten the families' integration.

"Every effort will be made to help the refugees to build a new life in Iceland and adapt to conditions here so they can actively participate in Icelandic society," the government said in a statement.

Four more families are expected soon while some more have turned down the offer to forge new lives more than 5,000 kilometres (3,100 miles) from home, the ministry for social affairs revealed.

Official statistics say just 21 Syrians emigrated to Iceland, which has a population of some 330,000, between 2011 when the conflict broke out in their homeland and the end of 2014.

Reykjavik initially said it would take in 50 refugees but then said it would increase that figure amid a campaign on social media which saw several thousand citizens pledge readiness to provide accommodation. – Rappler.com

KHARTOUM, Sudan – Thousands of civilians in a remote area of Sudan's war-hit Darfur could be affected by fresh fighting between rebel and forces nearby, the United Nations said on Tuesday, January 19, amid ongoing clashes.

Government troops and rebels have been battling around the mountainous Jebel Marra area straddling Central, South and North Darfur states that is seen as a stronghold for insurgents battling President Omar al-Bashir since 2003.

"Thousands of people live in this remote part of Darfur, and the protection of men, women and children is a top priority amid the chaos of fighting which could lead to widespread displacement of entire communities," said Ivo Freijsen, the Sudan head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

"The impact on civilians of the ongoing hostilities that are being reported in the Jebel Marra between government and rebel forces can only be of paramount concern to the humanitarian community here," he said in a statement.

The clashes come despite Bashir – who is wanted on war crimes charges related to Darfur – announcing a one-month extension to a ceasefire he declared in September covering Darfur as well as the South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, where he faces separate insurgencies.

The UN-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) said in a statement on Tuesday it "is still receiving reports of continued fighting between both parties in Central Darfur".

"The fighting allegedly resulted in an undetermined number of casualties on both sides," it said, adding that it had also received reports that houses had been destroyed in the clashes.

It said it had also received reports that government aircraft had dropped bombs north of a UNAMID base in the Jebel Marra town of Nertiti on Saturday and Sunday (January 16-17) "leading to undetermined casualties".

The Sudanese military did not immediately comment on the latest clashes.

Jebel Marra has been quiet in recent months, but last year it was the scene of fierce fighting between government forces and the Sudan Liberation Army-Abdul Wahid (SLA-AW).

The SLA-AW is one of the groups that rebelled against Bashir's Arab-dominated government nearly 13 years ago, complaining that the western region was being marginalised.

Bashir unleashed warplanes, ground forces and allied militia to crush the insurgents and was indicted by the International Criminal Court in 2009 for alleged war crimes in the region.

More than 300,000 people have been killed in the fighting since 2003, and there are some 2.5 million people displaced by the fighting living in Darfur, according to the UN.

UNAMID deployed to Darfur in 2007 to protect civilians and secure humanitarian aid deliveries. – Rappler.com

LA PAZ, Bolivia – A pregnant woman has been diagnosed with Zika in Bolivia, authorities said Tuesday, January 19, the first time the mosquito-borne virus, which has been linked to birth defects, has been transmitted here.

Health officials in the South American country had previously detected 3 people who arrived from other countries with the disease, but the woman – who is 8 weeks pregnant – is the first person to be infected in Bolivia, they said.

"She has not traveled outside the country. This is a home-grown case," said Joaquin Monasterio, director of health services for the eastern department of Santa Cruz.

It is impossible to determine whether the woman's baby will suffer from brain damage, officials said.

Several pregnant women infected with Zika in Brazil have given birth to babies who suffered from microcephaly, a rare condition in which the brain and skull are abnormally small.

A woman in Hawaii who had recently returned from Brazil with Zika also gave birth to a baby with brain damage, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed.

But the World Health Organization said Tuesday it did not yet have conclusive evidence that Zika causes microcephaly.

Zika, which is similar to dengue fever, has been spreading across Latin America. It had been detected in 10 countries in the region prior to the Bolivian case, according to the Pan American Health Organization.

The virus can cause fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis, with symptoms usually lasting less than a week. – Rappler.com

MEXICO CITY, Mexico – Mexican authorities have found "signs" that drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman invested in the tequila business of actress Kate Del Castillo, the attorney general said in an interview published Tuesday, January 19.

But Mexico's chief prosecutor, Arely Gomez, told El Universal newspaper that US actor Sean Penn is not being investigated over his October meeting with Guzman, which Del Castillo arranged.

Gomez said her office is examining whether Guzman gave illegal funds to Del Castillo's Tequila Honor company, a crime that, if proven, would amount to money laundering.

"There are signs, but we need legal certainty," she said.

Prosecutors have called Del Castillo, a 43-year-old US-Mexican TV star, to testify as a witness over her links to Guzman, 58.

The actress, known for her role as a drug lord in the TV series "The Queen of the South," has the option of speaking to the authorities at the Mexican consulate in Los Angeles, where she resides.

The actress has come under scrutiny since it was revealed last week that she exchanged affectionate text messages with Guzman and brokered the meeting between Penn and the Sinaloa drug cartel leader.

She wrote on Twitter last week that the reports about her "aren't truthful" and that she would soon tell her side of the story.

El Universal published text messages on Monday, January 18, that were allegedly exchanged between one of Guzman's attorneys and Del Castillo, in which they apparently discuss the possibility of the drug lord participating in her tequila company before his July prison break.

A company named Tequila Honor LLC was registered in the US state of Delaware in September 2014. The actress promotes her company's brand, Honor Del Castillo, on her website.

The US Treasury Department forbids American citizens and companies from conducting financial transactions with designated drug suspects.

Asked by Agence France-Presse if Del Castillo or her tequila company were under investigation, the department said in an emailed statement that it does "not comment on sanctions enforcement or claims about potential sanctions violations."

Penn off the hook

Gomez said authorities are also investigating who paid for the plane and the logistics for the trip to see Guzman in October.

Penn wrote about the meeting with Guzman in an undisclosed "jungle" clearing in Mexico for Rolling Stone magazine.

The US actor said the then-fugitive wanted Del Castillo to help him make a biopic about his life.

Gomez said authorities are looking into whether Guzman financed a film, but that Penn "is not being investigated for anything."

Asked about reports that US director Oliver Stone may have been involved, Gomez said that there are "no accusations against him."

Guzman was recaptured on January 8 in Los Mochis, a seaside city in his northwestern home state of Sinaloa, 6 months after his brazen tunnel escape from a maximum-security prison.

Authorities say the discovery of Guzman's meeting with the actors in October, subsequent military operations in his mountain stronghold and the drug lord's desire to see Del Castillo again contributed to his arrest. – Laurent Thomet, AFP / Rappler.com

DAVOS, Switzerland – Plastic rubbish will outweigh fish in the oceans by 2050 unless the world takes drastic action to recycle the material, a report warned Tuesday, January 19, on the opening day of the annual gathering of the rich and powerful in the snow-clad Swiss ski resort of Davos.

An overwhelming 95% of plastic packaging worth $80-120 billion (73-110 billion euros) a year is lost to the economy after a single use, said a global study by a foundation fronted by yachtswoman Ellen MacArthur, which promotes recycling in the economy.

The study, which drew on multiple sources, proposed setting up a new system to slash the leaking of plastics into nature, especially the oceans, and to find alternatives to crude oil and natural gas as the raw material of plastic production.

At least 8 million tons of plastics find their way into the ocean every year – equal to one garbage truckful every minute, said the report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which included analysis by the McKinsey Centre for Business and Environment.

"If no action is taken, this is expected to increase to two per minute by 2030 and 4 per minute by 2050," it said, with packaging estimated to represent the largest share of the pollution.

Call for plastics revolution

Available research estimates that there are more than 150 million tons of plastics in the ocean today. 

"In a business-as-usual scenario, the ocean is expected to contain one ton of plastic for every 3 tons of fish by 2025, and by 2050, more plastics than fish," it said.

"This report demonstrates the importance of triggering a revolution in the plastics industrial ecosystem and is a first step to showing how to transform the way plastics move through our economy," said Dominic Waughray of the World Economic Forum, the hosts of the annual talks in Davos who jointly released the report.

"To move from insight to large-scale action, it is clear that no one actor can work on this alone. The public, private sector and civil society all need to mobilize to capture the opportunity of the new circular plastics economy," he said.

A sweeping change in the use of plastic packaging would require cooperation worldwide between consumer goods companies, plastic packaging producers, businesses involved in collection, cities, policymakers and other organisations, said the report.

It proposed creating an independent coordinating body for the initiative.

"Plastics are the workhorse material of the modern economy with unbeaten properties. However, they are also the ultimate single-use material," said Martin Stuchtey of the McKinsey Center for Business and Environment.

"Growing volumes of end-of-use plastics are generating costs and destroying value to the industry," he added.

Re-usable plastics could become a valuable commodity in a "circular economy" that relied on recycling, Stuchtey said.

"Our research confirms that applying those circular principles could spark a major wave of innovation with benefits for the entire supply chain," he said. – David Williams, AFP / Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Former Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) minister Lowell Menorca was arrested by plainclothes policemen in Manila on his way to  the Court of Appeals on Wednesday, January 20.

Menorca, who was with wife Seiko, was on his way to court to testify on petitions for writs of habeas corpus and amparo filed by his relatives before the High Court in October 2015.

Interviewed by Ted Failon on radio dzMM, Menorca said he did not even receive any notice of his impending arrest, which stemmed from a libel case filed in Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte.

The warrant was issued by acting presiding Judge Alberto Quinto of Regional Trial Court, 12th Judicial Region, Branch 12 in Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte, on December 21, 2015. Bail was set at P10,000.

"Itong mga bagay na ito, hindi ako kayang kumbinsihin na walang kinalaman ang Iglesia ni Cristo (I cannot be convinced that the Iglesia ni Cristo has nothing to do with this)," said Menorca, who was allegedly detained by the INC last year to force him to expose members critical of the chuurch. 

There was a nearly two-hour standoff at the corner of Roxas Boulevard and Quirino Avenue in Manila after two plainclothes policemen – one of them in short pants – attempted to serve the arrest warrant on Menorca.

His wife, Seiko, told Failon that the policemen, who did not even show them their badges to prove their identity, "grabbed" Menorca as soon as he got out of their vehicle to move to another vehicle. One of them even reportedly tore his shirt in the process.

Seiko said the police "flashed" an arrest warrant to them but did not let them read it in full.

In the video taken by Seiko, the policemen refused to show their badge to the couple despite their repeated demand, and just said Menorca was under arrest.

Previous abduction

In the radio interview, Menorca reminded police authorities he had a traumatic experience with their colleagues in the past – he had narrated he was detained by policemen in Sorsogon who filed trumped-up charges of illegal possession of explosives, which were eventually dismissed. (READ: INC Minister Lowell Menorca: The story of my kidnapping)

At the time of the interview, the number of policemen surrounding Menorca had swelled to 20, led by Superintendent Ed Leonardo, chief of Manila Police District Station 10.

"Susunod ako sa batas bagama't alam ko na ginagamit nila (INC leadership) ang batas para gipitin ang mga tao na katulad ko. Di ako lalaban. Napapaligiran ako. Gusto lang ng asawa ko, ligtas ako," Menorca said.

(I will follow the law, though I know that they [INC leadership] use the law to harass people like me. I won't fight. I'm already surrounded. My wife just wants to keep me safe.)

Isaias Samson, another former INC minister facing libel charges, earlier said that according to information that he had gathered, other libel cases have been filed against Menorca in different parts of the country, such as Isabela and Cavite, besides Marawi City. (READ: INC minister Isaias Samson: Life in danger)

Menorca said he did not know about these cases because "I have never received any notice."

Menorca requested, through the radio interview, that he be brought to the police station by Manila Police District Chief Senior Superintendent Rolando Nana himself. He didn't want to be handled by policemen who are members or affiliated by the INC.

Nana later heeded the request and escorted Menorca to Station 5, where he was booked and was expected to post bail.

INC spokesman: Face charges

INC spokesman Edwil Zabala said in the same interview that the INC had nothing to do with the arrest, and is not even aware of it. He said those who served the warrant would be in the best position to respond to questions arising from it.

"Itiniwalag na namin si Mr Menorca. Sapat na po 'yun sa panig ng Iglesia. That's the most that can be done as far as his membership in the church is concerned. Ngayon, kung meron siyang dapat na harapin na kaso, harapin po niya. Dapat harapin niya yun at 'wag niyang ibaling sa amin dahil hindi naman po ang organisasyon ng Iglesia ang gustong umaresto sa kanya," Zabala said.

(We already expelled Mr Menorca. That's enough on the part of the Iglesia. That's the most that can be done as far as his membership in the church is concerned. Now, if he has to face charges, then he should face them. He should face that and not drag us into it because the organization is not the implementing the arrest order.)

In response, Menorca said he understands the position taken by Zabala as he represents the INC and could not divulge any information unless authorized by the leadership.

"They will continue to deny all of those things. Sabi nila wala silang kinalaman sa arrest warrant, pagsasampa ng kaso sa iba't-ibang panig ng Pilipinas. Alam naman namin lahat na hindi kikilos ang isang kaanib ng organisasyon sa loob ng Iglesia na walang patnubay at pag-utos ng [nasa itaas)," he said.

(They say they have nothing to do with the arrest warrant, the filing of cases in different parts of the Philippines. We all know that members of the organization would not move without the guidance and order of the leadership.)

Preliminary investigation?

Menorca's lawyer, Trixie Cruz-Angeles, arrived past 10 am at the MPD Station 5, where Menorca was being held.

Angeles said they were surprised by the arrest, adding that they were not given any notice about the libel complaint against the former minister.

"Walang notice ang client namin, that's why even the fact na libel 'yung kaso, di namin alam. Normally, dadaan sa preliminary investigation. Walang notice ng preliminary investigation," she said.

(Our client did not receive any notice, that's why even the fact that it was a libel case, we did not know. Normally it goes through a preliminary investigation. There was no notice for a preliminary investigation.)

The lawyer added that Menorca's experience in Sorsogon, where he was allegedly abducted supposedly on orders of top INC officials, was always at the back of the family's mind.

Menorca and his family are seeking a writ of amparo to protect themselves, citing continued harassment and threats against them.

A writ of amparo is a remedy available to any person whose right to life, liberty and security has been violated or threatened. A writ of habeas corpus is a legal action sought on behalf of a person who has been unlawfully detained.

In an interview on dzMM on her way to Station 5, Angeles expressed confidence that the court would grant a request for Menorca to give his testimony on another day, if he would be unable to get to the CA for the scheduled hearing.

Asked what would happen if Menorca would not be able to make it to court, Angeles said: "We will ask the court for another setting,  considering that this is a matter beyond our control. And we have no doubt that the court, which is a fair court, will grant it."

She added" "Right now, we have to make sure that he's safe. The reason why this case reached the Supreme Court is this is a case for habeas corpus and amparo precisely to protect him from the possibility that he may be harmed. And the people he had accused of attempting to harm him are agents of the law. So even the members of the police would understand this."– Rappler.com 

DAVOS, Switzerland – A string of jihadist attacks and rising risks to the global economy overshadow the opening Wednesday, January 20, of the annual gathering of the world's rich and powerful in a snow-blanketed Swiss ski resort.

The heightened security threat was starkly in evidence in Davos itself, with police carrying machine guns patrolling the streets and concrete blocks placed in front of key venues.

Even as heads of state, billionaires and Hollywood megastar Leonardo DiCaprio were arriving, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) sounded the alarm Tuesday, January 19, about perils in the major emerging market economies and lowered its outlook for global economic growth this year.

None of the dozens of sessions in the 4-day conference are officially dedicated to it, but the slowdown in Chinese growth is darkening the mood.

China's GDP grew at its slowest in a quarter of a century last year, figures showed Tuesday.

"The big event that I think has captured everyone's attention is the developments in China and in particular the fact that growth is slowing," IHS chief economist Nariman Behravesh told Agence France-Presse.

The Chinese policymakers have "fumbled", he said. "They have made some mistakes. And they have added to the uncertainty and the volatility by their behaviour."

China's problems will be discussed at Davos – "but they won't say it in public, they will say it in the hallways," Behravesh said, noting that "the public Davos is a little different than the private Davos."

That is exactly why 2,500 movers and shakers make their annual pilgrimage here – to discuss the biggest issues openly and, when they wish, far from the prying eyes of their domestic audiences.

Migrants in focus

US Vice President Joe Biden is expected to be the key speaker on Wednesday, laying out his vision of the turbulent times that the global economy is facing.

Europe's migrant crisis is also a theme running through this year's Davos.

German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel and Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Loefven will take part in a debate Wednesday on how to integrate migrants, at a time when the fallout from the New Year's Eve sex attacks in Cologne threaten Germany's open-armed approach to admitting hundreds of thousands of people.

The Open Forum format of their debate allows the public to ask questions on the hottest issue in Europe at the moment.

Later in the week, far-left Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras locks horns once again with his bete noire, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, in what promises to be an animated debate.

Argentine President Mauricio Macri will make his first appearance at Davos since his election in November, setting out his case for economic reform in a country with a turbulent recent past.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will seek understanding for his nation's ongoing unrest and on Thursday, January 21, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to face questions about his handling of the Boko Haram insurgency in Africa's most populous country. – Guy Jackson, AFP / Rappler.com

ATHENS, Greece – At least 44 people including 20 children have died after their boats sank on their way from Turkey to Greece on Friday, January 22, with dozens of other migrants reported missing, coastguard officials in Greece and Turkey said.

The Greek coastguard said they had rescued 74 people after two boats ran into trouble off the Greek Aegean islands of Farmakonisi and Kalolimnos in the early hours.

They recovered the bodies of 17 children, 17 women and 10 men. A search operation, backed by a helicopter from EU border agency Frontex, was under way for dozens of people still missing from the boat that capsized off Kalolimnos.

Separately, the Turkish coastguard said they had found the bodies of three children on Friday after a third boat sank near the seaside resort of Didim, the Dogan news agency reported

People fleeing war and misery in the Middle East and elsewhere – many of them Syrian refugees – are still arriving from Turkey in flimsy boats in their thousands every day, despite the dangers and the harsh winter weather.

At least 113 migrants have died in the Aegean already this year, according to the International Organization for Migration.

The IOM estimates that some 37,000 migrants have reached Greece by sea so far this year, hoping to start new lives in Germany, Sweden and elsewhere in the European Union.

On Thursday at least 12 migrants, including children, drowned off the Turkish coast as their boat tried to reach Greece. The Turkish coastguard rescued 28 people.

Turkey, which is home to some 2.2 million refugees from Syria's civil war, has become a hub for migrants seeking to reach Europe, many of whom pay people smugglers thousands of dollars for the risky crossing.

Ankara reached an agreement with the EU in November to stem the flow of refugees heading to Europe, in return for financial assistance.

Brussels vowed to provide three billion euros ($3.3 billion) as well as political concessions to Ankara in return for its cooperation in tackling Europe's worst migrant crisis since World War II.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel -- whose country took in 1.1 million asylum seekers in 2015 – was set to meet Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Friday, with the migrant crisis top of the agenda.

The outcome of the talks is not only important for Merkel, who faces intense pressure at home to impose a cap on Germany's refugee intake, but will also have resonance across Europe where public opinion is hardening against the record asylum seeker influx. – Rappler.com

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Independent presidential candidate Grace Poe said during a press conference in Cebu City on Friday, January 22, that she does not have any beef with Cebuano voters, despite her father's controversial loss in the province 12 years ago.

It was in Cebu that her father, then-presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr, claimed he was cheated by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the 2004 elections. Arroyo won the election in the province and nationally.

When asked if she feels any bitterness toward Cebuano voters, Poe said she had no hard feelings and is confident that Cebuanos would "vote wisely" in the upcoming elections. She mentioned that in 2013, when she ran for senator, she placed 4th in Cebu Province and 2nd in Cebu City.

Poe was in the city for a quick visit with her running mate Senator Chiz Escudero, and senatorial candidates Susan "Toots" Ople and Bayan Muna partylist representative Neri Colmenares.

The 4 candidates were in town to speak with students at Southwestern University in Cebu.

"Sa tuwing pupunta kami dito sa Cebu namangha kami, sa dami ng pagbabago at development," Poe told reporters. (Every time we come here to Cebu, we are surprised at all the new changes and developments.)

Courting Cebuanos

This is the senator's second visit to Cebu after announcing her candidacy for president last September.

Despite leading in the national surveys over the past months, Poe's ratings in the Visayas are lower at 15%, compared to her 20% rating nationally, as of December 2015.

In October 2015, she went to Danao City, Cebu, to meet with the Durano family and the local Bakud Party. Poe said that while she is not seeking an official endorsement from Bakud, she "welcomes" their support. 

Former tourism secretary and Cebu 5th District Representative Ace Durano is currently Poe's campaign manager despite being a relative of another presidential candidate, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

According to the latest data from the Commission on Elections, Cebu is still the most vote-rich province in the country with about 2.5 million registered voters.

In Cebu City, suspended mayor Michael Rama is supporting United Nationalist Alliance candidate Vice President Jejomar Binay, while Bandok Osmeña Pundok Kausuwgan (BOPK), the local alliance of the prominent Osmeña family, are supporting Liberal Party candidate Mar Roxas.

Train line in Cebu

Traffic, public transportation, and water supply are the top issues that the next administration needs to address in Cebu, Poe told reporters. (READ: The Leader I Want: Grace Poe's to-fix list for 2016)

Poe said that rapid development should be a signal for local and national leaders to plan ahead.

"Ngayon parang Metro Manila ang dating, sapagkat napaka-traffic kahit saan ka pumunta (sa Cebu," she said. (Now, it's like Metro Manila here, the traffic is bad everywhere.)

Poe added, "Kaya nga minsan, pag nangangarap tayo, magplano tayo, isipin natin kung anong pwede nating gawin sa kinabukasan." (When we dream, we should plan. We should think about what to do for the future.)

Poe told reporters that a train line should be planned, and it should be connected to the resort airport in Mactan.

"Importante rin kung magkakaroon ng tren mula airport, hanggang sa city center," she added. (It's important to have the train run from the airport to the city center.)

Disqualified or not?

In Cebu, there is still some confusion among voters on whether or not she is disqualified. But her latest commercial, which is also aired frequently on local television, clarifies that.

"Pero pati commercial ko gusto nilang i-DQ (They even want to disqualify my commercial)," Poe quipped on the recent motion by lawyer Kit Tatad to stop her political advertisement. 

According to latest media reports, her name will be included on the 2016 ballot as the Supreme Court has not issued a decision on petitions to disqualify her as a candidate due to citizenship and residency issues.

Lawyer Estrella Elamparo, the petitioner seeking to disqualify Poe, is also seeking to disqualify Supreme Court Justice Marvic Leonen for sympathizing with Poe. The presidential candidate reacted to this at the press conference. (READ: Justice Leonen: Should SC let people decide first on Poe?)

"Why only disqualify Leonon? Why not also disqualify those biased against me?" Poe said in Filipino.

Oral arguments on Poe's petition are scheduled to resume in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, January 26. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Despite the harassment he and his family endured allegedly upon orders of top church officials, expelled Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) minister Lowell Menorca II said he will not be filing criminal charges against INC executive minister Eduardo Manalo.

“I made it clear [to my lawyers that] for succeeding criminal charges, hindi kasama ang Ka Eduardo (Ka Eduardo’s name should not be included). Because I firmly believe that for him as executive minister, it is only God who can judge him for whatever he has done right or wrong,” Menorca said in a press conference in Mandaluyong City on Friday, January 22.

Menorca was released on bail on Friday afternoon after paying a cash bond of P20,000 for his two libel cases hailing from Mindanao.

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Two days earlier, Menorca was arrested by plainclothes policemen as he was on his way to the Court of Appeals to testify on the petitions for writs of habeas corpus and amparo filed by his relatives. 

A scuffle and a standoff ensued after Menorca initially resisted arrest because the officers reportedly refused to show their badges and merely "flashed" the arrest warrant against the expelled Iglesia minister. (READ: Jinky Menorca slams husband's arrest as ‘overkill’)

Menorca had previously alleged that he was abducted and illegally detained at the INC central compound, supposedly upon orders of the church leadership. The INC leadership has denied all of Menorca’s claims. (READ: Iglesia ni Cristo eyes case against critics)

In October 2015, Menorca's relatives filed petitions for writs of habeas corpus and amparo before the Supreme Court. The Court of Appeals is currently hearing the petitions.

During Friday's press conference, Menorca explained that the executive minister's name was only included in the petitions because Manalo represented the INC.

“So when I got out, nung tinanong ko ‘yung attorney kung bakit kasama ang pangalan ng Ka Eduardo diyan e ‘di ko naman siya gustong idemanda. Ang sabi sa akin is because, what we are petitioning for is 'yung Iglesia ni Cristo, which is a corporation sole, and that should be represented by the head, which is Ka Eduardo,” said Menorca.

(When I got out, I asked my lawyer why Ka Eduardo’s name was included when I didn’t want to file a case against him. I was told that because we are petitioning the Iglesia ni Cristo, which is a corporation sole, that should be represented by the head, which is Ka Eduardo.)

Menorca was supposed to take the witness stand and undergo cross examination last January 20 before he was arrested.

No criminal charges vs guards, too

Menorca said he will also not file criminal charges against Lean Velasco and Samuel Pinca, the two security personnel tasked to watch over the Menorca family while they were being detained at the INC compound last year.

“Because even though they were simply instructed na bantayan kami, na ‘di kami puwedeng lumabas, kahit papaano, they made our life there easier. ‘Di nila pinaramdam sa amin kumbaga na preso kami, na ‘di kami puwede lumabas,” said Menorca.

(Because even though they were simply instructed to guard us, to prevent us from going out, they made our life there easier somehow. They didn’t make us feel that we were prisoners just because we weren’t allowed to leave.)

He said the two became “like family" to the Menorcas.

“Pero naunawaan ko sila dahil sa sumusunod din sila sa tagubilin sa kanila na ‘di kami puwedeng lumabas ng gate ng Central, hanggang diyan ka lang, hindi mo sila puwedeng payagan na lumabas ng bahay nang walang kasama. Those things, naiintindihan dahil sa they are under strict instructions,” Menorca added.

(But I also understood why they had to prohibit us from going past the central gate or from going somewhere without a guard. I understood those things because they are under strict instructions.)

3 conditions

Menorca has vowed to “put the full weight of justice and the law” against those responsible behind his kidnapping and libel complaints. He is currently being represented by lawyer Trixie Cruz-Angeles and lawyers from the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) led by Mirabel Cristobal. 

In pursuing his next legal steps, Menorca said he is focused on 3 conditions. 

“One, for the whole Sanggunian to step down and allow a transparent investigation of the charges against them,” said the former minister. Menorca and his wife earlier said his arrest was the church's attempt to block his testimony at the appellate court.

“Number two, that all personnel, whether ministers or not, law enforcement or not, who were involved in kidnapping me and my family, should be made liable to whatever they did. They have to answer to the law,” said Menorca.

“Number 3, those people who were unjustly expelled [through] "express expulsion", should be brought back to the church,” he added. – Rappler.com

PARIS, France – France will provide one billion euros ($1.1 billion) to Tunisia over the next five years as part of an economic support package, the French presidency said Friday, January 22.

"A major aspect of the plan aims to help poor regions and young people, putting the focus on employment," said the office of French President Francois Hollande following a meeting with Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid in Paris.

"Five years after the revolution, Tunisia has succeeded in its democratic transition but remains confronted by major economic, social and security challenges," Hollande's office said.

Essid warned for his part that joblessness could not be eradicated overnight, saying: "We don't have a magic wand."

Protests have broken out this week over unemployment and poverty, leading to the announcement of a nighttime curfew earlier on Friday, although Essid said the situation had been "brought under control."

Essid however decided to cut short his visit and return home.

Hollande and Essid also discussed the common threat from jihadist terrorism. Tunisia has faced multiple attacks in recent months.

"Tunisia, like France, is threatened and has been seriously affected by terrorism, because it made a choice for democracy," said Hollande's office.

"The president underlined that France is ready to reinforce its cooperation in the fight against terrorism."

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls will visit Tunisia by the end of the year, the statement added, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen ties.

One of the first concrete proposals in France's aid package is a 60 million euro project to build a hospital in Tunisia's central Gafsa region. – Rappler.com

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis spoke out Friday, January 22, over the increasingly aggressive nature of much political discourse and the use of social media as a forum for personal abuse.

In a message published on the same day that the Twitter-friendly pontiff met Apple boss Tim Cook, Francis said digital technology and the Internet could help bring people together but also had the potential to create deep wounds.

"Our words and actions should be such as to help us all escape the vicious circles of condemnation and vengeance which continue to ensnare individuals and nations, encouraging expressions of hatred," he said.

The pope urged politicians and others in positions of power "to remain especially attentive to the way they speak of those who think or act differently or those who may have made mistakes."

And he emphasized the importance of everyone applying the same principle to encounters in cyberspace by showing respect for "the neighbor whom we do not see."

"It is not technology which determines whether or not communication is authentic, but rather the human heart and our capacity to use wisely the means at our disposal," Francis said.

"Social networks can facilitate relationships and promote the good of society, but they can also lead to further polarization and division between individuals and groups.

"The digital world is a public square, a meeting-place where we can either encourage or demean one another, engage in a meaningful discussion or unfair attacks."

The Vatican did not release any details of the pope's meeting with Cook, who was in Italy to inaugurate a new Apple applications research centre in Naples. Francis met last week with Google supremo Eric Schmidt. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – A Philippine Marine officer arrested and under legal proceedings after he was caught during a drug raid insisted on Friday, January 22, that he was innocent and was only “doing his job.”

“I can honestly say, and look you in the eye, I was just doing my job… this is the price I have to pay for my love of this country,” an emotional Lieutenant Colonel Ferdinand Marcelino told reporters in a chance interview on Friday.

On Thursday, Marcelino and a Chinese national were apprehended by personnel from the Philippine National Police (PNP) Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (AIDG) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in a drug bust that seized around P320 million ($6.675 million) worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu).

Marcelino underwent a 6-hour inquest proceeding before the justice department on Friday for possession of illegal drugs and manufacture of illegal substances.

The Marine officer presented a certificate proving that from September to December last year, he was sharing intelligence on Army personnel involved in illegal drugs. He also denied knowing his co-arrestee Yi Shou Yan and said he was only in the shabu laboratory for a top-secret mission sanctioned by the military.

The orders, said Marcelino, came from no less than the Intelligence Service Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP). His handler, said Marcelino, is current Philippine Army chief and former ISAFP head Lieutenant General Eduardo Año.

Marcelino said he was in the shabu laboratory, located inside a house in the city of Manila to verify information they gathered.

“I can honestly tell you I can never betray our country and our future dahil sa (because of) drugs, never,” he said.

The Marine colonel was once part of PDEA, and led the arrest of the so-called “Alabang Boys” in 2008. Marcelino then exposed alleged instances of corruption in the justice department, after charges against the 3 he arrested were dropped.

Senior Deputy Prosecutor Theodore Villanueva, who oversaw inquest proceedings, insisted Marcelino show proof of military sanctioned covert operation. Marcelino, however, was unable to produce a mission order from the military.

Instead, Marcelino made a phone call and handed the phone over to Villanueva. Marcelino also made another call, telling the person on the other line that he needed the mission order “in black and white.”

By 4:30 on Friday, the Philippine Army’s Intelligence and Security Group faxed a certificate to vouch for Marcelino’s claims.

The document, signed by Philippine Army group commander Colonel Marlo Guloy, read:

“This is to certify that LTC Ferdinand Marcelino PN (M) has shared intelligence information to this unit from November to December 2015 with regards to suspected Philippine Army personnel engaged in the use of drugs and other illegal drug activities in consonance to the GHD directive on AFP Task Force Moses and Task Force Midas.”

Villanueva did not recognize the document because it was “generic.”

Marcelino’s lawyer Dennis Manalo said the arrest was a “misencounter” between law enforcers and his client’s “efforts to help in curbing illegal drugs in the country.” The Marine colonel will be undergoing preliminary investigation proceedings on Wednesday, January 27.

The Marine colonel is well known for his work in intelligence as well as anti-illegal drugs work. He was instrumental in arresting former Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim’s son, then accused of involvement in illegal drugs.– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – “As a businessman, we welcome him because of his unorthodox way of doing things against graft and corruption, [for] peace and order," said a Filipino-Chinese businessman about Rodrigo Duterte.

"If he can do it in Davao, hopefully he can do it throughout the Philippines," continued Dr Henry Lim Bon Liong after hearing Duterte’s speech in front of his organization on Tuesday, January 19. 

Liong is the executive vice president of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc (FCCCII), one of the biggest nationwide groups representing the Filipino-Chinese community.

Many members of the group gave Duterte a standing ovation as he arrived in their headquarters in Binondo, Manila – home to the country’s oldest Chinese community, Manila’s Chinatown.

One officer couldn’t help but notice that never before had he seen “such an overflow in our hall.” 

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Filipino-Chinese businessmen and professionals of all ages sidled up to the mayor for photos. There was a lot of hand-shaking and exchanges of pro-Duterte baller bracelets. 

When things quieted down a bit, Duterte was introduced to the group as “the man who gets things done.” 

Duterte repeated his promise to end criminality, corruption, and the spread of drugs. He emphasized his firm belief that peace and order sets the stage for thriving businesses and investments – something close to the federation’s heart. (READ: Duterte to businessmen: Davao City is my Exhibit A)

Asked which election issue resonates the most with the group, its president Angel Yu said, “Peace and order.”

“Most of the Filipino-Chinese community are in business so if there is peace and order, there is business,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

For Yu and other members, Duterte is the presidential candidate who has proven he can make good on this promise. 

“The evidence na ginawa niya sa Davao, nakahanga ang mga tao dahil nga, it was voted 5th safest city in the world. Sa peace and order, walang kalaban si Mayor, talagang number one ‘yun,” he said.

(The evidence he made out of Davao, people are impressed because it was voted, I think, 5th safest city in the world. In peace and order, the mayor has no rival. He is really number one there.)

Solving kidnapping

But more than protecting their businesses, Filipino-Chinese businessmen have a more personal reason for valuing politicians who make fighting crime their priority.

Filipino-Chinese and Chinese nationals are often victims of kidnap-for-ransom operations. In high-profile cases, teenage girls have been kidnapped and murdered. From January to August of 2014, 17 out of 50 kidnap-for-ransom victims were Filipino-Chinese, according to the Movement for the Restoration of Peace and Order.

“The Filipino-Chinese community is scared. Are they going to stay or are they going to move out? That is the question. But later on, with Duterte coming out as mayor, he solved the kidnapping cases so these people feel safe so they support him,” said Yu.

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In fact, a Filipino-Chinese woman’s firm belief in Duterte’s ability to help her eventually saved her from her kidnappers in 2013.

But a board member said he has misgivings about Duterte’s campaign promise to end crime and drugs in 3 to 6 months.

“It’s easier said than done. How will he make sure policemen don’t go overboard and just kill whoever they want?” he asked.

Stance on China

Duterte’s stance on China also impressed some federation members. Duterte believes in bilateral talks with China if the present international arbitration case the Philippines is pursuing ends in gridlock.

This means he believes the Philippines and China should talk one-on-one instead of involving other countries.

“Some of the politicians want it multilateral. That’s difficult. Why would Japan and Australia look out for our interests? It would make things complicated, for me. But if only two of us will talk, it’s easier,” said Yu.

Resolving the West Philippine Sea dispute would allow the two bickering countries to work together in other pressing issues.

“For thousands of years we’ve been neighbors, we’ve been on good terms. Relatively, the West Philippine Sea is a small issue. In business, we can sit down and talk then there are more areas we can open for cooperation,” Yu added.

Though many of FCCCII members, especially the Davao City chapter, support Duterte’s candidacy, Yu said their group is willing to hear out other candidates. 

Asked about his assessment of other candidates, Yu said Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II would likely continue the programs of President Aquino.

“We appreciate what President Aquino is doing, We are improving every year, at the same time, our peso will stabilize,” he said.  

But some in their camp believe it may not be enough to copy from Aquino. 

“I think Mar Roxas will continue the programs of president Aquino but now people look at too many angles. Financially, it’s good. But there are also some who say, it’s not wrong, but it’s not enough,” said Yu. – Rappler.com

OTTAWA, Canada (3rd UPDATE) – Shots rang out at a school in western Canada Friday, January 22 leaving 4 people dead and several others critically injured in the nation's worst such shooting in a quarter of a century.

"Obviously, this is every parent's worst nightmare," said Prime Minster Justin Trudeau.

Trudeau held a news conference in Davos, Switzerland, where he was attending the World Economic Summit, to announce the death toll in the remote northern aboriginal community of La Loche in the province of Saskatchewan.

Trudeau said 5 people had been killed and two others were in critical condition but a Royal Canadian Mounted Police spokeswoman later revised the death toll down to 4.

The suspected shooter was taken into custody after police received an emergency call about "a person discharging a weapon in the community," RCMP superintendent Maureen Levy told reporters.

She said police were also investigating a second location in a nearby residential neighborhood, but provided no further details.

Authorities did not disclose the age and identify of the shooter and victims.

"We all grieve with and stand with the community of La Loche and all of Saskatchewan on this terrible tragic day," Trudeau said.

La Loche students said they heard 6 or 7 shots ring out at around 1:00 pm (1900 GMT).

Several witnesses reported seeing a "boy," who was either a student or formerly attended the school, opening fire inside the building.

"I ran outside the school," Noel Desjarlais, a Grade 10 student at the school, told public broadcaster CBC.

"There was lots of screaming. There was about 6, 7 shots before I got outside. I believe there was more shots by the time I did get out."

The town's hospital told Agence France-Presse they were treating the victims for gunshot wounds.

The high school and a nearby elementary school were locked down as police responded.

"It's just tragic and everybody's running around," said Kevin Janvier, acting mayor, adding that to his understanding the shooting took place when an individual walked in and "opened fire in the building."

Located deep in Canada's northern boreal forest, 600 kilometers (375 miles) north of Saskatoon, this town of about 3,000 is particularly isolated and authorities had to send in police reinforcements and dispatch a medical helicopter to airlift some victims to a hospital.

'Shocked'

The school shooting is Canada's deadliest in 26 years.

On December 6, 1989, a 25-year-old man opened fire at the Polytechnic School in Montreal, killing 14 people, including 10 female students.

Unlike in the United States, shootings are rare in Canada, where firearms are more regulated than south of the border.

"We have experienced similar tragedies far too often in the United States and understand all too well the heartache and sadness that result from such a horrific event," said the US ambassador to Canada, Bruce Heyman.

A flurry of condolences and declarations of shock quickly also poured in from political leaders across Canada after news of the tragedy broke.

"My thoughts and prayers are with all the victims, their families and friends and all the people of the community," said Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall, who also expressed "shock and sorrow at the horrific events."

The province, he said, was preparing to send up "crisis support" to the community.

Assembly of First Nations chief Perry Bellegarde, opposition Conservative leader Rona Ambrose, and New Democratic Party MP Georgina Joliebois, who was once the mayor of La Loche, said they too were "shocked and saddened" by the apparent shooting rampage.

"The shooting hits close to home for me as my family members attend the school," Joliebois said.

Trudeau, meanwhile, said his Liberal government would have to reflect on Canada's current gun laws in the coming weeks and months in light of what happened.

The previous Tory government had scrapped a short-lived national registry of rifles and shotguns.

Many Canadians living in rural parts own long guns like the one that appears to have been used in the shooting, and led a strong opposition to the registry they said wrongly targeted farmers and hunters. – Michel Comte, AFP/Rappler.com

WASHINGTON DC, USA – A monster blizzard threatening the US East Coast slammed into Washington on Friday, January 22 quickly blanketing the nation's capital in snow as officials urged millions in the storm's path to seek shelter.

Forecasters predict the storm will dump two feet (61 centimeters) of snow in Washington and the surrounding area by late Saturday, January 23 bringing life to a wintry halt as residents ride out the rough weather.

A blizzard warning was in effect for a large swath of the eastern United States from Washington up to New York, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. Several southern states were already hit by snow and sleet.

"I want to be very clear with everybody. We see this as a major storm. It has life and death implications," Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser warned.

Thousands of flights were scrapped and grocery store shelves emptied in preparation for the storm, which was dubbed "Snowzilla" by The Washington Post's weather team.

Schools and government offices in Washington were all closed, with public transportation scheduled to shut down in the evening until early Monday, January 25.

"Visibility will be reduced to near zero at times in whiteout conditions," NWS reported in its bulletin for Washington.

"Heavy snow and blowing snow will cause dangerous conditions and will be a threat to life and property. Travel is expected to be severely limited if not impossible during the height of the storm."

The Post reported in the late afternoon that snow accumulation was "quickly passing the two-inch mark in the immediate metro area."

It warned that extreme snowfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour were possible at the storm's peak later Friday and into Saturday.

"Conditions are deteriorating quickly," warned Chris Geldart, director of Washington's Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency.

NWS director Louis Uccellini said Thursday, January 21 the system had the potential to "affect over 50 million people."

'Going to be a disaster'

So far, more than 6,600 flights originally scheduled for Friday and Saturday within, into or out of the United States have been canceled, according to the flight monitor flightaware.com.

With authorities warning the storm could bury Washington under more snow than it has seen in nearly a century, officials took the unusual step of closing down the city's rail and bus system from Friday night until Monday morning.

The Metro system – the second busiest in the United States after New York – serves about 700,000 customers a day in Washington, Maryland and Virginia.

Grocery store shelves were bare – with toilet paper, milk, bread and alcohol conspicuously missing – as residents anticipated impassable roads and power outages.

"I think it's going to be a disaster," Sharonda Brown, a nurse, said as she waited for an Uber car with a full cart of groceries at a Washington supermarket.

A recreational center across the street, meanwhile, was readying to take in some of the city's homeless.

If the blizzard leaves as much snow in Washington as forecast, it could surpass a record set in 1922 by a storm that dumped 28 inches over 3 days and killed 100 people after a roof collapsed at a theater.

US Capitol Police have said they were lifting a decades-old sledding ban, but the national monuments, US Capitol building and Smithsonian museums were all closed.

Even a massive snowball fight in Washington's Dupont Circle neighborhood, which nearly two thousand people said they would attend on Facebook, had to be postponed from Saturday to Sunday, January 24, due to the storm's ferocity.

'Lots of accidents'

Snow and sleet has already hit the southern states of Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, West Virginia and Virginia, with 18 states under blizzard or other winter storm warnings, the Weather Channel reported.

"People are staying home and that is extremely important for our citizens. We're having a lot of accidents," North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory told CNN.

Nearly 68,000 people were without power in the state, emergency officials said on Twitter.

Meanwhile, footage showed cars slipping and sliding in the southern city of Nashville, as middle Tennessee faced its biggest snowstorm in 13 years, The Tennessean reported.

Further north, in New York, the storm is expected to dump up to a foot of snow from early Saturday to midday Sunday, NWS reported.

"Any unnecessary driving should be avoided. Unless urgent, stay off the roads," Mayor Bill de Blasio told a news conference. "Do not bring out your vehicle tomorrow and any vehicle blocking a roadway tomorrow will be towed."

The city will enforce a local winter weather emergency and is braced for potential flooding in coastal areas, he said.

The frigid weather marks a stark departure from what has otherwise been a mild winter along the eastern seaboard.

Just a month ago on Christmas Eve, the NWS reported that temperatures in New York's Central Park peaked at 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22 Celsius), the warmest ever for the day since records began in 1871. – Becca Milfeld, AFP/Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – It was all about love, presidential bet Grace Poe said when earlier asked why she chose to become an American citizen and not just a mere permanent resident or green card holder.

But the camp of Poe cited another reason during oral arguments before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, January 20.

When asked by SC Associate Justice Mariano Del Castillo why Poe had to avail of American citizenship when she could have stayed as a permanent resident or green card holder, her private counsel Alex Poblador said Poe faced a “peculiar” circumstance after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York. (READ: SC Justice: Why did Poe give up PH citizenship?) 

“Was there an impediment for her to remain as a Filipino citizen? She could just have stayed here like any green card holder. There’s no compulsion for her to become an American citizen,” Del Castillo asked Poblador.

Just like a US citizen, a green card holder can work and reside in the US, but cannot participate in elections and be part of American juries. 

Expounding on his response, Poblador said that after the 9/11 attacks, which supposedly raised suspicions against foreigners and even permanent residents who do not want to become US citizens, Poe opted to become a US citizen on October 18, 2001. She had been a US resident for 10 years. (READ: TIMELINE: Grace Poe's citizenship, residency)

"There was general suspicion against foreigners or permanent residents who refused to become citizens. Because of that situation it was even difficult for permanent residents to find jobs," Poblador explained. 

"She was a typical wife, she wanted to help her husband raise and finance a family, so she decided she had to take a job on her own. And the only way to do that was to become a naturalized US citizen," he added.

Love factor

Poe, however, never mentioned the 9/11 attacks – the supposed crucial turning point in deciding to become a US citizen – in the past when asked the similar question. All Poe said was she decided to renounce her Philippine citizenship out of “love” for her family. (READ: Why Grace Poe renounced her Filipino citizenship) 

In a September 30, 2015 ambush interview, Poe was asked: “Ma’am may mga nagtatanong po bakit pa kayo nag-US citizen, puwede naman daw green card na lang?”

(Ma’am there are those asking why you decided to be a US citizen when you could just have had a green card?)

Poe answered: “Alam 'nyo po nung kami nag-umpisa mag-asawa, talaga naman sa pag-ibig 'yun... Kasama ko ang aking pamilya, ang aking asawa, nanirahan kami do'n. Totoo naman po, akala ko, bilang isang nanay, talagang suporta sa aking pamilya, sa asawa, na namalagi kami doon, hindi naman 'yun nagkulang ako ng pagmamahal sa bansa.” 

(You know, when my husband and I started, that was really love. I was with my family, my husband, we lived there. It’s true, I thought…as a mother, [it’s really to] support my family and my husband that we stayed there. It’s not like I lacked love for the country.)

37 days of application period?

Poblador said the 9/11 attacks made Poe decide to become a US citizen. But the application for US naturalization is a long and tedious process. Some, even after staying long in the country, still fail to get the coveted citizenship.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the main government agency that oversees lawful immigration to the US, says the average time it takes to be naturalized is 6 months. There are various steps one needs to accomplish for an application for naturalization – filling out an application form, documentation, interviews, exams, and an Oath of Allegiance, among others. 

Yet the senator became a US citizen on October 18, 2001, or only 37 days after the terrorist attacks in the Big Apple.

How was it possible for Poe to have applied for US citizenship after September 11 and be able to take the oath of allegiance, the final step in the process, only 37 days after? Could she have applied earlier? It was never made known when she applied for US citizenship.

Rappler tried to reach Poe, her lawyers, and spokesman for comments on Thursday, January 21. Poe’s lawyer Poblador replied to our request a day after. 

Poblador repeated what he told the Supreme Court about the 9/11 attacks and the heightened distrust of foreigners who did not secure US citizenship.

When asked if Poe had filed her application even before the 9/11 attacks, Poblador said the senator “might have” already done so. 

“Perhaps she may have filed her petition before then (9/11 attacks), but then she had not made up her mind at that point. She just wanted to keep her options open,” the lawyer said.

After all, Poblador added, Poe could not stay as a permanent resident or green card holder indefinitely. At some point, he said, she had to decide. And decide she did. – Rappler.com

MEXICO CITY, Mexico – Mexican authorities have arrested 3 more suspects in connection with the disappearance and presumed slaughter of 43 students in 2014.

Authorities have now detained 113 people, including police officers and drug cartel suspects, in a case that has caused international outrage and challenged President Enrique Pena Nieto's administration.

National Security Commissioner Renato Sales said Friday, January 22 that 3 suspected members of a criminal group were detained in Iguala, the city in the southern state of Guerrero where the 43 students vanished on September 26, 2014.

Two of the suspects, aged 19 and 28, "received the young men from Iguala municipal police officers" that night, Sales said, without specifying what happened next.

Prosecutors say that Iguala police abducted the students after they seized buses for a protest and handed them over to the Guerreros Unidos gang, which killed them and incinerated their bodies at a landfill.

The third suspect, a 40-year-old man, is the "main" person involved in the murder of Julio Cesar Mondragon, a student whose body was found in Iguala with his facial skin peeled off, Sales said.

Relatives of the students and independent investigators have rejected the official conclusions in the case. The attorney general's office agreed to create a special unit for the case and is looking at new lines of investigation.

Elsewhere in Mexico, authorities formally launched legal proceedings against 4 police officers charged with the "forced disappearance" of 5 young people in the eastern state of Veracruz.

Four men in their 20s and a 16-year-old girl were last seen on January 11 outside a supermarket in Tierra Blanca.

Footage from a surveillance camera, which was broadcast on the website of Radio Formula, showed that they were followed by a state police vehicle before they disappeared.

More than 26,000 people are reported missing in Mexico. – Rappler.com

WASHINGTON DC, USA – Several members of the US-led coalition attacking the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria are doing "nothing at all" to help destroy the jihadists, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Friday, January 22.

His comments mark a departure from the Pentagon's typical depiction of the 65-member coalition, which carries the slogan "One mission, many nations," and is frequently touted to highlight global resolve in the predominantly US effort to defeat the IS group (formerly known as ISIS or the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq).

"Many of them are not doing enough, or are doing nothing at all," Carter said in an interview with CNBC on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

"We can do a lot ourselves ... (but) we are looking for other people to play their part," he added, without singling any country out.

In a separate interview with Bloomberg TV, Carter called the anti-ISIS alliance a "so-called" coalition, highlighting frustrations the Pentagon has with some partners – particularly Sunni Arab nations – not doing enough. (READ: Obama ready to order airstrikes vs ISIS in Syria)

"We need others to carry their weight, there should be no free riders," he said.

Carter has spent the past week in Europe, primarily in Paris, where he sought to persuade allies to step up their efforts against the ISIS group.

He is meeting with representatives from another 26 allied nations next month to make the same appeal.

Turkey's porous border

Carter reiterated calls for one such partner, Turkey, to bolster its fight against the jihadists.

Turkey is allowing the United States to use Incirlik, a geographically vital air base in the south, to strike ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria, but Carter said Ankara needs to do more to secure its lengthy border with Syria.

"Turkey is a long-time friend of ours," he said during a Davos question-and-answer session.

But "the reality is" that it has a border that "has been porous to foreign fighters."

"They're on the list ... it's not a small list, of countries that I think could make contributions that are distinctive, unique and necessary to the defeat of ISIL," he added, using an alternative acronym for the ISIS group.

Some Arab and Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia are nominally part of the coalition, but are now more focused on fighting Iran-backed forces in Yemen.

The United States has carried out the bulk of the nearly 9,800 air strikes launched in Iraq and Syria since the summer of 2014. (READ: ISIS jihadists to be 'seriously dented' by end of 2016, says Kerry)

But despite calls for additional help, Carter insists the coalition has the jihadists on a back foot, especially since the recapture of the Iraqi city of Ramadi and the targeting of their financial and illicit oil-selling capabilities.

In the wake of the terror attacks in Paris in November that left 130 dead, France and Britain joined efforts in Syria.

Some of the other nations to have conducted strikes in Iraq or Syria include Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

Dozens more countries, including Iceland, Italy and Panama, have pledged varying degrees of support, for instance through the training of local security forces.

Requires 'global response'

Carter's exasperation could reflect pressure from Washington, where hawkish critics say the Obama administration is moving too slowly to defeat the ISIS group.

The coalition has killed thousands of their fighters and reclaimed large areas they once held, but the jihadists are still launching attacks around the world, including in Indonesia, Afghanistan and Paris.

"They popped up in Jakarta, they popped up in Europe. They are global, it's going to require a global response," said Colonel Steve Warren, a Baghdad-based spokesman for the coalition.

The United States, sometimes referred to as the world's policeman, frequently stresses the importance of partnering with other nations in its military interventions.

Ahead of the highly contentious 2003 invasion of Iraq, the administration of George W. Bush was criticized for describing a "Coalition of the Willing" that included tiny countries such as Palau and the Marshall Islands, while major players like France and Germany sat out.

Derek Chollet, former assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs and a senior advisor at the German Marshall Fund, said today's coalition is very different from that pre-Iraq alliance.

"The world was deeply divided over the wisdom and legitimacy of US actions in Iraq," he told Agence France-Presse.

"With (IS), it's a totally different dynamic. The world is completely together in the importance of fighting ISIL. Now the question is less one of legitimacy ... now it's just a question of how can we bring more of our capabilities into this effort," he added. – Thomas Watkins, AFP/Rappler.com

BUJUMBURA, Burundi – UN Security Council ambassadors met for two hours with Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza on Friday, January 22 but said they had made little headway in efforts to bring peace to the troubled central African nation.

The ambassadors met the president at his residence outside the capital during their second trip to the country in less than a year, appealing for him to take urgent action to stop the violence sparked by his re-election.

Council envoys have pushed for the government to hold talks with the opposition and agree to the presence of international troops – such as a proposed 5,000-strong African Union force – to restore stability.

But United States Ambassador Samantha Power said after the talks the envoys "didn't achieve as much, frankly, as I think we would have liked".

"There is a 'cri de coeur' from many, many people in Burundi for outside help and for urgent, urgent mediation to get a solution," Power added.

Burundi has been gripped by violence since April, when Nkurunziza announced his intention to run for a controversial third term, which he went on to win in July elections.

More than 400 people have died since then and at least 230,000 have fled the country, but Burundi's government insists there is no need for foreign troops and has branded AU peacekeepers an "invasion force".

Nkurunziza took a hard line during the meeting at his hilltop residence in Gitega, some two hours outside of Bujumbura, where he rejected calls for inclusive dialogue, renewed mediation efforts and an international intervention force.

He once again accused neighboring Rwanda of backing armed opposition groups, and denied international warnings that the violence could turn into ethnic killings.

Relations between Rwanda and neighboring Burundi are tense, with Bujumbura accusing Kigali of backing armed rebels and political opponents of Nkurunziza. Rwanda has denied all the claims.

"I can guarantee that there will not be a genocide in Burundi," Nkurunziza said, adding that Burundi is "99% secure".

Nightly violence 

Nkurunziza's refusal to compromise has raised the prospect of tougher measures ahead to stop almost nightly outbreaks of violence.

Clashes in Bujumbura Thursday evening, January 21 left 3 people dead, police said, including one youth who was shot dead by police after a grenade went off. Explosions and gunfire were heard in several places across the capital.

French Deputy UN ambassador Alexis Lamek said talks with the opposition will stand a better chance of succeeding if backed by international mediation.

But Angolan Ambassador Ismael Gaspar Martins said there was hope for a possible agreement on deploying more AU observers.

The 15 council members were greeted on arrival Thursday by pro-government demonstrators telling them to stop meddling.

Hundreds lined the road leading from the airport to greet the envoys with signs that read "genocide will not happen" and "stop interfering in Burundian affairs".

AU Commission chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has expressed "fervent hope" that the UN ambassadors would work towards achieving the rapid deployment of peacekeepers and restart stalled talks between the government and opposition.

The US and France support the AU proposal, but other UN Security Council members such as Russia, Angola and Egypt are reluctant to put too much pressure on the government.

'Stop this bloodletting' 

Nkurunziza is also balking at AU plans to deploy more rights monitors in Burundi while the United Nations is beefing up its presence in Bujumbura.

Council envoys travel to Addis Ababa on Saturday, January 23 to meet with AU officials about the proposal, which is expected to be a key element of talks at an AU summit in Ethiopia on January 30-31.

On Thursday, two former Burundian presidents appealed to the council ambassadors to take action and pleaded for an AU force to be sent.

"We really need that force," said Domitien Ndayizeye, who led the landlocked nation from 2003-2005.

Jean-Baptiste Bagaza, in power from 1976 to 1987, urged the council envoys to "stop this bloodletting that is making our young people disappear".

Bagaza warned that without urgent international action, Burundi could "become another Rwanda", referring to the neighboring country's 1994 genocide.

Hours before the UN diplomats arrived, Burundian rebels named a fugitive ex-general who fled after leading a failed coup bid in May as their leader.

The rebel force, which announced its formation in December, calls itself the Republican Forces of Burundi, or "Forebu" after its French acronym. – Carole Landry, AFP/Rappler.com