MANILA, Philippines – Thirteen of 23 senators have signed the committee report approving the bill seeking to ban political dynasties.

Senator Francis Pangilinan, chair of the Senate committee on constitutional amendments, filed Committee Report No. 367 with consolidated Senate Bill No. 1765 on Wednesday, March 21.

SB 1765 or the Anti-Political Dynasty Act of 2018 defines political dynasty as the "concentration, consolidation, and/or perpetuation of public office and political powers by persons related to one another within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity."

Article 2, Section 26 of the 1987 Constitution mandates the state to "guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service, and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law." (READ: How much of our country will we lose to political dynasties in 2016?)

The proposed measure covers spouses (legal and common-law), siblings (full or half-blood), parents, and children (legitimate, illegitimate, and adopted); and the spouses of these second-degree relatives.

The bill prohibits these people from running for and holding public office under the following circumstances:

• To immediately succeed or replace the said incumbent
• If the incumbent is an elective barangay official, the spouse and the concerned relatives are prohibited to run simultaneously for any position in the same barangay as well as in the barangays in municipalities or cities within the same legislative district
• If the incumbent is an elective official of the municipality or city, legislative district or province, the spouse and above relatives are prohibited to run for or hold any elective office simultaneously with the incumbent within the same barangay, municipality, city, legislative district or province
• If the incumbent is a national elective official, the spouse and the above relatives are likewise prohibited to run simultaneously for any position in the national or local level as barangay captain, mayor, governor or district representative in any part of the country
• If the incumbent is a barangay captain/mayor/governor or district representative, the spouse and the other concerned relatives are also prohibited to run simultaneously for any position in the national level

Persons who are not holding public office shall also be prohibited from running in the same poll if their election will result in a political dynasty relationship.

Under the bill, the Commission on Elections may deny the application for certificate of candidacy of any candidate found in a political dynasty relationship.

Aside from Pangilinan, the following senators signed the report:

1. Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto
2. Minority Leader Franklin Drilon
3. Risa Hontiveros
4. Loren Legarda
5. Panfilo Lacson
6. Grace Poe
7. Joseph Victor Ejercito
8. Paolo Benigno Aquino IV 
9. Nancy Binay
10. Juen Edgardo Angara
11. Leila de Lima
12. Sherwin Gatchalian

Of the 13, 6 are members of political families: Recto, Ejercito, Aquino, Binay, Angara, Gatchalian.

Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, who also has relatives in public office, signed the report but to express his dissent to the measure.

The fate of the measure is still unclear, as it still has to undergo a period of debates and amendments in the chamber. In the House, where the bill has met stronger opposition from lawmakers coming from dynasties, the counterpart measure remains pending in the committee level.

President Rodrigo Duterte has said he supports the bill but doubts it will pass in Congress, which is fillied with his allies.

Here is the copy of the committee report, which would still face scrutiny of senators:

– Rappler.com

MOSCOW, Russia – International pressure mounted on Russia's Vladimir Putin over the Cold-War style poisoning  of a spy on British soil, as an ugly war of words took a stinging new turn with comparisons to Hitler in the 1930s.

US President Donald Trump agreed with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron "on the need to take action to hold Russia accountable" following the attempted murder of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

Trump expressed "solidarity with the United Kingdom in the wake of Russia's use of chemical weapons against private citizens on British soil," the White House said Wednesday, March 21, after a phone call between the pair.

However the comments came a day after Trump called Putin to congratulate him on his re-election to the Russian presidency, drawing criticism for failing to condemn the poisoning or even mention the scandal.

Britain and its allies say Russia was behind the attack on Skripal and his daughter, who remain in a critical condition after being poisoned in the English town of Salisbury with what London says is a Soviet-designed nerve agent.

But Moscow has angrily rejected the claims and on Wednesday hosted a televised briefing for foreign diplomats at which a senior official mocked Britain's "island mentality" and "Russophobia".

Foreign ministry official Vladimir Yermakov said London itself could have been behind the poisoning of Skripal, a former Russian officer who sold secrets to Britain and moved there in a 2010 spy swap.

"The British authorities are either unable to ensure protection from such a... terrorist attack on its territory, or they directly or indirectly – I am not accusing anyone of anything here – directed the attack on a Russian national," he said.

Yermakov – the head of the ministry's non-proliferation and arms control department – alternated between tough talk and quips and said in response to a question from a British official: "I am ashamed for you".

The diplomat rejected claims the chemical weapon "Novichok" was used in the attack, saying it would have killed people on the spot and suggested that Washington might have also had a hand in the incident.

Hitler comparisons

The deepening row has already seen Britain throw out 23 Russian diplomats, prompting a tit-for-tat response from Moscow which also closed the British Council cultural institute in Russia.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Wednesday that Russia had wanted to send "a sign" with the nerve agent attack on Skripal to warn defectors that they cannot escape Moscow's power.

In an appearance before a committee of MPs in London, Johnson said Russia chose a target in Britain because of London's record of "calling out" Moscow's abuses.

"I think the reason that they picked the United Kingdom is very simple, it's because this is a country that does have that particular set of values, it does believe in freedom, and in democracy and in the rule of law, and has time and again called out Russia over its abuses of those values."

Johnson also agreed with an MP who suggested Putin would exploit the 2018 football World Cup in Russia as Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler did the Berlin Olympics.

Hitler wanted the 1936 Games to be a symbol of Aryan supremacy and famously refused to shake hands with American star Jesse Owens, the black track and field athlete who won 4 gold medals in Berlin.

"I think the comparison with 1936 is certainly right," Johnson said, envisaging Putin "glorying in this sporting event".

The spokeswoman for Russia's foreign ministry Maria Zakharova said in a Facebook post that "(Johnson) is poisoned by hatred and malice, a lack of professionalism and therefore rudeness".

"It's terrible to think that this man represents the political leadership of a nuclear power," she said.

'Drivel, rubbish, nonsense'

Putin has dismissed allegations of Moscow's involvement as "drivel, rubbish, nonsense", while Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday urged the British government to "respond calmly" to the Skripals' attempted murder.

"If the British government continues taking some anti-Russian measures, we will hit back under the principle of reciprocity," he said in Japan.

"Overall, there is no doubt that the British leadership has knowingly chosen to undermine the British-Russian relationship."

Britain says only Russia had the capability, motive and intent to be behind the attack. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Lawmakers belonging to the progressive Makabayan bloc in the House on Thursday, March 22, asked the Supreme Court to junk a pending petition to declare as void the appointment of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

The lawmakers and several other persons also filed a petition asking the High Court for permission to intervene in the case, which is between Sereno and Solicitor General Jose Calida. (READ: IBP seeks dismissal of quo warranto petition vs Sereno)

The “intervenors” argue that the quo warranto petition should be dismissed because a Chief Justice can only be removed by Congress through impeachment and conviction, and because the issue of Sereno’s State of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) “does not affect her qualifications as Chief Justice.”

“The filing of this present Quo Warranto Petition is nothing but an attempt [to] circumvent the constitutional process and to wrest the power to ‘oust’ or remove an impeachable public official away from Congress and [the] Filipino people. This should not be allowed,” the intervenors said in their petition.

Context: On March 5, the Solicitor General filed a petition for quo warranto before the High Court, which asks it to declare Sereno’s appointment unlawful, thereby removing her from office.

This is on top of an impeachment case that’s being tackled in the House of Representatives.

The Supreme Court has since asked Sereno and Calida to respond to the petition.

Meanwhile, at the House, the justice committee has already approved the articles of impeachment against Sereno. It will be discussed before plenary when session resumes in May.

If at least one-third of House members approve the committee’s recommendation to impeach Sereno, she will be deemed impeached.

Who’s filing? Listed as intervenors are the following:

• Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Zarate 
• ACT Teachers Representatives Antonio Tinio and Francisca Castro 
• Gabriela Representatives Emmi de Jesus and Arlene Brosas 
• Anakpawis Representative Ariel Casilao 
• Kabataan Representative Sarah Jane Elago 
• Francisco Alcuaz and retired Colonel George Rabusa of the Movement Aganst Tyranny 
• Former senator Rene Saguisag
• Bishop Broderick Pabillo, D.D. 
• Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes Jr.
• Kaye Ann Legaspi 
• Ephraim Cortez

Several other individuals also filed a separate petition asking the High Court to reject the petition for quo warranto on March 22. They are the following:

• Zorayda Amelia Capistrano Alonzo
• Remedios Mapa Suplido 
• Alicia Gentolia Murphy 
• Noland Merida Penas
• Roebrto P. Reyes 
• Reyanne Joy Librado

– Rappler.com

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The parent who allegedly threatened an Ateneo de Davao University professor over his child’s low grades is the Davao regional director of the Commission on Elections (Comelec-Davao), police records show.

The ADDU Emergency Operations Center filed an incident report with the Sta Ana Police Station, and attached its own report which identified the parent as “Remlani Tambuang."  

Tambuang, whose first name is spelled "Remlane," is the regional director of Comelec Region XI (Comelec-Davao).

According to the ADDU incident report signed by Chief Security Officer Gerry Bambico, a school official announced “Code Black” via a radio call to campus security, around 6:15 pm Tuesday, March 20.

“Code Black” refers to an incident involving a “personal threat” made on campus, in this case, a threat allegedly made by Tambuang, which was quoted by two different people who witnessed the incident.

“Hindi ‘nyo ba alam na pamilya kami ng mga lawyer at pamilya din kami ng mga killer (Don’t you know that we are a family of lawyers and we are also a family of killers)?” Tambuang was quoted as saying.

ADDU president Father Joel Tabora SJ cited the same threat in his strongly-worded statement to denounce the attempt to intimidate a faculty member. Tabora did not identify Tambuang in the official statement but said ADDU will file a complaint against the parent, who was only described as a “public official and lawyer.”

The incident report said Tambuang was with his sister, Walina Tambuang, and one bodyguard at the School of Arts and Sciences office. As the 3 left the office, ADDU security said the Comelec official noticed that there were 10 security personnel in the hallway.

The presence of the campus security reportedly prompted Tambuang to say: “Ano problema, bakit maraming guard? Hindi naman ako ganoon ka-kriminal. Hindi 'nyo ba alam na ako ang director ng Comelec? Baka gusto ‘nyo hindi bigyan ng firearms exemption ang DASIA.”

(What’s the problem, why are there so many guards? I’m not a criminal. Don’t you know I’m the Comelec director? Perhaps you don't want DASIA to be given firearms exemption.)

DASIA refers to Davao Security & Investigation Agency, Incorporated, the university’s security agency. Under Comelec rules, private security personnel should secure gun ban exemptions during the election period.

In response, the guards said, “Wala naman pong problema, Sir, nag-roving lang po kami (There’s no problem, Sir, we’re just roving).”

Tambuang and his companions then left the area, the incident report said.

Rappler started calling the Comelec-Davao office at around 11 am, but Tambuang was supposed to be in a meeting at the time. A contact number was left with the office staff, as well as the nature of the call, so Tambuang can relay his response. Rappler again called several times until late afternoon to get Tambuang's official statement on the incident, but his staff said he was out of the office.

Rappler sent a message to Tambuang through Facebook messenger, and also reached out to him through Comelec-Davao spokesperson Omar Samama, but Tambuang has yet to give any response as of posting. – Rappler.com

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Customs officials in Davao City discovered a sports-utility vehicle (SUV) inside a shipment declared as only containing a used dump truck and a tractor head.

Erastus Sandino Austria, Port of Davao district collector, said this on Thursday, March 22, a day after he inspected the shipment at the Port of Davao, together with Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña.

Austria had issued a warrant of seizure and detention (WSD) on the container on March 12, which preceded a cargo scanning.

Findings of the x-ray scan concluded it contained the vehicle placed in between declared items. It was verified on Wednesday's physical inspection.

During the March 21 inspection, Lapeña said: “That’s one of the techniques they use,” he said. “They make inspection difficult.”

The officials did not name the consignee but added that other smugglers use a different technique by importing vehicle parts and later piece together once they are complete.

The vehicle had a logo of South Korean automobile maker Hyundai, as well as the dump truck.

It is not known whether the smuggled vehicle will face the same fate as dozens of other customs-impounded luxury sports cars and SUVs which were due for destruction at the Port Area in Manila.

In February, Lapeña said there is a presidential decree that sets the mode of destruction of the vehicles by condemnation, but will have to wait for 15 days to lapse. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana briefed some of the country's top economists on the national security situation on Wednesday night, March 21.

Lorenzana gave an off-the-record security briefing to members of the Foundation for Economic Freedom, a group of economists chaired by former finance secretary Roberto de Ocampo, and boasted about the military's successes on the ground. 

Lorenzana discussed the threat of terrorism and the communist insurgency, giving them a broad view of the status of military operations against these threats.

He also discussed the situation in Mindanao, where martial law was declared.  

PH Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Wednesday night spoke with members of the Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF) about the national security situation. FEF is composed of the country's top economists. @rapplerdotcompic.twitter.com/95QHQjkb5N

— Carmela Fonbuena (@carmelafonbuena) March 22, 2018

De Ocampo, who gave a glowing assessment of Lorenzana's performance as defense chief, said the FEF members welcomed the briefing especially as they look into the administration's economic policies.

"How can you pursue a Build Build Build, for example, if there is instability. This, I think, is a major part of looking at the overall situation, both locally and globally," De Ocampo told Rappler. 

De Ocampo stressed the importance of Lorenzana's job. "National defense usually commands a very large part of the budget of an economy for the simple reason that without the stability that national defense is supposed to introduce, then economics becomes largely theoretical," he said.

"We were happy to be able to listen. I think many issues such as those that were brought out today including the South China Sea strategy, the military strategy in Mindanao, and NPAs are all very important to the economy," he added.

Ocampo served as finance secretary during the Ramos administration. Former National Economic and Development Authority chief Romulo Neri was also present at the briefing. – Rappler.com

BOHOL, Philippines - Another foreign national vacationing in Panglao Island in Bohol province, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country, died in a freak accident on Wednesday, March 21.

According to reports reaching the Bohol Police Provincial Office (BPPO), Bengt Gustaf Ludvig Linne, 59, a Swedish national billeting at Hidden Dream Resort in Barangay Tawala, Panglao, accidentally stepped on a wet pathway of the resort that had been exposed to a power wire.

Police said Linne was walking with his girlfriend, identified as Nemia Dagsaan Baylen, 37, of Botulan, Zambales.

Investigation revealed that Linne slumped on the pathway after he got electrocuted. Baylen grabbed him, police said, but she also got shocked. Baylen, however, survived.

None of the resort's staff was able to rescue the Swedish national, police report said.

A member of the Bohol Tourist Police Office assigned at the Alona Beach area responded to the emergency call and helped switch off the resort's power circuit breaker.

Dr. Airiene Vanessa Sumacjag, of the Borja Family Hospital based in Tagbilaran City, a 35-minute drive from Panglao, declared Linne dead on arrival.

BPPO director Senior Superintendent Angeles Geñorga Jr. on Thursday, March 22, ordered a thorough investigation into the incident to determine whether there was foul play in Linne's death.

Panglao Island, consists of Dauis and Panglao towns, and considered a tourism jewel in the province of Bohol, does not have any hospital facility, but residents and tourists are served by a municipal health center.

Fatal accidents

Police have recently recorded fatal accidents involving foreign nationals visiting the island.

In August 2016, a police officer from Dallas, Texas died on his wedding day after he was hit by a boat's propeller while diving in the seawater off Bluewater Resort in Panglao.

In March 2017, a 40-year-old French tourist died while snorkeling on the seawater off Balicasag Island, part of Panglao town.

On July 17, 2017, a 29-year-old solo Chinese traveler drowned and died while snorkeling off Balicasag.

In September 2017, a male Korean national died after he drowned in a resort's swimming pool in Barangay Danao, Panglao.

Last February, a female Korean national was killed after she fell into the seawater, and her head was hit by the boat's propeller.  – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – A Manila court ordered the arrest of 10 Aegis Juris fraternity members who are suspects in the hazing death of Horacio “Atio” Castillo III.

Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 40 Presiding Judge Alfredo Ampuan ordered the arrest of the suspects, saying he found probable cause after evaluating the resolution of the Department of Justice (DOJ) panel indicting the suspects, as well as evidence on record.

They are:

1. Mhin Wei Chan
2. Jose Miguel Salamat
3. John Robin Ramos
4. Marcelino Bagtang Jr
5. Arvin Balag
6. Ralph Trangia
7. Axel Munro Hipe
8. Oliver Onofre
9. Joshua Joriel Macabali
10. Hans Matthew Rodrigo

“Upon personal evaluation of the resolution of the DOJ Panel of Prosecutors as well as the supporting evidence on record, this Court finds probable cause and that there is necessity for placing all the accused under custody in order not to frustrate the ends of justice,” states the resolution dated March 22.

The DOJ indicted the 10 suspects for hazing earlier this month.

The 10 fratmen were the people who carried out the spatula round during Aegis Juris' initiation rites, according to witness Marc Anthony Ventura, also a fraternity member.

Ventura claimed it was Hipe, Trangia, and Balag who carried out the paddling round which proved to be fatal. (READ: The different angles in Atio Castillo's hazing case) – Rappler.com

SINGAPORE –  Internet giants Facebook and Google on Thursday, March 22, warned Singapore against introducing new laws to combat "fake news," saying that existing legislation is adequate to address the problem.

Their warnings were made to a parliamentary committee which is examining possible measures, including legislation, to tackle false online information which the government says could threaten national security.

Executives from Facebook, Google and Twitter appeared before the committee Thursday, and are among scores of experts, academics and activists called to testify over 8 days.

The financial hub is among several countries looking at legislation to rein in fake news but critics have cautioned this could be used to curb free speech. The Singapore government has denied it is trying to restrict free speech.

In a submission given to the committee before testifying, Alvin Tan, Facebook's head of public policy in Southeast Asia, said: "We do not believe that legislation is the best approach to addressing the issue.

"Singapore already has a variety of existing laws and regulations which address hate speech, defamation and the spreading of false news."

His comments came as Facebook is embroiled in a privacy scandal following revelations that British data analysis firm Cambridge Analytica exploited the personal data of millions of users of the social network.

Google also raised concerns about a fake news law, saying in a written submission that "an effective way of combating misinformation is through educating citizens on how to distinguish reliable from unreliable information".

Instead of legislation, it called for "promoting quality journalism to ensure that there is a robust network of fact-checking organisations providing reliable information and debunking falsehoods".

About 164 people have written to the committee to give their views on combating fake news. After the hearings, which are scheduled to end next week, the committee will make recommendations to MPs within months.

Legislation is among the options under examination by the committee, and no details about any possible law have been made public.

Domestic media is tightly controlled in Singapore, and the country is ranked 151 out of 180 in the World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders. A number one ranking is the best. – Rappler.com

PARIS, France – The food security of around 124 million people worldwide was under acute threat at the end of last year, mostly because of worsening conflicts and drought, the UN and EU said Thursday, March 22.

The worst food crises in 2017 were in northeastern Nigeria, Somalia, Yemen and South Sudan, "where nearly 32 million people were food-insecure and in need of urgent assistance", the two organisations said in an annual report on food crises.

"Conflicts and climate-related shocks have recently sent levels of world hunger marching back up, following decades of steady decline."

The figure of 124 million is 15% higher than the number in 2016.

"No world region has been untouched. Throughout Africa, the Middle East and in parts of South Asia, conflict and insecurity have undermined food security," the report said.

"Likewise, persistent drought in the Horn of Africa, floods in Asia, and hurricanes in Latin America and the Caribbean have all contributed to the spread and intensification of hunger."

Looking ahead, the report said that conflict and insecurity were likely to "remain major drivers of food security crises in 2018, affecting Afghanistan, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, north-east Nigeria and the Lake Chad region, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen as well as Libya and the central Sahel (Mali and Niger)".

Yemen will continue to be the largest food crisis by far, the report said. "The situation is expected to deteriorate, particularly because of restricted access, economic collapse and outbreaks of disease."

The impact of severe dry weather on crop and livestock production is likely to heighten food insecurity in pastoral areas of Somalia, southeastern Ethiopia and eastern Kenya, and in the Sahel in Senegal, Chad, Niger, Mali, Mauritania and Burkina Faso, the report said.

On a more optimistic note, the report predicted that southern Africa was headed for a better year thanks to bumper cereal production in 2017 and falling food prices.

The report was presented by the European Union, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations World Food Program (WFP). – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The Senate has okayed a House measure that would increase the number of Cavite's congressional districts to 8.

On March 5, the Senate approved on 3rd and final reading House Bill 5367, reapportioning the 6th and 7th legislative districts. Sponsored by Senate local government committee chair Senator Juan Edgardo Angara, the bill was sent back to the House on March 8.

If the measure is enacted, General Trias City would have its own district, becoming the new 6th district.

The rest of the current 6th district – Trece Martires City, Tanza, and Amadeo – plus the town of Indang would compose the new 7th district. 

The new 8th district would be what's left of the current 7th: Tagaytay City, Alfonso, General Aguinaldo, Magallanes, Maragondon, Mendez, Naic, and Ternate.

The bill – authored by Representatives Luis Ferrer IV of the 6th district, Abraham Tolentino of the 7th District, and Roy Loyola of the 5th District – seeks to amend Section 1 of Republic Act 9727, which reorganized the province into its current 7 districts.

The House approved HB 5367 on 3rd reading on May 15, 2017.

According to the 1987 Constitution, legislative districts "shall comprise, as far as practicable, contiguous, compact, and adjacent territory."

Cities with a population of at least 250,000 are also entitled to have at least one representative. Based on the 2015 Census, General Trias City has a population of 314,303. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Thursday, March 22, warned of serious repercussions should she be removed from her post.

In a speech at a forum at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, Sereno said no one would be safe in the country if the efforts against her succeed.

"The stakes for the rule of law if the evil machinators of the impeachment or the resignation scheme succeed is that no one, not one man, especially not one woman, will be safe in this country," Sereno said at the Women vs Strongman forum.

"Everyone will have to look for a political patron to save [themselves] from incessant harassment, threats, and bullying," she added.

She warned that the 1987 Constitution would be "torn into shreds," including the Bill of Rights.

"And with it every right that the Bill of Rights seeks to protect: the right to the presumption of innocence, the right to privacy, the right against unlawful searches and seizures, and the right against deprivation of property without due process of law, yes, the right to life itself," Sereno said.

"It opens all kinds of interpretation which can only hasten the death of democracy in the country," she added.

Focus

The Chief Justice also called on women to "focus" on the real issue and look past what she claims are the "malevolent and orchestrated" efforts to remove her from office.

Sereno maintained that the impeachment complaint and other ouster moves against her are full of falsehoods which have caused noise and confusion among Filipinos.

"Fake news, alternative facts, vulgar language – descending to the depths by calling persons, genders, classes, advocacies, and institutions degrading names – can be considered as just tactical strategies to divert attention from the real prize: democratic institutions and constitutional rights and processes," she said.

Aside from an impeachment complaint, Sereno is also facing a quo warranto petition, which seeks to declare her appointment null and void, filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida.

The Makabayan bloc and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines have sought the dismissal of the petition against the Chief Justice.

Sereno refused to comment on the issue. But pressed by reporters if she is happy with the support, a smiling Chief Justice said: "Yes, yes, yes, yes... of course."

The House justice committee earlier approved the articles of impeachment against Sereno. The plenary, however, has yet to vote on the matter. House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez earlier said they would wait for the resolution of the quo warranto petition. (READ: Quo warranto precedents: Sereno bats for outright dismissal) – Rappler.com

FREIBURG, Germany – An asylum seeker claiming to be from Afghanistan was on Thursday, March 22, sentenced to life in jail in Germany for the rape and murder of a student that stoked a public backlash against a mass influx of migrants.

Hussein Khavari, of uncertain age and origin, was found guilty of the deadly night-time attack on medical student Maria Ladenburger, 19, in October 2016 in the university town of Freiburg.

Khavari pushed her off her bicycle as she was riding home alone from a party, then bit, choked and repeatedly raped her and left her on the bank of a river where she drowned.

Presiding judge Kathrin Schenk condemned the extreme "lack of empathy" of Khavari, who was handcuffed and wearing a black hooded jumper, before reading out the verdict and sentence, which were greeted with applause in the courtroom.

She handed down the maximum sentence of life in prison, which under German law means 15 years behind bars, with no chance of parole and the possibility of "security detention" afterwards if the convict is still deemed to pose a threat to society.

Schenk said she saw almost no chance of rehabilitation, telling Khavari that "you would have to become an entirely different human being".

Khavari had been arrested 7 weeks after the murder, following a huge manhunt in the town near the French border. 

Police had found a black hair partially dyed blond at the scene, then spotted Khavari by his hairstyle on security camera footage and linked him to the crime using his DNA.

As the crime sparked public anger and revulsion, social media users posted sarcastic "thank you" messages to Chancellor Angela Merkel over her liberal policy that brought more than one million refugees and migrants to the country.

During the trial, prosecutor Eckart Berger had reminded the two jurors sitting alongside three judges that "on trial is a criminal offender and not Germany's refugee policy".

Jailed in Greece

Khavari arrived in Germany, without identity papers, in November 2015, near the peak of the refugee influx, as an unaccompanied minor claiming to be 16 or 17 years old and hailing from Afghanistan.

A police officer told the court that Khavari's cellphone and social media accounts suggested he had lived in Iran.

Khavari was sent to live with a German host family in the picturesque town on the edge of the Black Forest, went to a local school, learnt German and received state benefits.

It emerged only after his arrest that he had already committed a violent crime in May 2013 in Greece, where he pushed a woman off a cliff on the island of Corfu, leaving her badly injured.

He was sentenced there in February 2014 to 10 years jail for attempted murder but was granted a conditional release from Greece's overcrowded jails in October 2015.

He fled to Germany, where authorities knew nothing of his criminal past because Greece had only issued a nationwide warrant, and because no match was detected in an EU-wide fingerprint data base for asylum seekers.

Khavari was initially tried as a juvenile offender, but the court accepted expert opinions, based on X-rays and dental analysis, that he is now aged between 22 and 29.

The defendant had admitted to the crime, but claimed diminished culpability because he was under the influence of alcohol and drugs – a position which his defence said it would argue again in an appeal.

Khavari had also claimed that his father died long ago in a battle against Afghanistan's Taliban. 

Judge Schenk in December dialled a number on Khavari's cellphone and reached his father, who told her through an interpreter that he was living in Iran. – Rappler.com

WASHINGTON, DC, USA – President Donald Trump and former vice president Joe Biden, both septuagenarians, once again publicly voiced their intense animosity toward each another on Thursday, March 22, complete with threats of physical assault.

"Crazy Joe Biden is trying to act like a tough guy. Actually, he is weak, both mentally and physically, and yet he threatens me, for the second time, with physical assault," Trump tweeted in the early morning.

"He doesn't know me, but he would go down fast and hard, crying all the way. Don't threaten people Joe!"

{source}

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Crazy Joe Biden is trying to act like a tough guy. Actually, he is weak, both mentally and physically, and yet he threatens me, for the second time, with physical assault. He doesn’t know me, but he would go down fast and hard, crying all the way. Don’t threaten people Joe!</p>&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/976765417908776963?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

{/source}

Speaking at an anti-sexual assault rally Tuesday at the University of Miami, Biden, who is weighing a 2020 run against Trump, said he would have "beat the hell" out of the president if they had been in high school together because of his disrespect for women.

"A guy who ended up becoming our national leader said, 'I can grab a woman anywhere and she likes it,'" Biden said, referencing a tape that emerged in the waning days of the 2016 campaign that showed Trump boasting of his ability to grab women's genitals.

"They asked me would I like to debate this gentleman, and I said no. I said, 'If we were in high school, I'd take him behind the gym and beat the hell out of him,'" Biden said.

"I've been in a lot of locker rooms my whole life. I'm a pretty damn good athlete. Any guy who talked that way was usually the fattest, ugliest S.O.B. in the room."

Biden, who served as Barack Obama's vice president from 2009 to 2017, made similar comments during the campaign.

Trump has already launched his 2020 re-election campaign.

Biden is 75 years old and Trump is 71. – Rappler.com

LONDON, United Kingdom – Britain on Thursday, March 22, marked the one year anniversary of the terror attack on Westminster Bridge, the first in a series of assaults in the UK in 2017 that killed dozens of people and left scores injured.

On March 22 last year, Khalid Masood, a 52-year-old British convert to Islam, drove a car at pedestrians on the bridge over the River Thames in the heart of the London, before fatally stabbing a policeman on guard outside parliament. 

The attack left 5 people dead and around 50 injured, and only ended when police shot Masood dead.

The Islamic State (ISIS) group claimed responsibility, but investigators have said they found no evidence of an association.

The incident mirrored truck attacks in Europe, including the 2016 Bastille Day assault in Nice that killed 86 people, and a similar attack months later on a Christmas market in Berlin that claimed 12 lives.

Britain endured a tumultuous period following the March 22 rampage, with four further terror attacks, including three in the capital at London Bridge, Finsbury Park and Parsons Green tube station.

Mourners left flowers at the scene on Thursday, with one note reading; "Kurt, taken too soon, but never forgotten – RIP Much love, Sandy", in tribute to US musician Kurt Cochran, who died in the attack.  

"It's very moving," Mick Hodges, 67, who had travelled from the East Midlands to pay his respects, told AFP.

"Our thoughts are with the families and also the people that acted so bravely that day, trying to revive the people."

In the House of Commons on Wednesday, Prime Minister Theresa May praised the "exceptional bravery of our police and security services", while MPs on Thursday held a minute's silence.

With May in Brussels on Thursday, interior minister Amber Rudd and Leader of the House of Commons Andrea Leadsom attended a commemorative event in parliament's Westminster Hall.

'Horrific terror attacks'

Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, has announced plans for the hashtag "LondonUnited" to be displayed at the locations targeted on the anniversaries of each attack, with the phrase projected onto the Houses of Parliament Thursday.

A 3D installation of #LondonUnited will also be located at City Hall, home to Khan's devolved administration, where the public will be able to pay their respects and sign a "digital book of hope".

Khan said the commemoration was drawn up after consultation with 14 bereaved families, survivors, the emergency services and local councils.

"Londoners will never forget the horrific terror attacks on our city in 2017," the mayor added in a statement.

"These were not only attacks on our city and our country, but on the very heart of our democracy and the values we cherish most – freedom, justice and tolerance."

Police officers and others observed a minute's silence at 9:33 am (0933 GMT), which corresponds to 933, the number of slain officer Keith Palmer.

"They are talking of naming the gates after the policeman which I think is a very nice tribute to him, let him be remembered forever," said well-wisher Christine Fernbank, 80.

'Close to death'

Theresa May's government has called for people to remain vigilant, while Britain's threat level for international terrorism is set at severe, meaning an attack is "highly likely".

In 2017, British anti-terrorism officials received some 31,000 reports by telephone or internet, according to the authorities.

Just over a fifth of this information was used by the police in investigations, or added to their terrorism databases. 

Last October Andrew Parker, head of MI5, Britain's domestic intelligence service, stressed that the pace and scale of terrorist activity had accelerated "dramatically".

He said the tempo of counter-terrorism operations was the highest he had seen in his 34-year career at MI5.

One year on from the March 22 attack, 27-year-old victim Francisco Lopes recalled being "close to death". 

Since being hit by Masood in the attack, he has suffered from post-traumatic stress and had to stop working. 

"I'm happy to be alive but it changed me," he told London's Evening Standard newspaper. 

The attack has also prompted the authorities to strengthen London's security apparatus. 

"This includes barriers at crowded locations, such as eight bridges in London," said spokesman for the Metropolitan Police.

Professor Jon Coaffee, of the University of Warwick's department of political and international studies, told AFP: "More public spaces and transport infrastructure have been protected by ad hoc concrete blocks or metal barriers." – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine police said on Thursday, March 22, they had shot dead 13 drug suspects, just days after President Rodrigo Duterte moved to take the country out of the International Criminal Court over its inquiry into his deadly drug war.

The suspects were killed on Wednesday, March 21, in the northern province of Bulacan, an official statement said, an area where police have previously launched lethal crackdowns on illegal drugs.

"Bulacan police are continuously and relentlessly implementing their intensified campaign against illegal drugs," the statement said, adding there had been more than 100 arrests.

The war crimes tribunal, based in The Hague, last month launched a preliminary inquiry into Duterte's bloody crackdown on narcotics, amid allegations Philippine security forces may have committed crimes against humanity.

Philippine police have said they have killed roughly 4,100 suspects who fought back during arrest, but rights groups allege the actual number is 3 times higher and accuse the authorities of murder.

The tribunal opened in 2002 to try abuses in countries where national courts cannot or will not prosecute. Manila in 2011 ratified the Rome Statute that created the court.

Manila gave official notice to the United Nations last week that it would withdraw, days after Duterte announced his country would quit the court over alleged "baseless, unprecedented and outrageous attacks" against his government's rights record.

Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said last Friday the Philippines was pushing back against "the well-orchestrated campaign to mislead the international community, to crucify President Duterte... by distorting the human rights situation in the country".

The tribunal has urged Manila to reconsider its decision, adding that officially quitting the court requires a year's notice and does not preclude its preliminary inquiry into the drug war killings, which have drawn international concern.

Duterte, who is buoyed by high popularity ratings at home, has fiercely defended the drug war as a battle to bring safety to the nation's 100 million people.

He has frequently urged authorities to kill drug suspects while promising to protect police from legal sanction. – Rappler.com

BEIRUT, Lebanon – A Syrian rebel group which still controls a pocket of the Eastern Ghouta enclave on Thursday, March 22, announced a ceasefire from midnight to allow negotiations with the regime's ally Russia, a spokesman for the faction said.

The announcement was made after air raids targeted the part of southern Ghouta under the control of the Faylaq al-Rahman rebel group, leaving at least 38 people dead, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The ceasefire move also came as the first evacuations of rebels and civilians took place in Eastern Ghouta under a Russian-brokered deal that is the first for the shrinking opposition enclave outside Damascus.

The evacuation deal further isolated the rebel groups that control the remaining two pockets of Ghouta and piles pressure on them to accept similar deals.

The regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Moscow, last month launched an offensive which allowed it to take back more than 80% of Ghouta, the last bastion of the rebels in the area.

The regime's offensive on Ghouta has killed more than 1,500 civilians since February 18, the Observatory says.

Central Damascus lies within mortar range of Ghouta, and the evacuation deal came after the deadliest rebel rocket attack on the capital in months killed 44 civilians on Tuesday, March 20.

A Faylaq al-Rahman spokesman in the southern rebel pocket of Ghouta announced that "agreement has been reached for a ceasefire, through the auspices of the United Nations."

The truce will permit "a final round of negotiations" between a local rebel delegation and Russia to find a solution "guaranteeing the safety of civilians and an end to their suffering and guaranteeing an end to this war and the bombardments," he added.

The Syrian Observatory blamed the 38 deaths on Thursday on Russian air strikes. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – After the issuance of arrest warrants against the Aegis Juris fraternity members in the Horacio “Atio” Castillo II slay case, two of the accused filed a motion for inhibition against Judge Alfredo Ampuan of the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 40.

They based their motion on the fact that Ampuan is the brother-in-law of Dante Jimenez, who heads the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), and had assisted the Castillo family during the preliminary investigation of the case.

“Judge is incapable of rendering fair and impartial adjudication of the instant case because he is the brother-in-law of Mr Dante Jimenez, President of Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC),” said the motion filed by Jose Miguel Salamat and John Robin Ramos early Morning Friday, March 23.

According to Salamat and Ramos, Ampuan’s wife, Marilissa Jimenez Ampuan, is the sister of Jimenez. They attached a photo of Mrs Ampuan, Judge Ampuan, and Jimenez at an event of the Mariners Polytechnic Colleges (MPC).

“Mr Jimenez is the chairman of the MPC while the President and CEO is the Judge’s wife, Mrs Marilissa Jimenez-Ampuan,” their motion said.

Jimenez assisted Castillo's family during the preliminary investigation and appeared on several occasions at the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Judge Ampuan issued the resolution after he found probable cause to issue warrants of arrest against the 10 fratmen before the courts closed afternoon of Thursday, March 22.

Branch 40 staff confirmed to reporters that as of Friday morning, the warrants have been given to the police to be served on the accused.

The lawyers of Salamat and Ramos also raised alleged irregularities, such as Judge Ampuan's supposed accomodation of DOJ prosecutors and Castillo's lawyer. They said Judge Ampuan proceeded with the hearings despite the absence of a public prosecutor and the non-entry of Castillo's lawyer as private prosecutor.

The motion filed on Friday was a supplement to an earlier motion filed Thursday at 3:10 pm. According to their motion, after their personnel filed the motion 3:10 pm, Judge Ampuan issued the order to arrest at 4:40 pm, and did not give a copy to their personnel who was already there. 

What happens next? The Manila Police District (MPD) has to arrest all 10 fraternity members, and submit to the court a return of warrant if all 10 of them have been arrested.

Can they post bail? No, or at least not yet. Violation of the anti-hazing law, if it results to death, is a non-bailable charge.

But, the fratmen have filed a motion to be granted bail. During the first hearing on March 16, Judge Ampuan said he will set those motions for hearing after the warrants of arrest are issued. That hearing date is yet to be scheduled.

{source}

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">JUST IN: After order to arrest them, Two Aegis Juris fratmen Miguel Salamat and Robin Ramos file for motion for inihibition against Judge Alfredo Ampuan because “he is the brother in law of VACC chairman Dante Jimenez.” <a href="https://twitter.com/rapplerdotcom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rapplerdotcom</a> <a href="https://t.co/8gXwsk5IYx">pic.twitter.com/8gXwsk5IYx</a></p>&mdash; Lian Buan (@lianbuan) <a href="https://twitter.com/lianbuan/status/976986344793653248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source} – Rappler.com

WASHINGTON DC, USA  (UPDATED) – US President Donald Trump on Thursday named hardline Fox News pundit and former UN ambassador John Bolton as his new national security advisor, ousting embattled army general HR McMaster.

Trump took to Twitter to announce the latest in a cascade of staff changes, one which calls the future of a landmark deal to curb Iran's nuclear program into serious doubt. 

"I am pleased to announce that, effective 4/9/18, @AmbJohnBolton will be my new National Security Advisor," Trump said.

{source}<center>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I am pleased to announce that, effective 4/9/18, <a href="https://twitter.com/AmbJohnBolton?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AmbJohnBolton</a> will be my new National Security Advisor. I am very thankful for the service of General H.R. McMaster who has done an outstanding job &amp; will always remain my friend. There will be an official contact handover on 4/9.</p>&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/976948306927607810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

</center>{/source} 

The announcement came just days after he moved to replace secretary of state Rex Tillerson with another Iran hawk, CIA director Mike Pompeo.

"I am very thankful for the service of General H.R. McMaster who has done an outstanding job and will always remain my friend," Trump tweeted.

McMaster had been expected to leave later this year, so his exit was no surprise. But Bolton's nomination has stunned much of Washington.

A vocal advocate of the Iraq war, he has also championed pre-emptive strikes against North Korea and regime change in Iran -- making him an outlier even among Republicans.

His appointment had been fiercely opposed by many within Trump's inner circle, most notably the coterie of military officers who have experienced the brutality of war first hand.

Bolton – a veteran of the George W. Bush administration – will now have a central role in crafting US foreign policy, refereeing debates between America's spooks, soldiers and diplomats.

But his most potent role will be framing the security decisions that make it to Trump's desk.

His ideological approach to American power matches neatly with Trump's tough-talking rhetoric, although the two have not always agreed on overseas wars.

One Republican operative, speaking on condition of anonymity, admitted to some concerns about the appointment. 

"Some folks think he's a little too hawkish," the source said.

"But people who have worked with him think he's a pro and will step into the job knowing the key players, processes and issues."

For his part, Bolton tried to ease fears he would steer Trump by the nose and down the path of war.

"I have my views. I'm sure I'll have a chance to articulate them to the president," he told Fox News.

"If the government can't have a free interchange of ideas among the president's advisers, I think the president is not well-served."

Unlike the secretaries of state or defense, the national security advisor works directly for the president and does not need to be confirmed by the Senate in order to take up his post.

Fork in the road

McMaster's exit is the latest in a string of high-profile departures from the White House that started with national security advisor Michael Flynn and has also included chief of staff Reince Priebus, chief strategist Steve Bannon, economic advisor Gary Cohn and Tillerson.

McMaster, a 3-star army general, had been expected to move out of the White House and into a four-star position.

Instead, he will retire from public life.

"After 34 years of service to our nation, I am requesting retirement from the US Army effective this summer after which I will leave public service," he said in a statement.

"Throughout my career it has been my greatest privilege to serve alongside extraordinary service members and dedicated civilians."

McMaster had been brought in to replace Flynn, Trump's first national security advisor, who has since admitted to lying to the special counsel Robert Mueller and has turned state's witness.

Bolton's appointment brought sharply different reactions, which in public cut along predictable party lines.

Democratic Senator Edward Markey described the appointment as "a grave danger to the American people and a clear message from President Trump that he is gearing up for military conflict."

Congressman Lee Zeldin, a Trump loyalist, applauded the appointment and described Bolton as "ridiculously knowledgeable."

"Leaks from NSC will end. Obama holdovers will be gone & team chemistry & work product will all get ramped up. Very underrated, amazing American. Extraordinarily talented pick," he tweeted.

The Eurasia Group, a risk consultancy, said Bolton's appointment makes US foreign policy "America First on Steroids."

"This very hardline, strident figure will stoke President Donald Trump’s hardest-line instincts. Bolton will want to implement very tough policies, and limit Trump's use of them as negotiating tactics," it said.

Bolton, it added, is "the hawk's hawk." – Rappler.com

LONDON, United Kingdom – Stephen Hawking's ashes will be buried near the graves of fellow British scientists Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin at Westminster Abbey, it was announced Tuesday, March 20.

The remains of the legendary physicist and icon, who died last week, will be laid in the church during a thanksgiving service later this year, the abbey said.

His family earlier confirmed the funeral will take place on March 31 at Great St Mary's church in Cambridge University, a short distance from Gonville and Caius College, where Hawking worked at unlocking the secrets of the universe for more than 52 years.

Hawking died aged 76 on March 14 after a cosmic career in which his mental genius transcended his physical disability.

Propelled to stardom by his 1988 book "A Brief History of Time", an unlikely worldwide bestseller, Hawking's genius and wit won over fans from far beyond the rarefied world of astrophysics.

As a scientist, he earned comparisons with Newton and Albert Einstein.

Family, friends and colleagues will be invited to the private funeral service, which takes place at 2:00pm (1300 GMT). A private reception will be held afterwards at Trinity College.

Hawking was famously an atheist, something his children Lucy, Robert and Tim touched on, as they thanked people for their "wonderful tributes" and messages of condolence.

"Our father lived and worked in Cambridge for over 50 years. He was an integral and highly recognizable part of the university and the city," they said.

"For this reason, we have decided to hold his funeral in the city that he loved so much and which loved him.

"Our father's life and work meant many things to many people, both religious and non-religious. So, the service will be both inclusive and traditional, reflecting the breadth and diversity of his life."

Mystery of the universe

Hawking died peacefully at his Cambridge home. His health had been deteriorating since the New Year.

Several thousand people have signed a book of condolence at Gonville and Caius, while many more from around the world have sent messages in an online version.

Hawking defied predictions that he would only live for a few years after developing a form of motor neurone disease in his early 20s.

The illness gradually robbed him of mobility, leaving him confined to a wheelchair, almost completely paralyzed and unable to speak except through his trademark voice synthesizer.

He became one of the world's most well-regarded scientists and entered the pantheon of science titans.

John Hall, Dean of Westminster, said: "It is entirely fitting that the remains of Professor Stephen Hawking are to be buried in the abbey, near those of distinguished fellow scientists.

"We believe it to be vital that science and religion work together to seek to answer the great questions of the mystery of life and of the universe."

Newton was buried in the abbey in 1727 and Darwin alongside him in 1882. Other famous scientists are buried nearby, the most recent being atomic physicists Ernest Rutherford in 1937 and Joseph John Thomson in 1940.

"We believe it to be vital that science and religion work together to seek to answer the great questions of the mystery of life and of the universe," said Hall.

Several kings and queens are buried in the abbey, along with 8 British prime ministers.

The last significant ashes to be buried at the abbey were those of the actor Laurence Olivier in 1989. – Rappler.com