MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte arrived in South Korea on Sunday morning, June 3, for a 3-day official visit that includes talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-In and a meeting with the Filipino community there. 

Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Raul Hernandez said Duterte arrived in Seoul at around 5:20 am on Sunday.

Duterte will kick off his official trip by meeting with the Filipino community at the Grand Hilton Hotel and Convention Center late Sunday afternoon. 

On Monday, June 4, Duterte will meet with Moon at the Blue House. Duterte had said he will seek "greater partnership" in defense and security, trade and investment, and political cooperation during his meeting with Moon. 

The Philippines earlier said 4 documents will be signed during Duterte's trip. These include a loan agreement on the new Cebu International Container Port Project and other memoranda of understanding on transportation, science, and economics. 

66,000 Filipinos in South Korea

"The news of the President's visit was enthusiastically welcomed by members of the Filipino community in South Korea," Hernandez said in an interview uploaded by RTVM.

"We did not expect that there will be a lot of people who wanted to see the President here in South Korea, and therefore we probably need a bigger venue, maybe a stadium or a big Olympic-sized stadium, when he visits in another time," Hernandez added.

The Philippine ambassador said more than 66,000 Filipinos live in South Korea.

He said most Filipinos in South Korea work in factories, construction, and the service industry. Others serve as household helpers, professors, performers, and missionaries, among others. 

In the 2016 elections, Filipinos in South Korea "gave 84% of their votes" to Duterte, Hernandez said. – Rappler.com

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines – Albay over the weekend capped its Magayon Festival, the annual celebration derived from the legend of the Mayon volcano, referred to as a beautiful maiden, "daragang magayon."

The Magayon Festival this year included the Santacruzan, a procession that concludes the month-long Flores de Mayo. 

The result was a parade of angels – local belles donning white elaborately sewn gowns, as they walked under decorated wooden arches. 

"We have included the Flores de Mayo and Santacruzan as one of the highlights of Magayon Festival events. We chose this also as our culminating activity to give praise and thanks to the Lord through the Virgin Mary for a successful celebration of the Magayon Festival," said Dorothy Fernandez Colle, head of the provincial tourism, culture, and the arts office in Albay.

The procession began at the Vel-Amor Subdivision, and ended at the Peñaranda Park, where the Reyna Elena was chosen.

"We hope that by doing this, we have sparked interest among the millennials to learn more about our local culture and traditions and eventually learn to love our heritage more and be proud of being uniquely Pinoy," Colle said. – Rhaydz Barcia/Rappler.com

Atlas was a god in Greek mythology who was doomed to hold up the sky forever. If I wanted to annoy Atlas, I would tell him that he should thank his curse-giver for asking him to hold up just the sky and not the Earth, because the Earth is much more massive.

Thanks to an extremely shy but focused and determined British scientist in the 18th century named Henry Cavendish who spent most of his energy doing experiments, we know how much the Earth weighs. He did this with a contraption made up of interconnected parts that were so sensitive that he had to observe it with a telescope through a peephole in the next room. Haunted by Newton's idea of a gravitational constant, Cavendish labored over computations for a year and his final number came 1% close to what we know now. The earth weighs 5.9725 billion trillion metric tons. That translates to 6570 x 109 gigatons, or 6,570,000,000 gigatons.

But Cavendish weighed the Earth while he was on Earth and not from outer space. This means the Earth's atmosphere did not bear on the mass that Cavendish weighed. The earth's atmosphere is about 5.5 quadrillion tons, or only about a millionth of our planet's mass. But our planet and life on it would not be what it is without its atmosphere. So if we were to weigh the planet as we know it and including what makes it work, the atmosphere is a vital part of it.

But of the total weight of this massive planet, how much of it is the weight of the earth's biosphere, that is, the weight of the life it harbors? Professional descendants of Cavendish who were determined to weigh the mass of lifeforms recently published a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the US, giving us a report on life’s weight, including a breakdown.

What should we really measure when we want to come up with the weight of life? Scientists usually measure biomass, which is all living matter minus the water content. Take plants for instance. It starts out as a seed and then it finds a way to capture the energy from the sun and turn it into its own "body." Same goes for other organisms when they first start out as cells and grow into organisms. These life forms are put together by a mosaic of stuff made up of carbon, as it is the element which is the basis of life on Earth. This is because carbon is a naturally "flirty" element, with its 4 electrons that are gnawing to connect to other elements. This locking with other elements like hydrogen and oxygen form our DNA, proteins, fats, tissues – the make-up of life. Thus for the study, biomass was measured for all life in terms of carbon.

The grand total that the group came up with for the biomass of all living things on Earth is about 550 gigatons of carbon (Gt C). The "heaviest" of all are plants, mostly the ones on land – about 450 Gt C. This is followed by bacteria at about 70 GtC. Bacteria are everywhere, and the study yielded that bacteria, with protists, dominate the biomass of marine life at 70%. Fungi follow bacteria at about 12 Gt C. Archaea are at about 7 Gt C, and are primarily located in the deep belly of the Earth which holds about 15% of the total biomass in the biosphere. Protists are at 4 Gt C.

The weight of all animals is only about 2 Gt C, and most of these are marine animals, arthropods (1 Gt C) and fish (0.7 Gt C). And note this: there are more livestock at 0.1 Gt C than wild birds (0.002 Gt C) and wild mammals (0.007 Gt C) combined! We have more animals for food for humans, than wild birds and mammals that belong to the planet as much as we do.

The study also found that in terms of biomass, there are 5 times more consumers than producers in the marine environment. So while our seas and oceans seem all powerful and uncountable, the last scientific count yielded evidence that the balance may not be in favor of quick replenishment once pushed to the edge, as we are doing now.

The most alarming confirmation in the study was that the mass of humans is an order of magnitude higher than that of all wild mammals combined. So it has been confirmed once again that we have really taken to heart the religious mandate to "have dominion over all things."

Knowing the biomass of one life group as compared to others will tell us much about the state of our natural environment – which life forms are encouraged to propagate, and which ones are pushed to their limits. It tells us about the natural cycles that will be altered by the shifts in biomass. And because we have already established that this is the Anthropocene Age – when humans have altered the natural environment in scales that would not have happened had nature been left to its own rhythm – we would know based on the level of biomass the concrete impact of human activities on other life forms.

This study really brought it home for me, that humans, the most elemental level of life in terms of carbon and whose group makes up only 0.06 Gt C of the biosphere's 500 Gt C, can shift all of life's balance. That is a curse disguised as a gift. I think we should recruit Atlas to hold up the Earth as well. Or if he knew what is happening now that we are in charge and in power, maybe he would volunteer, since humans are not doing what is needed to hold life up. – Rappler.com

Maria Isabel Garcia is a science writer. She has written two books, "Science Solitaire" and "Twenty One Grams of Spirit and Seven Ounces of Desire." You can reach her at sciencesolitaire@gmail.com.

Atlas statue image via Shutterstock

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – A huge fire engulfed several houses and commercial stalls in a Zamboanga City village on Saturday evening, June 2. 

The investigator of the case, F02 Elvin Ramirez, said the fire at Marketside, Barangay Curuan, started at around 8:50 pm on Saturday, and reached 4th alarm.

Several firetrucks coming from different villages were sent to help control the fire, which lasted for more than 3 hours. 

The Bureau of Fire Protection estimated that 50 commercial stalls and 15 houses were gutted by the fire.

Authorities are still investigating cause of the incident.– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Detained Senator Leila de Lima filed a resolution urging the Senate to investigate the supposed "influx of Chinese nationals," both legal and illegal, in the Philippines.

Her office filed Senate Resolution 751 on Tuesday, May 29.

The "immigration surge," said De Lima's office, "steals jobs away from ordinary Filipinos," and "triggers a property surge on many developed areas."

The problem with legal workers: Citing media reports, De Lima noted an increase in Chinese nationals able to get alien employment permits (AEPs) in the Philippines. 

She flagged the reported surge of business licenses awarded by the Duterte administration to Chinese companies, "employing about 200,000 predominantly Chinese workers who have been arriving since late 2016." (READ: Chinese businessmen flock to Duterte's Malacañang)

"The surge of AEP issuance means there is a number of available jobs in the Philippines, even while Filipinos continue to seek opportunities abroad and unemployment remains a concern," De Lima said. 

With the Philippines relying on Chinese labor and clients, De Lima warned that "any change in policies by the China government could effectively stall, if not cripple, our local economy."

The problem with illegal workers: De Lima added that the Chinese also dominate the list of foreigners deported for illegally staying in the Philippines.

In 2017 alone, 1,248 of 1,508 foreigners deported by the Bureau of Immigration were Chinese.

De Lima cited two controversies that amendments to the law could have prevented: the beating of a Filipina waitress for eating a chicharon cracker of her illegally staying Chinese boss, and the illegal operation of a dredging vessel at the Macolcol River by 10 mostly Chinese foreigners.

"There is a need to review our capability to enforce our immigration and labor laws in order to protect our country and our countrymen against any adverse effect which may be caused by this immigration surge," she said.

The Senate is packed with allies of President Rodrigo Duterte, who has boosted ties with China to reap economic gains. – Rappler.com

SINGAPORE – North Korea will not get any sanctions relief until it has demonstrated "irreversible" steps to denuclearization, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Sunday, June 3.

Speaking at a security conference in Singapore ahead of a planned summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, Mattis said it is vital that the international community keeps UN Security Council sanctions in place for now.

"North Korea will receive relief only when it demonstrates verifiable and irreversible steps to denuclearization," Mattis said during public remarks at a meeting with the South Korean and Japanese defense ministers.

"In this moment we are steadfastly committed to strengthening even further our defence cooperation as the best means to preserving the peace."

South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo said that given recent developments in North Korea, "one can be cautiously optimistic as we go forward."

Mattis has tended to stay away from commenting publicly on the upcoming summit, which Trump has confirmed will take place in Singapore on June 12, and instead deferred to the State Department.

The key task ahead of the summit is to settle the agenda. The main stumbling block is likely to be the concept of "denuclearization." Both sides say they are in favor of it, but there is a yawning gap between their definitions.

Washington wants North Korea to quickly give up all its nuclear weapons in a verifiable way in return for sanctions and economic relief.

But analysts say North Korea will be unwilling to cede its nuclear deterrent unless it is given security guarantees that the US will not try to topple the regime.

"We can anticipate at best a bumpy road to the negotiations," Mattis said.

"As defense ministers we must maintain a strong collaborative defensive stance so we enable our diplomats to negotiate from a calm position of strength in this critical time." – Rappler.com

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Philippines – Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said murder charges have been filed against the alleged gunman in the murder of Cagayan priest Father Mark Ventura.  

In a chance interview with reporters on Friday, June 1, Albayalde said the alleged gunman was identified as a certain Arthymus Reynon, a resident of Sanchez-Mira town, and a suspected hired killer.

Albayalde said Reynon was also the suspect in the killing of Edmund Ifurung in 2014.  Ifurung was a barangay kagawad (village councilor) in Cabaggan, Pamplona town, when he was gunned down.

Ifurung's brother, Edwin, pursued murder charges against then Vice Mayor Aaron Sampaga for his brother's death. Sampaga would then be shot dead by unknown assailants in August 2016.

Investigators said Reynon was identified as they were escaping through Baggao town after the killing of Ventura in Gattaran town on April 29. 

Love triangle?

Albayalde said they are looking into a love triangle as a possible motive in killing of the 37-year old priest. 

President Rodrigo Duterte in a speech earlier justified the priest's murder by saying Ventura had illicit affairs with several women. Duterte showed a matrix to prove his point. (READ: 'Murder is murder,' bishop says as Duterte hits Fr Mark Ventura) 

Albayalde confirmed that the matrix of Ventura's supposed illicit affairs came from police intelligence in Cagayan Valley. 

"Yes, iniimbestigahan namin ('yang matrix). Na-identify naman 'yan. Most of the information came from the police here, came from this region," Albayalde said. (Yes, we’re investigating the matrix. We have identified that. Most of the information came from the police here, came from this region.)

Although there are already names of interest and the suspect was already charged, Albayalde said they have yet to identify the mastermind.

The arrest of the suspect, he said, will lead them to identify the mastermind of the crime.

"Kailangan talaga nating mahuli ito para magkaroon tayo ng custodial investigation at tactical interpellation para malaman talaga natin kung sino mastermind nitong pagkabaril kay  Father Ventura," he added.

(We need to catch him or her so that we can have a custodial investigation and tactical interpellation, so that we can identify the mastermind behind the shooting of Father Ventura). – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – North Cotabato 2nd District Representative Nancy Catamco posted bail at the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan after she was charged with two counts of funds malversation and one count of graft over a P5-million deal under the alleged fertilizer fund scam.

Catamco, her former husband Pompey Perez, and Edgar Rama, who was the former mayor of Poro, Cebu, each posted bail bonds of P110,000.

Sandiganbayan 6th Division Associate Justices Karl Miranda, Kevin Narce Vivero, and Sarah Jane Fernandez approved that their bail on May 22, then recalled their arrest warrants, which were released May 7.

What were they accused of? The 3 allegedly conspired in delivering supposedly overpriced fertilizers to the local government of Poro, Cebu, as part of the Department of Agriculture's Farm Inputs and Farm Implements Program in 2004.

Perzebros Company – the group owned by Catamco and her husband before their separation – which delivered the fertilizers, allegedly sold 3,333 bottles of Vitacrop liquid organic fertilizers with an unreasonable markup of P1,092 per bottle despite the lack of public bidding.

If the bottles were really overpriced, excess payments would stand at P4.58 million.

In addition, the Office of the Ombudsman also revealed that the company had clinched the deal despite just being barely two months old then.

Their defense: According to Catamco, who was then a private individual who represented Perzebros, their company delivered the fertilizers through an older company: BountyGrow.

"Bounty Grow has long been engaged in manufacturing foliar fertilizers. The Perzebros filed an application for a certification from the Fertilizers and Pesticides Authority (FPA). It's just that the FPA approved our certification only on April 28, 2004. But the thing was, we had the delivery. It was not a ghost delivery," Catamco was quoted by SunStar as saying.

BountyGrow, however, is owned by Catamco's sister in General Santos City.

Addressing the alleged absence of public bidding, her information officer Jun Obella passed the blame to the local government of Poro. At the time of the deal, Edgar Rama was vice mayor of the Cebu town.

"It was the (local government unit) of Poro town that led the bidding, and Catamco was just an observer, she, being a supplier only," Obello was quoted by the Manila Bulletin as saying.– Rappler.com

AKLAN, Philippines – A little over a month into its closure, the Philippines' top tourist destination Boracay is left with establishments fenced with wire or marked with "closed" signs.

Tourists have been banned from entering the island since April 26, as the government began rehabilitation efforts. President Rodrigo Duterte had ordered the 6-month shutdown, calling Boracay a "cesspool." (READ: INSIDE STORY: How Duterte decided on Boracay closure)

Once packed with guests, Boracay's powdery white shores are now almost empty. Locals said the island looks like how it was 20 years ago. (WATCH: What Boracay looks like after it was closed down)

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) had ruled that swimming is only allowed for residents in front of the Blessed Virgin Mary grotto at Station 1. (LIST: New Boracay rules during 6-month closure)

Popular shops closed

With tourists gone, most establishments were forced to temporarily close, including the famous D'Mall shops where tourists could buy swimwear and souvenirs.

D'Mall Avenue, which used to be bustling with shoppers, is now left with clearing works along the alley.

Even popular food and beverage chains such as McDonald's, Starbucks, Yellow Cab, and Army Navy took a hit from the closure.

Major resorts also shut down. According to remaining workers, all Hennan hotels in the island stopped operations.

Some still open

Despite the absence of tourists, however, some establishments are still operating for those who remain in Boracay.

Business owner Boyet Sacdalan said he has gotten used to the empty beach and empty shops.

"In my bar, we don't have customers anymore. Sometimes, we have one or two per night. If it's a payday, the numbers rise to 6 or 8," he told Rappler.

"We're only operating for our employees because I don't want them to see that I'm giving up. But we're operating at a loss."

Sacdalan had to shorten operating hours and retain only less than 50 employees from almost 300. He said he is hoping that Boracay reopens in less than 6 months.

Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu had said that the island may reopen sooner than originally scheduled, thanks to the help of the military in fast-tracking rehabilitation efforts.

"We're really hoping that the island opens within the target, even if it's a partial reopening. Right now, businesses are dead. Just don't tell us it's going to extend more than 6 months," Sacdalan said. – Rappler.com

PALAWAN, Philippines – Digital nomad Bryan Madera was on an indefinite sabbatical, or "seabbatical" as he calls it, when he decided to do volunteer-for-accommodations last year at a hostel along the famed Twin Beach in Barangay Bucana, El Nido. While he was stunned by the splendid seascape, it wasn't the first thing that caught his attention there.

"The hostel owner showed me around the community, and we arrived at the pile of plastic bottles tourism generated for one month," he recounted in an email.

It didn't take him long to conclude that excessive solid waste generation from both the local community and the tourists was a major problem.

As someone with coastal resources management training from graduate school and a strong grassroots movement background, he was convinced not to let the problem cause irreversible damage to the environment.

That was when his battle against single-use plastic bottles started to take shape.

"Back at the hostel, I started writing a concept note and doing research on how I can convince [businesses] to set up water refill stations," he said.

Madera, however, had to leave El Nido and move to Northern Mindanao for a volunteering opportunity. Then in July 2017, he went to Siargao where he eventually piloted the Plastic Battle campaign in partnership with the Siargao Environmental Awareness Movement and Save Philippine Seas.

"Although Plastic Battle was piloted in Siargao Island, it was later on implemented in El Nido where the campaign was actually conceived," he said.

Encouraging refilling

Plastic Battle aims to reduce or eliminate single-use plastic bottles, sometimes referred to as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. The campaign convinces resorts, hostels, restaurants, and cafés to give people the option to refill reusable bottles for a fee or for free.

"It is a response to the study showing that the Philippines ranks 3rd in marine litter contribution globally, and to the prediction that there will be more plastic than fish in the seas by 2050," Madera said.

"If we provide the knowledge, we also have to give practical solutions that can be integrated [into] our daily lives," he added.

{source}<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bb0qB7nAgtK/" data-instgrm-version="8" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bb0qB7nAgtK/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Plastic Battle (@plasticbattle)</a> on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2017-11-23T03:31:40+00:00">Nov 22, 2017 at 7:31pm PST</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async defer src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>{/source}

A global study shows that more than 100 million PET bottles are produced daily, but only one out of 5 gets recycled. (READ: Things you didn't know about plastic water bottles)

"These plastic bottles will only start breaking into microplastics (extremely small pieces of plastic) in approximately 700 years," Madera explained.

Many plastic bottles end up in the oceans, becoming "a threat to marine animals by entangling them or blocking their digestive tract, and to human health by the entry of microplastics into the food chain," added Madera.

No retreat

Just like any other advocacy, the Plastic Battle campaign has its share of challenges.

"One of the challenges I encountered was that a restaurant in El Nido does not serve service water and only sells bottled water to their customers," Madera recalled.

"They declined to join and reasoned out, 'We don't have enough space to store water supply, and besides, we use our filtered water to clean our vegetables.' They said their deep-well water, although filtered, may not be safe for drinking." (READ: DENR wants El Nido's groundwater tested)

Early on, he had anticipated that it would really be difficult to convince some establishments, but decided to continue his campaign anyway.

"We can't please everyone, but at least we have other business partners in El Nido that provide service water," he said.

Pressing forward

In less than a year, Plastic Battle has reached over 60 member-establishments in tourism destinations, such as Puerto Princesa City, Coron, and El Nido in Palawan; Boracay; Bohol; Cebu; and Zambales, among others.

"We are happy whenever a business establishment commits to serve service water [and] to stop selling bottled water, and even tags us on their social media account signifying their commitment to use reusable water bottles," Madera said.

For tourists unaware of the availability of refilling stations, Plastic Battle has mapped out refilling stations in the Philippines and also placed the map on an iOS app downloadable from the Apple Store.

{source}<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=12WJv3i-0zF4BXxNYDwvY5_iS7rE" width="550" height="480"></iframe>{/source}

"This would cut down the plastic bottle waste produced in a destination island that is far away from the recycling system. And if you are traveling on a budget, refilling your reusable water bottle would save you money," Madera said.

This year, the campaign is targeting Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro; La Union; and Baler, Aurora. Interested establishments can also join the battle.

"We need to promote the culture of water refilling and providing safe drinking service water to reduce our use of single-use plastic bottles that can end up in the ocean. If the community has this culture, then the tourists would also follow," Madera said. – Rappler.com

Plastic bottles image from Shutterstock

MANILA, Philippines – Former president Benigno Aquino III is expected to attend a preliminary investigation at the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday, June 4, regarding the graft complaint filed against him over the purchase of the Dengvaxia dengue vaccine.

Aquino is expected to be joined by former budget secretary Florencio Abad as well as current and former officials from the Department of Health (DOH), including:

• Former secretary Janette Garin
• Undersecretary Carol Taiño
• Undersecretary Gerardo Bayugo
• Undersecretary Lilibeth David 
• Undersecretary Mario Villaverde
• Assistant Secretary Lyndon Lee Suy 
• Assistant Secretary Nestor Santiago
• Financial Management Service Director Laureano Cruz
• Director Joyce Ducusin
• Director May Wynn Belo
• Director Leonila Gorgolon
• Director Rio Magpantay
• Director Ariel Valencia 
• Director Julius Lecciones
• Undersecretary Nemesio Gako (retired)
• Undersecretary Vicente Belizario Jr (retired)
• Undersecretary Kenneth Hartigan-Go (retired)
• Yolanda Oliveros (Garin's former head executive assistant)

Officials from vaccine manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur and its distributor Zuellig Pharma are also expected to appear before the DOJ panel.

Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Rossane Balauag, who heads the DOJ panel, asked the respondents to appear when submitting their counter-affidavits.

Aquino previously failed to appear during the panel's first preliminary hearing last May 15. Instead, Aquino's lawyer Mildred Umali was the one who received a copy of the complaint. (READ: Aquino says unqualified 'experts' politicized Dengvaxia probe)

The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption and the Vanguard of the Philippine Constitution previously filed a graft complaint against Aquino and the other government officials.

The two groups claimed that Aquino and 44 others were criminally liable when they allegedly "anomalously and illegally funded and procured the Dengvaxia vaccine and ill-advisedly, thoughtlessly, and imprudently implemented the dengue immunization" project of the DOH. (READ: Aquino hits 'Dick Gordon show,' draft report on Dengvaxia) – Rappler.com

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines – Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital (BRTTH), a former US army station hospital, recently celebrated its centennial anniversary here.

Dr Rogelio Rivera, BRTTH chief of hospital, said the region's first government hospital is preparing for the future to meet the global demand for better public health services 

"We're heading to computerizing and developing [a] safer and green hospital in the country with water treatment sewage," he added.

Rivera said BRTTH is the catchment area of Albay, Catanduanes, Masbate, Sorsogon, and other nearby provinces. The hospital caters to an increasing number of patients annually.

Today, BRTTH is the region's heart and cancer center. But Rivera also hopes for the hospital to become a brain center that will lure Bicolano medical specialists currently based in Manila to return and serve the increasing number of patients in the area.

"The operation is very expensive, but if the BRTTH will be the brain center, we can at least help minimize the expenses of the patients as they can no longer go to other hospitals for operation and treatment," he added.

Albay 2nd District Representative Joey Salceda, for his part, envisions the BRTTH to become "the Philippine General Hospital of the south," equipped with modern facilities to cater to Bicolanos' needs. 

Salceda has allocated P1.8 billion ($34.25 million)* for the modernization of the BRTTH in the next 3 years. He said the amount will be used for the construction of a 5-story building with 600 beds.

Salceda considers the BRTTH as a pillar of economic development. In fact, he expects an increase in the number of patients once the Bicol International Airport becomes fully operational in 2020.

"By 2020, which is the opening of the Bicol International Airport, your admission is expected to spike not only because BRTTH is the catchment area for medical services of neighboring provinces, including foreigners. We envision Bicol, specifically Albay province, as the California way of life in 2050, as a livable place," he said during the centennial anniversary of the hospital on Tuesday, May 29. 

The BRTTH has an authorized bed capacity of 250, although there are 512 actual beds in the hospital. It also has 1,085 employees, 675 of which are regular employees, while 410 are job order workers.

Rivera said they are experiencing congestion due to the hospital's increasing number of patients. Right now, the hospital accommodates about 450 to 500 patients daily. 

To address the congestion, he said the government is already establishing 4 new buildings for the hospital. Aside from the planned 5-story building, other buildings for dialysis, ER-trauma, and patient support service are also in the pipeline. 

Construction is also ongoing for other infrastructure such as a heart center (which will be operational by July), a cancer center, and a psychiatric building. The hospital's outpatient department is also being rehabilitated. – Rappler.com

*US$1 = P52.55

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – A road crash in Davao del Sur on Sunday, June 3, left at least 12 people dead and 4 others injured, police said.

The casualties were onboard a utility van of the Franklin Baker Company of the Philippines, which hit a 10-wheeler truck along the national highway in Barangay Astorga in Sta Cruz, Davao del Sur.

They were workers at the company, which operates a desiccating plant in Sta Cruz, according to a One Mindanao report.

Police said the utility van was overspeeding on the northbound lane and overshot a curve, hitting the 10-wheeler truck which was coming from the opposite direction.

The incident, which was also confirmed to media by Sta Cruz Mayor Alexis Almendras, took place at around 12:30 pm on Sunday.

Police have taken custody of the driver of the truck, identified as Theodoro Batiocan.

The 4 injured were brought to the Davao del Sur Provincial Hospital in Digos City. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte apologized to Kuwait on Sunday, June 3, for his "harsh" language during the Philippines' diplomatic row with the Gulf state over controversial rescue operations for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

"For the first time, I would say that I was harsh in my language, maybe because that was a result of an emotional outburst, but I'd like to apologize now. I'm sorry for the language that I was using but I'm very satisfied by the way how you responded to the problems of my country," Duterte said in his meeting with the Filipino community in South Korea. 

Duterte is making a 3-day official visit to South Korea, home to around 66,000 Filipinos, where he got 84% of votes in the 2016 elections.

Duterte's apology comes more than a month after Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on April 24 apologized to Kuwait, and explained that the rescues were done "in the spirit of emergency action to protect Filipinos."

At the height of the diplomatic crisis, Kuwait expelled Philippine Ambassador Renato Villa and declared him persona non grata due to "undiplomatic acts by Philippine embassy staff."

Kuwait accused the Philippines of violating its sovereignty by conducting rescue operations without coordinating with the Kuwaiti police. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Detained Senator Leila de Lima cried and wrote an emotional message on Sunday, June 3, the day her son Vincent Joshua Bohol graduates from law school. 

Branch 205 of the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court had rejected De Lima’s request to attend her son's graduation at San Beda College, Alabang, from 2 to 7 pm on Sunday. 

The court said De Lima's presence at the graduation rites "will disrupt the solemnity of the said occasion" and "will endanger the security of San Beda College Alabang and its constituents."

On Sunday, De Lima wrote a message about "one of the saddest days" of her detention. "As I write this, I am almost ashamed to say that I am crying," wrote the graduate's mother.

Read De Lima's full message below:

In the 465 days that I have been detained thus far, 'di ko na mabilang ang mga pagkakataon na dinapuan ako ng lungkot. May mga panahon rin, lalo na noong unang mga buwan, na gabi-gabi ako napapaluha. There were countless nights that I cried myself to sleep, praying to God for the strength to endure. 

But, then, a new day comes and, in the bright light of the morning sun, my hope is renewed and I go about my day as usual: reading, working, writing, conversing with my visitors, feeding the stray cats, and always, always, praying. 

And never, not a single time, did I find myself regretting the choices I've made that brought me here. I knew I did the right thing in not being intimidated by this regime into silence. 

But today, today is one of the saddest days of my most unjust detention. 

Today is the graduation of my son, Vincent Joshua, from law school. My son, whom I love and am very proud of. This is that day that we, as a family, and I, as a parent, have been looking forward to for years now. And never did I imagine I wouldn't be able to be there with him, bearing witness to his triumph, and being what all mothers by definition are meant to be: the number one cheerleader and supporter of their child, as they achieve one of their lifelong dreams. 

To Vincent, I want to tell you, my son, that I am so happy and so proud of you. 

You have hurdled your law studies under challenging circumstances – as a family man, as a father to two very young children, the elder of whom has autism, as a very patient and loving younger brother to a special brother, and, not to mention, the silently suffering son to a controversial mother, who is now a victim of persecution.  

These are no ordinary circumstances. Law school, by itself, is no cakewalk. Lesser persons would have given up on their dreams, and taken the easier way out. But not you. You are made of sterner stuff. I am both humbled and proud of the man you have become. 

You and your kuya make me a stronger person. 

I've missed a lot in the last 15 months. But this is the closest I have ever come to owning up to regret. Because this is not about me, but about my child. It is a very tangible loss to both of us. One that can't be brought back, even when the time comes that I am vindicated and freed. This day will pass, and we will never have it back.

In my 465 days here, I have done my best not to ask for special favors. Even for this, all I asked was to be accorded the same humanitarian consideration that was shown to other high-profile detainees, who were allowed to attend their children's graduation, their father's birthday celebration, etc.

The unjustness and double standard is just too much to bear. And the reason given, that I am a flight risk, is so blatantly false that they might as well not have bothered to try to justify it at all. Ako na siguro ang pinakamalayo sa flight risk sa mga bilanggo dito.

Ilang linggo bago ako nila kinasuhan at inaresto, umalis ako ng bansa. At kahit alam kong itutuloy nila ang maitim nilang balak na ipakulong ako, bumalik pa rin ako. Kusa at mapayapa akong sumuko nang ako ay ipaaresto. 'Yan ba ang "flight risk"?

If there is anything at risk of flying away, it is my faith in the goodness of those in power. They who have the authority have forgotten their obligation to use it for good, for justice; and have become enamored with the power they have to play with people's lives. 

Pinaglalaruan nila ang buhay ko at ng pamilya ko.

I guess I just have to accept the fact that this regime cannot be benevolent towards me, to put it very mildly. 

As I write this, I am almost ashamed to say that I am crying. Ashamed that my tears would be seen by my oppressors as some sign of weakness. That I would be bringing some pleasure to them knowing how much they have hurt me and my family. Pero tao lang ako. At kahit gaano katibay ang pagkatao ko, may hangganan din ang kakayanan kong pigilin ang damdamin at luha ko.

I cry as much for myself, as a mother who missed her son's graduation, as I do for everyone who have known the pain of not being with their families on a daily basis and even on very special, once-in-a-lifetime occasions. I feel your pain and my heart aches just as yours do.

I also cry for those who have known what it means that "no good deed goes unpunished." Truly, we have to endure the "punishment" of doing the right thing. But we must never forget that we also enjoy the best reward for it: a clear and guilt-free conscience. I might cry tonight, but I will slumber at peace with my God and my conscience. 

I wonder if those who are so petty and heartless as to deny a mother this small chance at being with her son can say the same thing. 

– Rappler.com

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – It has been a year since Saudi Arabia and its allies cut ties with Qatar, sparking the biggest diplomatic crisis to hit the Gulf in years.

Here is a recap:

Regional rupture

Simmering regional tensions boil over on June 5, 2017, when Saudi Arabia and its allies Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announce almost simultaneously that they are severing diplomatic ties with Qatar.

They accuse Doha of supporting "terrorists" and being too close to Saudi Arabia's Shiite archrival Iran – charges Qatar denies.

Land and maritime borders with the Gulf peninsula are shut, air links suspended and Qatari citizens expelled.

Riyadh says it acted to "protect its national security from the dangers of terrorism and extremism.”

In a country dependent on food imports, there is alarm over whether the border closures will lead to food shortages in Qatar.

Saudi Arabia also closes the Riyadh bureau of Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera.

Demands and a deadline

On June 22, 2017 the Saudi-led bloc sends Qatar a list of 13 demands, which include shutting down its Al Jazeera media network, curbing relations with Iran and closing a Turkish military base it hosts.

They give Qatar 10 days to comply.

After a two-day extension, Qatar says on July 4 the list is "unrealistic and is not actionable.”

Saudi Arabia and its allies threaten new sanctions.

On July 25 they unveil a "terrorist" blacklist of 18 groups and individuals suspected of links to Islamist extremists and to Qatar.

The blacklist later grows to include almost 90 names.

Outreach turns sour

Saudi state media reports on September 8 that Qatar's emir has called the Saudi crown prince to express interest in talks.

An initial positive response turns sour when the Saudis accuse Qatari media of incorrectly implying that the kingdom initiated the outreach.

On September 9 Saudi Arabia suspends any dialogue with Qatar.

Breaking isolation

Seeking support from outside the region, Qatar signs a series of defense deals with foreign powers.

In June, Doha inks a $12-billion (10.4 billion euro) deal to buy US-made F-15 fighter jets.

In early December, it finalizes contracts with France worth more than $13 billion, including the purchase of 12 French-built fighter jets and 50 Airbus passenger planes.

It also concludes a $8 billion deal with Britain to buy 24 Typhoon fighters.

In January 2018, it approves legislation allowing 100% foreign ownership in most sectors of its economy.

Previously reliant on its Gulf neighbours, it increasingly turns towards Iran and Turkey, particularly for food imports.

Shortly after the crisis unfolds, Ankara fast tracks the deployment of troops to its military base in Qatar – part of a 2014 bilateral defense agreement.

Tensions in the skies

In January Qatar says fighter jets from the UAE, one of the boycotting countries, violated its airspace in December and early January.

The UAE later accuses Qatari fighter jets of "intercepting" two Emirati passenger planes en route to Bahrain, drawing a swift denial from Doha.

Both sides complain to the United Nations.

White House welcome

On April 10 United States President Donald Trump receives the emir of Qatar, calling him "a friend of mine" and a "gentleman,” softening his tone after initially backing the Saudi-led bloc.

Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani uses the opportunity to say: "We do not and we will not tolerate people who fund terrorism."

Trump also praises Qatar's purchases of military equipment from the US, which has about 10,000 troops at an airbase outside Doha – its largest in the Middle East. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – A journalist from India is on the receiving end of death threats after an online hate campaign was launched over her exposé about government.

In her book Gujarat Files: Anatomy of a Cover Up, investigative journalist Rana Ayyub exposed the complicity of the state government then headed by Narendra Modi in the widespread killing of Muslims in Gujarat in 2002. (READ: Indian court jails 11 for life over Gujarat massacre)

The allies of Modi, who is now prime minister of India, are allegedly trying to discredit Ayyub and her book, which has sold 300,000 copies and has been translated into 16 languages.

"Ever since I wrote this book, there has been a concerted attack," Ayyub told Rappler. 

The attacks vary – from censorship, with other journalists being told not to write or talk about the book, to massive troll systems generating fake tweets in her name.

"They have been generating fake tweets in my name, saying I hate India and all Indians, and I'm advocating child rapists," she said.

The latest effort to ruin Ayyub's reputation saw the use of technology where her face was morphed into a pornographic video. Screenshots of this fake video have been widely shared in her home country.

Drastic impact 

According to Ayyub, this is the worst harassment she has ever received as a journalist – all because she continues to be critical. 

"This has been happening for the last decade, but something of this nature that 5 United Nations special rapporteurs have to intervene has never happened before," she said. 

The UN special rapporteurs – including Agnes Callamard on extrajudicial killings, Michel Forst on the situation of human rights defenders, David Kaye on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion, Ahmed Shaheed on the freedom of religion, and Dubravka Simonovic on violence against women – called on the Indian government to "act urgently to protect" Ayyub amid the harassment and death threats. 

"Governments also have a responsibility to build a safe environment for independent voices, including those of journalists critical of the authorities," they said in a statement.

"We have previously urged the authorities in India to take active steps to reverse a political climate that, in recent years, has become increasingly polarized and hostile, especially to the media and those exercising the freedom of expression." 

Ayyub admitted the attacks have had a "drastic" effect on her psychological well-being. 

"It's not the same... I'm almost like a shadow of myself," she said. "This has not happened to me before. It has taken a huge toll on me."

Ayyub has been consulting a psychologist since going undercover in 2010. The journalist also takes medication for her anxiety and palpitations.

But despite the emotional and physical toll of the harassment, Ayyub still chooses to continue her work to expose wrongdoing.

"I know the people who are doing this want me to not do the journalism that I do," she said. "If we are intimidated, we will not be doing the journalism we've been doing in the past 10 years."

Hate on social media

While social media boosts the reach of stories previously untold, it has become a platform for harassment in the form of mass trolling and hatred. (READ: Propaganda war: Weaponizing the internet)

"When you tweet something, there would be a thousand replies," Ayyub said. "It's like they want to inundate you with so much hate that you leave and stop having a voice."

When the fake pornographic image went viral, she went silent and thought about leaving social media for good, before realizing that it is not her fault and she has not done anything wrong.  

"They thought they could silence me forever," she said. "Integrity is what keeps me going. This profession is not a profession we are in for money, we are in this profession because it keeps things going."

Part of her battle is to ensure that those behind the smear campaign against her are held accountable.

"I want at least the people behind the pornographic video, the people who spread the fake tweets, arrest them and get them behind bars or at least start an investigation," she said. 

Justice, however, remains elusive. It has been a month since she filed a police complaint, but Delhi authorities have yet to act on it despite Twitter, the platform where the posts were shared, offering to help.

This lack of action on harassment complaints bothers Ayyub, who pointed out that if this can happen to an "urban journalist" like her, what more to women in rural areas with less access? – Rappler.com

BEIJING, China – China warned the US that any deals reached during ongoing trade talks would be void if Washington went ahead with imposing tariffs on Chinese goods, as the latest round of negotiations ended on Sunday, June 3 in Beijing.

The third round of trade talks between the world's two largest economies appeared to fall short of bridging the gap between Beijing and Washington, which are at loggerheads over Chinese trade and industrial policy practices that US President Donald Trump says kill American jobs.

"If the US introduces trade sanctions including tariff increases, all economic and trade achievements negotiated by the two parties so far will be void," said a Chinese government statement issued by the official Xinhua news agency.

The discussions in Beijing, led by US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, were intended to ease tensions after Washington said Tuesday, May 29 it would follow through with tariffs on Chinese imports despite a truce reached between the two sides last month.

The consensus reached in Washington called on China to increase agricultural and energy imports from the US. Beijing said "positive and concrete progress" was made on those issues with details left for "both sides to finalize.”

The visit from the large US delegation, with members from several executive branch agencies, came as fears of an all-out global trade war intensified after the European Union, Canada and Mexico drew up retaliatory measures to Washington's stinging steel and aluminium tariffs that went into effect on Friday, June 1.

On Saturday, June 2 Washington's main allies delivered a unified message of shock and dismay at a Group of Seven ministerial meeting, urging President Trump to rescind the punishing metal tariffs.

Trade war fears

The planned US trade sanctions on Beijing include restrictions on Chinese investment, export controls and 25% tariffs on $50 billion in tech goods.

The White House has said it would announce a final list of Chinese imports covered by the US tariffs on June 15, with the other measures to follow later this month.

Beijing warned all the commitments it had made so far were premised on "not fighting a trade war". China has also threatened to hit back with tit-for-tat tariffs on tens of billions of dollars in US goods.

But even as Beijing has maintained it will not back down, it has announced conciliatory measures like lowering tariffs on auto and consumer good imports to address some of the Trump Administration's concerns.

"Our meetings so far have been friendly and frank, and covered some useful topics about specific export items," Ross told the Chinese trade team led by Liu, President Xi Jinping's right hand-man on economic issues, on Sunday morning.

Ross and the large American delegation had dinner Saturday evening with their Chinese hosts.

"It has been a great pleasure to spend yesterday with you and we are especially grateful for last night's dinner," Ross said as he met with Liu at the Diaoyutai state guesthouse.

Washington's negotiating stance in the trade talks with Beijing has shifted as Trump's team of hardliners and more mainstream advisors compete to push their views.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who announced the tariff truce with China, said at the G7 summit in Canada that the US was pushing for "structural changes" to the Chinese economy.

"This isn't just about buying more goods. This is about structural changes," Mnuchin said Saturday, June 2.

"There are structural changes that allow our companies to compete fairly. By definition that will deal with the trade deficit," he added. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippine – The Sandiganbayan dismissed an 18-year-old case filed against former officials of the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and private executives over a multimillion-peso loan during the Marcos administration.

The Sandiganbayan 5th Division ruled that the Office of the Solicitor General, which served as counsel for the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), was unable to prove that the P57.39-million loan given to Atlas Textile and Development Incorporated in 1979 was a behest loan.

Filed in 2000, the complaint stemmed from the findings of the Presidential Ad-hoc Fact-Finding Committee on Behest Loans stating that Atlas Textile was "undercapitalized and undercollateralized," having offered assets valued at only P48.66 million as collateral.

The Sandiganbayan, however, said that the loan was not "undercollateralized" as the DBP's only requirement was that the ceded assets be worth at least 80% of the entire loan.

"It is clear that the security offered by Atlas for the loan accommodation applied for is sufficient to safeguard the interest of the DBP in case of non-payment or default in payment," the anti-graft court said.

The Sandiganbayan also noted that it was the Marcos administration's policy then to encourage the textile industry to modernize its equipment.

"It is noteworthy that the DBP, as a government banking institution, is mandated to assist critical industries and sectors," the court said.

The Sandiganbayan added there was no proof that the private dependents were connected to the family of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, thus the term "ill-gotten wealth" was not applicable.

"For failure of the plaintiff to present evidence showing corruption, betrayal of public trust, and unjust enrichment on the part of the defendants, its case must necessarily fail. Mere allegations are not evidence and absence of evidence negates liability," the court said.

"The pursuit should not be mindless, as to be oppressive towards anyone. Due process requires that there be sufficient competent evidence of the asset being ill-gotten wealth." – Rappler.com 

BAGHDAD, Iraq – An Iraq court on Sunday, June 3, sentenced a French woman to life in jail for membership of the Islamic State group as her lawyers accused authorities in Paris of "interference" to prevent her return to France.

Melina Boughedir, a mother of 4, was sentenced last February to 7 months in prison for "illegal" entry into the country and was set to be deported back to France.

But another court ordered the re-trial of the 27-year-old French citizen under Iraq's anti-terrorist law and on Sunday she was found guilty of belonging to ISIS.

"I am innocent," Boughedir told the judge in French.

"My husband duped me and then threatened to leave with the children" unless she followed him to Iraq, where he planned on joining ISIS, she said.

"I am opposed to the ideology of the Islamic group and condemn the actions of my husband," she added.

Her Iraqi lawyer, Nasureddin Madlul Abd, urged the court to acquit Boughedir, describing her spouse as a "jailkeeper not a husband" who had "forced" her to join him in Iraq.

Her French defense team – William Bourdon, Martin Pradel and Vincent Brengarth – said they were "relieved" she had been spared the death penalty, but vowed to appeal the verdict.

Boughedir, who wore a black dress and a black headscarf, arrived in the courtroom carrying her youngest daughter in her arms. Her 3 other children are now back in France.

Hers is the latest in a series of verdicts doled out to foreigners who flocked to join ISIS in its self-declared "caliphate" after the jihadist group seized the northern third of Iraq and swathes of Syria in 2014.

On May 22, an Iraqi court sentenced Belgian jihadist Tarik Jadaoun, also known as Abu Hamza al-Beljiki, to death by hanging -- although he pleaded not guilty to a range of terror charges.

Jadaoun had earned the moniker "the new Abaaoud", after his compatriot Abdelhamid Abaaoud, one of the organizers of November 2015 attacks in Paris.

'Unacceptable interference' 

Even before she was sentenced, Boughedir's case sparked anger from her defense team, who had accused French authorities of interfering in the case.

On Thursday, May 31, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told French news channel LCI that Boughedir was a "Daesh (ISIS) terrorist who fought against Iraq" and said she should be tried on Iraqi soil.

Her French lawyers sent a letter of protest to Le Drian, seen by Agence France-Presse, in which they denounced "pressure on the Iraqi judicial system" and "unacceptable interference."

Bourdon on Sunday condemned the verdict, saying it had been influenced by "extra-judicial reasons".

During the hearing, which lasted about one hour, the judge asked Boughedir – who was arrested in the summer of 2017 in Mosul – to explain why and under what circumstances she had arrived in Iraq.

He then declared that "the proof that has been gathered is enough to condemn the criminal to life in jail" – which in Iraq means 20 years minus time already served.

Bourdon said Le Drian wanted his client to be tried in Iraq to "ensure that she won't be heading back home to France any time soon", as part of efforts to prevent the return of jihadists.

Boughedir's family and her defense team want her to face a court in France, Bourdon said.

After being sentenced in February to 7 months in prison for "illegal" entry, she was set to be deported back to France.

But upon re-examining her file, an Iraqi court said she had "knowingly" followed her husband to Iraq to join ISIS.

Second Frenchwoman sentenced 

Boughedir's husband is believed to have been killed during a vast operation by US-led coalition-backed Iraqi forces to regain control of Mosul, Iraq's second city and the jihadists' former stronghold.

On Sunday, she told the court that the man she had been married to for 5 years had disappeared one day, walking out and saying he was going out "to look for water."

Since then, she said, she had received no information about his fate or his whereabouts.

Boughedir is the second French citizen sentenced to life in prison by an Iraqi court for belonging to ISIS, after Djamila Boutoutaou, 29, in April. Boutoutaou also said she had been tricked by her husband. 

Thousands of foreign fighters from across the world flocked to the black banner of the jihadists after the group seized swathes of Iraq and Syria in 2014. 

Multiple offensives have since reduced their "caliphate" to a sliver of desert territory in the east of war-torn Syria.

Iraqi courts have sentenced to death more than 300 people, including dozens of foreigners, for belonging to ISIS, judicial sources have said. 

Dozens of French citizens suspected of having joined IS ranks are believed to be in detention in Iraq and Syria, including several minors. – Rappler.com