MANILA, Philippines – The campaign period for candidates running for local elective posts officially began on Friday, March 25, but because it fell on Good Friday, when campaigning is banned by the Commission on Elections, actual campaign activities began the day after on March 26.

From Cagayan up north to Basilan down south, supporters began the campaigns minus their candidates who will hold their respective kick-off rallies only after the Holy Week.

The campaign period for both local and national positions will end on May 7, just two days before the May 9, 2016 elections.

Here's a compilation of early photos of campaign preparations.

If you have photos you want to share, send them to us. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – How did Benigno Aquino III spend his last Lenten holidays as president?

In a statement, he said he went to two wakes and will attend a birthday on Easter Sunday. He stayed in Manila “to monitor everything” and continues to monitor developments in Libya, he added.

Libya has witnessed the expansion of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq (ISIS) group which has recruited to its fold jihadists who were offered both protection and benefits. A jihadist training camp was the recent target of US air strike that killed a senior ISIS operative.

The President also said he “spent quality time” with his family, and watched an old film on the life of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador.

The 4^th archbishop of San Salvador, Romero was beatified in May 2015. The archbishop, who spoke out against poverty and injustice, was shot dead by a sniper while saying Mass in a cancer hospital chapel in March 1980.

The film reminded Aquino “of the Church and its pro-active preference for the poor.”

In his Lenten message released on March 23, Aquino called on Filipinos to be on the side of justice and urged them to strengthen their love for others. He also said this was the driving principle behind the “Daang Matuwid” (Straight Path) campaign of his administration.

In April 2015, Aquino said he would pray for his intense haters and seek some quiet time during the Holy Week. In January last year, the biggest crisis to hit his administration happened: the Mamasapano massacre that left elite cops and civilians dead.– Rappler.com

BRUSSELS, Belgium – The organizers of a "March Against Fear" planned for Sunday, March 27, said they had cancelled the event after the authorities asked them to do so because of security fears. This comes after the Brussels terror attacks.

"We understand this request. The security of our citizens is an absolute priority. We join the authorities in proposing a delay and ask people not to come this Sunday," the organizers said in a statement on Saturday, March 26.

The authorities earlier asked for the march to be put off, perhaps for several weeks, to allow the police to concentrate their resources on the investigation into the attacks which left 31 dead and 300 wounded.

"We invite the citizens tomorrow to not have this manifestation," Interior Minister Jan Jambon said, speaking in English.

In an earlier statement, the organizers said the march planned for Sunday was meant to show that Brussels and the country at large refused to be intimidated by terrorism and that everyone stood together. (READ: Bloody week in Brussels: From police raid to bombings)

"This week, we, Belgian citizens have been attacked, in how we live, our customs, our rights, our liberty," they said.

"The first reaction in such events is to withdraw but on reflection, fear must give way to hope and the defense of our values." 

The march was due to begin at 2:00 pm (1300 GMT or 9 pm Philippine time) at the central Place de La Bourse which, carpeted with flowers and tributes, has turned into a shrine to the victims.

Brussels mayor Yvan Mayeur said he recognized and shared the feelings of those who wanted to participate but given the absolute need for the police to focus on the attacks, it was best to delay the march.

"Let us allow the security services to do their work and that the march, which we too want to take part in, be delayed for several weeks," Mayeur told a press conference with Jambon at the national crisis center. – Rappler.com

SANAA, Yemen – Thousands of Yemenis rallied in the rebel-held capital on Saturday, March 26, to denounce the Saudi-led coalition that launched a military campaign against the country's insurgents a year ago.

The intervention in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi that began on March 26 last year has yet to deal a decisive blow to the Huthi rebels and their allies, who still control Sanaa and key parts of the country.

"Together against the tyrannical Saudi aggression," said a large banner in Sanaa's Sabaeen Square where protesters gathered, as coalition warplanes flew overhead breaking the sound barrier in an apparent show of force, an Agence France-Presse (AFP) photographer said.

Former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who is allied with the Iran-backed rebels and whose party had called for the protest, appeared briefly at the rally where he reiterated his call for direct talks with Riyadh.

"From here, we extend a hand for peace, the peace of the brave, for direct talks with the Saudi regime without going back to the (UN) Security Council," he said.

Saleh, however, called on the Security Council to "issue a resolution imposing arms embargo on the Saudi regime," according to the rebel-run Saba news agency.

The veteran leader had in December called for direct talks with Riyadh instead of the government of Hadi. 

The Huthis also organized a protest in north Sanaa, where thousands of demonstrators chanted anti-Saudi and anti-US slogans, Saba said. 

'Criminal killings'

Rebel chief Abdulmalik al-Huthi addressed his supporters in a defiant televised speech on Friday.

"One year on, we look at the outcome of this aggression... It was said to be aimed at helping and serving the Yemeni people. (But) this help came in the form of criminal killings and genocide," he said.

"The aggression and those criminal aggressors have only caused huge damage at all levels in our country and in the rest of the region," he added, in an apparent reference to increased tension between regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The Huthis seized Sanaa in September 2014 then advanced south, raising fears in Riyadh that the Shiite rebels from Yemen's highlands would extend Iran's influence in its southern neighbour.  

Riyadh and its Sunni Arab allies in the coalition vowed to restore Hadi's government to power after he was forced to flee into exile in March last year.

Loyalists backed by the coalition have since managed to drive the rebels out of five southern provinces including second city Aden, where Hadi has established a temporary capital.

But the rebels have stubbornly held on to eight of Yemen's 22 provinces and heavy fighting has been raging for months in five others.

The Islamic State (ISIS) group and Al-Qaeda have exploited the chaos, widening their footholds in the south and carrying out deadly attacks, mostly against forces loyal to Hadi.

ISIS claimed suicide bombings on Friday on checkpoints of loyalist forces in Aden that killed at least 22 people, including 10 civilians, according to a security official.

The UN says about 6,300 people have been killed in the conflict since the coalition launched its campaign, more than half of them civilians.

International rights groups have repeatedly criticised the coalition for civilian deaths, and urged the United States and other world powers to stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia.

Riyadh's key ally Washington has expressed concerns over civilian life losses.

Hopes for a breakthrough in the conflict emerged on Wednesday when UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said warring sides had agreed on a ceasefire to be observed before peace talks on April 18.

Previous negotiations have failed and several ceasefires were never respected. – Rappler.com

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Mt. Apo summit is burning.

Businessman Philip Dizon told Rappler his friend communicated to him late Saturday night, March 26, that the fire started at around 1 pm on Black Saturday along the blueberry area near the Mt Apo summit.

"As it is now, there are 5 fires all in one forest, Mt Apo," Dizon said.

Dizon quoted his friend Lito Esperal as saying, "We are now helping the mountaineers to evacuate to safer ground because the fire is moving towards the side of Lake Venado." Esperal was on Mt Apo on Saturday.

Considered the highest peak in the country with an elevation of 2,954 meters, Mt Apo is one of the Philippines' favorite tourist destinations. It is located 40 kilometers from Davao City and 20 kilometers from Kidapawan City.

Former Agham Representative Angelo Palmones, who is from Kidapawan City, also confirmed he received reports that "campers are already evacuated to Godigodi camp and Lake Venado."

Dizon said, "It is always like this every year, especially when there is drought, we do not have forest guards, I remember we have them, but I guess they are old now, and we do not have fire fighters there."

The cause of the fire was still undetermined as of this writing.

The implementation of the Comprehensive Management Plan for Mt Apo as mandated by the Writ of Kalikasan in 2014 is a "must" now, said Palmones.

Early March this year, Dizon lamented the failure of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to act on the continued burning of bushes in the villages located at the boundaries of Davao City and Davao del Sur.

The forest fires affected about 100 hectares in the highland prior to Saturday's afternoon fire.

As more details become available, we will be updating this story. – Editha Z. Caduaya/Rappler.com

SANTIAGO, Chile – Authorities on Saturday, March 26, reported the first sexually transmitted case of Zika in mainland Chile, where there is no known presence of the mosquito generally blamed for passing on the virus suspected of causing birth defects.

The Health Ministry said a 46-year-old woman contracted the virus from a man who had become infected in Haiti.

"This is the first documented case of Zika virus through sexual transmission in mainland Chile, where there is no presence of the Aedes aegypti mosquito that transmits the disease," the ministry said in a statement.

"To date, we have confirmed 10 cases of Zika contracted abroad and reported in the country, including 8 in 2016." 

In early March, Chile reported the first imported case of Zika in a pregnant woman whose son was born healthy.

While not present in mainland Chile, the Aedes aegypti mosquito has been detected on remote Easter Island in the Pacific.

Zika, which has been spreading through Latin America, has been linked to microcephaly in babies born to mothers infected while pregnant. 

Microcephaly is a serious birth defect that leaves babies with small heads and incomplete brain development.

The World Health Organization has declared an international health emergency over the apparent link. – Rappler.com

SEATTLE, USA – Bernie Sanders won the Democratic caucuses in Alaska and Washington on Saturday, March 26, giving his campaign a much-needed boost as he seeks to disrupt Hillary Clinton's path to the party's presidential nomination.

US networks projected Sanders winning by wide margins in both western states where 117 delegates are up for grabs – 101 in Washington and 16 in Alaska.

The Vermont senator and the former secretary of state were also facing off Saturday in Hawaii, where 25 delegates are at stake. The results for that contest were expected later in the evening.

Appearing at a campaign rally in Wisconsin, Sanders said his victories in two of the 3 caucuses where voters turned out in high numbers showed that the tide was turning in his favor.

"We are making significant inroads in Secretary Clinton's lead and we have ... a path toward victory," he told a cheering crowd.

US networks projected Sanders winning 79.2% against 20.8% for Clinton in Alaska.

In Washington, he was projected to win 74.6% against 25.1% for Clinton.

"What momentum is about is in election after election, winning the overwhelming percentage of young people who are participating," Sanders told his supporters in Wisconsin. "And by young, I don't mean just the very young. The older you get, the younger the age appears."

A win for the Vermont senator in the trio of western caucuses would bring momentum to his campaign as he seeks to dent Clinton's lead in the race to their party's nomination. 

Going into Saturday, Clinton had already amassed 1,711 delegates, including super-delegates who are unelected by voters, compared to 952 for Sanders, according to a CNN count.

'Political revolution'

To win the Democratic nomination, 2,383 delegates are needed.

Sanders, 74, gave a rousing rendition of his standard stump speech late Friday, March 25, in Seattle, railing against police brutality, a too-low minimum wage, soaring student debt and other ills.

"Real change historically always takes place from the bottom on up when millions of people come together," Sanders said to applause and cheers from the crowd in the city's Safeco Field baseball stadium.

"We need a political revolution!"

By contrast, Clinton has already shifted her focus toward November's general election. 

She delivered a somber counterterrorism speech Wednesday, March 23, in the aftermath of deadly attacks in Brussels, using it as an opportunity to launch vigorous assaults on Republican candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz and warn their "reckless" foreign policies would harm US interests.

"We need to rely on what actually works, not bluster that alienates our partners and doesn't make us any safer," she said.

Despite the huge gap with Clinton that he needs to fill, Sanders has refused to throw in the towel, repeatedly stressing that his grassroots campaign is heading all the way to July's nominating convention in Philadelphia.

A series of recent polls has shown Sanders consistently doing better than Clinton against Republicans Trump, Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich.

Saturday's 3 contests are caucuses, essentially neighborhood meetings where voters can discuss political platforms and debate the merits of the candidates.

Since they generally require voters to show up in person rather than mailing primary ballots, the format favors Sanders, whose supporters have consistently shown more grassroots enthusiasm.

Millennials and first-time voters have been flocking to Sanders's message of economic equality, universal health care, and his call to reduce the influence of billionaires on the campaign finance system.

But the delegate math still dramatically favors Clinton. 

According to RealClearPolitics poll averages, in the remaining states with the 3 largest delegate allocations – California, New York and Pennsylvania – Clinton leads Sanders by 9 points, 34 points and 28 points respectively. – Jason Redmond, AFP / Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Only two weeks after the Supreme Court (SC) allowed Senator Grace Poe to run for president, an unseated district representative lamented what she called the "double standard" of the high tribunal in handling disqualification cases in lower elective posts in the Philippines.

Regina Ongsiako-Reyes is the first poll protester to invoke the controversial ruling on her own eligibility as representative of Marinduque province's lone district.

In 2013, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) nullified her proclamation as the winning candidate since she lacked the one-year residency requirement for elected officials.

The SC affirmed the poll body's decision, and in January 2016 reiterated with finality its almost 3-year-old decision, ordering Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr to swear in Lord Allan Jay Velasco, son of SC Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco Jr, who Reyes beat during the 2013 congressional race by almost 4,000 votes. (READ: HRET, SC uphold rulings to remove Reyes as Marinduque rep)

Velasco inhibited from the case but Reyes alleged that he "wielded his influence" on the high court. (READ: Marinduque rep threatens to impeach Justice Velasco)

'Similarities with Poe'

Reyes pointed out that she and Poe both faced disqualifications before the high court.

The only difference, she said, was that she, "a natural-born citizen with a birth certificate, whose parents are Filipino citizens, and are known public servants" was ruled ineligible to serve as district representative.

She added that, like Poe, she also executed an affidavit renouncing her foreign citizenship twice – on September 21, 2012 and on September 21, 2015 – which restored her status as a natural-born Filipino citizen.

With a little over two months before the May polls, Reyes said she will raise these arguments as she asks the SC to revisit her case.

"If Poe is allowed to run, should not, with more reason that Gina O. Reyes be allowed to run?" she said.

In a landmark ruling released on March 8, 9 SC justices voted in favor of reversing the decision of the Comelec to cancel Poe's certificate of candidacy – allowing her to join the presidential race.

Meanwhile, Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo, in his dissenting opinion, warned that the controversial ruling "would open the floodgates of election protests." – Rappler.com

DHAKA, Bangladesh – Bangladesh's Supreme Court Sunday, March 27, found two ministers guilty of contempt after they criticized the country's chief justice, casting doubt on their future in the cabinet.

It fined the two lawmakers 50,000 taka ($625) each, with seven days in prison if they fail to pay the penalty.

Food Affairs Minister Qamrul Islam and Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haq had publicly criticised Chief Justice SK Sinha earlier this month.

They asked him to step aside from an appeal case involving a top Islamist leader sentenced to death for war crimes.

The court said their remarks were tantamount to intervention in the judiciary, according to a report in the online edition of the Bengali daily Prothom Alo.

"They have offered unconditional apologies. But the court rejected their apologies and fined them 50,000 taka each," Abdul Baset Majumdar, Islam’s lawyer, told reporters.

The Supreme Court had asked the men to explain their "derogatory and highly contemptuous comments", which "undermined the dignity and prestige of the Supreme Court and the office of the chief justice".

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said the cabinet, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, would now decide whether it would retain them as ministers despite their conviction.

The Supreme Court upheld the death sentence of the Islamist leader.

Critics said the ministers' comments were aimed at putting pressure on the court ahead of the Islamist's appeal verdict. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine government said on Sunday, March 27, that it has yet to confirm reports that China destroyed 35 tons of bananas exported by the Philippines.

A Reuters report quoting Chinese state TV had said that Customs authorities in Shenzhen destroyed "substandard bananas" from the Philippines "due to excessive pesticide use."

A Twitter post from the People's Daily, an official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party, also showed photos of the bananas, supposedly worth $33,000, about to be mashed and buried.

{source}

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">35 tonnes of Philippine bananas worth $33k are destroyed in S China&#39;s Shenzhen border Fri for high pesticide residue <a href="https://t.co/9sDo1zHR38">pic.twitter.com/9sDo1zHR38</a></p>&mdash; People&#39;s Daily,China (@PDChina) <a href="https://twitter.com/PDChina/status/713544572736024577">March 26, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

{/source}

But in an interview over government-run radio dzRB, Philippine Palace Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr said that the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Plant Industry have yet to confirm the reports.

But even if confirmed, Coloma also said that for the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the quantity of the bananas in question is "too small" to affect trade relations between Manila and Beijing.

"The reported quantity, 35 metric tons, is too small as it is equivalent to only two containers or around 2,700 boxes with value estimated at FOB 1.4 million pesos only. This quantity is too small in terms of the overall Philippines-China trade relations," Coloma quoted DTI Secretary Adrian Cristobal Jr as saying.

The DTI also cited sanitation as a possible reason for China's move.

"We surmised that the subject shipment did not meet the rigid sanitary and phytosanitary inspections of China and were rejected and destroyed routinely as part of SPS procedures to prevent contamination," Coloma again quoted Cristobal.

"The quantity is not unusual in as far as rejections are concerned in the normal course of business. It is also possible that the shipment was rejected due to levels of pesticides exceeding maximum residue limit or MRL."

Coloma also stressed that the DTI is following the rules set by the World Trade Organization regarding SPS or "sanitary and phytosanitary inspection," which is a must during quality control inspection. 

China is one of the Philippines' top trading partners.

The two countries, however, are locked in a maritime dispute over the South China Sea, or what Manila calls the West Philippine Sea. (READ: Philippines and China: Rivals at sea, allies in trade?) –Rappler.com

IDOMENI, Greece (UPDATED) – Dozens of hopeful refugees, some carrying babies, rushed to Greece's overwhelmed Idomeni camp on the sealed border with Macedonia on Sunday, March 27, following rumors that the frontier would be forced open.

The influx came as Greek authorities were trying to evacuate an estimated 11,500 people already stranded at the squalid camp after Balkan states slammed shut their borders, cutting off the migrant route to the European Union.

About 250 people of all ages gathered by the railway tracks and the border fence, singing and shouting slogans, an AFP correspondent said, in a largely peaceful demonstration watched by Greek police in riot gear. 

Many elderly handicapped refugees were sitting in wheelchairs sobbing while many other people, who had dismantled their tents in order to be ready to cross the border quickly, were waving white handkerchiefs.  

"No violence, we just want to cross," read one banner, while another said: "Freedom of movement is everybody's right."

Some in the crowd, however, attempted to move towards the police line but were blocked by others who formed a human chain, the AFP correspondent said.

Arguments erupted, with Syrians and Iraqis accusing the Afghans and Pakistanis of wanting to push their way through, the journalist said. 

The wave of new arrivals appeared to be triggered by a rumor that journalists and Red Cross officials would help them force their way across the fence into Macedonia, a young Syrian refugee told the Athens News Agency (ANA). 

"We heard today that the border will open and we came here to cross," he said.

"They told us the Red Cross and 500 journalists from all over the world will be with us," he said, without specifying the source. (READ: Europe's 2016 migrant crisis in figures)

Another young Syrian said his sister, who is living in Germany, had seen the same claim on the Internet and alerted him.

"People have been here for a long time. I think it's very dangerous to cross, especially for the children but what should we do?" 24-year-old Qasim Mosawy from Afghanistan told AFP. 

Dozens of other migrants could be seen heading through the fields, carrying babies, towards the Idomeni crossing.

'Creating false hope'

"We are trying to step up our information campaign to the refugees. Some people, for reasons we don't understand, are creating false hope," said Giorgos Kyritsis, spokesman for the SOMP agency which is coordinating Athens' response to the refugee crisis.

Using loudspeakers, Greek officials told those gathering that the crossing would remain closed, repeating the message in both Arabic and Farsi, ANA said. 

Two weeks ago, hundreds of people were stopped by Macedonian troops after crossing a surging river on the border. Bypassing the regular crossing, they tried to wade through the fast-flowing water, clinging to a rope strung between the banks. 

Three Afghans, including a pregnant woman, drowned. The rest were stopped by Macedonian troops and sent back to Greece.  

"Macedonia will not allow (the) reopening of the Balkan route," Ivica Bocevski, a representative of Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov, said in the wake of the incident. 

The bottleneck has left around 50,000 refugees and migrants stranded across Greece, which has stepped efforts to evacuate Idomeni.

On Friday and Saturday, 11 buses transported around 600 refugees from Idomeni to other camps in northern Greece.

Those persuaded to board the first buses were mainly parents with children who can no longer tolerate the difficult conditions there.

But others are holding out at Idomeni.

"People who have no hope or no money, maybe they will go," said 40-year-old Iraqi Fatema Ahmed, who has a 13-year-old son in Germany and 3 daughters with her in the camp.

"But I have hope, maybe something better will happen tomorrow." – Joe Sinclair, AFP / Rappler.com

MAKHMUR, Iraq – Thousands of desperate civilians were fleeing fighting on Sunday, March 27, on the new front opened by Iraqi forces against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group south of the city of Mosul.

Families crammed in the back of pickup trucks, sometimes bringing dead and wounded with them, emerged from the dust after crossing the front line and were met by Kurdish forces.

Iraqi army troops and allied paramilitary fighters on Thursday launched a major offensive aimed at retaking the northern Nineveh province, the capital of which, Mosul, is the main hub of ISIS in Iraq.

The forces have been advancing from their base in Makhmur towards the town of Qayyarah, about 60 kilometers south of Mosul.

Growing numbers of civilians have been fleeing the advance to Makhmur where they are being assisted by Kurdish peshmerga forces.

"So far we have received around 3,000 people and the numbers are growing every day," Ali Khodeir Ahmed, a member of Nineveh's provincial council, told Agence France-Presse in Makhmur.

"But there are no services offered to them by the Iraqi government, we have to put them up in a stadium in Makhmur," he said.

The Iraqi government has described the advance as the first phase of what is expected to be a long and difficult operation to retake Mosul, the country's second city and the largest urban centre in ISIS' cross-border “caliphate."

In the desert west of Makhmur, dust storms were whipped up by the line of vehicles fleeing ISIS-held territory, including a pickup carrying four women and 10 children in the back

'Entire families have died' 

A bearded man in a yellow dishdasha traditional gown emerged from the dust, holding the body of a young girl wrapped in a blanket. 

"She is dead, she is dead," he cried, his face caked in dust.

His daughter, whose back was riddled with shrapnel when shells rained down on their escape, was covered in blood.

"Some entire families have died," the father said.

The battle has so far focused on four villages west of Makhmur. Qayyarah, an area that includes a former air base and an oil facility, lies to the west, on the other bank of the Tigris River.

Smain Nuweis fled the village of Kharbardan with his family of seven squeezed into the back of his Opel.

"We have seen a lot of suffering," the 28-year-old said. "And it got worse now with the shelling."

"Daesh will not allow the people to flee, they want them to stay," said Nuweis, using an Arabic name for ISIS.

The provincial council official urged the government to do more for the flow of displaced people, who were given little more than water upon reaching the peshmerga.

"We need to open camps and provide urgent assistance. These people's situation is very bad, they were barely able to take any belongings with them," said Ali Khodeir Ahmed.

More than 3.3 million people have been displaced by conflict in Iraq since the start of 2014, according to figures from the United Nations.

ISIS seized control of large parts of Iraq in 2014, with Iraqi forces collapsing in the face of a lightning advance. Backed by a US-led coalition, Iraq has been clawing back territory from the jihadists in recent months. – Abdel Hamid Zebari, Agence France-Presse/Rappler.com

LAGOS, Nigeria (UPDATED) – Nigeria is waiting for the green light from Cameroon to verify a would-be suicide bomber's claim that she is one of 276 Nigerian school girls kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014. 

With less than a month before the two-year anniversary of the brazen kidnapping which shook the world, 219 students from the northern town of Chibok are still missing and there are few signs that the Nigerian government is making progress on securing their release. 

The young woman was one of two would-be suicide bombers arrested in northern Cameroon on Friday, March 25, with Nigeria planning to send a delegation including Chibok parents to the Cameroonian capital Yaounde to meet her. 

"As soon as we establish permission to allow access, then we'll put them on whatever flight is available," presidential spokesman Garba Shehu told AFP. 

They will "verify whether (she)... is one of the missing school girls abducted in Chibok," Shehu said, stressing there was no guarantee she was telling the truth. 

"Some of the reports I got indicated the two girls are not even 15, perhaps about 10 years old each," said Shehu. If the reports proved correct, the girls would be too young to be among those abducted who were secondary school age. 

"We are not ruling out anything at this stage."

The two young women were each wearing a 12-kilo (26-pound) belt of explosives.

The "Bring Back Our Girls" advocacy group said Sunday that the Nigerian government needed to move quickly to verify her claim. 

Hope of a breakthrough

"If the claim turns out to be true, (it) brings hope that the girls are alive," spokesman Rotimi Olawale told AFP.  

"The Chibok community is hopeful that this will be a breakthrough," said Olawale.

"But it brings a sense of urgency because Boko Haram may be using these girls as suicide bombers."  

Olawale said the youngest Chibok girl captured by Boko Haram was 16 years old.

"The details are sketchy," Olawale said. "We expect that in the next 48 hours the government will have gotten to the bottom of this."

In total, 276 school girls were kidnapped by Boko Haram on April 14, 2014 as they were preparing for end-of-year exams in the remote northeastern town.

Boko Haram has carried out suicide bombings often using girls as part of its armed campaign to establish an Islamic state in northern Nigeria.

Some 20,000 people have been killed in the Boko Haram insurgency in Borno state – where Chibok is located – according to a report for the World Bank that puts the cost of destruction at $5.9 billion. – Rappler.com

VATICAN CITY (3rd UPDATE) – Pope Francis on Sunday, March 27, spoke out against the "rejection" of refugees as the European migrant crisis saw its latest desperate scenes on the Greek border with Macedonia.

The pontiff used his Easter address to urge people to offer "welcome and assistance" to those fleeing war and poverty, as Europe struggles with its worst migration crisis since World War II.

Countries along Europe's "Balkan route" have toughened their stance on migrants in recent weeks, closing their borders to those seeking to transit in search of a better life in the continent's wealthier northern states.

The shutdown has led to a bottleneck at the Greece-Macedonia frontier, where the Greek authorities have been trying to evacuate an estimated 11,500 people stranded at the squalid Idomeni camp.

But on Sunday, dozens of migrants who had left, rushed back to the camp following a rumor that journalists and Red Cross officials would help them force their way across the fence into Macedonia.

The EU and Turkey struck a deal earlier this month that will see new migrants arriving on the Greek islands returned to Turkey, in the hope of discouraging them from making the dangerous sea crossing.

During Good Friday prayers, the pope decried what he called Europe's "indifferent and anesthetised conscience" over migrants and on Sunday he took up the theme again.

"The Easter message of the risen Christ... invites us not to forget those men and women seeking a better future, an ever more numerous throng of migrants and refugees... fleeing from war, hunger, poverty and social injustice," the pope said. 

Francis has long called for the global community to open its doors to refugees and fight xenophobia – appeals which have intensified since the controversial EU-Turkey deal.

In his Easter address, the pope also referred to Syria's "lengthy conflict, with its sad wake of destruction, death, contempt for humanitarian law", voicing hope for a positive result from UN-brokered peace talks that opened in Geneva in mid-March and are to resume in April.

Syria's five-year conflict has killed more than 270,000 people and forced millions to flee their homes, with neighboring countries bearing the brunt of the refugee crisis.

Influx slows dramatically

The United Nations and human rights groups have condemned the EU-Turkey deal as unethical and possibly illegal, but it appears to have dramatically slowed the tide of refugees crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey to the Greek islands.

Before the deal, thousands of migrants were landing every day on the islands. This week, this number fell to 600 on Tuesday, March 22, 260 on Wednesday, March 23, and zero on Thursday, March 24.

The Turkish coastguard on Sunday intercepted 5 boats carrying some 350 migrants who were trying to reach the Greek island of Lesbos, local media reported.

Libya's coastguard also halted three boats carrying 600 migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, a navy spokesman said.

Greek authorities have used the relative calm to put in place logistics to send people back to Turkey, including the deployment of 4,000 security personnel and asylum experts. 

But the recent closure of the Balkan route has left around 50,000 migrants stuck in Greece.

In Idomeni, about 300 people gathered by the border fence, singing and shouting slogans, an Agence France-Presse correspondent said, in a largely peaceful demonstration watched by Greek riot police. 

Some in the crowd attempted to move towards the police line but were blocked by others who formed a human chain, the correspondent said.

As the border with Macedonia remained sealed, calm returned to the camp on Sunday afternoon and Greek authorities resumed transporting migrants away from Idomeni to other centers.

In Rome meanwhile, security was tight as Francis presided over an Easter mass with huge crowds gathered below the central balcony in St Peter's Basilica.

The pontiff mentioned a spate of recent attacks in his address, including Tuesday's attacks in Brussels that killed 28 people.

He condemned "terrorism, that blind and brutal form of violence which continues to shed blood in different parts of the world, as in the recent attacks in Belgium, Turkey, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Ivory Coast". – Jean-Louis de la Vaissiere with Joe Sinclair in Idomeni, Greece, AFP / Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Even before presidential bet Grace Poe and running mate Francis Escudero could speak before a crowd at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila, hundreds of attendees already left the event hosted by an organization of their senatorial candidate.

Kaagapay ng Manileño, a group of poll watchers for the elections, is an organization founded by outgoing Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno.

Minutes after Moreno finished his speech on Sunday, March 27, the crowds inside the jam-packed coliseum became visibly thinner, as hundreds of Moreno supporters – all clad in white – continuously left the venue.

Not even the emcee's appeal to the supporters convinced them to stay and wait for the speeches of Poe, Escudero, and the other senatorial bets.

Asked about the incident, Moreno said it was not planned. He blamed the humid weather inside the coliseum for what happened.

"Mainit kasi kanina, talagang… Ala-una pa kasi (sila) nandirito, kulang 'yung fan 'nung PSC (Philippine Sports Commission). Talagang nahirapan kami, kahit kami sa entablado kanina kung makikita ninyo. But I'm really happy that mainit 'yung pagtanggap sa dalawa," he told reporters in a chance interview after the event.

(It was really hot inside. They were here as early as 1 pm. The Philippine Sports Commission has a shortage of fans inside. We really found it difficult, even us onstage, you could see it. But I'm really happy that the two were warmly welcomed here.)

Despite the supposed exodus, Poe and Escudero delivered their respective speeches to Manileños.

As in their other sorties, Poe said her father, the late action star Fernando Poe Jr, loved the nation's capital so much that he shot most of his films in the city.

Poe also said Manila is "close to her heart," which is why she decided to launch her campaign in front of Quiapo Church.

"Ang aking ama ay bilib na bilib sa mga taga-Maynila. Ang mga pelikula niya katulad ng 'Tatak ng Tondo,' 'Iyo ang Tondo, Akin ang Cavite,' 'Agila ng Maynila' – lahat 'yan – 'Isla Puting Bato,' lahat 'yan ay tungkol sa mga Manileño, at ang inyong kagitingan at ang inyong pagmamahal sa kapwa," Poe said in her speech.

(My father admired Manileños. His movies like Tatak ng Tondo, Iyo ang Tondo, Akin ang Cavite, Agila ng Maynila – all of those – Isla Puting Bato, all of those movies were about Manileños and your bravery and love for others.)

Erap endorsement?

Meanwhile, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada is set to launch his reelection bid on Monday, March 28.

While there is nothing definite on his preferred presidential bet yet, rumors have it that he will endorse Poe, his godchild and the daughter of his best friend Fernando Poe Jr, over another friend, Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Estrada and his allies remain mum on the matter. But the presence of his local allies at the event for Poe could give clues. After all, Moreno said all those present like Estrada's running mate Honey Lacuna, as well as congressional candidates Yul Servo, Robert Ortega Jr, and Benny Abante, are supporting the neophyte senator.

"It's the same people that will go tomorrow [to Estrada's proclamation rally] because they are from the same team. Yes, they are for Grace Poe, definitely. Their presence here is for Grace Poe," Moreno said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Lacuna, for her part, confirmed she is supporting Poe but only in her personal capacity. She maintained Estrada has not yet made his final decision.

"I'm concentrated on the local, we don't have any movement for the national level [yet]. We don't have any definite plans. I am for Grace Poe," Lacuna said. – Rappler.com

ISABELA, Philippines – United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) standard-bearer Vice President Jejomar Binay said on Sunday, March 27, that he expects another strong election performance in Isabela province.

Binay celebrated Easter Sunday in the municipality of Cabagan in Isabela, the hometown of his mother.

Isabela Vice Governor Tony Pet Albano estimated that around 15,000 people, mostly from Cabagan, attended the campaign rally for Binay.

Isabela is a known bailiwick of the Vice President. In the 2010 elections, he won in the province against rival Manuel "Mar" Roxas II, getting 362,925 votes compared to Roxas' 143,561 votes.

He expects even greater support in the May polls.

"Itong Isabela, regionalistic 'to. We can expect it na ito I can say na baluarte ko talaga ito," Binay said in a chance interview with reporters. 

(Isabela is a regionalistic province. We can expect a lot of votes because I can really say that this is my bailiwick.)

Records from the Commission on Elections show that Isabela has more than 800,000 registered voters.

Even though the province's governor, Faustino Dy III, is endorsing Roxas, Albano predicted that most votes would still go to Binay.

"Rest assured dito po sa probinsya ng Isabela, kahit anong gawin ng kalaban nila, si Vice President ang siguradong mananalo and we predict at least 70 to 80% votes here no matter what," Albano said.

(Rest assured that here in the province of Isabela, no matter what the Vice President's rivals do, he will definitely win and we predict at least 70 to 80% of votes in the province will be for Binay no matter what.)

"Alam naman po natin taga-dito po ang nanay ni Vice President Jejomar Binay and it is a natural tendency for all Isabeleños to unite together and give one vote for the Vice President," he added.

(As we all know, Vice President Jejomar Binay's mother hails from Cabagan, and it is a natural tendency for all Isabeleños to unite together and give one vote for the Vice President.)

Cagayan 3rd District Representative Randolph Ting also gave assurances that the Cagayan Valley Region would support Binay.

Binay added that he hopes to get majority of the so-called "Solid North" vote, spanning the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, and the Cordillera Administrative Region. (READ: The return of the 'juggernaut'? What Binay needs to do to win)

In his speech during the rally, the Vice President spoke mostly in Ibanag, telling the crowd that he improved the lives of residents of Makati City, where he was mayor for 21 years.

"Tinugunan ko ang problema ng kahirapan," Binay was quoted as saying in an UNA statement. "'Yung problemang kakaharapin ko bilang pangulo, [ang] problema ng kahirapan, hinarap ko 'yan sa Makati. Nung ako eh naging mayor, tumaas ang buhay ng maraming taga-Makati."

(I addressed the problem of poverty. The problem that I will face if I get elected president, the problem of poverty, I faced that in Makati. When I became mayor, I uplifted the lives of many people in Makati.)

The Vice President has been dealing with corruption allegations stemming from his time as Makati mayor, with the Commission on Audit recently finding him liable for graft and corrupt practices. Binay maintains the allegations are merely black propaganda.

Before the rally, Binay, joined by his running mate Senator Gringo Honasan and daughter Senator Nancy Binay, heard Easter Sunday Mass at the St Michael Parish Church.

Tuguegarao Archbishop Emeritus Diosdado Talamayan called Binay the "son of Cabagan, Isabela." – Rappler.com

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Leaders from across Malaysia's political spectrum said Sunday, March 27, they plan to present a petition to the country's Islamic royalty seeking the removal of scandal-plagued Prime Minister Najib Razak over a corruption crisis.

The highly unusual grouping of heavyweights from the ruling party, the opposition, and civil society groups was formed in early March, when it issued a call to "save" Malaysia from disaster by removing Najib.

A succession of speakers pressed that demand during a rally attended by several hundred supporters Sunday, accusing Najib of using his office to thwart scrutiny of the graft allegations and avoid justice.

"[Najib's] leadership undermines the very existence of our institutions," said former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, around whom the movement has coalesced.

"We want the rule of law and the actions of Najib has destroyed it. He no longer deserves to be the prime minister," he said at the gathering near the capital.

The 90-year-old Mahathir, who dominated Malaysia as premier for 22 years before retiring in 2003, has for months spearheaded calls for Najib's removal.

Najib, 62, is under pressure over allegations that billions of dollars were stolen from a state firm he founded, and over his own acceptance of a mysterious $681 million payment from overseas.

He denies accusations that the huge payment was siphoned off from the now-struggling state firm, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), saying he is the victim of a political conspiracy.

Prime minister fuels anger

But Najib has fueled anger and suspicion by curbing investigations, purging critics from the government, and cracking down on media reporting on the subject.

The outrage has been strong enough to unite formerly bitter political foes such as Mahathir and leaders of opposition parties in the push to remove Najib.

There is as yet no indication that the movement will succeed.

Najib has tightened his grip on the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the powerful party that has dominated Malaysia since independence in 1957, and there have been no major UMNO defectors to the movement since it was launched.

Swiss authorities said recently up to $4 billion may have been stolen from Malaysian state firms, mainly 1MDB, and that they were investigating possible fraud and money-laundering.

American, British, Singaporean, and Hong Kong authorities are also scrutinizing 1MDB-related money flows.

Najib at first denied receiving the $681 million payment in 2013.

But his government now says it was a gift from the Saudi royal family and most was given back.

The Saudis have not confirmed that claim, however, and a Wall Street Journal investigative report in early March said the payment likely originated from 1MDB.

Mahathir said the anti-Najib coalition had obtained 100,000 signatures for a petition demanding his removal.

It would seek one million and then present the petition to a council of the Islamic sultans who serve as the ceremonial rulers of 9 Malaysian states. 

It is unclear whether the sultans can or will take any action.

The escalating crisis has raised fears of political instability that could rattle Malaysian markets just as the oil-exporting country faces an economic slowdown due to low world crude prices. – M Jegathesan, AFP / Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – After having rested – and regrouped – during the Holy Week, candidates for national positions are back on a busier-than-usual campaign trail – the local hustings having started before Easter. 

This week, we expect presidential and vice presidential candidates, even their senatorial slates, to join the proclamation rallies of their local allies.

Here are the schedules of national candidates for the week of March 28 to April 3:

Monday, March 28

• Liberal Party (LP) presidental candidate Manuel Roxas II campaigns in the city of Manila. He will visit the Islamic Center in Barangay San Miguel, Divisoria, and Binondo. The day ends with the proclamation rally of LP mayoral bet Alfredo Lim. President Benigno Aquino III will join his anointed bets.
• LP vice presidential bet Leni Robredo, meanwhile, will attend a proclamation rally in Maguindanao before joining Roxas and Aquino in Manila. She is also set to join the party's proclamation rally in the 5th district of Quezon City. 
• PDP-Laban presidential bet Rodrigo Duterte stays in his home city of Davao to celebrate his 71st birthday with constituents.
• United Nationalist Alliance standard-bearer Jejomar Binay graces the proclamation rally of his daughter, Makati mayoral candidate Abigail Binay, at the corner of Chino Roces Avenue and Metropolitan Avenue at 6 pm.
• Vice presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr campaigns in Tarlac.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Pakistani police fired tear gas on Sunday, March 27, at thousands of stone-throwing supporters of an Islamist assassin, a month after he was hanged for killing a provincial governor for alleged blasphemy.

The execution of Mumtaz Qadri on February 29 was described by analysts as a "key moment" in Pakistan's long battle against religious extremism, but it has also exposed deep religious divisions in the conservative Muslim country of 200 million. 

An estimated 25,000 supporters of the former police bodyguard gathered in Islamabad's twin city Rawalpindi in the afternoon to offer prayers, before turning toward the heavily-barricaded capital which was patrolled by hundreds of police and paramilitary soldiers. 

Riot police carrying batons and shields fired tear gas to try to prevent them pushing closer to the city center. 

The protest has been almost entirely ignored by the Pakistani media, which has increasingly become subject to government-ordered news blackouts designed to prevent unrest from spiraling out of control.

Qadri was working as a bodyguard for Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer when he shot him 29 times in 2011 over the governor's  call to reform the blasphemy law, which critics say is frequently misused to oppress religious minorities. (READ: Blast kills 13 as Pakistani Taliban avenge executed Islamist)

On Saturday, March 26, a group of angry men at a Pakistani airport assaulted a former pop star accused of insulting the Prophet Mohammed's youngest wife, in the latest case of vigilante violence linked to blasphemy.

Ex-singer Junaid Jamshed, who is now a prominent Sunni evangelist, was leaving Islamabad airport on Saturday night when he was set upon by a group of around 6 men who were waiting to attack him at the exit. 

The incident was captured on mobile phone video and has ben widely viewed.

The men, some wearing Western clothes and others in traditional shalwar kameez, were seen throwing punches at the 51-year-old, who in addition to his preaching work runs a chain of high-end clothing boutiques.

"You have committed blasphemy, hit him, hit him!" shouted one of the men. 

"We were looking for you," said another. "He has disrespected the companions of Prophet Mohammed. He has blasphemed against the Prophet."

'Enough madness'

Jamshed was forced to flee back into the airport. In a later Facebook posting, he said it was time for the nation to decide it "will not let these religious fanatics prevail amongst us."

A local police official confirmed the incident and said the ex-singer had filed a complaint.

Most Internet users condemned the violence on social media. 

"Get hold of the culprits and make an example of them. Enough of this madness in the name of love," wrote Facebook user Karami Elahi. 

Many pointed to the fact that police and security seemingly failed to intervene, despite the outbreak of violence at one of the country's busiest airports.

A spokesman for the Airport Security Force was not available for comment despite repeated attempts. 

A blasphemy case was brought against Jamshed by the Sunni Tehreek religious organization in December 2014, after a video of him appearing to make negative remarks about the Prophet Mohammed's youngest wife to make a broader point about women's inherent flaws was widely shared.

He publicly apologized and sought forgiveness and the case did not proceed further. – Sajjad Tarakzai, AFP / Rappler.com

BRUSSELS, Belgium – Belgian police detained 4 people for questioning in connection with terrorism after 13 raids Sunday, March 27, across Brussels and the towns of Duffel and Mechelen to the north, the federal prosecutor said.

"In connection with the terrorism dossier, 13 raids were carried out this morning... in all 9 people were questioned, with 5 of them later released," the prosecutor said in a statement.

The statement made no direct mention of Tuesday's twin bomb attacks on Brussels airport and a metro train in which 28 people were killed and 340 were hurt.

It said there were 4 raids in Mechelen, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) due north of Brussels, and one in Duffel, 40 kilometers in the same direction.

The examining magistrate will decide later whether the 4 people held will be put in preventive detention, it said.

The prosecutor said the authorities would say nothing for the moment about the results of the searches.

The suicide bombings, Belgium's worst ever terror attacks, were claimed by the Islamic State group. – Rappler.com