THE HAGUE, Netherlands – The Dutch territory of Curacao said Saturday, May 4 it would do what is needed to prevent measles spreading from a Scientology cruise ship, after a crew member came down with the disease.

The Freewinds, which left the Caribbean island of St. Lucia on Friday, arrived back in its homeport of Curacao at around 9:00 am Saturday, according to myshiptracking.com.

The Curacao government said in a statement that it would "take all necessary precautions to handle the case of measles on board of the Freewinds," including vaccinations.

"An investigation will also be done to determine who will be allowed to leave the ship without (posing) a threat to the population of Curacao," it said.

"It is imperative to make all efforts to prevent a spread of this disease internationally."

Dutch broadcaster NOS reported that 3 health officials had boarded the boat to examine those on board. Only people able to prove that they have been vaccinated against measles or had already had the disease would be able to leave the boat, its correspondent there reported.

Anti-vaccine movement

The Church of Scientology says the 134-meter vessel is used for religious retreats and is normally based in Curacao.

The vessel had arrived in St Lucia from Curacao on Tuesday, when it was placed under quarantine by health authorities there because of a measles patient, said to be a female crew member.

According to NOS, the crew member concerned is a Danish national, who arrived in Curacao from Amsterdam on April 17. It was only when the boat was at sea, on route to St Lucia, that a doctor discovered she had measles, their correspondent said.

The resurgence of the once-eradicated, highly contagious disease is linked to the growing anti-vaccine movement in richer nations, which the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified as a major global health threat.

The authorities in Curacao nevertheless urged local people not to panic, as the risk of the disease spreading in this case was fairly low.

Several people did however visit the cruise ship between April 22 and April 28 before it set sail for St Lucia and the authorities asked them to make themselves known to health officials.

Officials said the Freewinds had travelled between Curacao, St Lucia and another Dutch-held island, Aruba, several times towards the end of April.

There were about 300 people aboard the ship, according to Saint Lucia authorities, which placed the vessel in quarantine. They said they provided 100 doses of measles vaccine at no cost.

The Scientology church, founded by science fiction writer L Ron Hubbard in 1953, did not respond to requests for comment.

Its teachings do not directly oppose vaccination, but followers consider illness a sign of personal failing and generally avoid medical interventions. – Rappler.com

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Committees tasked with moon-sighting for the start of the annual fasting among Muslims have failed to spot the new moon, the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) announced Sunday, May 5.

NCMF Secretary Saidamen Pangarungan said in an advisory that because of this, Muslim Filipinos should start fasting at predawn Monday, May 6.

"All Moon-sighting Committees nationwide, including the Bangsamoro Darul Ifta, have all reported of not sighting the New Moon (Hilal). As such, and as declared by the Bangsamoro Darul Ifta, it is hereby officially declared that the 1440 AH Ramadan will start on Monday, May 6, 2019," Pangarungan said.

Moon-sighting activities in the Philippines started on Saturday, May 4.

Members of various Darul Ifta or Houses of Opinion across the country and commissioned Islamic scholars used their bare eyes to determine the lunar position and spot the new moon.

Under the Sunni belief, the spotting of the new moon should be done through the bare eyes, as the Prophet Muhammad did.

Cloudy skies had been prevailing in thr country for days now.

As in the Philippines, Saudi Arabia also announced that fasting should begin Monday and that Sunday was the last day of Shabaan under the Hijri calendar.

The United Arab Emirates and other Arab countries also followed the Saudi edict.

Even countries that traditionally do not follow the Sunni school of thought, such as Iran, also announced that Monday would be the start of the month-long fasting, which is one of Islam's 5 pillars.

During Ramadan, able-bodied Muslims abstain from food and liquid intake from predawn, before the Fajr prayer, and until dusk, as the call for prayer for Maghrib or the early evening prayer is being sounded. Smoking, chewing gums, and even brushing of teeth are also among prohibited acts.

Those fasting also abstain from other worldly desires such as sex and should also perform supplementary prayers aside from the daily 5 prayers.

Muslims also try to shun evil things during Ramadan as these can violate the sanctity of the fasting. – Rappler.com

There is no one way to happiness. Anyone who says that has clearly not gotten to the core of being human. Happiness is a complicated thing, but there is no doubt that we all want it, even if we know it is a mercurial thing – slippery and mysterious in its origins and persistence.  

Recently, researchers found out that exercise can make you happy – even better than money can. They asked people about the frequency of their exercise and their income and found that those who exercised more reported more days when they were happy than those who did not exercise but earned significantly more income. 

The study wanted to lay out more clearly and more palpably the mental benefits of exercise, given that the physical benefits are already well-established. There were 75 physical activities that counted as exercise in the study, and the more "social" kinds of exercise seemed to make for more happy days. 

But can money really buy happiness? It can. Science says money can really make you happy, but only up to a point. Beyond $75,000, there is no proportional increase in personal happiness. But if you study millionaires, the two-digit millionaires were happier than the single digit millionaires, but not so much. The more significant difference was that those who made their own wealth themselves were happier versus those who inherited it. 

Even more amazing is that beyond money, what makes the already wealthy happier is if they give their money away. In this TED interview, Bill and Melissa Gates said that giving away their money is the most satisfying thing they have ever done. Apparently billionaire Warren Buffett also feels that way.

But giving as a source of happiness is not limited to those who are billionaires. Humans have evolved to get a kick out of giving to someone. We feel good and inspired when we do it. Selfishness is natural, but so is generosity. We know this from experience and from listening to stories of giving from other people. But if so, why is it that the most urgent and important causes in our community, country, and planet seem to not benefit enough from this basic feature of our humanity – the giver in all of us? If we are natural givers, why don't we give enough? 

Elizabeth Dunn is a scientist who has devoted her entire career investigating how spending for other people makes us happy. In her very engaging TED Talk, she shared that the sweet spot for happiness in giving is not the giving itself but how you give. 

To summarize one of her most important studies, she said that if we feel that we can relate to the person we are helping, then that makes us happy – whether it is a mother needing urgent medical help for her child, or a child wanting some means to go to school. We have to be able to relate to that. This means that it would depend on you what are the issues that you can deeply relate to enough to care. 

She said the other thing that has to be satisfied by the way we give is competency. This means that the giver has to be directly aware of the impact of what she or he is giving. Dunn said this is probably why abstract causes like the "life of children in a country" does not attract as much giving from individuals as "a mosquito net for every family in X community." 

Lastly, she found that in order for giving to bring happiness, the giver should be free to decide whether to help or not. If the giving is not done out of obligation, there is so much pleasure and happiness that springs from the act.

Her study also found that those who keep money for themselves instead of giving to others have more of the stress hormone cortisol in their system. The brains of those who give to others, meanwhile, feel "rewarded." 

Giving is not only putting yourself out to make someone happy. It is also going deeply into yourself to realize that giving is an awesome source of your own happiness. Indeed, it is in giving that we receive. – 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.

MANILA, Philippines – Amnesty International Australia urged the Philippine Department of Justice (DOJ) to drop the charges against Rappler CEO and executive editor Maria Ressa.

In a tweet, the human rights group said it faxed the petition, with nearly 30,000 signatures, requesting Philippine Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra to drop the "politically motivated" and "trumped up" charges against Rappler and Ressa, and to uphold press freedom.

"You guys did it! We just faxed nearly 30,000 of your names over to the authorities in the Philippines! Thanks for standing with journalist Maria Ressa," Amnesty International Australia said in a tweet.

You guys did it! We just faxed nearly 30,000 of your names over to the authorities in the Philippines! Thanks for standing with journalist Maria Ressa this #WorldPressFreedomDaypic.twitter.com/NcMXaBbMeN

— Amnesty International Australia (@amnestyOz) May 3, 2019

The petition, signed by supporters worldwide, called on the DOJ "to act swiftly to uphold and protect the freedom of the press."

"Specifically, I urge you to drop the charges against Maria Ressa and Rappler, which appear to be solely politically motivated, end the harassment of the media, journalists, and critics of the Duterte administration, and take measures to guarantee their right to freedom of expression and assembly," the petition read.

As of March 2019, a total of 11 complaints and cases have been filed against Ressa, Rappler directors, and staff.

Rappler has been subject to harassment and intimidation by the Duterte administration. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte himself has repeated false allegations against Rappler, including being supposedly funded by the United States Central Intelligence Agency.

Its reporters and correspondents have also been barred from covering all presidential events across the country. (READ: Rappler asks Supreme Court to end Duterte coverage ban) – Rappler.com

BANGKOK, Thailand – Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn will be carried on a golden palanquin through Bangkok's historic heart Sunday, May 5 a second day of coronation rituals which will bring the public up close to their powerful monarch.

The Thai coronation that started Saturday was the first in 69 years, a once-in-a-lifetime ceremony where Vajiralongkorn was anointed with holy water and placed the tiered golden Great Crown of Victory on his head.

Early Sunday, the king bestowed royal titles on family members who crawled to his throne as he sat next to his new Queen Suthida.

Thailand's monarchy is wrapped in ritual, protocol and hierarchy all orbiting around the king, who is viewed as a demigod.

In the afternoon, Vajiralongkorn will emerge from the palace as soldiers in conical red hats carrying tiered umbrellas and royal standards flank the hours-long procession.

"I will be here to save a spot at 5 am," Kanha Kitvej, 80, told AFP the day before, as she watched soldiers march by the royal palace.

But the scorching heat may keep others way.

"I won't go today because I'm afraid that I will faint due to hot weather," said a woman in her mid-60s.

Roads in Bangkok's old quarter have been closed down for the 7-kilometer procession, when the king will pass by crowds dressed in yellow – the royal color.

Vajiralongkorn ascended the throne in 2016 after the death of his beloved father Bhumibol Adulyadej.

For many Thais, the procession is a chance to see the king in a country where the wealthy monarchy is the focus of reverence and veneration.

Criticism of the royal family in Thailand is guarded by harsh lese majeste rules that carry up to 15 years in prison.

All media must self-censor and the country's lively social media platforms were subdued during the coronation.

The ceremonies have hewed close to traditions underpinning the Chakri dynasty, which has ruled since 1782.

But coronation contained a few surprises, such as the investiture of Queen Suthida, whose unexpected marriage to Vajiralongkorn was announced only days before. (READ: From bodyguard to Queen, Thailand's Suthida makes public debut)

The king and queen stayed the night in the royal residence, where a Siamese cat and chicken were placed on a pillow as part of housewarming rituals.

They moved to a throne hall Sunday morning where the king in white uniform bestowed the royal titles, including on 14-year-old Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, who knelt in front of his father as he was anointed with water.

The teenager is the king's son from his third marriage. He has 6 other children, including 4 sons from two previous wives.

Queen Suthida, Vajiralongkorn's fourth wife, sat by his side during the ceremony as uniformed officials assisting the ceremony moved around on their knees.

Though present on day one, the king's older sister Princess Ubolratana did not participate.

The king thwarted the political ambitions of Ubolratana in a royal command in February that torpedoed her attempt to run for prime minister with a party opposing Thailand's junta, which seized power in a 2014 coup.

Election results from the disputed March poll are expected to be announced this week. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) ordered the release of P747.17 million in retirement benefits of 141 former Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) employees.

In a 32-page ruling penned by Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, the en banc unanimously granted the petition filed by the retired employees questioning the earlier notice of disallowance of the Commission on Audit (COA) on the bank's Early Retirement Incentive Program IV (ERIP IV).

"In view of the Court's ruling herein that the ERIP IV is valid, there is nothing that prevents DBP from releasing the benefits under ERIP IV-2010," the SC said.

In 2007, COA issued an audit observation memorandum stating that ERIP IV violated the Teves Retirement Law, as the retirees would receive double compensation from the Government Insurance Service System and ERIP IV.

The Teves Retirement Law prohibits the creation of an additional retirement plan more than what is allowed under GSIS retirement laws.

While the law prohibits supplementary retirement plans, SC said the DBP Charter allows it.

The Court said the DBP Charter should prevail "not only because it is a later law but also because it is a special law." – Rappler.com

NEGOMBO, Sri Lanka – Father Suranga Warnakulasuriya said prayers alone in his church Sunday, May 5, as Catholic services were suspended across Sri Lanka for the second straight week since the Easter suicide attacks.

With the army staging raids across the country and authorities maintaining high levels of security, the country's 1.25 million Christians are still on edge after jihadist bombers killed 257 people.

Warnakulasuriya has been saying mass in an empty church in Negombo, just north of the capital, every day since the slaughter at 3 hotels and 3 churches, one not far from his. 

"Sometimes we feel lonely by not being able to celebrate the mass together," admitted the fresh-faced 32-year-old who only became a priest in 2015.

With churches closed, the country's Catholics had to make do Sunday with a second televised mass by the Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith.

A few people went to St Anthony's Shrine in Colombo to say prayers in front of a barrier set up in front of the church where dozens died on April 21. But the faithful are frustrated.

Door to door prayers

"It's not enough because we cannot receive the eucharist through television, that's the important thing," said Shehani Rangana, 33, whose father was among the dead at St Sebastian's church in Negombo.

Since the bombings, Catholics – shaken by physical and psychological scars from the jihadist attacks – have been organizing their own services and solidarity groups.

Sometimes Warnakulasuriya and other priests say prayers in the homes of parishioners. Rangana put up a cross of dried leaves at the door of her home for one service.

Warnakulasuriya said he goes to up to 20 homes each day to celebrate communion. 

"They share their views on this attack," he said.

"Sometimes they have hatred feelings, so we try to control them, to persuade them not to have revenge. We try to calm them by saying that Jesus is not hatred but love."

Around St Sebastian's Church, ravaged by a suicide bomber who killed 102 people, nearly all the houses have white flags, the colour of mourning. 

The bigger pennants are a sign that someone from the house died in the massacre.

The local cemetery did not have enough room to bury all the dead and one local resident offered land so that victims could be buried together.

Blood red church

Two nuns watched a 9-year-old girl, Nethudini, as she sat on a chair in one of the houses drawing with an art kit offered by a local family.

The young girl's mother died in the Negombo attack on April 21. Nethudini survived with injuries, but has barely spoken nor cried since.

She drew a picture of St Sebastian's in blood red.

The Catholic leadership has assigned a support team of a priest, two nuns and two volunteers, for many of the families that were torn apart by the bombers.

Father George Anthony Fernando is leading the team watching over Nethudini and her family.

"Depending on their requirements, counselling will take the time needed. I might come two or 3 times per week to visit them. I have been assigned only this one family," said Fernando.

The priest said that the contact with the family was even more important as "life has slowed down" with no services being held and the Christian community is in fear.

Public schools will only reopen on Monday after an Easter break was extended because of the bombings. Security forces will be on duty around schools in a sign of the charged atmosphere.

Every night at St Sebastian's, as soon as night falls, the church becomes out of bounds and is surrounded by armed soldiers.

But local families still come out every evening to light oil lamps and candles on the outside church wall. With their eyes closed tight, they say a short prayer before silently walking away. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte's government must explain to the Supreme Court (SC) the government's harassment of human rights lawyers, and the supposed failure to enforce environmental laws in 3 areas in the West Philippine Sea.

This follows the issuance of the Supreme Court of writs of amparo and kalikasan in two separate petitions.

Writ of amparo

In the writ of amparo for human rights group National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL), it's Duterte himself who must submit a response to the High Court. The NUPL has accused the military of harassing its members by linking them to communist rebels, and Malacañang by tagging the lawyer group in a publicized ouster plot matrix.

"The Court also ordered respondents President Rodrigo Duterte, who was impleaded in his capacity as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, National Security Adviser (Ret.) Gen. Hermogenes C. Esperon, Jr., et al. to make a verified return of the writ of amparo and habeas data on or before May 8, 2019, and to comment on NUPL, et al.'s petition before the said date," the SC said.

On top of that, the SC also issued a writ of habeas data, which now compels both Duterte and his military top brass to turn over to the Court all the information they have on the human rights lawyers.

This could put to test the veracity of the ouster plot matrix, which, just recently, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo was sent by an unknown number.

A writ of amparo is a legal remedy seeking a protection order, while a writ of habeas data asks the Court to compel the respondent to delete or destroy damaging information.

While there is no protection order for NUPL yet, the military will be forced to come to court in a Court of Appeals (CA) hearling scheduled on May 14.

The writ does not entail anything concrete at this point, but NUPL president Edre Olalia said the SC issuance is significant because "its subtext is unequivocal."

"Incessant red-tagging, personal mudslinging and contrived narratives will be subjected to judicial restraint and accountability," Olalia said.

Writ of kalikasan

In the writ of kalikasan issued to fishermen of Palawan and Zambales, the SC also ordered the respondents – members of the Duterte Cabinet – to make a return of the writ, or to explain.

A writ of kalikasan is a legal remedy that upholds a citizen's right to a healthy environment. The fishermen, aided by human rights lawyer Chel Diokno and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, wants to compel the Duterte administration to protect the maritime environment in Panatag Shoal, Ayungin Shoal, and Panganiban Reef.

The petition notes of China's construction and other aggressive activities that have "caused severe, irreparable harm to the coral reef ecosystem."

"While Secretary Salvador Panelo claims that the government has done its duty of protecting our fisherfolk and protecting our marine life and resources in the West Philippine Sea, it is now time for the government to prove this in court by means of evidence. The time for talk is over," said Diokno in a statement on Sunday, May 5.

Diokno added: "The issues have now been joined. The court battle has begun." – Rappler.com

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Sri Lanka has expelled over 600 foreign nationals, including around 200 Islamic clerics, since the Easter suicide bombings blamed on a local jihadi group, a minister told AFP Sunday, May 5.

Home Affairs Minister Vajira Abeywardena said the clerics had entered the country legally, but amid a security crackdown after the attacks were found to have overstayed their visas, for which fines were imposed and they were expelled from the island.

"Considering the current situation in the country, we have reviewed the visas system and took a decision to tighten visa restrictions for religious teachers," Abeywardena said. 

"Out of those who were sent out, about 200 were Islamic preachers," he added. (READ: More Sri Lanka attacks feared as Muslims condemn Easter bombs)

The Easter Sunday bombings that killed 257 people and wounded nearly 500 were led by a local cleric who is known to have travelled to neighboring India and had made contact with jihadists there. (READ: Sri Lanka Catholics say lonely prayers as churches close for 2nd week)

The minister did not give the nationalities of those who have been expelled, but police have said many foreigners who have overstayed their visas since the Easter attacks were from Bangladesh, India, Maldives, and Pakistan.

"There are religious institutions which have been getting down foreign preachers for decades," Abeywardena said. "We have no issues with them, but there are some which mushroomed recently. We will pay more attention to them."

The minister said the government was overhauling the country's visa policy following fears that foreign clerics could radicalize locals for a repeat of the April 21 suicide bombings, which targeted 3 Christian churches and 3 luxury hotels.

Sri Lanka has imposed a state of emergency since the attacks and has given wide powers to troops and police to arrest and detain suspects for long periods.

House-to-house searches are being carried out across the country looking for explosives and propaganda material of Islamic extremists. – Rappler.com

JERUSALEM – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday, May 5, he had ordered the military to launch further strikes on Gaza Strip militants in response to rocket fire from the territory, as an escalation entered its second day.

"I instructed the [military] this morning to continue its massive strikes on terror elements in the Gaza Strip and ordered [it] to reinforce the troops around the Gaza Strip with tanks, artillery, and infantry forces," Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting.

Israel said around 450 rockets or mortars had been fired from the Palestinian enclave run by Hamas since Saturday, and it responded with waves of air and tank strikes.

Gazan authorities reported 6 Palestinians killed in the Israeli strikes, including at least two militants.

But Israel disputed their account of the deaths of a pregnant mother and her baby, blaming errant Hamas fire.

One 58-year-old Israeli man was killed overnight by a rocket strike on the city of Ashkelon near the Gaza border, Israeli police and the hospital said.

Netanyahu is currently engaged in tough negotiations to form a new government following his victory in April 9 elections.

A ceasefire brokered by United Nations and Egyptian officials between Israel and Hamas had led to calm surrounding the elections.

But the past week saw a gradual uptick in violence as Hamas seeks further concessions from Israel.

Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza have fought 3 wars since 2008. – Rappler.com

BANGKOK, Thailand (UPDATED) – Flanked by royal guards marching to a steady drumbeat, Thailand's newly-crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn was carried on a gilded palanquin through the streets of old Bangkok Sunday, May 5 in front of crowds who shouted "long live the king!"

The monarch, Rama X of the Chakri dynasty, wore a bejewelled robe and a dark broad-brimmed hat with white feathers, on the second of three days of coronation ceremonies.

The 7-kilometer procession brought the public into close proximity with the 66-year-old monarch for the first time, two years after he ascended the throne in an increasingly assertive reign. 

"When we looked at our king, he looked very smart and very great," Bangkok resident Donnapha Kladbupha told Agence France-Presse, noting that he smiled.

Fronted by riders on white horses, the slow-moving procession started around 5pm (1000 GMT) at the grand palace as trumpets blared, soldiers shouted commands and cannons fired a 21-gun salute.

As night fell the king stopped to pay homage at several Buddhist temples.

Thais wearing yellow shirts – the royal color – and carrying umbrellas to protect against soaring daytime temperatures filled the streets, with many clutching portraits of Vajiralongkorn.

The coronation, which started Saturday, May 4, is the first since Vajiralongkorn's adored and revered father was crowned in 1950.

The highlight of Saturday's somber ceremonies was the King's anointment with holy water, before he placed the 7.3 kilogram (16 lbs) golden tiered crown on his head.

The rituals were "unique and reflect the tradition and history of Thailand and the monarchy", student Thanawat Muangon told Agence France-Presse.

Thailand's monarchy is one of the wealthiest in the world and is steeped in protocol centring on the king, who is viewed as a demigod.

Vajiralongkorn ascended the throne in 2016 after the death of his long-reigning father Bhumibol Adulyadej.

A keen pilot who spends much time abroad in Germany, Vajiralongkorn is not as well known to his subjects.

But any in-depth discussion or criticism of the royal family in Thailand is guarded by harsh lese-majeste rules that carry up to 15 years in prison. All media must self-censor.

Early Sunday, Vajiralongkorn bestowed royal titles on family members who crawled to his throne in a striking show of deference to the monarch. He was joined by the new queen of Thailand Suthida Vajiralongkorn na Ayudhya.

Queen Suthida was deputy commander of the king's royal guard before her marriage to Vajiralongkorn, which was announced days before the coronation. (READ: From bodyguard to Queen, Thailand's Suthida makes public debut)

During the procession she marched next to the palanquin in red and black uniform with a tall fur hat.

Authorities sprayed mists of water over the crowds of onlookers whose numbers were bolstered by droves of "Jit Arsa" – or "Spirit Volunteers" – intended to project a show of devotion and fealty to the monarchy.

But soaring temperatures threatened to thin out numbers.

The coronation included a network of the most powerful and influential in Thailand.

Junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha, who seized power in a 2014 coup, took part in many of the key rituals and marched in the procession.

'Focus on politics' 

The coronation, broadcast on live television and cropping up on social media accounts of some royal family members, provided a rare glimpse inside palace walls.

One of those who received royal titles Sunday was 14-year-old Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti  – the king's son from his 3rd marriage – who knelt and prostrated in front of his father as he was anointed with water.

Vajiralongkorn has 6 other children, including four sons from two previous wives. 

The dazzling display of the monarchy's primacy in Thai life belies a simmering political crisis held over from elections in March.

The junta that seized power in 2014 and has vowed to defend the monarchy is aiming to cling to power through the ballot box. 

Its proxy party has claimed the popular vote. But a coalition of anti-military parties says it has shored up a majority in the lower house.

Full results are not expected until May 9, a delay that has frustrated many Thais.

"When the event (coronation) is finished we will have to focus on politics," said Titipol Phakdeewanich, a lecturer at Ubon Ratchathani University.

Since ascending the throne the king has made several moves that experts say reinforce the apex role of the monarchy.

He brought assets of the Crown Property Bureau under his direct control and appointed an army chief from a faction close to the monarchy. 

In February, he scuttled a prime ministerial bid made by his older sister Princess Ubolratana with an anti-junta party.

Though the royal family is nominally above politics, the king issued an election-eve message calling on Thais to vote for "good people" against those who create "chaos." – Rappler.com

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia –  From cleaning up relatives' graves and sharing food with the poor to holding colourful torch-lit street parades, millions of Indonesians are getting ready to welcome the holy month of Ramadan in the world's populous Muslim-majority country.

Ramadan begins on Monday, May 6, with devotees fasting from dawn to dusk until Eid celebrations marking the end of the holy month.

In the conservative province of Aceh, Muslim families break their fast by eating meat together and sharing the meal with the poor, in a centuries-old tradition known as Meugang. 

As customers lined up in wait, butchers in the western province were busy at work, chopping bones and slicing meat. 

"It's a tradition that we must follow, I'll cook rendang and eat with my family," Ramla, who like many Indonesians has only one name, told AFP, referring to a popular beef stew. 

In the capital Jakarta, thousands of Muslims marked the holy month by visiting cemeteries to clean up their relatives' graves and pray for the departed so they would get peace in the afterlife. 

Outside, flower sellers set up makeshift tents to sell blossoms to visitors so they could scatter petals on their relatives' graves.

"Before the fasting month begins we usually visit each other, but we don't only visit the living ones, we also visit the dead," said Cepi Imamsyah Arian Tandjung, who was visiting the graves of his parents, brother, and uncle. 

About 90% of Indonesia's 270 million people follow Islam, but influences from other religions are deeply ingrained in the country, including "Nyadran," a Javanese ritual heavily influenced by Hindu and Buddhist traditions.

In Temanggung in Central Java, over a thousand people joined Nyadran celebrations, carrying a round basket filled with food on top of their heads before sharing in a communal feast.

In Tangerang, on the outskirts of Jakarta, hundreds of locals bathed in a spring or a river, taking part in a cleansing ritual known as "Padusan" to purify oneself before entering the holy month. 

In North Sumatra, locals including children wearing traditional dress chanted prayers as they held a torch-lit procession to make the start of Ramadan.– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Sandiganbayan ruled that prosecutors presented evidence strong enough to proceed with trial for 3 former officials of state-owned Technology Resource Center (TRC) over cases related to the pork barrel scam.

The anti-graft court's 2nd Division denied the motions for leave to file demurrer to evidence filed by former TRC deputy director general Dennis Cunanan, group manager Maria Rosalinda Lacsamana, and chief accountant Marivic Jover.

"After a careful study, the court finds that the testimonial and documentary evidence presented by the prosecution...appear to be prima facie sufficient to sustain the conviction of the accused, including Jover, Lacsamana, and Cunanan...unless successfully rebutted by defense evidence," the court said in a decision dated April 29, 2019.

Lacsamana and Jover face 4 counts each of graft and malversation, while Cunanan faces two counts of each.

The 3 were named in charges filed in 2016, together with former Albay representative Reno Lim, other TRC officials, and private defendants from Kaagapay Magpakailanman Foundation Incorporated (KMFI) and CC Barredo Publishing House.

The Office of the Ombudsman found that P27 million of Lim's Priority Development Assistance Fund or pork barrel went to TRC in 2007, but was eventually routed to KMFI.

According to investigators, the foundation was chosen by Lim as project implementor without going through public bidding. KMFI was also found to be only registered in 2006 and had no legitimate business address.

State auditors also found that the money would be going to "fictitious or ghost projects."

The 3 previously argued that the prosecution fell short in providing the required proof beyond reasonable doubt to support the allegations. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Audit (COA) found that the Ilocos Norte provincial government illegally hired private lawyers as legal consultants in 2018.

In its report released on April 30, COA said the move violated Circular No. 98-002, which states that government agencies and local government units cannot use public funds to pay for the services of a private legal counsel or law firm.

The Ilocos Norte provincial government said that the hiring was done to provide assistance to its legal officer.

"A provincial legal officer is constantly being confronted with voluminous workload and demands," it explained, adding that the expense was reasonable.

COA, however, said that state auditors could not find proper justification. It recommended that the local government put a stop to the services.

"The team could not find any valid reason/s to show that the legal services provided by these consultants could not be avoided or was justified under exceptional circumstances, as the province already has a legal officer," COA pointed out.

"We recommended that management discontinue the hiring of legal consultants...otherwise payments thereof should be disallowed in audit."

Government offices who want to get the services of a private law firm should first get permission from the Office of the Solicitor General or the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel. Written concurrence from COA is also required. – Rappler.com

SOFIA, Bulgaria – Pope Francis urged Bulgarians to open their hearts and doors to refugees as he began a visit to the European Union's poorest country, where the main Orthodox Church snubbed holding joint prayers with the pontiff.

Prime Minister Boyko Borisov met Francis at the airport, welcoming him with a large pot of kiselo mlyako, a mildly sour-tasting local yoghurt, saying: "This is your grandmother's yoghurt."

"The first time I heard the word yoghurt was from my grandmother," the pope replied. 

The Bulgarian emissary to the Vatican Kiril Topalev had earlier quoted the pope as telling him: "I grew up with Bulgarian yoghurt. When I was two years old, my grandmother gave me Bulgarian yoghurt."

Pope Francis's 3-day tour, which also takes in North Macedonia, includes a visit to a refugee camp on the outskirts of Sofia and a commemoration of Mother Teresa, the most famous native of the Macedonian capital Skopje.

The Pope evoked a "new winter" plaguing Bulgaria and other European nations who face an an exodus of their people as well as falling birth rates, in his first address to Bulgarian officials.

The population has fallen to 7 million against 9 million in 1989, the year communism ended in Bulgaria, and is projected to plunge to 5.4 million in 2050.  

"Bulgaria faces the effects of the emigration in recent decades of over two million of her citizens in search of new opportunities for employment," he said, adding that this had "led to the depopulation and abandonment of many villages and cities."

He also touched on the plight of migrants and refugees flocking to the country.   

"Bulgaria confronts the phenomenon of those seeking to cross its borders in order to flee wars, conflicts or dire poverty, in the attempt to reach the wealthiest areas of Europe, there to find new opportunities in life or simply a safe refuge," the pope said. 

"To all Bulgarians, who are familiar with the drama of emigration, I respectfully suggest that you not close your eyes, your hearts or your hands – in accordance with your best tradition – to those who knock at your door," he said. 

Francis, whose papacy has been marred by a wave of child sex abuse allegations against clergy, has made improving interfaith dialogue a priority.

But last month the Bulgarian Orthodox Church's Holy Synod rejected the idea of Orthodox priests participating in a joint "prayer for peace" with the pope in a Sofia square planned for Monday.

The Orthodox Church is instead sending a children's choir to the downgraded meeting which will be attended by at least one of the capital's Muslim leaders, a Vatican source said.

'One God'

While the visit will be a particular highlight for the tiny Catholic communities in both countries – 44,000 in Bulgaria and 20,000 in North Macedonia – it is the interaction with their two Orthodox churches that will be most keenly watched.

The Bulgarian church also made clear its opposition to any religious service when the pope visited Sofia's St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. The Pope offered prayers there on Sunday afternoon alone.

Bulgaria is the only Orthodox church not to participate in a commission fostering dialogue with the Roman Catholic church.

Relations between Rome and other Orthodox churches have been warming, with February 2016 seeing the historic meeting between Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill in Cuba.

That was the first such encounter since the schism nearly 1,000 years ago that tore Christianity in two.

The meeting was sharply criticised by conservative Russian nationalists – the same tendency that has acted as a brake on any moves by Bulgaria's Patriarch Neophyte towards greater openness.

Hate speech

The Argentine pontiff's visit to Bulgaria and North Macedonia comes after the leaders of both countries extended an invitation to him following a traditional annual visit to the tomb of St Cyril in Rome.

In April 2018, the Council of Europe voiced concern about Bulgarian efforts to integrate Middle Eastern refugees and the "generally negative public opinion" concerning refugees.

Days before arriving in Sofia, the pope hit out at "conflictual nationalism" which "raises walls, even racism."

"The way in which a nation welcomes migrants reveals its vision of human dignity," he said on Thursday.

Currently Bulgaria's migrant reception centres have an occupancy rate of only 10%, while the entire 274-kilometre (170-mile) Bulgarian-Turkish border is blocked by a barbed-wire fence. – Rappler.com

KHARTOUM, Sudan – Sudanese mediators facilitating talks between the army rulers and protest leaders have proposed the country have two transition councils, with one led by generals overseeing security, a protest leader said Sunday, May 5. 

The mediators' apparent proposal comes as talks over forming an overall governing council remain deadlocked, with the existing military council and protest leaders offering differing visions, after president Omar al-Bashir was deposed last month.

"There is a proposal (from the mediators) to have two councils, one led by civilians and the other by military," said Omar al-Digeir, a senior opposition leader and member of the umbrella protest group the Alliance for Freedom and Change.

"The (new) military council (which will also include civilian representatives) will be looking at issues concerning the security aspects of the country," he told Agence France-Presse.

The "exact job description" of both the councils has yet to be decided, he said. "No final decision has been taken yet."

Thousands of protesters remain encamped outside the army headquarters in Khartoum, demanding the current 10-member army council that took power after the ouster of Bashir be replaced by a civilian administration.

The current army council has so far resisted handing over power to civilians.

It was still unclear whether both the sides would agree to the idea of having two councils, or if they would stick to the earlier proposal of one joint civilian-military ruling body.

Differences emerged between the two sides initially over the composition of the joint council – the generals demanded a majority of military figures, while protest leaders insisted the body be civilian lead.

Digeir said the mediators – a group of businessmen, journalists and other prominent figures from Sudanese society – have proposed an overall package that includes not just the proposed two councils, but also how an executive and legislative body would work in a post-Bashir era.

Protesters initially gathered outside the military complex on April 6, demanding that the army oust Bashir.

But since April 11 – the day the army removed the president – they have maintained their sit-in, to keep up the pressure for a civilian administration. – Rappler.com

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The World Food Programme said it gained access Sunday, May 5, to vital food aid on the outskirts of Yemen's flashpoint city of Hodeida a month after postponing its mission for security reasons.

The Saudi-led coalition fighting on the side of the government accused the Iran-aligned Huthi rebels of denying a group from the United Nations agency access to the Red Sea mills warehouse in April.

The WFP had said the mission was postponed due to "security reasons."

WFP spokesman Herve Verhoosel said Sunday a WFP-led mission and a technical team of the Red Sea mills company gained access to the food aid. 

"The technical team will remain at the site to clean and service the milling equipment in preparation for the milling and eventual distribution of the wheat," Verhoosel told AFP in an emailed statement. 

Before the UN lost access in September the Red Sea mills held 51,000 tons of grain, which was enough to feed more than 3.7 million people for a month.

In February, a WFP team visited the mills warehouse for the first time since September, when they became inaccessible due to the conflict between pro-government forces and the Huthi rebels.

The WFP said laboratory tests confirmed the wheat had been infested with insects and had to be fumigated to feed million of people.

"An assessment carried out following the 26 February mission to the mills concluded that around 70 percent of the wheat may still be salvageable," Verhoosel said. 

"However, the flour yield will be lower than normal due to the hollow grains (caused by weevil infestation) that will be sifted out during milling."

He added that the food will have most likely further deteriorated in quality due to the hot weather. 

This comes after an agreement was struck in Sweden in December, in which Yemeni rivals agreed to redeploy their fighters outside the ports and away from areas that are key to the humanitarian relief effort.

Fighting in Hodeida, whose port serves as the country's lifeline, has largely stopped since the ceasefire went into effect on December 18, but there have been intermittent clashes. 

Both the government and the Huthis have been accused of violating the truce deal, while an agreed redeployment of forces has not yet been implemented.

The more than 4-year conflict in Yemen has killed tens of thousands people, many of them civilians, relief agencies say.

The fighting has triggered what the United Nations describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with 3.3 million people still displaced and 24.1 million – more than two-thirds of the population – in need of aid. – Rappler.com

ISTANBUL, Turkey – Turkey on Sunday, May 5, dismissed US threats of sanctions if it went ahead with a Russian missile purchase, saying it would not renege on a pledge to Moscow.

Washington has warned its NATO ally for months that Ankara's adoption of Russian S-400 missile technology alongside US F-35 fighters would pose a threat to the jets and endanger Western defense.

The US has said it will halt a joint F-35 program with Turkey if it acquires the Russian missile defense system. A US law furthermore provides for sanctions on any country concluding arms deals with Russian companies.

"The US threats of sanctions shows that they don't know Turkey," Vice President Fuat Oktay told Kanal 7 television.

"The decision on the S-400 has been taken. Once a pact has been signed, one's word given, Turkey respects it," he said.

The S-400 purchase is one dispute fuelling tensions between two nations also at odds over US support for Syrian Kurdish militias which Ankara brands as terrorists and Turkish backing for US foe Venezuela.

Ankara said the first deliveries of the S-400 are scheduled for June or July.

Last month, after repeated warnings, the United States said Turkey's decision to buy the S-400 system was incompatible with it remaining part of the emblematic F-35 jet program.

Turkey had planned to buy 100 F-35A fighter jets, with pilots already training in the United States.

Washington has placed a freeze on the joint manufacturing operations with Turkey, and  suggested Ankara might be able to obtain a US missile defence system if it forgoes the one on offer from Moscow. – Rappler.com

LILLE, France – A United Nations committee has asked France to suspend any decision to withdraw life support for a man kept alive in a vegetative state for a decade, weighing in on a bitterly-disputed legal case which has torn his family apart. 

The move by the UN committee on disabled rights was the latest twist in a long-running legal drama that has ignited a heated debate in France on the right to die. 

The case centers on the fate of Vincent Lambert who suffered severe brain damage after a car accident in 2008 which left him a quadriplegic. Since then, he has been kept alive through artificial nutrition and hydration at a hospital in Reims, northeastern France. 

In 2014, the doctors, backed by Lambert's wife Rachel, 5 of his siblings and his nephew Francois decided to stop his nutrition and hydration in line with France's passive euthanasia law.

But his parents, deeply-devout Catholics, and his half-brother and sister obtained a court order to halt the move on grounds his condition might improve with better treatment.

Speaking to Agence France-Presse late Saturday, Jerome Triomphe, a lawyer for Lambert's parents, said the UN committee had asked France to suspend a decision to halt the intravenous food and water keeping him alive while it conducts its own investigation.

"The application has been filed and this international committee has begun its investigation," he said, indicating it could take "several years".

With the inquiry under way, the committee had asked France to ensure that Lambert's care was continued, in line with the conventions on disabled rights, Triomphe said.

In response, Health Minister Agnes Buzyn said although France would answer the UN committee, it was not under any legal requirement to abide by its request. 

"We are not legally bound by this committee, but of course we will take into account what the UN says, and we will respond," she told BFMTV on Sunday.

"All the legal appeals have been exhausted and all judicial bodies, both national and European, confirm that the medical team in charge of his case has the right to halt (Lambert's) care."

Palliative care or specialised unit?

"This is a great accomplishment: finally, a specialised body will be able to consider the merits of the case," Triomphe said. 

"Is it right for him to be in a palliative care service... or should he be in a specialized unit?" 

Since the legal battle first began, the French courts have largely backed the doctors, upholding a decision earlier this year to withdraw life support for Lambert, a former psychiatric nurse who is now 42. 

His parents then appealed to the Council of State, France's highest administrative court, and when it confirmed the decision late last month, they then turned to the European Court of Human Rights and the UN committee on disabled rights. 

In a ruling issued on Tuesday, the European court rejected their appeal for a suspension, echoing a 2015 decision. But it was accepted by the UN committee, which has given France six months to present its observations on the case. 

Gerard Chemla, lawyer for Lambert's nephew Francois, described the latest twist as "appalling", telling AFP the UN committee's intervention "in the name of human rights, would violate the rights of a man who has been suffering gratuitously for years".

Active euthanasia, by which a person deliberately causes a patient's death, is illegal in France despite recent efforts to ease legislation dealing with the terminally ill. – Rappler.com

NEW DELHI, India – The death toll from a cyclone that battered India and Bangladesh rose to 42 on Sunday, May 5, as emergency teams raced to fix water supplies and roads devastated by the storm.

Twenty-nine of the dead were in eastern India's Odisha state and 13 in Bangladesh, officials in the two countries said – a fraction of the casualty numbers seen in past cyclones.

Cyclone Fani barreled into Odisha on Friday, May 3, packing winds up to 200 kilometers (125 miles) an hour before losing intensity as it headed towards Bangladesh.

Twenty-one deaths were reported in the Hindu pilgrimage city of Puri, said Odisha special relief commissioner Bishnupada Sethi.

"We are trying to confirm the identity of the victims but since communication lines have been hit, it is taking time," Sethi told Agence France-Presse.

The toll in Bangladesh included 6 people struck by lightning, disaster management official Golam Mostofa told Agence France-Presse.

Thousands of trees and mobile phone towers were uprooted and roofs were torn off by the storm. Many homes have now gone 3 days without power. 

Odisha state Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced cash and rice handouts for victims in need. He said cooked food would be supplied to some communities for 15 days.

Fani was the first summer cyclone to hit India's Bay of Bengal coast in 43 years and only the third in the past 150 years, the chief minister said. Normally the storms hit around October and November.

India has earned praise from the United Nations and other experts for the speedy evacuation of 1.2 million people in the powerful storm's path and minimizing the loss of life.

Improved forecasting models, public awareness campaigns, and well-drilled evacuation plans – backed up by an army of responders and volunteers – saw Odisha's inhabitants spared the worst of Fani's fury.

In 1999 Odisha was hit by a super-cyclone that left nearly 10,000 dead. – Rappler.com