NEW YORK, USA – Thousands of Uber and Lyft drivers turned off their apps in a US-wide strike on Wednesday, May 8, over pay and working conditions, casting a shadow over this week's keenly anticipated Wall Street debut of ride-hailing leader Uber.

Uber is expected to launch its initial public offering (IPO) on Friday giving it an estimated valuation of some $80 billion, one of the biggest tech listings in recent years but rather lower than its earlier hopes of around $100 billion.

The launch will be a major milestone for the company, which has raised billions and disrupted the taxi industry in cities around the world.

It will also come in the rear-view mirror of a troubled market debut for Uber's largest US rival Lyft, which has lost more than 15% of its value since its March IPO.

Strikes that took place Wednesday highlighted a dilemma for rideshare firms, which have faced challenges from regulators and traditional taxi operators for using a business model relying on independent contractors.

One group protested outside the New York Stock Exchange, where Uber is set to list shares, with some signs reading "Invest in our lives – Not their stocks."

Similar actions took place in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, Washington and in Uber's home town, San Francisco.

Protests were held in Britain as well with drivers in London, Birmingham, Nottingham and Glasgow called on to log off apps and demonstrate outside Uber offices, according to the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain.

Rideshare companies maintain that drivers are able to thrive and maintain work flexibility, and that their business model would not work if drivers were treated as wage-based employees.

Uber and Lyft did not immediately comment on the protests.

"While we aim to provide an earnings opportunity comparable to that available in retail, wholesale, or restaurant services or other similar work, we continue to experience dissatisfaction with our platform from a significant number of drivers," Uber said in a filing with securities regulators.

"In particular, as we aim to reduce driver incentives to improve our financial performance, we expect driver dissatisfaction will generally increase."

Lyft shares skid

Uber's inauguration as a public company will follow a rocky market debut for Lyft.

Lyft's losses in the past quarter widened to $1.1 billion, according to its first financial report as a public company.

Revenue for California-based Lyft nearly doubled from a year earlier to $776 million and the number of active riders grew to over 20.5 million.

Lyft said its losses deepened as a result of $894 million in costs that included stock-based compensation and related tax expenses in connection with its IPO.

Lyft shares finished the formal trading day Wednesday down 10.8 percent to $52.91.

Uber last month pulled back on its ambitious valuation target, while still pricing its share offering in a range that would make it one of the largest tech market debuts in recent years.

The ride-hailing firm said in a securities filing it would sell 207 million shares in a range of $44 to $50 dollars. According to a source close to the matter, Uber hopes to price its shares in the middle of that range and raise about $8 billion in fresh funding.

At $47 a share, Uber would be worth just over $80 billion, taking into account stock options. The company is expected to announce pricing Thursday night.

But the target – still subject to change – fell below earlier ambitions of a valuation of more than $100 billion for the firm operating in some 700 cities around the world.

Uber will trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker "UBER" sometime next month.

"We continue to view Lyft as a one-trick pony domestic ride sharing player and 'little brother' to Uber," Wedbush Securities equity research managing director Daniel Ives said Thursday in a note to investors.

Uber is "paving a similar road" to what Amazon did to e-commerce and Facebook did for social media, he contended, expressing confidence in the company.

Amazon of transport

Uber envisions becoming the "Amazon of transportation" in a future where people share instead of owning vehicles.

If all goes to plan, commuters could ride an e-scooter to a transit station, take a train then grab an e-bike, ride share or e-scooter at the arriving station to complete a journey using the Uber smartphone app.

Of course, shared car rides would be an option, eventually driven by computers instead of humans.

Uber is also taking to the sky with an Elevate project to have electric aircraft carry people between "skyports," taking off and landing vertically.

Uber's platform moves cargo as well as people, with a Freight service that connects truckers with shippers in a way similar to how drivers connect with people seeking rides.

Uber is also seeing growing success with an Eats service that lets drivers make money delivering meals ordered from restaurants. – Rappler.com

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea fired a number of unidentified projectiles on Thursday, May 9, the South's military said, as a US envoy visited Seoul for discussions on how to break the nuclear deadlock.

"North Korea fired unidentified projectiles eastward" from Sino-ri in North Pyongan province, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. – Rappler.com

ISTANBUL, Turkey – Turkey's top election body on Wednesday, May 8, stood behind a controversial decision to rerun the Istanbul mayoral vote as two former ruling party heavyweights joined a chorus of domestic and foreign criticism.

The election board this week voided the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) narrow victory in Turkey's biggest city and economic hub Istanbul and ordered a replay of the vote.

"It is unacceptable to personally target and discredit the judges because of the decision they made," the election body said.

It added that it "will continue to do its duty despite pressure, slander, insult and threats."

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) suffered a big setback in the March 31 local elections, losing Istanbul and the capital Ankara to the opposition. Both cities have been run by the AKP party and its predecessors for many years.

Erdogan's party refused to accept the defeat in Istanbul and submitted an "extraordinary appeal" to the election body for a fresh vote citing "organized crime" and "serious corruption" but did not criticize the results for local districts, where the AKP won a majority.

The electoral body accepted the complaints and seven of its members voted this week to cancel the opposition's victory and hold a new election in June.

Four members of the body voted against the move.

Opposition chief Kemal Kilicdaroglu of the Republican People's Party (CHP) on Tuesday, May 7, blasted the seven members of the board as "gang members" under Erdogan's influence.

CHP's Istanbul candidate Ekrem Imamoglu was stripped of his mayoral office following the controversial decision and the staff he hired for the municipality was dismissed by the acting mayor, Istanbul governor Ali Yerlikaya, according to the party.

The CHP on Wednesday appealed to the top election body for the cancellation of the results for local districts in Istanbul.

Criticism

Two of Erdogan's former allies joined the criticism of the election body – a rare moment of targeting the strongman directly given their key roles in the party previously.

Former prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu wrote on Twitter on Tuesday: "The biggest loss for political movements is not losing elections but the loss of moral superiority and social conscience."

Abdullah Gul, former president and co-founder of the AKP, said it showed the party failed to make any headway since past constitutional spats.

Both men have fallen out with Erdogan since their time in office and there have been persistent rumors over the years that they may set up their own parties.

Turkey's Western allies have also voiced concern over the ruling.

The United States said that a "healthy democracy" with transparent elections was in Turkey's own interest, while Germany said the decision to annul the election was "not transparent, and incomprehensible to us".

The disputed rerun has also mobilized anti-Erdogan Turks on social media.

Under the viral slogan "Everything will be fine" opponents of the Turkish leader defiantly flocked to social media to suggest often innovative and even amusing ways to ensure a high turnout for his rival next month.

With the election falling at a time when Istanbulites often head south to the beaches, several seaside municipalities held by the CHP predicted snow or sandstorm for election day, while other resorts warned of 150-degree temperatures and 90-percent humidity.

Famous musicians and actors – who have often steered clear of politics for fear of repercussions – have been galvanized by the election rerun. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Navies from the Philippines, United States, India, and Japan flexed their muscles in the disputed South China Sea after coming together for the ASEAN-Plus Defense Ministers' Meeting Maritime Security Field Training Exercise (ADMM-Plus MARSEC FTX) 2019 in Busan, South Korea.

"Navies from the Philippines, India, Japan, and the US transited international waters to Changi, Singapore, where the second phase of ADMM-Plus MARSEC FTX 2019 will be concluded," the Philippine Navy said in a statement on Thursday, May 9. (READ: South China Sea covered by PH-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty – Pompeo)

The four-country fleet was comprised of the following vessels

1. Philippine Navy patrol vessel, BRP Andres Bonifacio (PS17)
2. United States Pacific Fleet vessel USS William P. Lawrence (DDG-110).
3. Japan Maritime Self Defense Force vessel JS Izumo (DDH-183)
4. Japan Maritime Self Defense Force vessel JS Murasame (DD-101)
5. Indian Navy ship INS Kolkata (D63)
6. Indian Navy ship Shakti (A57)

According to the Philippine Navy, the exercise aimed to "deepen the partnership" among the allies, oil up their coordination, and promote "freedom of safe navigation in the region."

The sail came as China continues with its rapid and intrusive expansion in the South China Sea, which has reached even the part that belongs to the Philippines.

Here are photos of their trip:

– Rappler.com

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Truckers, lawyers and politicians are among millions of Brazilians eligible to carry loaded weapons in public under far-right President Jair Bolsonaro's decree relaxing gun laws that experts say is unconstitutional and will fuel deadly violence.

Pro-gun Bolsonaro, whose tough-on-crime rhetoric helped get him elected last year, signed the controversial order on Tuesday, but the full text was only released Wednesday, May 8, showing a wide range of professions, including hunters, farmers and even certain journalists, are now allowed to carry their guns on the street or at work.

The ex-army captain defended the move as honoring the result of a 2005 referendum in which nearly 64% of Brazilians rejected a law that included, among other things, a total ban on the sale of arms. 

But experts warned the loosening of restrictions would fuel gun violence in a country which already has one of the highest homicide rates in the world. 

Brazil recorded 64,000 murders in 2017 – a rate of almost 31 per 100,000 inhabitants, or three times higher than the level the United Nations classifies as endemic violence.

"We can expect an increase in this death toll," said Ivan Marques, executive director of the Sou de Paz Institute, which campaigns against violence. 

"We calculate that more than 20 million people are now allowed to carry weapons around. It's the worst thing that could happen to Brazil right now."

The decree also allows licensed gun owners to buy up to 5,000 rounds of ammunition a year, depending on the type of weapon, compared with the current limit of 50.

"Brazilians will be allowed to own up to four firearms without requiring formal clearance from the federal police," said Robert Muggah, research director at the Igarape Institute think tank in Rio de Janeiro

That would be 20,000 rounds per person, he added. 

And the decree makes it easier to import weapons and ammunition – long demanded by global manufacturers and fans of foreign brands.

This "represents one of the most dramatic shifts in Brazilian firearms policy in decades," Muggah said.

Various political parties and activist groups are planning to challenge the order in the Supreme Court.

One of their arguments is that the decree is unconstitutional because it creates a new law, rather than modifies an existing one.

More arms begets crimes

"These measures will fatally undermine public security," warned Muggah.

"This is in direct violation of the 2003 firearms regulation that prohibits carrying."

Brazilians are allowed to own firearms if they meet certain criteria. But these weapons are restricted to homes, shooting ranges and – for those who have a license – hunting, Muggah said. 

Bolsonaro has spoken in favor of allowing people to carry guns on the streets, but that requires the support of Congress to change the law. 

"We went to the limit of the law. We did not go over the law," Bolsonaro said Tuesday after signing the decree in front of beaming members of Congress and industry lobbyists who clapped and made pistol signs with their hands.

Foreign and domestic arms makers have been hoping that Bolsonaro's rise to power would translate into looser laws and greater government spending in the sector. 

But experts warned the new rules would lead to more legal weapons and ammunition ending up in the hands of criminal gangs, which already terrorize swathes of Brazil's major cities. 

They also fear an uptick in deadly violence at bars or in road-rage incidents if gun owners are carrying their weapons. 

Multiple studies around the world have shown that "more arms means more crimes and more homicides," said Daniel Cerqueira, an advisor for the Brazilian Forum of Public Security. 

Even gun enthusiasts who do not work in the professions mentioned in Bolsonaro's decree could easily qualify simply by registering as a hunter, sports shooter or collector – known by the Portuguese acronym CAC.

"It's pretty easy for any citizen to register as a CAC," said Caio Pizetta Torres, a security specialist at Control Risks in Sao Paulo.

"We are talking about expanding (the right to carry guns) to people who are not really used to or don't have the culture of using firearms." – Rappler.com

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Sri Lanka's Catholic Church on Thursday, May 9, announced it will reopen its schools next week for the first time since Easter Sunday bombings killed 258 people.

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith said the schools would open Tuesday, May 14, after remaining shut following fears of a repeat of the April 21 attacks on 3 churches and 3 luxury hotels.

"We have decided to open all Catholic schools on May 14," Ranjith told reporters in Colombo following a meeting between the country's 12 bishops and President Maithripala Sirisena in Colombo Thursday.

All state-run schools – more than 10,000 in total – had resumed classes on Monday, May 6, after police and security forces deployed armed guards.

But attendance has been low despite a raft of new security measures, including parking restrictions near schools.

Ranjith also said regular Sunday services would resume at all Catholic churches in Colombo from Sunday, May 12, while a special service will be held Thursday at Negombo, north of the capital.

St Sebastian's church in Negombo where over 100 people were killed will hold an open mass Thursday evening, for the first time since the attack, Ranjith said.

The government has blamed a local group, the National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ), for the bombings that also wounded nearly 500 people.

Islamic State claimed responsibility and the bombers filmed themselves making a pledge of allegiance to the group before the attacks.

The authorities have banned the NTJ under new emergency laws that were invoked to deal with Islamists responsible for the attacks.

President Sirisena has vowed to eliminate the militants and restore normality in the country which is still emerging from a 37-year Tamil separatist war that ended almost a decade ago.

"The offensive to crush Islamic extremists is successfully moving forward," Sirisena's office quoted him as saying on Wednesday, May 8.

"The operation will move to its logical conclusion by crushing the terrorists."

Sri Lanka's police say they have either killed or arrested all those responsible for the bombings but that the threat of global terrorism persists.

At least 56 suspects are in custody, according to the police. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – A judge was shot dead in Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte, making him the fifth judge killed under the Duterte administration, and the 37th lawyer killed in the same time period.

Judge Reymar Lacaya of Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte, was shot dead Thursday afternoon, May 9, the Supreme Court confirmed.

"The entire Judiciary condemns in the strongest possible terms the killing of Judge Lacaya. I am urging the authorities to exert their best efforts for the immediate apprehension of those responsible for Judge Lacaya's death," Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin said in a statement on Thursday.

Judge Lacaya is the 30th judge to be killed while in service since 1999, the Supreme Court said. 

Bersamin reiterated to judges that pursuant to a 2005 guidelines, those who received threats on their life may apply with the Philippine National Police (PNP) for a security detail.

Bersamin also reminded them that under a memorandum of agreement with the PNP, judges are allowed to carry firearms even outside their stations if they are granted permits. – Rappler.com

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis on Thursday, May 9, passed a measure to oblige those who know about sex abuse in the Catholic Church to report it to their superiors, following a global clerical pedophilia scandal.

Every diocese in the world will now be obliged to have a system for the reporting of abuse, under a new law published by the Vatican – but the requirement will not apply to secrets revealed to priests in the confessional.

It is time to learn from the "bitter lessons of the past," Francis said in the text of the legal decree.

It follows a series of clerical assault cases in countries ranging from Australia to Chile, Germany and the US.

The "Motu Proprio," a legal document issued under the pope's personal authority, declares that anyone who has knowledge of abuse, or suspects it, is "obliged to report (it) promptly" to the Church, using "easily accessible systems."

"Though this obligation was formerly left up to individual consciences, it now becomes a universally established legal precept" within the Church, said Andrea Tornielli, editorial director of the Vatican's communications department.

The law only applies within the Church and has no force to oblige individuals to report abuse to civil authorities.

Under the new measure, every diocese around the world is obliged by June 2020 to create a system for the reporting of sexual abuse by clerics, the use of child pornography and cover-ups of abuse.

Confessions still secret

The document focuses particularly on the sexual or psychological abuse of children and vulnerable adults, but also targets sexual abuse and violence resulting from an abuse of authority – such as the exploitation of nuns by priests.

Pope Francis admitting publicly in February that priests have used nuns as "sexual slaves" – and may still be doing so.

Victims' groups have long called for Francis to put in place concrete measures to tackle clerical child abuse, including immediately firing any cleric found guilty of even a single act of abuse, or of covering it up.

They also want all abusers or suspected abusers to be reported to police, and any abuse-related files handed over to them.

Some have called for priests who hear of abuse during confessions to be forced to report it. The new law stops short of that.

Catholics believe that within the confessional the penitent is talking to God, and everything in the confession is secret. A priest who reveals such secrets is automatically expelled from the Church.

The new law follows a historic Vatican summit on child sexual abuse by priests in February, which saw much self-recrimination by the Church and horror stories from abuse survivors. – Rappler.com

PRETORIA, South Africa – South Africa's ANC surged into the lead in early official results Thursday, May 9, with 55% of the vote in the first electoral test of President Cyril Ramaphosa's bid to revive the ruling party's flagging image.

Ramaphosa, 66, took over last year after the African National Congress forced then-president Jacob Zuma to resign after 9 years dominated by corruption allegations and economic problems.

With more than two-fifths of voting districts tallied, the Electoral Commission put the ANC well ahead, with its closest rival the Democratic Alliance (DA) trailing with a distant 25%.

The Economic Freedom Fighters, founded 6 years ago by former ANC youth leader Julius Malema, was nearing 9%.

The final results are expected to be officially certified on Saturday, May 11.

A new projection by the respected South Africa's Council for Scientific and Industrial Research forecast the ANC would win with 57% – a 5 percentage point drop from the last election in 2014.

The party that wins the most seats in parliament selects the country's president, who will be sworn in on May 25.

Ramaphosa has so far faced resistance to his reform agenda, especially from Zuma's allies who still occupy several high-ranking positions in the party and government.

After casting his ballot on Wednesday, May 8, Ramaphosa said the election was "heralding a new dawn...a period of renewal, a period of hope".

"The outcome of this election will be a major boost for...investor confidence."

The ANC's reputation was badly sullied under Zuma. Its support has fallen in every election since 2004 with the party taking 54% in 2016 municipal elections, compared with 62% in 2014's national vote.

Anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela and the ANC were swept to power with a landslide in the country's first multi-racial polls that marked the end of white minority rule in 1994.

Most opinion surveys before the vote had suggested the ANC would secure nearly 60% of the vote because of the Ramaphosa appeal and a fractured opposition.

Dirk Coetzee, a professor at UNISA's political science department, said "the higher the percentage for the ANC, the more it will give him (Ramaphosa) bargaining power".

"If Ramaphosa gets below 50% he will be very vulnerable" to challenges from rivals within the ANC, he added.

'The poor are getting poorer'

The ANC has been confronted by deepening public anger over its failure to tackle poverty and inequality in the post-apartheid era.

"We have given them 25 years but the poor are getting poorer and the rich richer," said voter Anmareth Preece, 28, a teacher from Coligny in North West province. "We need a government that governs for the people, not for themselves."

The economy grew just 0.8% in 2018 and unemployment hovers around 27% – soaring to over 50% among young people.

Of the 47 opposition parties in the race, only the main opposition centrist DA and the radical-left EFF are major players.

The DA is hoping to shed its image as a white, middle-class party.

Its first black leader, Mmusi Maimane, is contesting his maiden general election since taking the helm in 2015, and is expected to make modest gains on the DA's 2014 vote share of 22%.

Malema's EFF was predicted to make major gains, growing from 6.3% to a forecast 11%.

"The ANC has taken people for granted. There is some arrogance which has crept in," said voter Mandla Booi, 45, in Port Elizabeth on the south coast.

The EFF, which appeals mainly to young voters and the poor, has campaigned on a policy of seizing land from white owners to give to blacks.

Enforced land redistribution is also ANC policy – alarming some investors.

About 26.8 million voters were registered to cast their ballots but only 65% of those bothered to cast their ballots. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Makabayan bloc is not letting up on the Duterte administration’s China loans, as it filed a new petition before the Supreme Court wanting to declare as illegal and void the loan agreement for the $211 million Kaliwa Dam.

Neri Colmenares, Makabayan’s senatorial bet, led the filing on Thursday, May 9. It was a petition for prohibition that questioned numerous provisions in the loan agreement which they claim are unconstitutional. The petitioners included members of indigenous and environmental groups.

Before this, Colmenares and company went to the Supreme Court to question the Chico River Dam loan agreement. In response, the Supreme Court asked the Duterte administration to answer the petition.

Arguments

Like the Chico River dam, Makabayan questioned the confidentiality clause of the Kaliwa dam.

Under the loan agreement, the borrower – the Philippines – cannot disclose any information without “the prior written consent of the lender,” or China.

Section 21, Article XII of the 1987 Constitution says: “Information on foreign loans obtained or guaranteed by the government shall be made available to the public.” (READ: Kaliwa Dam deal 'as onerous' as Chico River project)

The Constitution and several laws require that any loan agreement get the prior approval of the Monetary Board (MB) before it’s signed.

Makabayan’s petition claims that “the Loan Agreement taken together reveal that the respondents not only set aside the constitutional requirement of prior MB approval, they also assured China that the same will be forthcoming, thus forcing the hand of the Monetary Board to issue its approval for the onerous loan from China for Kaliwa Dam.” (READ: Made in China: Loan terms with waivers, shrouded in secrecy)

Also similar to the Chico River loan, the Kaliwa Dam loan agreement says that the contractor must be pre-selected by China. 

“A loan agreement to finance a project awarded to a pre-selected Chinese contractor violates the constitutional preference to qualified Filipinos and existing procurement laws,” the petition said.

Waiver of immunity

The Kaliwa Dam loan agreement also has a waiver of immunity where “the Borrower hereby irrevocably waives any immunity on the grounds of sovereignty or otherwise for itself or its property in connection with any arbitration proceeding pursuant to Article 8.5 hereof or with the enforcement of any arbitral award pursuant thereto.”

The waiver of immunity in the Chico River loan agreement raised alarm for supposedly putting at a potential giveaway the country’s patrimonial asset, which Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said is oil in the Reed Bank.

Patrimonial assets were not explicitly mentioned in the Kaliwa Dam loan agreement, but Makabayan said the collaterals “could include patrimonial properties.”

“Since the Chinese Government, being a foreign entity, is not qualified to acquire or hold lands in the Philippines, then the provisions on the collateralization of territorial property therefore runs counter to the Constitution,” Makabayan said. – Rappler.com

SIBIU, Romania – European powers denounced Iran's threat to resume nuclear work on Thursday, May 9, but vowed to save a landmark deal with Tehran despite US pressure.

Iran said it would defy some limits it accepted under the 2015 agreement, and threatened to go further if Europe, China and Russia fail to deliver sanctions relief within 60 days.

Tehran says it is responding to unilateral US sanctions imposed after President Donald Trump ripped up what he called a "horrible" deal, dealing a severe blow to the Iranian economy.

Europe has stressed the importance of the deal – in which Iran agreed to curb its nuclear ambitions in return for sanctions relief – for its own security, and EU president Jean-Claude Juncker said it would be on the agenda at Thursday's summit in the Romanian town of Sibiu.

French President Emmanuel Macron appealed for calm, saying Europe must work to convince Iran to stick with the deal.

"We must not get jumpy or fall into escalation," Macron said.

EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini and France, Germany and Britain – the 3 European signatories to the deal – voiced "great concern" at President Hassan Rouhani's dramatic intervention.

"We strongly urge Iran to continue to implement its commitments under the JCPOA in full as it has done until now and to refrain from any escalatory steps," they said in a joint statement, referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action as the deal is known.

"We reject any ultimatums and we will assess Iran's compliance on the basis of Iran's performance regarding its nuclear-related commitments under the JCPOA."

Macron warned that leaving the deal would "unstitch what we have achieved."

"That's why France is staying in, and will stay in and I profoundly hope Iran will stay in," Macron said as he arrived for the summit.

The EU statement stressed the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) role in monitoring Iran's compliance with the deal – suggesting no concrete action is likely until the inspectors' next report at the end of May.

Mogherini said she had "a lot of concern" about this week's developments but stressed that Iran was so far still "fully compliant" with the deal.

"We will continue to see the compliance of Iran to its commitments to the JCPOA through the lenses of the assessments that the IAEA will continue to do," she told reporters in Sibiu.

But there are tensions within the EU, with some countries under domestic pressure to take a tougher line on Tehran, particularly after Iranian intelligence was accused of mounting assassination plots in France, Denmark and the Netherlands.

Europe and Washington have been at loggerheads over how to deal with the Islamic republic since Trump took office. In recent days, the US deployed an aircraft carrier strike group to the Gulf – raising military tensions alongside the diplomatic discord.

EU scrabbling

Trump hit back at Tehran's threats by tightening the economic screws further, slapping sanctions on the Iranian mining industry to add to swingeing measures on oil exports – the country's main moneymaker.

"Tehran can expect further actions unless it fundamentally alters its conduct," Trump said in a statement.

Since the US pullout, Europe has sought to keep Iran in the deal by trying to maintain trade via a special mechanism called INSTEX to clear payments without falling foul of American sanctions.

The European statement reiterated its commitment to helping the Iranian people enjoy the benefit of sanctions relief, condemning the US reimposition.

Europe is "determined to continue pursuing efforts to enable the continuation of legitimate trade with Iran" including through INSTEX.

But their efforts have borne little fruit so far, with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissing them as a "bitter joke."

EU haggling

Macron and Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel will discuss Iran with their EU colleagues at Thursday's summit, which was called to start the race for the top jobs in Brussels and to sketch a future without Britain.

The 27 national leaders are meeting just two weeks before European Parliament elections that could usher in a new wave of populists to haunt EU decision-making.

The 28th head of government, Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May, will be absent as the others discuss a five-year strategy to reinvigorate the union and argue over who should lead it.

The meeting will seek to agree a "Sibiu Declaration" – a short document with 10 overarching commitments to reform in various areas, known tongue-in-cheek by some Brussels diplomats as the "10 Commandments" for the next EU Commission. – Rappler.com

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – After 10 years of political turmoil, assassinations and violent demonstrations, Asia Bibi's exit from Pakistan was met largely with silence, as the country appeared to seek a quiet close to a turbulent chapter.

Even as the Christian woman's flight to safety in Canada made international headlines on Wednesday, May 8, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's government said nothing.

It was left to a foreign ministry spokesman to confirm her departure on Thursday, May 9, with Mohammad Faisal telling journalists Bibi had left the country "at her own will" as he declined to say anything further.

The silence echoed across the country's usually rambunctious media, with most newspapers glossing over the episode and primetime television shows offering it only a passing mention.

It was a jarring contrast to the violent protests staged by hardliners against Bibi in recent years, including last October, when the Supreme Court overturned her death sentence for blasphemy.

Islamists took to the streets at the time calling for mutiny in the armed forces and the assassination of the country's top judges.

"The government clearly doesn't want there to be a reaction from violent mobs," said Omar Waraich, deputy South Asia director at Amnesty International.

"They are worried that they will be accused of being part of what some hardliners call a Western conspiracy against Islam to punish those who stand up for the Prophet, and protect those accused of insulting the Prophet."

Many of the protest ringleaders were rounded up in a government crackdown and remain in detention – a possible reason why Bibi's flight to freedom after months spent in protective custody in Pakistan did not ignite further demonstrations.

Bibi was first convicted and sentenced to death for committing blasphemy during an altercation with fellow laborers in 2009.

Her case was taken up by liberal provincial governor Salmaan Taseer, who was later killed in broad daylight in Islamabad in 2011 by his own bodyguard, angered by Taseer's stance on blasphemy.

The killing was followed the same year by the assassination of minority affairs minister Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian, who had also fought to clear Bibi's name.

The years-long debacle underscored the depth with which religious extremism has cut across wide sections of Pakistani society and the country's untouchable blasphemy laws have been effectively weaponized by Islamists.

Blasphemy continues to be a massively incendiary charge in Pakistan, where even unproven allegations of insulting Islam can spark lynchings and targeted killings.

Christians met the news of Bibi's departure with mixed emotions – with many expressing happiness that she was free, while acknowledging that staying in the country would have likely meant a violent death at the hands of vigilantes.

"It was problem for her to live here. It is obvious that she might be killed by the people. We think it is good that she has been sent [to Canada]," said Fayyaz Bhatti, a Pakistani Christian in Islamabad.

"Now her life is saved and she can meet her children." – Rappler.com

THE HAGUE, Netherlands – Britain's Prince Harry received an Invictus Games romper suit for his newborn son Archie on Thursday, May 9, as he marked one year until The Hague hosts the sports championship for wounded soldiers.

Making his first royal engagement just 3 days after the birth of his "dream" first son with wife Meghan, Harry travelled to the Netherlands to launch the countdown to the games.

Harry pulled a face and pretended to model the tiny white garment with a gray and yellow "Invictus Games" logo after he was handed it by Princess Margriet of the Netherlands.

The Duke of Sussex joked that he should "put it on" himself, before thanking the Dutch princess.

The prince, who showed off Archie with Meghan to the public for the first time on Wednesday, May 8, also met athletes and took part in sporting activities including archery.

The Olympic-style Invictus Games are the brainchild of Harry, who served with the British military in Afghanistan – but they have also been a recurring theme in Harry and Meghan's relationship.

It was at the 2017 event in Toronto that he made his first appearance with the American former actress, while their attendance at the 2018 Sydney edition came days after they first announced her pregnancy.

Founded by Harry in 2014, the Games are an international sporting event for wounded, injured and ill servicemen and women, both active duty and veterans.

The prince has previously spoken of how he was profoundly moved by witnessing death and life-changing injuries while on deployment in Afghanistan, coupled with the grief and sadness that went with it. – Rappler.com

KABUL, Afghanistan – The latest round of US-Taliban talks ended in Qatar on Thursday, May 9, an insurgent spokesman said, after "positive and constructive" negotiations that continued even as the Taliban bombed a US-funded aid group in Kabul.

Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban's political spokesman in Doha, tweeted that "some progress" had been made at the sixth round of peace talks and that the foes would meet again for another round of discussions.

"In general, this round was positive and constructive. Both sides listened to each other with care and patience," Shaheen wrote on Twitter.

The US embassy in Kabul did not immediately comment, nor did US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, the Afghan-born former US ambassador to Afghanistan who is leading negotiations for the Americans.

Shaheen told Agence France-Presse Sunday, May 5, that peace negotiations were stumbling over the fundamental question of when foreign forces would depart Afghanistan.

Before the US agrees to any withdrawal as part of an eventual deal, it is demanding the Taliban put in place security guarantees, a ceasefire and other commitments including an "intra-Afghan" dialogue with the Kabul government and other Afghan representatives.

The Taliban however insist they won't do any of these things until the US announces a withdrawal timeline.

At the end of a large peace summit in Kabul last week, President Ashraf Ghani offered the Taliban a ceasefire to begin on the first day of Ramadan, but the insurgents refused.

On Wednesday, May 8, a Taliban suicide bomber and four gunmen attacked Counterpart International, a non-profit group working with marginalized people in Afghanistan, killing nine people.

"This violent attack is a senseless assault on the noble values that the organizations like Counterpart support, such as service to others, education, and inclusion," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Retired army general Ricardo "Dick" Morales was appointed as a member of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) Board of Trustees by President Rodrigo Duterte.

The President earlier said he was tapping Morales to be MWSS chairman.

But in his appointment paper dated May 27 and released on Tuesday, June 4, Morales instead took the board seat of MWSS Administrator and Board of Trustees Vice-Chairman Reynaldo Velasco.

Ricardo Morales replaces MWSS administrator Reynaldo Velasco in the MWSS Board of Trustees. He will serve the rest of Velasco's term, until June 2019. @rapplerdotcompic.twitter.com/EYjLwPaIey

— Pia Ranada (@piaranada) June 4, 2019

Morales will be serving the Board of Trustees term of Velasco, which is until June 30, 2019.

Duterte had previously announced he was appointing Morales "MWSS chairman," which logically meant he was replacing MWSS Board of Trustees Chairman Franklin Demonteverde.

However, it seems it is Velasco, and not Demonteverde, who was fired by the President. Velasco is the MWSS Board of Trustees vice-chairman and concurrent administrator.

For Morales to assume the position of chairman or administrator of the water regulatory agency, he first has to be part of the Board of Trustees.

Velasco, a retired police general, was the MWSS official who said Duterte was given the wrong advice on how to address the water shortage issue.

Duterte had issued an order compelling the MWSS and concessionaires Manila Water and Maynilad Water Services to release water from the Angat Dam by noon on March 15, good for 150 days.

However, Velasco said letting out a 150-day supply or some 600,000 million liters per day was impossible.

Morales had been part of RAM, or Reform the Armed Forces Movement, a group of rebellious military officers who wanted to oust dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Morales also hails from Duterte's hometown of Davao City.

Duterte had threatened MWSS officials that heads would roll over the water crisis which hit parts of Metro Manila and Rizal. He had asked for a report on the shortage due in mid-April. Malacañang had said Duterte would make his decision on the fate of MWSS officials after reading the report. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Outgoing House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez defended his bloc on the last session day of the 17th Congress, arguing they remained "constructive" despite criticism hurled at them in the past 3 years.

The Quezon 3rd District representative was teary-eyed as he delivered his goodbye speech on Tuesday, June 4, the day the 17th Congress is set to adjourn session sine die.

Suarez, who won as Quezon governor in the May 13 elections, recalled the times his minority leadership was challenged not just in the House, but even all the way to the Supreme Court (SC). 

"We have been called many names, but our accomplishments this 17th Congress show that our work speaks for itself. We worked quietly, focused only on the tasks at hand," said Suarez.

"We remained true to our vision of becoming a constructive minority – we give credit where it is due, and call the administration's attention when necessary, and always with a view to providing solutions," he added.

Suarez listed among the minority bloc's achievements the roles its members played in the House investigations on the proliferation of drugs in the New Bilibid Prison, and illegal gambling in the Philippines.

He said they also closely watched the deliberations on the tax reform package and ensured the passage into law of the tax amnesty bill.

Suarez has repeatedly been accused of being subservient to the House leadership, both under ousted Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, and Alvarez's successor Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who counts Suarez among her close allies. 

Suarez's minority leadership was questioned in the SC 3 times. The first time was in 2016, when the so-called "Magnificent 7" bloc of Ifugao Representative Teddy Baguilat Jr contested Suarez's election as minority leader before the High Court.

In past Congresses, the lawmaker who got the second highest votes in the speakership race automatically became the minority leader. But the Alvarez-led majority bloc changed the rules at that time and the minority bloc became mandated to choose their leader in a separate election. 

This led to Suarez's election as minority leader in 2016.  

Baguilat and his allies lost the case in the SC, which said it did not find any abuse of discretion on the part of the then-majority bloc to change the House rules.

When Arroyo took over as Speaker in July 2018, Suarez had voted in favor of her controversial rise as leader of the House. And yet Suarez still maintained his position under Arroyo's term.

This prompted two other blocs in the House – one led by former majority leader Rudy Fariñas and Marikina 2nd District Representative Miro Quimbo of the Liberal Party – to file separate SC cases against Suarez once again. 

The High Court, however, has yet to rule on these cases, allowing Suarez to finish his term as the sole minority leader in the whole 3 years of the 17th Congress.

The 17th Congress is set to adjourn session sine die on Tuesday. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) en banc decided on Tuesday, June 4, to hold oral arguments on the writ of kalikasan which was issued to local fishermen who complained about the Philippine government's "neglect" of the West Philippine Sea.

A writ of kalikasan is a legal remedy that upholds a citizen's right to a healthy environment.

Oral arguments on it will be held on June 25, two sources confirmed to Rappler.

The SC issued a writ of kalikasan on May 3 to a group of fishermen from Palawan and Zambales, who were aided by human rights lawyer Chel Diokno and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP).

The writ ordered the Duterte administration to make a return, or to answer the complaint on the government's supposed failure to enforce environmental laws in 3 areas in the West Philippine Sea.

The petition wants to compel the Duterte administration to protect the maritime environment in Panatag Shoal, Ayungin Shoal, and Panganiban Reef.

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

The respondents are heads of the agencies tasked by the fisheries code to enforce the laws, namely: Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol, Fisheries Director Eduardo Gongona, Navy Flag Officer Vice Admiral Robert Empedrad, Coast Guard Admiral Elson Hermogino, Police General Oscar Albayalde, Police Maritime Group Director Chief Superintendent Rodelio Jocson, and Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra. – Rappler.com

SYDNEY, Australia – Australian police on Tuesday, June 4, raided the home of a prominent journalist who reported on a secret government plan to spy on Australian citizens.

The Australian Federal Police said the raid was carried out early Tuesday in a suburb of the federal capital, Canberra, as part of an "investigation into the alleged unauthorized disclosure of national security information."

"Police will allege the unauthorized disclosure of these specific documents undermines Australia's national security," it said in a statement, adding that no one had been arrested during the operation.

News Corp, the Rupert Murdoch-controlled news organisation, confirmed the raid targeted Annika Smethurst, political editor of the group's Sunday newspapers, calling the police action "outrageous and heavy-handed".

In April 2018, Smethurst reported that the home affairs and defence ministries in the conservative federal government had drawn up a plan granting new powers to the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) to secretly access emails, bank accounts and text messages of Australian citizens.

Under existing law, only the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the domestic spy agency, had that authority.

The ASD, Australia's equivalent of the US National Security Agency, was tasked with countering foreign threats.

Smethurst's report included images of letters between senior home affairs and defence officials outlining the plan to allow the ASD to "proactively disrupt and covertly remove" domestic threats by "hacking into critical infrastructure."

The government declined at the time to comment on the leaked documents, and the plan was reportedly scrapped by then-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull -- a moderate who was ousted in a party coup in August by more hardline conservatives.

His successor as prime minister, Scott Morrison, went on to enact a series of law-and-order measures, including a controversial law forcing telecommunications and tech firms to monitor encrypted communications between suspected terrorists or other criminals.

Tuesday's raid came just weeks after Morrison's government unexpectedly won re-election.

In its statement, News Corp, Australia's biggest newspaper group, called the raid "a dangerous act of intimidation towards those committed to telling uncomfortable truths."

"What's gone on this morning sends clear and dangerous signals to journalists and newsrooms across Australia. This will chill public interest reporting." – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines supports any United States action in the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea) that would maintain stability in the region amid the continued military buildup of China in the area, President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman said on Tuesday, June 4.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo was asked about the recent statement of US Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan that the US would no longer “tiptoe” around China’s behavior in the South China Sea. (READ: China must stop eroding neighbors' sovereignty – U.S.)

Asked if the Philippines wants the US to walk its talk, Panelo said in a Palace briefing: “The Philippines would want stability in this part of the world, in that part of the world. The Philippine position is that every country has a right to use the waters in the South China Sea as well as the airspace. And we want peace and quiet in that area. So anything that will provide such kind of atmosphere, we are for it.”

He added, “If the presence of the US will make it so, then that’s good for us – all of the claimants.”

Aside from the Philippines and China, the other claimants to the South China Sea are Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

Responding to questions at the Palace briefing, Panelo said it would be up to the US to determine the “limits” of its actions in the South China Sea to promote stability in the region.

“That will be left to their judgment, whatever their limits are,” he said in a mix of Filipino and English.

When asked again if the Philippines would not object to US presence in the South China Sea – which China is strongly opposed to – Panelo said, “We desire peace and quiet in that area, no matter upon whose initiative, coming from any country.”

He also said any US action should also not infringe on Philippine sovereignty. 

In a regional security forum in Singapore on Saturday, June 1, Shanahan had said: "China can and should have a cooperative relationship with the rest of the region.... But behavior that erodes other nations' sovereignty and sows distrust of China's intentions must end." (READ: Huawei and the Shangri-La Dialogue)

"Until it does, we stand against a myopic, narrow, and parochial vision of the future, and we stand for the free and open order that has benefited us all, including China," added Shanahan, who also said that the US was investing heavily in the Indo-Pacific region to maintain its military superiority and capability to defend its Asian allies.

A day before the Singapore forum, on Friday, May 31, Duterte questioned China's claim to the entire South China Sea during a speech at Nikkei's International Conference on the Future of Asia in Tokyo, where he was on a working visit. He urged China to complete the South China Sea Code of Conduct to reduce the risks of conflict in the disputed area.

But Duterte had also said in the Tokyo forum that the US should keep its distance when it came to issues with China and the South China Sea, as clashes between the two would make the situation worse. – with a report from Agence France-Presse/Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Controversial retired colonel Allen Capuyan has a new role under the Duterte administration – chairperson of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).

President Rodrigo Duterte signed his appointment on May 27. It was made public on Tuesday, June 4.

Allen Capuyan, former MIAA official and someone tagged as involved in smuggling of shabu by customs broker Mark Taguba, is appointed National Commission on Indigenous Peoples chairman. @rapplerdotcompic.twitter.com/NBWC7FsVI3

— Pia Ranada (@piaranada) June 4, 2019

This is Capuyan's 4th post under Duterte's presidency. First, he was Manila International Airport Authority assistant general manager for security and emergency services.

After resigning amid allegations of his involvement in the smuggling of P6.4-billion worth of shabu in March 2018, he was appointed Presidential Adviser on Indigenous Peoples' Concerns, with the rank of undersecretary, in April that year.

Then in March 2019, Duterte appointed Capuyan the executive director  of the National Secretariat of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.

The agency, placed under the Office of the President, seeks to end communist insurgency by addressing causes of armed conflict like poverty and lack of livelihood opportunities.

Shabu controversy

Capuyan was accused of involvement in smuggling P6.4 billion worth of shabu from China to the Philippines in May 2017.

He allegedly provided tariff codes that gave smugglers access to the green lane or express lane, which exempts shipments from X-ray inspection. (READ: From Hello Garci to 'Big Brother': Who is Allen Capuyan?)

The customs broker, Mark Taguba, who made these accusations, also alleged that Capuyan was the "Big Brother" referred to in Taguba's text messages with members of the supposed "Davao Group."

Capuyan was also allegedly involved in the "Hello Garci" scandal during the Arroyo administration.

As chief for operations of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Capuyan was allegedly the man behind their wiretapping operation that monitored those they believed to be part of the opposition. – Rappler.com