NAIROBI, Kenya – A total of 49 people are confirmed to have died after an apartment building collapsed in the Kenyan capital last week, authorities said Saturday, May 7, as they announced the end of the rescue operations.

The 6-story block went down on April 29 in an impoverished part of Nairobi following days of heavy rain, triggering a desperate search for survivors.

Overall, 140 people were rescued, said Pius Masai, the head of Kenya's natural disaster management unit.

Among the lucky ones was a 7-month-old baby who was miraculously found alive after 4 days under the rubble. Her mother did not survive. Four other residents were pulled to safety as late as Thursday, May 5.

"We have come to the end of this search and rescue operation after recovering 49 bodies for people confirmed dead," said Masai.

Another 47 people remained missing, he added, though it was unclear whether they were actually in the building at the time of the accident.

The recovery operations had in recent days been extended to a river bordering the apartment building, because emergency workers feared some residents may have tried to jump to safety as the building crumbled around them.

The dwelling's collapse has been blamed on a combination of shoddy construction and bad weather.

Located in the poor, tightly-packed Huruma neighborhood, the building, which housed around 150 families crammed into single rooms, had been slated for demolition after being declared structurally unsound.

But an evacuation order for the structure, built just two years ago, was ignored.

The government, under pressure to take action against unsafe construction practices following the deadly accident, responded by earmarking 78 high-risk buildings in the capital for demolition.

But as the excavators moved in on Friday, May 6, local authorities came under fire for not giving adequate notice, and Nairobi governor Evans Kidero on Saturday suspended the demolitions to give residents time to find new accommodation.

Three buildings near the site of the April 29 collapse which have already been evacuated will still be torn down as planned.

Two brothers who owned the apartment building have been released on bail and an inquiry into the accident is ongoing.

Several buildings have collapsed in recent years in Nairobi and other Kenyan cities, where a property boom has seen buildings shoot up at speed, often with scant regard for regulations. – Rappler.com

MEXICO CITY, Mexico – The Mexican authorities transferred the notorious drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to a prison in Ciudad Juarez on the US border Saturday morning, May 7, in a surprise move, officials said.

Despite speculation, Guzman's transfer had "absolutely nothing" to do with his possible extradition or deportation to the United States – where he faces extradition requests by courts in California and Texas for homicide and drug trafficking – Eduardo Sanchez, spokesman for the president's office, told AFP.

The authorities said they moved Guzman to prevent any escape attempt during construction to strengthen his maximum-security prison in Altiplano, 90 kilometers (55 miles) from the capital Mexico City.

Considered one of the world's most powerful drug bosses, Guzman has staged two dramatic escapes from maximum-security prisons, including from Altiplano.

He arrived at the airport in Ciudad Juarez at dawn, heavily guarded by some 150 federal police officers who had arrived earlier in three planes.

Mexico did not warn the US authorities before Guzman's transfer, a US government official told AFP.

The move "surprised everyone," he said, adding that the transfer had nothing to do with the extradition process.

Guzman's lawyer Jose Refugio Rodriguez said the move is "illegal" because his defense team has launched "processes to stop him being transferred from one place to another."

Secure jail

A helicopter transferred Guzman from the airport to a prison in the south of Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas.

Although not classified as a maximum-security prison, it has a section for highly dangerous prisoners that is "one of the safest," a National Security Commission source said.

Military soldiers guard the prison, and the road leading to the facility is under especially heavy protection, Mexican media reported.

The former leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel – one of Mexico's most powerful – Guzman staged a spectacular jailbreak in July 2015, when he escaped through a hole in his jail cell's shower that led to a 1.5-kilometer (one-mile) tunnel leading outside.

He was captured in January after months on the run in a colorful episode involving a Mexican soap opera actress and the US film star Sean Penn, who met with the drug boss in hiding.

In 2001, Guzman is believed to have hidden in a laundry basket when he escaped from another maximum security prison in Puente Grande in western Jalisco state, where he was imprisoned since 1993.

The authorities began the process of deporting him to the United States shortly after his capture in January.

President Enrique Pena Nieto has said the extradition would take place "as soon as possible."

Guzman fought the process until March, when he asked his lawyers to stop their efforts because conditions at his prison were intolerable.

He is willing to plead guilty to charges in the United States in return for a lighter sentence and confinement at a medium-security prison, his lawyer Rodriguez said.

Earlier this year, Guzman's lawyers said he was being held incommunicado and that guards were preventing him from sleeping more than two hours at a time, but said more recently that conditions had markedly improved.

The prison authorities in Altiplano had already made improvements at the facility, reinforcing points of access and perimeter security, adding cameras and monitoring command centers and prison conditions.

Guzman is accused of crimes including smuggling tons of drugs into the United States by boat, submarine, airplane and an extensive network of tunnels under the border.

A number of US jurisdictions, including New York, are vying to prosecute him.

Mexican officials have said the extradition process may take a year or more. – Leticia Pineda, AFP/Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines — Presidential front-runner Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte asked his about 300,000 supporters during his final campaign rally to vote for boxing champion and Sarangani Representative Manny Pacquiao, who is running for the Senate.

Although the boxing champion is not in his senatorial line-up, Duterte asked his supporters not to forget Pacquiao on May 9 elections. (READ: Duterte at miting de avance: It will be one Filipino nation)

"Even he is with VP Binay, I would still like to pitch for him. Huwag ninyo siyang kalimutan (Don't forget about him)," Duterte said during the rally at the Rizal Park in Manila City on Saturday evening, May 7.

Pacquiao stayed with Vice President Jejomar Binay's United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), even after his friend Duterte declared a presidential bid in November 2015.

Both from Mindanao, Duterte said he and Pacquiao made sacrifices for the region. (READ: Pacquiao chooses Binay over friend Duterte)

"Kahit wala siya sa akin at doon siya sa kabila, kindly suportahan ninyo si Pacman. Kaibigan ko siya. Pareho kaming taga-Mindanao at magkasama kami sa sakripisyo at kaligayahan," Duterte said after endorsing One Patriotic Coalition of Marginalized Nationals (1-Pacman) party list.

(Even if he is not on my side and he is with the rival, kindly support Pacman. He is my friend. We are both from Mindanao and we were together in sacrifices and happiness.)

In November last year, Pacquiao said of Duterte: "Talagang magkaibigan kami, close kami. Hindi iyan maapektuhan dahil ito, politics lang ito."

(We are really friends, we are close. Our friendship will not be affected by this, as it is just politics.)

The tough-talking Davao City mayor and boxing champ are long-time friends. Duterte had said that Pacquiao's life story is an inspiration to Filipinos.

In October last year, Duterte said he wants the boxing champ to be part of his "dream team" of senatorial bets. — Rappler.com

SINGAPORE – Singapore's ruling party on Saturday, May 7, comfortably retook a parliamentary seat vacated by a member who quit over an extramarital affair.

The People's Action Party (PAP) victory in a by-election dealt a fresh blow to opposition candidate Chee Soon Juan, who has endured jail and bankruptcy in his long campaign for a more liberal Singapore.

Ruling party candidate Murali Pillai, a lawyer, won 61.2% of the votes against the 38.8% of Chee, the leader of the Singapore Democratic Party.

The PAP now holds 83 out of 89 seats in parliament after a landslide victory in last September's general election, which saw the party take 70% of votes.

Co-founded by late strongman Lee Kuan Yew, the party has governed Singapore continuously since the city-state gained self-rule from Britain in 1959, prior to full independence in 1965.

Its leaders say the PAP's strong stand against corruption and track record in guiding the city-state into one of Asia's most advanced economies have enabled it to stay in power.

Critics however say that uninterrupted one-party rule has stifled dissent and curbed civil and political liberties.

The contested seat in the suburban district of Bukit Batok was vacated in March when the elected MP David Ong, 54, resigned over an extramarital affair.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong thanked Singaporeans for voting in the ruling party's candidate.

Lee said in a Facebook post that Murali's win showed that "the government and people are united in building a better nation together".

Chee, an internationally known dissident who has fought the PAP for greater civil and political rights, said: "I will bow, not in defeat, but... with grace." – Rappler.com

WASHINGTON, DC, USA – There may be much Republican hand-wringing over Donald Trump's presumptive nomination to face against his Democratic challenger to the White House, but the boastful billionaire says he doesn't care, and it doesn't matter.

A growing chorus of senior Republican leaders have joined the "anything but Trump movement," including 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and the last two Republican presidents, George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush.

"Does it have to be unified?" Trump asked about the Republican Party.

"I'm very different than everybody else, perhaps, that's ever run for office. I actually don't think so," he told ABC's "This Week" in excerpts provided ahead of Sunday's broadcast.

"I think it would be better if it were unified, I think it would be – there would be something good about it. But I don't think it actually has to be unified in the traditional sense." (READ: Trump shores up Republican unity as he takes on Clinton)

Trump said he expected even some Democratic voters to throw their support behind him to win the general election.

"I'm going to go out and I'm going to get millions of people from the Democrats," Trump said.

"I'm going to get Bernie (Sanders) people to vote, because they like me on trade," he added, referring to the Democratic candidate in an uphill fight to clinch his party's nomination instead of Hillary Clinton. – Rappler.com

PYONGYANG, North Korea (UPDATED) – North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un told a rare ruling party congress that the country would only use its nuclear weapons if its sovereignty came under threat from another nuclear power, state media said Sunday, May 8.

Kim also promised that the North would follow a policy of non-proliferation, and said Pyongyang was willing to improve and normalize relations with countries that had been "hostile" in the past.

His remarks came in a report delivered on the second day Saturday of the first Workers' Party congress to be held since 1980.

Kim had opened the conclave on Friday with a defiant defence of the North's nuclear weapons program, and praised the "magnificent... and thrilling" test of what Pyongyang claimed was a powerful hydrogen bomb on January 6.

It was the North's fourth nuclear test, and there are growing signs that a fifth test could be imminent.

"As a responsible nuclear weapons state, our republic will not use a nuclear weapon unless its sovereignty is encroached upon by any aggressive hostile forces with nukes," Kim was quoted as telling the party gathering on Saturday.

He also vowed that Pyongyang would "faithfully fulfil" its non-proliferation obligations and push for global denuclearisation, the North's official KCNA news agency said.

North Korea withdrew from the global Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 2003 – the first signatory country to do so.

Opaque policy 

Pyongyang's nuclear weapons use policy has never been completely clear.

At the time of the first nuclear test in 2006, North Korea stated it would "never use nuclear weapons first", but has since made repeated threats of pre-emptive nuclear strikes against South Korea and the United States.

Kim's latest statement does not seem to amount to a clear "no first-use" policy, as it does not specify what kind of "encroachment" might justify a nuclear strike.

In recent years, North Korea has put a focus on the development of tactical nuclear weapons, with numerous – and increasingly successful – tests of a submarine-launched ballistic missile system.

In his address, Kim also waved what might be taken as a potential olive branch, with his statement that North Korea would seek better relations with friendly countries, "(even) though they had been hostile in the past."

There has been speculation that, in the wake of the party congress, Pyongyang might renew its push for talks with Washington.

US and North Korean officials have held a number of informal discussions in neutral venues in recent years, but they are understood to have stalled over the basis for beginning any substantive dialogue.

Peace treaty

Pyongyang wants a permanent peace treaty to be the focus of any dialogue with Washington, while the United States, backed by South Korea, insists the first priority is the issue of North Korea's nuclear disarmament.

The 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice that has never been formalized by a peace treaty, meaning that the two Koreas technically remain at war.

The ongoing party congress has offered no sign whatsoever that Pyongyang would consider offering up its nuclear arsenal for negotiation, with Kim underlining the importance of a credible nuclear deterrent to the country's national security.

In his opening speech, the 33-year-old leader said the January test – and long-range rocket launch that followed a month later – had "smashed the hostile forces' vicious maneuvers geared to sanctions and strangulation, and displayed to the world the indomitable spirit, daring grit and inexhaustible strength of heroic Korea."

Two of the North's 4 nuclear tests have been conducted since Kim came to power following the death of his father, late leader Kim Jong-Il, in late 2011.

Speculation that the North might be readying a fifth test, in defiance of toughened UN sanctions, was fuelled Saturday by recent satellite imagery of the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in the northeast of the country.

Analysts at the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University said the presence of vehicles at the complex's test command centre signalled the possibility of a test "in the near future".

The party congress is widely seen as Kim's formal "coronation" and recognition of his status as the legitimate inheritor of the Kim family's dynastic rule which spans almost seven decades. – Simon Martin, AFP/Rappler.com

FORT MCMURRAY, Canada – A ferocious wildfire wreaking havoc in Canada was expected to double in size on Saturday, May 7, officials warned, cautioning that the situation in the parched Alberta oil sands region was "unpredictable and dangerous."

"This remains a big, out of control, dangerous fire," Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said of the raging inferno the size of London that forced the evacuation of the city of Fort McMurray.

Winds were pushing the flames east of the epicenter around the oil city late Saturday, as nearly all 25,000 people who were still trapped to the north finally left town, either via airlift or convoys on the roads.

Some 1,570 square kilometers (600 square miles) had been devastated since the blaze began almost a week ago and the fire had grown by an additional 50% in less than 24 hours, Goodale told a televised news conference.

"There is one prediction – that if it continues to grow at the present pace, it could double today," he warned. (READ: Fort McMurray foreign workers may have to leave Canada)

"It looks like the weather in and around Fort McMurray will still be, sadly, very conducive to serious burning conditions."

Alberta's government crisis cell cautioned that fire conditions remained extreme in the province due to low humidity, high temperatures nearing 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) and gusty winds of 40 kilometers (25 miles) in forests and brush dried out from two months of drought.

Still, in a glimmer of positive news, the authorities have recorded no fatalities directly linked to the blaze so far.

Cooler, moist air with some chance of rainfall could help slow the fires in the coming days, Alberta Fire Service director Chad Morrison said.

However, "we need heavy rain," he added. "Showers are not enough."

The only "good news," he said, was that the wind was pushing the fires away from Fort McMurray and oil production sites to the northeast, presenting less threat to people although causing serious damage to the environment.

Shuttling to safety

The government has declared a state of emergency in Alberta, a province the size of France that is home to one of the world's most prodigious oil industries.

In the latest harrowing chapter, police convoys shuttling cars south to safety through Fort McMurray resumed at dawn.

Making their way through thick, black smoke, the cars were filled with people trapped to the north of the city, having sought refuge there earlier in the week.

Police wearing face masks formed convoys of 25 cars, with kilometers (miles) of vehicles, smoke swirling around them, patiently awaiting their turn.

With elevated risk that something could go wrong, the convoys along Highway 63 were reduced in size compared to the previous day.

Those being evacuated – for a second time, after first abandoning their homes – had fled to an area north of the city where oil companies have lodging camps for workers.

But officials concluded they were no longer safe there because of shifting winds that raised the risk of them becoming trapped, and needed to move south to other evacuee staging grounds and eventually to Edmonton, 400 kilometers to the south.

Some 2,400 vehicles have so far been able to make it to safety.

Officials said they expected all those remaining to be evacuated by the end of the day. (READ: Airlift for thousands trapped by Canada wildfires)

Slashed oil output 

But concerns are growing about the effect on the oil industry, the region's economic mainstay, as the fires come dangerously close to extraction sites.

Syncrude, one of several oil companies in the region, announced that it had shut down its facility 50 kilometers north of Fort McMurray due to smoke, followed by Suncor, after the local authorities ordered them to evacuate personnel.

The military dispatched C130 aircraft to help evacuate 4,800 Syncrude employees.

"Obviously this is affecting energy operations in the region," Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said. "We are still taking this very seriously."

Analysts said Suncor, Syncrude and Shell have slashed output by a total of a million barrels a day, amounting to around a quarter of the country's entire production, a loss of tens of millions of dollars a day.

More than 1,100 firefighters are battling 45 separate blazes across the province – 6 of them totally out of control, including 3 in and around Fort McMurray.

Inside the smoke-filled city, police were going door to door to evacuate residents left behind nearly a week into the disaster.

Police said they found a family of 5 late Friday and another person unable to evacuate the city of 100,000 that has been turned into a ghost town. – Michel Comte, AFP/Rappler.com

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Philippines - A Cagayan gubernatorial candidate is facing accusations of vote buying after a raid of the Philippine National Police (PNP) yielded items for vote buying on Friday evening, May 6. 

The Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB) found items including a voters' and recipients' list with signatures and P60,000 cash (in 500 bills) in the house of one Digna Puzon in the town of Pamplona in Cagayan province, PNP-Cagayan spokesperson Police Senior Inspector Ronnie Labbao told Rappler in an interview. 

Police confiscated a sample ballot with the name of United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) gubernatorial bet Cristina Antonio, Agbiag Party List, and the house owner’s son, Jonjon Puzon. 

They also confiscated a brown envelope labelled with the name of the towns of Lasam, Ballesteros, Allacapan and Claveria, all from the Second Legislative District of Cagayan.

Labbao refused to term the incident yet as "vote buying," because they are still conducting an investigation. 

Thirteen people were arrested and are now in their custody. 

He added that around 300 people were seen lining up when police forces searched the area. 

Antonio was quick in denying the accusations, saying she was also "shock" about the incident. 

In a press conference on Saturday, May 7, Antonio said the police did not present a search warrant, and some of them were not in complete police and military uniform. She said she is planning to file a case against them. 

Antonio added that a vehicle with the name Liberal Party (LP) tandem Manuel Roxas II and Leni Robredo was also seen with the police. 

LP-Cagayan gubernatorial candidate Manuel Mamba later uploaded photos of the raid in his official Facebook account.

Mamba said the incident is "deplorable," adding that he will file a disqualification case against Antonio and the Agbiag Party List. 

"Yes, of course, I will file a disqualification case. I am now talking to my lawyers... This is deplorable," Mamba told Rappler in a phone interview. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines - Hours before the national elections, at least 33 civilians, mostly children, evacuated their homes in Brgy. Cautod, Santa Margarita in Samar after being threatened by unidentified armed men for vote-buying.

A resident in the area, who refused to be named due to security reasons, took to Facebook on Monday, May 8 to ask for help from the authorities.

In a phone interview with Rappler, the resident said that at least 5 armed men went to their area at 11 in the morning, looking for certain people. By 1 pm, she claimed that she heard gunshots and people shouting.

While there were members of the army at the place, she said they would leave from time to time.

“Umaalis din kaagad yung mga police, yung mga army na nagbabantay sa amin. Tapos po babalik nanaman po sila,” she said. (The police would leave immediately, even the army looking after us. But they also went back from time to time.)

 By 5pm, she said they saw armed men in the area again.

“Around 5pm umalis na po kami ng mommy ko sa bahay namin kasi po yung mommy ko po may mga tao na mga botante. Siyempre po natatakot kami kasi po daan ng daan sa amin yung mga nakamotor na wala po silang plaka. Tapos po naka-black jacket po sila, meron po silang cap, tapos may shades. May mga nakakita po talaga na may mga baril sila,” she explained.

(Around 5pm, me and my mommy left our house because she has staff who are also voters. Of course we were afraid because the armed men, who were on a motorcycle with no license plate kept on passing by our house. They were wearing black jackets, caps and shades. Others even saw that they have guns)

Accept the money

The resident claims that the armed men were sent by Emil Zosa, who is running for governor in Samar and Gemma Zosa, who is running for mayor in Santa Margarita, Samar. Both are running under the Liberal Party.

According to the resident, the armed men were looking for certain people who allegedly accepted bribes from the Nacionalista Party.

“Kasi po tumanggap po sila, kung baga iboboto po nila yung isang candidate from another party tapos tumanggap po sila yung sa vote buying... Ang gusto po nila [armed men] ibalik po nila yung pera from the other party at tanggapin po nila yung sa Liberal [party] na inooffer po nila na pera,” she explained.

(They accepted the bribe from another party. What the armed men want is for them to return the money from the other party and accept the money the Liberal Party is offering.)

“Sure po ako sa kabila po sila kasi ang tumatakbo po dito sa Samar dalawa lang po, from Nacionalista Party tapos Liberal Party. 'Yung independent po na tumakbo, friend po namin yon at impossible po na siya yung may gawa nun.” (I am sure that they are from the other party because there are only two parties in Samar, the Nacionalista Party and the Liberal Party. The independent candidate is our friend, so I am sure, he's innocent.)

Fearing for their lives, the resident has also message Rappler several times to ask for help.

She and her neighbors are now in the custody of Erdie Delos Santos, who is also running for Mayor under the Nacionalista Party.

By 1am of Monday, May 9, the resident said the armed men are outside the house, firing laser pointers and throwing rocks.

"'Yung van po nila Zosa nandito sa harapan [ng bahay]. Nakikita namin nililaser kami at binabato," the resident said. (Zosa's van is in front of the house. They're firing laser pointers and throwing rocks at us.)

Election hotspots

Rappler talks to Patricia Evangelista and Nicole Curato, the writers of our presidential profile series.

"The Imagined President" series maps the narratives presented by both candidates and their critics in the campaign for 2016.

Find out how the series came to be in this interview. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Is Tweeting considered campaigning?

The campaign period for national and local races closed on Saturday, May 7. But on Sunday, May 8, it seemed there was no stopping some senatorial candidates and their camps, who continued to campaign. 

Senatorial candidate Leila de Lima started trending on Saturday, May 7 – the day of the miting de avance – with 1Pinas For DeLima. The former justice secretary was present at presidential candidate Mar Roxas' miting de avance in Quezon City. 

{source}

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We are for De Lima!<br><br>1Pinas For DeLima <a href="https://t.co/ehKCdPCzUe">pic.twitter.com/ehKCdPCzUe</a></p>&mdash; De Lima Defenders (@DeLima_Defender) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeLima_Defender/status/728934201819467778">May 7, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

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She continued to trend the following day with Senator DeLima.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Senator DeLima trending at #4 in PHL trend as of 1:20 PM <a href="https://t.co/B0vzkaNcvh">pic.twitter.com/B0vzkaNcvh</a></p>&mdash; Bradd Raymondd (@BraddRaymondd) <a href="https://twitter.com/BraddRaymondd/status/729178739318214657">May 8, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

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According to social listening tool Reach that tracked the conversation, the discussion generated over 10,000 posts from 3 pm to 11 pm of May 8, garnering over 8 million impressions. "Impressions" means the number of times people have seen the tweet on their feed.

Here is what the community looks like when mapped or visualized:

The camp of the "justice without fear or favor" candidate also held a Twitter party a day before the elections. A quick look at her timeline indicates De Lima continued to campaign on her social accounts. 

{source}<iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fleiladelimaofficial%2Fposts%2F1788199358077278&width=500" width="500" height="627" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true"></iframe>

<iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fleiladelimaofficial%2Fposts%2F1788426718054542&width=500" width="500" height="639" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true"></iframe>

<iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fleiladelimaofficial%2Fposts%2F1788321891398358&width=500" width="500" height="608" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true"></iframe>

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De Lima was not the only one who tweeted self-promotions.

Senatorial candidate Francis Tolentino encouraged people to vote and then wrote #AlerTolentino and #TulongTino, which are his official campaign hashtags. 

{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="tl" dir="ltr">Kaya bukas, May 9, makiisa tayo sa gawaing ito.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ALERTOlentino?src=hash">#ALERTOlentino</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TulongTino?src=hash">#TulongTino</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Halalan2016?src=hash">#Halalan2016</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VotePH2016?src=hash">#VotePH2016</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PHVote?src=hash">#PHVote</a> <a href="https://t.co/gYIS3Xwp9X">pic.twitter.com/gYIS3Xwp9X</a></p>&mdash; Francis Tolentino (@ALERTolentino) <a href="https://twitter.com/ALERTolentino/status/729253536643481601">May 8, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> {/source}

Teofisto "TG" Guingona III also tweeted a photo of a bus with a "Let's go na, Guingona!" 

{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="tl" dir="ltr">Salamat sa lakbay. :)<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetsGoNaGuingona?src=hash">#LetsGoNaGuingona</a> <a href="https://t.co/qj7e2SjEoQ">pic.twitter.com/qj7e2SjEoQ</a></p>&mdash; Senator TG Guingona (@TgGuingona) <a href="https://twitter.com/TgGuingona/status/729303458663170048">May 8, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}

Meanwhile, senatorial candidates Mark Lapid, Martin Romualdez, Neri Colmenares, Win Gatchalian, and Vic Sotto quoted or retweeted a tweet from their supporters encouraging other people to vote for them. 

{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="tl" dir="ltr">maraming salamat po! <a href="https://t.co/fyuXDDH5cz">https://t.co/fyuXDDH5cz</a></p>&mdash; Mark Lapid (@marklapid2016) <a href="https://twitter.com/marklapid2016/status/729309056796516353">May 8, 2016</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="tl" dir="ltr">Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/Senyora">@Senyora</a>! Kasama na sya sa <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamMalasakit?src=hash">#TeamMalasakit</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/malasakit?src=hash">#malasakit</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/43saSenado?src=hash">#43saSenado</a> <a href="https://t.co/NblhnVgEJi">https://t.co/NblhnVgEJi</a></p>&mdash; Martin Romualdez (@MartinRomualdez) <a href="https://twitter.com/MartinRomualdez/status/729308103540281344">May 8, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Is it acceptable for candidates to campaign on social media even during the election ban? Do you think retweeting is considered campaigning? Tell us what you think by tweeting us at @rapplerdotcom or writing on X.

Have you spotted any election violations? Report to #PHVoteWatch. – Rappler.com

BEIJING, China – More than 400 rescuers were mobilized to search for 41 people missing after a landslide engulfed workers at a construction site in southeastern China early Sunday, May 8, state media reported.

A torrent of mud buried a temporary shed used by workers building a power plant in Taining County in Fujian province, the official Xinhua news agency said.

The earth was dislodged by heavy rain, it added.

Xinhua earlier said 34 were missing, and reported President Xi Jinping had urged "maximum efforts" to find survivors.

Deadly landslides are common in China.

A landslide in the southern commercial hub of Shenzhen in December, caused by the improper storage of waste, killed at least 58 people, with some 25 still unaccounted for. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines holds its 3rd automated elections on Monday, May 9, to cap a tight presidential race led so far by Rodrigo Duterte, the tough-talking Davao City mayor who promises to stop crime in 3 to 6 months.

A day before this, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Andres Bautista said the Philippines is already a model in holding automated polls. In fact, he said, up to 100 international delegates will observe the May 9 elections to learn from the Philippines.

Bautista said the foreign observers come from countries such as Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Timor Leste, Nepal, Turkey, Indonesia, and Thailand.

"What is happening now is that the Philippines is becoming one of the leaders in automated elections. So instead of us learning from them, it's the other way around," Bautista said in a news conference on Sunday, May 8.

He explained that the Philippines is sharing international best practices with its neighbors, "especially those who are looking to transform from manual to automated elections."

The elections chief said, "We want to show to them how elections are being conducted in the Philippines."

While he campaigned against Duterte, President Benigno Aquino III also said, "Let us show the whole world that regardless of our deep emotions and conviction regarding our candidate, we can hold elections that are peaceful, orderly, and truly mirror the spirit of democracy."

Abdul Aziz Ahmad, a former elections commissioner in Indonesia, is one of the foreign observers in the Philippines' May 9 polls.

In an interview with Rappler, Ahmad said he wants to learn how the Philippines conducts automated elections. He said Indonesia is still using a manual system of voting.

He said, "I can tell people that if the Philippines can do automation in elections, why can't Indonesia?" (READ: Guide to the 2016 Philippine elections)

Big challenge: Voting receipts

The Philippines already held automated national elections in 2010, when Filipinos elected Aquino, and in 2013, when they chose a fresh batch of 12 senators. 

There is, however, a major difference this year – which also poses one of the biggest challenges for the Comelec.

For the first time, the poll body is issuing voting receipts as ordered by the Supreme Court (SC).

The voting receipts should display the actual votes fed by more than 50 million voters into around 97,000 vote-counting machines (VCMs) across the Philippines.

Election watchdogs have touted the voting receipts as a mode of transparency.

Still, the Comelec itself had rejected the idea of issuing voting receipts until the SC ordered it to do so, upon the petition of senatorial candidate Richard Gordon and his political party, Bagumbayan.

For one, the Comelec said voting receipts can facilitate vote buying. (READ: #PHVoteWatch: Report vote buying, other election wrongdoing)

The process of printing, verifying, and possibly complaining about voting receipts can also lengthen the queues in polling precincts.

Aside from these, receipts can also be used in making up claims of cheating. 

In fact, photos of alleged voting receipt discrepancies have already flooded social media during the month-long overseas absentee voting period that started on April 9.

Despite this, Bautista said no formal complaints have been filed over voting receipts as of Friday, May 6.

'Magdala ng maraming pasensya'

Referring to the voting receipts, Bautista said on Sunday: "Hindi talaga natin alam kung papa'no nga ito makakaapekto sa proseso ng pagboto, lalong lalo na sa tagal ng isang botante para bumoto."

(We really don't know how this will affect the process of voting, especially the length of time it will take for a voter to vote.)

In any case, he said the Comelec prescribes the following procedure for voters in case of voting receipt discrepancies:

• File an objection with the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI)
• Have the objection noted in the minutes of the BEI 
• Write one's name at the back of the receipt, then sign it
• Leave the receipt in the polling precinct

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Taking home a voting receipt is an election offense, which means violators can go to jail.

It's also prohibited to take photos of voting receipts, Bautista earlier said.

On Sunday, Bautista gave other pieces of advice when trooping to polling precincts.

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First, he said, voters should bring a list of candidates to speed up the voting process.

They should also know their polling precincts beforehand. Because of the summer heat, he advised them to wear summer clothes as well.

He ended by saying, "Magdala ng maraming pasensya." (Bring a lot of patience.) – Rappler.com

GHAZNI, Afghanistan – At least 73 people were killed Sunday, May 8, when two passenger buses and an oil tanker burst into flames in a head-on collision in eastern Afghanistan, health officials said, in one of the worst road accidents in the war-battered nation.

Many of the dead, including women and children, were burned beyond recognition and dozens of others were left badly injured in the accident in Ghazni province, near the Afghan capital, one of the areas worst affected by the Taliban insurgency.

The vehicles were completely gutted and clouds of acrid smoke shrouded the scene of the crash on the Kabul-Kandahar highway, a major roadway linking Afghanistan's two largest cities.

"The death toll has soared to 73," ministry spokesman Ismail Kawoosi told AFP, warning that the toll was expected to rise still further.

"Most of them are completely burned."

Kawoosi gave a sharply higher toll than other officials. Ghazni's Governor Mohammad Aman Hamimi earlier reported 7 fatalities but his own spokesman gave a death toll of 50.

Bloodied, dazed and badly burned, many of the survivors streamed into Ghazni's main provincial hospital, while many others were rushed in ambulances to health facilities in southern Kandahar city.

The Kabul-Kandahar highway passes through militancy prone areas and many bus drivers are known to drive recklessly at top speeds so as not to get caught in insurgent activity.

"Our driver was at fault – he was driving too rashly," said Esmatullah, one of the few lucky passengers who survived Sunday's crash with minor injuries.

"Most bus drivers on the highways are known to smoke hashish, opium and other drugs. They are completely out of control."

Afghanistan has some of the world's most dangerous roads, often in dilapidated condition and traffic rules are seldom enforced.

Many in the country rely on old and rickety passenger vehicles, meaning that high casualty road traffic accidents are common.

At least 18 people were killed in May last year when a minivan overturned in the western province of Badghis.

And in April 2013 a bus hit a wrecked fuel tanker in the southern province of Kandahar, killing 45 people.

The World Bank in November signed off a $250 million grant to upgrade roads crossing Afghanistan's Hindu Kush mountains, crucial trade links that are often closed in winter by snow.

Insecurity is growing around Afghanistan as the Taliban press on with their 15-year insurgency against the Western-backed Kabul government.

The Islamists, who have been waging an insurgency since being toppled from power in 2001, announced the start of their spring offensive on April 12, dubbed "Operation Omari" in honor of founding leader Mullah Omar, vowing large-scale attacks across Afghanistan. – Zakeria Hashimi, AFP / Rappler.com

Watch Rappler's rolling coverage of the 2016 Philippine elections happening on Monday, May 9. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – A father of 6 died while his cousin was hurt in an ambush in the town of Maitum in Sarangani province on the eve of the May 9 elections.

Unidentified motorcycle-riding armed men shot 39-year-old Carinio Malayaw in the head with a caliber .45 pistol past 12 noon on Sunday, May 8, Maitum police chief Senior Inspector Jaime Chavez told Rappler in a phone interview early Monday morning, May 9.

Malayaw, a resident of Barangay Tuanadatu, was a campaign coordinator of mayoral bet Elsie Perrett and presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte in the town, according to Alena Gale Palileo Yabes, a lawyer of the Duterte camp in Sarangani.

Malayaw was declared dead on arrival at Maitum Emergency Hospital, Chavez said. Malayaw’s wife and cousin, who were riding with him on a motorcycle, survived the attack, although his cousin was wounded.

Malayaw and his companions had just left Perrett's compound in Barangay Kalaneg when the attack happened, Yabes said.

Perrett's husband, the late Maitum Mayor George McPerson Perrett, was killed in an ambush on February 28, 2014. He was “the fourth incumbent or former mayor of the town to have been killed since 1990,” Inquirer previously reported. 

Chavez said it's not clear if the killing of Malayaw was election-related or due to a "personal angle." 

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – On Monday, May 9, over 54 million Filipinos were set to cast their votes. Not everyone may be able to do so for various reasons.

Early voters encountered problems involving the vote counting machines (VCMs) – from VCMs that are not working to those that reject ballots.

Below are some of the technical problems, vote buying, vote selling, campaign offenses, and other election-related incidents reported through Rappler's #PHVoteWatch Map.

Voting process lapses

MovePH has been receiving reports from its Movers on the ground regarding poll clerks and members of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) who are not following the proper voting process.

A Mover from Tacloban City reported that the BEI assisting her did not fold her voter's receipt, hence was able to see her vote.

This violates guidelines set by the Commission of Elections (Comelec). This also breaks voter privacy.

In a precinct in Brgy Culiat, Quezon City, Rappler David Lozada reported that poll staff forgot to apply indelible ink on his finger after voting.

"I had to remind them," Lozada said, sharing his worries on flying voters. 

The campaign period for both local and national candidates officially ended on Saturday, May 7. However, some campaign teams are still seen giving away materials on election day itself. (READ: List of bans for 2016 elections)

A Mover observed that sample ballots and campaign materials of local councilors were still being distributed near precincts in Angeles City, Pampanga.

The distributors caught in the act were children.

Senior citizens, PWDs

In Pantukan, Compostela Valley, a Mover observed that senior citizens had to wait in line alongside other voters.

According to the Comelec, precincts should have an express lane for the exclusive use of persons with disabilities (PWDs), senior citizens, and heavily pregnant women. (WATCH: How to vote on May 9?)

Precincts should also be "accesible and inclusive." They should be near the entrace of the building and free of physical barriers. 

VCM woes

In Brgy. Tabigue in Abuyog, Leyte, voting did not start on time as the Vote Counting Machine (VCM) is not working. (READ: Leni Robredo voting delayed as VCM malfunctions)

In Angeles City, Pampanga, a precinct will proceed with manual voting after a VCM failed to function 20 minutes after the opening of the polls, according to the precinct's BEI chairman Melie Ann Dizon.

The VCM was reported to reject its 7th ballot.

Dizon decided to proceed with manual voting at 7 am in Jose P. Dizon Elementary school, Brgy. Pandan.

Some voters have already left in dismay, fearing that the whole process might take longer than usual. Some also worry that their votes are no longer safe.

According to the VCM technician, the malfunction might have been caused by "excess ink" in the ballots

"The ballots were marked too hard," the technician explained.

As of 10:36 am, a new VCM has arrived to replaced the broken one. Another VCM, however, broke down in the same school at the very same hour.

Meanwhile in San Jose Central School in Tacloban City, a resident reported to poll watchdog LENTE that some voting receipts were not printed because the precinct ran out of thermal paper. 

When refilled, however, the VCM was still unable to print receipts.

In Brgy. Tabigue in Abuyog, Leyte, people are getting tired of waiting in line as they are still unable to vote as of 9 am, 3 hours since the opening of polls.

The delay is due to a non-functional VCM.

Entering the 3rd hour of voting, another VCM broke down in Plaridel,  Baybay City in Letye. 

The same story goes for Central Elementary School in Nabunturan, Compostela Valley. The precinct's VCM was succesfully printing receipts starting 7 am. However, it stopped working after the 37th receipt.

As of 11 am, the VCM has been fixed.

Meanwhile in Davao City, one voter in Clustered Precinct No. 53 reported that his receipt reflected zero votes.

If a voter's receipt does not match votes casted on one's ballot, she or he should report it to the BEI, who will then note this down in the Minutes.

The voter will be asked to sign the receipt and take an oath. If the voter's claims are proven false, he could be charged with an election offense. (READ: Jail time for 'frivolous' complaints)

In case of VCM problems, BEIs should seek the help of VCM technicians.

For every 5 VCMs, there should be one VCM technician assigned. And for every municipality, there should be a VCM technical coordinator in charge of all technicians, according to the Comelec.

If the technical problem cannot be handled by the VCM technicians and coordinators, the National Technical Support Center should intervene.

Brownouts

Netizens have reported power outages in several areas of Davao City.

Writer Richard Mamuyac tweets, "Back-up generator worked but slowed down the voting process." (READ: How to prevent cheating in automated elections?)

Vote buying

In Jiabong, Western Samar, vote buying is reported to have started one hour past the opening of polls.

Witnesses reported cases of vote buying, tagging both mayoral candidates, who are allegedly engaged in a bidding war.

"Nagpapalakihan ng bigay. Initially, it was at P2,000, but the other party gave P2,200," a source said. (READ: Forms of vote buying)

Samar Mover, Derek Alviola, observed the circulation of cash marked with tiny holes.

"These are holes from staple wires. This is new money," Alviola said. "This is an indication that vote buying is rampant."

Alviola observed the flow of crisp and holed P20, P50, and P100 bills among karinderya, sari-sari stores, and tricycle drivers.

In Legazpi City, cash stapled to campaign materials are reported to be flowing.

@MovePH Vote buying is already visible here in Legazpi City It breaks my hear Gordon? #PHVoteWatch
in the bathroom pic.twitter.com/8sxlc2XbPi

— Keren Anne Bernadas (@keannebernadas) May 8, 2016

Incidents of vote buying were also reported in Baybay City, Leyte.

Money is being distributed house-to-house by "community leaders" hired by candidates belonging to the Liberal Party.

In Lapu-lapu City, Cebu, a mayoral candidate is reported to be distributing P100 bills, according to a Mover.

Some recipients were complaing about the payment since they were promised to receive P200.

In Consolacion, P500 bills clipped on sample ballots were reported to be given away on the eve of election day.

Ruined tarps, local violence

A mayoral bet in San Roque, Northern Samar was allegedly harassed by a barangay chairman on Saturday, May 7, two days away from election day.

Mary Jane Salomon, an independent candidate, claimed that barangay chairman Freddie Jarito humiliated her in public, destroyed her tarpaulin, and threatened her.

The incident, according to Solomon, happened while she was hanging her campaign tarpaulins in a market.

"He held my hand, grabbed me from the area [to the barangay hall]. When we were inside the barangay hall, he pointed a gun at me," Solomon told Rappler.

Inspector Marlon Tosto, officer-in-charge of the Philippine National Police in San Roque, confirmed with Rappler that Jarito destroyed Solomon's campaign tarpaulin.

Tosto, however, said that the police officer who attended to the incident did not find a gun in Jarito's possession. "Those were Solomon's claims," Tosto told Rappler.

Meanwhile in Cebu, Dumanjug councilor, Ely Amadora, told the police that he was shot by alleged goons of Vice Mayor Efren Guntrano "Gungun" Gica, who is running for mayor under Liberal Party. 

Amadora, who is seeking re-election under One Cebu, was unhurt.

Gica, however, denied allegations, pointing fingers at reelectionist Mayor Nelson Garcia of One Cebu.

#PHVoteWatch reports are currently being verified by the Rappler research team, Movers, and partner poll watchdogs on the ground.

Refresh this page for updates. – With reports from Ryan Macasero, Jene-Anne Pangue, Noa Carrascoso, Leera Valderama, Saim Iluis, Wenri De Guzman, Derek Alviola, Aika Rey/Rappler.com

Tell us what is happening in your area. Be part of the #PHVoteWatch effort! Learn more about it here. To volunteer for the #PHVoteWatch, email move.ph@rappler.com.

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Filipinos trooped to the polls at 6 am on Monday, May 9 led no less by some of the national candidates who were some of the first to cast their votes.

Vice President Jejomar Binay was the first to vote among the 5 presidential bets. He was at a Makati school before 6 am with his family. (WATCH: Live coverage: #PHVote 2016 Philippine elections)

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">VP Binay casting his vote at the San Antonio National HS <a href="https://twitter.com/rapplerdotcom">@rapplerdotcom</a> <a href="https://t.co/DEpNw97944">pic.twitter.com/DEpNw97944</a></p>&mdash; Mara Cepeda (@maracepeda) <a href="https://twitter.com/maracepeda/status/729437197024174081">May 8, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Vice presidential bets Ferdinand Marcos Jr and Francis Escudero also cast their votes shortly past 6 am in their precincts in Batac, Ilocos Norte, and Sorsogon, respectively.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Senator Francis Escudero and wife Heart Evangelista now lined up to vote here at Buhatan Elementary School <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PHVote?src=hash">#PHVote</a> <a href="https://t.co/LCCBCsP4SB">pic.twitter.com/LCCBCsP4SB</a></p>&mdash; Jee Y. Geronimo (@jeegeronimo) <a href="https://twitter.com/jeegeronimo/status/729434234385932288">May 8, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Escudero was accompanied by his wife actress Heart Evangelista, while Marcos went to the precinct with aides.

The husband of presidential candidate Grace Poe, Neil Llamanzares, and her mother Susan Roces also voted early in San Juan. Poe is scheduled to vote at 9 am, while rival Rodrigo Duterte is set to vote in Davao at 2:00 pm yet. Mar Roxas, who arrived in Roxas City early Monday, is also set to vote in the morning.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Poe&#39;s husband Neil and son Brian Llamanzares next in line to vote here at Cluster 55 <a href="https://twitter.com/rapplerdotcom">@rapplerdotcom</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PHVote?src=hash">#PHVote</a> <a href="https://t.co/cLrz8nO1a6">pic.twitter.com/cLrz8nO1a6</a></p>&mdash; Camille Elemia (@CamilleElemia) <a href="https://twitter.com/CamilleElemia/status/729433806545948672">May 8, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Shortly before 7 am, presidential candidate Miriam Defensor-Santiago voted in La Vista Subdivision, Quezon City, while vice presidential bet Alan Peter Cayetano cast his vote in Taguig.

Binay's running mate, Senator Gregorio Honasan, also cast his vote in Marikina.

Over 54 million Filipinos are registered for this year’s presidential elections. At least 44,000 national and local candidates are vying for various posts.

The Philippines has 92,509 clustered precincts nationwide. (READ: Guide to 2016 Philippine elections)

Killings, harassment

Sporadic incidents of violence in some areas were reported early Monday.

On Sunday, May 8, the Philippine National Police reported 15 dead in confirmed election-related violence this year although many others have been killed or hurt in incidents that are merely suspected of being linked to politics.

On early Monday, however at least 7 people were killed in Rosario town, Cavite.

Hours before the elections, at least 33 civilians, mostly children, also evacuated their homes in Barangay Cautod, Santa Margarita in Samar after being threatened by unidentified armed men for vote-buying.

In Salvador town, Lanao del Norte, a school building in the village of Mamaanon was damaged by an hour-long fire on Monday morning, May 9, according to a GMA News Online report. Before the fire broke out, witnesses heard a series of gun shots and explosions, the report said, quoting the school principal. 

In Cebu on Sunday night, May 8, a councilor of Dumanjug in Cebu, Ely Amadora, told the police that he was shot by alleged goons of Vice Mayor Efren Guntrano "Gungun" Gica, who is running for mayor under Liberal Party. Amadora, who is seeking re-election under One Cebu, was unhurt. But Gica denied allegations, saying it was actually reelectionist Mayor Nelson Garcia of One Cebu who shot him.

In Makati, Binay himself complained to the school principal of San Antonio National High School that he saw 3 watchers inside the precinct wearing green shirts, the campaign color of Romulo "Kid" Peña, rival of Binay's daughter Abigail for the mayoral race in Makati.  – with reports from Mara Cepeda, Ryan Macasero/Rappler.com

PYONGYANG, North Korea – North Korea's first ruling party congress for nearly 40 years formally adopted leader Kim Jong-Un's policy of developing the country's nuclear arsenal in tandem with the economy, state media said Monday.

The congress, which opened on Friday, has largely been seen as an elaborate coronation for the 33-year-old Kim, securing his status as supreme leader and confirming his legacy "byungjin" doctrine of twin economic and nuclear development.

On Sunday, the thousands of delegates to what is technically North Korea's top decision-making body, adopted a decision to simultaneously push forward economic construction and "boost self-defensive nuclear force both in quality and quantity."

It also enshrined a policy of not using nuclear weapons unless its sovereignty is threatened by another nuclear power, and of working towards the eventual reunification of the divided Korean peninsula.

"But if the south Korean authorities opt for a war... we will turn out in the just war to mercilessly wipe out the anti-reunification forces," said the document published by the North's official KCNA news agency.

Reiterating the North's long-held argument that its push for a nuclear deterrent was forced on it by US hostility, the congress said the nuclear weapons programme would move forward "as long as the imperialists persist in their nuclear threat."

Kim was not even born when the last congress was held in 1980 to crown his father, Kim Jong-Il, as the heir apparent to founding leader Kim Il-Sung.

When his own turn came, following the death of Kim Jong-Il in December 2011, the new young leader quickly set about cementing his power base and securing his legitimacy as the inheritor of Kim family's ruling dynasty.

One of his earliest moves was to adjust his father's "songun", or military first policy, to the "byungjin" policy of economic-nuclear development.

The nuclear half of that strategy had dominated the run-up to the party congress, starting with a fourth nuclear test in January that was followed by a long-range rocket launch and a flurry of other missile and weapons tests.

Some observers had predicted that the congress might switch the focus to the economic side of the equation, and Kim did unveil a five-year economic plan, although with few details.

But in a speech on Sunday, Kim urged all the delegates to press ahead with the byungjin policy.

"This strategic line is the most revolutionary and scientific one reflecting the lawful requirements of building a thriving socialist nation and the specific conditions of our country," he said. – Rappler.com

ATHENS, Greece – Greek lawmakers late Sunday, May 8 adopted a controversial package of pension cuts and tax hikes despite mass public opposition, bowing to creditor demands in a bid to unlock the next tranche of badly-needed bailout funds.

The unpopular reforms, which saw tens of thousands take to the streets in protest, passed thanks to the Syriza-led government's slim majority in the 300-seat parliament, with the 153 MPs of the far-left Syriza and the Independent Greeks coalition voting in favour of the measures.

As expected all the opposition parties voted against the bill, which will reduce Greece's highest pension payouts, merge several pension funds, increase contributions and raise taxes for those on medium and high incomes.

They are the latest reforms demanded by the European Union and International Monetary Fund in exchange for fresh funds from Greece's 86-billion-euro ($95-billion) bailout agreed in July, the third for the debt-laden country since 2010.

The parliamentary vote came just hours before an emergency meeting of eurozone finance ministers in Brussels, who are racing to finalise a long-stalled first review of Greece's reform efforts so Athens can repay the European Central Bank billions of euros in July – and stave off another eurozone crisis.

In the run-up to the parliamentary debate, angry unions staged a general strike that paralysed the country's public transport for a third straight day Sunday, while some 26,000 people took to the streets of Athens and Greece's second city Thessaloniki in protest at the pensions and tax overhaul.

Brief clashes erupted outside the parliament in Athens ahead of the vote, with youths throwing Molotov cocktails and flares at riot police who responded with volleys of tear gas, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reporters saw.

Root-and-branch reform

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who has said reform is needed to prevent the pension system collapsing in a few years, defended the changes in parliamentearlier Sunday, which are part of the government's pledge to achieve 5.4 billion euros in spending cuts by 2018.

"The system requires root-and-branch reform that previous governments have not dared to undertake," he told lawmakers.

He also highlighted the fact that ministers from the 19 eurozone countries meeting on Monday will for the first time look at easing Greece's crippling debt burden, one of the only concessions granted to Tsipras when he secured the bailout.

"Tomorrow is a very important day. After six years (of crisis), the Eurogroup will meet to discuss debt relief," he told lawmakers.

In its official agenda for Monday, the Eurogroup said it would review the "progress achieved" by Greece as well as discussing "possible debt relief measures".

Tensions have flared in Greece over the fresh austerity demands, with police saying some 18,000 protesters turned out in Athens Sunday and another 8,000 gathered in Thessaloniki, many of them supporters of the communist-leaning PAME trade union.

Numbers were, however, significantly down on February protests when 40,000 people marched in Athens alone.

"People are tired and disappointed by the leftist government in power... the rallies have not had the scale we had expected," said Maria, a private sector employee in her fifties who claims to be owed 30,000 euros ($34,000) in back pay from her employer.

Ahead of the Brussels meeting, differences between the creditors themselves have emerged over extra reforms demanded by the IMF that could amount to another 3.6 billion euros of cuts by Greece.

IMF chief Christine Lagarde has warned that there were "significant gaps" in Greece's reform offers, while European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker said Athens had "basically achieved" the objective of the measures required by creditors.

Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos has called on the eurozone to back the reforms, warning of a "failed state" if the Brussels talks run aground.– Hélène Colliopoulou, AFP/Rappler.com