MANILA, Philippines – Despite their short stay in the Philippines, some family members of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders had a chance to pursue an advocacy and explore beyond the Philippine capital.

While Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was busy with activities related to the APEC summit, his wife, Akie Abe, took the time to visit Japanese non-governmental organization (NGO) Salt Payatas Foundation Philippines in Quezon City on Wednesday, November 18.

"The Japanese First Lady went to Payatas to visit her project," former Cultural Center of the Philippines president Nestor Jardin, who heads APEC's creative team, told reporters on Thursday, November 19.

The NGO's livelihood project, Likha Shop, helps residents living in the Payatas dumpsite.

Jardin also shared that the daughters of Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto  traveled south to Tagaytay, a popular getaway city in Luzon, while their father was busy attending to his official duties in Manila.

Jardin said Paulina and Nicole went to Taal Vista Hotel with a plan "to savor Filipino delicacies." Here's what they ordered at one of the restaurants there, Tāza: 

• Fresh mushroom soup (a trio of Tagaytay mushrooms: oyster, shiitake, and button)
• Margherita pizza (fresh local tomatoes, Laguna kesong puti, pato quezo de bola, Laguna mozzarella, and homemade ricotta)
• Grilled vegetable pizza (eggplant, zucchini, roasted peppers, Laguna mozarella cheese, parmesan cheese, truffle oil and balsamic glace)

Presidential sister Kris Aquino confirmed the Tagaytay trip. She knows because she had been texting with Paulina.

"I asked, 'How are you doing now?' She said this morning, they're getting ready to leave, but she kept saying thank you so much for taking care of them and they enjoyed the Philippines so much even if they were just here for two short nights," Aquino said.

Among the foreign delegates, the youngest Aquino is especially close to the Mexican president, who even requested her presence during his state visit to the Philippines, timed with the APEC summit.

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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="5" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://instagram.com/p/-L8s4oyEuk/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">W/ @paupepre (Paulina Peña Pretelini, the beautiful daughter of President Enrique Peña Nieto) </a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by Kris Aquino (@withlovekrisaquino) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2015-11-17T12:55:31+00:00">Nov 17, 2015 at 4:55am PST</time></p></div></blockquote>
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Aquino and her older sisters on Thursday organized a tour around Intramuros for the spouses of APEC leaders. (READ: IN PHOTOS: Kris Aquino hosts lunch for APEC leaders' spouses)

Some APEC leaders left Manila after the summit ended on Thursday, with more to follow on Friday, November 20. (READ: Xi, other APEC leaders leave Manila) –Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – There’s no stopping the two Asian allies from consolidating their forces, as President Benigno Aquino III and Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe both reaffirmed their strategic partnership.

In a bilateral meeting during the last day of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit on Thursday, November 19, Aquino thanked Japan for its unrelenting support to the Philippines.

Aquino vowed the country would stick to the “deep” alliance between the two nations.

Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said they are open to Aquino's request to provide large patrol vessels to the Philippine Coast Guard, the main agency tasked to secure the almost 40,000-km coastline of the country.

“There was a request from President Aquino regarding the provision of large patrol vessels to Philippine Coast Guard, and Japan would like to consider the specifics of the matter,” Abe added.

The two nations signed a Declaration for a Strengthened Strategic Partnership and its Action Plan in June, which was strongly condemned by China.

Both countries are among the claimants of some parts of the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), which China insisted is entirely theirs.

“During our meeting, the Prime Minister and I reaffirmed the deepening of the Strategic Partnership. In fact, we have taken a significant step forward in enhancing our defense and security relations,” Aquino said, referring to the agreement allowing transfer of military assets from Japan to the Philippines.

Both are pushing for the “early signing” of this measure, a move seen to beef up defense forces of the Philippines amid the sea row with China.

Japanese Deputy Press Secretary Koichi Mizushima said in a press conference that “a legal arrangement” is necessary before they share technologies with other countries. 

“With the understanding that the progress of Japan, the Philippines, and all other nations in the region are founded on peace and stability, we likewise took the opportunity to discuss the security challenges that confront both our nations, and pledged to cooperate in advancing our shared advocacy for members of the international community to act responsibly,” Aquino said.

While Aquino made no mention of the South China Sea, Abe directly declared Japan’s strong opposition to China’s actions. 

“President [Aquino] and I had a candid exchange on regional peace and stability. We share deep concerns over unilateral actions to change the status quo such as large-scale land reclamation and building of outposts in the South China Sea,” Abe said. – Rappler.com

PARIS, France – The Islamic State jihadist suspected of masterminding the Paris attacks was killed during a major police raid, prosecutors confirmed Thursday, November 19, as French lawmakers voted to extend a state of emergency imposed after the carnage.

Abdelhamid Abaaoud was killed in Wednesday's assault by elite police units on an apartment in northern Paris, which left at least two people dead.

Handprint analysis was used to identify the Belgian's body, which was found among the rubble of the shattered building after officers rained fire and grenades on the jihadists in a seven-hour siege.

"Abdelhamid Abaaoud has just been formally identified... as having been killed during the raid" the Paris prosecutor's office said in a statement.

Prime Minister Manuel Valls said he welcomed the death of "one of the masterminds" of the attacks.

Prosecutor Francois Molins said Wednesday that the raid in Saint-Denis had stopped a "new team of terrorists" who were ready to launch another attack in a city still mourning 129 dead. 

At least two bodies were found after the ferocious shootout, including what is thought to be a woman who detonated an explosives vest.

Valls warned of the dangers still faced by France as lawmakers voted on extending an extraordinary package of security measures for three months.

"We must not rule anything out. There is also the risk from chemical or biological weapons," Valls said.

He called on France's European Union partners to urgently adopt measures to share airline passenger information. 

The decision by lawmakers Thursday means the state of emergency will be in place for three months from November 26.

The measures include allowing police to carry weapons when they are off duty and use them in the event of an attack -- providing they wear a police armband to avoid "any confusion", according to a directive seen by AFP.

French MPs also voted to allow the government to block websites and social media under the  state of emergency.

Raids in Belgium

At least 129 people were killed in the shootings and suicide bombings that targeted a concert hall, bars and restaurants and the Stade de France national stadium, Europe's second deadliest terror attack in history after the 2004 Madrid bombings. 

As the Paris probe widened to countries across Europe, Belgian police staged six raids in the Brussels area linked to a suicide bomber who blew himself up outside the French stadium, prosecutors said.

Italy was also hunting five suspects after an FBI tip-off about possible jihadist attacks on landmark sites including St Peter's cathedral in the Vatican, the foreign minister said.

Eight suspects were arrested in the massive Saint-Denis raid which killed Abaaoud, but another key suspect, Salah Abdeslam, remains unaccounted for. 

Abdeslam is thought to be one of the only surviving members of the Paris attacks gang. His suicide-bomber brother Brahim Abdeslam blew himself up in a cafe but did not kill anyone else.

As international efforts to fight the Islamic State group stepped up, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Russia was "sincere" in wanting to cooperate against IS, despite deep divisions on whether Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should stay in power.

"There is an opening, so to speak, with the Russians. We think they are sincere and we must bring together all our forces," he told France Inter radio.

US warning

US intelligence meanwhile published a report showing it warned in May that IS was capable of carrying out the kind of large-scale coordinated attacks seen in Paris. 

The assessment from the Office of Intelligence and Analysis, in coordination with the FBI, specifically refers to Abaaoud as a ringleader of Belgian plotters and warned Europe was more at risk of attack than the United States. 

Abaaoud was previously thought to be in Syria after fleeing raids in his native Belgium earlier this year.

IS released a new video threatening New York, and specifically Times Square, although police said there was no "current and specific" threat.

Hours after President Francois Hollande had urged the nation not to resort to anti-Muslim or anti-Semitic reprisals in the wake of the attacks, a Jewish teacher was stabbed and wounded in Marseille by three people shouting anti-Semitic obscenities and expressing support for IS.

France is coming to terms with being attacked for a second time in less than year. In January, jihadist gunmen killed 17 people at Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine, on the streets and in a Jewish supermarket.

Citing security fears, the government has cancelled two mass rallies scheduled for November 29 and December 12 -- the days before and after a key UN climate summit to be held outside Paris. – Rappler.com

MOSCOW, Russia – Russia's chief of general staff Valery Gerasimov held talks Thursday, November 19, with French counterpart Pierre de Villiers on combating the Islamic State group in Syria, in the first such contact since the start of the Ukraine conflict last year.

Gerasimov and Villiers "discussed on the phone the coordination of military troops' actions against IS terrorists in Syria," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement, adding that the conversation lasted an hour. – Rappler.com

MOSCOW, Russia – The instant messaging app Telegram, created by Russian Internet guru Pavel Durov, says it has blocked dozens of accounts associated with the jihadist Islamic State group.

The move came as pressure builds on new instant messaging services like Telegram as they balance their obligations to users against security concerns following the deadly attacks in Paris and the recent downing of a Russian plane in Egypt.

Telegram, a free app which was launched in 2013, says it "provides a secure means of communications everywhere on the planet" and blasts Internet giants Facebook and Google on its website for giving private data to third parties.

It offers an encrypted chat service with self-destructing messages and has recently launched a way to create public channels to broadcast to unlimited audiences. 

According to the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), the technology is fast becoming popular among jihadi groups, with IS and Al-Qaeda groups creating several channels.

"We were disturbed to learn that Telegram's public channels were being used by ISIS to spread their propaganda," the service said on its own Twitter account late Wednesday.

"As a result, this week alone we blocked 78 ISIS-related channels across 12 languages," it added.

Telegram said it identifies offensive public content by reviewing user reports. 

"We were able to identify and block these public ISIS channels thanks to your reports," it said.

Telegram's Durov specified that the "only publicly available channels could be reported and blocked" and denied that he can intercept conversations. 

'Privacy more important'

Encryption of communications surged after fugitive ex-NSA employee Edward Snowden revealed in 2013 the massive data harvesting done by US agencies.

Telegram quickly amassed a following. While the precise number of users is unknown, in August the company said it is used to send 10 billion messages every day.

In the aftermath of the attacks however it could become harder for Telegram to defend its policy, as governments are likely to push for restrictions on the technology so it can better carry out surveillance of extremist groups.

Britain earlier this month published draft legislation that would give security officials access to Internet communication records of suspects.

CIA Director John Brennan complained Monday that some technologies -- without specifically mentioning encryption -- "make it exceptionally difficult, both technically as well as legally, for intelligence and security services to have the insight they need to uncover" terror plots.

Telegram has been targeted in Iran, and there are calls to ban it in Russia. 

Durov previously admitted that IS jihadists use his network but stood by his policy to keep conversations private. 

"I think that privacy, and our right for privacy, is more important than our fear of bad things happening, like terrorism," he said at a conference organised by TechCrunch in late September.

"Ultimately, ISIS will always find a way to communicate among themselves," Durov said when asked how he sleeps at night knowing IS uses his product.

Durov, the enfant terrible of Russia's Internet industry together with his brother Nikolai, developed the popular Vkontakte social networking site, a Russian version of Facebook.

He made waves in 2014 when he disclosed Russia's FSB security service had demanded he turn over personal data of Ukrainian protest groups that had toppled a pro-Moscow leader. He said that to obey would have been a betrayal of the trust of users.

But he ultimately lost control of VKontakte and left the country two years ago to focus on Telegram, based in Berlin.

More recently he appeared to also thumb his nose at US intelligence, writing on Facebook that "the (National Security Agency) tried to secretly recruit some of Telegram developers" and deriding "such invasive activities".

Earlier this week he wrote on Facebook that he mourned the Paris attacks that took place "in the most beautiful city in the world", but also criticised the French government.

"I think the French government is as responsible as ISIS for this, because it is their policies and carelessness which eventually led to the tragedy.

"They take money away from hardworking people of France with outrageously high taxes and spend them on waging useless wars in the Middle East and on creating parasitic social paradise for North African immigrants." – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine police played Katy Perry pop songs to disperse protesters at an Asia-Pacific leaders' summit on Thursday, November 19 enraging some demonstrators but amusing others.

Hundreds of left-wing protesters rallied outside a venue where US President Barack Obama and other leaders of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) group were meeting. (READ: Thousands hold protest in Manila as APEC leaders meet)

The rally edged towards violence when protesters tried to break through lines of police, who were carrying riot shields and wooden batons, to reach the summit venue. (READ: Philippines deploys over 10,000 cops for APEC rallies)

Police responded by firing water cannons and scuffled with protesters who were chanting: "Junk APEC."

Then police pulled out their secret weapon: pop princess Katy Perry on giant loudspeakers.

Perry's hit song "Roar" was played at full volume, the top of a demonstration disco playlist aimed at distracting the protesters and drowning out their chants.

Dolly Parton's "Islands in the stream," David Guetta's "Sexy B-tch," and the Bee Gee's "How deep is your love" were among the other songs played against the protesters.

To add a street bass beat, some of the police tapped their batons against their shields in time with the music.

"It's ridiculous," leftist member of parliament Carlos Isagani Zarate told Agence France-Presse (AFP), as the protesters retreated to soul classic "My Girl."

Many other protesters also expressed anger at authorities trying to suppress their message of opposition to globalisation and free-trade policies championed by APEC.

"We just want to make our voices heard," 64-year-old mango farmer Candelario Rusasena told AFP.

But others could not hide their amusement.

"That was a rude and desperate move," 54-year-old rice farmer Redo Pena told AFP as he broke into a toothless grin.

A nation of singers

Metro Manila police spokeswoman chief inspector Kimberly Gonzales told AFP the music was aimed at de-escalating tensions.

"Filipinos in general love music and it has a calming effect for everyone. This goes well with our maximum tolerance policy during protests," Gonzales said.

The Philippines has a famous music culture, with karaoke one of the most popular forms of entertainment across all sectors of society.

It is not uncommon for tourists to encounter taxi drivers, supermarket cashiers, and airport security staff spontaneously breaking out into song.

Filipino musicians are also a staple of hotel and cruise ship bands around the world.

And prisoners at the main jail in Cebu, the Philippines' biggest city, have become an Internet sensation by posting videos on Youtube of them dancing to Michael Jackson's "Thriller." (WATCH: Cebu inmates dance number for Pope Francis)

Police spokeswoman Gonzales said using music at protests was not an unusual tactic, and there was no intent to trivialise Thursday's rally.

"We understand the seriousness of the issues. We don't mean to insult people," she said.

The protests occurred as Philippine President Benigno Aquino was welcoming Obama, Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders for the summit's second and final day.

The protesters said they opposed APEC's free-trade agenda because it favoured big corporations and neglected the poor.

"Aquino should protect his people, globalisation has caused the prices of our goods to go down. We barely break even," 47-year-old rice farmer Nida Floresca told AFP.

"We don't even have irrigation to water our crops. Aquino should think of us first."

Floresca came with several neighbours from their farming town in La Union around 300 kilometres (180 miles) north of Manila. They marched in sandals and straw hats.

One police officer estimated the crowd of protesters at about 2,000, although there were no official numbers given.

More than 20,000 police and soldiers were deployed this week to ensure security during the APEC summit.

Philippine authorities said they had already been planning the nation's biggest ever security operation for the meeting, which was ratcheted up even higher after last week's deadly terrorist attacks in Paris. – Rappler.com

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Mayor Rodrigo Duterte declared Thursday night, November 19, “the option [for him] to run as president is already open.”

In a press conference after he attended the city-wide youth congress in the afternoon, Duterte – who has been giving mixed signals about his plans for 2016 – said he is terribly disgusted and disappointed by recent developments in the country.

“First, let us just say, I am terribly disappointed. Second, I cannot accept Grace Poe as a legitimate candidate for president because I agree with the justices of the SC (Supreme Court) that this is a legal issue and not a political issue. Third, the option for me to run for president is already open," he stressed.

When pressed by reporters to clarify what he meant, Duterte reiterated, "The option is already open to me because I am terribly disappointed."

He added, he cannot accept Poe as his president. "This is not about politics. But this is a constitutional issue, a legal issue, I cannot accept an American president." On November 17, the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) voted 5-4 denying the petition to disqualify Poe from the 2013 senatorial elections. It was filed on the premise she is not a natural-born Filipino.

The decision is expected to have a bearing on some of the cases filed separately against her seeking her disqualification from the 2016 presidential race. It lifts one of the major obstacles to her presidential candidacy.

Poe was the front runner in the September 2015 survey of Pulse Asia, obtaining a rating of 26%. Another survey conducted by Laylo Research Strategies from September 21 to October 1, showed that in a 3-way presidential race without Duterte, Poe would win with 47% of respondents saying they would vote for her. That survey was done before Duterte announced on October 12 he was not running.

A month later, a visibly irritated Duterte faced the media and said, “Stop fucking the Filipino people. Even people who are at the airport are victimized by laglag-bala (planted bullets), the drugs problem. And the government does not have a concrete program for these. They are in power, they are receiving salaries, and yet they are not doing what is necessary for governance. As I said, stop fucking the Filipino people.”

Listening tour

The airport incidents, according to Duterte, indicate how government works, while the tax exemptions and other pronouncements by the administration are cosmetic solutions to a serious problem besetting the country.

"The drugs problem, the criminalities, the corruption – if they cannot stop it and if nobody fixes the government, I will do it for free for the Filipino people," Duterte said.

When asked how he could stop these problems, Duterte countered with a question: “Will you sell your votes?”

When a radio reporter answered, “No, Mayor,” Duterte said, “Then, I will give it to you for free.”

People close to Duterte revealed that the tough-talking mayor is scheduled to continue his listening tour in other parts of the country in the next few days.

Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, the eldest son of Duterte, earlier revealed that the Duterte siblings, including the Mayor’s ex-wife Elizabeth, will support his political decision.

“Whatever it is, we support him 100%,” he said. – Rappler.com

JERUSALEM (Updated) – Two separate Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis killed at least four people Thursday, November 19, including a stabbing in Tel Aviv and a West Bank gun and car-ramming assault, shattering a lull in weeks-long violence.

It was among the bloodiest days for Israelis since the wave of violence broke out on October 1.

The first attack saw a 36-year-old Palestinian storm an office building in commercial capital Tel Aviv with a knife, killing two Israelis.

Police said the suspect was stopped by officers and civilians, wounded and arrested. 

According to police, the Palestinian attacked two people around a shop on the second floor of the building then ran downstairs and stabbed a third person before being stopped.

Israeli security forces identified the attacker as from the Hebron area in the occupied West Bank. 

Those killed were men aged around 20 and 50, police said. The third victim suffered wounds in the upper body, hospital officials said.

Further details remained unclear and there were varying reports on how the attack played out. 

One of the victims reportedly took refuge in a room inside the building that serves as a Jewish prayer area.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said that the attacker attempted to enter a synagogue inside the building.

"I heard cries and my Arab employee told me, 'He's stabbing,'" Israel Bachar, a 65-year-old who runs a nearby print shop, told AFP.

"I left my store and I saw a man on the ground being stabbed. I threw a piece of wood that was on the ground and the terrorist got up and ran after me. I hid in a nearby store."

Bachar said the victim, a longtime friend, later died in his arms.

The building where the attack occurred, known as the Panorama building in southern Tel Aviv, hosts a variety of shops and offices.

Shots fired

Later in the day, at least one assailant opened fire from a car near a Jewish settlement south of Jerusalem before crashing into pedestrians. 

Three people were killed in the gun attack, with at least one of them confirmed as Israeli and another a suspected attacker. A number of others were wounded.

The West Bank attacker was shot, the army said, but the assailant's condition was not clear. There were conflicting reports on whether there was more than one attacker.

The incident occurred at a junction near the Gush Etzion block of Jewish settlements, according to police.

Details of the West Bank attack were still emerging. The army spoke of shots being fired, then of the attacker "intentionally" ramming his car into the pedestrians.

"Forces on sight fired towards the vehicle, identifying a hit," an army statement said.

Prior to Thursday, the last significant attack dates back to November 13, when an Israeli rabbi and his son were shot dead in an ambush as they drove in an area near Hebron, the focus of much of the unrest.

The violence since the start of October has killed at least 84 people on the Palestinian side, including one Arab Israeli, and at least 15 Israelis.

Many of the Palestinians killed have been alleged attackers, while others have been shot dead in clashes with Israeli security forces.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his meeting with US President Barack Obama on November 9, was said to have spoken of measures aimed at easing tensions amid the wave of Palestinian gun, knife and car-ramming attacks.

Israel's response to the violence has at times been controversial, such as the demolition of suspected attackers' homes and allegations of excessive force in the killings of some alleged assailants.

On Tuesday, Israel banned the radical wing of the country's main Islamist organisation, accusing it of having instigated violence at a sensitive Jerusalem holy site that preceded the wave of unrest.

Some questioned whether the ban would further stoke tensions and also harm legitimate political debate.– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – It's about Canada, not him. 

Canada's new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who famously earned the moniker “APEC hottie” from Filipino netizens, deftly deflected questions about his heartthrob status in Manila. 

"I'm pleased Canada is getting a little more attention right now because it gives us an opportunity to highlight the issues that are important to us," he told a Canadian journalist who asked how he viewed the "celebrity aura."

"I got elected on the platform of openness, transparency, engagement, of listening to Canadians, of trusting people. We have real answers to tough questions, a level of respect for citizens, that for me, is at the heart of what a 21st century democracy looks like,” Trudeau added.

Screams and requests for selfies greeted Trudeau at the International Media Center of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Manila at the end of a two-day summit he attended on his first series of foreign trips as head of government. (READ: Frenzy over 'APEC hottie' Justin Trudeau at end of APEC meet)

Even some journalists and summit volunteers joined the craze before and after he held a press briefing where he spoke in both English and French. 

The premier said the attention he is getting is one way to promote engagement between leaders and citizens. 

“Anything that can highlight that perspective – that positive engagement that Canada wants to have on a world stage – at a time when quite frankly we need Canada to engage positively on the world stage, I [will] take as a positive [development],” he said. 

The 43-year-old leader assumed his post only two weeks ago after his Liberal Party won a stunning victory against the Conservatives of former prime minister Stephen Harper.

Although fresh in office, he has gone to Turkey for the G20 summit and Manila for the APEC summit. He will also go to Malta for the Commonwealth leaders' gathering and Paris for the climate talks. He said Canada must be “committed on the international stage.” 

'We'll convert it to substance'  

When Philippine media again brought up his fame, Trudeau highlighted the “very strong” Filipino-Canadian ties.  

“I have absolutely adored my stay in the Philippines,” he replied. “Everyone has been tremendously friendly and, for me, it was an opportunity to engage with a culture that I’ve gotten to know very well in Canada,” he added. 

Trudeau pointed out that Canada has 700,000 citizens of Filipino origin.

“So for me to be able to be here and see what a beautiful and welcoming country so many of my fellow Canadian citizens call home or original home is a real pleasure,” he said.

He said he knows that the attention to his appearance will eventually wane and people will soon focus on what he has "to say." He likened it to the attention he got in Canada as the son of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau.

“On a personal level, when I first announced I was going into politics 8 years ago, there was a little bit of buzz and interest in my father and my story. Rapidly, after a few months of working hard, I got people to focus on the actual substance because I had things to say,” Trudeau said.  

“Similar things happened once I got to be leader of the Liberal Party. Again, by the time I became prime minister in Canada, it was old for people. This is fresh for the world stage. We'll take some interest right now, and convert that into substance of what we're talking about,” he added.

Trudeau's father, a former leader of Canada's Liberal Party, was also a media sensation. His charisma often draws comparisons to the late US President John Kennedy. 

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation said of the elder Trudeau: “Women and men were mesmerized by him. But Trudeau's appeal extended beyond Parliament. He became a political pop star, attracting admirers whose dedication rivaled that of Beatles fans. Canada called it 'Trudeaumania,' a phenomenon that lasted until his marriage in 1971.”

'Balance the public and the professional' 

Trudeau also talked about his father when he explained how he views the fandom. 

“You know, one of the things about growing up somewhat in the public eye is that I have to develop a capacity to separate people’s perceptions of me from who I really am,” he said. 

“My father was well-respected as a prime minister but there were a lot of people who didn’t like him for any sorts of reason, and often they would project that on to me as a young child, and I had to learn that what people said about me negatively like that didn’t define me and wasn’t who I am,” he added.

Trudeau said he learned from his father the importance of balancing the “public role” with the “very professional role” of a leader. 

Beyond the adulation, Trudeau said his first experience on the global stage as Canada's leader taught him the value of engaging with his counterparts. 

In Turkey and the Philippines, the prime minister highlighted the need for Canada to hold consultations on the US-led trade deal Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), its role in the anti-terrorism coalition, its support for an ambitious climate change deal, and his government's openness to accepting Syrian refugees. 

“International relations often come down to personal relationships. I'd seen it from my father but for me to be here, to be able to engage in both formal and more casual conversations with leaders from around the world, to establish connections so we can work together on issues where we align, but also to agree to disagree on issues where we may have different perspectives,” he said. 

While he has a lot of work setting up his government and focusing on domestic issues, he said Canada benefits from sharing and learning from the rest of the world. 

“In the beginning, I was somewhat reticent about talking about the kinds of solutions specifically for Canada during our election: investing in infrastructure, transit right off the bat. It may not be directly appropriate to other countries. But one of the things I've learned from those leaders is no, let's talk about what we do at home in concrete terms, and share what works and doesn't work,” he said.  

“Frankly, I think that's a big part of what these summits are about,” he said. – Rappler.com 

BEIRUT, Lebanon – Hopes for a quick political transition in war-ravaged Syria dimmed Thursday, November 19, as embattled President Bashar al-Assad threw cold water on an ambitious timetable agreed at international talks in Vienna. 

At the same time, the US held firm to its calls for Assad's departure, with President Barack Obama insisting Thursday that the war could not end unless the Syrian leader steps down. 

"I do not foresee a situation in which we can end the civil war in Syria while Assad remains in power," Obama said on the sidelines of a trade summit in Manila.

Top diplomats from 17 countries met in Vienna Saturday to discuss a way out of Syria's nearly five-year conflict, which has left more than a quarter of a million people dead. 

They produced a two-year timetable: a transitional government would be formed and a new constitution written within six months, to be followed by internationally monitored elections within 18 months after that. 

But in a television interview with Italy's Rai television, Assad said there could be no transition schedule for elections while swathes of Syria remained out of government control.  

"This timetable starts after starting defeating terrorism. You cannot achieve anything politically while you have the terrorists taking over many areas in Syria," he said.

"If we talk after that, one year and a half to two years is enough for any transition."

Damascus refers to all opponents -- fighters and activists alike -- as terrorists.

'More realistic than Vienna'

Syria's government has insisted that combatting "terrorist groups" including the Islamic State (IS) jihadist organisation should come ahead of any political solution. 

Assad also rejected the idea of UN observers monitoring elections, saying the world body had "lost all credibility".

In comments to French magazine Valleures Actuelles, the embattled leader said Syria could only accept observers from countries that "were not partisan during the crisis".

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow would be ready to work with the Western coalition striking IS if its members respect Syria's sovereignty.

Russia is "ready to develop with them such forms of coordination that of course would respect Syria's sovereignty and the prerogatives of the Syrian leadership," Lavrov told state-run Radio of Russia.

Despite holding diametrically opposed views on the fate of Assad, Russia and France are set to begin coordinating military and security efforts in the anti-IS fight.

The remarks by world leaders have rolled back hopes that a political solution was on the horizon. 

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Syria could be "weeks away" from a transition. 

But Waddah Abed Rabbo, editor-in-chief of Al-Watan daily, which is close to the government, said: "Syria's president is much more realistic than the Vienna declaration. 

"Can we imagine elections in Raqa or Deir Ezzor?" he said, naming two provinces where IS has a strong presence.

"We must first eliminate this scourge and re-establish the presence of the state throughout the whole country, before beginning the countdown to elections. "

Truce talks under pressure

On Wednesday, IS's English-language magazine said it had killed two hostages by printing graphic photos of two bodies that appeared to be Chinese hostage Fan Jinghui and Norwegian Ole-Johan Grimsgaard-Ofstad.

IS territory across eastern, central, and northern Syria is the target of a US-led air coalition as well as Russian strikes. 

Air strikes on fuel trucks in IS's de facto capital, Raqa, killed at least six civilians and wounded 20, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Thursday. 

Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said those killed were oil smugglers and their families, not jihadists.

Another eight people were killed in government shelling on Sheikh Maskin, a village in Syria's southern Daraa province, the Observatory said. 

Meanwhile, Syria's army and rebels struggled to pursue talks to reach a 15-day ceasefire in the Eastern Ghouta rebel stronghold east of Damascus. 

The two sides had been locked in talks overnight in the hopes of reaching a deal by 6:00 am (0400 GMT), in what would be the first temporary truce in Eastern Ghouta. 

After hours of relative quiet Thursday morning, Syria's armed forces resumed shelling Douma, killing six people including two children and a doctor. 

"The mediators are still at work," but the situation was less hopeful than this morning, Abdel Rahman said. 

A Syrian security source told AFP that "the window to reach an agreement has not ended, but we have yet to reach the results stage." 

The Observatory said rebel shelling of the capital wounded 16 people Thursday. – Rappler.com

TAIPEI, Taiwan – Taiwan and the Philippines have signed an agreement pledging non-violence in disputed fishing zones, Taiwanese authorities announced Thursday, November 19, in what analysts say is an important step to defuse tensions over territorial maritime disputes.

The pact that was signed earlier this month but announced on Thursday comes after more than two years of talks following the fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman in disputed waters off the Philippines, an incident that dramatically soured relations between the two countries.

The territorial disputes between Taiwan and the Philippines also stretch to the South China Sea where a number of other nations including China have overlapping claims. 

Taiwan's foreign ministry said the agreement "upholds the spirit and principles underlying the South China Sea Peace Initiative" launched by President Ma Ying-jeou earlier this year, which called for peaceful dealings in disputed areas.

The ministry did not specify which waters were covered by the new agreement. 

"After several rounds of negotiations in the past two years, Taiwan and the Philippines concluded the Agreement Concerning the Facilitation of Cooperation on Law Enforcement in Fisheries Matters," the foreign ministry said.

Under the agreement, both sides pledged to avoid using violence or unnecessary force when enforcing the law. An emergency emergency notification system will also be established and detained vessels and crew will be released within three days.

The foreign ministry said the new measures would "effectively reduce fisheries disputes in the overlapping exclusive economic zones and protect the rights and interests of Taiwanese fishermen operating legally".

However, they could not agree on the zone in which the Philippines would allow Taiwanese boats to fish -- officials will meet again early next year to discuss the issue, the ministry said. 

Analysts said the pact could set a code of conduct for claimants of the South China Sea.

"This agreement sets a good example to countries in the region that... the two countries won't use force to settle disputes and can sit down to talk and work out some measures acceptable to both," Song Yann-huei, a researcher with Taiwan's top academic body Academia Sinica, told AFP. 

Tensions are high in the South China Sea as smaller nations have been rattled by Beijing's increasing assertiveness there in recent years.

US President Barack Obama on Wednesday repeated Washington's demand that China halt any further land reclamation and militarisation in the sea while meeting Philippine President Benigno Aquino on the sidelines of the APEC meeting in Manila.

APEC members the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have rival claims to parts of the sea, which is also believed to sit atop vast oil and gas resources. – Rappler.com

For almost 2 weeks, I have been noticing that the timer in the gym I go to is off by 11 seconds. I have asked the staff to fix it but they could not get to it. Until the day that I asked someone why it was taking them so long to fix it.  He said it was because they had to figure out how to reprogram the timer.  So when no one was looking, I got a bench to stand on to reach the timer which was as big as a car battery and tried to figure it out. I fixed it in less than a minute and the timer is now back to being faithful to its name.

I am your poorest go-to person to have a machine fixed but I just couldn’t wrap around my head as to why a gym would not exert any effort to try to fix a timer that they needed. In the gym were very young men and women who were healthy enough to flex the same muscles I did to correct the problem but they chose not to – for 2 weeks.

What could be happening to our brains when we are showing apathy – a lack of motivation to decide to act. In other words, if mom were to say it – why are you so lazy?

While science may not be able to tell your mom why you are lazy, it could probably point to some clues as to what could be happening or not happening in your brain when you are being lazy. A recent study which has given us new insights into what could be happening to our lazy brains, says that this must have something to do with how the brain parts involved in making a decision connect with the brain part involved in how we assess reward and move our bodies to get the reward.

To do this, they tested 17 males aged between 19-38 to accomplish a task that would ask them to exert an effort to obtain a reward. Before they did the task, the researchers already identified the participants in terms of where they were in the standard “apathy” scale. Then when they gave the task, they monitored the brains of the participants in an MRI machine.

Naturally and predictably, those who registered as “lazier” exerted less effort in their behavior (in this experiment, it meant squeezing a ball) to obtain the reward. But what surprised the scientists was, based on the MRI scans, the brains of the lazier participants showed greater activity in the pre-motor area when they decided to act. They originally thought it would show the opposite. It seems that for lazy people, there is more effort required for that brain part to act. In other words, that brain part is not being efficient.  

Now, if you tell give your mom this reason as you try to refuse to do an errand, make sure your mom does not know that no one yet knows why the lazy brain requires more effort to begin with. I would also not be surprised if your mom would not hesitate to offer her own empirically grounded bases as to why you are lazy, including the genetic reasons which would probably involve your father’s side of the family.

The scientists even saw that the lazy brain also exerts more effort to connect with other brain areas that would finally result in an action such as those involved when you anticipate an action and acting itself. More effort exerted by the lazy brain to connect those brain parts mean that the connections as not as strong and robust.

I am intrigued by this study because I think very few people are lazy in everything. We are all lazy in some things and eager to act in others. The kick that builds those bridges between our brain parts that seals our everyday missions to act is probably not just reward.  Maybe the degrees of apathy we exhibit is nature’s way of making us refrain from acting on every single offer or promise of a reward because it will make for a life too frenzied for our good.

Some people also simply choose to be lazy for various reasons. My late husband called this “cultivated incompetence.” You just don’t act either because you want to give the chance to someone else to sign or you just are amused at what happens when you don’t act.  Either way, the science of laziness now seems to be rousing from sleep to tell us more about why we don’t act when we normally should. – Rappler.com

WASHINGTON, DC – United States – More Mexicans returned home from the United States over the last five years than immigrated to the country, according to research out Thursday, November 19.

The Pew Research Center study of government data from both nations showed that between 2009 and 2014 about one million Mexicans and their families -- including US-born children -- returned home from the United States.

During the same period, some 870,000 Mexicans immigrated to the United States.

"Measuring migration flows between Mexico and the US is challenging because there are no official counts of how many Mexican immigrants enter and leave the US each year," Pew said.

"This report uses the best available government data from both countries to estimate the size of these flows."

Pew said that their results confirm a tendency toward less Mexican migration and more such nationals returning home.

Between 2005 and 2010, the number of Mexicans returning home from the United States was higher by some 20,000 people compared to the number of those migrating to the United States, Pew said. The 2009-2014 figures confirm that tendency.

Between 1995 and 2000, nearly 3 million Mexican immigrants immigrated to the United States, a figure that was nearly halved in the 20005-2010 period, Pew said.

There are several reasons to explain this phenomenon.

"The slow recovery of the US economy after the Great Recession may have made the US less attractive to potential Mexican migrants and may have pushed out some Mexican immigrants as the US job market deteriorated," Pew said.

Stricter enforcement of US immigration laws, especially on the US-Mexico border, may also have contributed. 

"US border apprehensions of Mexicans have fallen sharply, to just 230,000 in fiscal year 2014 - a level not seen since 1971," Pew said. 

Tougher US immigration crackdowns have "led to an increase in the number of Mexican immigrants who have been deported from the US since 2005."

When interviewed in Mexico, 60% of those who returned say that family reunification was the main reason to go back home.

Immigration is a hot topic as the US presidential campaigns heat up, especially after Republican billionaire Donald Trump claimed that Mexican immigrants include drug traffickers and rapists. – Rappler.com

LONDON, United Kingdom – British police on Thursday, November 19, carried out a controlled explosion close to a central London underground station after a car was abandoned nearby, but later said the vehicle was not suspicious.

Baker Street station was evacuated and trains ordered not to stop there after a silver car was left in the middle of the road outside one of the exits. 

Social media filled with worried reports of the evacuation as passengers filed out of the station and police cordoned off the road.

"There was an abandoned vehicle in Baker Street. There was a controlled explosion. This is not a criminal investigation," a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police Service said.

A police Twitter account added that the car had been "deemed non-suspicious" and that roads were being re-opened.

Transport for London said Baker Street had been re-opened.

Authorities are alert to security threats following attacks in Paris last week that killed 129 people, claimed by the Islamic State (ISIS) group.

Earlier on Thursday two men were arrested at Manchester Airport on suspicion of making a bomb threat, prompting an easyJet flight to be evacuated. – Rappler.com

BAMAKO, Mali – Mali on Saturday, November 21, began 3 days of national mourning and declared a state of emergency after a 9-hour siege by jihadist gunmen at a top hotel in the capital left at least 27 people dead.

The assault, claimed by Al-Qaeda affiliate the Al-Murabitoun group led by notorious one-eyed Algerian militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar, ended after Malian and international troops stormed the luxury Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako.

The attack came as fears are mounting about terrorist threats a week after devastating attacks in Paris that killed 130 people claimed by the Islamic State group, which also said it had downed a Russian passenger jet in Egypt weeks before.

The Malian government declared a 10-day nationwide state of emergency from midnight on Friday, November 20, over the assault and called three days of mourning for the victims, who included three Chinese, an American and a Belgian.

Malian security sources said 27 out of more than 100 people taken hostage in the raid had died, while at least 3 "terrorists" were killed or blew themselves up.

US President Barack Obama on Saturday condemned the "appalling" attack, adding that "this barbarity only stiffens our resolve to meet this challenge" of extremist violence.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei expressed condolences for the victims and their families, adding: "China expresses indignation and strongly condemns this atrocity."

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also condemned the "horrific terrorist attack," suggesting the violence was aimed at destroying peace efforts in the country.

Mali has been torn apart by unrest since the north fell under the control of jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda in 2012.

The Islamists were largely ousted by a French-led military operation launched the following year, but large swathes of Mali remain lawless and prone to attacks.

Nine-hour seige 

The assault began around 0700 GMT on Friday, when gunmen pulled up at the hotel at same time as a car with diplomatic plates and starting shooting their way inside, taking guests and staff hostage.

Malian television broadcast chaotic scenes from inside the building as police and other security personnel ushered bewildered guests along corridors to safety.

Special forces – including Malian, French, and two US soldiers who also happened to be in the area –staged a dramatic floor-by-floor rescue, ending the siege after about 9 hours.

"The hostage-taking is over. We are in the process of securing the hotel," a Malian military source said as civil protection officers removed the victims in orange body bags.

President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who returned from a summit early because of the attack, on Twitter hailed the "the professionalism of Mali's defence and security forces" and thanked other countries for their help.

In an audio recording broadcast by Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television, Belmokhtar's group said it was responsible.

"We the Murabitoun, with the participation of our brothers from Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, claim the hostage-taking operation at the Radisson hotel," a man's voice said.

French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Belmokhtar, one of the world's most-wanted men, was indeed "likely" the brains behind the assault.

The jihadist is also accused of being the ring-leader of an attack on a gas plant in Algeria in 2013, in which around 40 mostly Western hostages were killed.

Attackers 'spoke English' 

The palatial 190-room Radisson, regarded as one of west Africa's best hotels, is a favorite with entrepreneurs, tourists, and government officials from across the world.

Witnesses talked of around a dozen armed assailants, but the Malian military source reported the deaths of three "terrorists who were shot or blew themselves up," adding that the total number of gunmen was not more than four.

Guinean singer Sekouba Bambino Diabate, who was among the survivors, told AFP the gunmen spoke English among themselves.

"They were firing inside the hotel, in the corridors," Diabate said.

A paramedic said three security guards had been wounded while an AFP correspondent saw a police officer, who had been shot, being evacuated by security forces.

Malian soldiers, police and special forces were at the scene soon after the attack began, along with members of the UN's MINUSMA peacekeeping force in Mali and French troops deployed in west Africa under Operation Barkhane.

Beijing's state media said that 3 Chinese citizens had been killed while a further 4 managed to escape.

A senior US State Department official confirmed a US citizen was among the victims, with another dozen Americans surviving the attack, while a Belgian regional assembly said one of its officials was also killed.

India said 20 of its nationals were freed. Twelve Air France employees were declared safe by the airline, while seven Turkish Airlines crew members, seven Algerians and two Germans were also freed.

France has more than 1,000 troops in its former colony, a key battleground of the Barkhane counter-terror mission spanning five countries in Africa's restive Sahel region.

The attack follows a hotel siege in August in the central Mali town of Sevare in which 5 UN workers were killed along with four soldiers and four attackers.

Five people, including a French citizen and a Belgian, were also killed in an assault on a Bamako restaurant in March, the first of its kind in the city. – Rappler.com

ISABELA CITY, Basilan – Government troops on Saturday, November 21, arrested an alleged key member of the terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Zamboanga City.

Members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police jointly arrested Mhadie Umangkat Sahirin, also known as Madi, an Auxiliary Threat Group (ATG) leader, in Tubungan village in Zamboanga City.

Madi was arrested around 11:40 am on Saturday by members of Joint Task Group Basilan, Joint Task Group Zamboanga, the Basilan Provincial Police Office, and Regional Police Safety Battalion 9.

Government troops tracked Madi down while he was walking along the road in Tubungan. 

Madi has been wanted since 2013 for the alleged murder of civilians and frustrated murder of soldiers in Upper Cabengbeng village, Sumisip, Basilan.

Madi is said to be a leader of lawless elements based in Sapah Bulak, Sumisip, Basilan, with the stregth of more or less 20 followers. 

Madi is also alleged to have once participated in the ambush of government forces along Basilan Circumferential Road using improvised explosive devices (IEDs). 

He was also supposedly behind a series of carnappings, IED bombings, and the burning of government construction equipment in the province. – Rappler.com

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – The New People's Army (NPA) on Friday afternoon, November 20, released Corporal Adonis Lupiba – a prisoner of war (POW) – to 3rd party facilitators in Barangay Kaulayanan, Sugbongcogon town.

The facilitators were led by Iglesia Filipina Independente Bishop Felixberto Calang and Misamis Oriental Governor Yevgeny Emano.

Lupiba was captured by the NPA in Barangay Alatagan, Gingoog City on July 11 after the NPA attacked the village while the army was helping the village develop its water system.

According to residents of the village, Lupiba did not fire back at the NPA since there were civilians near the basketball court. The attack lasted for 20 minutes and killed one corporal.

According to Cesar Renerio, spokesperson of the National Democratic Front-North Central Mindanao, the release of Lupiba came after Luis Jalandoni, chairperson of the NDF, signed Lupiba's release papers.

Lupiba spent 132 days as a POW and the NPA blamed the army's rescue efforts for the delay of Lupiba's release.

In an e-mail, Renerio said that the NDF and the Local Crisis Committee negotiated to secure the release of Lupiba.

Lupiba arrived at the Camp Edilberto Evangelista around 7 pm Friday and was brought directly to the station hospital for a medical check-up and physical evaluation.

Heroism

Captain Joe Patrick Martinez, spokesperson of the 4th ID, said that Lupiba – considered as the hero of Alatagan for his bravery and actions that prevented civilian casualties – will be accorded a hero's welcome.

"As recognition for his distinct act of heroism, the 4th Infantry Division will give a hero's welcome followed by the ceremonial pinning of rank insignia as Corporal," Martinez said.

Colonel Jesse Alvarez, commanding officer of the 403rd Infantry Brigade which Lupiba belongs to, was grateful for the safe release of Lupiba.

Major General Oscar Lactao, commander of 4th Infantry Division, lauded Lupiba for his bravery and act of heroism.

"I congratulate Corporal Lupiba for saving the people of Alagatan. For the people in Northern Mindanao, this is the kind of soldier who is serving you. Human rights, international humanitarian laws, and the rule of law are deeply ingrained in each soldier. Likewise, we are ready to protect you just to ensure that no threat would disrupt your peaceful communities," Lactao said. – Rappler.com

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Philippine President Benigno Aquino III dared China to take the lead in creating a legally binding pact on the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea) instead of blocking a long delayed agreement. 

Aquino addressed the call to Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during an intervention at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) annual summit with China here at the Malaysian capital on Saturday afternoon, November 21. 

In clear, strong language, the Philippine leader said Beijing must ensure the swift establishment of a Code of Conduct on the South China Sea considering its growing economic and political clout as an Asian superpower. 

“Is it not therefore reasonable to expect China to take the lead in pushing for mechanisms that ensure stability, so that a peaceful rise may truly be achieved, not only by China, but for the entire region?” 

He said: “China’s economy is larger than that of the entire ASEAN; its population is larger than that of all ASEAN nations combined. Any uncertainty in the region affects more of their people.” 

Aquino pointed out that it has been 13 years since ASEAN adopted the non-binding Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, which urges parties to “exercise self-restraint” so as not to complicate or escalate disputes. 

Philippine observers including Senior Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio have said that the code has yet to be finalized because China was supposedly “dragging its feet” on the issue. 

Aquino said: “We should not wait any longer to establish the Code of Conduct and reinforce, without ambiguity or reservation, our political will with respect to the issue.” 

Aquino also cited Beijing's history as a factor that should drive the Asian giant to take leadership on the pact. 

“All of our cultures tell us of the value of respecting elders; China claims to be among the oldest civilizations. We therefore hope that it sets an example for the rest of the region and take the lead in promoting harmony among neighbors.”

This is the second time on Day One of the ASEAN and related summits that Aquino raised the maritime row. He refused to discuss the issue when he hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Manila. 

The President first spoke during an intervention at the ASEAN Summit involving only the leaders of the 10-member bloc. There, he urged his fellow ASEAN leaders not to allow China to claim almost the entire resource-rich sea without basis in international law.

ASEAN members Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei also have claims to the sea, which is a vital shipping lane, fishing site, and a potential rich source of oil and gas. 

'Reclamation makes ASEAN work harder' 

Aquino criticized China's massive reclamation in the South China Sea as contrary to ASEAN and Beijing's stated goal of promoting regional peace and stability.  

“Excellencies, at this point when we are trying to manage issues, does not conducting massive reclamation and building of structures in contested waters make our collective task harder? We believe it does,” the President said. 

Aquino said rocks, reefs and shoals that once had limited use now “potentially have a lot of use in so many different areas,” possibly referring to military advantages. China has constructed runways in some of the features. 

Beijing said the outposts will serve maritime search and rescue missions, disaster relief, environmental protection but also “undefined military purposes.”

Aquino said: “Such a situation makes the give-and-take more difficult for parties involved, making a previously complex issue even more complex. None of us benefits in the long run; therefore, such actions should be stopped. This, at the very least could return the issue to more manageable levels.”

On Wednesday in Manila, US President Barack Obama made the same call for China to stop its land reclamation. Obama issued the statement after a bilateral meeting with Aquino. The US and the Philippines are treaty allies. In 2014, they signed a military deal still pending before the Philippine Supreme Court. 

'Respect, understanding' 

In the first part of his speech, Aquino explained why he issued his message during the ASEAN-China summit. 

The summit is an annual meeting between the regional bloc and China to allow the two parties to deepen relationships and discuss cooperation at a high level. 

Aquino said as a founding member of ASEAN, the Philippines pursued ASEAN centrality, meaning it tapped the regional organization as a means to address disputes like the sea row. In contrast, China prefers bilateral talks between individual countries as a mode of settling the dispute.  

“Within this context, we recognize the important role of the ASEAN–China Dialogue Partnership in promoting peace and prosperity. In the face of the challenges to the global economy, the value of a stable and dynamic ASEAN-China relationship cannot be understated,” Aquino said. 

The President stressed that ASEAN-China engagements must be based on dialogue “guided by obligations enshrined in international law and relevant instruments.” 

Citing the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Manila filed a historic arbitration case against Beijing to strike down its controversial 9-dash line. China uses the line to claim practically all of the sea. Hearings on the merits of the case will start next week, days after the ASEAN Summit. 

“We believe that it is incumbent upon all actors to pursue common interest through mutual respect and understanding, which have been cornerstones of our relationship throughout history,” said Aquino. – Rappler.com 

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday, November 21, condemned the jihadist hostage siege in Mali that left at least 27 people dead.

Obama called the Mali attack “appalling.” The attack killed an American.

"This barbarity only stiffens our resolve to meet this challenge," he said during a visit to Malaysia, referring to the global threat of extremist violence.

China's President Xi Jinping, for his part, “strongly condemned" the attack that left 3 Chinese nationals dead, state television reported.

"China will strengthen cooperation with international society to resolutely fight violent terrorist activities that hurt innocent lives, to maintain world peace and tranquillity," China Central Television quoted Xi as saying.

At the same time, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak of Muslim-majority Malaysia railed against the ideological mantle claimed by Islamic militants.

"The perpetrators of these cowardly and barbaric acts do not represent any race, religion or creed," he told fellow Southeast Asian leaders. "They are terrorists."

Linked to Al-Qaeda

This comes after gun-toting jihadists took more than 100 people hostage for around 9 hours at a top hotel in Mali's capital Bamako on Friday, November 20.

Malian security sources said at least 27 hostages were killed.

The assault was claimed by the Al-Murabitoun group, an Al-Qaeda affiliate led by notorious one-eyed Algerian militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar.

The incident added to fears over the global jihadist threat a week after the devastating Paris attacks that killed 130 people and were claimed by the Islamic State group.

Special forces staged a dramatic floor-by-floor assault to end the Mali siege after about 9 hours.

Speaking on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific summit in Kuala Lumpur, Obama said "the terrorists began ruthlessly killing people and taking hostages" at the Bamako hotel.

"On behalf of the American people I want to extend our deepest condolences to the people of Mali and the victims' families, including at least one American," he said.

"These were innocent people who had everything to live for." – with reports from Agence France-Presse/Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Indigenous peoples (IP) must be heard during the Paris climate change conference, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) said on Friday, November 20. (READ: Climate change and IPs)

IPs manage around 65% of the world’s land surface, yet they have “largely been excluded from national plans” for the international climate talks, the UNDP said.

The advisory comes weeks before world leaders and advocates come together to discuss ways how to combat climate change.

The UNDP observed that the climate action plans or the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) submitted by 119 countries did not mention anything about IPs. The INDCs are pledges made governments on how they will reduce their carbon emissions, among other steps toward a “low-carbon, climate-resilient future.”

IPs, advocates urge, must be able to influence the climate negotiations since many of them also serve as guardians of the environment.

Over 80% of all lands occupied by IPs “lack legal protection,” the UNDP said, adding that such lands are vulnerable to being “seized” by private companies, individuals, and governments. These abuses are seen in investments in logging, mining, oil and gas, dams and roads, and tourism.

“The same development that fuels climate change, continues to rob indigenous peoples of their human rights,” Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, said in a press statement. 

She emphasized the need to protect IPs' rights and their traditional knowledge for they help keep ecosystems healthy.

PH and IPs

The Philippines is home to around 14 million to 17 million IPs. 

They are protected by Republic Act 8371 or the “Indigenous Peoples Rights Act,” which gives them the right to manage their ancestral domains. Some indigenous communities, however, feel that the law is merely effective on paper. Some IPs are still threatened by large-scale plantations, illegal loggers, and various land-grabbers.

In August 2015, indigenous leaders across the country delivered the State of the Indigenous Peoples Address, which mentioned that IPs contribute the least to climate change and yet they suffer the most from its impacts such as disasters.

“We demand due recognition of our contribution to climate change mitigation and adaptation through our traditional practices and livelihoods. We urge everyone to learn from our simple and sustainable ways of life in order to avert impending climate disasters,” the address read. 

“We call for the various agencies of governments and UN bodies to support the promotion and enhancement of time-tested traditional knowledge and innovations of Indigenous Peoples, as an integral solution to the multiple crises we are facing and towards a more sustainable development,” it added. – Rappler.com