WELLINGTON, New Zealand – New Zealand's main opposition party Monday, June 12, announced plans to almost halve immigration numbers if it wins a September election, with the clampdown focused on international students.

Labour Party leader Andrew Little said it was "time for a breather on immigration" in the nation, which has experienced record annual net arrivals of about 70,000 in recent years.

Little said his center-left party would cut that by up to 30,000 a year, including slashing an estimated 22,000 student visas.

He said the nation of 4.5 million could not cope with existing migration levels.

"It's contributed to the housing crisis, put pressure on hospitals and schools and added to congestion on roads," he said.

Little said parts of New Zealand's international education sector had become a "back door to residency" which he planned to close if he won the September 23 national election.

Under the plan, visas for many "low value" courses that do not involve at least a bachelor's degree would be cut.

Work visas for international students and recent graduates would also be tightened to stop them taking low-skilled jobs unrelated to their course.

Prime Minister Bill English said the policy would have a major impact on the economy, which is growing at a relatively strong 3% annually.

"Slashing immigration – whatever you think of it – slashing it when you need the people to do the jobs that must be done, it doesn't make any sense," he told Radio New Zealand.

English also said the crackdown risked jeopardizing the international education sector, New Zealand's fourth-largest export earner.

"This is a sector that has been a key part of diversifying our economy, particularly through the difficult times when dairy prices were low," he said.

"It employs 33,000 people and generates NZ$4.5 billion ($3.2 billion) in exports."

English took over leadership of the ruling National Party-led coalition in December after the shock resignation of his predecessor John Key.

National currently leads Labour 49% to 30% in opinion polling for the September vote, but the gap narrows to less than one percent if potential coalition partners for Little are factored in. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – "Defending democracy is our biggest fight today."

This was Vice President Leni Robredo's message as she called on Filipinos to strengthen the country's "weakening" democratic institutions.

"We are already seeing our institutions being eroded. They are already weakening. We must move swiftly and effectively to ensure that they are strong enough for our children's children," Robredo said in a speech during the Defend Democracy Summit (DDS) on Monday, June 12. 

The summit, timed for the 119th Independence Day of the Philippines, aimed to boost support for the fight against threats to democracy. It came in the wake of the declaration of martial law in Mindanao, the spread of fake news and online propaganda, and the thousands of deaths linked to the war on drugs.

In fighting for democracy, Robredo said Filipinos should be able to rise above disagreements and "build bridges of understanding."

"These are extraordinary times and if we are not able to lay aside our differences and talk to each other, we will be fighting enemies within as well as outside.  We will not stand a chance," said the Vice President.

"Let us build bridges of understanding, not walls. Let us bury our egos and our pride and let empathy rise. Let us not just think of a democracy as a concept but as a means to lessen the suffering of the poor," she added.

Expressing dissent 

The summit was attended by various civil society organizations and members of the Liberal Party (LP) and other personalities allied with them. These include Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and other minority senators Francis Pangilinan, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Risa Hontiveros, and Antonio Trillanes IV. 

Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano was also present. Alejano filed an impeachment complaint against President Rodrigo Duterte but it was later junked by the House of Representatives. 

Pangilinan said they gathered on Independence Day to emphasize that problems such as poverty and security threats keep Filipinos from enjoying complete freedom.

"We are here precisely because we believe democracy is still the correct path. We just need to strengthen it and expand it when there's a threat against it like martial law," Pangilinan said in a mix of English and Filipino during a chance interview. 

Meanwhile, Bart Guingona, the main convenor of the event, said they are not trying to destabilize the government.

Robredo, the LP,  and their allies have long been accused of undermining the Duterte administration – an allegation they have repeatedly denied.

"That's a very defensive way of looking at it. We are not destabilizing. All we are asking for is for the conversation to change. Drugs are not the only problem of our country," said Guingona.

"We are trying to register our disappointment with the way the government has been run, especially in relation to several issues – one of them being human rights," he added. (READ: Robredo to Duterte: 'Remain faithful' to Constitution, democracy) – Rappler.com 

MANILA, Philippines – On the 119th anniversary of the Philippines’ independence, Vice President Leni Robredo lauded the Filipino’s fight for democracy through time. She also stressed the importance of continuing to uphold democracy.

Here’s the full text of her Independence Day message: 

Ipinagdiriwang natin sa araw na ito ang ika-isang daan at labing-siyam na paggunita ng ating kalayaan. Taong 1898 nang maipanalo natin ang kalayaang ito matapos ang isang madugong rebolusyon laban sa mga dayuhang mananakop.

Kasabay ng unang pagbandila ng ating watawat sa Kawit, Cavite bilang simbulo ng ating kalayaan, minarapat ng ating mga bayani na bumuo rin ng isang konstitusyon at magtatag ng nang republika ng Pilipinas. 

Ang konstitusyong ito ang naging gabay para mapangalagaan at mapagtibay ang ating kasarinlan.

Sa ating mahabang kasaysayan ilang besus sinubok agawin ang kalayaang ito ngunit nanatili tayong tapat sa ating Saligang Batas, hanggang sa dumating ang panahon kung saan binagong tuluyan ang konsitusyon at naging lehitimo ang pamumuno ng isang diktador. 

Ngunit sa huli, nanaig pa rin ang mabuti. Ipinaglaban ng mga bagong bayani ang inaasam na kalayaan mula sa diktadurya. At muli, kasabay ng paglaya mula sa pagkakagapos, bumuo muli ng isang konstitusyong poprotekta at kakanlong sa ating kasarinlan at demokrasya.

Mahigit isang daang taon na ang lumipas mula nang unang iwinagayway ni Emilio Aguinaldo ang bandila. Patuloy ang ating panalangin na manatiling buhay sa puso ng bawat pilipino ang tunay na ibig sabihin ng maging malaya, na ang tagumpay na nagniningning sa ating watawat ay tagumpay ng bawat isa, at ang tanglaw ng pag-asa na sinisimbulo nito ay hindi kailanman magdidilim.

Bilang Pangalawang Pangulo ng Pilipinas, bilang lingkod bayan, mananatili tayong tapat at totoo sa konstitsyong ito upang hindi na maulit ang madilim na kabanata ng ating kasaysayan.

Kasama ng sambayanang Pilipino, gagawin natin ang lahat upang mapangalagaan ang demokrasya at maipaglaban ang kalayaang nakamit ng mga nauna sa atin. 

Isang mapagpalayang Araw ng Kalayaan!

– Rappler.com 

SEOUL, South Korea – South Korean President Moon Jae-In on Monday, June 12, urged parliament quickly to approve his $10-billion stimulus plan aimed at tackling youth unemployment, warning the issue could otherwise become a "national disaster".

Moon, who took power in May after the ousting of impeached president Park Geun-Hye, has proposed a 11.2-trillion won ($10 billion) extra budget aimed at tackling unemployment and strengthening welfare provisions in Asia's fourth-largest economy.

The proposal, which requires parliamentary approval, aims to help create 110,000 jobs – including 71,000 in the public sector – in response to a record-high jobless rate for the under-30s.

"Unless we come up with drastic measures, the youth unemployment crisis could develop into a national disaster... creating a lost generation of jobless youth," Moon said in a speech to lawmakers.

"Many say that today's youth will become the first generation whose quality of life will be worse than their parents'... the top priority of the extra budget is young South Koreans," he said.

Decades of rapid growth saw the South rise from the ashes of the 1950-53 Korean War to become a member of the OECD group of leading economies, but economic expansion has slowed for the past decade.

The jobless rate among those aged below 30 hit 11.2% in April, a record and more than double the rate for the overall working population. 

Economic frustrations and inequality in wealth and opportunities were among the factors that fueled mass protests which saw Park impeached and arrested over corruption.

Moon blamed the lack of quality jobs for rising income inequality. He urged lawmakers to help tackle the double challenge posed by rising unemployment and inequality by passing the extra budget.

"Jobs should be created both by private and public sectors, but I believe that the public sector should come forward first to help accelerate the job creation process," he said.

The latest stimulus plan seeks to create public-sector jobs including firefighters, police and social workers, while offering more aid to women on maternity leave and opening more day care centers and nursing homes for the elderly and dementia patients.

The lack of day care centers and a male-dominated workaholic corporate culture, in which maternity leave is seen as an unaffordable luxury, are blamed for the ever-falling birthrate.

The birthrate – one of the world's lowest – led to concerns about the burden of future welfare funding for a rapidly aging population. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Panfilo Lacson was the guest speaker during the 119th Independence Day celebration in Kawit, Cavite, where the proclamation was made on June 12,1898.

The senator was joined by Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo in commemorating the country's independence.

Lacson, who hails from Cavite, urged the public not to forget the sacrifices of the earlier generations, and thanked the military and the police for securing the country's territory and safety, especially amid the clashes in Marawi City.

We may not all agree with him, the senator said, but he thinks having a president who unexpectedly rose to power and who deals with the country's longrunning problems differently from how his predecessors did could be our chance at hope and change. 

Here is the full text of his speech entitled "Kalayaan 2017: Pagbabagong Sama-samang Balikatin."

Ang kalayaang nakamit dahil ipinagmakaawa lamang ay walang kabuluhan. Hindi tulad ng kasarinlang pinagpanalunan matapos ipaglaban. Noong ika-12 ng Hunyo 1898, ang mga puwersang rebolusyonaryo sa pamumuno ni Heneral Emilio Aguinaldo ay nagtipon-tipon sa mismong lugar na ito ng bayan ng Kawit, na ang tawag pa noon ay Cavite Dos del Viejo, upang basahin sa publiko ang proklamasyon ng kasarinlan ng sambayanang Pilipino, bilang pagpapahayag ng kalayaan at kasarinlan ng Pilipinas mula sa kolonyalismong pananakop ng bansang Espanya.

Kaagad sinundan ito nang pagwagayway ng watawat ng Pilipinas habang tinutugtog at hinihimig sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon ang ating Pambansang Awit na ang titik ay iniakda ng isa ring Kabitenyo, si Julian Felipe, na isinilang sa kalapit na lungsod ng Cavite.

Ang pagtitipon nila noon ay siya ring dahilan kung bakit tayo nagkasama-sama ngayong umaga, ang ipagdiwang ang kasarinlan ng Pilipinas. Hindi lamang ito isang napakahalagang milyahe para sa ating bayan. Sa katunayan, ang proklamasyon ng ating kalayaan, 119 taon na ang nakakalipas ang naghudyat ng pagusbong ng kauna-unahang republika sa buong Asya.

Nag-iwan din ng tatak sa kasaysayan ng buong kontinente ng Asya ang rebolusyong Pilipino bilang unang nag-aklas laban sa pananakop ng mga dayuhang Kanluranin. Saksi ang mundo sa ating pakikibaka, pati na rin sa matagumpay nitong pagtatapos.

Dugo ng ating mga magigiting at dakilang bayani ang ipinadinilig sa malayang lupaing kinatatayuan ng mga Pilipino sa kasalukuyan.

Matatandaan nito ang ating pakikiisa sa pagtaas ng watawat mula Lunes hanggang Biyernes, na kapag Lunes ng umaga ay nagtatagpo-tagpo sa harap ng tagdan ng watawat ang mga kawani ng pamahalaan para sa panunumpa sa tungkuling kanilang gagampanan sa buong linggong kakaharapin.

Sinadyang gawing makabuluhan ni Marcela Agoncillo ang simbolo ng ating watawat – ang kahulugan ng kulay na pula, puti, bughaw, at dilaw, pati na rin ang diwang sinasagisag ng walong sinag ng araw, at tatlong bituin na nakapaloob sa isang tatsulok. Sa kabuuhan, mahalaga ang mensahe nito: nakamit na nga natin ang inaasam na kalayaan mula sa mga mapaniil na banyagang mananakop.

Huwag sana nating kakalimutan ang higit tatlong siglong pinaghirapan at pinunan ng dugo at pawis ng ating mga ninuno upang maging isang ganap na malayang bansa ang tinatamasa natin ngayon.

Salamat sa libo-libong bayaning Pilipinong nanindigan at nagbuwis ng kanilang buhay. Hayagan na natin ngayon na iwawagayway ang ating bandila kapantay ng ibang bansang malaya at may kasarinlan.

Sa tuwing napapag-uusapan ang kasaysayan ng Pilipinas, hindi maiiwasan ang pag-usbong ng sari-saring kuro-kuro patungkol sa kahulugan ng katagang “kalayaan.”

Hindi maiiwasang maitanong – ganap nga bang malaya ang sambayanang Pilipino?

Kung ating susuriing mabuti, masasabi nating nakawala na nga tayo sa dilim ng ating kahapon – lumipas na ang panahon ng mga banyagang manunupil ng ating bansa, wala na tayo sa katayuan ng rebolusyonaryong pakikibaka laban sa kolonyalismo.

Nguni't hindi nangangahulugang nakaungos na tayo sa mga banta at paninindak sa ating Inang Bayan.

Sa aking pagmumuni, aking napagtanto na marami pa ring bagay-bagay na patuloy na sumisiil sa ating kalayaan. Kabilang na rito ang kahirapang dulot ng talamak na katiwalian, na siya ring pangunahing suliranin na patuloy na sumasakal at bumibihag sa ating ekonomiya, lalo na sa mga kapus-palad na Pilipinong nagsusumikap na makaahon sa kahirapan.

Hindi lamang ito. Higit pang nakapanlulumo ang karagdagang suliraning maituturing natin na isang makabagong pakikibaka: ang kaliwa’t kanang banta ng terorismo at panganib na dulot ng karahasan, ang malaking perwisyo na dulot ng ipinagbabawal na gamot, at ang pagkabulag sa paniniwala na maaaring iituring na panatismo.

Hindi natin maitatanggi na nahaharap tayong muli sa makabagong hamon laban sa mga indibidwal at iba’t ibang grupo na tila ba ay nagpupumilit umagaw sa kalayaan at mapayapang pamumuhay na noon pa man ay atin nang ipinaglalaban.

Mahigit dalawang linggo lamang ang nakakaraan nang balutin ng takot at pangamba ang lungsod ng Marawi sa lalawigan ng Lanao del Sur matapos itong pag-alsahan at kupkupin ng mga armadong pangkat na nakikipag-alyansa sa teroristang grupo.

Maraming buhay na ang naging kapalit ng labanan. Ayon sa huling ulat, mahigit 200 na ang naitalang namatay, kung saan hindi kukulangin sa 191 ay mula sa bandidong grupong Maute, 58 ay mula sa panig ng ating kapulisan at kasundaluhan, at hindi pa tiyak na bilang ng mga sibilyan.

Nitong Biyernes ng gabi lamang, 13 sundalong Marino ang nasawi habang 40 ang nasugatan.

Sa puntong ito, nais kong bigyang pugay ang mga makabagong Katipunero ng ating bansa: ang ating mga sundalo at pulis na araw at gabi ay patuloy na nag-aalay ng kanilang buhay sa ngalan ng serbisyo publiko upang pangalagaan ang kapayapaan sampu ng kaligtasan nating lahat laban sa kriminalidad at iba pang salot ng lipunan.

Marami nang naluklok at natapos magsilbi bilang Pangulo ng ating bansa. Manaka-naka’y tinatanong natin ang ating sarili: may pagbabago ba? Kapag ang sagot ay wala, nagtatanong tayo muli, bakit kaya?

Sa panahong kasalukuyan, dumating sa ating buhay ang isang pangulo na sa kanyang sariling guni-guni, pati sa kaisipan ng napakaraming Pilipino, ay hihindi sumapit na maging pangulo pala ng Pilipinas. Sa aking sariling opinyon at pagninilay-nilay gamit ang praktikal na lohika, kapag ang pinuno ay naiiba sa mga nauna sa kanya, mas may magandang pagkakataon magkaroon ng pag-asa at pagbabago.

Maaring ako ay mali o tama. Maaring kayo ay sang-ayon o hindi. At hindi ko naman kayo maaaring piliting yakapin ang aking paniniwala. Subali’t ako ang pangunahing tagapagsalita, kaya kahit pansamantala, wala kayong magagawa kundi dinggin ang aking pananalita.

Mga ilang ulit nang naisulat sa mga pahina ng kasaysayan kung paano nagging sangkap ang pagkakaisa nating mga Pilipino tungo sa pagkakamit ng iisang mithiin. Maraming ulit na nating napatunayan na kaya natin malampasan ang anumang uri ng pagsubok dulot ng pagmamalupit at pagmamalabis sa ating bayan.

Para sa ating lahat na naririto, ang pakikipaglaban para sa kalayaan ay hindi nagtapos kasabay ng proklamasyon ni Heneral Aguinaldo mahigit isang siglo na ang nakakalipas. Ang kalayaan ay hindi ginugunita bilang isang kabanata lamang ng kasaysayan. Manapa’y ito ay patuloy na ipinaglalaban at inaalagaan para sa kasalukuyang henerasyon at sa mga susunod pang salinlahi.

Sana ay hindi lamang tuwing ika-12 ng Hunyo natin nararamdaman ang pagkamakabayan at nasyonalismo. Mula sa ating makulay na kasaysayan, samahan pa ng taglay na likas na kagandahan ng bansang Pilipinas, tatlong mabubuting katangian at asal na pinamana sa ating mga magulang, masasabi nating sadyang masarap maging Pilipino.

Maligayang araw ng kalayaan sa ating lahat! Mabuhay ang lahi ng mga bayani! Mabuhay ang Pilipino! – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – For the first time since the Marcos dictatorship, the Philippines is celebrating Independence Day with a portion of the country – Mindanao – under martial law.

President Rodrigo Duterte had declared martial law in Mindanao on May 23, after clashes erupted between government forces and terrorists in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur. On Monday, June 12, as the country celebrated its 119th Independence Day, the most emotional scenes were understandably in the crisis-hit city.

In flag-raising ceremonies in Marawi City, soldiers and civilians wept as the flag was being raised. It was the first time they had raised the flag since the clashes began.

Gunfire and the sound of explosions from air strikes can still be heard in the city, with the siege on its 21st day.

In Manila, Duterte skipped the flag-raising ceremony at the Rizal Park. Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, who represented the President, said Duterte was not feeling well. The President, in his Independence Day message, earlier urged Filipinos to preserve Philippine sovereignty.

Vice President Leni Robredo led the ceremony instead. (READ: FULL TEXT: Robredo's Independence Day 2017 message)

In various parts of the country, other government officials took the lead. (READ: Philippine Independence Day 2017 events)

For some groups, Independence Day is a time for activism. Leftist group Bayan trooped to the United States embassy in Manila, where they denounced what they described as US "intervention" in the Philippines' affairs. There were some scuffles with riot police.

"Today, we remember that our national independence was brought about not by giving into fear but by holding onto the hope for a better tomorrow. That was how our heroes fought then. That is how we fight now," said Akbayan Representative Tom Villarin, as his group held an Independence Day protest in Plaza Miranda, Manila.

In Zambales, artists' group Dakila raised the flag in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), a "symbolic gesture" that had once been promised by the President himself.

Protesters in Makati City also called for an end to China's aggressiveness in the disputed waters, demanding that it respect Philippine sovereignty.

– Rappler.com

ZAMBALES, Philippines – Dakila, a group of activist artists, wrapped up its series of "creative and collaborative community events" here on Independence Day with members sailing to the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) to plant the Philippine flag. 

Members of the group sang the national anthem at sunrise to send off surfers to part of the disputed waters. After the Philippine flag was hoisted, surfers paddled out to bring the flag back to the waters and let it float in the West Philippine Sea.

With this "symbolic gesture," Dakila accomplished what President Rodrigo Duterte had only promised since the campaign period – to occupy the disputed territory in West Philippine Sea and raise a flag there.

"This symbolic gesture is an expression of our nationalism and our pledge in the continuous struggle for freedom," Micheline Rama, Dakila’s executive director, said in a statement on Monday, June 12. "Today, when many in our nation are still living in abject poverty, caught in the crossfire in conflict zones, immersed in a culture of hate and violence, and deprived of their civil liberties and human rights, can Filipinos still claim true freedom?"

Artists and advocates gathered at Greenspace Liwa from June 10 to 12 to take part in mural painting, spoken word, and acoustic performances, film screenings, coastal clean-ups, and climate talks. They also had discussions on freedom and human rights issues in the Philippines. 

“We wanted to create a safe space where discourses about freedom and human rights are done in a respectful manner. We want to listen to each other instead of simply talking against each other,” said Ralph Eya, Dakila’s education director, referring to social media "where discourse has become hostile." 

Organizers Dakila and Active Vista also gathered artists and youth groups to create a 1,260-square-foot mural called “Kulay ng Kalayaan,” depicting representations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Filipinos across the country and around the world celebrated the 119th independence day as it took on a more symbolic meaning this year. (READ: Tearful flag-raising in Marawi as PH celebrates Independence Day) 

This year's bservance took place on a backdrop of the martial law in Mindanao, with Filipino soldiers and cops putting their life on the line to liberate Marawi from local terrorists who claim links to the Islamic State (ISIS). – with a report from Raisa Serafica/Rappler.com 

OSLO, Norway – The Norwegian government on Monday, June 12, proposed a bill to ban the full-face Muslim veil in all schools, from nurseries to universities, saying it hinders communication between students and teachers. 

Norway's ruling coalition of conservative and anti-immigration rightwing parties had promised the ban last year, targeting the full-face veil called the niqab as well as burqas, balaclavas and masks. 

"We do not want clothes covering the face in nurseries, schools and universities," Minister of Education and Research Torbjorn Roe Isaksen said in a statement. 

"These clothes prevent good communication, which is important for students to receive a good education," he added.  

Norwegian authorities will consult over the coming months with those who could be affected by the draft law. 

Norwegian media reported the government can count on the support of most parties, saying the bill was expected to pass in the spring of 2018.

Local authorities in Norway already have the power to ban the veil in schools, however there is no uniform national policy. At this stage, the bill does not lay out consequences for disregarding the proposed law.   

The full-face veil is rather uncommon in Norway, even more so in schools, but the issue comes intermittently back into political debates. 

The Islamic Council, an umbrella organisation representing Muslims, hired a communication manager wearing a niqab, which sparked a heated discussion earlier this year. 

Legislative elections will take place on September 11 in the Nordic country.

"Clothes covering the face, like the niqab and the burqa, have no place in Norwegian schools. It is a fundamental value to be able to communicate with each other," Per Sandberg, interim minister of immigration and integration, said.  – Rappler.com

SINGAPORE – A 22-year-old Singaporean woman who was planning to go to Syria with her child and marry an Islamic State (ISIS) fighter has been detained without trial, the city-state's interior ministry said Monday, June 12.

Syaikhah Izzah Zahrah Al Ansari, who worked at a community nursery, was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA), the Ministry of Home Affairs said. 

"Izzah was intent on joining ISIS and was actively planning to make her way to Syria, with her young child," the ministry said in a statement.

"She supported ISIS's use of violence to establish and defend its self-declared 'caliphate', and aspired to live in it."

Izzah became radicalized from 18 after watching propaganda videos from the extremist group, and had formed an extensive network of foreign contacts, including ISIS militants and supporters, the MHA said, some of whom had been killed in Syria or arrested for terror-related activities. 

The daughter of Quranic teachers, she believed that having a husband who died in battle would give her "elevated status" and she could easily remarry in Syria, the MHA added. Her family tried to talk her out of it but to no avail.

The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore said the incident demonstrated the threat of self-radicalization is "very real". 

"An individual may fall prey to false narratives and teachings on the internet and social media, such that even a real life support structure may not be able to counter them," the council said in a statement. 

Singapore considers itself a prime target for terrorists because of the anti-terror role it plays and the interior ministry has warned that the terrorism threat was at its highest in recent years.

Since 2015, 14 Singaporeans have been detained under the ISA for radicalization, which allows for detention without trial for up to two years.

The region has been on high alert in recent weeks following a takeover of Marawi in the southern Philippines by Islamist militants flying the black flags of ISIS. 

During a recent regional security dialogue, Malaysian and Indonesian defense ministers said that as ISIS loses ground in the Middle East, returning fighters from Iraq and Syria will pose a problem in the years ahead.  – Rappler.com

CALIFORNIA, USA – After a dim and damp spell, the sun blazed on June 1, naturally spotlighting a cottage near downtown San Mateo that is now home for new family.

That sultry Thursday, 1201 South El Camino Real flung its doors wide open as San Mateo County Pride Center, where individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex or two-spirit, their relatives, friends, and allies may visit, celebrate, support each other and access resources available in the county and beyond.

Finally, as program director Lisa Putkey exulted, residents don't have to go to San Francisco to be themselves.

“The Pride Center is a space where the diversity of our community – regardless of age, gender, race, immigration status, income or abilities – can share stories, build relationships, learn, grow, create and heal together," Putkey, an expert on peace and conflict resolution, enunciated at the opening ceremonies.

"Together we are powerful…have the ability to overcome hate and oppression as long as we are bold, take risks, stand in solidarity, centering the voices of the most harmed amongst us until each one of us is honored, seen, heard, valued and loved," she added.

Perhaps knowing of a safe haven would adjust the numbers in a recent UCLA analysis of the 2010 US Census that found less than 2,000 same-sex couples living in San Mateo County, or 14th among the 58 districts. Meanwhile, a 2015 Gallup poll found that the San Francisco metropolitan area – covering San Mateo, Marin, Alameda and Contra Costa counties – leads the country with the highest concentration of people who identified as gay.  

Daly City, home to the biggest percentage of Filipinos in any town in the continental United States, is in San Mateo County. The San Jose area, including Santa Clara and San Benito counties, ranked 47th.

The Center is a gift from local nonprofits Daly City Partnerships, Outlet of Counseling Service, Peninsula Family Service, Pyramid Alternatives and StarVista collaborating with San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS). Funded by the California Mental Health Services Act, services promote well-being and empowerment of families.

It's no accident that the BHRS Equity and Diversity Program is directed by University of the Philippines alum Dr. Jei Africa, one of the highest ranking Filipino American county employees and a champion of gay rights.  

The Center is “unique because it brings together the clinical services for behavioral health and recovery and provides services for the community... and it also features an online resource," noted Africa, who sits on the LGBTQ Commission, co-founded the Filipino Mental Health Initiative, and directs clinical policies of ALLICE Alliance for Community Empowerment.

Counseling coordinator Gilbert Gammad and administrative specialist Llowellyn Sunga boost Filipino American representation at the center. Gammad, born in Berkeley to a military dad originally from Cagayan Valley in the Philippines, swaddled himself in a malong, the tubular attire worn by royalty among the Maranao of Mindanao.

“Pilipino ka ba? (Are you Filipino?)” the youth peer support counselor asked while I admired his wrap and nodded in confirmation. Woven from cotton in often geometric patterns, the malong kindles creativity.  It can be worn as a skirt, shawl, top, sash or turban. In my home, it dazzles any surface it drapes – couch, table, bed, wall, window, my torso. On a community advocate of Filipino descent at a historic event headlined by top county and city officials to honor an undeserved population, Gammad's gesture boldly declared his identity.

"Oo, bakla ako (Yes, I am gay)," he volunteered, embracing the term his new acquaintance informed him is a pejorative in many places, in fact the Tagalog counterpart of the "f" word for non-heterosexual folks. Turning the table on bigots, reclaiming the term and taking away its power to disparage, I'm reminded of how "queer" transitioned from insult to affirmation.

Inclusion joined pride as concepts that reverberated through the day's rites topbilling former State Assembly Member Rich Gordon, the first openly gay person elected in San Mateo County.

"I never thought the day would come that I would see the gay pride flag flying on El Camino Real," said Gordon, who had represented District 3 on the Board of Supervisors. "This is where I was raised, at a time and a place where — if you were gay — the only role that you had was in the closet. We’ve come a long way in 69 years."

Advocates herald June as Pride Month in commemoration of the 1969 riots in New York, where police stormed Stonewall, an inn frequented by the gay community.  Violent demonstrations ensued, united civil rights proponents and sparked the gay rights movement.

In 1970 Gay Pride marches began in key cities throughout the country, including San Francisco. While San Mateo has yet to lead its parade, the county amped up its welcome in 2014 by convening the LGBTQ Commission, a pioneer body for its independence from other county human services. 

In 2012 the county staged its first Pride Celebration in Central Park in downtown San Mateo. The fifth annual free event, dubbed "Still We Rise," unfolded on Saturday, June 10, at the same site, offering a learning experience amid food, music and fun.  It was for everyone to welcome – not merely tolerate – diversity and inclusiveness. – Rappler.com

For more information on the Pride Center, call 650-591-0133 or visit info@sanmateopride.org. 

DHAKA, Bangladesh – Bangladesh police on Monday, June 12, widened a sweeping crackdown against Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) militants, arresting at least 10 suspected extremists and seizing weapons, suicide vests and literature on Islamic jihad.

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) counter-terrorism force detained the suspects in a second day of raids targeting the homegrown extremist outfit blamed for numerous atrocities, including a cafe siege that killed 22 people, mostly foreigners.

Among those arrested was Shaykh Mamunur Rashid, an Islamic boarding school teacher in the capital Dhaka who is accused of translating extremist literature to "motivate" young recruits, said RAB spokesman Mufti Mahmud Khan.

"He misinterpreted the Koran and was working on spreading propaganda across the country," Khan told reporters, referring to the 34-year-old madrassa teacher.

Six youths aged between 19 and 23 were also detained in Dhaka with USB sticks containing militant information. They were planning "the murders of progressive Islamic scholars who protest extremism", said police spokesman Masudur Rahman.

In the northwestern district of Rajshahi, police raided an extremist hideout and seized two suicide vests and guns, local police chief Khurshid Hossain told the Agence France-Presse. Three suspects were arrested at the scene.

"We cannot yet confirm whether there are more explosives inside the house. Our experts will sweep the premises soon," said Hossain.

The arrests come a day after RAB units captured Imran Ahmed, 37, a garment factory owner and an alleged key decision-maker in JMB.

Bangladesh has been reeling from a spate of Islamist violence in recent years, with dozens of foreigners, secular writers, atheist activists and members of religious minorities killed.

The Islamic State group (ISIS) and Al-Qaeda have claimed responsibility for a number of attacks including the Dhaka cafe siege.

But Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has denied their involvement and blamed local groups like JMB for the carnage.

Since the cafe attack, security agencies have killed some 70 militants in raids and shootouts. Among them was a Bangladeshi-origin Canadian said to be the head of a new JMB faction and the mastermind of the cafe attack. – Rappler.com

BOLOGNA, Italy (UPDATED) –  France said on Monday, June 12, that the global fight against climate change was irreversible and could even be accelerated, despite Donald Trump's decision to pull the United States out of the Paris accord on carbon emissions.

Joining other G7 environment chiefs at talks in Italy, French minister Nicolas Hulot said US allies were determined not to let Trump's controversial climate stance "poison" cooperation on other ecological issues, and said the world could work around the US position, even though it is a damaging one.

"The only legal framework for climate negotiations is the accord and objectives fixed in Paris and there is no doubt that they are irreversible," said Hulot, a former TV star and a longstanding environmental campaigner who was persuaded to enter government by new French President Emmanuel Macron.

Hulot said US commitments on other environmental issues, notably cleaning up the world's plastic-choked oceans, were not in doubt, and the commitment of industry players to green technologies and renewable energy would not be affected by Trump's position.

While acknowledging that Trump's ending of US financing for developing countries affected by climate change was an important setback, he said France and other countries were looking at ways of compensating through multilateral banks.

"We have to stay prudent and not fall into catastrophism. The transition to a low-carbon economy is on the march and it has an irreversible dynamic, including in the United States," he said in comments that played on the name of Macron's "En Marche!" movement.

'Positive engagement'

"Now we want to try and accelerate rather than hit the brakes," Hulot added, promising to step up carbon-curbing overhauls at a national and European level.

As at a meeting of G7 leaders attended by Trump in Sicily last month, the two-day meeting in Bologna ended with the US disassociating itself from the final communique's section on climate change.

In a footnote, the US said it was showing its commitment to a reduced C02 footprint by achieving pre-1994 levels of the gas.

"The United States will continue to engage with key international partners in a manner that is consistent with our domestic priorities, preserving both a strong economy and a healthy environment," the note read. "Accordingly, we the United States do not join those sections of the communique on climate and MDBs, reflecting our recent announcement to withdraw and immediately cease implementation of the Paris Agreement and associated financial commitments."

Trump was represented in Bologna by Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt, who flew home at the end of the first day after insisting that the US was continuing to seek "positive engagement" with its partners in the club of wealthy democracies.

"The United States has always been a world leader when it comes to environmental stewardship," Pruitt said in a statement.

Hulot added: "Symbolically it is important that the US remains in an environmentalist dynamic, even if it wants to maintain a degree of latitude on climate change and prefers a bilateral approach to a multilateral one on that issue."

Pruitt left early to attend Trump's first full cabinet meeting on Monday.

Hulot's comments about the irreversibility of the deal struck in Paris in 2015 were echoed by other senior officials in Bologna. 

Erik Solheim, head of the UN Environment Programme, said Sunday that the six other G7 countries shared an "absolute determination" to keep climate action on track "whatever happens in the White House."

Unprecedented devastation

Patricia Espinosa, the UN official in charge of implementing the Paris accord, emphasised that the US could not take any concrete steps to exit Paris for three years, under the terms of the accord - a view the White House does not appear to share. 

Trump announced this month that the US would not be bound by Paris targets on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, saying they were unfairly damaging to the American economy and overly generous to India and China.

The Paris accord is aimed at capping the increase in global temperatures at two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels.

Scientists warn that the alternative is unprecedented devastation as sea levels rise and extreme storms, droughts and heatwaves becoming more common, endangering crops and fragile environments with knock-on effects in the form of new conflicts and mass movements of people escaping affected areas. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – After going to Cagayan de Oro on Monday, June 12, for an ocular inspection, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II decided to appeal to the Supreme Court (SC) to consider assigning Metro Manila as a venue for the prosecution and trial of cases against members of the Maute terror group.

"Secretary Aguirre will request to SC to reconsider earlier order and allow the transfer of the trial of the rebellion and other cases to Metro Manila due to security concerns and lack of adequate detention facilities," the Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a statement on Monday.

Aguirre led a DOJ delegation to Cagayan De Oro on Monday to meet with the City Prosecutor's Office to get an idea of how proceedings will go down. The SC had earlier designated Cagayan De Oro as the place of prosecution and trial of all cases connected to the Maute terror group's siege of Marawi City.

SC's decision went against Aguirre's earlier wishes to designate courts in either Luzon or Visayas to handle Maute-related cases. A change in venue is allowed in the constitution to avoid miscarriage of justice.

Camp Evangelista vs Metro Manila

The SC also earlier assigned the Fourth Infantry Division (4th ID) base in Cagayan De Oro, Camp Evangelista, as the detention location for those charged and will be charged for the siege. 

Earlier on Monday, Aguirre sent a letter to Interior Undersecretary Catalino Cuy to request the assistance of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology to provide manpower, food provisions and other related resources for the detained Maute members in Camp Evangelista.

In the letter, Aguirre said Camp Evangelista "lacks the necessary funds to provide for the daily needs i.e food, of the detained Maute members."

Before the day ended, Justice Undersecretary Erickson Balmes said that Aguirre has decided based on his assessment that a military camp in Metro Manila "can better secure the respondents."

Financial assistance

Aguirre also visited at Camp Evangelista soldiers who were wounded by the firefights in Marawi, and assigned Undersecretary Reynante Orceo to facilitate the financial assistance to the soldiers by way of the Board of Claims.

"Secretary Aguirre also gave P50,000 from his personal funds to the Directress of the Camp Evangelista Station Hospital for the needs of the wounded and recuperating soldiers," the DOJ said. 

"We cannot thank our soldiers enough for their bravery and gallant acts in the defense of our people in Marawi City. This is the least we can do for them," the DOJ quoted Aguirre as saying. – Rappler.com 

NEW DELHI, India – Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet US President Donald Trump in Washington this month, India's foreign ministry said Monday, June 12, as the world's two-largest democracies diverge on tackling climate change.

In a statement the ministry said the two leaders would meet on June 26 for the first time after Modi arrives in Washington for a two-day visit.

"Their discussions will provide a new direction for deeper bilateral engagement on issues of mutual interest," the ministry statement said.

Trump invited Modi to Washington after the Indian leader rang him in January to congratulate the new president on his inauguration. 

During the call, Trump underscored that the US "considers India a true friend and partner in addressing challenges around the world."

But this month, in announcing the US withdrawal from the Paris climate deal, Trump singled out India as a major polluter that he said would gain an edge over the US under the agreement – a charge New Delhi denied.

Modi vowed India, the world's third-largest polluter, would go "above and beyond" its commitments, as Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj rejected suggestions India acted disingenuously in signing the pact.

Ties between New Delhi and Washington warmed during the Obama years as India sought greater foreign investment and trade ties with Western nations.

But obstacles have already emerged in the early months of the Trump presidency.

A proposed overhaul of H-1B visas – working permits used by thousands of Indian software engineers to work in the United States -- has caused immense concern.

Modi's flagship "Make In India" policy, designed to reboot local manufacturing and ramp up exports in tandem with foreign investors, could also run aground on Trump's "America first" instincts.

Major US firms such as Walmart and Apple have grown frustrated by regulations and tariffs imposed by Indian authorities as they seek to crack what is a potentially massive market. – Rappler.com

ATHENS, Greece – A woman died and 10 people were hurt on Monday, June 12, when a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck the Greek islands of Lesbos and Chios and the Aegean coast of western Turkey, officials said.

The middle-aged victim had been trapped for around 7 hours in the ruins of her home in the Lesbos village of Vrisa, the area that bore the brunt of the strong quake and where several homes collapsed.

"Our fellow citizen who was trapped in the house that collapsed in Vrisa was pulled out dead," Lesbos mayor Spyros Galinos said in a tweet.

The earthquake also struck the Aegean coast of western Turkey after 1200 GMT.

Video footage shot by a Vrisa resident on a cellphone showed masonry from several single and two-level homes clogging the streets. 

"It's a difficult situation, we are facing a disaster," Christiana Kalogirou, governor of the north Aegean region, told Greek state TV station ERT, adding: "Some 10 people are injured."

"The army is bringing in tents so people can spend the night," she said, adding that the south of Lesbos had taken the brunt of the quake.

The tremor, felt as far as Athens and Izmir in Turkey, damaged at least 3 churches and shops in south Lesbos, local owners said, while rock slides blocked some roads.

"The street is full of plaster. I hope this peters out because people are very distressed," said Yiorgos Patarelis, a shop owner in the nearby port of Plomari.

Lesbos Deputy Mayor Manolis Armenakas told ERT: "We have damage to several buildings, old and new."

Infrastructure Minister Christos Spirtzis said two people had been hospitalized.

In Vrisa, a traditional village inhabited mainly by elderly people, "dozens of homes have collapsed and village roads are blocked," regional fire service supervisor Marios Apostolides told ERT.

Engineers were sent in from Athens to assess the damage and vet damaged homes.

Agence France-Presse reporters in Izmir, Turkey's third-largest city, said the earthquake was felt in the centre and caused alarm among residents.

Several aftershocks

The US Geological Survey said the epicenter of the quake was in the Aegean sea 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) south of Plomari, and there were several aftershocks.

The Athens Geodynamic Institute said the quake had a depth of just 10 kilometers.

"If this quake had happened on land the consequences would have been far greater," said seismologist Costas Papazachos.

Lesser damage was reported on Chios and there were no reports   of damage or casualties  at the refugee camps in the east and north of Lesbos.

Agence France-Presse reporters in Izmir, Turkey's third-largest city, said the earthquake was felt in the centre and caused alarm among residents but there were no immediate reports od casualties from there.

Turkey and Greece sit on significant fault lines and have regularly been hit by earthquakes in recent years.

This year alone, Turkey's western Aegean coast has been hit by several earthquakes of up to 5.5 magnitude, which brought back memories of past deadly earthquakes.

On August 17, 1999, an earthquake measuring more than 7.0 magnitude near the city of Izmit devastated vast zones in the country's densely populated northwestern zone, notably around Istanbul, killing over 17,000 people.

A month later, a 5.9-magnitude quake killed 143 people in Athens and the region northwest of the capital. – Rappler.com

MIAMI, USA – Hundreds of people gathered at dawn Monday, June 12, in the Florida resort city of Orlando to pay their respects to the 49 people killed by a gunman one year ago at the Pulse gay nightclub.

The shooting spree on June 12, 2016 by Omar Mateen – who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State before turning his weapons on revelers – also left more than 50 people wounded.

The building, soon to be converted into a museum, opened its doors at 2 am local time to relatives of the victims and survivors of the attack for a private ceremony attended by city officials in which the names of the dead were read out loud.

"No matter how dark the night, the sun is always going to shine," Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer told the gathering.

Outside, a makeshift memorial was erected with the rainbow flags of the gay rights movement, pictures of the slain, flowers, candles, soft toys and other offerings.

The massacre was the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history, and the worst US terror attack since September 11, 2001.

"We will NEVER FORGET the victims who lost their lives one year ago today in the horrific #PulseNightClub shooting," President Donald Trump said on Twitter.

Forty-nine people dressed as angels, in large white wings and carrying candles, surrounded the building. 

The so-called "Angel Force" was formed days after the attack to protect mourners from anti-gay protesters.

"The one silver lining that we can find in all of this, is the amount of love and the amount of care that everybody has for each other," Viviana Torche, one of the people attending the memorial, told local news station WFTV.

At mid-day, a small group of anti-gay protesters came to the scene, carrying a sign with homophobic slurs, but the majority of the crowd wore rainbow-adorned garb to support gay rights.

Christopher Hansen, another person paying his respects, told the Orlando Sentinel that he managed to escape the nightclub but stayed outside to help the wounded on the night of the attack.

"The emotion is too much for words," Hansen said. 

"I've come back here several times but this was different. Seeing this mural with the faces of the 49, seeing all these people here to support and remember and honor their lives, it's just so beautiful."

Orlando United Day

Local authorities declared Monday "Orlando United Day" while Florida Governor Rick Scott said June 12 would be known as "Pulse Remembrance Day," with flags to be flown at half-staff across the state.

Scott visited the scene of the shooting early on Monday and observed a minute of silence.

"This was an attack on Orlando, our state, the Hispanic community and on the LGBTQ community. It left a solemn impact on our state that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives," Scott said on Friday, June 9, when announcing the new memorial day.

The majority of the victims of the shooting were Hispanic. A quarter of the 2.3 million inhabitants in the greater Orlando area are Hispanic, and half of those are of Puerto Rican heritage, according to the US census bureau. 

Orlando, a city of 260,000 in central Florida, is well known as the host of vast Disney and Universal Studios amusement parks and resorts.

Thousands of people were expected to gather on the banks of Lake Eola in the center of the city at 7:00 pm (2300 GMT) for a memorial vigil. – Rappler.com

WASHINGTON DC, USA – More than one in 10 people worldwide are now obese and 2.2 billion are believed to be overweight, fueling a global health crisis that claims millions of lives every year, according to a major new international study released on Monday, June 12.

Obesity numbers have more than doubled in 73 countries and surged elsewhere around the world since the launch in 1980 of the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Conducted in 195 countries over a 35-year period, the research presented at a conference in Stockholm on Monday is billed as the most comprehensive carried out to date on the subject of obesity.

At the conclusion of the study in 2015, 107.7 million children and 603.7 million adults worldwide were deemed to be obese, triggering what its authors described as "a growing and disturbing global public health crisis."

Even though the obesity rate in children remained lower than among adults, it had grown at a faster rate during the study period – a finding experts described as especially "worrisome."

"Excess body weight is one of the most challenging public health problems of our time, affecting nearly one in every three people," said Dr. Ashkan Afshin, the paper's lead author and an assistant professor of global health at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington in Seattle.

"Over the past decade, numerous interventions have been evaluated, but very little evidence exists about their long-term effectiveness," he added, announcing a new 10-year partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization to evaluate global progress in controlling excess weight.

A total of 2.2 billion people – 30% of the world population – were believed to be either obese or overweight by 2015.

The World Health Organization had estimated the number of overweight people at 1.9 billion in 2014, including more than 600 million who were obese.

Excess weight is linked to sharply increased rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some types of cancer.

Four million deaths in 2015 were linked to having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 24.5, indicating a person is overweight, or of 30 or more, indicating obesity. BMI is calculated by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by their height in centimeters squared.

Of those deaths, more than 40% involved people deemed non-obese – indicating that being overweight, even without being obese, is leading to millions of premature deaths.

More than 2/3 of deaths linked to a raised BMI were attributed to cardiovascular diseases, marking a sharp increase since 1990.

'Global epidemic'

Of the world's most populous countries, the rate of obesity among children and young adults was highest in the United States, at 13%, while Egypt had the highest rate of obesity among adults, at 35% of the population.

The lowest rates of adult obesity were in Bangladesh and Vietnam, both at one percent.

China and India had the highest number of obese children – respectively 15.3 and 14.4 million.

The United States and China, meanwhile, had the greatest number of obese adults – respectively 79.4 and 57.3 million.

In an editorial accompanying the study, Dr. Edward Gregg and Dr. Jonathan Shaw, both epidemiologists at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the most worrisome finding was the approximate tripling of obesity in youth and young adults of middle-income countries – namely China, Brazil, and Indonesia.

"An early onset of obesity is likely to translate into a high cumulative incidence of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease," they warned.

The study was based on the latest data provided by the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, which tracks the impact of more than 300 types of pathology and injury in 133 countries.

Its chief goal was to understand, on a global scale, what is driving "the current global epidemic of disease" related to high body weight, the authors said.

The research was unveiled Monday at the annual EAT Stockholm Food Forum, which brings together scientists, business leaders and policy makers to address ways to transform the global food system to help solve the challenges of climate, sustainable development and health. – Rappler.com

LOS ANGELES, USA – A US appeals court on Monday, June 12, upheld a decision to block President Donald Trump's controversial travel ban targeting citizens from 6 Muslim majority nations – the latest in a string of stinging judicial blows for the Republican billionaire.

The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit kept in place a lower court injunction on the ban, arguing the president had overstepped his authority and his executive order discriminated against travelers based on their nationality.

The matter was already headed for the Supreme Court, as another federal appeals court had already ruled against the Republican president, and the Justice Department had asked the high court to hear the case.

But the Ninth Circuit ruling certainly was another setback for Trump in his quest to see the measure put into effect.

"Immigration, even for the president, is not a one-person show," the 3 justices – all appointed by former president Bill Clinton – said in their unanimous ruling. 

"The president, in issuing the executive order, exceeded the scope of the authority delegated to him by Congress."

The judges said the government had failed to prove "any link between an individual's nationality and their propensity to commit terrorism," and cited a June 5 tweet by Trump to back their argument.

"Indeed, the president recently confirmed his assessment that it is the 'countries' that are inherently dangerous, rather than the 180 million individual nationals of those countries who are barred from entry under the president's 'travel ban,'" the judges wrote.

"National security is not a 'talismanic incantation' that, once invoked, can support any and all exercise of executive power," they added.

Checks and balances

The judges ruled against Trump on both the effort to bar from US entry travelers from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days, and on the clause suspending the refugee program for 120 days.

That went one step farther than the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, which only upheld the part of the measure naming the specific countries.

The judges did appear to back the administration in saying that the government was within its rights to review existing vetting procedures for travelers from the 6 countries concerned.

Douglas Chin, the attorney general for Hawaii, one of the states challenging the executive order, said the ruling was a clear message to the administration that it was not above the law.

"I stated from the beginning that the president must act in a way that follows the laws and constitution of the United States," Chin said in a statement. 

"Our system of checks and balances, enshrined in the Constitution for more than 225 years, remains in place."

Heading to the Supreme Court

The ruling came just ahead of a deadline for states challenging the travel ban to submit briefs to the Supreme Court in response to the Trump administration's request that the nine justices hear the case.

The US Justice Department filed an emergency application to the Supreme Court on June 1, urging it to undo the Fourth Circuit's ruling.

Trump issued an initial travel ban by executive order in January, but that measure – which banned entry to nationals from 7 countries for 90 days and suspended the nation's refugee program for 120 days – was quickly halted by the courts.

A revised executive order announced in March – meant to address the issues raised by the federal judges – deleted Iraq from the list and removed an indefinite ban on Syrian refugees. This is the measure affected by the Ninth Circuit ruling.

The Trump administration argues the measures are needed to ward off terror attacks in the country, but critics say the ban is discriminatory and violates the US constitution by specifically targeting Muslim-majority countries.

The Justice Department declined to comment on the latest ruling.

No justification for ban

In refusing to reinstate the travel ban, the Ninth judges said there was no evidence presented by the Trump administration to back the measure – and pointed to a government report to support their decision.

The Department of Homeland Security report – issued just after Trump's first executive order – concluded that citizenship of any given country "is unlikely to be a reliable indicator of potential terrorist activity" and that citizens from the countries targeted by Trump's ban are "rarely implicated in US-based terrorism."

Jessica Levinson, a law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, said Monday's ruling was yet another signal that Trump's executive order was on weak legal footing.

"At this point, it's surprising if a court rules in favor of the travel ban," Levinson told Agence France-Presse.

She said she did not expect the Supreme Court to consider the case before the fall, making it difficult for the administration to defend its argument that the travel ban was urgently needed.

"The longer it goes on, in a way the worse it is for the Trump administration because they claimed they needed this right away for national security," she said.

"It's harder to argue that time is of the essence when so much time goes by." – Rappler.com

LONDON, United Kingdom – British Prime Minister Theresa May took the blame for the ruling Conservatives' disastrous performance at last week's elections, as she faced her party's angry MPs on Monday, June 12, seeking to ward off any challenge to her leadership.

"I got us into this mess, and I'm going to get us out," May told Conservatives MPs during the meeting in Westminster.

May's Conservatives unexpectedly lost their majority in parliament in Thursday's (June 8) snap general election, causing political chaos ahead of Brexit talks with the European Union set to start next week and prompting calls – from within her own party – for her resignation.

But one MP present at the meeting said there was no discussion of a leadership contest, adding "she's won, she's got to be prime minister".

The chaos has also weighed on the pound, which has plunged almost 2% since Thursday, and the government may have to delay the announcement of its policy plans to parliament.

May vowed to stay on despite the poor results, and on Sunday, June 11 unveiled a largely unchanged new cabinet, which met for the first time on Monday.

The Conservative Party fell 8 seats short of retaining its parliamentary majority, and is now in talks with Northern Ireland's ultra-conservative Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) – which won 10 seats – to forge an informal alliance.

DUP leader Arlene Foster is due to meet May on Tuesday, June 13, for crunch talks, which could force the delay of the government's presentation of its legislative program to parliament by Queen Elizabeth II, due on June 19.

"Obviously until we have that we can't agree the final details of the Queen's Speech," said May's deputy Damian Green, referring to an agreement with the DUP.

'Walk away' with no deal

Brexit minister David Davis insisted the government still aimed to take Britain out of the EU single market in order "to take back control of our borders".

He also told BBC radio that the government would "walk away" without a deal if the talks break down on ending Britain's four-decade membership of the European bloc.

But Ruth Davidson, the pro-EU leader of the Conservatives in Scotland, called on May to "reopen" the government's Brexit plans.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said May's government lacked the credibility necessary for Brexit talks and should delay the negotiations.

And according to The Daily Telegraph, some of the most senior members of May's team have held "secret talks" with members of the opposition Labour Party to ensure a soft Brexit.

They hope to force May to make concessions on immigration, the customs union and the single market, the newspaper reported on Tuesday.

'Dead woman walking'

May has a busy schedule on Tuesday, hosting a cabinet meeting and talks with the DUP leader before traveling to Paris to meet French President Emmanuel Macron. 

Brexit will likely be on the agenda at the Paris meeting, after May confirmed she will stick to the negotiating timetable.

"Going abroad and being seen to be the prime minister and talking to the president of France... is a classic move to shore up authority at home," said Colin Talbot, professor of government at the University of Manchester.

May tried to reassert her shattered authority at the weekend by announcing her new cabinet – with no changes among her top team. 

In a surprise move, Michael Gove was appointed environment and agriculture minister less than a year after the prime minister sacked him as justice minister.

After the Labour party made hefty electoral gains by focusing heavily on social issues, May listed areas such as education and housing as top policy priorities.

May has shown little public contrition for her electoral gamble that backfired spectactularly, but was forced to accept the resignations of her two top aides – reportedly a requirement by cabinet colleagues for allowing her to stay in office.

Concern over DUP deal

DUP leader Foster said there had been "positive engagement" so far.

"We are going into these talks with the national interest at heart. The union as I've said before is our guiding star," she said.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the government was not looking at a formal coalition but would seek assurances that the DUP would vote with May "on the big things".

He stressed he did not share their ultra-conservative views on issues such as abortion and homosexuality, which have caused disquiet among many Conservatives.

The deal has also caused consternation in Dublin, with Irish premier Enda Kenny warning such an alliance could upset Northern Ireland's fragile peace.

London's neutrality is key to the delicate balance of power in Northern Ireland, which was once plagued by violence over Britain's control of the province. – Rappler.com

MARAWI CITY, Philippines – The city is slowly coming back to life even as the battle continues to rage inside 3 or 4 barangays, including its financial district Banggolo.

The city hall and the capitol held simultaneous flag-raising ceremonies on Monday, June 12, to join the country’s commemoration of its 119^th year of independence. It’s a symbol of defiance against local terrorist groups that sought to take over the city and establish an Islamic caliphate, according to the military. The military dropped bombs on enemy strongholds while the city tearfully sang the national anthem.

Several sari-sari stores have re-opened. “Parang safe na (It seems safe now),” said a vendor just outside the provincial capitol. Local officials have also begun talks on re-opening the Mindanao State University (MSU) and other schools.

But in the battle zone, the situation is dire.

Soldiers have taken the bridges going into Banggolo, the business district battered by the clashes, but enemy snipers and ongoing fighting continue to prevent the rescue of trapped civilians.

Trapped residents are feared to be dying of hunger.

The spokesman for the Crisis Management Committee, Zia Alonto Adiong, said he got a report that a child died of hunger. “I was approached by a police officer. He told me that one of his friends received a text message that there is a family in Raya Madaya with his Christian employees. Apparently, the kid already died of hunger and the family started eating their blankets,” Adiong said on Monday.

The report has yet to be validated but residents who escaped the combat zone spoke of braving the snipers of the terrorists because of fear they would die of hunger.

This was the situation of 81-year-old retired judge Amer Pundogar who was rescued from his home at Barangay Lilod Bless on June 8. A nurse at the clinic inside the capitol told Rappler that Pundogar was found extremely dehydrated and weak, apparently due to lack of food.

The military has been pressing forward, but admitted that the homegrown terrorists carry the advantage of knowing the terrain better.

On June 9, a total of 13 marines were killed when they pressed forward. While they were conducting combat clearing operations, terrorists were able to get near, set the troops' position ablaze and exploded mortar rounds.

Die inside or die getting out

Adiong has encouraged trapped residents who still have access to information to try to walk towards the bridges where the soldiers are positioned.

Adioing said he knows the risks but it may only be the recourse left as the military has stopped humanitarian workers from crossing the bridges because it's too risky.

“Either they die inside the house or they die trying to get out,” Adiong said. 

Volunteers from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have been in touch with trapped residents to guide them which routes to take towards to the bridge.

On Sunday, June 11, efforts for the "Peace Corridor" guided 4 trapped residents out of the combat zone. But they lost touch with 10 others. On Monday, at least 5 more villagers were able to get out. 

Distress calls are rarer now, possibly because the batteries have run out.

The retrieval of dead bodies on the streets is another problem that the local government has yet to deal with.

“There are dead bodies lying on the ground. Some of the dead bodies are already in the advance stage of decomposition. We get a lot of these testimonies from the witness, the people we rescued,” said Alonto.

It's Day 22 of the Marawi Crisis on Tuesday, June 13. The local government does not have the full extent yet of the damage caused by the clashes.

“I want to ready myself for the worst scenario. We need to ready ourselves for the worst once the bridges open,” said Adiong. – Rappler.com