SYDNEY, Australia – Australia's parliament has passed laws to strip dual nationals of their citizenship if they are convicted of terrorism offenses or found to have fought with banned groups overseas, despite concerns about deporting known militants.

Attorney-General George Brandis said the Australian Citizenship Amendment (Allegiance to Australia) Bill, passed late Thursday, December 3, updated existing law to reflect "the new age of terrorism".

"The legislation will strip Australian citizenship from dual citizens who are involved in terrorist conduct overseas or convicted of a terrorism offence in Australia," he said Friday.

"It will also ensure terrorists who are dual nationals are prevented from returning to Australia and dual nationals who engage in terrorism within Australia can be removed where possible."

Brandis said the changes were necessary given the current threat around the world and in Australia – where the risk of a terror attack is deemed by officials to be "probable".

Canberra has been increasingly concerned about the flow of fighters to Iraq and Syria to join extremist groups such as Islamic State, with some 110 Australians currently fighting in the region. As many as 45 have died in the conflict.

The Attorney-General said the new laws, which will not render individuals stateless, will apply in "very limited circumstances".

They cover people who engage in terrorist acts, including training, recruitment and finance, and are convicted of a terrorist offence and sentenced to at least six years in jail.

Those who fight for a declared terrorist group also automatically lose their citizenship. 

"Dual nationals who engage in terrorism are betraying their allegiance to this country and do not deserve to be Australian citizens," Brandis said.

The legislation, which has opposition Labor Party backing, raised concerns in the Senate about the possibility of those deported committing further acts once overseas.

But Brandis told the chamber that such people would be placed "into the hands of the government of the other nation of which they are dual citizens".

"It will be for that government to deal with them and to take whatever action, according to its domestic law, it seems appropriate to take," he said.

Civil libertarians have also criticised the law as not only unnecessary, but for creating "two tiers of citizenship" -- those who can have their Australian citizenship revoked because they are dual nationals and those who cannot.

"It is a fundamental error to expressly legislate for two classes of Australian citizenship," the Joint Councils for Civil Liberties said in a letter last month. 

"It emboldens the rhetoric of extremists who would assert that there are 'true' Australians and then there are 'others'. It will support those who want to divide us rather than to unite us." – Rappler.com

QUITO, Ecuador –  Ecuador's Congress voted overwhelmingly on Thursday, December 3, to lift presidential term limits from 2021, triggering violent demonstrations that saw police attacked with spears, clubs and home-made rockets.

Ecuador now joins fellow leftist-led Latin American nations Venezuela and Nicaragua in allowing multiple re-elections.

After 9 hours of debate, and opposition protests in the streets of Quito and other cities, the legislature – dominated by supporters of President Rafael Correa – voted 100-8 in favor of the constitutional amendments.

While the legislature barred Correa from running for re-election in the 2017 national polls, he could become a candidate in 2021. The socialist leader has been in power since 2007.

Protests, sometimes violent, were held in the country's main cities, including Guayaquil, Ecuador's most populous city.

Protesters wanted lawmakers to refrain from voting on the proposal, or at least have it put to a popular vote – as will happen in Bolivia in February.

In the capital Quito, Interior Minister Jose Serrano said that a "violent" group attacked police with spears, stones and clubs.

Outside Congress, a large crowd hurled stones, clubs and fired rockets at police, who took cover behind large shields.

Protesters, some wearing hoods, were seen charging riot police on horseback with spears.

"We're living in a dictatorship. This is a dictatorship because it's arrogant and authoritarian, it's a government that does what it wants with our resources," said one protester, Patricia Pinto, 43.

Protest organizers said that 20 people had been arrested, but police did not release arrest figures.

"Indefinite re-election is a mechanism that can provide moments of stability," but ultimately it "weakens democracy," political scientist Daniel Montalvo told AFP. – Rappler.com

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Critics have hit out against a new Malaysian security law granting unprecedented emergency powers to the government, which they say is aimed at quashing challenges to scandal-tainted Premier Najib Razak and is propelling the country toward dictatorship.

Malaysia's parliament passed the National Security Council Bill late Thursday, December 3 – the final day of the chamber's 2015 sitting – just two days after it was tabled, spurring opposition accusations that it was quickly rammed through to thwart scrutiny and debate.

It gives a council headed by the prime minister authority to declare emergency powers to address security threats, arrest people without warrants, and otherwise curb basic constitutional freedoms without judicial oversight, critics say.

The legislation has struck a nerve in Malaysia, where Najib's government already has been accused of eroding civil liberties and democratic rights as it digs in following electoral setbacks and a damaging scandal.

It comes as Najib's ruling party prepares for its annual meeting next week, the first such gathering since the explosive allegation in July that the premier had received nearly $700 million dollars in still-unexplained payments.

"The National Security Council bill is nothing but a brazen attempt at silencing all criticism of the Najib administration, particularly Najib himself," said Azmin Ali, a top opposition leader.

"This law will take us only to one path, and that is the path to dictatorship."

The opposition and other critics complain of escalating pressure by authorities – including dozens of arrests for sedition and other charges – since a 2013 election setback for the long-ruling coalition dominated by Najib's United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).

Speculation is rising that the financial scandal could be the final straw that dumps the coalition from power after nearly 6 decades, and that the government is maneuvering to prevent that by any means.

The next elections are due by 2018.

'Tool for repression'

Introducing the bill earlier this week, government officials denied it was an unconstitutional "power grab", saying it was needed to protect national security.

But Malaysian Bar Council President Steven Thiru said all fundamental civil rights in regards to "arrest, search and seizure of property can be ignored or suspended," under the law. 

"This is a grave infringement of the federal constitution," he said.

Human Rights Watch on Thursday called it "truly frightening" and "quite clearly a tool for repression". 

Critics say Malaysia already has an ample array of tough security laws.

Najib came into office in 2009 with support for UMNO's coalition that was in free-fall over its authoritarian ways, hardball politics and frequent corruption scandals.

He pledged a new era of openness, scrapping some repressive laws, but opponents say the National Security Council move constitutes two steps backwards.

Najib's financial scandal has rocked UMNO, with some influential party figures calling for his resignation.

But he has purged or sidelined key critics and retains a firm grip on the party leadership. He is not expected to face significant opposition to his continued leadership during next week's party assembly.

While denying wrongdoing, Najib refuses comment on the source, purpose or ultimate fate of the funds he received. Investigations by his government appear to have stalled, and whistleblowers have been arrested or harassed.

The funding revelation followed months of allegations that huge sums were missing from a state-owned investment firm that Najib launched. No clear link has been made between the two episodes. – Dan Martin, AFP/Rappler.com

BANGKOK, Thailand – Thai police on Friday, Decmber 4, said Moscow's top intelligence agency has warned a group of 10 militants from the self-styled Islamic State (ISIS) has entered the kingdom to target Russians.

A leaked letter, marked "secret" and "urgent" and signed by the deputy head of Thailand's special branch, was widely circulated on local media late Thursday.

It said Moscow's Federal Security Service (FSB) has told Thai police that 10 Syrian militants from ISIS entered the country between October 15 and 31 to target Russian interests.

Thailand is a major holiday destination for Russian tourists, particularly during the peak Christmas and New Year holidays.

"They (the Syrians) travelled separately. Four went to Pattaya, two to Phuket, two to Bangkok and the other two to (an) unknown location," the letter said, citing the information from Russia's top intelligence agency.

"Their purpose is to create bad incidents to effect Russians and Russia's alliance with Thailand," the letter said, without naming the suspects.

The Russian Embassy in Bangkok could not be immediately reached for comment.

But a deputy spokesman for the Thai police said "the letter is real".

"So far it's only intelligence news that still needs to be proved... we have no proof if they are here for real or not," Songpol Wattanachai told reporters.

"Please be confident (in Thailand) – we won't disregard the intelligence." 

Thailand is in its peak holiday season when international arrivals surge, bringing huge sums of money to the economy.

Any confirmation that ISIS has entered the country will likely cause panic among holidaymakers, especially in busy resort areas such as Phuket and Pattaya – both popular with Russians.

Russia launched strikes against ISIS targets in September. 

A month later a Russian passenger plane was brought down by a bomb over the Sinai desert in Egypt killing 224 people, mainly Russian holidaymakers.

Islamic State later claimed responsibility for bombing and the November 13 attacks on Paris which killed 130 people, raising the global alarm over the possibility of further terror attacks by groups of gunmen and bombers. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – President Benigno Aquino III on Thursday, December 3, took potshots at the rivals of his favored successor in the 2016 presidential race, as he urged Filipinos in Italy to vote wisely in next year's elections.

In a meeting with members of the Filipino community at the Erfige Palace Hotel in Rome, Aquino said voters should better acquaint themselves with candidates vying for the top post of the land.

"Suriin po natin ang mga pagpipilian natin. Mayroon po diyan, inakusahan ng pagsasamsam ng kaban ng bayan sa pagkatagal-tagal na panahon. Kung totoo ang alegasyon at nagnanakaw nga itong taong ito, ano po kaya ang matitira para tustusan ang pagpapaganda ng buhay na ipinapangako niya?" he said, in obvious reference to Vice President Jejomar Binay.

(Let's scrutinize our choices. One is accused of pocketing public funds for a very long time. If allegations are true that this person did steal, what would remain [of our national coffers] to support the better life that he's promising?)

'Half-baked promises'

Apparently referring to Senator Grace Poe, Aquino said that there's a candidate who promises to surpass his achievements, but has not provided any concrete plan to accomplish this.

"Pakinggan nating mabuti. Ni minsan hindi niya nasabi kung paano tutuparin ang pangako. Walang konteksto, walang plano, panay batikos at hilaw na pangako. Akala po yata niya, 'pag nahalal siya, gigising siya kinabukasan sa isang bagong umaga nang may solusyon na sa lahat ng mga binanggit niyang problema," he said.

(If we listen carefully, she has not mentioned once how she would deliver on this promise. There's no context, no plan, all criticism and half-baked promises. She seems to think that once elected, she'll wake up the next day to a new morning with solutions to all the problems that she had mentioned.)

Aquino also obviously referred to Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte when he cited a candidate who vowed to "kill a lot of people." (READ: Duterte: 'Am I the death squad? True')

"Ang isa pa, dadaanin lang daw basta ang kampanya sa social media – siguro po, hindi siya mulat na hindi ka makakapagpatayo ng kalsada at makakapagpakain ng nagugutom gamit lang ang Facebook," he said.

(And another thing, he said he will course his campaign through social media. Perhaps, he's now aware that he can't build roads and feed the hungry just using Facebook.)

'Choose continuity'

The President mentioned only one vice presidential aspirant, whom he did not name as well, but was apparently referring to Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (READ: Bongbong Marcos: Aquino must move on)

"Ang postura daw po niya, gagawin niya ang tama, pero hindi naman niya maamin ang mga pagkakamaling nagawa sa nakaraan. Di po ba: kung hindi niya sinasabing mali, malamang palagay niya ay tama ito. Kung palagay niya tama, malamang din po, uulitin niya ang mga pagkakamaling ito," he said.

(His posturing his, he will do what is right, but he cannot admit the mistakes committed [by his father] in the past. Isn't it that if he cannot say it's wrong, he probably thinks it's right. If he thinks it's right, he'll likely repeat this mistake.)

Again not naming anyone, but apparently referring to administration standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II, Aquino expressed hope that voters would choose someone who can continue, and improve on, the country's gains under his administration.

In a statement, Binay's spokesperson, Rico Quicho said, "We find it unfortunate that the President has forgotten his statement last year that Vice President Binay should be presumed innocent, a right accorded to all individuals under our Constitution."

He added that Aquino should have provided an "honest appraisal" of all the presidential candidates, including Roxas, who had been criticized for "incompetence and inaction" when he was a Cabinet official.

During his speech, Aquino also presented his administration's achievements on various fronts which, he said, had turned the Philippines from being the chronic "sick man of Asia" into the "new darling of Asia."

Aquino arrived in Rome on December 1 for a 4-day official visit to Rome and Vatican City.

He was set to meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Friday morning (late Friday afternoon, Manila time) before flying back to Manila in the afternoon. – Rappler.com

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (UPDATED) – Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday night, December 3, identified the Jesuit priest who allegedly abused him in high school, and said he was “afraid” to file a complaint at the time.

But he added he had already forgiven the priest who was his teacher when he was a freshman student at the Ateneo de Davao high school.

The now deceased priest, Mark* Falvey SJ, also reportedly molested other students, according to Duterte.

Duterte was a student of Ateneo de Davao high school before he was expelled and went to Holy Cross of Digos.

Duterte told Rappler, "I will not file a case against the priest because I belong to the Catholic Church," while some of those molested reportedly filed complaints. Falvey, according to Duterte, was ordered to pay "P16* million” in damages.

Father Emmanuel Alfonso SJ, spokesman of the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus, later clarified that Falvey belonged to the Far East Province of their religious order.

"They were all kicked out of China during Mao Tse Tung's takeover and stayed in the Philippines while waiting for a possible return to China. He went back to the USA after 5 or 6 years and died there in '75," the Jesuit spokesman said in a text message Friday, December 4.

Alfonso added: "He was posthumously accused of abuses committed [in the US], and I think if there were any settlements, Mayor Duterte may be referring to that. He never belonged to the Philippine Province." Complaints or cases are brought before the province that a Jesuit belongs to.

Alfonso said the Philippine Province researched on Falvey only after Duterte talked about the abuse that the priest allegedly committed.

Lost innocence

The presidential aspirant first revealed the abuse he allegedly suffered in the hands of a priest after he was criticized for jokingly cursing the Pope for the traffic that the latter’s visit caused in Metro Manila last January. 

“It was a case of fondling – you know what – he did during confession, that’s how we lost our innocence early,” he said.

“I was only 14 or 15, I am now 70 years old. How do you suppose I should file a case?” Duterte said.

Duterte's disclosure was in response to the bishops’ admonition. He challenged Catholic bishops to answer for sexual abuses of priests. 

Duterte's revelation on sexual abuse surprised even his daughter Sara who told reporters her father never opened up about it to them. 

Earlier, Rappler published stories about the sex abuse suffered by a former Ateneo de Zamboanga high school student in the hands of a Jesuit seminarian about 30 years ago. – with reports by Editha Caduaya and Paterno Esmaquel II/Rappler.com 

*Editor's Note: In a previous version of this story, the priest was identified as Paul Falvey SJ. This was corrected to Mark Falvey. The previous amount cited as having been paid by Falvey was P25 million; Duterte said it was P16 million.

MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Immigration said on Friday, December 4, that it intercepted the flights of 12 Filipinos about to become victims of trafficking at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.

According to BI Commissioner Siegfred Mison, 9 female and 3 male passengers aged 31 to 46 years old initially claimed they were traveling to Macau as a group as an incentive of their employer.

But separate interviews conducted by the BI revealed that the 12 people were recruited by a certain Bernadeth Menor, another passenger who promised them housecleaning jobs in China, Hong Kong, or Macau as long as they each pay her a sum ranging between P15,000 and P17,000. 

Mison said all the passengers are under investigation by the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking.

The commissioner reminded the public against illegal recruiters who promise Filipinos employment opportunities abroad without undergoing due process. (PODCAST: Ethical recruitment of OFWs) 

“We enjoin our kababayan (countrymen) to secure the required Overseas Employment Certificate from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration before going abroad to work. This will ensure that they will not fall victim to illegal recruiters and human trafficking syndicates,” Mison said.

Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have long been warned against becoming victims of illegal recruiters. However, “slow” government processes in securing OFWs’ travel and working documents make them vulnerable to trafficking. 

Based on the 2013 Commission for Filipinos Overseas Compendium of Statistics, there are 1.34 million undocumented Filipino migrant workers – a number the government wishes to shrink.– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The emperor and empress of Japan will be in the Philippines for a 5-day state visit in late January, the Office of the Prime Minister announced on Friday, December 4.

The Japanese embassy in Manila said that the itinerary of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko is being finalized based on consultations between the governments of both countries.

"Their Majesties are scheduled to leave Tokyo on 26th January 2016, and the duration of the visit will be 5 days," the embassy said. 

The visit – the first that a reigning emperor will make to the Philippines – is made more significant by the fact that 2016 "marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Philippines.

In October, Malacañang said that the Philippines had started preparations for the royal couple's visit. 

"I am convinced that the visit will further strengthen the intimate relations of friendship and goodwill with the Philippines, and I feel immense pleasure together with the people of Japan," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in a statement released by the Japanese embassy in Manila.

"Japan has long enjoyed close and cordial relations with the Philippines. The Government of the Philippines has long extended its invitation for Their Majesties to visit the Philippines, and President Aquino kindly renewed its invitation when he visited Japan last June as a State Guest," Abe said.

Aquino cited the Philippines' relations with Japan as a "global example of cooperation" when he paid a state visit in June. He said the two countries "know what it is like to overcome the scars of the past and build ties of friendship that promote each other’s stability and prosperity."

Japan occupied the Philippines during World War II, 1942 to 1945, but has since become the country's top source of official development assistance and leading trading partner.

In recent weeks, Japan announced that it is negotiating a “legal arrangement” with the Philippines to finalize a deal for the transfer of military equipment to Manila. The deal is being worked out as the Philippines continue to face Chinese aggression in the disputed parts of the South China Sea, which is locally called the West Philippine Sea.

After a bilateral meeting during the last day of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Manila in November, 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. 

The Philippines has also acquired a P93-billion ($1.99 billion) loan from Japan for a 36.7-kilometer railway connecting Tutuban, Manila, and Malolos, Bulacan. It aims to ease traffic congestion in the National Capital Region.

The Philippines and Japan also recently signed a social security agreement, where expatriate workers temporarily dispatched to either countries for 5 years or less “will be, in principle, covered only by the pension system of the country from which employees are dispatched.” – Miriam Grace A. Go/Rappler.com  

MANILA, Philippines – Presidential aspirant Rodrigo Duterte on Friday, December 4, promised he would pay P1,000 for every expletive he utters in public. 

"Maybe to discourage me to utter cuss words, I  will try my best," the Davao City mayor said of the "deal" he had forged with Davao Catholic Church leaders. 

"But as long as I see people oppressed, hungry, and deprived, I cannot help my mouth, but I will try," he added.

Duterte, loved and loathed for his no-holds-barred attitude, met with bishops in Davao City on Friday, almost a week after he was criticized for cursing Pope Francis over the heavy traffic caused by his visit to Manila last January.

The mayor, who decided to run for president at the last-minute, was met with harsh criticism online and offline for that remark.

On Friday afternoon, Duterte met with Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles at the Archbishop's Palace. Also present were Mosignor Paul Cuison and Bishop George Rimando. 

During the hour-long meeting, Valles admonished Duterte and was given a "little lecture on Christian values."

"I accept it, natanggap ko," Duterte told reporters after the meeting. 

Duterte apologized for the incident, which Valles described as "unfortunate." 

"I am happy that he came to us, it is good, he explained, and I understand his point, kinsaan gud sa ato amg dili makasala (who among us cannot commit a sin)?" added Valles.

It's going to be a tough bet for the mayor, who is known for peppering speeches, interviews, and other public speaking engagements with expletives. He had to shell out P2,000 after the meeting with bishops in Davao because, it turns out, he cussed at least twice.

The funds raised would go to Caritas Davao, Duterte said on his official Facebook page. – Rappler.com 

MANILA, Philippines – A suspected Islamist extremist linked to the kidnapping of several Malaysians in the Philippines, including one that was beheaded last month, was arrested Friday, December 4, the military said.

Kadaffy Muktadil is a member of the Al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group, which security analysts say is behind dozens of kidnappings in the past two years and has proven increasingly brazen after beheading Malaysian national Bernard Then in November.

The suspect, who also went by the name of Kadaffy Camsa, was arrested on the southern island of Jolo when he sought treatment at a hospital after a motorbike crash, the head of a counter-terrorism military task force in the area, Colonel Alan Arrojado, told AFP.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has blamed the Abu Sayyaf for the murder of Then, one of two Malaysians abducted by gunmen at a restaurant in the Sabah port of Sandakan in May.

The Philippine military said Then was murdered in the Abu Sayyaf's stronghold of Jolo, about 300 kilometers east of Sandakan, after ransom talks collapsed.

The other Sandakan hostage, Thien Nyuk Fun, had been released a week earlier.

Malaysia had issued an arrest warrant against Muktadil for the kidnappings earlier this week, Arrojado said.

Founded in the 1990s with the help of Osama Bin Laden, Abu Sayyaf has been blamed for some of the Philippines' worst terror attacks, including bombings and kidnappings for ransom.

The group is holding two Canadian tourists and a Norwegian businessman abducted in the southern Philippines in September, along with a Dutch birdwatcher kidnapped in 2012.

They are also widely believed to be holding an Italian pizza restaurant owner snatched in the region in October.

The Abu Sayyaf has staged cross-border raids into Malaysia before, including in April 2000 when gunmen seized 21 European and Asian tourists from a dive resort. They were released in batches after a ransom was paid the following year. – Rappler.com

NEW DELHI, India – India's government has faced mockery on social media for tweeting an apparently doctored photo of its image-conscious prime minister surveying the flood-hit southern state of Tamil Nadu.

Narendra Modi tweeted an image of himself looking out of a helicopter window as he flew over the area on Thursday, saying he was "pained by the devastation" he had seen.

The scene through the window was barely visible, but when the government's press department later tweeted what appeared to be the same image, the view through the window was sharp and clearly showed flooding.

The department later deleted that tweet, but not before thousands of followers had taken screen grabs of the apparently manipulated image.

Very silly of @PIB_India to photo-shop @PMOIndia aerial survey of Chennai image. What's the point of such tinkering! pic.twitter.com/XNwdpT2qvG

— Rahul Kanwal (@rahulkanwal) December 3, 2015

Many shared Internet memes, with one showing Modi looking through the helicopter window as Superman flew by.

"Very silly of @PIB-India to photo-shop @PMOIndia aerial survey of Chennai," tweeted Prashanth Rao, referring to the state capital.

"Worst photoshop ever!" tweeted Wilbur Sargunaraj. "Why does our PM need false and exaggerated propaganda???"

The Press Information Bureau said later that two pictures had been accidentally merged in an "error of judgement".

"PIB regrets the release of the above mentioned picture," it said.

Modi travelled to Tamil Nadu on Thursday to survey the damage from weeks of flooding that has killed 269 people.

The prime minister is a prolific tweeter with more than 16 million followers. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines — Rappler and Globe Telecom, Incorporated on Friday, December 4, launched a partnership for the 2016 presidential elections, aimed at providing Filipino voters data, insights, and tools that will help them make an informed choice on voting day.

Globe will provide Rappler's fixed and mobile connectivity requirements for its #PHVote coverage nationwide, among other joint projects.

"Rappler and Globe are brands that symbolize the future of the Philippines. Our job now is to worry about the future. [Think of] where the Philippines is going," Globe Chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala said during the launch of the #PHVote partnership in Taguig City. (WATCH: Rappler, Globe launch #PHVote partnership)

The telco joins Rappler's other election partners in business, government, socio-civic organizations, and academic institutions.

For Rappler CEO Maria Ressa, "social media is just your physical social network without the boundaries of time and space."

"If we can collectively harness it, we can change behavior. If we can collectively act, we can change the world," Ressa added.

Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu said the partnership will "enable Rappler to do more things with #PHVote this 2016 than what has been done in the previous years."

"Top of everyone's mind today is the election. There are so many things going on – you've got bad words being spewed out, you've got disqualifications happening – which make for a very exciting elections."

"Globe being an ICT entity that's socially bent with a lot of reach, we want to lend some of these capabilities to Rappler. And Rappler, which is the news agency of the future, is the more appropriate partner than your other traditional outlets right now," Cu said.

For the Globe CEO, the partnership's end goal is "to help get the nation more informed. [Because] getting to the truth of the issue is always a problem." 

During the launch, Ressa asked Globe employees to join the #PHVote challenge. The site brings readers to the 4 phases of Rappler's election coverage: discuss, choose, vote, and monitor. (READ: Rappler's 2016 election site) – Rappler.com

LONDON, United Kingdom – Britain's Royal Mail has turned to NASA for help after a five-year-old boy wrote in asking how much it would cost to post a letter to Mars.

But Oliver Geddings probably won't be able to send a letter to outer space as the price – £11,602.25 ($18,000, 16,000 euros) – is well beyond the reach of most children's pocket money.

In its reply to Oliver, who wants to become an astronaut, the Royal Mail explained on Friday how the figure was calculated.

"Fuel is very expensive and affects the cost of sending letters around our planet," senior customer advisor Andrew Smout wrote.

"NASA also told me that their last visit to Mars, carrying the Curiosity rover, cost about $700 million.

"The spaceship itself is very small so storage is at a premium. Based on how much the spaceship weighed compared to how much it costs to get to Mars, they said that something weighing up to 100 grams would cost them approximately $18,000 to fly to Mars."

The Royal Mail added that the price of the letter would be covered by 18,416 first class stamps.

Oliver, from near Lytham St Annes in northwest England, wrote back to Royal Mail thanking them for their reply.

"It's very expensive to send a letter to Mars. You would need so many stamps!" he added. – Rappler.com

Rappler is in Paris for the 21st United Nations climate change conference, better known as the COP21. In Paris, countries are expected to hammer out a legally binding global agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions, in a bid to stop the planet from getting warmer in the next decades – a deal that could make or break our future.

Rappler journalists Pia Ranada, Fritzie Rodriguez, Voltaire Tupaz, and KD Suarez are in Paris, France, to cover the most important climate conference of our generation. Here are their dispatches.

Will I find love in Paris? Or will there be more?

Fritzie Rodriguez | Thursday, December 3, 2015 | Manila, Philippines

I am one day away from flying to Paris, the city of love. I am thrilled and nervous, anticipating the best and the worst things that could happen. But I have no intention of falling in love with strangers, I'll save that for another trip.

This coming week, I have one main mission and that is to spread love and awareness through stories, in the context of gender, climate change, and human rights.

Continue reading her blog.

Bienvenue à Paris

Voltaire Tupaz | Sunday, November 29, 2015 | Paris, France

PARIS, France - It's freezing cold in Paris - about 5 degrees Celsius - as the city warms up for the opening of the climate talks of the century.

On Saturday, November 28, summit participants began flying into the Charles de Gaulle airport. The COP21 or Conference of Parties of the UN Convention Framework on Climate Change begins on Monday, November 30, and ends on Friday, December 11.

At the airport, I bumped into a group of indigenous peoples from Nepal attending a global caucus ahead of the climate summit. The indigenous are among the most vulnerable sectors, and are here to influence the outcome of the talks that seek to craft humanity's action plan to combat climate change. 

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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="6" 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://www.instagram.com/p/-oDfIKurnI/" 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">High military and police visibility here at Charles de Gaulle airport ahead of #COP21. France will deploy nearly 11,000 cops for the climate summit, which will start only a few days after the Nov 13 terror attacks.</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 Voltaire Tupaz (@voltaire_tupaz) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2015-11-28T10:53:33+00:00">Nov 28, 2015 at 2:53am PST</time></p></div></blockquote>
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Around 40,000 visitors are expected to converge in a city still in shock more than two weeks after the November 13 terror attacks. There's high police and military police visibility from the airport all the way to the heart of the city, where many of the 147 heads of state are billeted. They will be kicking off the two-week summit in a leaders' event to be hosted by French President Francois Hollande on Monday, November 30. 

The Rappler team will give daily, real-time updates direct from Paris on the #ClimateChange microsite, while Rappler teams in the Philippines and Indonesia will update on day-to-day reactions from experts, officials, and civil society.

Stay with us on www.rappler.com, on social media, and via the Rappler app (available on iOS and Android) for the latest on climate change and the COP21.– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Vice presidential candidate and Camarines Sur Representative Leni Robredo said it will take political will to implement the controversial K to 12 program.

"In favor ako sa K to 12. Naiintindihan natin na maraming problema ang kasabay nito pero ang hurdle kasi natin na first step nangyari na. Political will ang kailangan para ma-implement ito," she said in an interview in Dumaguete City Saturday, December 5.

(I'm in favor of the K to 12. We understand that there will be a lot of problems with it, but we already hurdled the first step. Political will is needed to implement this.)

Now that the Philippines is at par with the rest of the world given the two additional years in its basic education system, Robredo said the country must now face the numerous challenges of the K to 12 program.

The law, which was enacted in 2013, is facing at least 5 petitions before the Supreme Court, all asking the High Court to suspend the program. For critics, K to 12's labor implications on college workers is one of the bases for junking the program.

The latest figures from the Commission on Higher Education showed that 13,634 teaching staff and 11,456 non-teaching staff from higher education institutions may be displaced because of the program.

"Mas maging pro-active sa pagsalubong ng problema, ang lack of classrooms, teachers, lahat ng pangangailangan, kasi magbe-benefit naman 'to sa karamihan na kahit hindi makakapag-college, may pagkakataon na makapagtrabaho nang maayos," she added.

(Let's be more pro-active in facing the problems, the lack of classrooms, teachers, all the other needs, because this will really benefit many Filipinos who may not be able to go to college but will have the opportunity to work well.)

The program will be fully implemented in 2016 as government rolls out senior high school nationwide.

As for higher education, Robredo said it's about time government paid more attention to higher education the same way it focused on primary and secondary education in recent years.

"Sana nilibre na kasi natin, parang universal na ang primary at secondary education. Sana pagdating sa tertiary, hindi maging dahilan ang kahirapan para hindi makapag-aral," she said.

(The government should have just made tertiary education free, just as primary and secondary education are already universal. I hope that when students get to the tertiary level, poverty won't hinder them from studying.)

She wants government to provide state universities and colleges with a bigger budget, and students with more opportunities, so they can study even if they don't have the means to pay their tuition. 

Rural development

Robredo is also pushing for rural development, wherein government will provide more resources and opportunities to provinces without sacrificing quality of life. (READ: The Leader I Want: Leni Robredo's to-fix list for 2016)

"Galing din kasi ako ng probinsya, galing ako sa Naga City sa Camarines Sur. Para sa akin pagkakataon na sana nabigyan din ng parehong opportunities ang mga cities na gaya ng Dumaguete, gaya ng Naga na mas maraming resources na binubuhos ng gobyerno."

(I also come from the province, I am from Naga City in Camarines Sur. For me, it is already time for cities like Dumaguete and Naga to get the same opportunities and bigger resources from government.)

After all, she wants to be a vice president who will not stay in Metro Manila all the time, but will also be seen in the provinces. (READ: Robredo: VPs should focus on job, not aspire to be president)

When asked about her reported rising numbers based on a radio poll, she said she is encouraged since it's her first time joining a national election compared to her rivals who are all incumbent senators. (READ: Rappler Talk: Leni Robredo on running for VP)

"Parang ang mensahe rito, kailangan pang pagtrabahuan. Kailangan sipagan kasi talagang uphill ang climb. Nag-umpisa ako sa talagang wala (I think the message here is we need to work harder. We need to be more diligent because of the uphill climb. I really started with nothing)," she added. – Rappler.com

LE BOURGET, France – Negotiators from 195 nations will race Saturday, December 5, to complete a 4-year mission by delivering a blueprint to secure humanity from the consequences of rampant emissions of climate-altering greenhouse gases.

Despite being riddled with conflicting proposals, the draft to be submitted will form the skeleton of the most complex and consequential global accord ever attempted.

The stakes could hardly be higher.

Ministers from across the world will descend on Paris Monday, December 7, to try to transform the draft into a binding agreement that can rein in emissions that trap the Sun's heat, warming Earth's surface and oceans.

Scientists warn our planet will become increasingly hostile for mankind as it warms, with rising sea levels that will consume islands and populated coastal areas, as well as catastrophic storms and severe droughts.

However, cutting emissions requires a shift away from burning coal, oil and gas for energy, as well as from the destruction of carbon-storing rainforests – costly exercises that powerful business interests are determined to press on with.

More than 50 personalities committed to combating climate change, from Sean Penn to US billionaire Michael Bloomberg, Chinese Internet tycoon Jack Ma, will try to inject dynamism into the talks, gathering for an "action day" at the UN conference site in Le Bourget on the northern outskirts of Paris.

Negotiators seem confident that they can avert a repeat of a similar effort that failed spectacularly in the 2009 edition of the annual UN talks in Copenhagen, which aimed at a post-2012 deal but broke down, riven by recriminations between rich and poor nations.

Important promise

It was two years after that failure, at Durban in 2011, that nations agreed to try again for a truly universal climate-saving pact.

Rich nations have been reluctant during two decades of UN negotiations to comply with demands from poorer countries that they must pay for the shift to renewable technologies, as well as to cope with climate change.

At stake is hundreds of billions of dollars that would need to start flowing from rich to developing nations from 2020, under the planned Paris pact.

With frustrations at the conference mounting, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the world's developed economies to honor the financing pledge they made at the last major climate summit 6 years ago.

"I have been urging the developed world leaders that this must be delivered," Ban told reporters at UN headquarters in New York. "This is one very important promise."

Participants in the Paris conference say negotiations are constructive but too slow, with the scheduled end of the talks on December 11 looming.

But such deadlines are frequently ignored with weary, sleep-deprived negotiators often slogging through the night to get an accord.

"The negotiating status is still very far away from the target of trying to achieve a comprehensive, effective, balanced and legally-binding agreement which is equitable to all parties," Chinese negotiator Xie Zhenhua told journalists.

That's the way it goes

Chief US negotiator Todd Stern said attempts to draw up a draft deal acceptable to all sides were advancing, however.

"It's moving in the right direction," he said. "There's an option that we like. There's an option that we hate. That's the way it goes."

Another battleground is how much to try to limit global warming.

The biggest polluting nations, such as the United States and China, want to enshrine a target of 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-Industrial Revolution levels.

Weaker nations most at risk want a much tougher target of 1.5 C, which would require the global economy to transform away from fossil fuels and be fully reliant on renewables by 2050.

Any deal emerging from Paris is likely to fall far short of what is needed to avert 2.0 C warming. The key, analysts say, will be agreement on review every 5 years to ratchet up nations' commitments. – Rappler.com

SYDNEY, Australia – A ship carrying 25 tons of radioactive waste arrived back in Australia on Saturday, December 5, and was met by activists who warned against the vast nation becoming a nuclear dumping ground.

About a dozen Greenpeace protesters, some carrying signs such as "Don't waste Australia," stood near the entrance to Port Kembla south of Sydney as the BBC Shanghai arrived.

Environmentalists have raised concerns about the safety of the ship, which left the northern French port of Cherbourg in October, with one French lawmaker describing it as a "dustbin ship."

"This is not the kind of ship you would want to see transporting nuclear waste," Greenpeace campaigner Emma Gibson, who was on board a boat following the BBC Shanghai on Saturday, told AFP.

Australia sent nuclear fuel to France for reprocessing in the 1990s and early 2000s over 4 shipments, and it has now been returned for long-term storage.

Reprocessing involves the removal of uranium and plutonium, stabilizing the remaining substances in glass, and placing it all in a container suitable for transport and storage.

The waste will initially be housed at the Lucas Heights reactor in southern Sydney until a nuclear waste dump site is selected and built. It is expected to be trucked there from Port Kembla overnight.

The government has said the nuclear waste dump site would only be used to store Australia's radioactive waste, but Greenpeace has warned that creating a new waste facility is an invitation to other countries to use Australia as a dumping ground.

The group said a poll of 3,144 people that it had commissioned last month from ReachTEL suggested that most Australians opposed plans to store nuclear waste for other countries.

Asked about Australia accepting nuclear waste from overseas, 18.3% supported it, 72.1% opposed it, and 9.6% were undecided.

"Most Australians rightly don't want their country to become a nuclear waste dump for the rest of the world," Gibson said in a statement.

"Nobody has yet worked out a safe way to manage long-term nuclear waste, which can remain dangerous for hundreds of thousands of years."

Six sites, all hundreds of kilometers from major cities and including some Outback locations, have been shortlisted for Australia's first nuclear waste dump.

All the land owners are willing to house low to intermediate waste – mostly by-products of nuclear medicine – which is currently stored at about 100 different sites around the country. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – President Beniqno Aquino III said he sees the “logic” behind the ruling of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) second division to cancel the certificate of candidacy (COC) of presidential aspirant Grace Poe.  

“Hindi ako SET (Senate Electoral Tribunal), hindi ako Comelec – pareho silang independent bodies. Hindi rin ako Supreme Court (SC). Pero parang nakikita ko ‘yung logic nung sinasabi rito,” said Aquino on the last day of his official visit in Rome, Italy on Friday, December 4. 

(I am not part of the SET or the Comelec, which are both independent bodies. I also am not from the Supreme Court. But I see the logic behind the decision of the Comelec's second division). 

Poe is facing 4 disqualification cases before the Comelec. The SET already denied Rizalito David’s petition to disqualify her from the 2013 senatorial elections, which Poe topped.

Recently, however, the Comelec’s 2nd division ruled that Poe is not a natural-born Filipino and that she also failed to comply with the 10-year residency requirement for presidential candidates. (READ: Grace Poe: Work, not disqualification cases, keeps me up at night)

Aquino acknowledged that he still has questions about the ruling of the poll body’s 2nd division despite his consultations with Justice Secretary Alfred Benjamin Caguioa, Executive Secretary Pacquito Ochoa, and other lawyers. (READ: Grace Poe and Pandora’s box: Legal issues in her candidacy)

The President cited previous reports saying that Poe used her United States (US) passport at least 21 times from 2005 to December 2009 even when she was already issued a Philippine passport following the approval of her dual citizenship on July 7, 2006.

However, Poe's camp argued that prior to 2006, Poe was just a US citizen and could only use a US passport.

Moreover, Poe's camp said that her oath of allegiance to the Philippines in 2006 was not rendered "meaningless" simply because she continued using her US passport as a dual citizen. Poe used her Philippine passport during this time as well. (TIMELINE: Grace Poe's citizenship, residency) 

"There's clarity and at the same time it leads to so many more questions. And [perhaps], in a sense, this particular problem is not up to my decision, up to me to decide on,” said Aquino, adding that Poe may still appeal her case before the SC.

Aquino is the chairman of the ruling Liberal Party (LP), which is fielding Manuel “Mar” Roxas II for president in the next elections.

Poe pointed to Roxas and opposition party United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) standard-bearer Vice President Jejomar Binay as being responsible for the disqualification cases against her.

Poe, who continues to lead in election surveys, said those behind her attacks are opponents who would “benefit” once she is disqualified from the presidential race.

LP and UNA representatives have since denied Poe’s claims. (READ: LP behind Grace Poe DQ? Far from it – Spokesman and UNA on Poe disqualification: We're victims of politics, too)

'We wanted to get Poe before'

Aquino himself denied that LP is behind the moves to disqualify Poe, saying that the party spent weeks trying to convince Poe to become Roxas’ running mate. 

“Ipaalala ko lang, ang tagal naming nililigawan si Grace and, for that matter, Senator [Francis] Escudero to be part of an administration ticket (I just want to make a reminder that we wooed Grace and Senator Francis Escudero for a long time to become a part of the administration ticket),” said the President.

Aquino added it was UNA president Toby Tiangco who first brought up the residency issue against Poe. 

“So, siyempre, kung ikaw ang nagkaroon ng unfavorable ruling, para bang, saan kaya nagmula ito?” the President said. 

(So of course, if there is an unfavorable ruling, where else would it have come from?)

No doubts on Mar-Leni tandem

In the same interview in Rome, Aquino said he was also not fully aware of Poe’s repeated use of her American passport when LP was still convincing the Poe-Escudero tandem to join the party. (READ: Roxas: Poe hid citizenship, residency issues from LP)

“At the times that we discussed this, it wasn’t as detailed as what is presented [in the documents she submitted to counter the disqualification cases against her]. For instance, ‘yung mga trips ‘nung ’09 (the trips she made in ’09), I don’t think we discussed that,” said Aquino.

“She kept telling me that she had a panel of lawyers who had studied the matter and they were ready to answer any and all questions and I took it at face value,” he added. (READ: Poe reacts to Roxas: You knew about my election 'issues')

After failing to get Poe, the LP chose Camarines Sur Third District Representative Leni Robredo as Roxas’ running mate, a tandem that Aquino fully supports. 

“Well, I really like Leni Robredo as a candidate. I like the things that she’s been saying. She is of the same fold without an iota of divergence, in a sense,” said Aquino.

“It’s more total – I’m talking about si Leni and si Mar (Leni and Mar) – as opposed to we support you 85% or 90%. I have more confidence to say that the present line-up, I can fully support them without an iota of doubt or uncertainty.” – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine President Benigno Aquino III ruled out special treatment for convicted US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton, even as the American’s detention cell is reportedly slated for a renovation. 

In an interview with Filipino reporters in Rome, Aquino stressed that the Philippine-US Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) provides for an “agreed upon detention facility” for convicted personnel.

“Sasabihin nila, ‘O, iba na 'yung detention facility. Special na.’ 'Yung mga ganoong klaseng tanong, wala namang kasagutang maayos eh,” Aquino said Friday, December 4.

(They would say, "Look, the detention facility is different. It’s special." Those kinds of questions don’t have a proper answer.)

“Bottom line, bilang sovereign state, may agreement tayo with another sovereign state,” he added. (The bottom line is, as a sovereign state, we have an agreement with another sovereign state.)

Aquino made this statement after an Olongapo court ordered Pemberton detained at the Armed Forces of the Philippines Custodial Center, not the cramped New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.

This means the convicted American will evade the plight of thousands of Filipinos. 

The New Bilibid Prison packs 23,000 inmates in a facility good for only 8,500, GMA News reported in March. 

US likely to request air-con

Pemberton was convicted on Tuesday, December 1, for killing Filipino transgender woman Jennifer Laude.

Philippine officials hailed the court ruling, but critics slammed the alleged special treatment for Pemberton.

This is because, as ABS-CBN News reported, Philippine officials will even renovate the AFP Custodial Center to suit the standards of the US.

Referring to the US, Bureau of Corrections director general Ricardo Rainier Cruz III told ABS-CBN News: “Oo, may request sila na kung puwedeng ma-improve daw. Actually, nagawa na namin ‘yon, kaya lang meron lang silang gustong idagdag pa.” 

(Yes, they already have a request to improve it. Actually, we’ve done that, but they still have additional requests.)

The US’ additional requests include a CCTV camera in the detention facility. It will also likely include repainting and air-conditioning, Cruz said.

In any case, Aquino said Filipino personnel will tightly watch Pemberton “in our facility that is in the Philippines.”

He added that the court ruling shows the ability of the Philippines to properly judge cases like this. 

“The rule of law happens in our country. It is respected by the other state. Therefore, it redounds to both parties’ benefits,” Aquino said. – Rappler.com

SINGAPORE – Singapore's Straits Times newspaper on Saturday, December 5, named the late former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew as its "Asian of the Year" for his influence on regional and global affairs.

"Few Asians have made such an impact as Mr Lee. His passing was a reminder of how big a role he played in steering and shaping modern Singapore," the award citation said.

Lee, who died in March aged 91, received a hero's funeral after an unprecedented outpouring of grief from Singaporeans who now enjoy one of Asia's highest standards of living. (READ: Lee Kuan Yew and the Singapore he built)

He was consulted for decades by world leaders for his views on Asian affairs.

But Lee, who was prime minister from 1959 to 1990, was also criticized locally and abroad for restricting political freedom, including muzzling the press, jailing political opponents, and suing critics for defamation. (TIMELINE: Lee Kuan Yew's life)

The Straits Times, founded 170 years ago, launched the award in 2012.

The inaugural winner was Myanmar President Thein Sein, who started political reforms in the former military-ruled state. In 2013, it was shared by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. 

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi was selected in 2014. – Rappler.com