GENEVA, Switzerland – The sun-powered plane SolarImpulse2, grounded in Hawaii since the summer for repairs, will be ready to fly again by April 20, the project's spokeswoman told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Wednesday, December 23.

The plane completed nearly half of an unprecedented round-the-world journey without using a drop of fuel before battery pack damage during a gruelling five-day leg from Japan to Hawaii in July forced its grounding. 

SolarImpulse spokeswoman Alexandra Gindroz told AFP that the project had raised enough money to complete the repairs and fund the next phase of operations, confirming details given by pilot Andre Borschberg in an interview with Switzerland's 24 Hours newspaper. 

"April 20 is the first possible date for departure," Gindroz said. 

Borschberg told the paper that the April date marks "the opening of the optimal energy window, when the days are long enough and the nights are sufficiently short to fly."

But, he added, details of the journey's next leg have not yet been decided, with the possibility of flying from Hawaii to Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles or Phoenix. 

This uncertainty "makes the project difficult, but interesting," Borschberg was quoted as saying. 

"We do not know if we will cross the United States from the north, south... or center."

The original plan of leaving the US from New York's JFK airport for the Atlantic crossing remains in place, he said.

The aircraft took off from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on March 9, powered by 17,000 solar cells, with the aim of promoting renewable energy through a round-the-world flight. 

The project has however suffered a number of hitches, aside from the battery damage, including an eye problem suffered by Borschberg which forced him to cut short a flight over Asia and return to Switzerland.

Borschberg and his partner Bertrand Piccard have divided the flying throughout the groundbreaking project. – Rappler.com

NAIROBI, Kenya – Burundi's rebels came together on Wednesday, December 23, for the first time as a force aimed at ousting President Pierre Nkurunziza, after months of bloodshed in the troubled central African country.

The formation of the insurgents comes amid mounting regional pressure on the government to accept African Union peacekeepers it calls an "invasion force". (READ: Burundi rejects African Union peacekeepers as 'invasion force')

The 54-member AU said last week it would send a 5,000-strong force to halt violence that has sparked fears Burundi is sliding back towards civil war, and has pledged to send troops despite the government's  fierce opposition.

Pushing for Burundi's acceptance of the AU force will be a key part of talks in Uganda on December 28, regional diplomats said.

The rebels have formed a force "to protect the population" and uphold the Arusha Agreement that paved the way to the end of the 1993-2006 civil war but which they say Nkurunziza has violated by his third term in power.

The rebels have called themselves the Republican Forces of Burundi, or "Forebu" from its name in French, Les Forces Republicaines du Burundi, said Edward Nshimirimana, a former army colonel turned rebel.

"Our goal is to drive out Nkurunziza by force to restore the Arusha accord and democracy," Nshimirimana told Agence France-Presse (AFP) by telephone.

Nkurunziza, an ex-rebel and born-again Christian who believes he has divine backing to rule, won a third term in office in July.

Rwanda denies backing rebels

A coup attempt in May was crushed after two days, with many of the soldiers and police who took part fleeing. 

Hundreds of people have been killed in months of street protests in Burundi, which have devolved into frequent armed attacks with gunfire disrupting the nights and dead bodies appearing on city streets almost every day.

While there have been near daily gun battles in the capital, attacks are now taking place in other parts of the country too, but until now the rebel force had no name.

The formation of Forebu is significant, as Bujumbura's government has dismissed talk of rebellion, instead rather blaming attacks on "armed criminals" or insurgents.

Burundi plunged into civil war on ethnic lines between majority Hutus and minority Tutsis in 1993, at a cost of an estimated 300,000 lives by the end of the conflict in 2006.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni will host the latest talks next week, Uganda's Defense Minister Crispus Kiyonga told AFP.

But those talks will also involve the key opposition coalition, Cnared.

Burundi's government has so far refused to hold talks with Cnared, branding it a "terrorist organization" and accusing it of being behind attacks on security forces.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame warned that the violence in the neighboring nation had the "potential to spill over" to his country.

But he said he would not send troops to join the African Union force being sent to Burundi.

Kagame also dismissed allegations levelled by Burundian officials and aid groups that Rwanda is recruiting and arming refugees as rebel fighters.

"I haven't even seen the tiniest evidence of that so it becomes a lot of politicking," Kagame said, calling the accusations "childish". – Rappler.com

WASHINGTON DC, USA – Provocative billionaire Donald Trump is the dominant Republican candidate heading into the 2016 presidential election year, after a poll released on Wednesday, December 23, gave him double the support of his nearest competitor.

The real estate magnate's campaign trail bombast – including extraordinary comments that have stunned many observers – appears to have done him little if any harm in the polls and he solidifies the frontrunner status he has maintained since late July.

A new national CNN/ORC poll of Republican and Republican-leaning registered voters has Trump leading with 39 percent support, more than twice that of his nearest competitor Senator Ted Cruz on 18 percent, a two-point gain since the companies' last poll in November.

Senator Marco Rubio and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson have both slipped slightly and sit at 10 percent, while New Jersey Governor Chris Christie came in fifth at five percent. None of the other eight Republican candidates is above four percent.

The poll, with a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points, was conducted in the aftermath of the latest Republican primary debate, in which Trump and Cruz were seen as performing well, and comes six weeks before the first votes in the nominating process are cast in Iowa.

The latest figures put Trump at 35.1 percent support in the much followed RealClearPolitics.com polling average, his highest mark yet. 

Cruz is at 18.1 percent in the average, solidifying his second place position over Rubio.

Trump has issued a series of provocative – some would say outrageous – statements since launching his campaign June 16, beginning with his accusation that Mexico was sending "rapists" and other criminals into the United States.

The latest controversies over Trump talk involve his December 7 call to bar Muslims from entering the United States, and vulgar verbal attacks Monday on Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

But the national trend continues to tilt his way.

While four out of five Democrats oppose his proposed Muslim ban, according to a Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday, 41 percent of Republicans back it.

Seventy-four percent of Democrats said they would accept Syrian refugees while 82 percent of Republicans would not, according to the poll. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – A United States-based non-governmental counterterrorism organization this week put the spotlight on the alleged links between the Islamic State (ISIS) and Filipino jihadis in Mindanao.

The connection between the two is a long-running concern that had been publicly dismissed by government authorities and military officers. 

SITE Intelligence Group on December 20 posted a video of supposed Filipino jihadists claiming to be "soldiers of the caliphate," prompting international media coverage and a statement from Malacañang.   

Jihadists Distribute Video of “Soldiers of the Caliphate” Training in the Philippines https://t.co/MPvkJEQmmW

— SITE Intel Group (@siteintelgroup) December 20, 2015

The video showed men – most of them masked and clad in all-black attires – carrying weapons and the Black Flag. They are conducting assault drills in what is supposed to be an ISIS training camp in the Philippines. 

Known ISIS sympathizers reportedly shared the video online, suggesting possible links between the violent group and the Filipinos in the video. 

Citing Philippine National Security Adviser Cesar Garcia, Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr denied that ISIS has training camps in the Philippines.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Colonel Restituto Padilla said the video is being investigated.

The men in the video were identified as members of Ansar Al-Khalifa, the same group that had long carried the Black Flag and pledged allegiance to ISIS. The video began circulating a few weeks after the group lost 8 members – including an alleged Indonesian bombmaker – in clashes with government troops in November. (READ: Indonesian bombmaker among 8 killed in Sultan Kudarat clash?)

"We submitted this for validation and authentication so it's now undergoing that process. Once validated and authenticated, they will [check] out whether it is a believable video or something that has been jumped on again by other groups," Padilla told reporters in Manila.

The military said it acknowledged that some local groups have been influenced by the ISIS, but maintained that there are "no credible links" between Filipino terrorists and the group that has violently taken vast areas of Iraq and Syria.

Based on the statements of its officers, the Philippine military believes that ISIS is focused on establishing a caliphate in the Middle East and is focused on its battles there. They have dismissed videos of Filipinos pledging allegiance to ISIS as mere propaganda tools to raise their profile.

Like Alsar Al-Khalifa, the military dismissed the video of a leader of "kidnap-for-ransom" group Abu Sayyaf pledging allegiance to ISIS as a ploy to get attention and demand higher ransom to release its kidnap victims. 

"Karamihan po diyan kasi ay nakatuon sa pagbibigay ng simpatiya at saka pangingikil o paghingi ng ransom 'yung kadalasan yung iba (Most of the videos are meant to offer sympathy to ISIS concerns and others are meant to extort ransom)." said Padilla. 

But the near simultaneous ISIS attacks in Paris last month, reminiscent of Mumbai in 2008 when 10 armed gunmen attacked 7 different locations, shocked the world. Much like 9/11, it seems to signal an escalation in jihadist terrorism that has its roots in the virulent ideology that powers al-Qaeda and its latest incarnation, ISIS, wrote Rappler Executive Editor Maria Ressa. (READ: ISIS' global ambitions and plans for Southeast Asia) – Rappler.com

KABUL, Afghanistan – Afghanistan rushed military reinforcements to Helmand on Wednesday, December 23, after the Taliban captured large swathes of a strategic opium-producing district, prompting the first British troop deployment to the troubled province in 14 months.

The Islamists broke through the frontlines of Sangin district on Sunday after days of pitched clashes with besieged Afghan forces, tightening their grip on the southern province.

Fleeing residents reported Taliban executions of captured soldiers as the insurgents advanced on the district center, compounding fears that the entire province was on the brink of a security collapse.

Government reinforcements were rushed to relieve dozens of police and army units holed up in the district center, deputy Helmand governor Mohammad Jan Rasoolyar told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Wednesday.

"I am confident that we will not lose Sangin," said Rasoolyar, just days after he warned that Helmand province was at grave risk of falling to the Taliban.

The war in Helmand, seen as the epicenter of the expanding insurgency, underscores worsening security in Afghanistan a year after NATO formally ended its combat operations.

All but two of Helmand's 14 districts are effectively controlled or heavily contested by Taliban insurgents.

The group also recently overran Babaji, a suburb of Lashkar Gah, sparking concerns that the provincial capital could fall.

Britain on Tuesday said a small contingent of its troops had arrived in Camp Shorabak, the largest British base in Afghanistan before it was handed over to Afghan forces last year.

The deployment, in addition to a recent arrival of US special forces in the region, is the first since British troops ended their combat mission in Helmand in October 2014.

The contingent, which an Afghan official said includes around 90 people, is on an "advisory" mission with London insisting they will not engage in combat.

Expanding war

The intervention has fuelled the perception that foreign forces are increasingly being drawn back into the conflict as NATO-trained Afghan forces struggle to rein in the insurgency.

The unrest in Helmand, blighted by a huge opium harvest that helps fund the insurgency, comes after the Taliban briefly captured Kunduz city in September – their biggest victory in 14 years of war.

"As we've seen in Kunduz, the Afghan forces are incapable of tackling the insurgency on their own," said Omar Hamid, an analyst at the security consulting firm IHS.

"And Sangin only reinforces that image."

President Barack Obama in October announced that thousands of US troops would remain in Afghanistan past 2016, backpedalling on previous plans to reduce the force and acknowledging that Afghan forces are not ready to stand alone.

The latest unrest in Helmand comes as President Ashraf Ghani has made a diplomatic outreach to Pakistan – the Taliban's historic backers – aimed at restarting peace talks with the insurgents.

Pakistan hosted a first round of negotiations in July but the talks stalled when the Taliban belatedly confirmed the death of longtime leader Mullah Omar.

A security official in Islamabad told AFP Tuesday that Pakistan army chief Raheel Sharif would travel to Kabul in the coming days, in what appears to be a renewed push to jumpstart talks.

Afghanistan's spy agency chief resigned earlier this month after a scathing Facebook post that vented frustration over Ghani's diplomatic outreach to Pakistan.

Rahmatullah Nabil's resignation raised uncomfortable questions about a brewing leadership crisis in Afghanistan as the insurgency gains new momentum. – Hashim Safi, AFP/Rappler.com

PARIS, France – The French cabinet backed reform proposals on Wednesday, December 23, that could see the state of emergency called after last month's Paris attacks enshrined in the constitution, prompting criticism from rights groups.

Special policing powers used under the state of emergency – such as house arrests and the right to raid houses without clearance by a judge – are currently based on an ordinary law which can be challenged at the constitutional court.

In the wake of the Paris attacks that left 130 dead, President Francois Hollande called for the emergency powers to be protected from litigation by placing them in the constitution. 

"The threat has never been higher," Prime Minister Manuel Valls told reporters following a meeting of government ministers on Wednesday.

"We must face up to a war, a war against terrorism, against jihadism, against radical Islam," he said.

The constitutional reforms must now be passed by a three-fifths majority in the upper and lower houses of parliament, where debates will start on February 3. 

Valls said latest figures showed more than 1,000 people had left France to join the jihad in Syria and Iraq, of which an estimated 148 had died and 250 returned. 

"Radicalized individuals from numerous countries join Daesh (the Arab acronym for the Islamic State group). There are many French speakers and we know that fighters group themselves according to language, to train and prepare terrorist actions on our soil," he said.

After going back and forth on the issue, the government decided to include the power to strip French citizenship from people convicted of terrorist offenses, if they have another nationality. 

There are an estimated 3.5 million French people with a second nationality in the country.

Justice Minister Christiane Taubira had voiced doubts over the citizenship clause and wrongly stated it would be dropped, but was overruled by Hollande. 

"Everyone has a right to their doubts, their queries, their questions," Valls told reporters when asked about Taubira's position on removing citizenship.

'Deeply worrying'

There has been criticism from civil rights groups over the violence of police raids, cases of mistaken identity and people losing their jobs because they were placed under house arrest.

Amnesty International said the constitutional reforms were "deeply worrying" and added to an "already extensive and sometimes disproportionate arsenal" of measures.

"The government cannot undermine the rule of law and violate the very human rights it is trying to protect: freedom of expression, freedom of movement and non-discrimination," said Gauri van Gulik, Amnesty's Europe director.

More than 3,000 raids have taken place since the November 13 attacks in Paris, leading to 360 house arrests and 51 people jailed. 

An environmental activist has already challenged the right to conduct house arrests, although the court ruled Tuesday that they were allowed under state of emergency rules. 

Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said Tuesday that 3,414 people had been turned away since France took back control of its borders, which is permitted under European rules in special circumstances, in the wake of the attacks.

They were refused entry "due to the risk they present to security and public order," Cazeneuve said. – Eric Randolph, AFP/Rappler.com

WASHINGTON, United States – American household Christmas lights, a favorite holiday tradition, use up more electricity than some poorer countries – such as El Salvador or Ethiopia – do in a year.

Bright lights strung on American trees, rooftops and lawns account for 6.63 billion kilowatt hours of electricity consumption every year, according to a recent blog post by the Center for Global Development.

That's more than the national electricity consumption of many developing countries. El Salvador for one, uses 5.35 billion kilowatt hours, while Ethiopia consumes 5.30 billion and Tanzania 4.81 billion.

The researchers, Todd Moss and Priscilla Agyapong, used data from a 2008 US Department of Energy report and the World Bank to carry out their research.

They added that the 6.63 billion kilowatt hours used by US Christmas lights represents only 0.2 percent of yearly US energy consumption, or enough power to run 14 million refrigerators. – Rappler.com

TOKYO, Japan – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cabinet on Thursday, December 24, approved Japan's biggest ever annual defense budget, as the country bolsters its military amid territorial rows and concerns over China's expanding naval reach.

The cabinet approved 5.05 trillion yen ($41.8 billion) in defense spending for the next fiscal year starting in April, with the focus on strengthening protection of a string of southern islands that stretch from Japan's mainland to waters near Taiwan.

The allocation is part of a record 96.7 trillion yen national budget that will now be sent to parliament for debate and approval early next year.

The defense budget is 1.5% higher than the current fiscal year which was the previous record high, and marks the fourth straight annual increase in defense spending.

The trend reflects a hawkish Abe's attempt to build a military – more active and collaborative with its biggest ally, the United States – with an eye on a possible escalation of tensions with China.

In September, Abe pushed contentious security bills into law, a move that could see Japanese troops fight abroad for the first time in 70 years. 

"We expect the latest procurement would contribute further to cooperation between Japan and the United States," a defense ministry official told reporters.

But the official said the latest military budget, which was requested in August, does not yet reflect the new legislation and the ministry will study if the new laws will require bigger budgets in future years.

Abe is pushing to tweak Japan's pacifist constitution, a move that has proved deeply unpopular at home and sparked protests by tens of thousands outside parliament this year.

His defense strategy has also provoked unease in China and South Korea, which were victims of Japan's aggressive colonial and military campaigns through the end of World War II.

Japan is increasingly wary of China, which is seen by several countries in the region as becoming increasingly aggressive in various sovereignty claims, including a dispute over island ownership with Tokyo.

Among the items on the defense ministry's shopping list are 17 SH-60K naval patrol helicopters, with a combined price tag of 102.6 billion yen.

It also wants 3 Global Hawk drones, 6 hi-tech F-35 stealth fighters and four V-22 Osprey – crossover aircraft that have the maneuverability of helicopters and the range of airplanes.

Japan and China have routinely butted heads over the ownership of the Tokyo-controlled Senkaku Islands, which Beijing claims as the Diaoyus. Official Chinese ships and aircraft regularly test Japanese forces.

Beijing is also expanding its military heft and reach, with annual double-digit defense budget increases and its first aircraft carrier entering service. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – A woman was killed after suspects riding-in-tandem shot at the SUV she was driving along Wilson Street corner Ortigas Avenue in San Juan at about 7:30 am Thursday, December 24. 

The victim is 63-year-old Susan Tan Uy, according to the public information office of the Eastern Police District (EPD).

Uy was driving a Toyota Rav 4 with plate number PHQ 252 when the suspects "suspiciously tried to chase them until one of them instantaneously shot Mrs. Uy."

She was rushed to nearby Cardinal Santos Memorial Medical Center but she was declared dead on arrival by Dr Dave Gamboa past 8 am Thursday, due to gunshot wound to the head.

Her passenger – another woman – survived the shooting. Four spent shells were recovered from the scene of the crime, according to EPD's Scene of the Crime Operations.

Senior Superintendent Roberto Alanas, officer in charge of San Juan City Police Station, will further investigate on the shooting to determine the motive and possible arrest of the suspects. 

Investigators are reviewing CCTV cameras that could help identifiy the suspects. – Rappler.com

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – At least 25 people were killed and 107 injured in a fire at a hospital in southern Saudi Arabia on Thursday, December 24, the civil defense agency said.

The blaze broke out at the intensive care unit and the maternity department of the Jazan General Hospital in southern Saudi Arabia, the agency announced on Twitter.

In its latest tweet, the civil defense announced that the "Jazan hospital accident is now over and investigation is underway to find out its reasons."

It said that 21 civil defense teams had assisted in putting out the blaze.

Alriyadh daily quoted a civil defense spokesman as saying that the agency was alerted of the fire at 2 am local time (2300 GMT).

In August, 10 people were killed and 259 wounded in a fire at a residential complex rented by oil giant Saudi Aramco in the kingdom's Eastern Province.

That fire was ignited by an electric short circuit in the underground parking where 130 cars were parked, the civil defense agency had said. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Director General Ricardo A. Marquez declared a nationwide "suspension of offensive police operations" (SOPO) against the New People's Army starting midnight of December 23 up to midnight of January 1, 2016.

This is in observance of the Yuletide season, a statement from the PNP said on Thursday, December 24.

"As part of the yearly tradition, the SOPO is observed and respected by all units and personnel of the PNP," stopping troops from initiating offensive police operations against the NPA. The prohibiiton however excludes normal law enforcement operations and the service of arrest warrants.

All PNP units were however asked to remain on-guard and to maintain a "high state of operational readiness to respond to any hostile actions."

Marquez said extra precautionary and preemptive measures "must be strictly observed" to avoid NPA attacks on vital installations and police stations. On December 12, 2015, personnel from the Pangantucan Municipal Police Station were ambushed while responding to an incident in Barangay New Eden in Bukidnon.

"The PNP will still continue to conduct active defensive measures such as security patrols to protect all PNP camps, stations, vital installations and civilian communities; route security, and strengthening of defensive positions," the PNP statement said.

To discourage indiscriminate firing during the holiday season, PNP units had taped gun muzzles in the past. In 2012, 7-year-old Stephanie Nicole Ella died after a stray bullet hit her head on New Year’s Eve. – Rappler.com 

MANILA, Philippines – The running mate of presidential aspirant Senator Grace Poe hit the Commission on Elections after its en banc upheld her disqualification in next year’s polls.

Senator Francis Escudero said the Comelec is a “bully” for saying Poe “deliberately attempted to mislead the electorate.”

The Comelec en banc on Wednesday, December 23 – just two days before Christmas – upheld the disqualification of Poe in the 2016 elections. The en banc maintained the earlier decision of the first and second divisions that Poe is not a natural-born Filipino, has not complied with the 10-year residency requirement, and deliberately misled the public.

In defense of the neophyte senator, Escudero said Poe has been transparent ever since on her citizenship and residency. 

“The Comelec is both wrong and unfair and a bully. Sen. Grace Poe has been nothing but honest, candid, forthright and open with respect to her citizenship, nationality and residency to the Filipino people,” Escudero said in a statement on Thursday, December 24.

Escudero added Poe has answered all issues against her fair and square.

“How dare they say that she ‘deliberately attempted to mislead the electorate’,” he said.

Comelec, not Poe, misleads electorate

The vice presidential aspirant said it is the poll body that is misleading the electorate, not Poe. 

To further push his point, Escudero said the poll body is “pretending to be an independent Commission” when they have been supposedly acting as Poe’s “persecutor” in “plain and simple bullying”.

Escudero cited as example the Comelec’s hasty disposition of the cases against Poe instead of those against nuisance candidates and the poll body’s refusal to consolidate all 4 disqualification cases against the senator.

“They refused to consolidate the four cases, which are all the same except for the names of the petitioners, if only to require Sen. Poe to answer/appear in the two divisions of the Comelec and be disqualified, not only once but twice, and a third time by the en banc following what appears to be a well written script or play,” he added.

Escudero maintained the Comelec has no jurisdiction over Poe’s qualification, saying it is the duty of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal. All 7 commissioners, however, voted that the poll body has the right to determine the qualifications of a presidential candidate.

Echoing Poe’s statement, the vice presidential bet questioned the timing of the release of the decision two days before Christmas. 

Since it’s the holiday season, the Supreme Court, where last relief lies, is on break. Now, Poe needs to act quickly and submit on Monday, December 28, her petitions seeking a Temporary Restraining Order against the Comelec ruling.

It is uncertain, however, if the SC can issue a writ on the same day the petition is filed. If not, Poe’s name will be excluded from the ballot, the Comelec said on Wednesday, December 23. (READ: What now for Grace Poe? 3 things to expect)

“Christmas is always a time for loving, sharing and giving. And it seems that the Comelec has imbibed the Christmas spirit by loving and sharing and being giving to the opponents of Sen. Poe but not to her, not to us, and certainly not to the Philippine electorate,” Escudero said. – Rappler.com 

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines –  Eleven people were killed on Christmas eve as rebels claiming allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) launched synchronized attacks in Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat. 

Lt Col. Ricky Bunayog, commanding officer of the 33rd Infantry Battalion, said BIFF troops, led by a certain Kumander Sukarno Sapal, attacked their detachment in Sitio Manilong, Barangay Banaba in Maguindanao at around 3 am Thursday, December 24. This resulted in a 3-hour gunfight.

Bunayog said other BIFF troops then separately attacked the nearby villages of Paitan, Sagasa and Takal in Esperanza town in the neighboring province of Sultan Kudarat.

In Barangay Paitan, two male farmers – aged 25 and 52 – were killed when the rebels passed by the farm yard. Rebel troops, Bunayog said, also hostaged civilians to escape the military chasing them.

In Sitio Sabaduan, Barangay Kauran in Ampatuan town, 5 farmers were killed when rebels captured them while working in the fields.

“They were shot one by one point blank after they were captured. Our information from the ground [is that] they brought their slain comrades during the retreat, some of their weapons’ accessories were also left," Bunayog said, adding that his battalion killed 4 rebels.

BIFF, a breakaway group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, owned up to the attacks as part of their Jihad or holy war. 

Spokesperson Abu Misry Mama, however, insisted they did not kill civilian farmers as the military claimed, only members of the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit or paramilitary assigned in the area.

Meanwhile, police Chief Inspector Alma Almeda Ladera of Datu Abdullah Sangki town said they are on heightened alert due to tensions in the areas.

“We monitored some residents have evacuated but we have no data yet on exact numbers, we remain vigilant and we’re closely coordinating with local officials,” she said. – Rappler.com

BORACAY, Philippines (Updated) – Ten people sustained injuries in a Christmas eve, December 24, fire in Boracay Island that left up to 60 families including dozens of children homeless.

The fire that started at Sitio Ambulong in Barangay Manoc-Manoc at around 10:45 am Thursday quickly swept through the main road and through the two-hectare property near the Muslim community compound, a dense residential area.  

Fire trucks of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Special Fire Protection Unit Boracay and volunteer fire brigade groups were quick to respond but the fire was only controlled at 1:05 p.m. Houses made of light materials were totally destroyed.

The fire damaged approximately P10 million worth of properties. Establishments Alevir’s Trading and Sespene Trading, both located on the main road, were also gutted by the fire. 

When the fire broke out, traffic in the main road was re-routed by the Boracay Tourist Assistance Center (BTAC) to the circumferential road. The fire also interrupted power service on Boracay Island.   

Families displaced by the Ambulong fire will be staying at the Manoc-Manoc evacuation center. Some residents also returned to the Ambulong area after the fire and tried to salvage their belongings.

Last June 17, damage to property in the Talipapa Bukid fire incident was estimated at P48 million. The fire gutted 400 market stalls and boarding houses and left homeless more than 800 victims. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle urged Filipinos to celebrate Christmas on Friday, December 25, by helping the poor as the Catholic Church marks a year devoted to mercy.

“As Christmas is about the heavens opening so the Son of God could come to us, so it is also about us opening our hearts and arms to welcome Jesus in the hungry, thirsty, homeless, the naked, the sick, the prisoners, and those who have hurt us,” Tagle said in his Christmas message.

“Mercy keeps the heart of God open for us. Mercy is the key to open our hearts as well,” the cardinal added.

Tagle issued this Christmas message as the Catholic Church marks its Jubilee Year of Mercy from December 8 this year until November 20, 2016.

During this Jubilee Year, the Catholic Church encourages more acts of mercy and opens more avenues, too, for the forgiveness of sins. (READ: Cardinal Tagle opens Holy Door, hits ‘merciless’ corruption)

Noting this year-long observance, Tagle then discussed “one biblical aspect of mercy appropriate for Christmas.”

Tagle said, “Mercy consists in this: that God always has room for each one of us in His heart. 

'The irony of Christmas'

“In Jesus’ birth, we human beings have been offered a permanent place in God´s sacred ‘space.’ For God, mercy is the assurance that everyone can return to the Father´s house and find a secure dwelling,” he added.

Tagle however said: “The irony of Christmas, the great manifestation of God's mercy, is that when Jesus was born, there was no room in the inns for him. A lowly stable welcomed the birth of the Messiah.”

Tagle, also the president of Caritas Internationalis, continued in his message: “Christmas therefore is a season to welcome Jesus and to welcome other people into our hearts and lives. Christmas is contrary to exclusion, marginalization, discrimination, neglect, indifference, manipulation, and rejection of peoples, especially the poor and helpless. These manifest the lack of mercy!”

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, for his part, connected Christmas to the Mass, as the Philippines is set to host the 51st International Eucharistic Congress in January 2016. (READ: Cardinal Tagle: Gift of self can overcome hatred)

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, December 23, Villegas said: “The Eucharist is Christmas! The Mass is Jesus’ incarnation and self-emptying, the Father’s Word, declaring his Love, insisting on it, suffering for it, triumphing in it over sin and death: our redemption.”

“In living the Eucharist with integrity and courage, let it move us to invite all peoples in dialogue to the fullness of life in the joy of the Gospel,” said Villegas, also president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

The CBCP president added: “Christmas is a mission. Christmas is a mission to be life givers by self-emptying. Christmas is not a holiday. It is a challenging task. As we embrace the joys of Christmas, let us also carry on the mission of the Lord.” – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines - Police in Angeles City, Pampanga, are investigating an alleged shooting incident at a mall in Clark that caused a stampede in the afternoon of Thursday, December 24.

A video posted by Kim Tayag on Facebook showed Christmas Eve shoppers running and screaming. 

{source}<div id="fb-root"></div><script>(function(d, s, id) {  var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];  if (d.getElementById(id)) return;  js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;  js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_GB/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3";  fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><div class="fb-video" data-allowfullscreen="1" data-href="/tayagkim/videos/vb.1396632308/10205652457136176/?type=3"><div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/tayagkim/videos/10205652457136176/"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/tayagkim/videos/10205652457136176/"></a><p>Akala ko sa TV ko lang mararanasan to. Nagulo sa sm dahil my Hostage-Barilan-Holdapan daw? Hindi ko alam ang totoong dahilan kung ano ba talaga dahilan bakit nag tatakbuhan ang mga tao dahil sa sobrang takot naki takbo na din kami. Sana maging okay na ang lahat sa SM kawawa naman ung mga tao at bata nasaktan nadapa dahil sa takbuhan pasko panaman.</p>Posted by <a href="#" role="button">Kim Suh Gueco Tayag</a> on Thursday, 24 December 2015</blockquote></div></div>{/source}

Tayag said people, including children, were hurt in the stampede.

"Akala ko sa TV ko lang mararanasan to. Hindi ko alam ang totoong dahilan kung ano ba talaga dahilan bakit nag tatakbuhan ang mga tao dahil sa sobrang takot naki takbo na din kami. Sana maging okay na ang lahat sa SM kawawa naman yung mga tao at bata nasaktan nadapa dahil sa takbuhan. Pasko pa naman," Tayag said in her post.

(I thought things like this happen only on TV. I didn't know the real reason why people were running, [but] because of fear, I just joined them. I hope everything gets fine inside SM. I pity those people and children hurt, who tripped as they ran. To think, it's Christmas.)

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Facebook user Jhoan Han posted photos of people gathered outside the popular mall chain. She said people in her group ran in different directions upon hearing the gunshot. 

MANILA, Philippines – The number of Filipinos who expect Christmas in 2015 to be happy is at its highest in 12 years, a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey found.

The results of the 4^th quarter SWS survey released on Thursday, December 24, showed that 72% of adult respondents are expecting a happy Christmas – 1 point higher than the 71% of 2014.

Before this, the highest percentage was in 2003, when it reached 77%, SWS said.

Conducted nationwide from December 5-8, the survey interviewed 1,200 adults scattered equally in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao. Sampling error is at ±3% for national percentages, ±6% each for the 4 areas.

The latest survey also showed that 7% of Filipinos expect that their Christmas will be sad, while 20% expect it to be neither happy or sad.

There is also a “record-high” percentage of people agreeing that “it is better to give,” the SWS said.

According to the December 2015 survey results, 77% of the respondents were “givers,” 2 points higher than 2014’s 75%.

Meanwhile, 20% said “it is better to receive” in 2015, a decline of 3 points from the 23% “receivers” in 2014.

Increase of happy Christmas in most areas

The number of people expecting a happy Christmas rose in most areas, according to SWS. 

Those expecting their Christmas to be happy in Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao had a 5-point increase each this year, while there was a 2-point decline in Balance Luzon.

The results among class ABC, meanwhile, showed a 5-point decline among people expecting the holidays to be happy.

The proportion of poorest class E thinking the same, on the other hand, increased by 7 points. From 2014’s 65%, the number of people from this class expecting a happy Christmas rose by 7 points or 72%. It is also the highest since 2003.

'Givers' in most areas 

Meanwhile, no area had a decline in number of people believing it is better to give. The highest proportion is in Balance Luzon, at 82%. 

Among socioeconomic classes, SWS said, the highest increase among givers was seen among the poorest or class E.

The “givers” in this class rose by 12 points. From 2014’s 63%, the proportion of the poorest Filipinos who say it is better to give is at 75% in 2015.

The “givers” among class ABC, on the other hand, dropped from 88% in 2014 to 78%.

In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said that the survey results may serve as reminder to all Filipinos in 2016.

"May optimism energize and encourage all of us to truly serve our country and work together so that all Filipinos will experience peace, prosperity and contentment in the year to come," he said in a statement. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The poll commissioners have spoken – for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc, presidential aspirant Grace Poe is not a natural-born Filipino and is not eligible to run for president in 2016.

Voting 5-2 on the 1st division case and 5-1 on the 2nd division case, the en banc cancelled Poe's certificate of candidacy for president just before the holidays.

While there were 2 dissenters – Chairman Andres Bautista and Commissioner Christian Robert Lim – this does not automatically mean they agree that Poe is a natural-born Filipino.

In fact, when it comes to her citizenship, all 7 members of the en banc voted against Poe’s position that she holds a natural-born status as a Filipino citizen.

Interesting, but why?

It's because citizenship is just one part of the 5 issues they had to settle involving the disqualification cases against the senator. They tackled:

• Comelec's jurisdiction on Poe's qualifications
• Poe's residency
• Poe's natural-born status/citizenship
• whether she deliberately misled the public on her residency and citizenship
• whether the cancellation of her COC, as the 1st and 2nd division ruled, should be upheld

Under the 1987 Constitution, natural-born citizens are those “who are citizens of the Philippines from birth without having to perform any act to acquire or perfect their Philippine citizenship.”

Bautista, in his separate opinion on the 1^st division ruling against Poe, said the mere fact that Poe regained her Philippine citizenship via Republic Act Number 9225 or the Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act, it means she had to perform an act to re-acquire it. (READ: FULL TEXT: Comelec chief's separate opinion on 1st div ruling vs Poe)

“Given the foregoing, there can only be one interpretation of Republic Act 9225 that will do justice to the constitutional requirements for natural-born citizenship: a former Filipino who reacquired Philippine citizenship should be deemed to be a naturalized Filipino citizen,” the chairman said in his separate opinion. 

But why did Bautista vote against Poe's disqualification if he believes she is not natural-born?

Baustista explained that he does not believe Poe intentionally misled the public when she indicated in her COC that she is a natural-born Filipino and that she had complied with the 10-year residency requirement for a presidential candidate.

“Accordingly, while I find that the statements of Respondent as obtained in her 2016 COC regarding citizenship and residency are false, I do not believe that…there was a deliberate intent on Respondent’s part to mislead, misinform or hid a fact which would otherwise render a candidate ineligible. Hence, I vote to dismiss the Petition,” he said in his 53-page separate opinion on the 2nd division case.

How the Comelec voted

The Comelec en banc settled 5 issues that were raised in 2 disqualification cases against the presidential race front runner.

The case in the 1st division included the consolidated petitions filed by former Senator Francisco Tatad, Professor Antonio Contreras, and University of the East Law Dean Amado Valdez. Members of the 1^st division are commissioners Rowena Guanzon, Christian Robert Lim, and Luie Tito Guia.

The 2nd division case, meanwhile, focused on the petition filed by petitioner Estrella Elamparo. The commissioners in the 2nd division are Al Parreño, Arthur Lim, and Sheriff Abbas.

As chairman, Bautista is the only one not belonging to a division. This means his vote, until the last minute, remained unknown to the public.

Some commissioners are accused of being allies of the administration, as they were appointed by President Benigno Aquino III, and some of them with links to Aquino's presidential bet Manuel Roxas II of the Liberal Party, Poe's opponent in next year's presidential elections. (READ: Poe hints Roxas, Binay behind disqualification cases vs her)

Find out how each of them voted on the 5 issues:

In the final vote on whether to ultimately cancel Poe's certificate of candidacy, no commissioner changed his/her previous decision. Bautista, in the end, voted in favor of Poe together with Christian Lim.

Lim, who earlier voted against the cancellation at the division level, retained his vote.  He, however, opted to inhibit himself from the en banc decision on the 2^nd division case, as Elamparo was an associate at his former law office. (READ: Comelec commissioner explains vote in favor of Grace Poe)

While Guia’s final vote stayed the same, he changed his mind only on Poe’s residency, saying that Poe's appeal made him re-evaluate his position. He now said Poe met the 10-year requirement for a presidential candidate. 

“After said re-examination, I find that indeed Respondent can be considered to have effectively transferred domicile from the US to the Philippines as of May 2005," Guia said in his separate opinion on the en banc decision on the 1st division case.

Citing jurisprudence, he added citizenship and residency should be treated separately, as what Poe argues.

"One can be a permanent resident of a country even when he or she is a foreign citizen. Re-acquisition of former citizenship is not a condition for one to be deemed to have re-established his/her domicile in the country," he added.

Following this decision, Guia also voted in favor of Poe when he said Poe did not intentionally mislead the public on her residency status. Bautista shared the same view.

For citizenship, Al Parreño maintained his decision in the 2^nd division level that ruled Poe did not deliberately deceive the public. The 2^nd division earlier said Poe as a foudling just naturally believed she was a natural-born Filipino, without intention to misinform the people. Bautista also shared the same opinion that there was no intent to deceive.

Christian Lim, for his part, refused to vote with the en banc on whether Poe intentionally deceived the public on her citizenship status. He earlier claimed the 3 consolidated cases lacked merit and should have been dismissed early on for technical issues.

Guanzon, Abbas, and Arthur Lim remained steadfast in their votes against the neophyte senator. – Rappler.com

Read Rappler's explainers on the cases and rulings on Grace Poe:
Can Comelec 'disqualify' Grace Poe?
3 reasons Comelec erred in ruling vs Grace Poe
Comelec should have dismissed Tatad's case vs Grace Poe
3 curious points in Comelec 1st division's ruling vs Grace Poe

BEIJING, China – More than 100 million people in China have been warned to stay indoors after at least 10 Chinese cities issued red alerts for smog, state media reported Thursday, December 24.

Pollution covered large parts of the country's east and centre as measures to curb the toxic haze were ordered to be implemented.

The alert came as broad swathes of the country suffered through their fourth wave of choking pollution this month.

In addition, the eastern province of Shandong, home to almost 96 million and some of the 10 cities under red alert, issued its first ever top-level warning Wednesday, December 23, the provincial environmental bureau said. 

It is believed to be the first time an entire province has issued a red alert. 

The ten cities include the sprawling industrial hub of Tianjin in the northeast.

Counts of PM2.5 -- harmful microscopic particles that penetrate deep into the lungs -- in one of the cities under red alert, central Henan Province's Xinxiang, were as high as 727 micrograms per cubic metre earlier Thursday, according to provincial authorities.

The reading is nearly 30 times the World Health Organisation's recommended maximum exposure of 25 over a 24-hour period.

The sharp rise in alerts  follows Beijing's decision earlier this month to issue its first ever red alerts, the highest in its four-tier system, in response to scathing public criticism about the government's handling of the chronic haze. 

The capital cancelled its red alert for pollution at midnight on Tuesday, December 22, as a cold front blew away the foul air, state-run Xinhua news service said Thursday.  

The notice saw factories ordered to close and half of all private cars pulled off the streets, among other measures.

In an announcement yesterday, the national environmental bureau has ordered six major cities, which were not named, to evaluate their warning systems, it said, adding that they should improve implementation "emergency emissions reduction" measures.

Beijing's decision earlier this month seems to have opened the floodgates for red alerts from other cities, many of which had long suffered silently through regular waves of smog.

Air quality for November and December was at a three year low, according to the state-run China Daily, despite measures to tackle the chronic problem.

"Soaring coal pollution" is to blame, it said, quoting air pollution expert Meng Fan at the China Research Academy of Environmental Sciences.

China's President Xi Jinping has said that the country's CO2 emissions, to which coal is a major contributor, will peak "around 2030".

However, China's state council has announced plans to reduce by 60 percent the amount of "major pollutants" coming from its coal-fired power plants by 2020.

Earlier this month, environmental organisation Greenpeace said Beijing had approved the construction of 155 new coal-burning power plants in 2015.

China's rise to the world's second largest economy was largely powered by cheap, dirty coal. As growth slows, the country has had a difficult time weaning itself off of the fuel, even as the pollution it causes wreaks havoc on the environment and public health. – Rappler.com

BEIRUT, Lebanon – Syria's regime said Thursday, December 24, it was ready to take part in new talks in Geneva aimed at ending the war but appeared to make its participation conditional on which opposition groups will attend.

It came as the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group pushed further into a key city in eastern Syria in fighting that left more than two dozen regime loyalists reported dead.

During an official visit to China on Thursday, Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said Damascus "is ready to participate in the Syrian-Syrian dialogue in Geneva without any foreign interference."

Last week, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution endorsing a peace plan aimed at bringing the regime and opposition together for talks in January. 

The plan is the product of a nearly two-month diplomatic flurry among top diplomats from 17 countries, including regime backers Russia and Iran.

But it does not address the sharpest difference between opposition groups and the regime: the fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Muallem's comments on Thursday seemed to indicate government approval of the plan -- but with apparent preconditions.

He said Syria rejected "foreign interference" and the government's negotiating team "will be ready as soon as we receive a list of the opposition delegation".

Syria awaits 'terrorist' list

Speaking after a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Muallem said Syria was waiting to receive a list of "terrorist organisations" that would not be allowed to participate in the talks.

The UN tasked Jordan with creating the banned list, which was submitted Friday and apparently included IS and the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front.

But Syria's government has systematically referred to all its opponents, including non-Islamist groups, as "terrorists". 

A landmark summit in Saudi Arabia earlier this month saw armed and political branches of the opposition agree to talks with Assad's government.

The opposition delegation to future peace negotiations is expected to include the factions present in Riyadh, as well as other groups on the ground in Syria. 

The UN resolution calls for talks in early January that would lead to the "establishment of an inclusive transitional governing body with full executive powers" within six months.  

Muallem, however, only referred to an eventual "national unity government". 

He said Damascus would "compose a constitutional committee to look for a new constitution with a new law of election so the parliamentary election will be held within the period of 18 months, more or less".

The UN resolution was received coolly by Syrian opposition forces, including the main group in exile, the Istanbul-based National Coalition. 

The agreement "waters down previous UN resolutions concerning a political solution in Syria," coalition head Khaled Khoja said on Twitter on Saturday. 

Previous efforts to negotiate a political solution to Syria's nearly five-year conflict have faltered, including the 2014 Geneva talks between the regime and opposition forces. 

- IS advances in east Syria -But with the violent rise of IS, world powers have redoubled their efforts to contain Syria's civil war, which has left more than 250,000 people dead.

The extremist organisation has overrun swathes of territory across Syria, declaring a self-styled caliphate governed by a literal interpretation of Islamic law.

Late Wednesday, IS militants seized another neighbourhood in the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, strengthening their position in the oil-rich province. 

The attack began when three IS suicide bombers drove explosive-laden cars into the city's industrial neighbourhood, killing at least 11 pro-regime fighters, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. 

The ensuing "violent clashes, air strikes, and an exchange of shelling" brought the toll up to 26 government loyalists and 15 IS militants, including the suicide bombers, according to the Observatory.

IS has held most of the desert province of Deir Ezzor and much of its provincial capital since 2014.

The jihadist group has been fighting for months to take Deir Ezzor city, including the adjacent military airport.

If the city falls to IS, it would be the second provincial capital under the extremist group's control, after Raqa in the north. – Tony Gamal-Gabriel and Becky Davis, AFP/Rappler.com