LONDON, United Kingdom – A fool, an idiot, a buffoon – MPs lined up to attack Donald Trump for his comments on Muslims, during a parliamentary debate Monday, January 18, on whether he should be banned from Britain.

The debate was triggered by a public petition which has attracted more than 575,000 signatures from people who want the Republican presidential hopeful kept out of the country over his comments.

Most of the dozens of lawmakers who spoke in the 3-hour debate did not agree that Trump should be excluded. They instead argued that he should allowed to visit Britain so that his ideas could be debated openly and shot down.

The debate in a small parliamentary committee room was purely symbolic – Britain's government has already said it will not ban Trump and lawmakers did not even vote on the issue.

But it did at least yield up some colorful language.

"Donald Trump is a fool. He's free to be a fool. He's not free to be a dangerous fool on our shores," argued Jack Dromey, a senior MP in the main opposition Labour Party, who wants him banned.

Gavin Newlands of the Scottish National Party called Trump an "idiot" whose popularity shows "how far the country of Lincoln and Roosevelt has fallen".

Alex Chalk of the governing Conservative Party argued that Trump's behavior was "buffoonery" which should be met with "the classic British response of ridicule".

Meanwhile, another Conservative, Victoria Atkins, resorted to British slang to refer to him as "bonkers" (mad) and a "wazzock" (a stupid person).

Trump is leading the polls for the Republican nomination for the White House ahead of the US Presidential election in November.

He sparked fierce controversy last month when he called for a "complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on".

That call came in the wake of an attack in California by a radicalised Muslim couple that left 14 people dead.

Trump also labelled Mexican immigrants rapists and drug dealers.

For Americans to decide?

The petition sought to ban Trump from Britain under powers which the interior minister has to exclude any individual if it is "conducive to the public good".

Reasons for this can include encouraging "terrorist violence" or other serious crimes, or fostering hatred which could cause violence between different communities.

Americans previously banned from entering Britain include right-wing radio host Michael Savage and white supremacists Stephen Donald Black and Erich Gliebe.

Trump responded to the firestorm in Britain by saying the country was trying to disguise a "massive Muslim problem" and threatening to withhold $1 billion (950 million euros) of planned investments in two golf courses he owns in Scotland.

He has already been stripped of his status as a Scottish business ambassador and his honorary degree from Scotland's Robert Gordon University.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron has called the outspoken tycoon's remarks "divisive, stupid and wrong" but opposes a ban.

A debate in parliament must be held on the issues raised by any public petition on its website which attracts more than 100,000 signatures.

At Monday's debate, some MPs condemned the fact that it was being held at all.

Conservative Edward Leigh argued that giving the property baron publicity "would only play into Mr Trump's hands".

Another Conservative, Adam Holloway, added: "I feel we should almost apologize to the people of the United States – it's for them to decide on Mr Trump's views, not us." – Katherine Haddon, AFP / Rappler.com

PARIS, France – The oceans have soaked up as much heat from global warming over the last two decades as during the preceding 130 years, according to a study published Monday, January 18.

While this accelerated absorption has helped keep human habitats cooler, in the long run it could be a ticking time bomb that disrupts weather and climate globally, scientists warned.

"We estimate that half of the total global ocean heat uptake since 1865 has accumulated since 1997," a team of scientists led by Peter Gleckler of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California reported.

A third of that recent build up, they found, occurred at depths of 700 meters (2,300 feet) or greater, beyond the reach of sunlight.

This may explain a pause or "hiatus" in warming observed at the sea surface since the end of the 20th century, according to the study. 

Some had interpreted this as a slowdown in warming overall.

Surface waters are thought to have previously absorbed the bulk of heat taken up by the ocean. Why the ratio is changing is not fully understood.

The findings, published, in Nature Climate Change, were based in large part on observation.

The earliest data was gathered in the 19th century by the HMS Challenger expedition, a scientific foray launched by Britain's Royal Society that is often credited with laying the foundation for modern oceanography.

More recent inputs came from multi-decade ship logs, and – for measurements up to 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) deep – so-called Argo floats scattered across the oceans.

Mixed blessing

Covering 2/3 of Earth's surface, the oceans have absorbed more than 90% of the excess heat generated by man-made greenhouse gases.

In a stroke of luck for humankind, this has made the surface of the planet less hot than it would otherwise have been.    

But there could be severe consequences further down the road, scientists cautioned.

"It's a bit of a mixed blessing," said John Shepherd, a researcher at the University of Southampton's National Oceanography Centre, who was not involved in the study. 

If the extra heat remains in the ocean it could disturb sea and atmospheric circulation, playing havoc with weather patterns, he explained.

And if it is released back into the atmosphere, it could accentuate warming already poised to punch through the threshold for dangerous impacts.

The ocean's ability to absorb surplus heat is not unlimited, and "certainly not a cure for climate change," said Shepherd.

At current rates, Earth is on track for warming of about 3ºC (5.4 ºF) by the end of the century.

There is growing scientific evidence that even an increase of 2ºC (3.6ºF) – once considered a safe upper boundary – could unleash severe human misery.

Matt Palmer, a climate scientist at Britain's national Met Office, said the study "shows the strengthening of the climate change signal over time, and that more of this signal is finding its way into the deep ocean."

The results showed that the so-called hiatus was merely a surface phenomenon, he added.

"The Earth is still warming, and the oceans have been taking up the bulk of that heat."

Because the carbon dioxide which drives global warming stays in the atmosphere for centuries, oceans will continue to heat up long after humanity stops spewing carbon pollution into the air.

Besides heat, the oceans are also a sink for carbon dioxide, which has caused sea water to become a quarter more acidic since the onset of the Industrial Age.

That acidification – already at its highest level in 300 million years – has ravaged coral reefs, and could have even broader consequences for other marine fauna and flora. – Marlowe Hood, AFP / Rappler.com

ROME, Italy – A former Vatican accountant known as "Mr 500" for his cash-rich lifestyle was acquitted by an Italian court on Monday, January 18, of corruption and attempted money-smuggling.

Monsignor Nunzio Scarano was a chief accountant for APSA, the organisation that manages the Vatican's vast real estate portfolio, before his arrest in June 2013 for allegedly plotting to smuggle millions of euros in cash into Italy.

Investigators had accused Scarano of hatching a plot to use a private plane to repatriate 20 million euros ($22 million) that were untaxed from Switzerland, on behalf of a rich family of ship owners from Naples.

A court in Rome found Scarano innocent of corruption and attempted money-smuggling but guilty of making false accusations against one of his co-defendants, slapping him with a two-year suspended sentence.

The monsignor is still on trial in southern Italy in his home town of Salerno on separate charges of money-laundering through the Vatican's bank, the official name for which is the Institute of Religious Works (IOR).

After his arrest in 2013, the Vatican froze assets worth 2.2 million euros belonging to Scarano, who the press dubbed "Mr 500" for the large amounts of 500 euro notes he was reported to carry on him.

The prelate insisted he was innocent and wrote a letter to Pope Francis accusing his lay bosses of abusive activities which he said were covered up by some cardinals, who he claimed were being blackmailed.

Charity donations, luxury apartment

When fresh charges were brought against him in 2014, Italian police seized his luxury 17-room apartment and blocked nearly nine million euros on current accounts linked to the senior Italian cleric.

In the second, ongoing trial, Scarano is accused of taking cheques marked "Donation for the Poor" and in return giving cash from accounts at the Vatican bank.

Police at the time said they had uncovered at least five million euros that Scarano "had at his disposal" and alleged he made extensive property investments in Salerno.

The prelate's lawyer, Silverio Sica, said his client used the money for charity and could not be responsible for the provenance of donations he received.

The affair landed the IOR bank, renowned for a murky past and links to the mafia, back in the global headlines.

The Vatican, the world's smallest sovereign state, has launched a series of reforms aimed at bringing the institution back into line with international standards against money laundering.

The bank has been plagued by scandals in the past and its former president, Paul Marcinkus, sheltered in the Vatican for years to fight off repeated attempts by Italian judicial authorities to arrest him in the 1980s.

In December the Council of Europe's Moneyval committee – which combats money laundering and terrorist financing – urged the Vatican to start prosecuting people found to have used the IOR and asset management body for criminal ends.

While it found an internal review of the accounts, which has accelerated under Pope Francis, "appears to have been a success", it was more equivocal about progress on ASPA pending the full findings of ad hoc inspections. – Ella Ide, AFP / Rappler.com

SEOUL, South Korea – South Korea brought a new "anti-nut rage" law into effect on Tuesday, January 19, prompted by an angry outburst by the daughter of Korean Air's boss over a bag of macadamias.

The revised aviation law, which drastically toughens punishments on unruly passengers, was a direct result of the "nut rage" incident by Cho Hyun-Ah in December 2014, the transportation ministry said.

"The amended law reflects mounting public demand for enhanced aviation safety and the prevention of unruly behaviour during flight following the Korean Air nut rage incident", the ministry said in a press statement.

Under the new law, anyone who disturbs the pilot during a flight could face up to 5 years in prison or a 50-million-won ($41,000) fine.

In the past, the same offence incurred only a 5-million-won fine without the risk of a jail term.

Under the new law, crew members are obliged to hand over unruly passengers to authorities and risk a 10-million-won fine for failing to do so.

Cho, 41, served 5 months in jail before walking free in May last year after an appeals court overturned her conviction for violating aviation safety laws.

Cho was a Korean Air vice-president at the time of her meltdown on board a Seoul-bound flight that had just left the gate in New York.

As the plane was taxiing to the runway, Cho, sitting in first class, became enraged when a flight attendant served her some nuts in a bag, rather than on a plate.

She lambasted the chief steward over the behavior of his cabin crew and then ordered the plane back to the gate so he could be ejected. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – In a bid to reduce the number of road accidents, the Senate has approved on third and final reading a bill that would mandate the installation of speed limiters in public utility buses (PUBs).

Under Senate Bill 2999, an installed speed limiter will be set at a maximum of 60 kilometers/hour (k/h) for buses plying the major thoroughfare EDSA, and a maximum of 80 km/h for buses plying expressways such as the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX), South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), and Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR Tollway).

Unless a speed limiter is installed, PUBs shall not be registered by the Land Transportation Office or granted a franchise by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.

Senator Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito, chair of the Senate committee on public services and sponsor of the bill, said the mandatory installation of speed limiters would help reduce the number of speed-related road accidents.

The senator cited data from the Philippine National Police, which showed a rise in the number of road accidents – from 12,875 accidents in 2013, to 15,572 in 2014.

According to a study conducted by the University of the Philippines National Center for Transportation Studies in October 2014, PUBs caused the highest number of road accidents.

The study also showed that bus passengers are 6 times more at risk of an accident than private car passengers, and 5 times more than jeepney riders.

"The Speed Limiter Bill is our solution to eliminate killer buses. Let us not wait for another bus accident for us to act on this," Ejercito said.

Under the measure, PUB operators who fail to install the mandatory speed limiters will be fined an amount not exceeding P100,000, and will have their franchise suspended.

Meanwhile, a driver who operates a bus without the speed limiter, or the operator who allows this, will be fined P50,000. The erring driver will also have his license suspended for one month, and the franchise of the PUB suspended for three months for first-time offenders.

Individuals caught tampering speed limiters will face a P30,000 fine and imprisonment of 6 months but not more than 3 years.

In August 2015, the House of Representatives also passed a similar measure, seeking to require the installation of speed limiters on all public utility vehicles, shuttle services, and covered vehicles such as closed vans, cargo trailers, and tanker trucks. – Katerina Francisco/Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Buoyed by what he called an "effective ground war," not even his poor performance in recent election surveys can deter 4-time Senator Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan II from eyeing the vice presidency in May.

Honasan, the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) vice presidential bet, bared his campaign strategy – and hopes – at the Pandesal Forum in Quezon City on Tuesday, January 19.

“I’m already active on the campaign trail. I wage an effective ground war that allows me to fall back on my strengths and weaknesses which I have harnessed in the last 4 national elections,” he said.

At 67, Honasan is the most senior and experienced vice presidential candidate. He spent 17 years as a soldier, 7 years as a rebel, and 17 years as a lawmaker. (READ: 10 things to know about Gringo Honasan)

However, the veteran ranks 5th in the latest Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia Research election surveys. (READ: The Leader I Want: Gringo Honasan's to-fix list for 2016)

Still, the United Nationalist Alliance’s (UNA) vice presidential candidate said his campaign is focused on cultivating his support base from past elections.

“‘Yung mga botante ko...itong huli, 13 million ako. Hindi ko sinasabing ‘yung 13 million ay iboboto [uli] ako dahil 12 slots ‘yan, pero ‘yun ‘yung iniikutan ko ngayon – ‘yung Guardians, mga links ko sa retired military and police, ‘yung mga fraternity brothers ko, ‘yung mga kamag-anak ko at mga kaibigan nila dito and overseas, ‘yun ang kinoconsolidate ko ngayon hoping that they would see me fit to run and to sit as vice president of the Philippines,” Honasan said.

(In the last elections, I had 13 million votes, but I’m not saying I’m going to get that number of votes this time, too. I'm going around the areas of the voters who voted for me in the past 4 elections – the [Philippine] Guardians, my links to retired military and police, my fraternity brothers, my relatives and their friends here and abroad. I’m consolidating them now, hoping that they would see me fit to run as vice president of the Philippines.)

Post-election mission

The senator’s strategy is similar to that of UNA standard-bearer and Vice President Jejomar Binay, who now leads election surveys despite an onslaught of corruption allegations. (READ: Binay’s strategy of silence)

Asked what he needs to do to improve his ratings, Honasan said he is more concerned on what happens after the May elections.

“Whoever is elected must be an instrument of unity. Kung magpepersonalan tayo ngayon, e ‘di ang lalalim na naman ng sugat. E papaaano na naman natin gagamutin ‘yan? Di ba paulit-ulit? Habulan na naman nang katakut-takot. So dagdag tayo nang dagdag ng problema between each other, nadagdagan din ‘yung problema ng bansa na ‘di tayo magkaisa,” he said.

(If we are going to hurt each other personally, then we will inflict deep wounds again. How do we solve that? Isn't it repetitive? People will try to pin the blame on others again. So not only do we add to each other’s problems but also to the problems of the country since we're not united.)

“The results in May is not as important to me as my mission which is to raise the level of political awareness of the electorate. Victory is in God’s hands, but cheating is man’s work,” Honasan added. – Rappler.com

CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's move to decree an "economic emergency" seeks to make the ascendant opposition share the political cost of the South American oil giant's economic mess, analysts say.

The decree, which gives Maduro 60 days of extraordinary powers to combat a deep recession and triple-digit inflation, was issued Friday, January 15, and now passes to the opposition-controlled National Assembly, which must approve it, reject it or demand changes within 8 days.

That presents a conundrum for the fractious opposition coalition, the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), which rode voters' frustration to a landslide victory in legislative elections last month.

"It's a trap by Nicolas Maduro's government to share the political costs with the opposition," said economist Luis Oliveros.

While the decree may allow Maduro to take "some measures" to right the sinking economy – such as cutting huge gasoline subsidies – it contains few new ideas to fight the crisis, he told Agence France-Presse.

Instead, it challenges the so-far unsullied opposition to dive into the trenches of governance.

Opposition lawmakers must now decide whether to fight the socialist leader's interventionist economic model or sign off on his plans, however grudgingly, and share the responsibility, Oliveros said.

If they choose to fight, it would give him ammunition to blame MUD if the recession deepens, as many economists predict it will.

The speaker of the National Assembly, Henry Ramos Allup, has been scathing in his criticism of Maduro, but nevertheless promised the opposition would study the decree.

The measure gives the administration special powers to commandeer private companies' resources, impose currency controls and take "other social, economic or political measures deemed fitting."

With concern mounting over just how far those powers reach, the administration sought to soothe fears Monday by denying that the decree allowed the expropriation of private companies.

"People are saying the decree creates a kind of 'express expropriation.' That's a lie," Trade and Industry Minister Miguel Perez Abad told a meeting of business owners.

More of the same

Maduro has held similar decree powers in the past, but at the time they were rubber-stamped by a friendly National Assembly.

This is the first time the legislature has been in his rivals' hands since his late mentor, Hugo Chavez, came to power in 1999, launching Venezuela on a socialist "revolution."

Economic analysts say rather than make fundamental changes to the oil-dependent economy, Maduro will probably double down on the state-heavy policies of the past 17 years.

For many, his appointment of a radical leftist sociologist, Luis Salas, as his new economy minister only deepened concerns.

More of the same will not fix the Venezuelan economy, especially as oil prices continue to collapse, analysts said.

"Mr Maduro's previous emergency decrees – he ruled by decree for most of last year – have resulted in zero economic policy changes," said research firm Capital Economics.

"It's difficult to see the economic crisis alleviating anytime soon."

Looming collapse

Diego Moya-Ocampos, a Latin America analyst at IHS Country Risk, predicted the legislature would reject the decree or at least demand sweeping changes.

"The government is likely to deem this as unacceptable and claim that the opposition is attempting to obstruct or sabotage its efforts, leaving the government-controlled Supreme Court to take a decision over the enforcing of the decree," he said.

That, he said, would set up further power struggles and policy paralysis – increasing the risk of violent protests like those that rocked Venezuela in 2014, leaving 43 people dead.

Even the one area where Maduro and the opposition appear to agree – the need to end fuel subsidies that allow Venezuelans to fill their cars for less than a dollar, but which are estimated to cost the state more than $12.5 billion annually – is politically explosive.

Venezuelans exasperated with standing in long lines to scour bare supermarket shelves for goods they cannot afford may explode into violence at any further deterioration in their living standard, warned Moya-Ocampos.

Somehow, something must change, said economist Orlando Ochoa.

With oil prices at 12-year lows, by the second half of this year, "it will be impossible to supply the country with food and medicine and service the debt with this same political and economic model," he said. – Ernesto Tovar, AFP / Rappler.com

CENTRAL MINDANAO, Philippines – Members of an armed Christian group here burned a flag of the Islamic State (ISIS) on Tuesday, January 19, to show their opposition to attacks by ISIS-inspired organizations against civilians and the reported plan of the terror group to set up its own province in the region.

They call themselves “Red God’s Soldiers."

They vowed to defend their lands, families, and people from continuing attacks by the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a splinter group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the country’s largest rebel group engaged in peace talks with Manila.

In a gathering somewhere in the mountains of Central Mindanao, Brother Asiong, spokesman of the group, led his more than 300 men in burning the ISIS flag as they raised their weapons and shouted,  "Long live to Reds and the Philippines."

“Because we are always under attack even as we are just working in our farms. We were forced to arm ourselves. We don’t want to die without doing something. The military is not always around to help us,” said Asiong.

Asiong said they only want the government to address their problem.

“We appeal to our President in Manila to give us importance, especially small people like us. We farmers are the ones providing food for the people and we are always under attack,” he said. “We wanted him to address our land conflict that is now more complicated due to the existence of BIFF,” he added.

He said their lands were given by the government to their forefathers, but now the rebels are taking them back.

Contrary to reports, Asiong said they are not members of Ilaga or Tadtad that became infamous in the 1970s.

The Ilaga, a Christian group known for its bloody attacks and human rights abuses in Mindanao in the 1970s, were tapped in the 1970s to battle Muslim rebels. They were accused of atrocities against Muslim communities, the bloodiest of which was in June 1971, when 65 men, women and children were massacred in a mosque in Barangay (village) Manili in Carmen, North Cotabato.

On the other hand, the Tad-tad cults, known for their ferocity, first rose to prominence in the 1970s in reaction to the armed Moro separatist campaign in Mindanao. Human rights advocates charge that the government used these cults as vigilante fighters, first against Moro guerrillas and then against communist insurgents and their suspected sympathizers.

Military knows?

“We have rituals and our strength comes from our Lord. The military knows our existence and we are not violating any law because we are using our weapons within our community…not outside,” he said.

Asiong clarified that their weapons did not come from any politician or group. They supposedly acquired them from some "moles" in the MILF.

Since 1970s, he said more than 60 people have been killed by rebels.

On December 23, 2015, 11 civilians, mostly farmers, were killed in the attacks in the provinces of Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao and North Cotabato, incidents later claimed by the BIFF. The series of attacks prompted the military to deploy more troops to Maguindanao and North Cotabato.

The BIFF broke away from the MILF in 2008 and has vowed to continue the uprising, claiming that the Malaysian-brokered talks would not lead to a separate Bangsamoro homeland in Mindanao.

ISIS, which claimed responsibilities for the Paris and Jakarta attacks, earlier announced in a video they released that they have forces in the Philippines and are planning to set up their territory in Mindanao. (READ: Experts warn PH: Don't underestimate ISIS) – Rappler.com

KIEV, Ukraine – Almost 300 Ukrainian towns were left without power on Tuesday, January 19, while snowdrifts and blizzards trapped hundreds of vehicles and dozens of ambulances across the former Soviet state.

Ukraine's emergency service said most of the outages were recorded on Monday evening and urgent repair works were underway.

It did not disclose how many homes or people were left without power.

But the service said its teams had rescued 322 people from 148 vehicles on Monday in the Black Sea region of Odessa alone.

They also pulled out 42 ambulances and two passenger buses from snowdrifts that have been hitting the eastern region of Kharkiv since the weekend.

The weather forecast centre predicted more clement weather in the days ahead. But night temperatures in the Ukrainian capital Kiev were still expected to plunge to minus 15 degrees Celsius (5 degrees Farenheit) into the start of next week. – Rappler.com

TEHRAN, Iran (UPDATED) – Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Tuesday, January 19, against American "deceit", just days after the end of sanctions under a nuclear deal that the central bank said would unblock $32 billion.

The remarks underscored the still-strained relations between Tehran and Washington, which unveiled new missile-linked sanctions against Iran on Sunday almost as soon as the nuclear-related measures were scrapped.

In his first comments since the atomic agreement was implemented at the weekend, Khamenei told President Hassan Rouhani in a letter to "guard against deceit and violations of arrogant states particularly the United States".

Rouhani wrote to Khamenei on Monday to provide an update after the UN atomic watchdog declared Saturday that Iran had met conditions stipulated in the nuclear deal.

"We have to watch if the other parties fulfil their commitments," the supreme leader wrote in response.

Washington cut diplomatic ties with Iran in 1979, when its embassy in Tehran was stormed by students, months after the Islamic revolution, leading to a 444-day hostage crisis.

Khamenei has never endorsed repairing relations with the US and has largely followed a similar tack to Iran's late leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who dubbed America the "Great Satan".

Recession and unemployment

Opening up to the world cannot completely fix the economy, Rouhani said Tuesday in a televised speech, warning the "difficult road has just begun".

"Today is just the start for an innocent human who was kept chained unjustly by the hands and feet for 12 years," said the president.

"Sanctions are gone but there is a long way between sanctions and development," he said, speaking to an economics conference in Tehran.

"Today, our main problem is unemployment and recession, the lack of a booming economy and many structural and economic deficiencies."

Iran hopes that steps to ease its isolation, including the re-admission of its banks to the SWIFT system of international transactions, will inject new vigour into the economy.

The central bank said that $28 billion (25.8 billion euros) of the unfrozen funds would go to it and $4 billion "will be transferred to the state treasury as the share of the government".

The assets, which had been held in foreign banks, will be kept "in centralised and safe accounts" abroad, central bank chief Valiollah Seif was quoted by state television as saying, adding that the money could be used to pay for imports.

Iran's economy suffered greatly under the international sanctions that since 2006 targeted the Islamic republic's nuclear programme and financial systems.

Under the previous hardline government of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, inflation topped 40%.

But moderate Rouhani, whose election in 2013 heralded more than two years of nuclear negotiations with world powers, managed to curb inflation to 13%.

Foreign investment

Iran needs annual foreign investment of $30-$50 billion to reach an 8% growth target and cash in on sanctions relief, the president said Sunday.

"Untapped potential in many industries indicates that domestic demand alone cannot drive the economy" towards that goal, he said, signalling a shift in policy.

Iran announced a major boost of 500,000 barrels per day in oil production on Monday – a move Tehran had long planned for once its nuclear deal with world powers took effect.

The next budget starting in March is based on a projected oil price of $40 per barrel price and exports of 2.25 million barrels per day.

Iran, a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), now produces 2.8 million barrels of oil per day and exports just over one million barrels.

Low oil prices and years of US and European Union sanctions that barred much of Iran's foreign oil sales hammered its income from crude.

But despite global prices falling below $30, Iran intends to increase production to recoup lost market share. – Ali Noorani, AFP/Rappler.com

PARIS, France – The Eiffel Tower, one of the world's top tourist draws, saw visitor numbers drop after the devastating terror attack on the French capital in November, figures showed Tuesday, January 19.

The Iron Lady of Paris received 6.91 million visitors in 2015 compared with 7.1 million in 2014, according to the company that runs the 126-year-old monument.

"Before the tragic events hit the capital in November, visits were up one percent," the company SETE said in a statement.

Gunmen and suicide bombers acting in the name of the Islamic State group (ISIS) attacked cafes, restaurants, a concert hall and the national stadium on November 13, leaving 130 dead.

Management said visitors "hesitated" for about two weeks after the attack, a period during which the tower closed for two days and then partially opened for two days.

The Eiffel Tower, built in 1889 for the Exposition Universelle, was lit up in the blue, white and red of the French flag after the November attack.

The wrought iron tower, whose 20,000 special lightbulbs sparkle at night, attracts around seven million visitors a year.

According to SETE some 80% of visitors are foreigners, mainly from the United States and Canada, followed by those from Britain, Spain and Italy. 

Another business casualty of the November attacks is the famous Paris restaurant Au Pied de Cochon, which has decided to close four nights a week after seeing receipts plunge 20%.

The restaurant by Les Halles – site of the former legendary food market nicknamed the "stomach of Paris" – had been open around the clock since 1947 – Rappler.com

BEIJING, China – China's state media on Tuesday, January 19, published an apparent confession from a Swedish human rights activist detained amid a crackdown on outspoken lawyers and accused him of inciting "opposition to the government". 

Peter Dahlin, who worked for the Chinese Urgent Action Working Group, was detained earlier this month as he prepared to board a flight from Beijing.

It is rare for China to accuse foreigners of national security offences, which can carry heavy penalties, although some have been accused of spying.

The official Xinhua news agency said Dahlin's organisation, also known as China Action, was "encouraging the masses to oppose the government". 

It did not clearly state which of Dahlin's activities constituted a crime, but said China Action staff "collected many kinds of negative information about China, and distorted them... to provide so-called China human rights reports."

China Action said it provided training to human rights lawyers who have tried to use China's tightly-controlled judiciary to redress apparent government abuses.

Authorities launched a sweeping crackdown against such human rights attorneys last July, detaining more than 130 legal staff across the country. 

This month at least 10 were formally arrested on "state subversion" related charges after being held in secret for six months.

Xinhua said China Action had worked closely with the Beijing-based Fengrui Law Firm, at the centre of the July crackdown, providing its lawyers with funding.

The report said Dahlin had confessed to using unverified information. 

The news agency quoted Dahlin as saying: "Our reports were gathered from online information... and we can't ensure that all the information is accurate". 

China regularly publishes "confessions" from alleged criminals in state media. Lawyers say such statements are often made under duress and violate the right to a fair trial.

Sweden has summoned China's ambassador over Dahlin's detention, which has raised fears about the ruling Communist Party's lack of respect for legal procedure as it cracks down on government critics.

China denied Dahlin access to consular officials for weeks after his detention, China Action said, adding that his girlfriend – a Chinese national – had also been held.

Chinese state-run media often accuse foreign aid organisations of undermining national security and trying to foment "colour revolution" against the Communist Party. – Rappler.com

WASHINGTON, DC, USA – The US Supreme Court said Tuesday, January 19, it will review whether President Barack Obama has the authority to protect millions of undocumented immigrants from deportation.

The politically charged case stems from the administration's appeal of lower court rulings that blocked Obama's efforts to reform immigration policy through executive orders.

An estimated 4 million people in the country illegally whose children are legal residents stand to benefit from the orders, which would allow them to stay and work in the country while their legal status is being resolved.

Determined to circumvent Congress, where immigration reform has long been stalled, Obama announced the measures in November 2014.

Governors of 26 US states – most of them Republicans – challenged the orders as exceeding the president's executive powers and federal courts in Texas and Louisiana put them on hold.

The top US court has not scheduled oral arguments in the case, but it is expected to render a decision in mid-June, with the US election season in full swing.

Immigration has dominated the race for the Republican presidential nomination since frontrunner Donald Trump launched his campaign with accusations that Mexico was sending drug dealers and "rapists" to the United States.

The mere fact that the conservative-leaning court has decided to take up the case is seen as a victory for Obama. – Rappler.com

Senator Grace Poe attends the first day of the oral arguments on her disqualification case before the Supreme Court.

The Commission on Election barred her from running for president in December over residency and citizenship issues.

Camille Elemia reports. - Rappler.com

The Supreme Court holds the first oral arguments on the disqualification of presidential bet Senator Grace Poe – a landmark case in waiting.

Poe shows up on the first day of the oral arguments, with her mother Susan Roces and running mate Senator Francis Escudero.

Hundreds of supporters also troop to the SC to support their presidential bet, closing Padre Faura.

Poe says she is not afraid of anything and is ready to accept whatever decision there will be.

GRACE POE, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Whatever the decision will be, we are ready to accept it. On the other hand, we remain optimistic and we are truthful in our statements. That's why even if you say I'm nervous, I'm not afraid. 

During the interpellation, Supreme Court justice Mariano Del Castillo questions why Poe renounced her Philippine citizenship, when she lived a comfortable and affluent life in the country.

Justice Teresita De Castro, for her part, maintains Poe is not a natural born Filipino, as international law does not “conclusively” say so.

Justice Antonio Carpio also questions the residency requirement of Poe, saying she did not obtain Alien Certificate of Registration in 2005, the year she claims she started residing in the country. 

Both De Castro and Carpio voted against Poe’s natural born status in the Senate Electoral Tribunal.

While all three justices grill Poe’s counsel, Justice Marvic Leonen took a different path and says it was not Poe’s fault she is a foundling.

Citing his own experience, Leonen says he knows how it feels because he also grew up without a father.

Today gives a sneak peek of what’s to come and how justices think and ultimately will vote.

With less than 4 months to go before the elections and with the complexities of the case at hand, the question remains hanging — Can Poe run for president in May? 

Camille Elemia, Rappler, Manila

TRIPOLI, Libya – A Libyan unity government was formed Tuesday, January 19, under a UN-brokered deal aimed at ending years of bloodshed, but it was unclear whether the leaders have wide support from the warring sides.

World powers are appealing to the country's rival parliaments to back the new administration to break political paralysis that has provided fertile ground for jihadists and people-smugglers.

But less than half of the members of the two parliaments signed up to the UN-sponsored agreement last month.

The unity government, headed by Fayez al-Sarraj, who was named prime minister-designate under the UN-sponsored accord, comprises 32 ministers, the administration announced on its Facebook page.

Sarraj, a businessman in his 50s from the capital Tripoli, holds degrees in business management and architecture and was a member of a committee that paved the way to national dialogue in Libya.

UN envoy Martin Kobler urged the country's internationally recognised parliament, the House of Representatives, to "promptly convene" and endorse the unity government.

Two-thirds of the legislature must approve the new administration within 10 days so that it can begin carrying out its work.

There was no immediate reaction from the two parliaments.

Libya has been in chaos since the 2011 ouster of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi.

A militia alliance including Islamists overran Tripoli in August 2014, establishing its own government and parliament and causing the internationally recognised administration to flee to the country's remote east.

On December 17, under UN guidance, around 80 of 188 lawmakers from Libya's internationally recognised parliament and 50 of 136 members of the Tripoli-based General National Congress signed the unity government deal.

'Game changer'

Analysts say the unity government is unlikely to be quickly embraced by controversial army chief General Khalifa Haftar, who has already said he was unhappy with the UN deal.

"The main question is whether this government is supported by Haftar," said Mattia Toaldo of the European Council on Foreign Relations. "Reading the name of the defence minister it seems not to be the case."

The key defence portfolio was given to Colonel Al-Mahdi al-Barghathi, a prominent military figure who is popular in eastern Libya, from where he hails, and in the west where the GNC is based.

Barghathi is seen as a rival of Haftar although they fought side by side in Operation Dignity, an offensive led by Haftar against Islamists in second city Benghazi.

His selection to be defence minister could help to win the support of the GNC -- which opposes Haftar -- for the unity government, according to analysts.

"The name of the defence minister could be a game changer in shifting the position of some of the people in Tripoli," said Toaldo.

Other key nominations are Al-Aref al-Khoja, as the next interior minister and Marwan Abusrewil as the future foreign minister.

Fighting ISIS 'priority'

The power-sharing deal has been given added urgency by fears that the Islamic State (ISIS) jihadist group, under pressure in Syria and Iraq, is building a new stronghold on Europe's doorstep.

France and Italy urged the opposing parties Tuesday to seize the chance to bring stability to the country.

European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Libya was at a "critical juncture" and urged all sides to endorse the unity government quickly.

"It is now for the House of Representatives and its presidency to show the same spirit of compromise and sense of leadership, and promptly convene to endorse the proposed cabinet," she said.

"Only a united Libyan government, supported by all its citizens, will be able to end political divisions, defeat terrorism, and address the numerous security, humanitarian and economic challenges the country faces," she added.

British ambassador Peter Millet echoed Mogherini.

"Action against Daesh a priority," he said on Twitter, using an Arabic acronym for ISIS. 

The group first appeared in Libya in 2014 and has since claimed responsibility for beheadings and suicide bombings.

It has established a stronghold in the coastal city of Sirte, Kadhafi's hometown, and is reported to have at least 3,000 fighters in Libya.

In recent weeks its fighters have pushed east towards the so-called "oil crescent" along Libya's northern coast, attacking oil facilities. – Rim Taher, AFP/Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The residency of presidential candidate Grace Poe came under intense questioning from the Supreme Court justices in the first round of oral arguments Tuesday, January 19, raising doubts about whether she fulfills the 10-year residency requirement for those aspiring for the highest office in the country.

Poe has questioned before the Supreme Court the 2 Commission on Election (Comelec) rulings that said she deliberately misrepresented her residency and citizenship. The Comelec cancelled her certificate of candidacy (COC) and, in essence, said she is not a natural-born citizen and has lived less than 10 years in the Philippines.

Justice Mariano del Castillo, who is designated to write the decision, set the tone of the 3-and-a-half hour oral arguments when he probed Poe’s counsel, Alexander Poblador, on Poe’s intent to stay permanently in the Philippines after returning from the US in 2005, one of the key elements in determining residency, apart from physical presence and abandonment of foreign “domicile.” (Poe was a naturalized American citizen and lived there for about 17 years.)

Four things surfaced during Del Castillo’s series of questions:

1. Poe continued to use her US passport for 4 years even after she acquired a Philippine passport in 2006.

Poblador’s answer: As dual citizen, Poe used her US passport because it was “easier, for pragmatic reasons.”

2. Poe waited about 5 years after she returned to the country to renounce her U.S. citizenship.

Poblador’s answer: It was then that President Aquino appointed Poe as chair of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).

Del Castillo wondered: “If the President didn’t appoint her, she would not have renounced her U.S. citizenship?... Was she testing the waters? If things didn’t happen here as she wanted, would she have left?”

3. Poe came back to the country under the Balikbayan program, which grants a temporary 1-year (with extension) stay and did not secure a permanent visa for returning residents.

Poblador’s answer: Under R.A. 9225, the law on dual citizenship, there is no need for permanent visa for returning residents.

4. In one of her travels using her US passport, she departed from the country on Nov. 15, 2009 and returned on the same day, according to Poe’s petition submitted to the Court.

Poblador appeared not to be aware of this.

Immigrant visa

Justice Antonio Carpio picked up the thread on the type of visa Poe availed herself of when she returned to the Philippines, showing a slide of a Bureau of Immigration form for a “non-quota immigrant visa of a former Filipino citizen naturalized in a foreign country.”

This visa, according to the bureau's website, is meant for “a) previously natural-born citizens of the Philippines; (b) naturalized citizens of a foreign country; and (c) [who] intend to return to the Philippines for permanent residence.”

Since Poe did not acquire such visa, Carpio also wanted to know if she applied for an alien certificate of registration (ACR), pointing out that Republic Act 562 or the Alien Registration Act required such.

Again, Poblador’s answer was no.

Likewise, Justices Estela Perlas-Bernabe and Teresita Leonardo-de Castro pursued the point of the “temporary nature” of Poe’s return to the country.

Poblador explained that Poe’s intent to permanently reside in the Philippines could not be accomplished in a “single act” but rather it was an “incremental process” that culminated in July 2006 when she took her oath of allegiance to the country.

The defense of physical presence in the country starting May 2005 – when Poe started to buy properties here – appeared to weaken under the withering scrutiny of some justices. “She arrived as a foreigner,” Del Castillo, at one point, remarked.

“Either Poblador was evasive or he didn’t have all the facts,” lawyer Zenaida Elepaño, who was at the oral arguments, observed. Elepaño is former Supreme Court administrator and now sits with the Legal Education Board, representing the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. “The defense didn’t appear to be strong.”

'Presumption of law'

Del Castillo, Carpio, and De Castro asked questions on Poe’s legal basis for claiming she is a natural-born citizen. Del Castillo and Carpio were forthright and methodical in eliciting responses while De Castro was argumentative and needled Poblador no end. 

Poe’s counsel used “presumption of law” as his main argument, citing international law and the Supreme Court rule on adoption.

“Are you advocating citizenship by presumption?” Del Castillo asked at some point.

Carpio called Poblador’s attention to the latter’s petition which omitted the portion of the 1934 constitutional convention deliberations wherein the amendment to include “foundling” among the natural-born citizens was rejected. Flashed on 2 screens in the Supreme Court session hall and highlighted in yellow were the parts Poblador did not cite.

Carpio said Poblador missed out on the “most important” part of the discussion. But Poblador said what was more significant was the intent of some participants to include “foundling” in the list of who qualified to be natural-born citizens.

Carpio’s and De Castro’s arguments that Poe does not qualify to be a natural-born citizen are laid out in their dissents in the Senate Electoral Tribunal decision.

The oral arguments ended with Justice Marvic Leonen taking the cudgels for Poe, saying the interpretation of the facts on her citizenship should be with the view to dispense justice and not be anchored on purely legalistic concepts.

He was leading to the position that the Court defer to the political process of suffrage – that the people through the ballot decide Poe’s fate.

The justices are expected to have a robust debate on the issue of foundling and citizenship as it is their first time to deal with such a case. More of their thinking will be revealed in the succeeding oral arguments.

The next one is scheduled on Tuesday, January 26. – Rappler.com

WASHINGTON DC, USA (UPDATED) – Former vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin endorsed Republican billionaire Donald Trump on Tuesday, January 19, saying the bombastic real estate mogul would "lead the charge" as America's next president.

Palin, who flirted with her own White House run, emerged as a conservative icon and political powerbroker following her failed 2008 vice presidential bid. Since then she has endorsed several far-right candidates who went on to win seats in Congress.

The coveted endorsement comes just 13 days before votes are cast in Iowa, the debut contest in the presidential primary race, and it could give a welcome boost to Trump, the current Republican frontrunner.

"No more pussyfooting around!" boomed Palin as she stood alongside Trump at his campaign rally in Ames, Iowa.

"The president has to keep us safe economically and militarily," stressed Palin, a former Alaska governor who rocketed to political stardom when John McCain plucked her from obscurity to be his running mate.

Trump is a "master" dealmaker, she said. 

"He knows how to lead the charge. So troops, hang in there because help's on the way."

Using rhetoric that has helped her rally supporters on the campaign trail, Palin drew huge cheers – and smiles from Trump – when she blasted President Barack Obama as a "weak-kneed capitulator in chief" who leads from behind, particularly when it comes to battling so-called Islamic State extremists.

"Are you ready for a commander in chief who will let our warriors do their job and go kick ISIS's ass?" she asked.

Media heads 'spinning'

Palin repeatedly knocked the Republican establishment for seeking to derail Trump, warning that they have been "wearing this political correctness kind of like a suicide vest."

And she used her trademark on-stage drama to mock reporters she says have criticized her for years.

"Media heads are spinning," she snickered. "This is going to be so much fun."

Trump said he was honored to receive Palin's endorsement.

"She is a friend and a high-quality person whom I have great respect for. I am proud to have her support," he said.

Palin's Trump nod is seen as a snub to conservative Senator Ted Cruz, who is neck and neck with Trump in Iowa and running second to him nationally.

She campaigned for Cruz during his Senate race in Texas, and Cruz, perhaps getting out front of the Trump endorsement, tweeted his appreciation for Palin on Tuesday.

"Without her support, I wouldn't be in the Senate," he wrote. "Regardless of what she does in 2016, I will always be a big fan."

Trump began the day by receiving an endorsement from the daughter of iconic US actor John Wayne.

"He represented strength, he represented power," qualities "missing" from today's president, Trump said at the John Wayne Birthplace Museum in Winterset, Iowa, where a life-size wax figure of the actor served as a backdrop.

Wayne made his mark in a Hollywood career that stretched from the 1930s to the 1970s, mainly portraying tough cowboys.

Meanwhile it was more bad news for Democrat Hillary Clinton's campaign Tuesday, when CNN released a new poll showing her main rival, Senator Bernie Sanders, holding a whopping 27-point lead over her in New Hampshire, the state which votes second in the nomination race.

Support for Sanders has surged by 10 points since the previous CNN/WMUR poll, with 60% of likely voters backing him, compared with 33% supporting Clinton. – Michael Mathes, AFP / Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Rodrigo Duterte had more to say about rival presidential bet Manuel “Mar” Roxas II on Tuesday, January 19. 

This time, the Davao City mayor called the administration standard-bearer and former Interior Secretary the “most incompetent Filipino ever to aspire for the presidency.”

His tirade, unleashed before he spoke in front of Filipino-Chinese businessmen in Binondo, Manila, was prompted by a reporter telling him that Roxas was again casting doubt on Davao City’s reputation as among the safest cities in the Philippines. 

“Mar, he’s relatively new. I’ve been a mayor of Davao City for 22 years. I have consistently won the most peaceful city, the best police department,” Duterte told reporters. 

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<blockquote class="twitter-video" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The latest in the Duterte-Roxas word war <a href="https://t.co/Z3Zx7tZVpx">pic.twitter.com/Z3Zx7tZVpx</a></p>&mdash; Pia Ranada (@piaranada) <a href="https://twitter.com/piaranada/status/689608451287166976">January 20, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Duterte added that Roxas’ statements questioning the achievements of Davao City “confuses” him because in September, Roxas himself conferred an award on the city.

“A month earlier, before the [filing] of candidacy, he gave me a plaque of recognition, an award, for the city of Davao, the best police department,” said Duterte.

Roxas’ signature is on a Seal of Good Local Governance plaque given to the city in 2015. In June and September that year, the Davao City Police Office was also recognized as “outstanding” while its anti-illegal drugs task force was named the country’s best.

Duterte contrasted his achievements to Roxas’.

“He was there from one position, DTI (Department of Trade and Industry), then during the time of Estrada, he was there. It made no difference to our country. In Arroyo’s time, he made not even a dent. And during the Aquino [administration], he was irrelevant,” said Duterte.

The ghost of Yolanda

The mayor also brought up Roxas’ performance during the immediate aftermath of Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

Duterte recalled seeing Roxas in a police station in Leyte, meeting with Social Welfare and Development Secretary Dinky Soliman and other officials while, supposedly, 3 corpses of police officers were rotting near the gate outside. 

“We were smelling the stink here. He was there inside talking, talking nonsense. He was talking to Dinky, he was talking to the police, he was talking to the general. Nagdada-dialogue lang siya doon (He was just having a dialogue there) instead of going out, he was there all the time,” said Duterte.

To the mayor, this spelled out Roxas’ lack of leadership at a time when he was the highest-ranking government official in a disaster area.

“He could not have had an accurate reading of what was really happening because he was there inside. Hindi ka maglilibot (You won’t make the rounds outside). He is the most incompetent Filipino ever to aspire for the presidency,” he concluded.

Yolanda relief operations and rehabilitation have always been a sticky issue for Roxas and the entire Aquino administration. The government has been criticized by both local and international organizations and media outlets for the slow pace of operations and lack of clarity on leadership. 

But experts also tame the blow, saying Yolanda’s scale was unprecedented and no government could have been thoroughly prepared for it.

In response to such criticism, Roxas’ camp says it was his leadership that enabled the restoration of communications in Yolanda-hit areas within a week. Clean-up operations supervised by Roxas also allowed relief goods to finally reach typhoon survivors.

Duterte’s statements are the latest in the word war between the two presidential candidates.

Duterte said it began when a journalist, supposedly under the direction of Roxas’ camp, spread a rumor that he had throat cancer.

Roxas, in turn, questioned the so-called “myth” of Davao City’s peace and order situation. 

That pushed the mayor to question Roxas’ diploma from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. (READ: Wharton a 'myth?' Facts on Mar Roxas and his economics degree)

The two have challenged each other to slap fests, fist-fights, and even a gun duel.

In the most recent voter preference survey, Roxas and Duterte were neck-to-neck – statistically tied at 3rd place.– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and running mate Senator Alan Peter Cayetano will face voters on Wednesday, January 20, at Rappler’s latest #TheLeaderIWant Forum to be held at the Teresa Yuchengco auditorium in De La Salle University, Manila.

The other tandems – Jejomar Binay-Gregorio Honasan; Mar Roxas-Leni Robredo; Grace Poe-Francis Escudero; and Miriam Santiago-Ferdinand Marcos Jr – declined the invitation to talk about their platforms and engage students and various sectors in key cities nationwide.

Anchored and moderated by Rappler CEO and Executive Editor Maria Ressa, the forum, which starts at 3 pm, will be aired live on DZRH-MBC and its affiliates, as well as on government-run Media ng Bayan (PTV4).

Rappler partnered with Facebook for this event.

Three other senatorial candidates will talk about leadership and the 2016 elections: Bayan Muna Representative Neri Colmenares and lawyer Lorna Kapunan (Poe-Escudero coalition), and Leyte Representative Martin Romualdez from UNA.

All the candidates will answer questions crowdsourced in the last week, as well as a set of questions from Rappler and its partners.

On Facebook, Filipinos can score virtual front row seats to the entire forum by watching it live on Rappler’s Facebook page. 

Rappler’s partner schools and civil society organizations in Metro Manila, Laguna, Quezon, Leyte, Iloilo, Zamboanga, Davao, Tawi-Tawi, among others, have also arranged viewing parties for the live stream.

The AMA Education System, one of the largest education networks in Asia, will host viewing parties in its schools nationwide.

Check the complete list of viewing parties here.

Rappler also partnered with the following organizations: Simbahang Likod ng Bayan, AIESEC Philippines, LENTE, World Vision, Oxfam, Ateneo Task Force, and UNDP Philippines

Our media partners include:

RADIO DZRH-MBC. Up to 175 stations, including FM:

1.10 Aksyon Radio

2.15 Relay Stations of DZRH

3.100 Radyo Natin stations

4. Includes Easy Rock on FM 96.3, DZRH Network, Love radio Network (DZMB), Yes FM Network, Easy Rock Network, Radio Natin FM Network

DZRH News Television (Channel 18, Cignal TV)

Media ng Bayan, which includes PTV4, with television stations in:

◦Metro-Manila

◦Vigan

◦Baguio

◦Legazpi

◦Calbayog

◦Tacloban

◦Cebu

◦Palawan

◦Dumaguete

◦Agusan Del Sur

◦Marawi

◦Zamboanga Sibugay

◦Davao

◦Guimaras

Crowdsourced video questions submitted via Facebook. Rappler started crowdsourcing questions via Facebook. The most liked questions will be top choices. Click here for a preview of the crowdsourced questions. – Rappler.com

BEIRUT, Lebanon – The Islamic State (ISIS) group confirmed Tuesday, January 19, the death of British extremist "Jihadi John", saying he was killed in a drone strike in their Syrian stronghold of Raqa in November.

Born Mohammed Emwazi, he was known as the executioner of the jihadist group appearing masked in a string of videos showing the beheadings of Western hostages.

In its online magazine Dabiq, the group said Emwazi was killed on November 12 "as the car he was in was targeted in a strike by an unmanned drone in the city of Raqa, destroying the car and killing him instantly."

The US military had said at the time that it was "reasonably certain" he had been killed in the strike.

ISIS described Emwazi as a "martyr" and prayed to "Allah... to envelop him with His mercy and enter him into the highest levels of al-Firdaws (paradise)".

Dabiq devoted an article to Emwazi, describing him as an "honourable brother" known for his "mercy and generosity" who once gave away a concubine as a gift "to an unmarried injured brother".

The world knew him as a ruthless executioner who spoke English with a British accent and he was dubbed "Jihadi John" after hostages nicknamed a group of ISIS guards The Beatles.

He first appeared in a video in August 2014 showing the beheading of James Foley, a 40-year-old American freelance journalist captured in Syria in 2012.

Foley is seen kneeling on the ground, dressed in an orange outfit resembling those worn by prisoners held at the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay. Emwazi is dressed entirely in black.

'Human animal'

The Pentagon has said Emwazi participated in videos showing the murders of Foley and fellow US journalist Steven Sotloff, US aid worker Abdul-Rahman Kassig, British aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning, Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, and a number of other hostages.

Emwazi was last seen in the video showing Goto's execution in January.

On November 13, the US military said it was "reasonably certain" Emwazi, 27, was killed in a drone attack in Syria while he was being driven in a car.

He was targeted in a combined British-US operation the previous day in Raqa, de facto capital of ISIS in war-torn Syria.

Intelligence sources had been tracking Emwazi "for some time," Baghdad-based military spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said at the time.

"This guy was a human animal, and killing him probably makes the world a little bit better place," he added.

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron had said if confirmed, Emwazi's death would be "a strike at the heart" of the IS group.

A London computer programmer, Emwazi was born in Kuwait to a stateless family of Iraqi origin. His parents moved to Britain in 1993 after their hopes of obtaining Kuwaiti citizenship were quashed.

Emwazi was 6 years old when his family moved to London. He grew up in North Kensington, a leafy middle-class area where a network of Islamist extremists was uncovered in recent years. – Rappler.com