MANILA, Philippines – Under the Aquino administration, farmers have endured a “total failure of land reform,” presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday, February 3. 

Addressing over 100 farmers and land rights advocates, he said he can provide a better alternative.

Duterte said he would pursue land reform differently by prioritizing the provision of support services alongside land distribution to farmers.

He would also push for irrigation services to be given to farmers free of charge. At present, farmers pay irrigation fees to the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) – fees they aren’t able to pay accumulate as debt.

The implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms (CARPER) was a failure, said Duterte, because farmers lacked the capability and resources to make their land productive.

“The land reform was a farce not because it was not given, but the problem again is, there was no support from government. You give him 3, 4, 5 hectares. Land reform? But you don’t give fertilizer, seedlings, support. He could not get credit,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino. 

No wonder, he said, most of the poor in the country are agricultural workers.

He pointed out the prevalence of the abusive aryendo system in which farmers who receive land from the government end up selling it back to the owner because farming the land would be too expensive. (READ: Lack of support for farmers drives abusive 'aryendo' system)

“He might as well sell the land back to the land owner and his only consolation is he gets to hold big money,” said Duterte.

Slow support for farmers

If he becomes president, Duterte said he would come up with a system to distribute assistance to farmers in a focused manner. (READ: Duterte, Cayetano platform focuses on crime, economy)

“If I get to be president, I will tell the Bureau of Soil or Agriculture, make me a color-coded map, see which crop is best in this area and we can focus the assistance, what we will give to the farmers,” he explained.

For instance, if the soil of a certain province is found to be conducive to growing cacao, his government would then distribute, for free, cacao seedlings, fertilizer, and farming equipment appropriate to cacao.

The slow delivery of services was one of the concerns raised by farmers during the forum, before Duterte’s arrival.

“Para kang dumadaan sa butas ng karayom, mabagal (It’s like going through the eye of a needle, slow),” said Panay farmer Chriz Chavez.

Supposedly “discriminatory” practices would also get in the way of farmers getting the help they need. 

“Harap-harapan sinabi sa amin hindi kami mabibigyan kung hindi kayo accredited ng DA (Department of Agriculture). Mamamatay ka na, hindi pa dadating ang tulong?” he said. (They told us to our face they could not give us anything because we are not accredited with the DA. Even if you're about to die, help still won't come?)

Duterte did not explain the details of how he would distribute support services, like if he would retain the DA’s policy of giving support only to accredited farmer cooperatives.

Free irrigation

But he agreed with the farmers that irrigation should be free.

Chavez said earlier that, even if farmers sell their land, they would not be able to pay off their debt to NIA for unpaid irrigation fees. 

“Sana gawin natin libre ang irigasyon. Kung pakay ng gobyerno ang social justice at food security, dapat paunlarin niya ang buhay ng magsasaka,” emphasized the farmer.

(Irrigation should be free. If the goal of government is social justice and food security, they should improve the lives of farmers.)

When asked if he would accede to such an appeal, Duterte said: “Yes, definitely, that. Ang una kong gawin, free water for the farmers, hindi na sila magbayad (The first thing I will do, free water for the farmers so they won’t have to pay).”

Another way Duterte plans to help farmers is by continuing to build roads in rural areas to bring down the cost of transporting crops and agricultural goods.

“There has to be government spending there because we need mobility. I will repair the farm-to-market roads especially in really agriculturally-productive areas,” said the presidential aspirant. 

Aside from roads, he is championing the establishment of a Mindanao Railway System given that Mindanao has the potential to be a major “food basket” for the country.

Militarization and farmers

Duterte said his peace and order agenda would address another concern of farmers, especially in Mindanao: the militarization of rural areas.

“Nag-evacuate ang 600 na magsasaka mula sa Davao del Norte at Bukidnon dahil sa NPA (New People’s Army). Mga pagnanakaw, murder, kidnapping,” said distraught Davao farmer Pedro Arnado during the first part of the forum. (600 farmers had to evacuate from Davao del Norte and Bukidnon because of the NPA. There is thievery, murder, kidnapping.) 

The presence of 60 battalions and over 10,000 military personnel in Mindanao has only heightened tensions.

Duterte said he would engage the NPA and Muslim separatists in peace talks.

His push for federalism, he said, may also appease Muslim separatists since this system of government would give them more autonomy in handling their region’s affairs.

Helping farmers become more productive ties in with Duterte’s campaign promise to ensure food security in his first 100 days in office.

“I must see to it that in every table of the family, there is food that is available and affordable,” said Duterte.

Because the presidential candidate was more than an hour late, forum participants were no longer able to ask him questions.

Duterte was unable to address the following concerns voiced by farmers at the start of the forum:

• Conversion of farmlands to subdivisions and roads
• How government should spend the P75-billion coco levy fund
• Government policy on genetically-modified crops
• Impact of mining activities on farmers 

But forum organizer Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) was happy Duterte was able to attend.

He was the only presidential candidate who accepted the invitation extended to all candidates in early January.

Aside from Duterte, senatorial candidates Isko Moreno and Neri Colmenares, and reelectionist senator Vicente "Tito" Sotto III graced the event.

Out of all the candidates, Duterte was the only one who personally met with organizers beforehand to understand the group’s electoral agenda.

KMP’s Miko Mendizabal said the Davao City mayor met with one of their leaders in Davao City last Saturday so he could better “prepare” for the forum. – Rappler.com

MOSCOW, Russia – A Russian opposition party on Wednesday, February 3, demanded a formal investigation into Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov after he posted a video of its leader in the cross hairs of a sniper scope.

A video posted Monday on Kadyrov's popular Instagram page showed former prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov, the Parnas party leader, along with his deputy targeted in the sights of a sniper rifle.

"Today we submitted a request to the Russian security services (the FSB) asking them to open a criminal investigation into Ramzan Kadyrov for threatening the life of a public figure," Parnas lawyer Vadim Prokhorov told AFP. 

The party submitted a similar request to the powerful Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, Prokhorov said. 

Another opposition party Yabloko has also written to investigators and President Vladimir Putin calling for Kadyrov to be prosecuted for "extremism."

The footage used in Kadyrov's post was filmed by LifeNews, a sensationalist television channel known for its close links to security services.

It was shot last month in the French city of Strasbourg as Kasyanov and his deputy Vladimir Kara-Murza went to meetings of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), including one dedicated to slain Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov.

Kadyrov wrote on Instagram that Kasyanov had gone to France to raise money for the Russian opposition.

Instagram deleted the video, prompting an indignant response from Kadyrov who claimed this was a breach of free speech.

Kasyanov, who served as prime minister from 2000 to 2004, said President Vladimir Putin should be held accountable for Kadyrov's threatening video.

Kara-Murza told AFP he and Kasyanov considered Kadyrov's Instagram post a "direct incitement to murder."

"This is a genuine threat," said Prokhorov, recalling Nemtsov's assassination just steps from the Kremlin in February 2015.

Kadyrov, a former insurgent who is now devoted to Putin and rules his North Caucasus region with an iron grip, has threatened Kremlin critics on several occasions in the past. 

Last month, the Chechen leader penned a lengthy diatribe against Putin's critics in pro-Kremlin daily Izvestiya, calling them a "gang of jackals" who "dream of destroying our state."

The remarks caused uproar public criticism of Kadyrov, prompting Chechen authorities to organise a mass rally in support of their leader. – Rappler.com

NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar – Aung San Suu Kyi tried Wednesday, February 3, to calm nerves over Myanmar's tense political transition, with her choice of proxy presidential candidate shrouded in mystery days after her party took up its parliamentary majority.

Suu Kyi and hundreds of fellow lawmakers from her National League for Democracy (NLD) strode into the legislature on Monday with a huge mandate from November elections, carrying the hopes of a nation desperate to rebound after decades under the military yoke. 

But the democracy champion, who is herself barred from the presidency under a constitution scripted by the former junta, said it was "not yet time to form a government."

She was speaking at her first press conference since the new parliament.

"Don't be anxious. You will know when the time comes," Suu Kyi told reporters, adding that the party must "think carefully" about its choice of a candidate and suggesting the decision would not come until next month.

The NLD's massive majority – with almost 80% of parliament's seats – gives it a clear run at the presidential selection. 

Suu Kyi, the centerpiece of Myanmar's long democracy struggle, is excluded from the presidency by a charter clause that bars anyone with close relatives who are foreign. 

She has sought to sidestep that problem by vowing to rule "above" a proxy leader. 

But the secrecy surrounding a potential candidate has sent ripples of disquiet through the nation.

There are few obvious choices since the pro-democracy movement has been dominated by Suu Kyi's charismatic leadership since the 1980s. 

The NLD also faces a still-powerful military, which under the constitution is granted 25% of parliamentary seats – giving it an effective veto on charter change.

The army has so far resisted any move to amend the clause that blocks Suu Kyi, and a commentary in the state military newspaper on Monday restated this stance.

Elected members of both houses of parliament and the military will nominate three candidates to replace outgoing President Thein Sein, who retains his post until the end of March.

The new president will then be chosen by a vote of the combined houses.

Suu Kyi said she was "really satisfied" with the parliamentary process so far, particularly the selection of several ethnic minority representatives for the roles of parliament speakers and their deputies, which she said was intended to promote "national reconciliation".

She also chided reporters over their over-eager approach to news collection in recent months, following chaotic scenes during the election and huge media scrums in parliament this week.

"People should be able to move around freely," she said, but pledged to work for greater transparency in a party that decreed recently that she alone could act as a spokesperson.

The next government faces a daunting rebuilding task in one of Southeast Asia's poorest countries, where civil wars continue to rage in ethnic borderlands and public services bear the scars of junta neglect. – Hla-Hla Htay, AFP/Rappler.com

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis came under fire Wednesday, February 3, after lavishing praise on China in a move widely seen as oiling the wheels of Vatican moves to improve relations with Beijing.

Close watchers of the Holy See were taken by surprise by the content of an interview with the Asia Times in which the Argentinian pontiff said the world need not fear China's growing power and avoided any mention of human rights or the restrictions on Catholics and other Christians' freedom of worship in the world's most populous nation.

"A superb example of Realpolitik pushed to the extreme," was the verdict of Sandro Magister, one of Italy's leading Vatican experts.

Writing on his blog for Italian weekly L'Espresso, Magister lamented Francis's "total silence" on questions of religion and freedom and what he interpreted as an "unrestrained absolution" of the Chinese communist regime's historical record.

In the interview, Francis said China had always been, for him, a "reference point of greatness" and "a great culture, with an inexhaustible wisdom."

The Argentinian pope made only the lightest of allusions to China's troubled recent history, saying a people sometimes "makes a mistake and goes backwards a little, or takes the wrong path and has to retrace its steps to follow the right way."

Magister contrasted Francis's optimistic portrayal of China's potential future with the gloomy outlook of Gianni Criveller, a Catholic missionary and China expert based in Hong Kong.

Criveller recently published an article voicing fear for Hong Kong's basic freedoms and highlighting the case of Wei Heping, a priest serving an underground Catholic community found dead in a river in Shanxi province in November in what the authorities have deemed to have been a suicide.

"Many believe he met a violent death because of his influence with young people and online," Criveller wrote. "For many Catholics he is a martyr."

Imprisoned, intimidated bishops

The plight of Catholics in China, including a recent campaign to remove crosses from church buildings and imprisonment and intimidation of clerics, was also highlighted by American Vatican commentator John Allen in his www.cruxnow.com column on Francis's opening to Beijing.

"Those paying a price for their faith in China today may be disappointed that the pontiff did not address their fate more directly," Allen commented, while recalling that dilemmas related to how engage China were not restricted to the Church.

"Time will tell ... whether the goodwill a pope buys by skipping over such matters will produce results down the line," Allen wrote.

Francis was given an easier ride in the Italian Catholic daily Avvenire by Stefania Falasca, who praised the pontiff for applying "the geopolitics of mercy" to the challenges raised by China's growing weight in the world.

The pope's interview follows a discreet visit to the Vatican by a delegation of Chinese officials in January which raised hopes of a breakthrough on the contentious issue of the pope's right to appoint Catholic bishops in China.

Beijing recognises the country's estimated 12 million Catholics' right to exercise their faith but insists they do so under the auspices of a state-controlled "Catholic Patriotic Association."

Within the Vatican there has been a long-running debate between those who argue that the Church should seek to improve relations with China first and hope that yields greater freedom for its followers, and those who maintain that abuses must not go unchallenged. Francis's latest interview suggests the former camp have the upper hand for now.

The Vatican has not had diplomatic relations with China since 1951, with the rupture having come only two years after the founding of the People's Republic.

All attempts to restore them have since floundered with Beijing insisting that the Vatican must first give up its recognition of Taiwan as a sovereign state and promise not to interfere in religious issues in China. – Angus Mackinnon, AFP/Rappler.com

WASHINGTON, DC, USA – Seven years into his presidency, Barack Obama will make his first trip to an American mosque on Wednesday, February 3, offering a high-profile rebuttal of harsh Republican election-year rhetoric against Muslims.

Obama, whose grandfather converted to Islam, will make the short trip to the Islamic Society of Baltimore mosque, where he will meet community leaders and deliver remarks.

He has visited mosques in Malaysia, Indonesia and Egypt as president, but has yet to visit one of America's 2,000-plus places of Islamic worship.

In 2009, a freshly elected Obama traveled to Cairo to call for a "new beginning" with the Muslim world.

Much of Obama's foreign policy agenda has focused on improving ties with Muslim nations, from making a nuclear deal with Iran to ending wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But the effort has been stymied by continued confrontation with jihadist groups and military strikes in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria and Yemen.

His latest effort to ease interfaith relations comes as a shrill election debate has sullied America's image abroad and jihadist attacks in San Bernardino and Philadelphia threatened to shatter post-9/11 religious solidarity at home.

Six days after the 2001 attacks in New York and Washington, then president George W. Bush visited the Islamic Center of Washington, declaring "Islam is peace."

Today, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has wooed conservative voters by demanding a ban on Muslim immigrants, while frontrunner Ted Cruz has advocated Christian-only admissions and championed "Judeo-Christian values."

"We're seeing all this right wing anti-Muslim hate. It's the perfect time for him to come," said Riham Osman of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, an advocacy group.

Law-abiding Americans

The White House is keen to offer an image of America that stresses the country's secular tradition and contrasts with Republicans' "divisive rhetoric."

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Obama will "affirm the important role that Muslim Americans play in our society" and argue that "law-abiding Americans should be able to worship God in the manner that they see fit."

"And they shouldn't be subject to ridicule or targeting by anybody, let alone somebody who aspires to leading the country," Earnest added.

"We have seen an alarming willingness on the part of some Republicans to try to marginalize law-abiding, patriotic Muslim Americans, and it is offensive."

Obama is also likely to restate his case that organizations like the Islamic State (ISIS) group pervert Islam and do not represent the vast majority of Muslims.

The United States is home to around 3.3 million Muslims. 

Around 81 Muslim-Americans were involved in violent extremist plots in 2015, according to the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security.

But Obama is expected to call on Muslim leaders to help tackle radicalization. 

"We know that there are extremist organizations like ISIL (ISIS) that are seeking to use social media to radicalize vulnerable members of the population," said Earnest.

"Certainly the leaders in the Muslim community have a strong interest in preventing that from happening."

That does not sit so well with members of the Muslim community.

"I know national security will come up in the speech just because of the climate of today," said Osman. "I wish he wouldn't."

"It does upset me a little bit that it is his first time coming to visit a mosque, and there will be kids there who have grown up in this post 9/11 era and their faith is constantly linked to national security and extremism."  – Andrew Beatty, AFP/Rappler.com

PARIS, France – A case of sexual transmission on US soil of the tropical, mosquito-borne Zika virus, has stirred unease among ordinary people and experts alike.

The lone case, reported Tuesday, February 2, has highlighted how little we know about the virus circulating in Latin America and the Caribbean, where it is suspected of causing a surge in brain-damaged babies.

The infection of a Texan by a partner back from Venezuela, was only the second reported case of sexual transmission since the Zika virus was discovered in 1947. 

It has raised many new questions about the infection, which is harmless to most people and often asymptomatic.  

How long does the virus live in sperm? Can people without any symptoms pass it on? What is the level of risk from sex? Nobody quite knows.

Here is what the experts say.

Does sex represent a dangerous new avenue for Zika spread?

"In 2008, an American scientist on a field trip to Senegal became infected with Zika virus and is thought to have transmitted it to his wife through sexual contact on his return home. Zika virus has also been found in semen from an individual who was infected during the 2013 outbreak in French Polynesia. 

"Given the information we have, potentially over a million cases of Zika caused by mosquito transmission (in the current outbreak) versus two cases of sexual transmission, the additional risk appears small."

- Ed Wright, senior lecturer in medical microbiology at the University of Westminster

"Zika remains a disease primarily spread through mosquito bites (which warrants protection against getting bitten)." 

- Michael Bonsall, professor of mathematical biology, University of Oxford

"This route of transmission may be sufficiently rare (compared to spread by mosquitoes) that it will have little impact on the spread of the outbreak. Further research is clearly needed in this regard."

- Matthew Baylis, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool

What is the safest course of action?

"The important action to take from this case is to ensure that all men in affected countries and male travellers returning from affected regions ensure they practise safe sex and use condoms, particularly if they are unwell with any symptoms that might suggest they are infected with Zika virus." These could include fever, headache, muscle or joint pain, and a rash.

- Imperial College London infectious diseases expert Nathalie MacDermott, via the Science Media Centre in London.

"There is no systematic information on the duration of excretion of the virus in sexual secretions and studies are needed to document whether it remains infectious beyond a few weeks. It is thus advisable adults exposed to Zika follow the recommendation of using condoms until more information becomes available."

- Luis Cuevas, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

"The main implication is that unprotected sex should be avoided both when visiting affected areas, and also after recovery from any feverish illness contracted during visits to such an area until absence of virus in seminal fluid can be confirmed."

- Derek Gatherer, virus researcher Lancaster University

– Rappler.com

NEW YORK, USA – Donald Trump on Wednesday, February 3, accused rival Ted Cruz in the Republican race for the White House of stealing victory in the Iowa caucuses, demanding a re-vote or his win nullified.

He made the sensational accusations on Twitter, telling his nearly 6 million followers that the first-time senator from Texas had committed fraud and lied to voters. 

"Ted Cruz didn't win Iowa, he stole it. That is why all of the polls were so wrong and why he got far more votes than anticipated. Bad!" Trump wrote.

He criticized Cruz for putting out a statement saying that a fellow candidate, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, was quitting the race, and accused Cruz of lying to thousands of voters about Trump's policies.

"Based on the fraud committed by Senator Ted Cruz during the Iowa Caucus, either a new election should take place or Cruz results nullified," Trump wrote.

The accusations, interpreted by critics as an attempt to hog the media spotlight, come in stark contrast to his gracious concession speech in Iowa on Monday, saying he was "honored" to finish second.

His tally – just above 24%, for second place after Cruz and just ahead of Senator Marco Rubio – in the first vote after months of wall-to-wall media coverage raises serious questions about whether showmanship has a winning strategy.

A second hiccup, at the New Hampshire primary next Tuesday, would spell political disaster for the billionaire.

Cruz won 27.7% of the vote in the Republican caucus in Iowa, staking his claim to be the new standard bearer of the right. – Rappler.com

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil –  Rio's Carnival – a five day festival of dancing, bared flesh and wild costumes – goes underway in the face of warnings that the Zika virus might make even kissing dangerous.

Mayor Eduardo Paes handed a big, golden key to the city to the Carnival's ceremonial King Momo, who promised a spectacular show. 

"With great happiness, brotherly love and peace, I declare the best Carnival on Earth open – our Carnival in the Marvelous City," the dancing king, who is elected ahead of the festivities, said on Friday, February 5.

The annual mega-bash famed for lavish – and skimpily dressed – samba parades and all-night street dancing is expected to attract as many as five million people.

In São Paulo, Brazil's most populous city and its economic capital, Carnival celebrations were kicked off under intermittent summer rain, with a tribute to Carlinhos de Jesus, one of Brazil's most famous salon dancers.

This year's Carnival across Brazil starts under the cloud of the mosquito-transmitted Zika virus, which normally provokes few ill effects, but is blamed for an outbreak of serious birth defects in babies born to mothers infected while pregnant.

The scare gripping Latin America took a new twist with the announcement that the virus – so far believed to be transmitted almost exclusively through mosquito bites – can be detected in saliva and urine.

There is no proof yet that Zika can spread through bodily fluids, said Paulo Gadelha, head of the Fiocruz institute in Rio de Janeiro.

But he still advised pregnant women "to avoid kissing." (READ: Zika virus: US reports sexually transmitted case)

"Given the possibility that this form of transmission might exist, pregnant women should take precautionary measures," he said.

US authorities, meanwhile, recommended that people in Zika-prone countries avoid sex or use condoms – after they confirmed a person who had traveled to Venezuela infected a sexual partner in Texas upon return. 

Olympics fears

The growing alarm over Zika – and uncertainty over how the virus can be transmitted – comes at the worst time for Rio, where some one million tourists are expected to join millions of locals at parties and parades.

In August, Rio will become South America's first city to host the Summer Olympics, and there are mounting fears that the mega-event will be disrupted. (READ: POC monitoring Zika outbreak in lead-up to Rio Olympics)

Foreign governments are lining up to urge tourists to avoid countries hosting the Zika-carrying mosquito, and Brazil itself has specifically advised pregnant women not to come to the Olympics.

Ahead of Rio's Carnival, city authorities announced a program of fumigation and eradication of potential mosquito breeding sites that will intensify in the run-up to the Olympics. Authorities are also pointing out that in six months, it will be the southern hemisphere winter, meaning many fewer mosquitoes.

Canceling the Games, said Brazilian Sports Minister George Hilton on Thursday, "is not under discussion." (READ: Battered Brazil vows 2016 Olympics will be 'spectacular')

Money woes 

The Carnival peaks on Sunday and Monday nights with the competing samba parades at the Sambadrome, famous for their choreography and extraordinary costumes.

But like the rest of Brazil, Rio de Janeiro is struggling with deep recession and the economic hurt has extended to the Carnival industry.

Big ensembles competing in the Sambadrome say that city funding has dried up and that private sponsors are also running scared, while the plunging value in the national currency means importing mostly Chinese fabrics for costumes has driven up prices.

"The situation has been difficult for four or five years, but this year was worse because everyone is in crisis and prices are rising," the administrator of the Uniao da Ilha samba school, Marcio Andre Mehry de Souza, said.

A saleswoman at Souad Modas, a store selling the kinds of costumes used in informal street parties, also said times were tough.

"The place is almost empty. In previous years it was crammed with people. I was able to sell 60,000 reais (about $15,420) worth of costumes in a week, while now I'll be lucky to sell 15,000 reais worth," she said.

Another costume seller, Teresa Curi, 61, said she was still looking forward to the weekend.

"Carnival is for forgetting all this," she said. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Two days before the campaign season for the 2016 polls kicks off, Malacañang appealed to voters to closely monitor debates and media appearances of candidates and scrutinize their campaign promises and platforms. 

In an interview on state-run radio dzRB on Saturday, February 6, Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III, head of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office, was asked if he had a message for the politicians expected to ramp up their activities on the official start of the campaign season on Tuesday, February 9.

In response, Quezon said politicians should give importance to voters, who will choose their bets for various local and national positions based on what transpires during the campaign period. (READ: Calendar of activities, list of bans for 2016 elections)

"Ang botante ang mamimili dahil pagdating sa panahon ng kampanya ‘yan ang panahon ng pagsusuri, pag-aaral, pagdedebate at pagtatalakay ng mga isyu na hinaharap ng ating bayan at ng ating lipunan," Quezon said.

(The voters will choose, because the campaign season is the period for them to scrutinize, study, debate, and discuss the issues faced by our country.)

He added, "Siguro ang masasabi natin ay dapat tangkilikin natin ang lahat ng mga debate at ang mga programa sa radyo, telebisyon, basahin ang mga peryodiko upang malaman natin ang mga plataporma, paninindigan at katauhan ng ating mga kandidato."

(Voters should watch the debates, the radio and television programs, and read the newspapers to know the candidates' platforms and stand on issues and what kind of people they are.)  

Partisan activities?

During the interview, Quezon was also asked about the opposition United Nationalist Alliance's (UNA) call for deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte to resign from her post if she wants to campaign for the administration's 2016 bets.

UNA spokesperson Mon Ilagan earlier criticized Valte for her online posts hitting the Commission on Elections' (Comelec) rule that bars government officials from engaging in partisan political activities.

Valte had said the rule restricts freedom of speech and is tantamount to "unjustified and legally infirm" censorship.

Ilagan said Valte and other government officials "actively promoting Liberal Party candidates" should resign.

Valte, who had not been doing briefings for Malacañang in recent weeks, had taken a leave of absence without pay to support "the candidate she believes in," according to Quezon.

"It’s the proper thing to do. It’s a temporary leaving for a temporary commitment for a temporary period and should not imperil our overall service and commitment to the administration," Quezon said.

In response to Ilagan's statement, Quezon pointed out that the main issue behind Valte's online posts was the restriction on freedom of speech.

He said that based on the Administrative Code, past Supreme Court decisions, and the Omnibus Election Code, only civil service employees are covered by the ban on declaring their opinions or campaigning for politicians during the elections.

Comelec chairman Andres Bautista also clarified that political appointees are exempted from the ban.

"The only thing that political appointees cannot do is they cannot solicit contributions for a campaign, which is of course a very fair and proper limitation on our actions," Quezon said.

"So, of course, what Mr Ilagan is trying to do is your standard political gambit of trying to confuse the issue. But I think it’s very clear where Ms Valte was coming from, and the chairman of the Comelec himself has clarified that the distinction in the law is there," he added. – Rappler.com

Related stories:

• LP's 2016 kick-off: Capiz, Iloilo, NCR, Bicol
• UNA kicks off 2016 campaign in Mandaluyong, Laguna, Cavite
• Duterte, Cayetano to launch campaign in Tondo on Feb 9
• Santiago-Marcos tandem to launch campaign in Ilocos Norte

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – The next administration must honor the Comprehensive Agreement of the Bangsamoro (CAB) with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Secretary Teresita "Ging" Deles of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), said.

The BBL, considered the final document expected to bring peace to some troubled parts of Mindanao, failed to become a law after Congress failed to act on it, following the Mamasapano botched operation where 44 Special Action Force officers were killed.

The operation was targeted at Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, also known as "Marwan", the leader of the Kumpulan Mujahidin Malaysia.

“It is sad that many have failed to pass the BBL, but our position is clear: that the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) is fully in place, all the elements on the roadmap continue to be a government commitment,” Deles said.

Deles said that the BBL is the heart of the agreement with the MILF and should be refiled the soonest possible time with the next administration. 

Deles revealed that they are continuously talking with those who are running, to support the BBL. “We are also talking with senators who will remain in position to file the BBL as soon as possible,” she said. 

Ceasefire mechanism in place 

On February 1, 2016, two days before the last session of congress, there was information that Commander Bravo and his men were on the way to his old camp Bilal in Munai town in Lanao del Norte. 

Drieza Leninding of the Bangsamoro National Movement for Peace and Development told Rappler during a protest in Marawi City that the Army and the MILF forces are just within “eyeball distance", triggering speculations there would be armed skirmishes. 

However the Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCH), which monitors and coordinates all movements of troops on both sides, said that Commander Bravo wanted to visit his old camp, though he did not coordinate his movement. 

Deles said that because of the Ceasefire Mechanism between the government and the MILF, such possible misencounter was averted. 

“The ceasefire mechanisms are firmly in place, the GPH and the MILF took immediate actions. That is something that we are continuously grateful for, that the ceasefire mechanism is fully operational and problems are addressed,” Deles added. 

Deles said that what the current administration is doing now is making sure the CAB continues.

Deles added that programs such as the ceasefire agreement, socioeconomic cooperation programs, and the continued strengthening of the partnership with the MILF and other Bangsamoro leaders will continue – despite the non-passage of the BBL under the Aquino administration. 

Push to next administration

“Perhaps you know that last week the MILF was in Jeddah to sign an agreement on the convergence of the political tracks toward the BBL. This talk on convergence will continue for a joint push for the next political leadership, to ensure in the next term that the BBL will pass,” Deles said. 

Mujiv Hataman, regional governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said that the BBL is already dead in the current administration. 

“There is no more BBL, but it is on the top 3 priorities of the Liberal Party leadership,” Hataman said. 

Hataman, however, said that the peace talk is a continuing process. “The peace process’ ending is not BBL. The BBL is one of the higher stages of process or implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement,” Hataman continued. 

Hataman said he has a strong belief in the Liberal Party’s push for the BBL’s passage. Hataman also pointed out that the name of the BBL or any agreement does not matter as long as it addresses the needs and aspirations of the Bangsamoro.

“What is essential is that the government is responsive to address those needs,” Hataman said. – Rappler.com

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – With rebel forces facing the prospect of a crushing defeat by Syria's Russian-backed regime, their allies Saudi Arabia and Turkey may send in limited numbers of ground troops, analysts say.

Riyadh on Thursday left open the possibility of deploying soldiers, saying it would "contribute positively" if the United States-led coalition against the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group in Syria decides on ground action.

The fate of Saudi-backed Syrian armed opposition groups fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad is also a major concern for the kingdom.

"I think Saudi Arabia is desperate to do something in Syria," said Andreas Krieg, of the Department of Defence Studies at King's College London.

Krieg said the "moderate" opposition is in danger of being routed if Aleppo falls to the regime, whose forces have closed in on Syria's second city, backed by intense Russian air strikes.

"This is a problem for Saudi and Qatar as they have massively invested into Syria via the moderate opposition as their surrogate on the ground," said Krieg, who also serves as a consultant to the Qatari armed forces.

Russia, which along with Saudi Arabia's regional rival Iran is a major ally of Assad, meanwhile has accused Turkey of "preparations for an armed invasion" of Syria.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the claims "laughable."

But Krieg said Erdogan's policy in Syria has achieved nothing so far.

Peace efforts stalled

"Turkey and Saudi need to turn this war around. So any Saudi engagement would be in cooperation with Doha and Ankara," he added.

Aleppo province is among the main strongholds of Syria's armed opposition, which is facing possibly its worst moment since the beginning of the nearly 5-year war, at a time when peace efforts have stalled.

The Saudi-backed opposition umbrella group, the High Negotiations Committee, says it will not return to peace talks which recently collapsed in Geneva unless its humanitarian demands are met. (READ: UN tries to get Syria peace talks back on track)

"The Saudis believe that the chance of a peaceful solution for the Syrian crisis is very limited," said Mustafa Alani, of the independent Gulf Research Centre.

"They don't see that there is a real pressure on the regime to give major concessions...They think eventually it will have to end in the battlefield," Alani said.

"Turkey is enthusiastic about this option (of sending ground troops) since the Russians started their air operation and tried to push Turkey outside the equation," he added.

Alani said the Saudis are serious about committing troops "as part of a coalition, especially if the Turkish forces are going to be involved."

But he and other analysts said Saudi involvement would be limited, given its leadership of a separate Arab coalition fighting in Yemen for almost a year and guarding the kingdom's southern border from attacks by Iran-backed Yemeni rebels.

Saudi special forces

"They are overstretched. But in principle I think they will not hesitate to send a certain number of their fighters to fight in Syria," Alani said, adding that this would probably include Saudi special forces.

Turkey and Saudi already belong to a US-led coalition which officially has 65 members. It has been bombing IS targets in Syria and Iraq, as well as training local forces to fight the extremists.

Krieg said that with Saudi and other Gulf kingdoms "bogged down" in Yemen, he could only foresee a possible expansion of "train and equip" missions involving Gulf special forces to help rebels in Syria.

"Saudi and Qatar have already networks on the ground," he said, viewing Doha as a link between Riyadh and Ankara as relations improve.

On Friday, February 5, US Central Command spokesman Pat Ryder welcomed Saudi Arabia's willingness to send soldiers against IS.

The United States has been calling on coalition members to do more.

In November, the United Arab Emirates said it was also ready to commit ground troops against jihadists in Syria.

Jane Kinninmont, senior research fellow at London's Chatham House, said Saudi Arabia is more interested in the war in Yemen than the struggle against IS.

"But what you might see is small numbers of ground troops and perhaps also special forces which would be there partly to make a symbolic point that Saudi Arabia is supporting the fight against ISIS," she said, using another acronym for the Sunni extremists.

She declared herself "a bit sceptical" about potential Turkish army involvement in Syria, "but we might see them having some kind of interest in containing Kurdish influence." – Rappler.com

PAMPANGA, Philippines – With the junking of disqualification cases against Rodrigo Duterte’s candidacy, his supporters believe only one obstacle is in their champion's path to Malacañang: cheating.

With this in mind, the groups campaigning for the Davao City mayor  are convincing their communities not to sell their votes on May 9.

“Kayo ba, papayagan kayong dayain? Kayo ba ay tatanggap ng limang daan para iboto ang kalaban, Eh kung isang libo?” asked campaigner John Castriciones to Pampangueños waiting to meet Duterte on February 5.

(Will you allow yourself to be cheated? Will you accept P500 para iboto ang kalaba? How about P1,000?) 

{source}

<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="tl" dir="ltr">Rody <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Duterte?src=hash">#Duterte</a> supporters ask Pampangenos not to sell their votes in May: Hudas ba kayo sa bayan? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PHVote?src=hash">#PHVote</a> <a href="https://t.co/glEgYQvkHM">pic.twitter.com/glEgYQvkHM</a></p>&mdash; Pia Ranada (@piaranada) <a href="https://twitter.com/piaranada/status/695559518185349121">February 5, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Castriciones is executive vice-president of Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte (MRRD) group, a nationwide volunteer organization dedicated to Duterte’s 2016 campaign.

“Hindi po natin kailangan yung pera, kahit isang libo, kahit sampung libo pa yan. Bakit kanyo? Kapag kayo binayaran ng sampung libo, ang mga government officials na mae-elect, kaya nila gawin ang gusto nilang gawin…Magiging Hudas kayo sa sariling bansa. Hudas ba kayo?” he asked.

(We do not need money, even if it's P1,000, even if it's P10,000. Why? Because when you are paid P10,000, the government officials who will be elected can do whatever they want. Will you be Judas to your own country? Are you Judas?)

'Can't be bribed'

The Pampangueños present declared they would not sell their votes to the highest bidder.

“Hindi! Duterte kami! Hindi kami mukhang pera!” some even shouted. (No! We are for Duterte! We can't be bribed!)

Duterte has admitted he still lacks funds to fuel a nationwide campaign. In fact, there’s no assurance he will even be able to visit all parts of the country, he told Rappler.

Previous Philippine elections have been marred by incidents of vote-buying and allegations of tampering with elections results. The most prominent example is the “Hello, Garci” scandal that led to the downfall of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

For this reason, Duterte campaigners are calling for more transparency and safeguards against cheating from the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

{source}

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Supporter painting portrait of his candidate in Pampanga headquarters of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Duterte?src=hash">#Duterte</a> campaign volunteers <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PHVote?src=hash">#PHVote</a> <a href="https://t.co/sdjlaJm5Nl">pic.twitter.com/sdjlaJm5Nl</a></p>&mdash; Pia Ranada (@piaranada) <a href="https://twitter.com/piaranada/status/695462318616895488">February 5, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}

Castriciones and other supporters are worried about loopholes inherent in automated elections.

“There are a lot of people who are very vigilant right now. We are trying to fight for the reinstatement of the so called safety measures that should see to it that there will be no cheating in the forthcoming elections," he told Rappler.

Here are the measures his group wants Comelec to apply during the impending elections:

• Electronic signature – The signatures of members of the Board of Election inspectors should be in the report of vote tallies to indicate that the report can no longer be altered.
• Receipt – In previous automated elections, voters received only a message saying “Congratulations, your vote has been successfully counted.” This is not enough. Voters should receive a “receipt” that lists down the candidates they voted for.
• Extra USB port – The extra USB port at the back of PCOS machines should be blocked so that no USB or device can be plugged into the machine to program it or alter its contents.
• Non-rewritable USB – Votes are transmitted to servers through USBs that pass hands. To ensure the votes inside the USBs are not altered, the USBs must be the non-rewritable kind.

Castriciones said the Duterte team will use the channels available to them so the measures are implemented.

“We are very fortunate that Senator Koko Pimentel happens to be the chairman of the Senate Electoral Committee and we have been attending hearings on how we can see to it that there is no cheating,” he said.

Pimentel is the chairman of PDP-Laban, the political party Duterte is representing in the 2016 race.– Rappler.com

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – The United Nations' human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein began his first visit to Sri Lanka Saturday, February 6, to gauge the island's progress in investigating allegations troops committed atrocities during a prolonged civil war.

"I have been looking forward to coming and I am looking forward to meeting both the highest officials of the state as well as representatives of all communities," Zeid, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said soon after landing in Colombo.

He said he was hoping for "constructive discussions" during his four-day visit which will also take him to the former war zones of Jaffna in the island's north and Trincomalee in the north-east.

In addition to meeting with President Maithripala Sirisena, Zeid will also meet with war victims as he prepares to make a report to the UN Human Rights Council in March on the nation's progress in probing war crimes.

The Council adopted a resolution late last year calling for credible investigations into wartime atrocities committed by the government-backed military during the island's 37-year civil war.

Zeid went a step further calling for "hybrid courts" involving foreign judges, a demand Colombo rejected.

However, President Sirisena has agreed to a domestic investigation into allegations that troops killed at least 40,000 ethnic Tamils while defeating Tamil Tiger separatists in the final stages of the war which ended in May 2009.

In contrast, his predecessor Mahinda Rajapakse had resisted calls for a probe after maintaining that not a single civilian had been killed by troops under his command.

A UN report in September described horrific wartime atrocities committed by both the Sri Lankan military and the Tamil Tiger rebels whose leadership has since been wiped out. An estimated 100,000 people died in Sri Lanka's ethnic war between 1972 and 2009. – Rappler.com

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines – At least 3 members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) were killed and an army captain injured during an overnight exchange of mortar and rifle grenades between the rebel group and government forces.

The clashes happened in at least 4 villages in Datu Salibo town, Maguindanao.

Intense fighting resumed early Saturday, February 6, just hours after clashes erupted Friday afternoon when a dozen BIFF members attacked the site of a bridge construction project in Barangay Butilen.

The Army’s Mechanized Infantry Brigade (MIB) had to use artillery and heavy war materials as the number of BIFF fighters continued to increase, said Lt Colonel Warlito Limet, chief of 2nd MIB based in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town.

“We suffered 3 injured personnel, including an Army captain, but all minor injuries,” Limet said.

Two civilians, identified as Mammex Indiong, 30, and Tammy Musarup, 19, were hit by stray bullets on their feet.

Citing intelligence information from the ground, the military said the BIFF suffered 3 fatalities, including the son of a BIFF leader, during the overnight fighting in the villages of Tee, Butilen, Andabit and Sambolawan, all in Datu Salibo town.

Limet said the army had responded to calls for help by a private construction company working on dredging operations in Barangay Butilen, site of a bridge construction project.

As government troops arrived, they were met by gunfire and rifle grenade attacks from the BIFF. Limet said the group had torched a backhoe used for dredging operations, and also planted improvised bombs along the way, forcing the army's bomb experts to defuse the explosives while the firefight was ongoing.

Sporadic firefight ensued all throughout Friday evening and toward Saturday dawn.

Colonel Felicisimo Budiongan, 1st MIB commander, said the military sees a longer firefight with the rebel group after BIFF members from the towns of Talayan, Guindulungan, Datu Piang, and Shariff Aguak were seen heading towards Datu Salibo.

Anti-development?

“The BIFF is opposed to development. The government is dredging the river and the silt is used as earthfill for a farm-to-market road. A bridge will connect these barangay roads...the BIFF does not like it, they are anti-development,” Budiongan said.

Datu Salibo Mayor Norodin Salazar said the fighting has displaced more than 1,500 people who fled overnight.

“Our people wanted to have this project completed because all of them will benefit from it. But how will it be pursued if this is happening?” he said.

BIFF spokesperson Abu Misri Mama admitted the rebel group was involved in the skirmishes against government forces, but denied that they oppose the government project.

“We are here to fight for our members who were not compensated for the lands used by the construction company,” Mama said in Filipino.

As of posting, tensions remain high in the area. – Rappler.com

ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan –  Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has sacked his administration chief, complaining of corruption and mismanagement, state television said Saturday, February 6, as economic troubles begin to mount in the isolated Central Asian state. 

Berdymukhamedov indicated "a weakening of discipline in the trade sector, the identification of cases of bribery among managers... a lack of attention to training and non-compliance with instructions provided" as justifications for sacking Palvan Taganov, 37, state media said.

He had served in the post for more than two years.

A former mayor of the capital Ashgabat, Shamukhammet Durdylyev, 53, will replace him as administration head.

The head of the presidential administration serves as the deputy chairman of cabinet of ministers, which is chaired by the president.

The position of head of presidential administration is the third most senior in the isolated state after the president and speaker of parliament, although there are few checks on Berdymukhamedov's all-pervading powers in practice. 

Last month Turkmenistan further tightened restrictions on the exchange of foreign currencies as pressure grows on the ex-Soviet republic's manat currency roiled by low hydrocarbon prices. 

Berdymukhamedov took charge of the country with the world's fourth largest gas reserves in 2006, after the death of his eccentric predecessor Saparmurat Niyazov. 

Niyazov, who styled himself "Father of the Turkmen," was famous for haranguing his ministers in televised government meetings widely likened to soap operas.

Both the current and former presidents are honoured with golden statues in Ashgabat, a city with the world's highest density of buildings made from white marble, according to Guinness World Records. – Rappler.com

LAGOS, Nigeria (UPDATED) – A growing Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria has killed 101 people, as West Africa battles to contain a flare-up of the virus, according to data from the nation's health authorities released on Saturday, February 6. 

Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) statistics show that reported cases of the hemorrhagic disease – both confirmed and suspected – stood at 175 with a total of 101 deaths since August.

"As at today, 19 (including Abuja) states are currently following up contacts, or have suspected cases with laboratory results pending or laboratory confirmed cases," the NCDC said in a statement.

Deaths from the virus were recorded in the nation's political capital, Abuja, Lagos, and 14 other states, the NCDC said.

While health authorities assure Africa's most populous country of more than 170 million that they have the virus under control, there are fears the actual scale of the outbreak is under-reported. 

The NCDC said officials have distributed large quantities of drugs, including Ribavirin tablets, and bottles of hand sanitizers across the country to tackle the disease.

It however reported that logistics support and delayed reporting of cases by states are dogging the fight against Lassa fever.

The outbreak was only announced in January – months after the first case occurred in August – with subsequent deaths reported in 10 states, including Abuja.

Last year, 12 people died in Nigeria out of 375 infected, while in 2012 there were 1,723 cases and 112 deaths, according to the NCDC. 

In neighboring Benin, at least 9 people have died in a Lassa outbreak, with a total of 20 suspected cases, health authorities said Tuesday. 

The number of Lassa fever infections across West Africa every year is between 100,000 to 300,000, with about 5,000 deaths, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The disease belongs to the same family as Marburg and Ebola, two deadly viruses that lead to infections with fever, vomiting and, in worse case scenarios, haemorrhagic bleeding.

Its name is from the town of Lassa in northern Nigeria where it was first identified in 1969. 

Endemic to the region, Lassa fever is asymptomatic in 80 percent of cases but for others it can cause internal bleeding, especially when diagnosed late.

The virus is spread through contact with food or household items contaminated with rats' urine or faeces or after coming in direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person. – Rappler.com

TOKYO, Japan (UPDATED) – North Korea's widely-condemned launch of a long-range rocket could happen within a matter of hours, after Pyongyang shortened and brought forward the start of the launch window to Sunday morning.

An updated notification sent by Pyongyang to UN agencies on Saturday, February 6 – a copy of which was released by the South Korean government – said the launch would now take place between February 7-14.

The initial window announced by the North on Tuesday had been February 8-25.

The planned satellite launch has been slammed by the international community as a disguised ballistic missile test that amounts to another serious violation of UN resolution, following the North's nuclear test last month.

The brief updated notice sent by Pyongyang offered no reason for the date change.

Any launch would now take place before the February 16 birthday of late leader Kim Jong-Il, the father of current leader Kim Jong-Un.

The North insists its space program is purely scientific in nature, but the United States and allies, including South Korea, say its rocket launches are aimed at developing an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of striking the US mainland.

UN sanctions prohibit North Korea from any launch using ballistic missile technology.

Superbowl launch?

While the prospective launch dates were changed, there was no amendment to the 7:00 am-midday (2230-0330 GMT or 6:30 am-11:30 am Philippine time) daily window.

That means the rocket could blast off during the biggest annual US sports event of the year – the Superbowl, which kicks of at 8:00 am Monday, Pyongyang time.

Predictions of an imminent launch have been bolstered by recent satellite images of fuel tankers at the Sohae satellite launch complex in northwestern North Korea. (READ: Images suggest North Korea may be preparing missile launch – report)

The US and its allies have warned Pyongyang it would pay a heavy price for pushing ahead with launch, but analysts say the North's timing has been carefully calculated to minimise the repercussions.

With the international community still struggling to find a united response to the North's January 6 nuclear test, the rocket launch – while provocative – is unlikely to substantially up the punitive ante.

North Korea last launched a long-range rocket in December 2012, placing an earth observation satellite in orbit.

Western intelligence experts said that satellite had never functioned properly, and argued that this proved the mission's scientific veneer was a sham.

Same 2012 carrier 

The flight plan coordinates for the upcoming launch are almost identical to those followed by the three-stage Unha-3 rocket launched in 2012 – suggesting the same carrier would be used again.

The separated first stage was predicted to fall in the Yellow Sea off the west coast of South Korea, followed by a second stage splashdown in the Philippine Sea.

Despite Pyongyang’s bellicose claims to the contrary, the North is still seen as being years away from developing a credible inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM).

Orbital rocket launches, experts say, are relatively straightforward compared to the challenge of mastering the re-entry technology required to deliver a payload as far away as the United States.

The US-led campaign to impose harsh new sanctions on North Korea over its latest nuclear test have faced opposition from the North's main diplomatic protector, China.

On Friday, both US President Barack Obama and South Korean President Park Geun-Hye spoke by phone with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, urging him to back punitive measures against Pyongyang.

While infuriated by North Korea's refusal to curb its nuclear ambitions, China's overriding concern is avoiding a collapse of the regime in Pyongyang and the possibility of a US-allied unified Korea on its border. – Park Chan-Kyong, AFP/Rappler.com

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands – Top officials from the European Union on Saturday, February 6, reminded Turkey of its international obligations to keep its frontiers open to refugees as thousands fleeing a new government offensive in Syria remained camped out along its southern border.

Up to 20,000 Syrians may be stranded on the border, officials say, trying to get into Turkey which already hosts more than two million refugees from the bloody conflict.

"The Geneva convention is still valid which states that you have to take in refugees," EU Enlargement and Regional Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn said as he went into talks on the migrant crisis with EU foreign ministers and their counterparts from countries seeking EU membership, including Turkey.

An EU diplomatic source told AFP that the foreign ministers, meeting informally in Amsterdam, would take the opportunity to voice their concerns over the fate of the refugees fleeing the government offensive against rebel forces in Aleppo, Syria's second largest city.

Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said "everyone has seen the pictures from Aleppo, the tens of thousands of people who are fleeing, fleeing for their lives."

"We face the very real prospect that there will be another huge influx of refugees (into Europe)...that is the result of the indiscriminate bombing around Aleppo," Asselborn said as he went into the meeting.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told a Syria donors conference in London on Thursday that Ankara would allow the latest refugees into the country.

More than a million migrants landed in the 28-nation European Union last year, most of them crossing into Greece from Turkey, and then making their way through the Balkans to Germany and other northern member states.

Such numbers have put huge strains on the bloc and the Schengen passport-free zone, with several countries – among them Germany, Austria, Hungary, Sweden – re-introducing border controls while Brussels struggles to find a comprehensive solution.

In November, the EU thrashed out a deal with Turkey, offering 3.0 billion euros to help care for the refugees on its soil and speeding up long-stalled accession talks in return for Ankara's help in curbing the migrant flows. – Rappler.com

MOGADISHU, Somalia (UPDATED) –  Somali government troops backed by African Union peacekeepers on Saturday, February 6, recaptured the key port of Merka from Shebab insurgents, just one day after the Islamists swept into the city, the army and residents said.

"The Somali forces and AMISOM peacekeepers secured control of Merka again and now the situation has returned to normal," a Somali military official, Abdirisak Mohamed, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) by telephone from Mogadishu. 

"There was brief exchange of gunfire, but the (Shebab) militants have fled."

He said "several" Shebab fighters and one Somali soldier were killed in the clashes, and “the security forces are now conducting clearing operations inside town."

A resident reached by telephone said the AU force, known by its acronym AMISOM, used tanks to recapture the port, and four civilians were killed after they were caught in the fighting.

"Four people died in our neighborhood and two others were wounded, I can see AMISOM and Somali troops returned to the city now and they are conducting security operations", Muhidin Osman said.

Another resident, Shamso Moalim, said "Shebab fighters pulled out of the town after putting up slight resistance, the Somali forces and AMISOM are back".

"There are civilian casualties but I don’t know the number", she added.

AU troops had fled the city, the state capital of Lower Shabelle, as heavily armed Shehab fighters swept in with black Islamist flags on Friday, residents and local authorities said, in one of the most dramatic reverses for the multi-national force in its nearly decade-long battle against the Shebab.

Brazen raids

The Al Qaeda-linked Shebab said on its website that one of its leaders, Sheikh Mohamed Abu-Abdallah, addressed hundreds of people gathered at the regional government headquarters in Merka after the seizure on Friday.

“The enemy has lost and running away, they are fleeing from the Islamic regions," it quoted him as saying.

Residents said earlier Saturday that the Shebab had begun imposing Sharia law on the city.

The historic port, some 100 kilometres (60 miles) south of the capital Mogadishu, was captured in August 2012 by African Union troops after four years under Islamist control.

The Shebab are fighting to overthrow the internationally-backed government in Mogadishu, which is protected by 22,000 AU troops.

The group has lost ground since being routed from Mogadishu in 2011, but continues to stage regular shooting and suicide attacks, and in recent months has staged a series of brazen raids on AU bases.

Last month they stormed a Kenyan army base at El-Adde in southwest Somalia, in the latest incident of an AMISOM base being overrun, before retreating.

In September, Shebab fighters stormed a Ugandan AMISOM base in Janale district, southwest of Mogadishu in the Lower Shabelle region.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, speaking at an AU summit last month, called for more "resources for the forces in Somalia so that AMISOM can have robust power on land, air and the sea."

AU troops have been hampered by a lack of air power – including attack helicopters – leaving their bases often isolated and supply lines vulnerable to attack by Shehab gunmen controlling surrounding rural areas. –Rappler.com

WASHINGTON DC, USA – President Barack Obama on Saturday, February 6, proposed doubling US funding over the next 5 years for clean energy research and development, as part of his ongoing effort to tackle climate change.

In his weekly media address, Obama announced that he will send a budget to Congress on Tuesday which hits twice the current spending levels for clean energy research and development by 2020, declaring that "rather than subsidize the past, we should invest in the future."

The president next week sends to Congress the final spending blueprint of his presidency – a guidepost to his policy priorities – including proposals in the coming fiscal year to raise taxes and boost spending.

"One of the greatest challenges of our time is climate change," the US leader said.

"Over the last 7 years, we've made historic investments in clean energy that helped private sector companies create tens of thousands of good jobs. And today, clean power from the wind or the sun is actually cheaper in many communities than dirtier, conventional power."

The increased spending, Obama said, "will include new investments to help the private sector create more jobs faster, lower the cost of clean energy faster, and help clean, renewable power outcompete dirty fuels in every state."

Obama's call for greater investment in clean energy echoes one he made in last month's annual State of the Union address, and dovetails with the ambitious global climate change accord concluded last year in Paris. – Rappler.com