Gamiaw Weather: Update on typhoon Carina

Source: PAGASA-DOST

At 11:00 p.m., tonight, 31 July 2016 Tropical Depression "CARINA" slightly intensified and is now over the Balintang Channel.

The typhoon has an estimated rainfall amount from moderate to heavy within the 500 km diameter of the Severe Tropical Storm. Fisher folks are alerted against  rough to very rough seas over the seaboards of Luzon.

Areas under TCWS #1 and #2, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Central Luzon and the rest of northern Luzon are alerted against moderate to heavy rains which may trigger flash floods and landslides.

Location of Center: (as of 10:00 p.m.)	85 km West Northwest of Aparri, Cagayan or at 80 km Northeast of Laoag City, Ilocos Norte
Coordinates:	18.8°N, 121.0°E
Strength:	Maximum sustained winds of up to 100 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 130 kph.
Movement:	Forecast to move Northwest at 20 kph.
Forecast Positions/Outlook:	• 24 Hour(Tomorrow evening): 525 km West of Itbayat, Batanes (OUTSIDE PAR) • 48 Hour(Tuesday evening): 1,085 km West of Itbayat, Batanes (OUTSIDE PAR)

TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING SIGNAL
TCWS	Luzon	Visayas	Mindanao	Impacts of the wind
2 (61-120kph Expected in 24 hrs.)	Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Cagayan including Babuyan Group of Islands, Kalinga, Apayao, Abra			Light to Moderate damage to high risk structures; Very light to light damage to medium-risk structures; No damage to very light damage to low risk structures Unshielded, old dilapidated schoolhouses, makeshift shanties, and other structures of light materials are partially damaged or unroofed. A number of nipa and cogon houses may be partially or totally unroofed. Some old galvanized iron (G.I.) roofs may be peeled or blown off. Some wooden, old electric posts are tilted or downed. Some damage to poorly constructed signs/billboards In general, the winds may bring light to moderate damage to the exposed communities. Most banana plants, a few mango trees, ipil-ipil and similar types of trees are downed or broken. Some coconut trees may be tilted with few others broken. Rice and corn may be adversely affected. Considerable damage to shrubbery and trees with some heavy-foliaged trees blown down.
	Wave Height (Open Sea): 4.1-14.0 meters
1 (30-60kph Expected in 36 hrs.)	Batanes Group of Islands, La Union, Pangasinan, Benguet, Ifugao, Mt. Province, Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela			Very light or no damage to low risk structures, Light damage to medium to high risk structures Slight damage to some houses of very light materials or makeshift structures in exposed communities. Some banana plants are tilted, a few downed and leaves are generally damaged Twigs of small trees may be broken. Rice crops, however, may suffer significant damage when it is in its flowering stage.
	Wave Height (Open Sea): 1.25-4.0 meters
The public and the disaster risk reduction and management council concerned are advised to take appropriate actions and watch for the next weather bulletin to be issued at 2 AM tomorrow.

Duterte lifts ceasefire with communist group, orders military to be on high alert

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (REUTERS/Lean Daval Jr/File Photo) 

by Rita Salonga via RH News

Manila, PH - President Rodrigo Duterte has listed his declaration of unilateral ceasefire with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front and ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police to be on high alert.

The said order came after the CPP-NPA-NDF failed to respond to Duterte’s 5pm deadline to explain the communist group’s recent ambush to some members of the military in Davao del Norte last week.
Here is the complete statement issued by the President:

“Let me now announce that i am hereby ordering for the immediate lifting of the unilateral ceasefire that I ordered last July 25 against the communist rebels.

Correspondingly, I am ordering the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police to also withdraw the operational guidelines they issued in pursuance to that ceasefire declaration.

I am ordering all security forces to be on high alert and continue to discharge their normal functions and mandate to neutralize all threats to national security, protect the citizenry , enforce the laws and maintain peace in the land.

Prior to this, a statement was issued by NPA sub-regional command spokesman Aris Francisco, wherein they blame the AFP’s continuous offensives for the said ambush. “–end.

                  

                  

Gamiaw World: UN Human Rights Commission slams Australia youth prison abuse

Demonstrators gather outside Sydney’s Town Hall to protest against alleged child abuse in Australia’s Northern Territory detention centers, July 30, 2016. REUTERS/Jason Reed via Reuters

MELBOURNE  – Hundreds of people rallied in major cities across Australia on Saturday criticizing the government’s response to video showing aboriginal children being teargassed and abused in prison.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has ordered an inquiry into the treatment of children in the detention centre after the Australian Broadcasting Corporation this week aired footage showing guards teargassing teenage inmates and strapping a half-naked, hooded boy to a chair.

But he has rejected calls for a broader national inquiry.

The United Nation Human Rights High Commission called on Australia on Friday to compensate children abused in prison.

“We are shocked by the video footage that has emerged from Don Dale youth detention center in the Northern Territory,” the UN Human Rights office of High Commission said in a statement.

“We call on the authorities to identify those who committed abuses against the children and to hold them responsible for such acts… Compensation should also be provided”.

The Commission also called on the government to ratify the Optional Protocol to Convention Against Torture, which would allow independent investigators to inspect detention facilities.

Around 700 people rallied in Melbourne on Saturday and similar protests were held in other major cities around the country. A Reuters photographer estimated about 300 people turned out in Sydney.
Indigenous Australian rapper Adam Briggs told Reuters the issues were national ones and not limited to the Northern Territory.

“The elephant in the room is that it is a racism problem, but they aren’t addressing that,” Briggs said.
The Northern Territory’s corrections minister was sacked just hours following the broadcast and on Wednesday the territory suspended the use of hoods and restraints on children.

On Friday the Northern Territory government dropped charges against two of the six children teargassed by police. According to court documents, the children had been charged in June for damaging the prison in an escape attempt.

U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture Juan Mendez said that the use of hoods, restraints and gas on children in detention centers could violate the U.N. treaty barring torture.

The case highlights concern about the disproportionate numbers of aboriginal youth in custody, with indigenous leaders calling for politicians to deal with the wider issue of the treatment of Aborigines in Australia.

Aborigines comprise just three percent of Australia’s population but make up 27 percent of those in prison and represent 94 percent of the Northern Territory’s juvenile inmates.

Australia’s roughly 700,000 indigenous citizens track near the bottom of almost every economic and social indicator for the country’s 23 million people.

(Reporting by Jarni Blakkarly; Editing by Kim Coghill)               

NPA rebels blame AFP over Davao del Norte ambush

by Kristine Dela Cruz via RH News

Manila, Philippines - The New People’s Army (NPA) rebels are putting the blame on the military and its armed paramility troops for violating the unilateral ceasefire declared by President Rodrigo Duterte.

In a statement released by NPA Sub-Regional Command Spokesman Aris Francisco, he insisted that they were only trying to put and end to the offensives of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) against their group.

According to Francisco, they only defended their forces from the military’s continued combat operations against their detachment in Gupitan last July26, a day after the president announced the unilateral ceasefire.

According to the rebel group, the AFP reversed only the situation when they reported to the president and claimed that the NPA was responsible of the said ambush.

Francisco added that the military was with the ‘Alamara Paramilitary Group’ which he described as fanatical armed group who pushes for the killings of many Lumads and harasses civilians.

                           

Coast Guard suspends all trips of ship and motor boat in Bicol

by Kristine Dela Cruz

Manila, Philippines - Around 1, 400 passengers are currently stranded in different ports in the Bicol region after the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) suspended ships and boats from setting sail due to public storm warning signal number one raised by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in four provinces amid typhoon Carina.

Among affected areas with the ‘no sailing policy’ of PCG are ports in Tabaco City, Albay; Pasacao Post in Camarines Sur and Codon Port in Catanduanes.

PCG monitors all Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) in connection with typhoon Carina.

                                  

Our Daily Bread: Your Flight is Confirmed

C.P. Hia

Read: Romans 3:21-26

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. —1 Corinthians 15:22

A heavy thunderstorm delayed our flight to Frankfurt, causing us to miss our connecting flight. We were told that we had been confirmed on another flight the next evening. But when we arrived at the gate, we were told that we were on standby. The flight was full.

When I learned this, I wondered if this was mere miscommunication or if this was how they dealt with missed flights. If passengers had been told up front that they were only on standby, they would have been unhappy. Perhaps they saved the truth until later.

Thankfully, God doesn’t work that way. He clearly tells us everything we need to know to get to heaven. The Bible declares that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). God gave us the full picture of our sin nature from Genesis 3 so that He could give us His full and complete solution.

God’s solution in Romans 3:24 is that we are “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” God sent His own sinless Son to die for our sins. His sacrifice on the cross provided us forgiveness. All we need to do is receive that free gift through faith. I’m so glad God told us the truth up front! He hasn’t left us to find our own way.

Thank You, Almighty God, that You don’t hide the
truth from us. You showed us how completely sin
has affected our lives in order to reinforce just
how much Jesus Christ has delivered us from.

_________________________________________________________

Christ’s work makes us safe; God’s Word makes us sure.

_________________________________________________________

Duterte hints on increase in salary of teachers

by Rita Salonga and  Henry Uri via RH News

Manila, Philippines - After his promise of an increase in the salary of the military, President Rodrigo Duterte’s next target will be the wage hike for teachers.

During his speech at the briefing of new military officials in Camp Nakar, Lucena City, Quezon on Thursday, the President promised that there will be an increase in the salary of soldiers starting this August, and will continue until it becomes double.

Prior to this, one of Duterte’s priorities is to increase the salary of soldiers and military, to put an end to their illegal activities.

Meanwhile, the President remained mum on the details on how his administration will fund the said wage hike for teachers.

                                 

Gamiaw Sport: Jefferson halts retirement plan, dons Cavs jersey anew

by Rita Salonga via RH News

                              

Basketball player Richard Jefferson will have to put his plan of retiring to a halt as the Clevelang Cavaliers has signed his up for another contract.

The said news was welcomed by Cleveland general manager David Griffin because they will once again witness the versatility and leadership inside the court of Jefferson.

According to Griffin, Jefferson was one of the key component on why they were able to win the championship last season.

In his 15 NBA seasons, Jefferson averages 13.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists.  He has also played with the New Jersey Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors, Utah Jazz, Dallas Mavericks, and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Sandiganbayan junks Jinggoy’s motion to dismiss graft charges

by Kristine Dela Cruz via RH News

Manila, Philippines - The Sandiganbayan junked the motion of former Senator Jinggoy Estrada, asking for the dismissal of the 11 counts of graft charges filed against him in relation to the Php10Billion Pork Barrel Fund scam.

In a seven-page resolution, the anti-graft court 5th division denied Estrada’s motion due to lack of merit.

Based on the motion filed by Estrada, the former Senator insisted on the dismissal of his 11 counts of graft charges because the said accusations are already included in the plunder case filed against him at the same court.

However, the court explained that the information found in Estrada’s graft case are separate from the information inserted in his plunder case, therefore they cannot be considered as one and the same.

The Sandiganbayan insisted that though both the plunder and graft charges stemmed from the same accusation, under our existing laws, the two cases should be heard separately.

Gamiaw Weather Report: Update on typhoon Carina

Typhoon Carina continues to maintain its strength as it approach Eastern Luzon.

Based on the latest update of PAGASA, Carina was last spotted with a distance of 135 kilometers East Northeast of Borongan City, Eastern Samar with strong winds of up to 45 kilometers per hour near its center.

The typhoon is moving towards North northwest with a speed of 11 kilometers per hour.

In line with this, expect moderate to heavy rains in the Bicol region, Eastern Visayas and Caraga region, which may possibly bring in flashfloods and landslides.

At 8:00 a.m., Saturday, 30 July 2016Tropical Depression "CARINA" has accelerated further and maintained its strength.

Location of Center: (as of 7:00 a.m.)	155 km East  of Catarman, Northern Samar
Coordinates:	12.9°N, 126.0°E
Strength:	Maximum winds of 55 kph near the center.
Movement:	Forecast to move  Northwest at 11 kph.
Forecast Positions/Outlook:	• 24 Hour(Tomorrow morning):     225 km East Southeast of Casiguran, Aurora • 48 Hour(Monday morning):      30 km South of Aparri, Cagayan • 72 Hour(Tuesday morning):     365 km West Northwest of Laoag City, Ilocos Norte (outside PAR) • 96 Hour(Wednesday morning):     840 km West Northwest of Laoag, Ilocos Norte (outside PAR)

TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING SIGNAL
TCWS	Luzon	Visayas	Mindanao	Impacts of the wind
1 (30-60kph Expected in 36 hrs.)	Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Albay and Sorsogon	Northern Samar, Eastern Samar and Samar		Very light or no damage to low risk structures, Light damage to medium to high risk structures Slight damage to some houses of very light materials or makeshift structures in exposed communities. Some banana plants are tilted, a few downed and leaves are generally damaged Twigs of small trees may be broken. Rice crops, however, may suffer significant damage when it is in its flowering stage.
	Wave Height (Open Sea): 1.25-4.0 meters

• Estimated rainfall amount is from moderate to heavy within the 300 km diameter of the Tropical Depression.
• Fisherfolk are alerted against moderate to rough seas over the eastern seaboard of Luzon and Visayas.
• Areas under TCWS #1, the rest of Visayas and the provinces of Camarines Norte and Masbate are alerted against moderate to heavy rains which may trigger flashfloods and landslides
• The public and the disaster risk reduction and management council concerned are advised to take appropriate actions and watch for the next weather bulletin to be issued at 11 AM today

Our Daily Bread: A Person of Influence

PHOTO of Naaman . He was the commander of the Syrian army and a high ranking

official inthe Syrian government.  And he had leprosy. |

David McCasland for Our Daily Bread

Read: 2 Kings 5:1-15

She said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.” —2 Kings 5:3

If you Google “person of influence,” the search will take you to various lists of “the most influential people in the world.” These lists usually include political leaders; business entrepreneurs and athletes; along with people in science, the arts, and entertainment. You will not find the names of cooks and cleaners who work for them. Yet those in so-called lowly positions often influence the people they serve.

The story of Naaman, a high-ranking military commander, includes two kings and a prophet of God (2 Kings 5:1-15). Yet it was the servants in the background whose words led to Naaman being cured of leprosy, a career-ending, life-changing disease. A young servant girl taken captive from Israel told Naaman’s wife that a prophet in Samaria could heal him (vv.2-3).

When Elisha’s instructions to bathe in the Jordan River angered Naaman, his servants urged him to follow the prophet’s orders. The result was Naaman’s restoration to health and his declaration, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel” (v.15).

What a beautiful picture of our role as followers of Jesus Christ! We are called to be people of influence—the Lord’s servants who point others to the One whose touch can change their lives.

Lord, I would like to live a life of influence like
Naaman’s servant girl—to be brave and bold
to touch the lives of others by pointing them
to You. Fill me, Holy Spirit, with Your power.

_________________________________________________________

Christ sends us out to bring others in.

_________________________________________________________

GAMIAW RELIGION: Huge crowd at Polish shrine hears pope hail their faith

Pope Francis waves from the Archbishops' Palace in Krakow, Poland, Wednesday, July 27, 2016. Francis came on a five-day visit to Poland to join hundreds of thousands of young people from around the globe for celebrations of the World Youth Day. AP/Alik Keplicz | By Frances D'Emilio and Monika Scislowska (Associated Press)

CZESTOCHOWA, Poland — Pope Francis blessed hundreds of thousands of faithful Thursday at a shrine in Poland, paying tribute to a beloved native son, St. John Paul II, honoring the countless "ordinary yet remarkable" Poles who defiantly clung to their faith during Soviet-bloc communism and establishing this pontiff's drawing power in a country where being Catholic is often equated with being Polish.

Francis, who had never set foot in Eastern Europe before this week's five-day pilgrimage to Poland, gazed in apparent awe for several minutes as he studied the Jasna Gora monastery shrine's iconic image of the so-called Black Madonna. The faces of Mary and Baby Jesus in the icon — an object of veneration starting in the 14th century — are blackened by centuries of varnish and candle soot.
Pilgrimages to Jasna Gora, often by faithful trekking long distances, are part of many Polish Catholics' identity and upbringing.

Polish church officials said as many as 600,000 people flocked to the outdoor Mass at the monastery. In the evening, local church organizers in Krakow said another 500,000 faithful, young people from all around the world cheered Francis at a pep rally on a meadow in the southern city.

Vatican officials and police declined to offer any estimates.

During the pep rally, people sang and danced to lively tunes, waving flags from places as different as Tennessee and Turkey. In a gesture to the Argentine-born, tango-loving Francis, Poles devised a tango number with Polish lyrics.

"John Paul is no more, but Francis means a continuation of this great love for God that our Polish pope has given us," Marcin Zbik, a student from the northwestern town of Police told The Associated Press.

During the morning Mass, a woman went into labor and was taken to a hospital where her daughter was delivered, said the town hall in Czestochowa, the town hosting the shrine.

At the start of the Jasna Gora Mass, the 79-year-old pope tripped and fell as he walked to the altar, but he rose quickly with help from several priests and showed no ill effects.

"There were no consequences, the pope didn't suffer, he didn't hurt himself, there was no need for a medical checkup," Vatican spokesman the Rev, Federico Lombardi said.

The Mass marked this year's 1,050th anniversary of Poland's acceptance of the Roman Catholic faith, a move that eventually set it apart culturally from Orthodox nations in the region. Polish President Andrzej Duda and other political leaders sat in front rows at the Mass.

"Our minds turn to so many sons and daughters of your own people, like the martyrs who made the defenseless power of the Gospel shine forth, like those ordinary yet remarkable people who bore witness to the Lord's love amid great trials," Francis said in his homily, speaking in Italian and pausing for a priest to translate his words into Polish.

"Your own history, shaped by the Gospel, the cross and fidelity to the church, has seen the contagious power of a genuine faith, passed down from family to family, from fathers to sons and above all from mothers and grandmothers, whom we need so much to thank," he said.

Francis urged Poles to stay united even as their nation is divided over the issue of refugees and migrants, especially those who aren't Christians. At his evening pep rally, he told the young people he was confident they would "join the adventure of building bridges and knocking down walls, fences."
Walls and barbed-wire fences have sprung up in eastern and central Europe to keep those fleeing wars and hunger in the Middle East, Asia and Africa from penetrating into the heart of the European continent.

After lunch in Krakow, Francis joined some disabled young people aboard an electric tram, painted in the Vatican's yellow and white colors, for the ride to the park where the youth rally was held.

Security was tight following a string of attacks in Europe, and people were warned over loudspeakers not to leave their bags unattended.
___
Scislowska reported from Krakow; Vanessa Gera in Warsaw contributed.
___

Gamiaw Sports: Cavaliers re-sign veteran forward Richard Jefferson

             

Richard Jefferson announced his return earlier this month on his Snapchat account, saying, "Can't wait to repeat ... 2 year deal done!! The Land you ready?" AP | By Tom Withers (Associated Press)

CLEVELAND — Richard Jefferson's planned retirement didn't last long.

The valuable veteran forward, who played a critical role in Cleveland winning an NBA championship this season, re-signed with the Cavaliers on Thursday.

Shortly after the Cavs rallied from a 3-1 deficit to stun the Golden State Warriors in the finals, Jefferson said he would be ending his long playing career on top. However, at the urging of thousands of Cleveland fans who chanted "One more year" during the team's victory rally, Jefferson had a change of heart.

He announced his return earlier this month on his Snapchat account, saying, "Can't wait to repeat ... 2 year deal done!! The Land you ready?"

The Cavs made the signing official on Thursday and expressed their excitement to have the 36-year-old back.

"RJ's versatility on the court and leadership off it were core parts of our identity and success last year," general manager David Griffin said. "In many respects, his impact was greater as the stakes got higher. His NBA Finals performance is a testament to his dedicated, steady approach and his presence in our locker room throughout the year and postseason cannot be overstated."

Jefferson made two starts in the postseason and his overall contributions helped the Cavs end the city's 52-year championship drought. He averaged 5.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 18.1 minutes during the postseason.

Over 15 NBA seasons, Jefferson has averaged 13.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists for New Jersey, Milwaukee, San Antonio, Golden State, Utah, Dallas and Cleveland.

CA supports removal of 15-year-old buses

by Kristine Dela Cruz via RH News

Manila, Philippines - The Court of Appeals (CA) supported the order of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) to phase out buses that are 15 years and older.

The CA recognized the need to modernize the transport system to ensure the safety of the public. The court cited the increase of accidents involving old and smoky buses as the basis for its decision.

The DOTC, in an order released back in 2002,  mandated the removal of old buses. To date, however,  many old buses continue to operate in Metro Manila and provinces.

                                 

President Duterte orders no priority for Presidential plane in airports

by Kristine Dela Cruz via RH News

Manila, Philippines - The presidential plane will no longer be given special treatment in all airports in the country.

According to Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Director General Antonio Buendia, Jr., President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered to cancel the priority landing and takeoff for the presidential plane.

The official said the idea was made aiming not to bother other flights during takeoffs and landings especially at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

             

Gamiaw Exclusive – FBI investigates hacking of Democratic congressional group: sources

A lock icon, signifying an encrypted Internet connection, is seen on an Internet Explorer browser in a photo illustration in Paris April 15, 2014. REUTERS/Mal Langsdon | By Joseph Menn, Dustin Volz and Mark Hosenball via Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON – The FBI is investigating a cyber intrusion against a major Democratic Party congressional fundraising group, an attack that may be related to an earlier hack against the party apparatus, four people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The previously unreported incident at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, or DCCC, and its potential ties to Russian hackers are likely to sharpen concern, so far unproven, that Moscow is attempting to meddle in U.S. elections.

Hacking of the party’s emails has clouded this week’s Democratic convention in Philadelphia, where Hillary Clinton was scheduled to accept the party’s presidential nomination on Thursday evening.
The breach at the DCCC may have been intended to gather information about donors, rather than to steal money, the sources said on Thursday.

The DCCC raises money for Democrats running for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. The intrusion at the group could have begun as recently as June, two of the sources told Reuters.

That was when a bogus website was registered with a name closely resembling that of a main donation site connected to the DCCC. For some time, internet traffic associated with donations that was supposed to go to a company that processes campaign donations instead went to the bogus site, two sources said.

The sources said the Internet Protocol address of the spurious site resembled one used by a Russian government-linked hacking group, one of two such groups suspected in a recently revealed breach of the Democratic National Committee, or DNC, the nationwide strategy-setting and money-raising body for the Democratic Party.

Cyber security experts and U.S. officials said on Monday there was evidence that Russia engineered the DNC hack to release sensitive party emails in order to influence the U.S. presidential election.
The release of the emails by activist group WikiLeaks on the weekend caused discord in the party because they appeared to show favouritism within the DNC for Clinton over U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who ran a close race for the nomination for the Nov. 8 election.

The DNC, targeted by hackers earlier this year, and the DCCC share the same office space on South Capitol Street in Washington.

The DCCC had no immediate comment on Thursday. Donation processing company ActBlue also had no immediate comment. CrowdStrike, the California-based cyber security firm that investigated the DNC breach, declined to comment.

GREAT CONCERN

Jim Manley, a Democratic strategist who once worked for Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, said the possibility of the DCCC being hacked was cause for great concern.

“Until proven otherwise, I would suggest that everyone involved with the campaign committee operate under the assumption Russians have access to everything in their computer systems,” Manley said.

The FBI referred questions to a statement it made on Monday on the DNC hack:

“The FBI is investigating a cyber intrusion involving the DNC and are working to determine the nature and scope of the matter. A compromise of this nature is something we take very seriously, and the FBI will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who pose a threat in cyberspace.”

The disclosure of the DCCC breach is likely to further stoke concerns among Democratic Party operatives, many of whom have acknowledged they fear further dumps of hacked files that could harm their candidates. WikiLeaks has said it has more material related to the U.S. election that it intends to release.

DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned after the leaked emails last weekend showed party leaders favouring Clinton over Sanders. The committee is supposed to be neutral.

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said on Thursday the U.S. intelligence community was not ready to “make the call on attribution” as to who was responsible for the DNC hack. The White House said earlier the FBI had not disclosed any information about who was behind the hack.

Clapper, speaking at the Aspen Security Forum, acknowledged that “there’s just a few usual suspects out there” who might be responsible for the cyber intrusion, suggesting it was the work of a state actor rather than an independent hacking group.

Clapper said in May he was aware of attempted hacks on campaigns and related groups and he expected to see more as the November election neared. The last two U.S. presidential cycles in 2008 and 2012 witnessed a barrage of cyber attacks from a range of adversaries targeting President Barack Obama’s campaign and the campaigns of his Republican foes, officials have said.

Russian officials have dismissed the allegations of Moscow’s involvement in such hacks. “It is so absurd it borders on total stupidity,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Donald Trump, the Republican Party’s presidential nominee, angered Democrats this week by inviting Russia to unearth tens of thousands of emails from rival Clinton’s tenure as U.S. secretary of state. Trump said on Thursday he was being sarcastic in his remarks.

(Additional reporting by Warren Strobel in Aspen, Colo. and; Yara Bayoumy and Ginger Gibson in Washington; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Alistair Bell)                  

Duterte threatens to call off truce after rebel ambush

(File photo) Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte holds up a copy of his speech as he speaks before the lawmakers during his first State of the Nation Address at the Philippine Congress in Quezon city, Metro Manila, Philippines July 25, 2016. REUTERS/Erik De Castro

MANILA, - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte warned on Thursday that he might call off a unilateral ceasefire with communist rebels after a militiaman was killed in a guerrilla ambush.
Duterte said he wanted an explanation and expected rebel leaders to discipline guerrillas involved in the killing on the southern island of Mindanao, two days after the government declared a unilateral truce to aid peace talks.

“Are we in into this truce or are we not?,” Duterte asked while speaking to soldiers in an army base south of Manila.

Duterte, who won a May election, declared the truce with the communist rebels who have been fighting the government for nearly 50 years in his first state of the nation address on Monday.

The rebels killed a militiaman and wounded four in an ambush on Wednesday, the army said.
“If you do not honour and you kill a single soldier … let’s just forget about this, let’s just fight,” Duterte said, in a message to the rebels.

Silvestre Bello, the labour minister and a peace negotiator, told Reuters he had talked to a spokesman for the National Democratic Front, the political arm of the communists, who assured him they wanted talks.
“They will look into the incident and they wish to pursue the peace talks,” Bello said.
Duterte has stressed the need to end guerrilla wars with communist and Muslim rebels that have been hampering economic development in several part of the country.

He also offered government roles to senior members of the Communist Party of the Philippines, including its exiled founder.

                                     

Senate hopes LEDAC included in Duterte’s agenda

by Rita Salonga via RH News

  

Manila, Philippines - Senators are hoping that President Rodrigo Duterte will soon be setting a meeting for the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council after this week’s national Security Council meeting wherein four of the past Philippine Presidents were present.

According to Senate Minority leader Ralph Recto, in the Aquino administration, LEDAC was pushed to the sidelines for six years.

Recto added that President Duterte may use the LEDAC meeting to serve as a sound board so that they can discuss issues concerning the country’s economy, including the issue on tax reform.

After attending the NSC meeting, Recto said that he noticed that Duterte welcomes ideas from the group and that there is a possibility that he will be calling for meetings often.

On a side note, Recto said that Duterte has a way of inserting jokes during their meeting, which was a welcome relief because they did not feel that they were there for five hours.

Also present during the NSC meeting were Vice President Leni Robredo, Senate President Koko Pimentel and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.                

Gamiaw World: Obama asks U.S. voters to ‘carry’ Clinton to White House, defeat Trump

U.S. President Barack Obama and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton appear onstage together after his speech on the third night at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 27, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar | By Jeff Mason and Alana Wise via Reuters

PHILADELPHIA, USA – President Barack Obama painted an optimistic picture of America’s future and offered full-throated support for Hillary Clinton’s bid to defeat Republican Donald Trump in a speech that electrified the Democratic National Convention.

He urged Democrats to enable Clinton to finish the job he started with his election nearly eight years ago in a rousing speech that capped a night when party luminaries took to the stage to contrast the party’s new standard-bearer with Trump, whom they portrayed as a threat to U.S. values.

“There has never been a man or woman, not me, not Bill – nobody more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as president of the United States,” Obama said to cheers at the Philadelphia convention on Wednesday night.

Hillary Clinton, the wife of former President Bill Clinton, will accept the party’s White House nomination in a speech to end the convention on Thursday night. The election is on Nov. 8.

Her address will be closely watched to see if she can make a convincing argument for bringing about change while still representing the legacy of Obama, who is ending his second term with high approval ratings.

“Tonight, I ask you to do for Hillary Clinton what you did for me. I ask you to carry her the same way you carried me,” Obama said. When he finished, she joined him on stage where they hugged, clasped hands and waved to the crowd.

The two were rivals in the hard-fought 2008 campaign for the Democratic nomination. After winning that election to become America’s first black president, Obama appointed Clinton his secretary of state, a position she held until 2013.

Republicans have painted Clinton as a Washington insider who would represent a “third term” for what they view as failed policies under Obama, elected to a second term in 2012.

Speaking to delegates, Obama offered an alternative to businessman Trump’s vision of the United States as being under siege from illegal immigrants, crime and terrorism and losing influence in the world.

“I am more optimistic about the future of America than ever before,” Obama said at the Wells Fargo Center, a basketball and hockey arena.

A former first lady and U.S. senator, Clinton made history on Tuesday when she became the first woman to secure the presidential nomination of a major party. She promises to tackle income inequality, tighten gun control and rein in Wall Street if she becomes president.

Obama took aim at Trump’s campaign slogan and promise to “Make America Great Again.”

“America is already great. America is already strong. And I promise you, our strength, our greatness, does not depend on Donald Trump,” he said.

“Preach!” members of the crowd shouted. “Best president ever,” someone screamed.

Trump replied to Obama on Twitter, writing: “Our country does not feel ‘great already’ to the millions of wonderful people living in poverty, violence and despair.”

Obama listed what he described as progress during his two terms in office, such as recovery from an economic recession, the Obamacare healthcare reform and the 2011 killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

He said American values, not race, religion or political preference, were what made the United States great. “That’s why anyone who threatens our values, whether fascists or communists or jihadists or homegrown demagogues, will always fail in the end,” Obama said.

DEMOCRATS FOR HILLARY

Senior Democrats and former national security figures lined up earlier on Wednesday to describe Trump as unable to steer America through the dangerous waters of today’s world.

By contrast, many prominent Republicans, alarmed by Trump’s provocative comments on illegal immigrants and Muslims, were absent from the party convention that nominated Trump for the White House in Cleveland last week.

Trump has proposed temporarily banning Muslims from entering the country and building a wall on the border with Mexico to stop illegal immigrants.

After his convention Trump got a boost in opinion polls. He had a 2-point lead over Clinton in a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Tuesday, the first time he has been ahead since early May.

On Wednesday night, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine accepted the party’s nomination as Clinton’s vice presidential running mate and in a speech described billionaire Trump as “a one-man wrecking crew” who cannot be trusted in the Oval Office.

Trump, who has never held public office, offered his critics fresh lines of attack on Wednesday, urging Russia to find and release tens of thousands of emails that Clinton did not hand over to U.S. officials as part of a probe into her use of a private email system while she was secretary of state. Clinton has said those emails were private.

Speaking to the convention, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said Trump was an opportunist who had no clue about how to make America great or to help working families.

Drawing chants of “Not a clue” from the floor of the convention, Biden took Trump, a reality TV host, to task for his trademark slogan, “You’re fired.”

“He’s trying to tell us he cares about the middle class. Give me a break. That’s a bunch of malarkey!” Biden said.

New York media mogul Michael Bloomberg, a Republican-turned-independent, assailed fellow billionaire Trump in a speech of his own, calling his presidential bid a “con” and ripping into Trump’s history of bankruptcies and lawsuits.

“Trump says he wants to run the nation like he’s running his business? God help us,” Bloomberg, a former New York City mayor, said to roaring applause. “I’m a New Yorker and I know a con when I see one.”

Trump has hammered Clinton as untrustworthy and cast America as a place where security threats abound and law and order are breaking down.

Clinton waged another hard-fought primary battle this year, beating off an unexpectedly strong challenge from the left by Bernie Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont.
Democratic leaders have sought to tamp down lingering bitterness among some die-hard Sanders supporters, and move past unruly displays of dissent that marked the convention’s first day on Monday.

(Additional reporting by Amy Tennery, Emily Stephenson, Luciana Lopez, Jonathan Allen and Steve Holland; Writing by Alistair Bell; Editing by Howard Goller and Peter Cooney)                  

Our Daily Bread: What is Love?

Anne Cetas

Read: Psalm 103:1-14

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son. —1 John 4:10

When asked “What’s love?” children have some great answers. Noelle, age 7, said, “Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day.” Rebecca, who is 8, answered, “Since my grandmother got arthritis, she can’t bend over and polish her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even after his hands got arthritis too. That’s love.” Jessica, also 8, concluded, “You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.”

Sometimes we need reminding that God loves us. We focus on the difficulties of life and wonder, Where’s the love? But if we pause and consider all that God has done for us, we remember how much we are loved by God, who is love (1 John 4:8-10).

Psalm 103 lists the “benefits” God showers on us in love: He forgives our sin (v.3), satisfies us with good things (v.5), and executes righteousness and justice (v.6). He is slow to anger and abounds in mercy (v.8). He doesn’t deal with us as our sins deserve (v.10) and has removed our sin as far as the east is from the west (v.12). He has not forgotten us!

What’s love? God is love, and He’s pouring out that love on you and me.

Our God is God—
His truth, His love remains each day the same,
He’s faithful to His matchless name,
For God is God—He does not change. —D. DeHaan

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The death of Christ is the measure of God’s love for you.

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Gamiaw World: Pope’s trip to Poland overshadowed by killing of priest in France

Pilgrims gather for the opening ceremony of World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland July 26, 2016. Agencja Gazeta/Mateusz Skwarczek/via REUTERS | By Wojciech Zurawski and Wiktor Szary

KRAKOW, Poland – Pope Francis set off on his first trip to Poland on Wednesday to preside at an international Catholic youth jamboree, a usually joyous event that has been dampened by the murder of a priest in a church in France.

The killing of 85-year-old Father Jacques Hamel, forced to his knees by Islamist militants who then slit his throat, sent a deep chill over the World Youth Day event.

“We listened to the news with disbelief, we got phone calls from our parents who tried to reassure us,” said Guillaume from Bordeaux, a pilgrim in his early 20s.

“Pope John Paul II said that we should be tolerant and not resort to force. My heart tells me that this is true, but after what happened my head is now telling me something else,” said the young man, who declined to give his last name.

Pope Francis, who left Rome for the southern Polish city of Krakow around 1200 GMT, said the murder was particularly “barbarous” because it happened during the central rite of Christian worship as the priest was saying morning Mass.

For many Catholics it was eerily reminiscent of the murder of Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero, shot by a right-wing death squad in 1980 while he was saying Mass in a hospital chapel.

Police have not raised the threat level for the gathering of more than a million Catholic youth from around the world, sometimes called the “Catholic Woodstock”. Security levels were already tight, Polish authorities said.

Francis is expected to use the event to pay tribute to the murdered priest, who some say should be declared a martyr because of the way he was killed for his faith.

PREDECESSOR’S SHADOW

Francis’ five-day trip to the Krakow area will take place in the shadow of his predecessor, John Paul, who has cult-like status in Poland for his role in inspiring his native country to stand up to communist rule.

There were more posters of John Paul in Krakow than of Francis, an Argentine, but thousands of Catholics lined roads leading from the airport, where the pope was expected to land around 4 p.m. (1400 GMT) amid heavy security.

“We are keeping space for our friends on the pavement here, we’ve prepared a song for the pope,” said Maurizio Tellini, a young pilgrim from Italy.

Poland’s political landscape has undergone a big shift since October when the eurosceptic, conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party ended nearly a decade of secular-minded government.
Its leaders harnessed a brand of patriotism infused with Catholic piety to build popularity among voters and ensure the backing of the clergy, influential across provincial Poland.

Francis will also visit the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau, and pray at Czestochowa, site of the country’s holiest shrine.

(Additional reporting and writing by Philip Pullella; Editing by James Dalgleish and Robin Pomeroy)