MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck off Rizal town in Occidental Mindoro on Saturday morning, May 4.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said in its earthquake bulletin that the tremor, which was tectonic in origin, struck west of Rizal town at 9:05 am on Saturday.

The following intensities were recorded:

• Intensity III - Lipa City, Batangas; Malay, Aklan
• Intensity II - San Nicolas, Batangas; City of Manila

Instrumental intensities: 

• Intensity IV - San Jose, Occidental Mindoro
• Intensity III - Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro
• Intensity II - Tagaytay City; Malinao, Aklan; Sebaste and Culasi, Antique; Calatagan, Batangas
• Intensity I - Talisay, Batangas; Dolores and Mauban, Quezon

Aftershocks were recorded folowing the earthquake but no damage had been reported as of posting. Phivolcs earlier said no damage was expected. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The administration of President Rodrigo Duterte scored a record-high +72 net satisfaction rating in the first quarter of the year, according to the results of a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released on Friday, May 3.

The First Quarter 2019 Social Weather Survey held from March 28 to 31 found 81% of adult Filipinos satisfied, 10% neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, and 9% dissatisfied with the general performance of the national government, for an “excellent” net rating of +72, SWS said in a statement.

This is 6 points higher than the government’s net rating in December 2018, which SWS attributed to increased ratings in all geographic areas.

Among geographic areas, the Duterte government obtained the biggest jump in its net satisfaction rating in the Visayas, where it scored an  "excellent" +74 in March from a “good” +63 in December 2018.

In Mindanao, the government’s rating improved to +81 from +75; in Balance Luzon, to +68 from +65, and in Metro Manila, to +65 from +60.

The SWS terminology for net satisfaction ratings is as follows: +70 and above, “excellent”; +50 to +69, “very good”; +30 to +49, “good”; +10 to +29, “moderate”, +9 to –9, “neutral”; –10 to –29, “poor”; –30 to –49, “bad”; –50 to –69, “very bad”; –70 and below, “execrable.” 

Highest marks in helping poor, lowest in fighting inflation

The respondents were most satisfied with the government’s efforts to help the poor and least satisfied with its fight against inflation.

The respondents gave the Duterte government the following scores on specific issues, ranked from highest to lowest:

• Helping the poor: +72
• Reconstructing Marawi City: +58
• Fighting terrorism: +58
• Fighting crimes: +48
• Reconciling with communist rebels: +45
• Reconciling with Muslim rebels: +44
• Eradicating graft and corruption: +41
• Foreign relations: +41
• Defending Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippines Sea: +40 Ensuring that no family will ever be hungry: +37
• Fighting inflation: +22

While the government scored the lowest in its fight against inflation, the March net rating is 8 points higher than in December 2018. Inflation started easing in February, and continued in March.

There was also improved public satisfaction in its performance on ensuring that no family will ever be hungry, up by 9 points  to +37 in March from +28 in December 2018.

The government’s net satisfaction rating in work on reconciling with communist rebels improved by 6 points – which the SWS noted was a “record high” – even after President Rodrigo Duterte dissolved the government peace panel negotiating with the National Democratic Front in March, the arrest of an NDF consultant, and killings of Negros Oriental farmers suspected to be communist rebels, in police operations.

The President officially terminated negotiations with communist rebels through Proclamation No. 360 in November 2017. 

Net satisfaction in government work on reconstructing Marawi  fell by 2 points, as the city that had been completely destroyed during months of fighting between local terrorists and government troops in 2017, remained in ruins.

Amid continuing questions about the Duterte government's foreign policy in relation to China, its net satisfaction rating on foreign relations improved by 3 points from +38 to +41, while its rating on defending Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea remained unchanged.

During the survey period, it was reported that Chinese miliitia vessels were seen near Pag-Asa Island. It was also during this time when Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio sounded the alarm on the Duterte government's loan agreements with China.

The survey was held before it was reported that a Chinese dredging vessel was discovered off the coast of Batangas, and that Chinese fishermen illegally harvested endangered giant clams in Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal) off the coast of Zambales in the West Philippine Sea.

Among socioeconomic classes, satisfaction in the government’s performance was highest among the well-off class ABC at +73, 1 point higher than in March; followed by class D at +72, a 7-point increase from the last survey period; and +68 among the poorest class E – down by 2 points, even if the government scored the highest in helping this group.

In between the December and March surveys, the historic Bangsamoro Organic Law was ratified and the Bangsamoro Transition Authority formed. The creation of a genuinely autonomous Bangsamoro region was among Duterte's major promises to Mindanaoans.

The survey was conducted among 1,440 adults nationwide: 360 each in Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao. It has sampling error margins of ±2.6% for national percentages, and ±5% each for Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao.

SWS said that the area estimates were weighted by the Philippine Statistics Authority medium-population projections for 2019 to obtain the national estimates.

“The quarterly Social Weather Survey items on public satisfaction with the general performance of the National Administration, and its performance on specific subjects, are non-commissioned. These items are included on SWS's own initiative and released as a public service,” SWS said. – Rappler.com

BANGKOK, Thailand (UPDATED) – King Maha Vajiralongkorn, Rama X of Thailand, was crowned Saturday, May 4, in a dazzling show of pageantry, laced with Hindu and Buddhist ritual, vowing to reign "with righteousness" on behalf of the Thai people.

Starting at the auspicious time of 10:09 am (0309 GMT), the public was granted a rare window into the cloistered halls of Thai power as the key rituals of the 3-day coronation began.

King Vajiralongkorn is the 10th monarch of the Chakri dynasty, which has reigned since 1782.

He ascended the throne over two years ago following his the death of his beloved father, but waited until after a long mourning period before setting his coronation date.

Saturday's sombre ceremony opened with the white-gowned king – the folds of his robe leaving one shoulder bared – receiving sacred water from across Thailand and dabbing it gently across his face at a shrine inside the Grand Palace complex.

A cannon salute marked the moment as pipes played and Buddhist monks chanted.

Several grey-haired Hindu Brahmins were also in attendance at the syncretic ceremony, which symbolises Rama X's transformation from a human to divine figure.

He later took his seat under the umbrella of state and was handed the Great Crown of Victory, a tiered gold 7.3-kilogram (16-pound) headpiece topped by a diamond from India.

Uttering his first, brief royal command he vowed to reign "with righteousness" for the benefit of the Thai people.

His 4th wife, Suthida – married in a surprise ceremony days before the coronation – was invested as Queen, kneeling in respect in front of her husband who sat on a throne. (READ: From bodyguard to Queen, Thailand's Suthida makes public debut)

For most Thais, it is the first time they have witnessed the pomp and grandeur of a coronation – the last was in 1950 for the king's beloved father Bhumibol Adulyadej.

"I'm excited to have a chance to be a part of this... I'm here to capture people's emotions," said Jakarin Kerdchok, 16, a volunteer student taking photos near the palace.

Hundreds of state officials in immaculate white uniforms lined the streets around the Grand Palace.

But only a modest number of civilians braved the hot sun for the royal convoy.

Bhumibol was seen as a figure of unity in the politically chaotic kingdom until his death in October 2016.

His son Vajiralongkorn, 66, is less well-known to the Thai public, preferring to spend much of his time overseas and rarely addressing his subjects.

Fiercely private and 4 times married, he has inherited one of the world's richest monarchies and a kingdom submerged in political crisis.

Mystery man

Thailand has been run by an arch-royalist junta since 2014.

Rama X is widely seen as an adroit player of Thailand's treacherous politics, intervening several times – including in the March 24 election – during his short reign. (READ: Thai king signs decree approving first election since coup)

Those elections are yet to yield a new government, with the kingdom split between pro and anti-junta blocs, the latter crying foul over the vote count so far.  

Full results are due to be announced next week with the ruling junta tipped to return as the civilian government. 

"The coronation distracts from the popular indignation regarding election irregularities," said Thai politics expert Paul Chambers of Naresuan University.

The Thai monarchy takes primacy in the country's power pyramid, but it is buttressed by the army.

Junta leaders past and present were prominent in Saturday's ceremonies.

Earlier, the king arrived at the Grand Palace in a cream Rolls-Royce, his hand raised in a wave but his face characteristically inscrutable.

On Friday, the king warmly greeted family members, a rare glimpse of royal family intimacy broadcast on Thai television, including his 14-year-old son from his 3rd marriage – Prince Dipangkorn – and his elder sister Ubolratana.

She stunned Thailand in February when her name was forwarded as a candidate for premier by an anti-junta party – a move swiftly shot down by her brother in a rare royal command.

Harsh lese-majeste laws mean unguarded discussion about the monarchy inside Thailand is virtually impossible.

Thailand's normally hyperactive social media has been subdued in the days leading up to the coronation.

Born on July 28, 1952, the British-schooled Vajiralongkorn is known for his love of cycling and piloting jets, but he spends much of his time overseas –mainly in Germany – and remains something of a mystery to many Thais.– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines (4th UPDATE) – Former House Speaker Prospero Nograles Jr died on Saturday, May 4. He was 71.

His son, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, said in a statement on Saturday,: "Our family would like to express our deepest gratitude to all of you for being a part of Papa Boy Nogie’s life and journey."

"Papa passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family. May we please ask for your continued prayers. He is finally at peace," the Cabinet official added.

The wake for Nograles will be in Chapel 1 at Heritage Park, Taguig City from May 5 to 6, Sunday to Monday. His remains will be flown to Davao City on May 7.

Nograles had a lingering illness and had been mostly out of the public eye. In 2017, he was in the news after he apologized to his enemy for decades, President Rodrigo Duterte, for their past "heartaches." This happened during the birthday celebration of his son, Karlo, who was still a Davao congressman then. (READ: Duterte's long-time critic, Prospero Nograles, says sorry)

Nograles, known to friends as "Boy" or "Nogie," was born on October 30, 1947.

He attended elementary and high school at Ateneo de Davao, and finished his bachelor's degree in Political Science at the Ateneo de Manila University in 1967. He graduated from the Ateneo Law School in 1971 and placed second in the 1971 Bar examinations.

Nograles handled cases of victims of military abuse during Martial Law under the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos. In 1985, he received The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Award for Law and Human Rights. In 1986, he joined the late President Corazon Aquino's campaign in the snap elections.

Before he entered politics in 1989, Nograles was the executive assistant to the president and Deputy General Counsel at the University of the Philippines. He was also the Chief General Counsel of the Development Bank of the Philippines.

Nograles served his first term as Representative of Davao City's lone congressional district in 1989. He again won the seat in 1995, 2001, 2004, and 2007.

Before becoming Speaker, he was vice chairman of the House contingent in the Commission on Appointments, House Majority Leader, and Chairman of the House Committee on Housing and Urban Development (CHUD).

Nograles was elected House Speaker in 2008, during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, making him the first from Mindanao to serve the post. 

Condolences

Malacañang expressed sadness over the death of Nograles, whom they called a "pride of Mindanao" and "one of the leading lights of the political leaders in Mindanao."

In a statement on Saturday, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said, the Palace "... wishes to express its deepest sympathies and condolences to his bereaved wife, Rhodora, and son, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, as well as his siblings and their families."

He added, "Former Speaker Nograles will certainly be missed by his loved ones, friends and constituents. May eternal rest grant unto him and perpetual light shine upon him."

Paolo Duterte was the first member of the President’s family to extend his condolences to the Nograles family.

“My condolences to the family of former House Speaker Prospero Nograles, the first Mindanaoan Speaker. I and my family, including all of the Dabawenyos, join you in your grief and we could only comfort you in this time of deep sorrow. Rest in peace Manong Boy," Paolo wrote on Facebook. – Rappler.com

AKLAN, Philippines – The Police Regional Office in Western Visayas deactivated last Monday, April 29, the Metro Boracay Police Task Force (MBPTF), a multi-agency cluster which handled security in the area for nearly 14 months.

Police personnel who were earlier assigned to the MBPTF will be absorbed by the 2nd Aklan Provincial Mobile Force Company under the command of Police Lieutenant Colonel Robert Petate.

Petate replaced the previous head Police Lieutenant Colonel Ryan Manongdo.

The MBPTF was organized on February 12, 2018, two months before the national government shut down Boracay Island for rehabilitation.

The task force was a cluster security envisioned to respond to emerging security challenges in the area. It was comprised of personnel from Philippine Navy, Bureau of Immigration, Philippine Army, Philippine National Police and Philippine Coast Guard. 

The security coverage included the municipalities of Ibajay, Buruanga, Malay and Nabas in Aklan and part of the northern towns of Antique province.

With the MBPTF deactivation, the security of Boracay Island and its 3 barangays of Yapak, Manoc-Manoc and Balabag will be under the Malay Police Station presently based in the island.

The director of the Police Regional Office-6 Western Visayas, Brigadier General Jesus Cambay Jr, was the MBPTF site commander.

Before the reopening of the island resort, the Sangguniang Bayan of Malay asked for the 'extension' of MBPTF operation. It cited the cooperation and efforts of MBPTF in protecting Boracay's image as a safe place to stay for visitors and residents.

Under the watch of the MBPTF, which deployed more than 600 policemen, there were no imminent terrorist threats monitored in mainland Aklan and Boracay Island.

The task force intensified security in outer and inner border controls and sea patrols along the Boracay coastlines.

The police task force under the leadership of Cambay also forged a memorandum of understanding on security cooperation between Hambil, Romblon and Malay, Aklan last year to secure the two Visayan islands.

MBPTF also played a major role in the latest initiative Project BESST (Boracay Enhanced Security and Strategy Tactics) to establish disciplined zones in the island. – Rappler.com

PARIS, France – A landmark UN report on the state of nature, obtained by Agence France-Presse, makes for grim reading, showing how humanity has wreaked havoc with the environment. 

The 1,800-page draft document, set to be finalized after a biodiversity summit in Paris this week, depicts a planet ravaged by rampant overconsumption and drowning in pollution, where hundreds of thousands of species risk extinction. 

Here is a rundown of the report's key findings, which read like a charge sheet against history's most destructive creatures: ourselves.

Pollution

Earth's population has doubled in 50 years. Not only are we living longer than ever before, we are also consuming more. Today, humans extract around 60 billion tonnes of resources from nature each year – a rise of 80% in just a few decades.

And we are leaving our mark in other ways. 

Since 1980, manmade greenhouse gas emissions have doubled, adding at least 0.7°C to global temperatures. 

We dump up to 400 million tonnes of heavy metals, toxic sludge, and other waste into oceans and rivers each year.

The report, compiled from more than 15,000 academic papers and research publications, estimates that 75% of land, 40% of oceans and 50% of rivers "manifest severe impacts of degradation" from human activity.

Inequality

The document, the first of its kind in 15 years, paints a picture of rife inequality, with richer nations consuming vastly more per capita than poorer ones battling to retain their natural resources. 

Indeed, per capita demand for materials is 4 times more in high- than in low-income economies.

In Europe and North America, humans now consume several times the recommended intake of meat, sugar and fat for optimal health, while 40 percent of the world's people lack access even to clean drinking water. 

The inequality gap is huge and widening: GDP per head is already 50 times larger in wealthy nations than in poor ones.

Agribusiness threat

Industrial fishing is destroying our oceans, according to the report. It found that 70,000 industrial fishing vessels operate in at least 55% of the world's high seas. 

Nearly three quarters of major marine fish stocks are depleted or exploited to the limit of sustainability, despite efforts from the fishing community to implement quotas and drive down overfishing. 

On land, the situation looks even bleaker. 

A third of all land is now given over to agriculture and 75 percent of freshwater resources is dedicated to food production. In all, at least a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions come from land clearing, crop production and fertilization, the vast majority of which comes from animal-based food production. 

Agribusiness expansion has also led to the disappearance of vast swathes of CO2-absorbing forests: Earth has lost 290 million hectares – around 6% – of its forests since 1990. 

Fertilizer use, which degrades the soil's ability to grow plants and suck in greenhouse gases, has risen four-fold in just 13 years in Asia and doubled worldwide in the same period.

Extinction

Scientists estimate there to be roughly 8 million species of plants and animals on Earth, though only a fraction of them have so far been identified. 

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) "Red List" catalogues some 100,000 species, around a quarter of which are classed as in danger of extinction. 

An IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) report goes much further, however, projecting that between 500,000 and one million species could face oblivion due to pollution and habitat degradation. 

Its authors stress that whatever losses humans inflict on Nature will in turn be inflicted upon us. 

More than two billion people still rely on wood as their main energy source, and up to half of all medicines come from plants and animals. 

What's more, the world's oceans and forests absorb more than half of our greenhouse gas emissions, which are still climbing year on year. 

"At current trends, we risk drastic degradation, with drops in contributions critical for societies and uneven distribution of losses," the report states.

"Basic needs and luxuries depend on Nature." – Rappler.com

WASHINGTON DC, USA – Former White House chief of staff John Kelly has joined the board of a firm that operates centers for housing unaccompanied migrant children, US media reported on Friday, May 3, prompting a storm of criticism from Democrats.

The ex-Marine general– who as Homeland Security secretary proposed the controversial policy of separating immigrant children from their parents – joined Caliburn International 4 months after leaving the White House.

"General Kelly is a strong strategic addition to our team," said Caliburn International CEO James Van Dusen in a statement cited by various US outlets.

Democrats including 2020 presidential hopefuls accused Kelly of profiting from policies he had supervised during his stint in President Donald Trump's administration.

"John Kelly oversaw many of the Trump Admin's most morally repugnant immigration policies," tweeted Democratic presidential hopeful Senator Elizabeth Warren.

"Now he could be making big bucks serving on the Board of a company that's profiting from the same cruel plans he put in place. This is corruption at its absolute worst."

Senator Cory Booker, another Democrat candidate, tweeted: "Profiting from your own cruel policies. This is disgusting."

Caliburn is the parent company of Comprehensive Health Services, a private firm that has been given contracts by US Customs and Border Protection.

It runs Homestead, a temporary facility for housing unaccompanied migrant children, in Florida. 

Trump's battle to prevent illegal immigration and soaring numbers of asylum seekers has turned into the biggest political fight in the country ahead of next year's presidential election.

During his stint as Trump's Homeland Security secretary, Kelly said would consider separating migrant children from their parents and would "do almost anything to deter the people from Central America" getting into the US via the Mexico border.

He later became White House chief of staff, before his relationship with the president reportedly deteriorated.

In December last year, shortly before leaving the White House, Kelly said he had "nothing but compassion" for undocumented migrants crossing into the US.

"Illegal immigrants, overwhelmingly, are not bad people.... I have nothing but compassion for them, the young kids," Kelly told the LA Times, adding that many had been manipulated by traffickers. – Rappler.com

MIAMI, USA – A Boeing 737 skidded off a runway into a river after crash-landing during a lightning storm in Florida on Friday, May 3, officials said, with terrified passengers all safely evacuated to shore from the stricken jet's wings. 

The plane carrying 143 people including crew from Guantanamo Bay in Cuba slammed into shallow water next to a naval air station in Jacksonville after a hard landing that saw the plane bounce and swerve down the runway, passengers said.

No fatalities or critical injuries were reported.

"As we went down ... the plane bounced and screeched and bounced more and lifted to the right and then it lifted to the left," Cheryl Bormann, a defense attorney who was on board the flight, told CNN.

"And then it sort of swerved and then it came to a complete crash stop."

Some oxygen masks deployed and overhead lockers flew open during the landing, she added. 

Twenty-one adults were taken to local hospitals, but none were critically injured, Jacksonville sheriff's office said on Twitter. Others were treated for minor injuries at the scene. 

Captain Michael Connor, commanding officer at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, told a news conference early Saturday it was a "miracle" no more serious injuries or fatalities had occurred.

"We could be talking about a different story this evening, so I think there's a lot to say about, you know, the professionalism of the folks that helped the passengers off the airplane ... it very well could be worse," he said.

All 136 passengers and 7 aircrew on board had been accounted for, NAS Jacksonville said in a statement.

However, there were fears for a number of pet animals travelling in the plane's luggage compartment. 

The pets had "not been retrieved yet due to safety issues with the aircraft," NAS Jacksonville said in an update on Facebook Saturday.

'Lightning and thunder'

Images showed the Miami Air International plane lying partially submerged in water after the crash-landing, with its nose cone missing.

Passengers in life vests were instructed to clamber onto the wings of the jet before being transported to shore aboard inflatable life rafts, Bormann said.

"We couldn't tell where we were, a river or an ocean. There was rain coming down. There was lightning and thunder. We stood on that wing for a significant period of time," she told CNN.

Navy security and emergency response personnel including some 90 firefighters attended the scene.

Jacksonville mayor Lenny Curry tweeted that the White House had called to offer assistance as the situation was developing.

"All alive and accounted for. Our Fire and Rescue teams are family to all," said Curry.

Teams were working to control jet fuel spilling into the St Johns River, he added.

The "Rotator" flight from the US base in Cuba carries passengers including military personnel and family members.

The National Transportation Safety Board said Saturday a team was being sent to investigate the incident. 

Boeing said it was aware of the incident and providing technical assistance to the agency as it conducts its probe.

The plane involved was a Boeing 737-800, in operation for 18 years, according to website FlightRadar24.

US aerospace giant Boeing is under scrutiny following two crashes that killed a total of 346 passengers and crew and grounded its newer 737 MAX planes worldwide.

Both a Lion Air crash in Indonesia in October, and March's Ethiopian Airlines crash outside Addis Ababa, occurred shortly after takeoff. – Rappler.com

PARIS, France – France will ban electric scooters from pavements in September, the transport minister said, in a backlash against a surge of the commuter gizmos invading pedestrian areas.

An estimated 15,000 scooters operated by several companies have flooded the French capital since their introduction last year, a number projected to surge to 40,000 by the end of this year.

Elisabeth Borne told the Le Parisien daily in remarks published on Saturday, May 4, that anyone riding an e-scooter, monowheel, personal transporter or hoverboard on the pavement would be fined 135 euros ($151) from September.

Instead, they will have to use the street or dedicated cycling paths, "so pedestrians are no longer squeezed against walls," the minister said.

The development of the hugely popular personal transport vehicles "happened very fast and in a bit of an anarchic way," Borne said.

Riders will still be allowed to push them on the pavement, so long as the engine is turned off.

Scooter rental services, from companies like US-based Lime and Bird – and most recently ride-hailing giant Uber – have proved wildly popular in many cities. (READ: Beyond the car: How tech firms are exploring the future of transport)

The French move follows a decision by Peru to ban motorized scooters from pavements and pedestrian areas from this week.

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo had last month already announced measures to protect pedestrians from e-scooters, "especially older people and children."

She said parking in such a way as to obstruct traffic or pedestrians will mean a 35-euro fine – but the Paris city council has pledged to build parking spots for 2,500 scooters.

Berlin's city hall has also drawn up tough new rules for e-scooters, while Spanish tourist hotspot Barcelona has banned scooter rental services completely.

More than 1,500 people have been treated for injuries from using battery-powered electric scooters in the United States since the craze began in late 2017, a Consumer Reports survey showed in February. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Only 9% of the world's population enjoys a free press, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) pointed out on World Press Freedom Day, Friday, May 3. 

This 9% live in the 43 countries marked white (good) or yellow (fairly good) in their 2019 World Press Freedom Index. (READ: Philippines down 1 spot in 2019 World Press Freedom Index)

According to the index, the country that enjoys the most press freedom is Norway, while Italy is ranked 43rd.

The rest of the world – 91% – lives in countries marked red (bad), or black (very bad), or orange (problematic).

The RSF said 74% of the world’s population lives in a country marked  black or red on the map. In that group are China, Russia and Saudi Arabia, countries "where the press freedom situation is regarded as difficult or very serious" and "where the freedom to inform is heavily suppressed." 

However, RSF also noted that democracies such as Mexico and India are also in the group.

The figure goes up to 91% if countries marked orange are included. It is in these countries "where the situation is regarded as problematic." 

Ranking at 44 – the first country marked orange – is Botswana, while Turkmenistan ranks the lowest at 180.

The Philippines, down one spot since 2018, ranks 134, which is in the red zone.

“None of humankind’s big problems – whether global warming, corruption or gender inequality – can be solved without information that is freely and independently reported and reliable, in other words, without quality journalism,” RSF secretary-general Christophe Deloire said. “This situation is very worrying for journalists and above all for all those human beings who are being deprived of their right to information.”

RSF's figures are based on World Bank population statistics and percentages in their 2019 World Press Freedom Index.

The World Press Freedom Index is determined through collecting experts' responses on a survey that tackles pluralism, media independence, media environment and self-censorship, legislative framework, transparency, and the quality of the infrastructure that supports the production of news and information.

The responses to the questionaire are combined with quantitative data on the abuses and acts of violence against journalists during the time period being evaluated. – Rappler.com

KHULNA, Bangladesh – Cyclone Fani weakened to a depression as it barrelled into Bangladesh on Saturday, May 4, after leaving a trail of deadly destruction in India, although a major human disaster looked to have been averted.

Press reports said 12 people had died in India and police in Bangladesh put the death toll there at the same number – a fraction of the casualty numbers seen in past cyclones, earning authorities praise from the United Nations.

With 1.2 million evacuated in India's Odisha state, more than 1.6 million people were taken to shelters in Bangladesh, officials told Agence France-Presse (AFP), with at least 36 villages flooded by a storm surge and more than 2,000 homes destroyed.

"Six people died after they were hit by falling trees or collapsed walls, and 6 have died from lightning," Bangladeshi disaster official Benazir Ahmed told AFP.

In the coastal town of Banishanta, where embankments burst and some 250 families were marooned overnight, most houses were semi-submerged under water while a few straw huts had been washed away. 

"We are now trying to fix the dam otherwise we will have to pass the night outside," villager Sanjay Mondol told AFP.

Ferries on large rivers remained out of action but those on smaller waterways resumed operations, and many people were beginning to return home with the wind still strong and skies overcast.

India's Meteorological Department posted to Twitter Saturday that Fani had weakened to a depression over Bangladesh.

But the storm was still packing a punch, with winds of up to 70 kilometers (45 miles) per hour and heavy rain battering the Indian state of West Bengal, its capital Kolkata, and the Sundarbans mangrove forest area overnight and on Saturday morning.

"It's a total mess in islands of the Sunderbans as the cyclone has destroyed everything in its path, fuelling fears rivers could burst their banks and leave vast areas underwater," said Manturam Pakhira, Sunderbans affairs minister.

"Several homes have been flattened, roofs blown off, electric poles and trees toppled."

In Kolkata, home to 4.6 million people, 5,000 residents were removed from low-lying areas and old, dilapidated buildings.

"Nearly a dozen people were trapped as an old building in the northern part of the city has collapsed," mayor Firhad Hakim said. "They have been rescued and shifted to a safer place."

Kolkata's airport was meanwhile reopened, as was that of Bhubaneswar, capital of Odisha, the Indian state whose 46 million people are among India's poorest and who bore the brunt of Fani.

Flying trees 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hoping to secure a second term in India's ongoing election, tweeted that he would visit the state on Monday.

Fani made landfall in Odisha on Friday, packing winds gusting up to 200 kilometers (125 miles) an hour, sending coconut trees flying, knocking down power lines and cutting off water and telecommunications. 

Twelve people were killed there, the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency reported, including a teenage boy crushed under a tree and a woman hit by concrete debris.

"It just went dark and then suddenly we could barely see 5 meters in front of us," said one Puri resident. "The wind is deafening."

As Fani headed northeast, Odisha authorities on Saturday battled to remove fallen trees and other debris strewn over roads and to restore phone and internet services. Aerial pictures showed extensive flooding.

Gouranga Malick, 48, was solemnly picking up bricks after the small two-room house he shared with his family collapsed.

"I have never witnessed this type of devastation in my lifetime," he told AFP.

Eastern India is regularly buffeted by cyclones off the Bay of Bengal, with 10,000 people killed in Odisha alone in 1999, mostly from a storm surge bringing flooding and debris many miles inland.

This time better forecasting and mass evacuations helped to prepare Odisha, while no major storm surges were reported.

"Almost 7,000 kitchens catering to 9,000 shelters were made functional overnight. This mammoth exercise involved more than 45,000 volunteers," Odisha's chief minister Naveen Patnaik said.

"Now the technology has improved vastly," Mahesh Palawat of Skymet, a private weather forecaster, told AFP. "The administration got enough time of around 8 days to prepare and allocate disaster response teams."

The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) praised India, saying the accuracy of early warnings and "effective evacuation" of people in Odisha "saved many lives." – Rappler.com

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Sri Lanka's Catholic Church will televise a private Sunday mass, May 5, after cancelling regular services over fears of a repeat of Easter's suicide bombings, even as police and troops tightened security.

Father Edmund Tillakaratne said public masses were suspended for a second week amid fears of a repeat jihadi strike, but a service conducted by Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith will be broadcast on national television.

Police, meanwhile, said they were stepping up search operations over the weekend ahead of a planned re-opening of over 10,000 public schools after an extended Easter vacation. 

Some 257 people were killed in a string of suicide bombings against 3 churches and 3 luxury hotels on April 21.

"We will not allow any parking near public schools from Sunday afternoon," police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said. "Search operations will be intensified as part of tighter security."

Police and troops across the country had recovered small quantities of explosives, guns, swords, daggers and kris knives, Gunasekera said.

"We will grant a two-day amnesty for people to surrender such weapons," he added.

Despite the tight security, Catholic churches will remain shut on Sunday, a spokesman said, adding that a private mass will be telecast live from the residence of the Archbishop.

"It will be like last Sunday when we had a service at Archbishop's chapel and telecast it live," spokesman Edmond Tillakaratne told AFP.

Ranjith, also archbishop of Colombo, said Thursday a "reliable foreign source" had alerted him to possible attacks this weekend, leading him to cancel Sunday services for a second week.

"The information we have from a reliable foreign source is that attackers are planning to hit a very famous church and a Catholic institution," the Cardinal said in a statement.

Basilica secured 

Official sources said the Thewatte National Basilica, just outside Colombo, was the suspected target, and the military deployed hundreds of troops to search the area.

"There were no explosives found, but we have stepped up security in the neighborhood," a police official said.

Although the 10,194 public schools re-open on Monday, a few Catholic schools will remain shut "until further notice."

Sri Lankan authorities had advance warnings from Indian intelligence of the impending Easter attacks, but police and security forces failed to act.

There were at least 42 foreigners among the 257 killed, while some 480 were also wounded. About 50 children were among the dead.

Armed guards have been stationed outside hotels, churches, Buddhist temples and mosques across the country since the attacks.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said Friday that some of the conspirators may still be at large.

"Most of those responsible for the Easter attacks have been arrested. Some have been killed," Wickremesinghe said during a tour of island's east, where a Christian church was hit.

"We are trying to see if there are any more secret IS cells in the country," he said. "We will ensure that IS terrorism will be eradicated from our land."

Sri Lanka bolstered security Friday with fears of attacks against several bridges and flyovers in Colombo as well as police stations.

The attacks were blamed on the local National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ) whose leader was among the suicide bombers. The group had pledged an oath of allegiance to the Islamic State group. – Rappler.com

PONTIANAK, Indonesia – Indonesia began sinking dozens of impounded foreign boats on Saturday, May 4, to deter illegal fishing in its waters, a week after a naval vessel clashed with a Vietnamese coastguard near the South China Sea. 

Up to 51 foreign boats – including from Vietnam, Malaysia and China – will be scuttled at several different locations over the next two weeks, officials said.

Over a dozen were scuttled Saturday near Pontianak, in West Kalimantan province.

Fisheries minister Susi Pudjiastuti said the action was necessary to warn neighboring countries that Indonesia was serious about fighting illegal fishing. 

"There's no other way," she said. "This is actually the most beautiful solution for our nation, but yes, it's scary for other countries."

She said Indonesia suffered great economic loss from lax regulations that gave leeway for foreign boats to fish in Indonesian waters. 

Since president Joko Widodo took office in 2014, hundreds of captured foreign fishing vessels have been sunk – more than half from Vietnam.

The practice was suspended for several months, but has resumed since last week when a Vietnamese coastguard boat rammed an Indonesian navy ship attempting to seize an illegal trawler. 

A dozen fishermen were detained and remain in Indonesian custody. 

"If we don't act firm, they will be even more daring. I believe these collisions will get worse one day, this will escalate," Pudjiastuti said. 

Jakarta claims the area in the southernmost reaches of the South China Sea as its exclusive economic zone and two years ago changed its name to the North Natuna Sea in a bid to show sovereignty. 

More recently, it inaugurated a new military base in the chain of several hundred small islands to beef up defences. The moves prompted criticism from Beijing, whose claims in the sea overlap Indonesia's around the remote Natuna Islands. – Rappler.com

GAZA CITY – Gaza militants on Saturday, May 4, fired dozens of rockets at Israel, which responded with strikes that killed a Palestinian, officials said, as another escalation between them threatened a fragile ceasefire.

The latest flare-up came with Hamas, the Islamist movement that rules the blockaded Gaza Strip, seeking further concessions from Israel under the ceasefire.

Israel said around 150 rockets were fired from the Palestinian enclave by late Saturday afternoon and its air defences intercepted dozens of them.

One woman was seriously injured in a rocket strike on the Israeli city of Kiryat Gat, some 20 kilometers (13 miles) from the Gaza border, police said.

Police said a man was also hospitalized in the city of Ashkelon and spoke of other injuries without providing details.

A house near Ashkelon was damaged, while other rockets hit open areas.

The Israeli army said it had targeted two rocket launchers in Gaza with an air strike in an immediate response and its tanks and planes later hit some 30 military targets for Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad.

A Gazan security source said a series of Israeli strikes targeted at least 3 separate areas of the Gaza Strip and that 3 "resistance fighters" were wounded.

The Gaza health ministry reported one person killed and 7 wounded.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was holding consultations with security chiefs.

A statement from Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for at least some of the rocket fire and said it was prepared for more if necessary.

Its armed wing distributed a video showing militants handling rockets and threatening key Israeli sites, including Ben-Gurion international airport near Tel Aviv.

A source in the group said Egypt was engaged in discussions to calm the situation, as it has done repeatedly in the past.

Israel announced on Saturday afternoon that it was closing its people and goods crossings with Gaza as well as the zone it allows for fishermen off the enclave until further notice due to the rocket fire.

Visit to Cairo

The escalation follows the most violent clashes along the Gaza border in weeks on Friday.

Four Palestinians, including two Hamas militants, were killed after two Israeli soldiers were wounded in a shooting during weekly protests on the border.

Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip have fought 3 wars since 2008 and fears remain of a fourth.

A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas brokered by Egypt and the United Nations had led to relative calm around Israel's April 9 general election.

But on Tuesday, Israel reduced the offshore fishing limit it imposes for vessels operating out of Gaza after a rocket was fired from the territory.

Israel's army blamed Islamic Jihad for the rocket, which fell into the Mediterranean.

On Thursday, Israel said its aircraft struck a Hamas military compound after balloons carrying firebombs and explosives were launched across the border.

Palestinians in Gaza have frequently fitted balloons with firebombs in a bid to damage Israeli property and have in the past succeeded in setting fire to large areas of farmland.

Following that air strike, Israel said two rockets were launched from Gaza.

With the ceasefire at risk, a Hamas delegation led by its Gaza head Yahya Sinwar left the enclave for Cairo on Thursday for talks with Egyptian officials.

The ceasefire has seen Israel allow Qatar to provide millions of dollars in aid to Gaza to pay salaries and to finance fuel purchases to ease a severe electricity shortage.

Eurovision looms 

Several factors may lead Israel to seek to calm the situation quickly after the latest flare-up.

Netanyahu is currently engaged in tough negotiations to form a new government following last month's election, while Israel is due to host the Eurovision song contest in Tel Aviv from May 14-18.

The country also celebrates its Independence Day on Thursday.

On the Gazan side, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins in the week ahead.

Palestinians have participated in regular demonstrations and clashes along the Gaza border for more than a year, calling on Israel to ease its crippling blockade of the enclave. 

At least 270 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the protests began in March 2018, the majority along the border.

Two Israeli soldiers have been killed in that period.

Israel accuses Hamas of using the protests as cover to carry out attacks and says its actions are necessary to defend the border and stop infiltrations.

The results of a UN investigation released at the end of February found that Israel may have committed crimes against humanity in responding to the border protests, as snipers "intentionally" shot civilians including children, journalists and the disabled. 

Israel rejected the report "outright" but Hamas called for it to be held accountable. – Rappler.com

ISTANBUL, Turkey – Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday, May 4, called for the opposition's local election victory in Istanbul to be declared invalid and the vote re-run, increasing the pressure on the country's electoral authorities.

"Clearly, there were irregularities and corruption," Erdogan said in a speech at a business leaders' meeting.

"If the Supreme Electoral Council could dissipate all this, that would ease the conscience of our fellow citizens," he added.

The electoral body, the YSK, is due to meet on Monday to examine a request by Erdogan's AKP party to cancel the result of the March 31 local elections which the party lost in Istanbul, where the main opposition candidate Ekrem Imamoglu won the mayoral race by a tight margin.

Several partial recounts have so far supported the initial results in both Ankara and Istanbul, with the main opposition CHP party calling Erdogan a "bad loser" willing to do anything to hold on to power in the country's economic capital.

Observers attribute the electoral setbacks to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to voter discontent over Turkey's ongoing economic troubles.

Refusing to concede the Istanbul result, Erdogan denounced "massive irregularities," and his party accused voting officials of under-reporting votes cast in favor of its candidate.

"My fellow citizens say to me: 'My president, there must be a re-run of this election'," Erdogan said. "Come and let's go before the people and we will accept what the people's wish dictates."

Istanbul prosecutors on Thursday said they had opened around 30 probes into the vote, and over 100 voting booth managers had been summoned for questioning.

In comments later Saturday Imamoglu urged the electoral council to "take a decision based on the law and justice."

CHP spokesman Faik Oztrak told Erdogan to "stop putting pressure on the YSK."

"There were no irregularities, no abuse," he insisted. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Eastern Police District (EPD) on Saturday, May 5, ruled out foul play in the death of 67-year-old restaurateur Victor Vincent "Vicvic" Villavicencio after he died of a gunshot wound inside his house in San Juan City.

Villavicencio's family earlier said that he died of cardiac arrest.

EPD director Brigadier General Christopher Tambungan said Villavicencio had accidentally pulled the trigger of his caliber .9mm pistol while he was cleaning it.

Tambungan said that on April 29, the victim was talking to his son, Victor Sixto Jose, while he was cleaning his gun. Then, he went to the bathroom where his gun reportedly went off around 9:30 am.

His son, according to Tambungan, tested negative in the paraffin test they conducted. Meanwhile, the late businessman tested positive.

A police report said the younger Villavicencio was just visiting his father when the accident happened.

The younger Villavicencio told investigators he just heard a gunshot while his father was inside the bathroom. When he checked, his father was unconscious on the floor.

The son of the restaurateur reportedly called their house helpers to rush his father to the hospital. He was declared dead on arrival.

The elder Villavicencio started in the food business in 1977. His company is behind Dad’s World Buffet, Sambo Kojin, Saisaki, Number 1 Barbeques, and Ogetsu Hime. – Rappler.com

TOKYO, Japan – Emperor Naruhito urged Japan to work together for world peace as he made his first public appearance on Saturday, May 5, in front of a cheering, flag-waving crowd of tens of thousands.

"I sincerely wish that our country, hand-in-hand with foreign countries, seeks world peace and further development," said the 59-year-old Naruhito, who ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne Wednesday.

Japan's 126th emperor wore a morning coat to make the brief appearance on a glass-covered balcony of the Imperial Palace in central Tokyo, along with other adult royals including Empress Masako.

Masako donned an elegant yellow, long-sleeved dress with a matching hat and pearl necklace.

Emperor and empress emeritus, Akihito and Michiko, did not join their children as they have decided to withdraw from official duties after their 3-decade reign. (READ: From Heisei to Reiwa: how Japan changed under Emperor Akihito)

Akihito, 85, was the first Japanese emperor to abdicate in more than two centuries.

The royal family were scheduled to make a total of 6 appearances throughout the day, with some 50,000 people gathered before the main gate of the palace before the first one, according to national broadcaster NHK.

More elaborate festivities are planned for October 22 when he and Masako will appear in traditional robes for a palace ceremony before parading through the streets of Tokyo to be congratulated by a host of world leaders and royals. – Rappler.com

WASHINGTON DC, USA – US President Donald Trump voiced confidence on Saturday, May 4, that Kim Jong Un would not "break his promise," following what if confirmed would be North Korea's first short-range missile launch for more than a year.

"Anything in this very interesting world is possible," Trump tweeted, after Seoul said Pyongyang had launched several unidentified projectiles into the sea.

"But I believe that Kim Jong Un fully realizes the great economic potential of North Korea, & will do nothing to interfere or end it," he added. 

"He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen!"  

Since their historic summit meeting in Singapore in 2018, Trump has said Kim remains committed to the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean peninsula. 

He has insisted the two leaders remain close even after their follow-up meeting in Hanoi collapsed in February, and that Kim would maintain his moratorium on long-range missile and nuclear tests.

But with negotiations lagging, the North appears to be testing the US side. 

The latest launch followed last month's test-firing of very-short-range tactical weapons, and it came days after a senior North Korean diplomat chastised US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for making "foolish and dangerous" comments in nuclear talks with the North. 

Analysts said Pyongyang appears intent on raising pressure on Washington as those talks remain deadlocked.

The two sides have been clashing over the North's demand for substantive economic sanctions relief and the US's insistence that the North make concrete concessions toward eliminating its atomic arsenal.

'Unwanted outcome'

North Korea analyst Ankit Panda stressed that Saturday's launch "does not violate Kim Jong Un's self-imposed missile-testing moratorium," which "only applied to intercontinental-range ballistic missiles."

But a statement from South Korea's presidential Blue House said it was "greatly concerned," calling it a violation of a military agreement signed by both Koreas last year.

North Korea "fired a number of short-range projectiles" from Hodo peninsula near the east coast town of Wonsan starting at 9:06 am (0006 GMT or 8:06 am Philippine time), the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

The projectiles traveled northeast from 70 to 200 kilometers (45 to 125 miles) towards the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, the JCS added.

In an earlier statement, it had said Pyongyang launched an unidentified short-range missile.

The last North Korean missile launch was in November 2017.

The latest firing comes just a day after South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Pyongyang should show "visible, concrete and substantial" denuclearization action if it wants sanctions relief – the issue at the center of the Hanoi debacle.

Earlier this week, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui warned Washington of an "unwanted outcome" if it did not adjust its stance on economic sanctions.

Biegun visit 

Hodo Peninsula, where Saturday's firing took place, has been used since the 1960s for "live-fire testing, training exercises for artillery and coastal defense cruise missiles," according to the respected 38 North website.

In recent years, Hodo has been "increasingly used for ballistic missile and long-range artillery rocket testing," it added.

Since the collapse of the Hanoi summit, South Korean president Moon Jae-in – who brokered the first meeting between the mercurial US and North Korean leaders – has tried to salvage diplomacy, but Pyongyang has remained largely unresponsive.

Last week, on the anniversary of the Panmunjom summit between Moon and Kim, Pyongyang's state media KCNA said Washington and Seoul "keep pushing the situation of the Korean peninsula and the region to an undesirable phase," criticizing their joint military exercises.

Saturday's launch came days before US special representative Stephen Biegun is to visit Japan and South Korea. 

Washington had said Biegun would discuss "efforts to advance the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea" with officials in Seoul and Tokyo. 

Seoul's nuclear envoy Lee Do-hoon spoke to Biegun on Saturday to discuss Pyongyang's latest launch, the South's foreign ministry said. 

"Chairman Kim has decided to remind the world – and specifically the United States – that his weapons capabilities are growing by the day," said Harry J. Kazianis, Director of Korean Studies at the Center for the National Interest.

"My fear is that we are at the beginning stages of a slide back to the days of nuclear war threats and personal insults, a dangerous cycle of spiking tensions that must be avoided at all costs." – Rappler.com

CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro urged his troops Saturday, May 4, to be "ready" for potential US military action, as a limited number of opposition supporters marched on military barracks in a bid to win the armed forces' support.

The small turnout for the Saturday marches, with participants in the hundreds, not the thousands, is another setback for opposition leader Juan Guaido, following a failed military uprising earlier in the week.

Maduro on Saturday instructed the military "to be ready to defend the homeland with weapons in your hands if one day the US empire dares to touch this territory, this sacred earth."

Underscoring the continued military support for his socialist regime, Maduro delivered his televised address from a base in northwestern Cojedes state – where he appeared alongside his defense minister, Vladimir Padrino, and in the presence of more than 5,000 troops.

The United States has refused to take the threat of military action off the table in its push to oust Maduro, although it so far has limited its campaign to ramping up sanctions.

Guaido's cause gained renewed support on Saturday from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who issued a video address to the Venezuelan people, telling them: "The time for transition is now."

"You can hold your institutions, your military, and their leaders to the highest standards, and demand a return to democracy," Pompeo said in the message. "The United States stands firmly with you in your quest."

National Assembly head Guaido, 35, has branded Maduro a usurper over his controversial reelection last year, and in January declared himself acting president, plunging Venezuela into a political crisis that deepened its already grave economic woes.

But Maduro has held firm, bolstered by the continued support of the powerful armed forces.

"I told the generals and admirals yesterday: loyalty, I want an active loyalty... I trust you, but keep your eyes open, a handful of traitors cannot tarnish the honor, the unity, the cohesion, and the image of the armed forces," the president said in his speech from the military base.

'No confrontation or provocation'

On Twitter, Guaido – recognized by more than 50 countries as Venezuela's interim president – urged his supporters to "mobilize in a civil and peaceful way" to their nearest military base, to persuade the armed forces to abandon Maduro and back a transitional government.

In Barquisimeto in the northeast, the National Guard pushed back marchers with tear gas.

"The goal is to carry our message without falling into confrontation or provocation," added Guaido.

This protest came days after Guaido tried to incite a military insurrection that fizzled out, with a group of 25 rebel soldiers seeking refuge in the Brazilian embassy in Caracas.

The effort triggered two days of clashes between opposition supporters and government forces that left four people dead and hundreds injured.

In an interview with The Washington Post, Guaido appeared to admit that he had overplayed his hand with the failed military uprising, saying that "we still need more soldiers to support it, to back the constitution."

'Something bigger' will happen

"I don't think this will produce a military breakdown, but it will contribute to something bigger happening soon," Marcos Rodriguez, a 24-year-old lawyer, told Agence France-Presse outside La Carlota air base, the scene of the uprising Tuesday, April 30.

Small groups of protesters marched on 4 military bases in Caracas.

In Barquisimeto, a group of women unsuccessfully attempted to pass on to National Guard troops a document containing Guaido's proclamation to the military to abandon Maduro.

"We're asking the armed forces to help us end the usurpation and join the people," unemployed 53-year-old Dina Alonso told Agence France-Presse.

Jose Aparicio, a 67-year-old lawyer who said he had been to several events organized by Guaido, said that he would "continue to protest in the street until the end."

Tensions in Venezuela have soared since Guaido invoked the constitution to declare himself acting president.

As major world powers have been drawn in, the US has thrown its support behind Guaido and Russia and China have backed Maduro.

Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel, a regional ally of Venezuela's, said on Twitter he had spoken to Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and "stressed the need for dialogue with President Maduro and respect for Venezuela's sovereignty and international rights without threats or outside intervention."

While the United States insists Maduro's days are numbered, experts say its options are limited and that Washington may have overestimated Guaido's strength. – Rappler.com

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea said Sunday, May 5, it had tested long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons, a day after Pyongyang appeared to have launched its first short-range missile in more than a year.

The announcement on the "strike drill,” which the Korean Central News Agency said took place Saturday, May 4, and was overseen by Kim Jong Un, came after US President Donald Trump voiced confidence that the North Korean leader would not "break his promise" even as nuclear talks have been deadlocked.

KCNA said the tests in the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, aimed to "estimate and inspect the operating ability and the accuracy of striking duty performance" of the weapons.

Kim was also evaluating "the combat performance of arms and equipment," according to KCNA.

Kim urged his troops to bear in mind "the iron truth that genuine peace and security are ensured and guaranteed only by powerful strength," it added.

On Saturday, the North also fired "a number of short-range projectiles" from Hodo peninsula near the east coast town of Wonsan starting at 9:06 am, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

The projectiles traveled northeast from 70 to 200 kilometers toward the East Sea.

In an earlier statement, it had said Pyongyang launched an unidentified short-range missile.

Broken promises?

"Anything in this very interesting world is possible," Trump tweeted in reaction to the launches announced by the South Koreans.

"But I believe that Kim Jong-Un fully realizes the great economic potential of North Korea, & will do nothing to interfere or end it," he added.

"He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen!"

Since their historic summit meeting in Singapore in 2018, Trump has said Kim remains committed to the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean peninsula.

He has insisted the two leaders remain close even after their follow-up meeting in Hanoi collapsed in February, and that Kim would maintain his moratorium on long-range missile and nuclear tests.

But with negotiations lagging, the North appears to be testing the US side.

The launches followed last month's test-firing of very short range tactical weapons, and it came days after a senior North Korean diplomat chastised US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for making "foolish and dangerous" comments in nuclear talks with the North.

Analysts said Pyongyang appears intent on raising pressure on Washington as those talks remain deadlocked.

The two sides have been clashing over the North's demand for substantive economic sanctions relief and the US's insistence that the North make concrete concessions toward eliminating its atomic arsenal.

‘Unwanted outcome'

North Korea analyst Ankit Panda stressed that the projectile launch "does not violate Kim Jong Un's self-imposed missile-testing moratorium," which "only applied to intercontinental-range ballistic missiles."

But a statement from South Korea's presidential Blue House said it was "greatly concerned," calling it a violation of a military agreement signed by both Koreas last year.

The last North Korean missile launch was in November 2017.

"North Korea's recent missile launches are a provocation at a time when the international community is awaiting concrete steps from North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons and missile program," a spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry said.

"We welcome President Trump's declaration that he is ready to continue to support the negotiations process despite this provocation."

On Friday, May 3, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Pyongyang should show "visible, concrete and substantial" denuclearization action if it wants sanctions relief – the issue at the center of the Hanoi debacle.

Earlier this week, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui warned Washington of an "unwanted outcome" if it did not adjust its stance on economic sanctions.

Biegun visit

Hodo Peninsula, where the projectile firing took place, has been used since the 1960s for "live-fire testing, training exercises for artillery and coastal defense cruise missiles," according to the respected 38 North website.

In recent years, Hodo has been "increasingly used for ballistic missile and long-range artillery rocket testing," it added.

Since the collapse of the Hanoi summit, South Korean president Moon Jae-in, who brokered the first meeting between the mercurial US and North Korean leaders, has tried to salvage diplomacy, but Pyongyang has remained largely unresponsive.

Last week, on the anniversary of the Panmunjom summit between Moon and Kim, KCNA said Washington and Seoul "keep pushing the situation of the Korean peninsula and the region to an undesirable phase", criticizing their joint military exercises.

The launches come just days before US special representative Stephen Biegun is to visit Japan and South Korea.

Washington had said Biegun would discuss "efforts to advance the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea" with officials in Seoul and Tokyo.

Seoul's nuclear envoy Lee Do-hoon spoke with Biegun to discuss the launches, the South's foreign ministry said. – Rappler.com