PARIS, France – The Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris will host its first mass on Saturday, June 15, exactly two months after the devastating blaze that shocked France and the world.

For safety reasons, the mass led by Archbishop of Paris Michel Aupetit will be celebrated on a very small scale. Worshippers will be expected to don hard hats but priests will be wearing their ceremonial garb.

There will be just some 30 people – half of them clergy – although the mass will be broadcast live on Catholic TV channel KTO.

It will take place at 6:00 pm (1600 GMT) in the Chapel of the Virgin on the east side of the cathedral behind the choir, which has been confirmed to be safe.

Aupetit will be joined by the rector of Notre-Dame, Patrick Chauvet, canons, volunteers, people working on the restoration as well a handful of lay worshippers. (READ: Notre-Dame, soul of the French nation)

The date has been chosen as it is the anniversary of the consecration of the cathedral's altar, which is celebrated every year on June 16.

The date is "highly significant, spiritually," Chauvet told Agence France-Presse, adding he was happy to be able to show that "Notre-Dame is truly alive".

'Inventive' reconstruction

President Emmanuel Macron has set an ambitious target of 5 years for restoring Notre-Dame, which was gutted by a fire on April 15 that felled its steeple and consumed the lattice of beams supporting the roof.

The diocese is awaiting a response from the French authorities over whether it can re-open the esplanade in front of the cathedral to the public.

If the authorities approve the plan, the idea is to celebrate evening prayers there, the diocese said.

The church has also floated the idea of erecting a temporary structure in front of the cathedral to welcome worshippers while the building is repaired.

Up to 150 workers have been working at the cathedral daily since the fire, continuing to remove debris and stabilize the structure.

Two large white canopies have been placed above the nave and the choir to ensure the edifice is protected, including from the rain.

Macron's call for an "inventive" rather than identical reconstruction of the steeple has left some architects up in arms.

Meanwhile, legislation over the reconstruction has been blocked in parliament over disagreements between the upper and lower houses and is now only expected to be adopted at the end of July.

Pledges of some 850 million euros ($960 million) had been made from prominent French businessmen and ordinary citizens but only around 10 percent has been donated so far.

France Info public radio said just 80 million euros had been paid, with businessmen giving the money in tranches and some private individuals renouncing their pledges due to the apparent success of the campaign. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Foreign Secretary Teodoro "Teddyboy" Locsin Jr questioned the United States but excused China on Saturday, June 15, over their statements on the sinking of a Philippine boat in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

Locsin was reacting to China's statement that there was no hit-and-run in the West Philippine Sea, and that the Chinese ship was in fact "besieged" by 7 or 8 Filipino boats, supposedly preventing it from helping the fishermen of sunken Filipino boat F/B Gem-Vir. China's claim contradicted the statement of Gem-Vir's captain, who said the Chinese ship intentionally sank their vessel. 

Locsin was also addressing the US statement urging parties against "coercion and intimidation" to assert maritime claims. 

Reacting to China's claim, Locsin said: "Interesting. That's China's take and it is a free world; it can say anything it wants. We say what we want because it is a free world for us too; but in our case we speak from the law of the sea. But still everyone's free."

Interesting. That's China's take and it is a free world; it can say anything it wants. We say what we want because it is a free world for us too; but in our case we speak from the law of the sea. But still everyone's free.

— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) June 15, 2019

He earlier tweeted that he has filed a diplomatic protest against China, but the Department of Foreign Affairs has not confirmed this claim through a formal statement. 

Locsin on the other hand questioned the US. "Why is the US including the Philippines in its urging against coercion?" 

Why is the US including the Philippines in its urging against coercion? https://t.co/Olbg3u9PSw

— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) June 15, 2019

He also cast doubt on the US' commitment to use its power "to uphold the sovereign rights of the littoral states of Southeast Asia."

"Freedom of navigation in the South China Sea by itself is merely freedom to walk in a zoo past cages of animals. Freedom of navigation to mean anything includes willingness to use US power to uphold the sovereign rights of the littoral states of Southeast Asia. Or it is nothing," said Locsin.

Freedom of navigation in the South China Sea by itself is merely freedom to walk in a zoo past cages of animals. Freedom of navigation to mean anything includes willingness to use US power to uphold the sovereign rights of the littoral states of Southeast Asia. Or it is nothing. https://t.co/Olbg3u9PSw

— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) June 15, 2019

At the same time, Locsin reacted to the Gem-Vir captain's assertion that a Chinese ship intentionally sank their boat. Locsin was answering a request for comment from Rappler about this.

Locsin tweeted in response to Rappler: "Well thank the friggin' Lord because guys like you egged me to fire off a diplomatic protest based on intel report based on the fishermen's stories. If they say different I'm gonna get really pissed and that's never good for people who make me stick my neck out for them."

Well thank the friggin' Lord because guys like you egged me to fire off a diplomatic protest based on intel report based on the fishermen's stories. If they say different I'm gonna get really pissed and that's never good for people who make me stick my neck out for them.

— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) June 14, 2019

The sinking of Filipino fishing boat Gem-Vir is a first in the decades-long dispute between Manila and Beijing over the West Philippine Sea. The incident took place near Recto Bank (Reed Bank), an underwater reef formation that is said to contain huge reserves of oil and natural gas.

Locsin earlier lashed out at the international community, too, when asked if the Philippines will call for international support over the sinking of a Philippine boat.  

"Fuck the international community. It can be bought. This is our fight and in the end ours alone," Locsin said. – Rappler.com

Read stories related to the incident:

• Chinese vessel sinks Philippine boat in West PH Sea ‘collision’
• Sinking of Filipino vessel ‘a first’ in Philippines-China row
• TIMELINE: Skirmishes, standoffs, harassment in West Philippine Sea
• Hold China accountable, Del Rosario says after sinking of PH boat
• AFP: Chinese vessel's sinking of PH boat ‘far from accidental’
• Panelo says possible for PH to cut ties with China over boat sinking
• Locsin hits ‘collision’ of Philippine, Chinese vessels
• Locsin on PH boat sinking: 'Fuck the international community'
• Philippines asks China to sanction Chinese crew of vessel in collision
• LOOK: Philippine fishing boat sunk by Chinese vessel in West PH Sea
• ‘Not a friend’: Netizens hit China over sinking of Philippine boat
• Owner of PH boat sunk by Chinese ship: 'I only ask for justice'
• Lorenzana now unsure if Chinese vessel sank Philippine boat
• China calls sinking of Philippine boat an 'ordinary maritime accident'
• WATCH: How alleged Chinese ship sank Filipino fishing vessel in West PH Sea
• 3 speeches in a row, Duterte silent on Chinese ship sinking PH vessel
• China envoy vows probe into Philippine boat sinking
• WATCH: Crew of Philippine vessel rammed by Chinese ship on their way home
• Occidental Mindoro town mayor to Duterte: Let's speak out against China
• Navy rebuffs China: PH boat sinking ‘not normal accident’
• Lacson, De Lima call for punitive action vs China and its fishermen
• Wives wait in limbo for fishermen of sunken vessel to come home
• Recto Bank: Why China covets what belongs to the Philippines
• Crew of sunken Philippine boat now home
• Arroyo defends Duterte response to Philippine boat sinking
• INSIDE STORY: How Filipino crew were saved by Vietnamese in West PH Sea
• China claims ship 'besieged by 7 or 8 Filipino boats'
• U.S. hits intimidation at sea after Philippine boat sinking
• Captain of abandoned PH boat: 'Lumubog nga kami, kami pa ang aatake?'
• Demand compensation from China for PH boat sinking – Carpio
• Boat sunk by Chinese ship in West PH Sea now back home
• China takes down statement on Facebook about PH sinking boat
• LOOK: Philippine boat sinking after Chinese ship’s assault
• BFAR to give Gem-Vir crew fiberglass boats

TAIPEI, Taiwan – Images of riot police battling protesters in Hong Kong this week have reverberated in nearby Taiwan where many recoil at what they fear could be their future if Beijing has its way.

Taiwan has been a self-ruled de facto nation in charge of its own affairs and borders for the last 70 years.

But the leaders in Beijing maintain it is part of their territory and have never given up their threat to retake it, by force if necessary.

In an attempt to persuade Taiwan's 23 million inhabitants to consider a return to the mainland, China has touted the framework it devised with Britain to allow Hong Kong to keep its unique freedoms after the city's 1997 handover.

The "one country, two systems" formula envisages democratic Taiwan joining the authoritarian mainland but keeping some yet to be determined privileges.

But years of sliding freedoms in Hong Kong have undermined those promises, with growing numbers of young Taiwanese now adopting an increasingly hostile view towards the Chinese mainland and a staunchly independent identity.

The unrest in Hong Kong this week has only fanned those suspicions.

"Developments in Hong Kong from the Umbrella Movement to the recent protests, have cemented the view of people in Taiwan that the PRC (People's Republic of China) can't be trusted to preserve their autonomy," Bonnie Glaser, a Taiwan expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told AFP, referring to the 2014 pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong that failed to win any concessions from Beijing.

'One country, one system'

Taiwan heads to the polls in January to elect a new president in a contest set to be dominated by relations with China.

President Tsai Ing-wen, who is seeking a second term and hails from a Beijing-skeptical party, has repeatedly referred to the clashes in Hong Kong this week as a wake-up call.

Calling the election a "fight for freedom and democracy" she said one country, two systems "can never be accepted in democratic Taiwan".

"The protests in Hong Kong make Taiwanese people cherish more our democratic system and way of life," she said Thursday.

Even her political opponents, who favor much warmer ties with China, have spoken in a similar vein.

Potential rival Terry Gou, the billionaire Foxconn boss who is seeking to run as the Beijing-friendly Kuomintang's presidential candidate, called the model "a failure" this week.

"If I become president, I will open both arms to invite Hong Kong friends to emigrate to Taiwan because the Republic of China has a free and democratic environment," Gou said in a Facebook post, using Taiwan's formal name.

Taiwanese social media has been filled with messages of concern about what a Beijing-ruled future might hold.

"Hong Kong has already proven to us that there is only 'one country, one system'," one comment on social media read. "If we vote for a pro-China party in 2020, Taiwan will become Hong Kong".

'Hegemonic China'

Beijing cut communication with Tsai's government following her 2016 election, ramping up military drills and poaching several diplomatic allies because she refuses to acknowledge that the self-ruled island is part of "one China".

With China keen to ensure Tsai is defeated in January, the renewed political crisis in Hong Kong is bad timing.

This week the South China Morning Post ran a report suggesting Chinese officials were angry the Hong Kong extradition bill had given fuel to Tsai.

"Taiwan is involved," the paper quoted what it said was a core pro-Beijing figure close to China's liaison office in Hong Kong. "A presidential election is coming and (the legislation) is like sending ammunition to the Democratic Progressive Party," the source added, referring to Tsai's party.

It was the murder of a Hong Kong woman at the hands of her boyfriend while they were on holiday in Taiwan last year that promoted Hong Kong authorities to call for an extradition law.

But Taiwan has become so concerned about its own citizens getting extradited to the Chinese mainland if they pass through Hong Kong that it has publicly said it will not seek the murder suspect's return if the bill goes ahead in its current form.

Taiwanese rights and student groups are planning to stage rallies over the weekend to support the Hong Kong protests.

Lin Fei-fan, a leading activist in Taiwan's 2014 Sunflower Movement opposing a controversial China trade pact, described the extradition bill as an example of how Beijing presented a current threat to his fellow citizens, not a future one.

"Today's Hong Kong is also today's Taiwan," he told a crowd protesting outside Hong Kong's trade office in Taipei this week. "We both face the expansion of a hegemonic China and we are on the frontline of defense." – Rappler.com

HONG KONG – Hong Kong's embattled government looks set to press pause on a deeply unpopular extradition bill that has provoked unprecedented clashes between police and protesters, multiple local media outlets reported Saturday.

The city's pro-Beijing leader Carrie Lam has faced mounting calls to abandon the controversial legislation, including from her own political allies and advisers.

The international finance hub was rocked by the worst political violence since its 1997 handover to China on Wednesday as tens of thousands of protesters were dispersed by riot police firing tear gas and rubber bullets.

As criticism mounted – and signs emerged of a growing discomfort among party leaders in Beijing – local media in Hong Kong reported that Lam's administration was planning to announce some sort of climbdown as it tries to find its way out of the political crisis.

The South China Morning Post, Now TV, TVB and RTHK all cited government sources as saying the plan was to postpone bringing the divisive bill back to the city's parliament for debate – the trigger for Wednesday's clashes.

The SCMP said Lam held an emergency meeting on Friday night, June 14, with her advisers while Chinese officials were also meeting in the nearby city of Shenzhen to map a way out of the impasse.

Lam, who is appointed by a committee stacked with Beijing loyalists, has so far refused to abandon the bill despite months of criticism from business and legal bodies – and a record breaking rally on Sunday where organizers said more than one million protesters hit the streets. (READ: Hong Kong's extradition law jolts business community)

But on Friday she found herself facing growing calls from within her own political camp to reverse course and tamp down spiraling public anger – including from hardline pro-Beijing lawmakers.

"Shouldn't (we) cool the citizens down? I think to postpone it for a little bit is not a bad thing. At this moment, the government should self-examine," Ann Chiang, a hardcore pro-Beijing lawmaker, told i-Cable News.

But other hardliners have warned against Lam bending to the protesters.

"If the government caves in to violence and external influences, in the long run that would also make Hong Kong ungovernable," pro-Beijing lawmaker Regina Ip told reporters.

Opposition to the extradition bill has united an unusually wide cross section of Hong Kong.

On Friday night, thousands of parents gathered in a park in the heart of the city's commercial district to condemn the use of rubber bullets and tear gas against predominantly young protesters on Wednesday.

Y. Chan, a 50-year-old mother of two, said she was outraged watching the scenes unfold.

"It's calling for all mothers who had enough already of what happened the other day," she told Agence France-Presse. "My kids were out there also that day. And although I want them to be safe, want them to be at home, but this is their home. They are defending it." – Rappler.com

Europa, a frozen moon around Jupiter, is believed to be one of the most habitable worlds in the solar system. It was first imaged in detail by the Voyager 1 probe in 1979, revealing a surface almost devoid of large craters. This suggested that water regularly floods up from inside, resurfacing the satellite. Europa is also criss-crossed with long troughs, folds and ridges, potentially made of icebergs floating around in melt-water or slush.

But it was in the late 1990s that Europa got really interesting. The Galileo mission found evidence that it had a sub-surface liquid salt water ocean. The fact that it is salty gives us clues that the water may be in contact with rock – a process that could provide energy in the water to feed microbial life.

But the observations were too few and limited for us to separately tell how deep and how salty the ocean is – let alone what kind of salts there are. Now a new study, published in Science Advances, shows it may well be normal table salt (sodium chloride) – just like on Earth. This has important implications for the potential existence of life in Europa’s hidden depths.

Scientists believe that hydrothermal circulation within the ocean, possibly driven by hydrothermal vents might naturally enrich the ocean in sodium chloride, via chemical reactions between the ocean and rock. On Earth, hydrothermal vents are thought to be a source of life, such as bacteria. Plumes emanating from the south pole of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, which has a similar ocean, have been found to contain sodium chloride, making both Europa and Enceladus even more enticing targets for exploration.

If we look at the spectrum (the breakdown of light according to wavelength) of light reflected from the surface, we can infer what substances are there. This shows evidence of water ice. But there are also two other materials: “hydrated” sulphuric acid and sulphate salt. Where do they come from? For scientists studying the interior of Europa, or those examining the astrobiological potential of the moon’s ocean, the really interesting question is: do they come from inside Europa?

Like our moon and Earth, Europa is tidally locked to Jupiter, meaning that it always presents the same side to the giant planet. Galileo observations revealed the presence of “hydrated” sulphuric acid on the side of Europa that faces backwards along its orbit, the trailing hemisphere. To make sulphuric acid in water ice you need a source of sulphur, and energy to drive the chemical reaction. Some of this may come up from inside the moon in the form of sulphate salts, some of it can be delivered by meteorites, but the most likely explanation is that it comes from its sibling volcanic moon, Io.

Sulphur would be ejected into space from volcanoes on Io and eventually make its way to Europa. Moving faster than Europa, the sulphur would most likely hit the trailing side of Europa and implant itself in the ice. The energy required for it to do this would come from electrons in Jupiter’s radiation belts. For the most part, they go around Jupiter faster than Europa, hit its trailing side and deliver tons of energy.

Measurements have also shown evidence for sulphate salts, such as magnesium sulphate (Epsom salts) but it has remained unclear where it comes from.

The team behind the new study reasoned that the side of Europa facing along its orbit, the leading hemisphere, which is shielded from the sulphur bombardment, might be the best place to look for evidence of what salts actually exist inside Europa.

In the visible part of a spectrum there are distinct features called “color centers” that appear when irradiated by very energetic electrons. The researchers used the powerful Hubble Space Telescope to look for evidence of these color centers in Europa’s spectrum and discovered a feature located exclusively on the side of the moon facing along its orbit, showing evidence for sodium chloride.

Type of salt

Although there were some hints of salts in the Galileo observations, the newer Hubble data has allowed the scientists to narrow it down to a region on the leading hemisphere called the chaos terrain, and not in regions where the sulphur chemistry could be driven by radiation. That means they really are likely to come from Europa’s interior.

Life, as we know it, needs liquid water and energy. That Europa has a liquid ocean at all tells us that there is liquid water and a source of energy to stop it from freezing. But the chemical make-up of the ocean is also crucial. Brine, “salty water,” has a lower freezing point than pure water, meaning it makes the water more habitable.

Salt, specifically the sodium ions in table salt, is also crucial for a whole range of metabolic processes in plant and animal life. By contrast some other salts, such as sulphates, might inhibit life if present in large quantities. The researchers were keen to point out that they might just be seeing the end-point of a complicated chain of sub-surface processes – the salt might just be part of the natural ice layers. But, for those hoping there is life on Europa, the discovery of sodium chloride is good news. – The Conversation | Rappler.com

Chris Arridge is a Research Fellow/Lecturer at Lancaster University.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – If Pastor Apollo Quiboloy declares himself the appointed son of God, then Kabos Padatoon (Kapa) Community Ministry International founder Pastor Joel Apolinario claims to be the modern Moses.

Apolinario fashions himself as the modern Moses – a liberator of the people from the bondage of financial debts and spiritual burdens. Its members believe so too, even as the government calls Kapa the worst investment scam in recent history.

Moses was a prophet according to the Hebrew Bible and the liberator of the Israelites from the bondage of slavery in Egypt in the Old Testament.

Although Kapa considers itself as a church, it fails to qualify so as there are member-donors who belong to different religions.

On Thursday, June 13, 50,000 member-donors called on President Rodrigo Duterte to allow Kapa to continue operations, after it was closed by the Securities and Exchange Commission. (EXPLAINER: How Kapa Ministry took advantage of investors)

But the call fell on deaf ears as the Department of Justice put Apolinario and 14 other Kapa officials on immigration lookout.

Monaliza Tolang, a Department of Education district supervisor in Bislig City, Surigao del Sur, says Apolinario is a modern Moses able to unify its members.

The "love donations" offer 30% return every month with compounded interest if the donation is left to "sleep." The minimum donation is at P5,000.

Tolang and Apolinario both hail from Bislig City where Kapa started its operations 3 years ago.

"Apolinario is the modern Moses, he is able to unite Muslims, Christians through Kapa," Tolang said.

Tolang added that the love donations they give also help the poor in Kapa's projects and programs.

For Tolang, Apolinario is the Moses who leads them and Kapa members are the Israelites persecuted by the government for their love donations that returns hefty monthly profits. 

Genevieve Longakit, an Adventist based in General Santos City, was quick to defend Kapa's scheme as she claimed it had helped them through their love donations.

"What we know is that he has businesses like fleets of boats for fishing, agriculture, that's where the interest of our donation came from," Longakit said.

Longakit is not the lone investor from her family. Her cousins are members too.
They said that Kapa, from plain sight, was able to deliver its promise of returns of 30% every month.

"There are those whose payout reaches P1.5 million, so if they can get their money that big, then Kapa is working," Longakit said.

"This is not a pyramiding scheme, not one member have filed a complaint. If it collapses, then there is nothing we can do. What we have given is a love donation," Longakit added.

Testimonials

Thursday's event was filled with testimonials of "return of investment" by members who benefitted from the controversial church.

From sending their kids to schools, to medical emergency, and the grand promise of lifting them out of poverty, all of these are covered. But many of them are clueless on where the money they earn from their love donations come from.

An elderly man who testified on stage shared how his meager P10,000-donation in 2018 was able to sustain his wife in the intensive care unit (ICU) for 45 days.

"My brothers and sisters, I came here to tell you how the goodness of Apolinario and Kapa was able to sustain my wife in the ICU for 45 days," the man said.

Teary eyed, he shared how the interest from his donation was able to purchase medicines for his wife.

"In the 45 days that we were in the ICU, 7 patients died, my wife lies there, I was able to provide for her medicine because of KAPA. Surely there is goodness in there," the man said.

Most of members attest to the "ability" of Kapa to deliver the promised wealth, but when asked if a fishing vessel or rice paddies can sustain the 30% promised return, no one could give a definite answer.

Several members also tried to explain where the interest of their money came from. "Pastor Apolinario also does foreign exchange, he has so many investments and businesses that is more than enough to cover their interest income," they said.

Many of them are sure that they have given a donation and not an investment.

But many members themselves are recruiters for more donors, as they testify for the payouts they receive.

At the rally, tarpaulins that said they are not victims abounded – that they were happy to help other poor people earn money through their donations.

'Moses, our leader'

Apolinario himself would mouth Bible verses when asked how did he come up with mathematical computations that would sustain the 30% interest.

"It is even bigger than 30%," he said.

"There's nobody saying it is 30%. There is no such thing as 30%. They are saying that these became an investment, like before we have harvesting of rice for P38 per kilo while in the market, it is P50 to P60 per kilo. They were able to save P20 and if you add that to their income, then that is more than 30%," Apolinario said.

Asked why he was doing these, Apolinario said that part of the ministry was to fight evil and that "poverty is the kingdom of the devil."

"There are many crimes that happen due to poverty," Apolinario said.

Authorities have asked members to file a case against Kapa and its founder  Apolinario but none have come forward so far. – Rappler.com

OCCIDENTAL MINDORO, Philippines – Felix dela Torre fought back tears as he shared how much he had lost in the sinking of his fishing boat F/B Gem-Vir, which was rammed then abandoned by a Chinese fishing ship on June 9.

"Parang alipin po tayo ng China. Parang wala tayong karapatan sa sarili nating nasasakupan (It's like we are slaves of China. It's like we have no rights over our own territory)," Dela Torre told reporters in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.

WATCH: Felix dela Torre, owner of sunken PH boat by Chinese fishing ship, says he feels like Filipinos have turned into "slaves" and "lost our rights in our own territory." @rapplerdotcompic.twitter.com/au3dvoHeMI

— Rambo Talabong (@ramboreports) June 15, 2019

Dela Torre shared that Gem-Vir was a boat that was passed on to him by his parents in 2011. It's not much, he said, but it was everything for his family and the families of all its 22 crewmen. (READ: Owner of PH boat sunk by Chinese ship: 'I only ask for justice')

"Malaking kawalan po, dahil ito lang po yung hanapbuhay po namin. Sa amin, sa akin lang po umaasa, kasi ang turing po namin, pamilya na (It's a big loss for us because it's our source of livelihood. They only rely on us, on me, because we treat each other as family)," Dela Torre added.

The ramming of the Chinese fishing vessel left a hole at the rear of the boat, causing water to gush in. The crewmen were able to save themselves, but the boat's engine had also been damaged. They lost their catch which they hauled after spending nearly a week in the open seas.  That haul could have been sold to cover a month's expenses for each crew member.

Like his crewmen, Dela Torre called China's claim that they attacked instead as a farce. He said he spoke with all his men and they said the same thing. (READ: Captain of abandoned PH boat: I'm sure Chinese ship sank us)

"Nagsisinungaling po ang China (China is lying)," he said – Rappler.com

Read stories related to the incident:

• Chinese vessel sinks Philippine boat in West PH Sea ‘collision’
• Sinking of Filipino vessel ‘a first’ in Philippines-China row
• TIMELINE: Skirmishes, standoffs, harassment in West Philippine Sea
• Hold China accountable, Del Rosario says after sinking of PH boat
• AFP: Chinese vessel's sinking of PH boat ‘far from accidental’
• Panelo says possible for PH to cut ties with China over boat sinking
• Locsin hits ‘collision’ of Philippine, Chinese vessels
• Locsin on PH boat sinking: 'Fuck the international community'
• Philippines asks China to sanction Chinese crew of vessel in collision
• LOOK: Philippine fishing boat sunk by Chinese vessel in West PH Sea
• ‘Not a friend’: Netizens hit China over sinking of Philippine boat
• Owner of PH boat sunk by Chinese ship: 'I only ask for justice'
• Lorenzana now unsure if Chinese vessel sank Philippine boat
• China calls sinking of Philippine boat an 'ordinary maritime accident'
• WATCH: How alleged Chinese ship sank Filipino fishing vessel in West PH Sea
• 3 speeches in a row, Duterte silent on Chinese ship sinking PH vessel
• China envoy vows probe into Philippine boat sinking
• WATCH: Crew of Philippine vessel rammed by Chinese ship on their way home
• Occidental Mindoro town mayor to Duterte: Let's speak out against China
• Navy rebuffs China: PH boat sinking ‘not normal accident’
• Lacson, De Lima call for punitive action vs China and its fishermen
• Wives wait in limbo for fishermen of sunken vessel to come home
• Recto Bank: Why China covets what belongs to the Philippines
• Crew of sunken Philippine boat now home
• Arroyo defends Duterte response to Philippine boat sinking
• INSIDE STORY: How Filipino crew were saved by Vietnamese in West PH Sea
• China claims ship 'besieged by 7 or 8 Filipino boats'
• U.S. hits intimidation at sea after Philippine boat sinking
• Captain of abandoned PH boat: 'Lumubog nga kami, kami pa ang aatake?'
• Demand compensation from China for PH boat sinking – Carpio
• Boat sunk by Chinese ship in West PH Sea now back home
• China takes down statement on Facebook about PH sinking boat
• LOOK: Philippine boat sinking after Chinese ship’s assault
• BFAR to give Gem-Vir crew fiberglass boats

MANILA, Philippines – The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said they will be asking the government for hazard pay for its traffic enforcers.

In a statement sent to the media on Saturday, June 15, the MMDA said that Chairman Danilo Lim addressed about 300 traffic enforcers on Friday, June 14, about the additional employment benefit.

"I understand your plight in manning your posts and we have been pushing for the granting of your hazard pay considering the risks you encounter daily," Lim said.

He said that the MMDA will write a letter to the Office of the President to "revive the granting of hazard pay."

"Let's hope we be given the chance," he told the enforcers.

A study conducted by the National Institute for Health at the University of the Philippines Manila showed that being exposed to black carbon and heavy metals affects MDMA traffic enforcers' blood pressure and lung function.

According to the study, lead was found in enforcers' blood which could imply systemic inflammation. Female enforcers, as well as those who never smoked a single cigarette in their lives, were found susceptible to this.

The study was conducted among 158 traffic enforcers.

Lim on Friday gave assurances that the traffic agency listens to the needs of their enforcers.

"Do not lose hope. We have so many plans. Expect more good things to come our way and as front-liners, you are the first who would benefit. Just render excellent public service in the performance of your duties," he said.

MMDA traffic enforcers earn a minimum wage of P537 daily or about P11,800 monthly.

The MMDA has asked the 17th Congress to pass a law providing for a P6,000-monthly hazard pay to traffic enforcers. But this proposal was initially meant to address the extortion problem among some enforcers.

Under the 2019 budget, the MMDA has a P3.36-billion allocation, of which P53.11 million is for the operation and maintenace of its Traffic Discipline Office. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – China's statement on the sinking of a Philippine boat in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) insults the intelligence of Filipinos, said a leading maritime law expert, as he enumerated falsehoods made by China.

Jay Batongbacal, director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, also said China's statement was "very revealing," as "sometimes the truth leaks out in the effort to conceal it."

"This is an insult to the intelligence of every Filipino," Batongbacal wrote on Saturday, June 15.

He stressed that China's response to the boat sinking incident will be "a test of its good faith" and an "indication of the amount of respect it has for Philippines-China relations." But he said China's press release on the incident was problematic.

Contradicting Filipino fishermen, China in this statement denied that a Chinese vessel sank and abandoned a Filipino boat in hit-and-run fashion. China said the Chinese vessel was, in fact, "besieged" by 7 or 8 Filipino boats, supposedly preventing it from helping the fishermen of Filipino vessel F/B Gem-Vir. 

"With this press release, despite its subsequent and sudden retraction, it has utterly failed the test, and shown that in truth it has absolutely no respect for this country and its citizens," said Batongbacal.

Foreign Secretary Teodoro "Teddyboy" Locsin Jr on the other hand said of China's claim: "Interesting. That's China's take and it is a free world."

This comes nearly a week after a Chinese ship sank a Philippine boat near Recto Bank (Reed Bank) in the West Philippine Sea. Recto Bank, which belongs to the Philippines, is an underwater reef formation that is said to contain huge reserves and oil and natural gas. 

This Recto Bank incident is a first in the decades-long dispute between Manila and Beijing over the West Philippine Sea. Batongbacal is one of the staunchest defenders of the Philippines' rights over these waters even as the Duterte administration avoids shaming China over incidents like this.

China's admissions

Batongbacal said China, through the statement it released Friday evening, June 14, made the following admissions. He listed the following in a Facebook post titled, "Sometimes, the Truth Leaks Out in the Effort to Conceal It," which Rappler also published in its Thought Leaders section:

• Chinese vessel Yuemaobinyu 42212 was involved in the sinking of Filipino F/B Gem-Vir
• The Chinese vessel "was indeed engaged in fishing operations (light purse seine) in Recto Bank, in violation of Philippine fisheries law and regulations"
• The Chinese vessel "did run into the F/B Gem-vir 1," and it "does not contest the fact that it caused the F/B Gem-vir 1 to sink"
• "Even after it knew of the crash, the Chinese vessel did decide to not lend assistance to the F/B Gem-Vir 1's crew, leaving them in the water with their sinking boat, in violation of international maritime law, maritime customs, and basic human decency"

Batongbacal at the same time pointed out an inconsistency in China's statement.

He said the statement "can't even seem to decide whether the alleged siege took place" before or after Gem-Vir sank. "At first, it says they were besieged, which was the reason they tried to leave (which caused the incident), and then, they said they left because they were afraid of being besieged (after the incident took place)."

"This kind of basic inconsistency reveals its fallacy," he said.

Filipino vessels 'besieging' others?

Batongbacal also sought to debunk China's claim that Filipino fishing vessels "besieged" the Chinese
ship. 

"There is no prior record of any group of Filipino fishing vessels "besieging" (attacking) any other vessel anywhere in the high seas. Ever. Not even the notorious pirates that used to operate in the southern seas operated that way. Only Chinese maritime militia vessels (and Vietnamese maritime militia responding to the Chinese) have been involved in such coordinated swarming operations," he said.

He continued: "And why and how could any Filipino fishing boats even try to do so? It would be extremely difficult for Filipino fishing boats, which are almost all low-lying, unarmed wooden bancas equipped with outriggers (like the F/B Gem-Vir 1; they are designed that way for stability), to even lay siege on a larger steel-hulled vessel like the Chinese purse seiner during the daytime, let alone near midnight. They cannot even get close enough to the latter's hull to mount any kind of attack."

"The statement concludes that the alleged facts show that it was not a "hit and run" incident. Actually, the effect is the opposite: it even makes the narrative even more like a vehicular hit-and-run," said Batongbacal.

Like a Chinese militia vessel

Like Batongbacal, Supreme Court (SC) Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio slammed China over the sinking of a Filipino boat in the West Philippine Sea.

In a statement Friday evening, Carpio said it is "highly likely that a Chinese maritime militia vessel rammed" the Filipino boat.

"China's maritime militia vessels have reinforced steel hulls purposely for ramming fishing vessels of other coastal states. No other coastal state has fishing vessels purposely designed for ramming other fishing vessels. Captains of ordinary Chinese fishing vessels do not engage in ramming for fear of inflicting damage to their own vessels," Carpio said.

Carpio also said this "may signal the start of a new 'gray zone' offensive by China to drive away Filipino fishing vessels in the West Philippine Sea, in the same way that China is driving away Vietnamese fishing vessels in the Paracels." 

"The Filipino people must take a strong stand against this latest aggressive act of China. The Filipino people must demand from China compensation for the owner of F/B Gem-Vir 1, and punishment for the captain and crew of the Chinese vessel that rammed in hit-and-run fashion F/B Gem-Vir 1," the SC justice said. – Rappler.com

HONG KONG – The Hong Kong government's move to allow extraditions to mainland China has sparked the biggest demonstrations since the former British colony was handed back to China in 1997.

Under the handover deal, Hong Kong benefits from a "One Country, Two Systems" policy that allows it to retain certain key liberties, such as freedom of speech and an independent judiciary, until 2047.

A push for democratic reforms saw unprecedented street protests in 2014, with demands for change reignited in February this year, leading to the worst political violence in the financial hub since 1997. (READ: Hong Kong govt to 'pause' divisive extradition bill – reports)

Here is an overview.

2003: National security law

Some half a million people marched against a controversial attempt by the government to introduce a national security law that critics feared would hammer free speech. 

The bill, which came after a deadly outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, was the first mass demonstration movement the city's pro-Beijing leaders had faced since the 1997 handover.

It was eventually shelved and set in process the resignation of then chief executive Tung Chee-hwa.

2012: Education protests

Tens of thousands of predominantly young demonstrators, many of them school children, surrounded the city government's complex for 10 days. 

The target of their ire was a government order for schools to teach "Moral and National Education" classes that praised China's communist and nationalist history while criticising republicanism and democracy movements. 

The government abandoned the curriculum and some of the protest leaders, such as then 15-year-old Joshua Wong, went on to become leading democracy advocates.

2014: Umbrella Movement

For two months in late 2014 tens of thousands of protesters paralysed parts of the city with mass student-led demonstrations and sit-ins to demand democratic reforms such as the right to elect the city's leader.

There were clashes and scenes of violence, until then rare in the semi-autonomous territory, as police used pepper spray and tear gas to break up the demonstrations.

It becomes known as the Umbrella Movement after some demonstrators used umbrellas to protect themselves.

Police dismantled the main pro-democracy site in December, hauling off a hard core of protesters who vowed that their struggle would live on. 

But the movement failed to win any concessions and many of its leaders are now in prison. 

2019: Extradition anger

In February 2019, Hong Kong's government announced plans for a bill that would allow, for the first time, extraditions to mainland China.

The move was prompted by a murder but the opposition and lawyers fear such a law would tighten Beijing's grip on civil society and allow it to pursue its political enemies in Hong Kong.

Tens of thousands of people hit Hong Kong's streets in protest on April 28 in one of the biggest demonstrations since the Umbrella Movement.

It came just days after four prominent democratic leaders were jailed for their role in organising the 2014 protests.

Hong Kong's government made concessions on May 30, saying the extradition law would only apply to cases involving a potential jail term of at least seven years.

Britain and Canada raised concerns that expatriates living and working in Hong Kong, an international business hub, could also face extradition.

Protests grow

On June 4, tens of thousands of Hong Kongers, fearful for their own liberties, commemorated 30 years since China's bloody Tiananmen crackdown on pro-democracy protests. 

Such commemorations are not allowed in mainland China.

Two days later, thousands of Hong Kong lawyers marched in silence against the draft extradition law.

On June 9, more than one million people, according to organisers, took to the streets for seven hours in the biggest demonstration by far since the return to Chinese rule. 

The police, who made 19 arrests, put the turnout at 240,000.

On June 12, a scheduled second reading of the controversial bill was delayed after huge crowds rally, blocking major roads and attempting to storm parliament.

Police used tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets and bean bag rounds – small fabric bags filled with lead pellets – on the demonstrators, most of them young people and students.

They were the worst clashes since the 1997 handover, leaving nearly 80 people injured, two in a serious condition.

More than 100 businesses and shops had shut down in support of the movement.

Beijing described the protests as "riots", and said it supports the local government's response. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 6 on Saturday, June 15, ordered the release of Wellmed Dialysis Center owner Bryan Sy who is still detained at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Sy posted bail worth P72,000 for charges of estafa and falsification of documents over the Philhealth scandal. His family-owned Wellmed is accused of charging Philhealth claims for patient members who are already dead.

The NBI has not released Sy as of writing.

“The NBI is duty-bound to release our client since there is already a Release Order from the court. It is the constitutional right of our client to post bail and be released accordingly, without any conditions,” Sy’s lawyer Rowell Ilagan told Rappler in a text message on Saturday.

It appears from the order that the information for 17 counts of estafa thru falsification of documents have not been filed yet.

But according to Section 17(c) of the Rules of Criminal Procedure, “any person in custody who is not yet charged in court may apply for bail with any court in the province, city, or municipality where he is held.”

This became Branch 6's legal basis in ordering Sy's release. The court works on a skeletal staff on Saturday.

Sy was indicted for 17 counts of estafa thru falsification of documents only on Friday, June 14.

He was arrested without a warrant by the NBI, but the Department of Justice (DOJ) has already ruled the warrantless arrest as valid albeit in a quite vague resolution citing a habeas corpus denial by a separate branch of the Manila RTC.

Sy faces the charges alongside 2 former Wellmed employees who acted as whistleblowers of the scandal. According to the whistleblowers’ lawyer Harry Roque, they need to be charged first before they turn government witnesses. – Rappler.com

HONG KONG (3rd UPDATE)– Hong Kong's embattled leader on Saturday, June 15, said a divisive bill that would allow extraditions to China would be "suspended" in a major climbdown from her government after a week of unprecedented protests.

The city's pro-Beijing leader Carrie Lam has come under huge pressure to abandon the controversial legislation, including from her own political allies and advisers.

"The government has decided to suspend the legislative amendment exercise, restart our communication with all sectors of society, do more... work and listen to different views of society," Lam told reporters Saturday.

"We have no intention to set a deadline for this work and promise to report to and consult members of the legislative council panel on security before we decide on the next step forward," she added.

The international finance hub was rocked by the worst political violence since its 1997 handover to China on Wednesday as tens of thousands of protesters were dispersed by riot police firing tear gas and rubber bullets. (READ: High points of Hong Kong's huge protests)

Three days earlier record crowds held a record breaking rally in which organisers said more than a million people hit the streets calling for the law to be scrapped.

As criticism mounted, signs also emerged of a growing discomfort among Communist Party leaders in Beijing, and Lam held her press conference Saturday at the same government complex that was besieged by protesters earlier in the week.

The South China Morning Post said Lam held an emergency meeting on Friday night with her advisers while Chinese officials were also meeting in the nearby city of Shenzhen to map a way out of the impasse.

Tensions were running high with protest organisers planning another mass rally on Sunday.

Lam, who is appointed by a committee stacked with Beijing loyalists, had previously refused to consider abandoning the bill, despite months of criticism from business and legal bodies – and a record breaking rally on Sunday where organizers said more than one million protesters hit the streets.

"I feel deep sorrow and regret that the deficiencies in our work and various other factors have stirred up substantial controversies and disputes in society following the relatively calm periods of the past two years," Lam said.

'Lost credibility' 

On Friday she found herself facing growing calls from within her own political camp to reverse course and tamp down spiralling public anger – including from hardline pro-Beijing lawmakers.

"Shouldn't (we) cool the citizens down? I think to postpone it for a little bit is not a bad thing. At this moment, the government should self-examine," Ann Chiang, a hardcore pro-Beijing lawmaker, told i-Cable News.

But others have warned against Lam bending to the protesters.

"If the government caves in to violence and external influences, in the long run that would also make Hong Kong ungovernable," pro-Beijing lawmaker Regina Ip told reporters.

Opposition to the extradition bill has united an unusually wide cross section of Hong Kong.

Protest organisers had been calling for a full withdrawal of the bill, not a postponement.

James To, a lawmaker from the city's pan-democrat camp, called on Lam to step down.

"The credibility of our chief executive has already been written off, it's a kind of government that cannot have any credibility to rule anymore," he told reporters Friday.

Beijing has vocally supported the bill and earlier this week threw its full support behind the Lam administration, calling protesters "rioters."

But it has since sought to distance itself as public anger spiralled.

"The central government gave no instruction, no order about the... amendment," Lu Xiaoming, the Chinese ambassador to Britain, told the BBC.

"This amendment was initiated by the Hong Kong government," he added.

On Friday night, thousands of parents gathered in a park in the heart of the city's commercial district to condemn the use of rubber bullets and tear gas against predominantly young protesters on Wednesday.

Y. Chan, a 50-year-old mother of two, said she was outraged watching the scenes unfold.

"It's calling for all mothers who had enough already of what happened the other day," she told AFP. "My kids were out there also that day. And although I want them to be safe, want them to be at home, but this is their home. They are defending it." – Rappler.com

OCCIDENTAL MINDORO, Philippines – While Fishing Boat Gem-Vir is already home, it is far from completely repaired after a Chinese fishing ship rammed it in the West Philippine Sea.

The biggest damage was obvious from afar. What remained of its stern bore a gaping hole, improvisationally covered by plywood. The missing part was the boat’s point of contact with the Chinese vessel.

“Binangga po yung likod, umalis, bumalik at inilawan, tapos umalis ulit (They rammed the rear, left, came back to light us, then left again),” said fisherman Boy Gordiones told Rappler. It was his turn to guard the boat on Saturday, June 15 as it was still far out at shore.

Gordiones showed what remained of Fishing Boat Gem-Vir. It’s empty, save for a roaring pumping machine inside its hull that forces out water that slowly seeped in. (READ: Owner of PH boat sunk by Chinese ship: 'I only ask for justice')

“Inanod na po lahat ng laman, lahat ng huli (Everything inside was left for the waves, even our catch),” Gordiones said.

Its masts were toppled like timber, after what the fishermen described as the Chinese ship’s “wings” hit them as it turned around after ramming Gem-Vir’s back.

Other debris scattered at its deck: entangled fishing lines, scraps of wood, a small fishing boat lying askew.

Gordiones and 21 other fishermen were on their 12th day at sea for a fishing expedition in Recto Bank (Reed Bank), when the Chinese boat attacked. They have done this monthly for years. Now, their lives have been put at a halt.

According to Felix dela Torre, the owner of the boat, they would have to spend hundreds of thousands of pesos to repair the boat so that it could sail again—even if it means meeting more threats at sea.

“Ay wala naman po kaming kabuhayan kundi pangingisda, kaya makikipagsapalaran ulit para mabuhay ang pamilya (We don’t have other sources of livelihood aside from fishing, so we can face them again just for our families to live),” Dela Torre said.

Here are more photos of the ship from Rappler's photo chief, LeAnne Jazul:

– Rappler.com

TOP PHOTO: EMPTIED. Fishing Boat Gem-Vir's cabin emptied of equipment after it sank in the West Philippine Sea. Photo by LeAnne Jazul/Rappler

MANILA, Philippines – Foreign Secretary Teodoro "Teddyboy" Locsin Jr on Saturday, June 15, criticized as "juvenile" the use of the name "West Philippine Sea" to refer to part of the South China Sea that belongs to Filipinos.

"That is how we lose territory, by dropping technical colonial names (what other names pa, without the West we had no standardized names for land and sea) and renaming them; thereby losing the historical association which was the strongest basis of our claims. Shet," Locsin said in a tweet Saturday.

That is how we lose territory, by dropping technical colonial names (what other names pa, without the West we had no standardized names for land and sea) and renaming them; thereby losing the historical association which was the strongest basis of our claims. Shet.

— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) June 15, 2019

He added: "We started down that juvenile path of renaming historically named places – like the British imperial name 'the South China Sea' to the juvenile 'West Philippine Sea.' So? The puddle in my garden during rainy season I can call 'The Teddy Boy Pond.' So? That is how we lose."

We started down that juvenile path of renaming historically named places—like the British imperial name "the South China Sea" to the juvenile "West Philippine Sea". So? The puddle in my garden during rainy season I can call "The Teddy Boy Pond." So? That is how we lose. https://t.co/kxnTSXk1cj

— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) June 15, 2019

The West Philippine Sea became a heated topic again after a Chinese ship sank a Philippine boat in these waters on June 9. (READ: Locsin questions U.S., excuses China over Philippine boat) 

It was then-president Benigno Aquino III who issued an administrative order (AO) on September 5, 2012, authorizing the use of the name West Philippine Sea.  

Based on Aquino's order, the name West Philippine Sea covers areas "around, within, and adjacent to" the Kalayaan Island Group (Spratly Islands) and Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal). 

"Does it help our cause? It is important that we clarify the portions we claim," Aquino told reporters back then.

He also sought to make West Philippine Sea an internationally accepted name. 

Aquino ordered the Department of Foreign Affairs to submit the AO, along with a revised Philippine map, to the International Hydrographic Organization, the United Nations secretary-general, and the United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names.

A major factor in determining international names, according to experts, is common usage. Establishing this takes time, with names having to be widely used in international papers as well. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The anti-graft court Sandiganbayan acquitted former Makati mayor Elenita Binay in her P72 million graft case involving the purchase of alleged overpriced city hall furniture in 1999.

“The Demurrer to Evidence filed by the accused Elenita S. Binay is GRANTED. Accordingly, the instant case against the accused Elenita S. Binay is ordered DISMISSED,” said the resolution by the Sandiganbayan 5th Division.

The resolution, dated June 10, was penned by chairperson Associate Justice Rafael Lagos, with concurrences from Associate Justices Maria Theresa Mendoza-Arcega and Maryann Corpus-Mañalac.

The case for the prosecution fell through when it failed to use as witness former Makati councilor Ernesto Aspillaga who claimed that Binay had ordered him through a handwritten note to favor contractor Office Gallery International.

If it had been proven true, it would have indicated simulated bidding which was a violation of bidding and procurement laws, as well as the graft law provision that prohibits giving unwarranted benefits to a party.

The office fixtures, which cost the city government P72 million, was allegedly overpriced by P21.54 million.

But Aspillaga had lost the handwritten note, and the prosecution could not present corroborative proof, which led the 5th Division to exclude him as witness.

“After a careful examination and evaluation of the Prosecution's evidence, and taking into account the Prosecution's own admission that it had no direct evidence available for the proper prosecution of the charge against accused Binay, the Court finds the evidence against accused Binay insufficient to support a finding of guilt beyond reasonable doubt,” said the 5th Division.

The court added: “The Prosecution was not able to present the necessary evidence to prove that accused Binay acted with manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross, inexcusable negligence in awarding the subject contract under PO 9989, through a simulated/rigged public bidding, in favor of Office Gallery International, Inc.”

Binay has scored previous victories in her corruption cases. – Rappler.com

BAGHDAD, Iraq – The United States has granted Iraq another 90-day waiver to continue with vital energy imports from neighboring Iran despite re-imposed sanctions, a government source said Saturday, June 15.

The extension came after "long discussions" with Washington ahead of a looming deadline on a previous extension granted in December, the official, close to the negotiations, told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The talks came amid spiking tensions between Iraq's two closest allies – the US and Iran – following a twin attack on tankers in the Gulf that US President Donald Trump has blamed on Tehran.

Iranian energy imports are vital to Iraq, one of the world's hottest countries, which faces chronic blackouts that often leave homes without power for up to 20 hours a day.

Summer temperatures in Baghdad are already topping seasonal averages, boosting electricity consumption and raising fears of a repeat of last summer's mass protests over power outages.

To compensate, Iraq pipes in up to 28 million cubic metres of Iranian gas a day for power generation and also directly imports up to 1,300 megawatts of Iranian electricity.

That dependence is uncomfortable for Washington, which sees Tehran as its top regional foe. 

Trump reimposed crippling unilateral sanctions on Iran's energy and finance sectors in November following a decision to abandon a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between major powers and Tehran.

He gave Iraq an initial 45-day waiver to continue buying electricity and natural gas from Tehran, and in December Washington granted Baghdad an 90-day extension. – Rappler.com

JAKARTA, Indonesia – Indonesia has returned five containers of rubbish to the United States and will not become a "dumping ground," officials said Saturday, June 15, the latest Southeast Asian country to return imported waste. 

The containers were supposed to contain only paper scrap, according to the customs documents. Instead they were loaded with other waste including bottles, plastic waste, and diapers, said senior environment ministry official Sayid Muhadhar.

"This is not appropriate and we don't want to be a dumping ground," Muhadhar told AFP. 

The five containers – owned by a Canadian company – were shipped from Seattle in the United States to Indonesia's second biggest city Surabaya in late March, Muhadhar said. 

It was not immediately clear where the rubbish originated from.

Indonesia is currently examining several other containers in Jakarta's port and the city of Batam on the island of Sumatra. 

It is the latest country to return imported rubbish after neighbouring Malaysia vowed to ship back hundreds of tonnes of plastic waste last month. 

The Philippines has ordered tonnes of garbage dumped in the country to be shipped back to Canada, sparking a diplomatic row between the two countries.

For years China received the bulk of scrap plastic from around the world, but closed its doors to foreign refuse last year in an effort to clean up its environment.

Huge quantities of waste have since been redirected to Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Indonesia and to a lesser degree the Philippines. (READ: As more developing countries reject plastic waste exports, wealthy nations seek solutions at home)

Around 300 million tonnes of plastic are produced every year. Much of that ends up in landfill or in the seas, according to the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF). – Rappler.com

SHANGHAI, China (UPDATED)– China's government said on Saturday, June 15, it supported the decision of Hong Kong's leader to suspend an unpopular bill that would allow extraditions to China and which sparked a week of protests.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman called the decision, announced hours earlier by Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, an attempt to "listen more widely to the views of the community and restore calm to the community as soon as possible." (READ: High points of Hong Kong's huge protests)

"We support, respect and understand this decision," ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in a statement.

Opposition to the Beijing-backed bill united an unusually wide cross-section of Hong Kong.

Critics feared the proposed law would subject people to China's notoriously opaque and politicised courts and it was seen as the latest move by Beijing to weaken freedoms promised to the former British colony when it was handed back over to China in 1997.

"The rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong residents are fully protected in accordance with the law. The facts are obvious to all," the Chinese foreign ministry statement said.

"Maintaining Hong Kong's prosperity and stability is not only in the interests of China, but also in the interests of all countries in the world."

A separate statement by the Chinese central government agency that handles Hong Kong-related affairs said the extradition bill was "necessary and justified" to plug what it called loopholes in current laws.

It said China continues to support the extradition bill and "pays close attention" to public opposition to the legislation. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Satellite data showed that Chinese ship Yuemaobinyu 42212 could not have been "besieged by 7 or 8 Filipino fishing boats" in Recto Bank (Reed Bank) as China claimed, according to maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal.

Batongbacal interpreted this based on Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suit (VIIRS) satellite data for the night of June 9, when a Chinese vessel sank a Philippine boat in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). He posted on Facebook this Google Earth image and captioned it, "The Scene of the Crime."

In this Google Earth image, each boat-shaped icon represents a fishing vessel in Recto Bank. Of these, the two icons closest to each other have been estimated to be 3 to 5 nautical miles (around 7 to 9 kilometers) apart, said Batongbacal, who based this estimate on Google Earth's distance measuring tool.

This means there could have been no swarm of 7 to 8 vessels because the icons are too far away from each other.

Batongbacal wrote: "VIIRS satellite data for the night of 09 June 2019 shows only a few fishing vessels operating in the area of Reed Bank at the time. Each boat-icon is a fishing vessel identified by its bright lights. They are spread over the wide area of Reed Bank; the closest two lights are about 3-5 nautical miles (approximately 7 to 9 km) apart. What 7-8 vessel swarm of night-marauding Filipino fishing boats is China talking about?"

China admitted in a statement Friday evening, June 14, that a Chinese vessel was involved, but claimed that the vessel was "besieged by 7 or 8 Filipino fishing boats," preventing it from rescuing the Filipino fishermen from their sunken vessel. The captain of the Filipino boat F/B Gem-Ver, in an interview with Rappler, promptly denied China's claim. 

The Chinese ship rammed and sank F/B Gem-Ver within the vicinity of Recto Bank, an underwater reef formation that belongs to the Philippines based on an international ruling, but is coveted by China. The sinking of a Philippine boat by a Chinese vessel is a first in the decades-long tension between Manila and Beijing over the West Philippine Sea.

'Unbelievable' claim by China

Batongbacal explained to Rappler that the "entire thumbmark-shaped area" in the Google Earth image is Recto Bank. 

Batongbacal said: "I don't know which one is the immediate area of the incident, but the point is that there is no potential swarm anywhere, and fishing boats operate far from each other. Of course, their visibility depends on whether they were lighted sufficiently or were stationary long enough during the exact time the satellite passed over, but this just shows how unbelievable their claim (being besieged) is."

In a Thought Leaders piece published by Rappler, Batongbacal also noted that Filipino fishing vessels have not been known to "besiege" other vessels in the high seas. 

"There is no prior record of any group of Filipino fishing vessels 'besieging' (attacking) any other vessel anywhere in the high seas. Ever. Not even the notorious pirates that used to operate in the southern seas operated that way. Only Chinese maritime militia vessels (and Vietnamese maritime militia responding to the Chinese) have been involved is such coordinated swarming operations," said Batongbacal. 

The captain of F/B Gem-Ver, Junel Insigne, also said there were no other Filipino vessels in the area. It was a Vietnamese vessel that rescued them.

"Kami-kami lang ang nandoon. Kami-kami lang. Wala namang ibang bangka doon. Kami lang doon. Kami lang dahil noong gabing 'yun lumubog nga kami, kami pa ang aatake?" Insigne told Rappler in Occidental Mindoro. (We were the only ones there. We were the only ones. There were no other boats there. It was only us. It was only us because that night, we sank, so how could we also attack?)

Foreign Secretary Teodoro "Teddyboy" Locsin Jr meanwhile excused China for making this claim, saying "it is a free world."

Reacting to China's claim, Locsin said: "Interesting. That's China's take and it is a free world; it can say anything it wants. We say what we want because it is a free world for us too; but in our case we speak from the law of the sea. But still everyone's free." – Rappler.com

DUBAI, UAE – A Japanese tanker, one of two vessels attacked in sensitive Gulf waters this week, was heading to port Saturday, June 15, its owners said.

The United Arab Emirates called on world powers "to secure international navigation and access to energy" after the incident Thursday, June 13, which sent crude prices soaring amid a tense standoff between Iran and the US.

The Kokuka Courageous was carrying highly flammable methanol through the Gulf of Oman when was rocked by explosions, causing a blaze that was quickly extinguished.

US President Donald Trump said the twin attack, which also targeted a tanker owned by Oslo-listed company Frontline, had Iran "written all over it".

He was speaking hours after the US military released grainy footage it said showed an Iranian patrol boat removing an "unexploded limpet mine" from one of the tankers.

Iran has repeatedly threatened to block the Hormuz Strait, a narrow seaway vital to the world's oil supplies, in the case of a conflict with the US.

But the UAE's Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, whose country is bitterly opposed to Iranian influence in the region, called Saturday for a de-escalation in tensions.

"We remain hopeful in attaining a broader framework for cooperation with Iran," he said at a summit in Bulgaria.

Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said an "international consensus" was needed to resolve the situation.

The Japanese tanker's Tokyo-based operator Kokuka confirmed Saturday the vessel was heading to port in the United Arab Emirates.

"We still don't know if the tanker goes to Khor Fakkan or Fujairah as they are very close," said a spokesman, referring to two Emirati ports on the Gulf of Oman.

Maritime experts would then seek to transfer its highly flammable cargo to shore, according to an unnamed official quoted by Japanese state media.

"From a viewpoint of global energy security, it is necessary for the international community to jointly deal with the act," said Japanese trade minister Hiroshige Seko at a G20 energy and environment meeting in Japan on Saturday.

The other ship which came under attack, the Norwegian-operated Front Altair, was being towed away from Iranian waters and would undergo a damage assessment later Saturday, said a spokeswoman for its operator.

"The 23 crew members of the 'Front Altair' remain safe and well, with plans being made for their repatriation soonest," she added.

'Allegations against Iran'

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted that the US had "immediately jumped to make allegations against Iran without a shred of factual or circumstantial evidence."

The United States has also accused Iran over May 12 sabotage attacks on four tankers anchored in the Gulf of Oman off Fujairah.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an independent investigation.

"It's very important to know the truth (and) that responsibilities are clarified," he told reporters at UN headquarters in New York.

"Obviously that can only be done if there is an independent entity that verifies those facts."

The oil tankers hit Thursday morning were 10 nautical miles apart and headed to Asia when they were struck by explosions after passing through the Strait of Hormuz, some 25 nautical miles off Iran's southern coast.

The Front Altair was carrying naphtha, a refined petroleum product, when it was hit by three explosions, according to Norwegian officials.

Blocking the Hormuz Strait would be a relatively low-tech, high-impact countermeasure Iran could take against any attack by the United States, and would severely disrupt global oil supplies.

But Trump played down the threat.

"It's not going to be closed, it's not going to be closed for long and they know it. They've been told in very strong terms," he said. – Rappler.com