HONG KONG, China – China warned Thursday, August 15, that it will not "sit by and watch" the unrest unfolding in Hong Kong, as US President Donald Trump expressed concern over the risk of a violent response to pro-democracy protests.

Trump urged his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to meet with demonstrators, while US National Security Advisor John Bolton warned Beijing against creating a "new" Tiananmen Square in Hong Kong, referring to the deadly 1989 crackdown on protesters in Beijing.

The weeks-long Hong Kong protests were sparked by opposition to a plan to allow extraditions to the mainland, but have since morphed into a wider – sometimes violent – call for democratic rights.

The movement represents the greatest challenge to Beijing's authority since the city was handed back by the British in 1997 under a deal that allowed it to keep freedoms that many Hong Kongers feel are being eroded.

'Enough power'

Images taken by AFP on Thursday showed thousands of Chinese military personnel waving red flags and parading at a sports stadium in the city of Shenzhen, just across the border from Hong Kong.

Dozens of armored personnel carriers and supply trucks were also parked nearby.

Chinese state-run media reported this week that the elements of the People's Armed Police (PAP), which is under the command of the Central Military Commission, were assembling in Shenzhen.

China's ambassador to London, Liu Xiaoming, said Thursday that Beijing would not "sit by and watch", warning that his government had "enough solutions and enough power to quell the unrest swiftly".

Analysts have said the potentially catastrophic economic and political consequences will deter Beijing from any overt boots-on-the ground intervention in the global financial hub.

Trump urged a peaceful solution on Thursday, telling reporters that he is "very concerned" over a possible crackdown and saying that if Xi "sat down with the protesters... I'll bet he'd work it out in 15 minutes."

Trump added: "I know it's not the kind of thing he does."

The US president also said he would be speaking with Xi "soon."

In an interview with VOA News published Thursday, Bolton said that "people in America remember Tiananmen Square," warning China that "it would be a big mistake to create a new memory like that in Hong Kong."

The previous day, Trump linked a possible trade deal with Beijing to a peaceful resolution to the political unrest that has roiled the semi-autonomous Chinese city for 10 weeks.

"Of course China wants to make a deal. Let them work humanely with Hong Kong first!" Trump tweeted, in the first clear indication that the trade deal could be threatened by how Beijing reacts to the protests.

Activists are planning another series of mass rallies this weekend in a bid to show their cause still maintains broad public support despite violent scenes during a disruptive occupation of the airport.

On Tuesday, chaos erupted at one of the world's busiest transport hubs when protesters physically stopped travellers from boarding flights, battled riot police and assaulted two men they accused of being Chinese infiltrators.

No concessions

Beijing – which has refused to grant any concessions to the protest movement – has seized on the airport violence, with state-media churning out a deluge of condemnatory articles, pictures and videos.

Until the airport protest, hardcore demonstrators had largely focused their anger towards the police, or state institutions such as the city's parliament and Beijing's main office in the city.

The chaotic airport scenes have prompted some soul-searching within the largely leaderless movement over whether that violence has undermined their cause.

The economy, already battered by the trade war, has also been affected. The city's financial chief Paul Chan on Thursday predicted a meager zero to 1% growth for the year.

Trump's comments on Hong Kong appeared to signal a change in his approach to events in the city.

He has come under fire from both sides of the political aisle for shying away from the issue, avoiding criticizing Beijing even as he cited US intelligence reports of Chinese forces moving to the territory's border.

China has portrayed the protests as a foreign-funded attempt to destabilize the motherland rather than a popular revolt against its policies.

Washington and Beijing have imposed tariffs on $360 billion in two-way trade, but Trump has delayed tariffs on electronic goods from China, giving investors hope for a detente in the trade conflict.

The introduction of Hong Kong as a potential bargaining chip in those talks could produce a further wrinkle. – Rappler.com

Bookmark to watch the interview with Pangilinan at 3 pm on Friday, August 16

MANILA, Philippines – For many Filipinos, daily commutes of more than 5 hours a day is not an exception.

It has become the norm.

But Senator Francis 'Kiko' Pangilinan wants to change that. In a recently filed bill, Pangilinan hopes to restore the dignity of commuting and create a magna carta for commuters' rights.

Want to learn more about the proposed measure? Watch the interview live on Rappler on Friday, August 16 at 3 pm. – Rappler.com

NEW DELHI, India – Five people were killed in cross-border fire between India and Pakistan, officials said Thursday, August 15, amid heightened tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals since New Delhi controversially stripped contested Kashmir of its autonomy.

Skirmishes are frequent across the so-called Line of Control (LoC), but the latest deaths came after Pakistan warned it was ready to meet any Indian aggression over Kashmir.

Officials in the part of Kashmir ruled by Pakistan said Thursday that 3 soldiers died in Indian shelling across the Line of Control, the de facto border, and two others were killed in a separate incident.

The Pakistani military also claimed its return fire killed 5 Indian soldiers. But an Indian army spokesman told the Press Trust of India late Thursday the deaths were "fictitious".

Another Indian military official told the news agency Pakistani troops fired mortar shells and small arms across the border.

The clashes came as diplomats told AFP the United Nations Security Council was scheduled to discuss India's move to strip Kashmir of its autonomy at a meeting behind closed doors on Friday, August 16.

Pakistan earlier this week formally asked the Security Council to hold an emergency session to address the situation.

Earlier Thursday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed his "pathbreaking" move to strip Kashmir of its autonomy during a major speech at Independence Day celebrations.

Parts of Kashmir that India controls – it is split with arch-rival Pakistan – have been under lockdown since August 4, with freedom of movement restricted and phones and the internet cut.

A day later, New Delhi scrapped Article 370 in the Indian constitution that had granted Kashmir special autonomy, splitting the state of Jammu and Kashmir in two and downgrading their status to union territories.

In a speech from the ramparts of the historic Red Fort in Delhi, Modi said "fresh thinking" was needed after 7 decades of failure to ensure harmony in the picturesque but tragic former Himalayan kingdom, where tens of thousands have died in the past 30 years.

"We do not believe in creating problems or prolonging them. In less than 70 days of the new government, Article 370 has become history. And in both houses of parliament, two-thirds of the members supported this step," said Modi, 68.

"The old arrangement in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh encouraged corruption and nepotism, as well as injustice when it came to rights of women, children, (low-caste) Dalits, tribal communities."

Extra troops

Fearing unrest over India's latest move, tens of thousands of extra Indian troops have been deployed to Kashmir – joining 500,000 already there – turning parts of the main city of Srinagar into a fortress of roadblocks and barbed wire.

Sher-i-Kashmir Cricket Stadium, where the main Independence Day ceremonies were held in Srinagar, was cordoned off by security personnel, with drones and helicopters monitoring the area.

There were few locals at the ceremony, with most of the spectators from the government or security forces, an AFP reporter in Srinagar said.

Hundreds of artists and students from Hindu-majority Jammu, a major city south of Srinagar, were ferried in on buses and planes to perform at the function.

Kashmiri politicians were missing from the event. The politicians, alongside university professors, business leaders and activists, are among more than 500 people taken into custody in the region.

In some neighborhoods, residents observed Pakistan's Independence, officially marked a day earlier, by setting off firecrackers and hoisting its national flag.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has compared Modi's government to Nazi Germany, on Thursday took to Twitter to voice his alarm.

"Will world silently witness another Srebrenica-type massacre & ethnic cleansing of Muslims in IOK? (Indian-occupied Kashmir)," Khan wrote, referring to the killing of Muslim men and boys in Yugoslavia in 1995.

Kashmir, divided between India and Pakistan since independence from Britain in 1947, has been the spark for two major wars and countless clashes between the two nuclear-armed arch-rivals. – Rappler.com

LONDON, United Kingdom – The BBC said Thursday, August 15, it will expand shortwave radio news coverage in Kashmir to ease the impact of a communications blackout imposed by the Indian government.

The British broadcaster's announcement came after New Delhi scrapped an article of the Indian constitution granting special status to parts of the disputed Himalayan region under its control.

Indian Kashmir – it is split with arch-rival Pakistan– has been under lockdown since the day before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the change on August 5.

The BBC said the number and length of programs will grow in a variety of languages spoken in the densely populated region of the Indian-administered part of Kashmir.

"Given the shutdown of digital services and phone lines in the region, it's right for us to try and increase the provision of news on our short wave radio services," BBC World Service Director Jamie Angus said in a statement.

"The provision of independent and trusted news in places of conflict and tension is one of the core purposes of the World Service."

The BBC said its News Hindi radio output will be extended by 30 minutes from Friday, August 16.

News Urdu – the official language of Pakistan spoken by Muslims who comprise the majority in Indian Kashmir – will launch a 15-minute daily program on Monday, August 19.

The World Service added that its English morning broadcasts will end an hour later than usual.

The evening English-language news will start an hour earlier and end at their usual time.

The BBC said India is now its radio service's largest market – picked up by 50 million people a week.

Short wave transmissions travel thousands of miles (kilometers) and are able to bounce over mountains that dominate the region. – Rappler.com

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea fired two "unidentified projectiles" into the sea on Friday, August 16, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said -- the latest in a series of such launches by Pyongyang.

The South Korean military said the projectiles were fired from near the city of Tongchon of Kangwon Province into the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan.

"The military is monitoring the situation in case of additional launches while maintaining a readiness posture," the JCS said.

It was the sixth round of launches since last month, with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un labelling them a "solemn warning" over US-South Korean joint military drills that began earlier this month.

North Korea has always been infuriated by the war games, decrying them as rehearsals for invasion.

Earlier Friday, the North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country released a statement saying it rejected comments by South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Thursday, August 15, that outlined his desire for unification, and said it had nothing else to discuss with South Korean authorities.

In a speech marking the anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan's 1910-45 rule, Moon outlined a goal of "achieving peace and unification by 2045", although his single five-year term presidency ends in 2022.

The North's statement blamed the South for the deadlock of the "historic Panmunjom declaration", adding: "We have nothing to talk any more with the south Korean authorities nor have any idea to sit with them again." – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Lawyers from the Public Attorney's Office Central Office released a manifesto on Thursday, August 15, denying that they are part of an unidentified group that sent a letter to the Office of the Ombudsman accusing PAO chief Persida Acosta and another official of corruption.

Over a hundred public attorneys from the Central Office signed the manifesto released to media Thursday, following reports that a group of PAO lawyers submitted a manifestation to the Ombudsman, alleging that Acosta deliberately overstocked on office supplies to "obtain extra funds."

"The undersigned public attorneys herein categorically deny the alleged subject anonymous manifestation that has become the subject of fake news," the manifesto said, echoing Acosta's own statement on the issue.

The lawyers said the Ombudsman manifestation was a mere "demolition job" against PAO.

"Obviously, the manifestation was fabricated by someone else; unscrupulous persons who resort to shady schemes and strategies to advance their personal cause," they said in their manifesto

The manifestation to the Ombudsman was unsigned but the group behind it claimed to be from PAO. The Office of the Ombudsman's central records office had marked the manifestation as received.

The manifestation seeks to supplement a formal complaint filed by lawyer Wilfredo Garrido against Acosta and PAO forensics expert Erwin Erfe, for setting up a PAO forensics laboratory even if it was not provided by the law that created PAO. Garrido pointed out that only Congress can create a public office.

Garrido's complaint, filed in October 2018, is under investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra had said that the Department of Justice, which oversees PAO, would not conduct a separate probe on the allegation and would will leave it to the Ombudsman to resolve. 

Garrido and the manifestation both seek the preventive suspension of Acosta and Erfe. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Leila de Lima's co-accused in two drug charges was arrested in Angeles, Pampanga, early morning of Friday, August 16.

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Deputy Director Ferdinand Lavin confirmed the arrest of Jose Adrian "Jad" Dera.

"Confirmed, our Special Task Force under Chief Geralde arrested [Dera] this morning in Angeles, Pampanga, by virtue of Arrest Warrant issued by Muntinlupa RTC," Lavin said.

Dera, who is also identified in the charge sheets as Jad de Vera, is facing two counts of conspiracy to commit illegal drug trade. His charges are handled by Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branches 205 and 256.

Muntinlupa RTC Branch 205 had issued an arrest warrant against Dera in June 2017.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) identifies Dera as De Lima's nephew, but the senator denied  being related to or even knowing Dera.

"I do not know Mr Dera at all. He is not a nephew or a relative of mine of any degree. He has not worked for me as an aide or in any capacity. I simply do not know him from Adam," De Lima had said in 2017.

The senator had also said that "Dera himself already denied any relationship or connection to me whatsoever."

Dera is accused in two charges as having allegedly conspired with the senator to induce Bilibid inmates to trade drugs. 

In the first case, De Lima allegedly conspired with co-accused former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Franklin Jesus Bucayu and were able to get P70 million from high-profile inmates with Dera as the conduit.

In second case, De Lima was allegedly able to extort P30 million and 4 vehicles from inmate Peter Co with Dera again as the conduit.

De Lima had denied the allegation, saying that she had never " received, directly or indirectly, any money or vehicles from Peter Co or any other drug convict / drug lord."

Charges against the inmates who traded drugs in prison had been dropped so they could be used as witnesses. De Lima had questioned the legality of using convicts as witnesses before the Court of Appeals (CA). – Rappler.com

HONG KONG, China – Daredevil Alain Robert – dubbed the "French Spiderman" – climbed a Hong Kong skyscraper on Friday, August 16, and unfurled a "peace banner" as the financial hub is rocked by historic political unrest.

The 57-year-old adventurer, who specializes in unsanctioned ascents of tall buildings, shimmied up the 68-story Cheung Kong Center in Hong Kong's main business district in hot and humid conditions on Friday morning.

During the climb he attached a banner featuring the Hong Kong and Chinese flags, as well as two hands shaking.

Prior to the ascent Robert put out a statement saying the message of his climb was to make "an urgent appeal for peace and consultation between Hong Kong people and their government."

"Perhaps what I do can lower the temperature and maybe raise a smile. That's my hope anyway," Robert said in his media statement.

Hong Kong has been battered by 10 weeks of huge – sometimes violent – democracy protests. 

They were sparked by opposition to a plan to allow extraditions to the mainland, but have since morphed into a wider call for democratic rights.

The movement represents the greatest challenge to Beijing's authority since the city was handed back by the British in 1997 under a deal that allowed it to keep freedoms that many Hong Kongers feel are now being eroded.

So far neither Beijing, nor the city's loyalist leaders, have made any major concessions to the movement. 

Robert has regularly come to Hong Kong to scale buildings in a city that boasts the highest concentration of skyscrapers in the world. 

He has climbed the Cheung Kong Center twice before. 

Last August he was banned by a Hong Kong court from making any more climbs after he was charged over a 2011 illegal ascent of the 27-floor Hang Seng Bank building.  

At the time he vowed to return to Hong Kong as soon as the ban expired.

In January he was arrested after climbing a 47-storey tower in Manila. – Rappler.com 

WASHINGTON, USA – Minute microplastic particles have been detected in the Arctic and the Alps, carried by the wind and later washed out in the snow, according to a study that called for urgent research to assess the health risks of inhalation.

Every year, several million tons of plastic litter course through rivers and out to the oceans, where they are gradually broken down into smaller fragments through the motion of waves and the ultraviolet light of the Sun.

The new study, conducted by scientists at Germany's Alfred Wegener Institute and Switzerland's Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research, found that microplastic particles can be transported tremendous distances through the atmosphere.

These particles, defined as shreds less than five millimeters in length, are later washed out of the air by precipitation, particularly snow.

"It's readily apparent that the majority of the microplastic in the snow comes from the air," said Melanie Bergmann, lead author of the paper published in Science Advances on Wednesday, August 14.

Bergmann and her colleagues used an infrared imaging technique to analyze samples collected between 2015 and 2017 from floating ice in the Fram Strait off Greenland, visiting five floes by helicopters or dinghies.

They then compared these with samples taken from from remote Swiss Alps and Bremen in northwest Germany.

Concentrations of the microparticles in the Arctic were significantly lower than in the European sites, but still substantial.

The team's hypothesis for airborne transportation builds on past research conducted on pollen, where experts confirmed that pollen from near the equator ends up in the Arctic.

Similarly, dust from the Sahara desert can cover thousands of kilometers and end up in northeast Europe.

Bergmann said little work had been done to determine the effects of exposure to these particles.

"But once we've determined that large quantities of microplastic can also be transported by the air, it naturally raises the question as to whether and how much plastic we're inhaling," she said, stressing the need for urgent research into the effects on human and animal health. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Pia Cayetano wants a particular type of flavored alcoholic beverages pulled out from stores and be repackaged, saying it is made to look like a child-friendly drink when it actually has a high alcohol content. 

Called "alcopops," the beverage can be mistaken for a fruit juice but it has an alcohol content of 7% for its 200 ml packaging, said Cayetano at a Senate ways and means committee meeting on Thursday, August 15. 

"We’re trying to sell a product that has 7% alcohol and is packaged to make it very attractive to children. It is unethical and unlawful," Cayetano, the committee chair, said 

The Department of Finance (DOF) presented the alcopop packages at the meeting on the  Comprehensive Tax Reform Program (CTRP), which includes the proposed excise tax hike for alcohol and e-cigarettes. (READ: DOF urges lawmakers to speed up alcohol excise tax hike)

A particular alcopops brand, currently priced at P25 per 200 ml, has a total excise tax of only P1.30 per pack, for example. The DOF wants to raise its tax to P8 per pack.

But it was the alcopop's bright and colorful packaging that caught Cayetano's attention. She asked the Food and Drug Administration to pull the products out from store counters and regulate its packaging.

At the House of Representatives, the measure on the proposed tax increase on alcoholic products was  approved on second reading on Wednesday, August 14, after the bill was substituted by another version to include provisions on increasing taxes on e-cigarettes.

The Senate ways and means committee will hold another hearing on Tuesday, August 20, to focus on Package 2 of the CTRP or the Tax Reform for Attracting Better and Higher Quality Opportunities bill which was not passed during the 17th Congress due to "lack of time." (READ: Things you need to know about Trabaho bill)

Meanwhile, the Trabaho bill hurdled the House committee level also last Wednesday. – Rappler.com

JAKARTA, Indonesia – Time is running out for Jakarta.

One of the fastest-sinking cities on earth, environmental experts warn that one third of it could be submerged by 2050 if current rates continue.

Decades of uncontrolled and excessive depletion of groundwater reserves, rising sea-levels, and increasingly volatile weather patterns mean swathes of it have already started to disappear.

Existing environmental measures have had little impact, so authorities are taking drastic action: the nation will have a new capital.

Its location could be announced imminently, according to local reports.

"The capital of our country will move to the island of Borneo," Indonesian leader Joko Widodo said on Twitter.

Relocating the country's administrative and political heart may be an act of national preservation, but it effectively sounds the death-knell for Jakarta where many of the city's 10 million residents have little means of escape.

"When the floods came I used to tremble," food stall owner Rasdi told AFP.

"I nearly drowned back in 2007 – all my belongings were swept away and I had to start over again," Rasdi said from his home close to Jakarta's northern port, one of the worst affected by sinking ground.

Built in an earthquake zone, on swamplands, near the confluence of 13 rivers, the city's foundations have been further stressed by unchecked development, heavy traffic, and poor urban planning.

 Millions vulnerable

Jakarta doesn't have a piped water system in its northern reaches, so local industry and millions of residents tap into its aquifers.

This rampant groundwater extraction causes land subsidence, which is making Jakarta sink by as much as 25 centimetres (10 inches) a year in some areas – double the global average for major coastal cities.

Today some parts of it sit some four meters below sea level, irrevocably changing the landscape, and leaving millions vulnerable to natural disasters.

Flooding is common during the tropical nation's wet season and that is expected get worse as sea levels rise due to global warming.

The partly submerged skeleton of an abandoned mosque at the waterfront underscores the severity of the problem, while vast puddles scar the roads, and for some the ground floor of their homes is no longer habitable.

Murky green water flows along the floor of an abandoned building, while tiny shacks on stilts line the garbage-strewn waterfront.

"You can see it with your own eyes," said Andri, a 42-year-old who, like many Indonesians, goes by one name.

"When I was a kid I used to swim over there," he added, motioning off in the distance.

"Over time the water just kept getting higher and higher."

Even as Widodo presses on with the plan for a 21st century capital in Borneo island, local authorities are desperately probing solutions for Jakarta.

A scheme to construct artificial islands in Jakarta's bay, which would act as a buffer against the Java Sea, as well as a vast coastal wall was approved.

But there is no guarantee the estimated $40 billion project – which has been beset by years of delays – would solve the city's sinking woes.

Building barriers has been tried before. A concrete wall was built along the shore in Rasdi's district and other high-risk neighborhoods.

But they have cracked and show signs of sinking already. Water seeps through them, soaking the maze of narrow streets and shacks in the city's poorest neighborhoods.

Cities at risk

"Building walls is not a permanent solution," said Heri Andreas, an earth scientist at the Bandung Institute of Technology.

"We need to go to the next step and fix our water management."

The hub of Southeast Asia's biggest economy has seen breakneck development over the years. New buildings and skyscrapers are compressing the ground, which aggravates its sinking problem.

But the biggest culprit is excessive groundwater extraction, and the city has no way to meet demand without it due to a lack of water-retention facilities or a comprehensive piping network, Andreas said.

Jakarta is not the only sinking urban center.

Cities from Venice and Shanghai to New Orleans and Bangkok are also at risk, but Jakarta has done little to tackle the problem head on, according to Andreas.

"They've taken steps to mitigate it," he said of other sinking cities.

"It's expensive. But if we look at the future consequences, it'll be worth it.

"The thing we always have problems with is where to start," he added.

Many who earn their livelihood in Jakarta's most dangerous neighborhoods don't have the luxury of time to wait for a solution – or the means to escape.

"Of course I'm worried, but there's nothing I can do," said Rastini, who scrapes by de-shelling clams caught by local fishermen.

The 40-year-old added: "I've been here since I was a kid and I'll stay here." – Rappler.com

HONG KONG, China – Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement faces a major test this weekend as it tries to muster another huge crowd following criticism over a recent violent airport protest and as concerns mount over Beijing's next move.

Ten weeks of protests have plunged the international finance hub into crisis with the communist mainland taking an increasingly hardline tone, including labelling the more violent protester actions "terrorist-like".

Chinese state media have put out images of military personnel and armored personnel carriers across the border in Shenzhen, while the United States has warned Beijing against sending in troops, a move many analysts say would be a reputational and economic disaster for China.

The nationalistic Global Times newspaper said there would not be a repeat of the Tiananmen Square crackdown, in which hundreds – or even thousands – are believed to have been killed, if Beijing moves to quash the protests.

"The incident in Hong Kong won't be a repeat of the June 4th political incident in 1989," it said, insisting the country now had more sophisticated approaches.

It was a rare reference to the bloody events, which are taboo in China.

Hong Kong's protests were sparked by opposition to a plan to allow extraditions to the mainland, but have since morphed into a wider call for democratic rights in the semi-autonomous city.

Millions of people have hit the streets while clashes have broken out between police and small groups of hardcore protesters for 10 consecutive weekends.

For most of that time, US President Donald Trump has taken a hands-off approach to the unrest but began speaking up this week, suggesting any potential trade deal with Beijing could be upended by a violent response from the mainland.

Speaking on Thursday, August 15, Trump urged Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to meet protesters and solve the crisis "humanely".

If Xi sat down with the protesters, Trump said, "I'll bet he'd work it out in 15 minutes."

Huge Sunday rally planned

Activists are now planning to hold a major rally on Sunday, August 18, which is being billed as a "rational, non-violent" protest designed to show the movement still maintains broad public support after suffering a setback earlier in the week.

On Tuesday, August 13, protesters blocked passengers from boarding flights at the city's airport and later assaulted two men they accused of being Chinese spies.

The shocking images damaged a movement that until then had largely only targeted the police or government institutions, and prompted some soul-searching among protesters.

China's propaganda apparatus seized on the violence, with state-media churning out a deluge of condemnatory articles, pictures and videos.

Sunday's rally is being put together by the Civil Human Rights Front, a protest group that advocates non-violence and has previously been the driving force behind record-breaking rallies in June and July that saw hundreds of thousands of people hit the streets.

"This coming Sunday should be another million-strong march. Hong Kong people can't be defeated, Hong Kongers soldier on," prominent pro-democracy lawmaker Claudia Mo wrote on Facebook.

But the likelihood of renewed clashes over the weekend remains high. 

On Saturday, August 17, activists have vowed to gather in Hung Hom and To Kwa Wan – two harbourside districts popular with mainland Chinese tourists – despite police banning their proposed marches.

And while police have given permission for protesters on Sunday to rally in a major park on the island, they have forbidden demonstrators from marching through the city.

Previous bans in the last few weeks have simply been ignored by demonstrators, leading to running battles with riot police.

Authorities say they have been compelled to ban recent rallies because of increasing violence used by hardcore protesters, who have often targeted police stations alone their marching routes with bricks, slingshots and Molotov cocktails. 

Trump urges peaceful resolution

Hong Kong maintains freedoms unknown on the authoritarian mainland under a 50-year deal that came into effect when the former colony was handed back to China by Britain in 1997.

Many Hong Kongers say those liberties are being eroded and have hit the streets in huge numbers in recent years.

Yet their demands to elect their own leaders and halt sliding freedoms have fallen on deaf ears.

The current protests are the biggest threat to Beijing's authority since the handover and as violence has escalated, party leaders have only hardened their tone. 

In a new editorial on Friday, August 16, the staunchly nationalist state-run Global Times said it was "imperative then for the central government to take direct actions" if the "riots intensify". – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – A large box left on the center island of the EDSA-Shaw Boulevard underpass further slowed down traffic in the major thoroughfare on Friday, August 16, after police temporarily closed two lanes as a precautionary measure.

Traffic enforcers reported the box to police and closed the inner northbound and southbound lanes of the EDSA-Shaw underpass at 10 am, while police investigate the contents of the box.

Assistant Secretry Celine Pialago, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) spokesperson, said the positioning of the box was very suspicious and unusual, prompting authorities to cordon off the lanes flanking the box.

Upon inspection, the box was found to contain only styrofoam, the MMDA said.

After verifying that the box had no explosives, the lanes were reopened to motorists at about 12:30 pm.

Pialago said the police would track down the person who left the box. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Transgender woman Gretchen Diez called President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday, August 16 to certify as urgent the SOGIE equality bill.

“Mister President, naumpisahan na natin. Sana ipagpatuloy na natin ang pagpapasa sa SOGIE equality bill (Mister President, we already started it. I hope we follow through with the passage of the SOGIE equality bill),” Diez said in a press briefing at the Quezon City Hall.

Diez caught the nation’s attention after a janitress kept her from entering a women’s toilet at the Araneta Center Cubao mall. She tried to document the incident, angering the janitress who had her arrested.

While she was being held inside the mall, Diez went live on Facebook, triggering a social media firestorm. Public outcry eventually pushed the janitress to drop the case against Diez. 

Diez made the call to Duterte as the SOGIE equality bill, which protects the LGBTQ+ community, languished in the past Congress.

After what happened to Diez, LGBTQ+ rights-advocates in Congress such as Bataan congresswoman Geraldine Roman and Senator Risa Hontiveros saw a “new wind” pushing the movement forward.

Malacañang had stressed the importance of respecting LGBTQ+ rights  in light of the incident, and reiterated Duterte's support for the community. – Rappler.com

PYIN OO LWIN, Myanmar – At least 14 people have been killed in ongoing fighting Thursday, August 15, between Myanmar's military and rebels who mounted a series of attacks, including an unprecedented strike on an army academy, apparently in retaliation for massive drug seizures.

Ethnic armed rebel groups have for decades fought against the military – and often between themselves – for land and resources in Myanmar's east.

Experts say the area is now the world's largest meth-producing region, funding the complex web of conflicts.

Thursday's brazen assault targeted Pyin Oo Lwin, a tourist town near Mandalay, that is also home to barracks teeming with soldiers receiving training.

An AFP reporter at a police post, the site of one of the attacks, counted the bodies of 7 soldiers and 4 policemen.

Military spokesman Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun told AFP 3 more people, two soldiers and one civilian, had been killed and that fighting was "still ongoing".

This brings the death toll to at least 14.

One of the 5 attacks targeted the town's Defence Service Technology Academy, where military engineers are trained, the first-ever time the training center has been hit.

The military said rebels had fired 107mm rockets at the academy from a nearby hillside. Images from local media showing burned out cars and damaged buildings showered in debris.

The Taaung National Liberation Army (TNLA) claimed the attacks, saying they had acted in retaliation.

"The military launched offensives in our area so we are fighting to defend ourselves," TNLA spokesman Major Mai Aik Kyaw said.

He also confirmed the attacks were coordinated with the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and Arakan Army (AA).

The AA is currently fighting the military, or Tatmadaw, in conflict-scarred western Rakhine state, but is in a tight alliance with the other rebel groups.

"We assume they carried out the attacks because the Tatmadaw seized tons of drugs a few weeks ago," military spokesman Zaw Min Tun said.

In July, narcotics police were met with heavy artillery fire when they launched a major drugs crackdown in Kutkai township in neighboring Shan state.

Huge stockpiles of chemicals as well as millions of dollars worth of ice, the highly addictive crystalized form of meth, were seized in a single raid.

The "Golden Triangle" – a lawless wedge of land intersecting China, Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos – has long served as a base for opium and heroin production.

A unilateral ceasefire in Shan state declared by the military in December is officially due to finish in two weeks, even though clashes with armed groups have continued.

China's plans to invest in major infrastructure projects have added another dimension to the conflict with groups vying for control of increasingly valuable territory.– Rappler.com 

MANILA, Philippines – Transgender woman Gretchen Diez on Friday, August 16, filed a discrimination complaint against Araneta Center.

Diez filed the complaint before the Quezon City Pride Council, the main implementing body of the city's anti-discrimination ordinance.

"I implore the Quezon City Pride Council to conduct a formal investigation...to determine the possible imposition by the City Government of administrative sanctions against Araneta Center Inc," Diez's complaint read.

If the council finds merit in the complaint, it would work with the Quezon City Attorney’s Office in crafting a complaint to be filed in court.

Diez also wants to hold accountable Starline Security Agency and the "sanitation services agency" whose personnel were involved in the incident. (WATCH: Rappler Talk: Gretchen Diez on living her truth)

On Tuesday, August 13, janitress Chayra Ganal kept Diez from using the women’s toilet at the Farmers Plaza mall and asked her to use the men's toilet instead. Diez tried to document the incident, but ended up being held inside the mall and then arrested.

Ganal later dropped the charges against Diez  and apologized to her Diez in the face of criticism over the incident. (READ: Trans woman Gretchen Diez: I didn't think I'd be treated like a criminal)

Asked during a press conference on Friday whether she would also file a case against Ganal, Diez said she had no plans yet. She said in previous interviews that she felt sympathy for the janitress because she was not informed by the company about the rights of LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer) persons.

What Araneta et al got wrong: In her complaint, Diez enumerated provisions of Quezon City’s Gender Fair Ordinance that the companies allegedly violated:

• Prohibition of “vilifying or ridiculing any person on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGIE)”
• Prohibition of “harassment, unjust detention, and involuntary confinement” based on one’s SOGIE
• Prohibition of “any act of discrimination or harassment” based on SOGIE
• Encouragement of the Quezon City Government for companies to hold an “annual gender sensitivity training or orientation for all employees, including all forms of discrimination” on the basis of one’s SOGIE
• Requirement for companies to get a copy of the Gender Fair Ordinance “upon engagement” of the hiring or human resources officer
• Requirement for all private and public establishments to “designate toilet rooms and lavatories labeled as all-gender CR”

In a statement after the discrimination incident, Farmers Plaza apologized to Diez, but distanced itself from the acts of the janitress.

"I believe this is necessary for us to assess and improve the implementation of the Quezon City Pride-Fair Ordinance, a piece of legislation that is one of a kind in this country," Diez said in her complaint.

Read Gretchen Custodio Diez's complaint here:

 – Rappler.com

WASHINGTON, USA – President Donald Trump is asking advisers if it is possible for the US to buy Greenland, according to a report.

Trump has expressed interest in the self-governing part of Denmark – which is mostly covered in ice – asking advisors if it is possible for the US to acquire the territory, The Wall Street Journal said Thursday, August 15, citing people familiar with the discussions.

The president has been curious about the area's natural resources and geopolitical relevance, the paper reported.

Greenland is a self-governing region of Denmark, which colonized the 772,000 square-mile (two-million square kilometer) island in the 18th century, and is home to nearly 57,000 people, most of whom belong to the indigenous Inuit community.

There was no official comment from the White House, and the Danish embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment.

Some Trump advisors say acquiring Greenland, which is northeast of Canada, could be good for the US, while others called it only a "fleeting fascination" from the president, The Wall Street Journal said.

Others outside the White House say Trump's interest could be a desire to secure a legacy achievement, the paper reported, and advisors wondered about the potential for research or greater military clout for the US.

The US's northern-most military base, Thule Air Base, has been located on Greenland for decades.

But Greenland doesn't quite live up to its lush name – 85% of the island is covered by a 1.9-mile-thick (three-kilometer) ice sheet that contains 10% of the world's fresh water.

The world's largest island has suffered from climate change, scientists say, becoming a giant melting icicle that threatens to submerge the world's coastal areas one day.

July saw unprecedented melting of the Greenland ice sheet, with 12 billion tons of ice flowing into the sea.

Trump, who in 2017 withdrew the US from the Paris Climate Agreement to cap global warming levels, is reportedly set to visit Copenhagen in September.

This isn't the first time the president has expressed interest in foreign properties – he has said North Korea's "great beaches" would make ideal locations for condos. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Ombudsman Samuel Martires said on Friday, August 16, that the accusations of corruption against chief public attorney Persida Acosta will be "judiciously scrutinized."

"The corruption allegations against the high-ranking PAO officials will be judiciously scrutinized and the cases shall be resolved solely on the basis of the evidence presented by the parties," Martires said in a statement on Friday.

Martires said that the scrutiny will include the recently-filed manifestation by unnamed PAO lawyers accusing Acosta of deliberately overstocking on office supplies used in preparing Dengvaxia cases to be able to "obtain extra funds."

Martires also confirmed an earlier complaint filed by lawyer Wilfredo Garrido is now undergoing preliminary investigation at the Office of the Ombudsman.

Garrido accused Acosta of committing graft when she created the Public Attorneys Office (PAO) forensics lab, which Garrido said is illegal because only Congress supposedly has the power to create an office.

Martires said that Garrido and Acosta were directed on August 6 to submit their position papers. 

Acosta has defended the creation of a forensics lab as having the approval of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

The position paper is part of a pleading which will be the basis of the investigating panel to decide on the administrative aspect of the case, which is to determine whether they will suspend Acosta or not.

On August 8, unnamed PAO lawyers sent the manifestation alleging overstocking and corruption to supplement Garrido's complaint.

On Thursday, August 15, over a hundred public attorneys from the PAO Central Office signed their names to a manifesto disowning the manifestation. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – At the tail-end of the El Niño, Malacañang has reactivated and reconstituted an El Niño task force to address the short-term and long-term impacts of the weather pattern.

Memorandum Order No. 38 was signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea by authority of President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, August 13. It was made public on Friday, August 16.

According to the document, there is a need to reactivate the El Niño task force due to projections by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) that the El Niño will persist from June to August.

"The recurrence of the El Niño phenomenon calls for the implementation of both short- and long-term solutions to ensure food, water and energy security, safeguard livelihoods, and improve the country's disaster and climate resilience," read the memorandum order.

In April, the Department of Agriculture reported that El Niño caused some P8 billion in agricultural losses.

The task force's membership was reconstituted. It will be headed by the socioeconomic planning secretary. The agriculture secretary is head for food security, the environment secretary is head for water security, the energy secretary is head for energy security, the health secretary is head for health, and the interior secretary is head for safety.

The Palace ordered the task force to revise and update the Roadmap for Addressing the Impacts of El Niño (RAIN).

At the time the memorandum order was issued, the PAGASA had already reported that the El Niño was coming to an end.

In its "final" El Niño Advisory No. 7, the agency stated that the "El Niño which started since the last quarter of 2018 has ended."

It projected that, for the month of August, the country will be affected by the southwest monsoon, low pressure areas, localized thunderstorms, and "2 to 4" tropical cyclones.

"Rainfall for the month is predicted to be generally near normal with areas of above normal rainfall conditions in Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Metro Manila, most parts of Eastern Visayas, over the provinces of Nueva Viscaya, Quirino, Bataan, Aurora, Agusan del Norte, and Surigao del Norte," the advisory said.

Most parts of the country are expected to experience "generally near average to slightly warmer than average" temperature. 

El Niño is a weather phenomenon brought about by higher-than-normal sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean. In the Philippines, El Niño tends to bring drought or dry spell, according to PAGASA. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Two doctors' groups on Thursday, August 16, emphasized the importance of the 4S strategy in fighting the ongoing national dengue epidemic. 

As of July 27, 2019, the Department of Health (DOH) has recorded a total of 167,607 cases and 720 deaths nationwide.

The Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS) and the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society of the Philippines (PIDSP) said in a joint statement that “vector control and early consultation” – strategies recommended by the DOH – are key steps to combat the mosquito-borne disease.

“[Because] dengue has no specific anti-viral treatment, early recognition and prompt access to medical care are essential to lowering the mortality rate from the disease,” the joint statement read. 

The DOH has repeatedly told the public to observe the 4S strategy in light of the initial dengue alert and now epidemic. The DOH also launched on August 6 the “Sabayang 4-o’clock Habit para Deng-Get Out,” which will focus on the destruction of mosquito breeding sites.  

The 4S strategy is as follows:

• Search and destroy mosquito breeding places
• Self-protective measures like wearing long sleeves and use of insect repellent
• Seek early consultation on the first signs and symptoms of the disease
• Say yes to fogging if there is an impending outbreak

According to PIDSP president Anna Lisa Ong-Lim, while they recognize vaccination as important for dengue prevention and control, “it is not currently recommended as part of outbreak response.” 

This comes amid calls for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is under the DOH, to lift its ban on the controversial Dengvaxia vaccine. Former health secretaries Esperanza Cabral and Janette Garin have both called on the FDA to make Dengvaxia available even just to private practice doctors. 

“The vaccine is for future protection for those who were diagnosed or have been known to have dengue or tested positive for dengue antibody,” clarified PPS president Salvacion Gatchalian.

“With the availability of the vaccine, parents and patients will be informed of the benefits and risks, and an informed decision can be made and that its administration be an informed choice,” Gatchalian added. 

The dengue vaccine is listed in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Essential Medicines List as a recommended vaccine for “some high-risk populations.” However, it cannot be given to everyone.  

Manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur itself said in November 2017 that the vaccine could pose risks to people who have not been previously infected by the virus. This means that it can only be administered to people who have had dengue before. 

As the number of dengue cases continues to rise, the health department has assured the public that hospitals and local government units are ready to respond to the mosquito-borne disease. – Rappler.com