National Historical Commission of the Philippines

The Philippines' defense minister dismissed the claim as absurd.

Its National Historical Commission rebutted it in detail, and a local town mayor insisted the batonets are not part of China.

Analysts said the academic framing is a familiar gray zone tactic Beijing uses to test reactions and justify naval movements through the first island chain, with a retired Philippine rear admiral urging Manila to reinforce the island's defenses to complicate any Chinese plans against Taiwan.

Now the weather.

A Jose Rizal historical marker was unveiled at a site in Belgium where his novel El Fulibusterismo was published.

The unveiling was led by the chairman Regalado Trota Jose of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and the Philippine ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium, Jaime Victor Leda.

Rizal's second novel, El Fulibusterismo, is the sequel to No Limitangere.

Rizal moved to Ghent from Brussels in 1891 to finish the book.