'West Philippine Sea' now visible on Google Maps without specific search
A Google Maps scan on Monday of the body of water directly west of the Philippines now shows a name once invisible to most users -- the West Philippine Sea.
The Philippine government's preferred name for the disputed waterway better known as the South China Sea was previously viewable only if specifically sought by name, according to AFP journalists who kept screenshots of earlier searches.
The name South China Sea remains visible to the north and west of the area newly identified as the West Philippine Sea.
Beijing claims the South China Sea almost in its entirety despite an international ruling that its assertion has no merit.
China has deployed navy and coast guard vessels in a bid to bar the Philippines from strategically important reefs and islands in the waterway, leading to a string of confrontations in recent months.
Philippine armed forces spokeswoman Francel Margareth Padilla welcomed on Monday "the inclusion of 'West Philippine Sea' on Google Maps".
"As defenders of national sovereignty, the (military) sees this as a valuable contribution to truthful representation and public awareness," she said in a statement.
Then-Philippine president Benigno Aquino issued a directive in April 2012 calling for the sea's renaming as a standoff over the Scarborough Shoal was heating up between Beijing and Manila.
The administrative order said the renamed areas specifically included "the Luzon Sea as well as the waters around, within and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo De Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal".
AFP journalists who visited Google Maps last year discovered the name West Philippine Sea was visible only if searched by name but invisible to those who simply scrolled over the area otherwise.
Responding to an AFP query, Google did not say why the change was made.
"The West Philippine Sea has always been labeled on Google Maps. We recently made this label easier to see at additional zoom levels," a Google spokesperson said in a brief statement.
Messages to the Philippine Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in Manila seeking comment were not immediately answered.
cwl/pbt/aha/sla/st
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Attorneys get more time to argue over contested copper mine on land sacred to Apaches
A U.S. district judge in Arizona has opened the door for the next round of legal wrangling as environmentalists and some Native Americas seek to stop the federal government from transferring land in Arizona for a massive copper mining project. Judge Dominic Lanza in a ruling issued Monday denied motions that sought to halt the transfer pending the outcome of the case. However, he did preclude the U.S. Forest Service from proceeding with the land exchange until 60 days after the agency issues a required environmental review. Lanza said that would give the parties more time to analyze the environmental report and file amended complaints. He said granting a preliminary injunction now would be premature since the review will differ in some ways from the one that spurred the legal challenge four years ago. 'It is unfortunate that the result of this order will be to force the parties to engage in another stressful, abbreviated round of briefing and litigation activity" when the new review is issued, he said, acknowledging the unusual circumstances. Attorneys for the federal government and the mining company agreed during a recent hearing to the 60-day delay. That time frame also is specified in the legislation that Congress passed and then-President Barack Obama signed in 2014 authorizing the exchange. The group Apache Stronghold, the San Carlos Apache Tribe and others welcomed more time to fight for Oak Flat, an area they consider as holy. 'In this critical moment, we call on the Trump administration and Congress to halt the transfer to a Chinese-owned mine, and honor what is sacred,' said Wendsler Nosie Sr., leader of Apache Stronghold. "As we continue to fight in court, know this: Nothing will turn us away from defending the spiritual essence of our people, the lifeblood that connects us to the creator and this land.' A statement from Resolution Cooper said the ruling is consistent with prior decisions and gives the parties time to review the final environmental impact statement that will be issued later this month. 'We are confident the project satisfies all applicable legal requirements,' said Resolution president and general manager Vicky Peacey. She added that years of consultation with tribes and communities resulted in changes to the mining plan to reduce potential effects. The fight over Oak Flat dates back about 20 years, when legislation proposing the land exchange was first introduced. It failed repeatedly in Congress before being included in a must-pass national defense spending bill in 2014. San Carlos Apache Chairman Terry Rambler said Monday that the bill was not in the best interest of the American people, Arizona or his tribe. He said concerns persist about the mine's use of groundwater and the pending obliteration of the culturally significant site. Apache Stronghold and the tribe sued the U.S. government in 2021 to protect the place tribal members call Chi'chil Bildagoteel, which is dotted with ancient oak groves and traditional plants the Apaches consider essential to their religion. The U.S. Supreme Court recently rejected an appeal by the Apache group, letting lower court rulings stand. The project has support in nearby Superior and other traditional mining towns in the area. The company — a subsidiary of international mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP — estimates the mine will generate $1 billion a year for Arizona's economy and create thousands of jobs. Susan Montoya Bryan, The Associated Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Why MP Materials Took Off Today
U.S. and Chinese negotiators are trying to work out a trade deal in London this week. High retaliatory tariffs from China threatened MP Materials' rare earths export business earlier in the year. Longer term, MP Materials hopes to manufacture its own rare earth magnets without having to export rare earths to China first. 10 stocks we like better than MP Materials › Shares of MP Materials (NYSE: MP), the biggest miner of U.S. rare earth metals, and also involved in rare earth refining and magnet manufacture, surged to close up 7.7% Monday. Why? Well, over in London, trade representatives from China and the U.S. are meeting to discuss lowering tariffs tensions in general, and in particular, to discuss easing export restrictions on rare earths from China, to be imported into the U.S. You would think this would be bad news for MP Materials stock, as those imports will compete with its own production! But here's the thing: The obvious answer isn't always the right one. As I explained back in April, President Trump's trade war with China hasn't been unalloyed good for MP's business. On the one hand, yes, imports of rare earth magnets from China undermine MP's efforts to build a rare earth magnets business of its own here in the U.S. On the other hand, though, that magnet manufacturing business is only just getting started. For now, MP still makes most of its money selling rare earth ores to China for refinement. Indeed, according to MP's own annual report, rare earths refiner Shenghe Resources Holding accounted for 80% of all revenue MP collected last year. What does this mean for MP? In the near term, MP will be hoping trade talks reduce Chinese tariffs on rare earths exported from the U.S., to not decimate MP's business in that direction. Later on, if China restricts magnet imports, that could be good for MP's sales of its own magnets -- but only after MP's magnet business is up and running full steam. For now, MP remains a commodities exporter, heavily dependent on China, and very interested in seeing free trade restored. Before you buy stock in MP Materials, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and MP Materials wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $669,517!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $868,615!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 792% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 173% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 9, 2025 Rich Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends MP Materials. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why MP Materials Took Off Today was originally published by The Motley Fool Sign in to access your portfolio
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Port Traffic Plummets for Full Month Following Trump Tariff Announcement
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Port traffic has plummeted significantly since President Donald Trump announced his widespread tariffs on imports, with the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma recording lower numbers over the past month. For the last week in May, volumes were down for the fourth consecutive week, according to the Northwest Seaport Alliance. International imports had decreased 27.7 percent from the week before and 41 percent from the 2024 weekly average. Why It Matters Trump issued a "Liberation Day" order months ago for a 10 percent minimum tariff on all imports and up to 145 percent on Chinese goods. Following this, the Treasury Department brought in $15.9 billion from tariffs for April, compared to $9.6 billion the previous month, according to official data reviewed by Newsweek. As the tariffs influence international trade, many countries and companies may pull out of the U.S., impacting port traffic and the larger economy. Container ships and gantry cranes are pictured in Seattle, Washington, on November 16, 2014. Container ships and gantry cranes are pictured in Seattle, Washington, on November 16, 2014. Lonnie Kishiyama What To Know The Northwest Seaport Alliance reported that truck trips were also down 26 percent from the week before and 35.4 percent from the May 2024 weekly average. These drops were attributed largely to ships skipping their regularly scheduled stops at the port due to the higher tariffs in effect. "The Northwest ports had a surge earlier in the year as shipments were sped up to beat the tariffs, and now we are seeing the shipping industry crash," Drew Powers, founder of Illinois-based Powers Financial Group, told Newsweek. "It is not just a problem with imports; the number of cancelled shipments out of the port have increased by 33 percent, and I believe will only get worse before it gets better." While Trump paused some of his tariffs in the last few months, the 10 percent baseline tariff remains in effect, hurting the bottom line for many small businesses. "In retail, margins are everything, and while we've seen a pause on some of the higher tariffs proposed during the administration's initial proposal, they're still higher than they were just a few months ago," Alex Beene, financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek. "Businesses are going to be more selective on the items and the amount they import, and that's already being reflected in slower port traffic." What People Are Saying Powers also told Newsweek: "This is a perfect example of the economic adage 'there is no such thing as a free lunch.' Placing a tariff on steel, for example, will certainly help the domestic steel producers, but at the same time will hurt the port workers who now do not have a shipment to unload. This will ripple down the line to the port's vendors and suppliers and their suppliers and vendors and so on and so on." Beene also told Newsweek: "Tariffs are going to have a tremendous effect on some imports because businesses - particularly smaller ones that specialize in a specific industry - are going to have a harder time turning a profit on items while having to pay an additional 10 percent or more to bring it into the United States." Michael Ryan, finance expert and founder of told Newsweek: "The collapse in port traffic is a textbook case of tariffs doing exactly what economists warned about. When you make imports more expensive, demand falls off a cliff—and the pain doesn't stop at the docks." Kevin Thompson, CEO of 9i Capital Group and host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek: "The larger implications can be summed up into one word: JOBS. Truckers, doc workers, shippers will all be impacted by the slowing economics of tariffs. People will lose their jobs, no question about it. It just depends how far downstream the tentacles stretch." What Happens Next As international ports navigate the new tariffs, employees and small businesses will experience the fallout, experts say. "The individual workers and the small business owners cannot fund a dramatic downturn," Powers said. "Businesses will go under, retail spaces will go vacant, houses will be foreclosed on, and kids will delay going to college. The major corporations with deep pockets will survive and grab more market share and power at the expense of every small business owner and hard working American. This is not a good thing." Ryan called the reduced port traffic a "blinking red light" for the economy. "The math is simple: tariffs raise costs, demand drops, and the whole economic engine slows down," Ryan said. "This is no longer a game of chicken, or 'cards.' The tariffs are real, the losses are mounting, and the economic fallout is hitting home."
