Chances of DPRK\’s involvement in warship sinking appear low:

A South Korean naval ship, the Cheonan, sinks near South Korea\’s Baeknyeong Island, close to North Korea, in the western waters on Saturday, March 27, 2010. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

SEOUL, March 27 (Xinhua) — South Korean officials are narrowing down the possibilities that the Democratic People\’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is involved in a South Korean navy patrol ship sinking, according to local media Saturday.

Likelihood of the DPRK\’s involvement in the incident seems low, Seoul\’s Yonhap News Agency quoted multiple officials at the Presidential Office of Cheong Wa Dae as saying.

\”It is hard to say for sure now, but chances appear to be slim that North (DPRK) was related,\” a senior official told Yonhap on the condition of anonymity.

There has been no unusual movements by the DPRK so far, Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye said at a press briefing after President Lee Myung-bak convened a second emergency meeting with security officials earlier Saturday.

The South Korean naval vessel, with 104 crew members onboard, sank into waters off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula late Friday due to an unknown cause.

The 1,200-ton ship sank off the South Korean island of Baekryeongdo off the west coast at around 21:45 p.m. Friday local time (1245 GMT Friday), with an explosion in the back of the ship.

President Lee Myung-bak on Saturday demanded a \”quick and thorough\” investigation, and called for rescuing the missing by all means.

Lee also ordered to inform related nations engaged in the six-party talks of proper information about the incident, and urged government agencies to take measures to reassure the public.

Related:

Rescue continues in S Korean ship sinking, 46 still missing

SEOUL, March 27 (Xinhua) — The rescue operation to search for the 46 missing sailors of a South Korean ship that sank late Friday is still under Saturday, Seoul\’s Yonhap News Agency reported.

So far, 58 out of the 104 crew members aboard the 1,200-ton ship that sank off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula have been rescued, with two of them hospitalized for minor cerebral hemorrhage, the agency said. Earlier reports said 60 sailors have been rescued.? Full story

S Korean Navy ship sinks possibly caused by mine explosion: YTN

SEOUL, March 27 (Xinhua) — Friday\’s Navy ship sinking might be caused by mine explosion, South Korean media YTN quoted presidential sources as saying on Saturday.

by Prime Sarmiento

MANILA, March 26 (Xinhua) — About 15 million Filipinos are expected to switch off their lights for one hour Saturday night, joining the global community\’s symbolic stance against climate change.

Households, communities, civil society, government agencies and private companies from over 1,000 towns and municipalities in the Philippines pledged to turn off their lights from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm, according to the organizers of Earth Hour Philippines.

This is the third consecutive year that the Philippines is joining this global sustainability movement.

This year\’s Earth Hour Philippines is being organized by the World Wildlife Fund, the Department of Energy, Green Army Network Foundation and SWITCH Movement. The organizers will mobilize 15 million Filipinos from more than 1,000 towns and cities to participate in Earth Hour.

As of Friday, 1,041 towns and cities have committed to take part in the event significantly more than the 647 cities and towns which switched off their lights during Earth Hour 2009, saving an estimated 611MWh of electricity – equivalent to a temporary shutdown of a dozen coal-fired power-plants.

The Philippines ranked first among 88 nations in terms of local participation in last year\’s Earth Hour.

Earth Hour Philippines National Director Naderev Sano is not surprised by such strong reception to the Earth Hour.

\”You can only say yes to earth hour,\” Sano said in an interview with Xinhua.

The newly-appointed Climate Change Commissioner notes that the Earth Hour is a \”politically-neutral\” event, offering the Filipinos a short reprieve from the current campaign frenzy ahead of the May national elections.

It also helps that it\’s very easy to participate in Earth Hour, Sano said. One just have to switch off the lights for one hour – enough to do one\’s part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

World emissions have risen by about 70 percent since the 1970s. The rising carbon emissions which is mainly due to the growing dependence on oil and coal as an energy source is increasing temperatures. The warming planet is spurring more floods, droughts, heatwaves, rising sea levels and animal and plant extinctions, according to the U.N. Climate Panel.

Sano said more Filipinos are ware of the impact of climate change, having experienced first hand the problems it caused. Last year, the back to back typhoons Ketsana and Parma pushed 480,000 people to poverty and damaged over 4 billion U.S. dollars worth of property. This year, the El Nino has brought intense heat, dried up farmlands, damaged crops, reduced water levels and limited the supply of energy.

The organizers have invited the public to the main switchoff event to be held at the SM Mall of Asia, where a concert will be held to celebrate Earth Hour. Street parties will also be held ion various parts of the country.

Organizers are also hoping that participating in the one hour switch off program will encourage more consumers to lead a more eco-friendly lifestyle.