title: Siege of Marawi

text: In November 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte confirmed the Maute group's affiliation with the Islamic State and President Duterte even revealed that the siege of Marawi City was also related to narcoterrorism. But the Philippine military maintained that ISIL had not established links with militants in the Philippines. Amidst fierce fighting in Butig on November 30, 2016, Duterte, in a command briefing in Lanao del Sur, warned the Maute group: ""I do not want a fight with you. I don't want us killing each other but please, do not force my hand. I cannot be forever traveling here every month just to talk, and when I turn around, there's killing again. I do not want to mention anything, but please do not force my hand into it."


title: Siege of Marawi

text: On December 2, 2016, as the military regained control of Butig, the retreating Maute fighters reportedly left a note threatening to behead Duterte and the military. On December 12, 2016, in a speech before the Wallace Business Forum Dinner, Duterte dared the Maute group to attack Marawi, stating: ""Because they (the Maute group) threatened to go down from the mountains to burn down Marawi? Go ahead, be my guest. We will wait for you there. No problem.""


title: Siege of Marawi

text: From April to May 2017, Abu Sayyaf fought in clashes with Philippine security forces in Bohol which resulted in the deaths of three soldiers, a policeman and ten militants.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) stated that the fighting in Marawi was due to a raid conducted by the military in coordination with the Philippine National Police, contrary to earlier reports that the clash was initiated by the militant groups. Rolando Bautista, commanding general of the Philippine Army 1st Infantry Division, stated that they had received reports of impending activity two or three weeks ahead of time. As the combined military and local police team conducted zoning in Marawi to validate the information that suspicious personalities including Omar and Abdullah Maute were consolidating in the area, their team instead spotted Isnilon Hapilon. According to the Philippine military, Hapilon had been appointed as "emir" of the IS forces in the Philippines and was consolidating his group with the Maute and other terrorist groups. After residents of Marawi reported the presence of an armed group within their locale and after the AFP verified the information, the military launched a "surgical operation" to capture Hapilon only to stumble into an entire city of armed men.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Firefights between government forces and militants began at approximately 2:00 PM local in the afternoon of May 23, 2017. The Peace and Conflict Journalism Network reported that the clash occurred in the Basak Malutlut area of the city as Hapilon's forces called for reinforcements from the Maute group. Maute fighters occupied the Amai Pakpak Hospital and ordered the PhilHealth employees out of the facility. The fighters allegedly replaced the Philippine flag hoisted in the hospital with the Black Standard used by the Islamic State group. A staff member of the hospital later denied that this happened.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: The 103rd Brigade of the Philippine Army stationed at Camp Ranao was also attacked by at least 500 Maute group militants. A number of militants were then seen waving their ISIS black flags as they roamed the streets of Marawi.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: The whole city was put on lockdown as several buildings and houses were set ablaze by members of the Maute group. Dozens of gunmen occupied the Marawi City Hall as 107 inmates escaped from the Marawi City Jail and the Malabang District Jail 39 after the Maute attacks. Power and communication lines were also shut down due to the continued hostilities. Roads leading to Marawi were blocked by both government security forces and Maute militants. Civilians were reported to have been abducted by the Maute group, including a priest and several parishioners of the Cathedral of Our Lady Help of Christians as the group demanded that the government stop its offensive against them.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: The clashes sparked a mass evacuation of the city with residents fleeing by the thousands, causing traffic congestion on the highway to Iligan and Cagayan de Oro. At least eleven civilians had been killed in the ongoing firefight, two of which the Lanao del Sur Provincial Disaster Office identified as ambulance drivers who were stopped by Maute militants while responding to an emergency call. Nine of those civilians were on board a truck when they were stopped by Maute militants at a checkpoint and shot dead with their hands tied. A police officer was also reported to have been beheaded by the militants.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: On May 24, additional government forces arrived at the Laguindingan Airport as the military regained control of the Amai Pakpak Hospital. 120 civilians used as a human shield by the Maute group were rescued from the hospital. The military had also recaptured the city hall and the Mindanao State University.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: On Thursday, May 25, fresh fighting took place near the Lanao del Sur Provincial Capitol in the Marawi city center. Black-clad Maute and Abu Sayyaf militants were still spotted on the city's major roads and bridges. The militants also reportedly took control of the Lanao del Sur Electric Cooperative in Gadungan village. The AFP said there were still three or four dozen Maute, including Isnilon Hapilon, remaining in Marawi. The Philippine air force launched strikes against remnants of the group in three nearby villages.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Reports came in that two Malaysian terrorists who were with Isnilon Hapilon in Marawi to push for the creation of the Islamic State in Southeast Asia were among those militants killed late Thursday. Intelligence sources also said that an Indonesian and a Saudi Arabian linked to ISIS were also killed in skirmishes in the city. The AFP said that 26 of the around 50 Maute militants in the area were killed and 30 government soldiers were wounded.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: At a press briefing in Davao City, AFP Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla stated that some of the terrorists were foreigners who had been in the country for quite some time, offering support to the Maute group in Marawi. He noted that of the twelve killed in a recent engagement, six were from out of the country.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Amid continuing operations against the terror groups, several houses, including the residence of Lanao del Sur Representative Jun Papandayan, were seen burning as residents also reported seeing civilians killed after the military dropped bombs on Maute positions. Sources said the houses were targeted because of the presence of Maute snipers.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: According to AFP Western Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., dwellings in the area were intentionally set on fire so as to keep them from being used as cover by Maute fighters. Limited air strikes were also used on Maute sniper positions. Galvez stated that no civilians were reported killed in the air strikes, and it was his hope they could keep military casualties low as well.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: As of May 26, 2017, the priest Fr. Chito Suganob and his companions who were taken hostage by the Maute group on the first day of the clashes, were still being held by the group according to Marawi bishop Edwin de la Peña.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: 1st Infantry Division spokesman Lt. Col. Jo-Ar Herrera told reporters: "We have identified where they are consolidating so we are doing surgical air strikes to destroy the local terrorist group." The military troops and Special Action Force continued their clearing operations by checking each house and building in the city's downtown area. During the operations on Saturday, troops had encountered child warriors as young as 10 years old armed with M-16 rifles being used by the Maute group.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: By May 27, 90 percent of Marawi's population of more than 200,000 people had been evacuated to neutral grounds, particularly in Iligan.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: The regional military spokesman Jo-Ar Herrera reported 19 civilians, some of whom were women and children, had been killed in Marawi by May 27. Eight civilians were found dead on the side of the road on the outskirts of Marawi on the previous Sunday (May 22). The victims were later identified as local carpenters who were part of an evacuation convoy; the militants stopped the convoy and then massacred those who could not recite verses from the Quran. Authorities said that 2,000 civilians were trapped in militant-controlled areas.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: The death toll in Marawi had reached 100, the Philippine military confirmed Monday, including 19 civilians and 61 militants. The military had also retaken most of Marawi previously occupied by the extremist groups. Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said Monday that only small areas in the city remained under militants' control. Also on Monday, the Philippine military reported that the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters from neighboring Maguindanao joined the Maute and Abu Sayyaf groups in Marawi and that the Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon remained holed up in the city.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Amid continuing air strikes and as the militants fought government forces on May 29, fourteen hostages managed to escape their Maute captors. The men said they were part of a group of 20 who had been taken captive on May 27 while evacuating the city. Their captors forced them to film a video appeal to Duterte to accede to the militants' demands or the hostages would be killed. One of the hostages was indeed beheaded, they reported, and one drowned during the escape.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: A spokesman for Nur Misuari said Misuari ordered the Moro National Liberation Front to fight any Maute in Lanao del Sur. Misuari offered a unit of 500 to 700 MNLF fighters to help fight the extremists. Luis Jalandoni of the National Democratic Front stated his group was willing to help as well.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: The Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the government decided to implement a "peace corridor" in Lanao del Sur as part of an effort to hasten humanitarian operations for displaced Marawi residents. The corridor spans from Marawi proper down to Malabang.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: In a video released on May 30, abducted priest Fr. Teresito Soganub pleaded the government to stop their offensive against the militants and withdraw all their forces from Marawi and Lanao del Sur. Marawi Bishop Edwin dela Peña says that Soganub was relaying the Maute group's demands in exchange for the safety of Suganob and other people taken as hostages.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: The Marawi city center remains under control of the Maute militants, as two of three bridges leading to the Marawi city center, the Mapandi and Bayabao bridges, still contained roadblocks and enemy vehicles with a black flag flying in front of them.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: The Philippine Marines had been able to recover eighteen high-powered firearms, police and military uniforms, and black flags from their two-day clearing operations in Marawi. They also reported that eight terrorists had been killed Tuesday.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: In a joint statement from the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front released Tuesday, Murad Ebrahim said the MILF welcomed the President's invitation for its forces to extend humanitarian assistance to civilians still trapped in Marawi.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: AFP spokesperson Restituto Padilla said Wednesday that government forces have retaken 90 percent of Marawi, including parts of the city center and the two bridges that lead to it. According to Padilla, the surge in the number of militants might have something to do with the sympathizers they freed from the city jail, but that the military managed to secure all entry and exit points to prevent possible reinforcements for the militants.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: The "Associated Press" reported that eleven soldiers were killed and seven others were wounded by friendly fire in a military air strike as government security forces struggled to drive off remnants of the militant groups from the city. An AFP spokesman said the incident happened when a SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 turboprop aircraft providing close air support "over militant positions in Marawi" dropped a bomb that accidentally hit an army unit locked in close-range combat with the militants. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana ordered an investigation on the incident.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: At least eight militants have surrendered to government troops on Wednesday. According to AFP spokesman Restituto Padilla, the militants surrendered to the unit of Marine Task Force Tiger Tawitawi Commanding general Custodio Parcon and "have provided very, very valuable intelligence." It was the first time that members of the militant groups have surrendered since laying siege to Marawi on May 23, 2017. Additional marines and relief supplies arrived via transport ship on May 31.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: In a news conference, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana announced that eight foreign militants had been killed in Marawi, five of which they have identified as Malaysian, Indonesian, Saudi Arabian, Yemeni and a Chechen. Lorenzana also said they have revised their estimate of the number of militants involved in the Marawi attacks since last week from the initial 100 militants to 500 militants, which he said was composed of 260 Maute militants, 100 Abu Sayyaf militants under Isnilon Hapilon, and the rest from other local militant organizations. He said 280 militants have fled the city, some of them mixing with civilians in neighboring towns while an estimated 50 to 100 militants remained in Marawi.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Malacañang Palace spokesman Ernesto Abella dispelled speculations that the 2017 Resorts World Manila attack that transpired in the early hours of June 2, 2017 in Pasay was connected to the ongoing military offensive against the Maute group in Marawi or to ISIS. He also denied any possible terrorism link in the incident.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: In an update to the media on the situation in Marawi, the AFP spokesperson said that the militants remained holed up in commercial buildings in the city center and that they believe Isnilon Hapilon to be still in Marawi. He also acknowledged that their earlier June 2 deadline for completely taking back the city from the militant groups would not be met as they continued to put up significant resistance. The Indonesian Foreign Ministry through its embassy in Manila was able to rescue 17 of their citizens from Marawi on Thursday with help from the AFP.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: On June 3, 2017, Duterte and Nur Misuari (founding chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front) made an agreement that 2000 MNLF fighters would be enlisted into the Philippine military and join in the fighting in Marawi. However, a few days later, both the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Duterte himself issued statements that this would not be happening soon.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: On June 4, 2017, a ceasefire agreement was reached between the Philippine government and the ISIL fighters remaining in the center of Marawi. This ceasefire had been facilitated by MILF, which had been asked by Duterte to help negotiate a settlement by which civilians still trapped in the city could be evacuated. The ceasefire was to begin at 8 A.M. and last for four hours. However, the Philippines Military units in the city refused to accept the terms of the ceasefire, and only allowed the evacuation of those individuals on the edges of the areas controlled by ISIL. Fighting in the city broke out at 9 A.M. The army claimed that 179 civilians were evacuated, while a presidential spokesperson claimed that 134 were evacuated—fewer than on preceding days—leaving about 2,000 civilians trapped in the city. Two soldiers were injured.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Authorities claimed that the total number of civilian casualties had increased from 20 to 38, all killed by militants, while local residents claimed that airstrikes had killed dozens of civilians.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: On June 6, 2017, police in Davao arrested Cayamora Maute, the 67-year-old patriarch of the leaders of the Maute group. He was arrested at a Task Force Davao checkpoint in Sirawan, Toril District. Cayamora was aboard a van wearing a surgical mask to avoid identification, when they were stopped at the checkpoint.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: On June 9, 2017, the police received information and arrested the mother of the Maute terrorist group leaders, Ominta Romato Maute. Ominta, also known as Farhana, was arrested in the town of Masiu in Lanao del Sur, along with two other wounded family members and 7 other unidentified females. Also on June 9, it was reported that 13 Philippine Marines had been killed and 40 wounded during a clearing operation in Marawi. American Special Forces were deployed to the city in an advisory role.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: On June 11, 2017, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Sunday announced that it has so far killed 191 Maute group terrorists in the ongoing operations to clear Marawi.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: On June 12, 2017, the Philippines' Independence day, the Armed Forces of the Philippines hoped that as of this day, Marawi siege will be over. The Philippine Government raised the symbolic Philippine Flag in several places in Marawi like the Marawi City Hall, Lanao del Sur Provincial Capitol, Camp Ranao, Mindanao State University, Amai Pakpak Hospital and several roads in the city. Philippine troops, Tanks, Rescue Van and trucks, Police cars, Patrol Cars, Army Service units and Heavy Tanks also carried a Philippine Flag which symbolizes that the roads they are roaming around are part of Philippine Territory to fight back to the Maute's black flag. However, the battle still continues.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: The Armed Forces of the Philippines announced that they have begun "normalization operations" and has begun cooperating with local government units in restoring the situation in Marawi back to normal. Clashes against militants continues. The Philippine Army stated that it had secured 90% of Marawi, on June 16, 2017.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: The Armed Forces of the Philippines raided a Maute group safehouse, where they confiscated bags of "shabu" (methamphetamine hydrochloride) and related drug paraphernalia. Captain Eric Estrevillo of the 49th Infantry Battalion stated on a press conference that Maute group members use shabu to endure long battles, and in addition, looked "high" during combat.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: The Philippine government accepts Australia's offer to send two AP-3C Orion surveillance aircraft to assist the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Marawi.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: According to some news websites, the leader of Abu Sayyaf and the emir of the ISIS Philippines Isnilon Hapilon withdrew from Marawi, according to Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez, the head of Western Mindanao Command. However, according to the Philippine Military, Isnilon's escape from the city is yet to be confirmed.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: At 6:50 a.m. amidst a congressional prayers for the Eid al-Fitr celebration held at the provincial capitol building, suspected gunshots were heard; a few minutes after the unilateral ceasefire by the government was declared. Entrance and exit points to Marawi remained guarded by government security forces against the influx of aid to Maute forces and assist civilians fleeing the city.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Two surveillance planes which were committed by Australia started conducting operations in Marawi. Filipino pilots and technicians were aboard the aircraft and assisted in relaying information to forces on the ground. The mission involving the Australian planes was set to place for two weeks.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said senior ISIS leader Isnilon Hapilon was believed to be hiding inside one of the mosques in Marawi.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella confirmed reports that Maute has looted an estimated P500 million worth of money from Marawi. Dansalan College, which had been used by the militants as a sniper roost, was retaken by government troops and 410 firearms were recovered since clearing operations began.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: A FA-50PH Golden Eagle fighter jet missed a target by resulting in friendly fire which killed two soldiers and injured 11 others. All FA-50s were grounded pending an investigation while other air assets of the Philippine Air Force remained operating in Marawi.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: As of 7 p.m. on July 13, security forces have killed 394 terrorists and recovered 498 firearms. But government fatalities numbered 93 while the terrorists killed 45 civilians.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: According to Brig. Gen. Resituto Padilla, the military is still assessing the security accession of the Battle of Marawi even though the fight was on its climax. Also, he noted that the campaign will continue before and even after Duterte's State of the Nation Address.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: National news agencies told the public that Duterte is considering to extend the martial law until the end of the year, which is December 31. The president insists that Martial Law is needed for faster rehabilitation of Marawi after the battle has ended.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Duterte said the Marawi crisis birthed a "newly evolving type of urban warfare" and his declaration of martial law in Mindanao is meant to fight this menace. In the full text of his letter to Congress released on that day, Duterte said this type of warfare is "characterized by the rebels' total disregard for civilian lives, cruelty to combatants and non-combatants alike, widespread looting, and pillaging of occupied communities."


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Through a joint session of the Philippines' Congress of the Philippines between the House of Representatives and the Senate, 16 senators, 261-18 Congressmen (Not one congressman abstained among those present), in favor of Duterte's request, voted for the extension of Proclamation Order No. 216—Imposing Martial Law in the whole Mindanao Region. This extension is valid until December 31, 2017.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Agakhan Sharief, a Marawi Muslim cleric well known to the Maute clan, stated in November 2017 that the militants had asked Muslim leaders to urge Duterte in allowing the militants to escape in return for release of the hostages. He stated that they had asked for help in arranging for MILF to receive the hostages and escorting the militants out of the city. MILF's top peace negotiator, Mohagher Iqbal, confirmed the Maute proposal, but the government had ignored it. Delfin Lorenzana said that Duterte was aware of the offer but it was "too little, too late."


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Joint Task Force Marawi stated that the main battle area of the conflict is now confined to an area of covering 800 x 600 meters (2624.67 x 1968.5 feet). 400 buildings remained unclear from Maute elements by government forces.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Maute militants are now confined to an area near the city's Grand Mosque with 40 civilians believed to be still held hostage.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Government forces recaptured the Marawi City Police Station from the militants. Among the first features seized by ISIL-link militants in the early part of the battle, the police station is considered a "strategic location" by the Philippine military.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: The Grand Mosque where hostages by ISIL-linked militants were allegedly held was recaptured by government forces. However troops did not encounter any militants or the hostages when they entered the building.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Captain Jo-Ann Petinglay, the spokesman of Joint Task Force Marawi, stated that the military had recaptured St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral, one of the first facilities occupied by the militants when they laid siege to the city. General Eduardo Año said that their leaders had been cornered in a battle zone restricted to 500 square metres. AFP meanwhile reported deaths of 10 militants who tried to sneak from Lake Lanao into Marawi as reinforcements.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: The military took control of Bayabao Bridge after clashes which saw three soldiers and five militants killed. The structure which connects the conflict area to the city center is the second bridge recaptured by government forces.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: At around 17:00, government forces regained control over the Bato Mosque and the Amaitul Islamiya Marawi Foundation building which was used by ISIL-linked militants as their control center after a five-hour gunfight. At 17:00, Father Chito Soganub, who was reportedly held taken hostage few months ago was found by government forces abandoned by his captors near the mosque and was flown to Davao City to meet Duterte.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Government forces secured Masiu Bridge, also known as the Raya Madaya Bridge, one of the critical bridges which the militants had occupied and which leads to Lake Lanao, thus depriving the militants of an escape route. This was described by the government as a significant development in the battle.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: The Sultan Of Marawi, Sultan Hamidullah Atar, following President Rodrigo Duterte's earlier offer for a dialogue with the militants, offered to mediate between Maute Group and government forces to spare civilians still trapped inside the Marawi City and pave way for the possible release of hostages.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Atar, who is also a conflict mediation professional, said talks with the Maute group can be done through the traditional mechanisms as they are also Maranaos. He related that he was able to link up with several members of the Maute group while he was also trapped in Marawi for 4 days.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Eight foreign militants, along with Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute, were acting as leaders of the ISIL-linked militants by October 10, according to the Philippine military.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute were reportedly killed during the operation of rescuing the hostages on October 16, according to the statement released by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana. On the same day, the Philippine Army estimated that there were about 100 ISIL militants still fighting in Marawi.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Following the deaths of Omar Maute and Isnilon Hapilon, Duterte declared the liberation of Marawi. At around 2PM, he addressed a crowd, saying: "I hereby declare Marawi City liberated from the terrorist influence that marks the beginning of rehabilitation of Marawi." AFP Chief Gen. Eduardo Año said that the announcement meant that the conflict is substantially over now that the militants' leaders were killed. However, he maintained that there were skirmishes and that 20–30 militants with 20 hostages remained confined in a area in the city.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Military officials stated on October 18 that 4 militants had been killed, while 10 soldiers were injured in fighting that continued after Duterte's "liberation" declaration. AFP said on the following day that the senior ISIL commander Mahmud Ahmad may have been among the 13 militants killed overnight, though they were still trying to verify his death with two rescued hostages stating that he had died and was buried. Meanwhile, seven more hostages were rescued on the same day. Seven more terrorists were killed on October 19 according to AFP.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez stated on October 20 that they had rescued 10 hostages, while 11 people, about whom it was not known whether they were hostages or Maute members, were also in their custody. He added that four hostages were still being held by the terrorists while a small band of Maute fighters were making a last stand in three buildings. Padilla added that a soldier was killed, while three others were wounded in military operations during the day. The military meanwhile started a gradual pullout of troops from the battle zone following the mission against Hapilon and Omar.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Galvez stated on next day that about 20 militants, including five significant figures, remained in a small area of the city. He also added that they were closing in on three sons of Hapilon, two Malaysians including Amin Bacu, and a prominent Indonesian militant. Gen. Pamonag declared victory on the same day, however the military stated that Maute fighters were still resisting in a small area. Baco and an Indonesian, Ibno Kayin, were named as their leaders.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Deputy commander of the operation, Col. Romeo Brawner, told a press conference that an estimated 30 people, including militants and some of their family members, were fighting to hold a fortified two-storey building next to Lake Lanao, which was the final ISIL-held building in Marawi. He added that soldiers were using loudspeakers to urge them to surrender and that the military didn't know who their leader was. Brawner also declared that the military had rescued the last 20 hostages by October 22. As of then, 919 militants and 165 security personnel had been killed in the battle.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: On October 23, the AFP cleared the final ISIL-held building in Marawi, fully recapturing the city. General Eduardo Año stated bodies of 42 dead militants were found in two buildings and a mosque in the battle zone, stating that it was possible that some militants were still hiding. The bodies also included two wives of Maute gunmen. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana announced the end of the battle and the end of combat operations in the area. He added that Bacu was believed to be among those 42 dead militants. Intelligence sources later stated that he was among the last three or four militants who could have escaped. However, in November, the Philippine Army stated that they believed that Amin Bacu had been killed during the battle, and that the remnants of the Maute group were now largely leaderless.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: The police chief of Malabang, Romeo Enriquez, whose beheading was cited by Duterte as one of the bases for his declaration of martial law in a speech on May 24, 2017, was later found to be alive. The police officer actually killed was identified by the ARMM PNP as Senior Inspector Freddie Solar, a former police chief of Malabang and member of the Drug Enforcement Unit of the Lanao del Sur Provincial Police.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: The Armed Forces of the Philippines' highest-ranking combat casualty was Rommel Sandoval, a Captain commanding a company of Philippine Army Scout Rangers. Sandoval was posthumously conferred the Medal of Valor.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Along with the casualties, much of Marawi was flattened in what was described as the heaviest urban fighting in the Philippines since World War II.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: According to the Philippines' Health Department report on June 16, at least 40 evacuees, who were staying outside evacuation centers, died of dehydration, while 19 others lost their lives as a result of diseases contracted due to living in congested evacuation camps. The following month, the Health Secretary denied this report and stated just four evacuees died of dehydration, instead of 40. However, in September, it was once again reported 40 evacuees had died due to illness.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: After the end of military operations, the AFP killed a suspected surviving militant trying to escape on October 31, according to Col. Romeo Brawner. Muhammad Ilham Syaputra, an Indonesian militant who reportedly played a role in the 2016 Jakarta attacks, was caught near Marawi on November 1. He was caught while trying to escape from a district where several Maute fighters had been hiding, according to the police. Military officials stated on the next day that two militants engaged in a firefight with AFP and were killed during the night of November 1. Task Force Ranao deputy commander Romeo Brawner stated that Abu Talha, who was Hapilon's trusted aide for years, in addition to an unidentified militant, were killed while hiding in a building.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: In the aftermath of Marawi Battle, terrorist threats in the Philippines persist. Sporadic fighting continued following the declaration of victory, with troops battling some fighters hiding amid the ruins. The military stated on November 6 that nine more militants were killed in day-long clashes. Brawner stated that one of them was Ibrahim Maute alias Abu Jamil, a cousin of the Maute brothers. Philippine National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa meanwhile claimed that Amin Baco was still alive and had become the new emir. Military officials however said they believed Baco had been killed during the clashes on the same day or in recent weeks. Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez said at a separate briefing that Baco and Abdullah, one of Hapilon's sons, could be among the nine who were killed. Two more militants were later killed, raising their death toll to 11, according to the military.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: On November 16, the AFP stated that they believed there were no more stragglers in Marawi, due to the lack of fighting between both sides for the past few weeks. Galvez confirmed in December 2017 the deaths of all the Maute brothers had been killed by AFP. He added that the military was continuing its manhunt for Abu Dar, a senior Maute leader. Dar was reported in January 2018 to have recruited new fighters from the cash and gold looted in Marawi. A year after the Battle of Marawi, threats of the Islamic State in the Philippines were still alive. Even three years after, terrorist threats in the Philippines emanating from the pro-ISIS groups continue unabated even during the COVID-19 pandemic.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: The battle left the city in ruins with 95 percent of the structures within the of the main battle area to be heavily damaged or completely collapsed. 3,152 buildings were completely destroyed and 2,145 buildings were partially to heavily damaged due to the five-month heavy bombardment during the war.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Government estimates placed the number of residents displaced during the crisis at 200,000. About 70 percent of displaced residents lived in nearby temporary government shelters as of May 2018. According to a United Nations estimate in December 2017, the number of indigenous Lumads that have been displaced is at 2,500.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: The Battle for Marawi took a heavy toll on infrastructure and private property in the city quarter where the battle was concentrated. At one point, over 200,000 of the civilian population evacuated to neighboring cities and towns such as Iligan, Cagayan de Oro, and Lanao Norte coastal towns at the start of hostilities.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: In April 2018, the government allowed limited return to residential areas due to the danger of a reported eight unexploded ordnance, one 60-millimeter mortar, one hand grenade, six 40-millimeter rounds of ammunition, and 70 undetonated bombs dropped by the Philippine military, according to Joint Task Force Ranao commander Maj. Gen. Roseller Guanzon Murillo of the Philippine Army’s 1st Infantry Tabak Division.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: By May 2018, around 70 percent of Marawi's residents had returned home. According to the Philippines' Department of Social Welfare and Development, 64,364 displaced families have returned to the city as of July 2018. As of March 2019, around 70,000 people were still displaced.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: An Amnesty International report released on November 16, 2017, blamed the militants and government forces of widespread abuses, some of which amount to war crimes. It was based on interviews with 48 survivors and witnesses, as well as local leaders, journalists and activists. It accused pro-ISIL fighters of extrajudicial killings and hostage-taking while accusing soldiers of mistreating people in custody. It also stated that government shelling caused widespread destruction in Marawi, civilians were trapped in crossfire and all parties engaged in looting.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Per the report, the pro-ISIL fighters targeted and brutally killed Christians or anyone who couldn't recite Shahada (profession of Muslim faith). Victims of pro-ISIL fighters were either held hostage or killed. Amnesty International documented at least 25 extrajudicial killings at their hands. Hostages were tortured and abused, made to forage for food, collected and buried cadavers, dug foxholes for fighters, made IEDs, were forced to fight the Army or used as sex slaves. Those attempting to escape were shot or beheaded, Amnesty International said.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Meanwhile, Amnesty International also reported that several survivors accused that they were shot at, beaten and tortured by Philippine Marines to make them confess of being an ISIL member, with one survivor stating he was doused with a hot liquid. Witnesses also said that 10 hostages were killed in air strikes by pro-government forces. It questioned whether civilian deaths and "large-scale destruction" in government air and ground attacks were "militarily necessary and proportional to the threat posed" by the fighters. It also questioned whether the operations met the requirements under international humanitarian law based on the fact that the military carried out bombings even after it declared only a few militants remained alive.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: AFP reiterated in November 2018 its commitment to protecting human rights in response to the report by Amnesty International. AFP spokesman Maj. Gen. Restituto Padilla said soldiers accused of abuses will be investigated and those found guilty will be disciplined. He gave filing of looting charges against an army officer and five soldiers as an example of the commitment. In response to claims of "disproportionate air and ground attacks" by AFP, he asked the public to take into consideration the difficulties faced by it.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: According to a Mindanao-based human rights group, there have been 130 reported cases of extrajudicial killings one year into the declaration of martial law in Mindanao, with most of the victims being peasants and indigenous Lumads.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: The rehabilitation and restoration of the city officially began on October 18, 2017, but efforts began in June 2017 even as the battle was ongoing. Rehabilitation is estimated to cost , according to projections by NEDA and Task Force Bangon Marawi. Some displaced residents remain in relocation sites on the outskirts of the city.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Following the clash, Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao at 10:00 in the evening (UTC+8) of May 23, 2017. As per the 1987 Constitution, the state of martial law will initially last for 60 days. Duterte also decided to shorten his diplomatic visit to Russia.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Vice President Leni Robredo started organizing donations and directing relief operations for the victims.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: The Department of Education launched the Brigada for Marawi () program to help displaced teachers and students from Marawi. As part of the program, the department has solicited donations from the public, tracked displaced teachers and students and provided psychological aid to affected teachers. The Department of Social Welfare and Development pledged to provide one-time aid of to each displaced family. It is meant to enable Muslim families to still observe Ramadan.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: An inter-agency task force called the Task Force Bangon Marawi was set up on June 28, 2017, to facilitate the rehabilitation of Marawi after the conflict subsides.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: The government decided in July 2017 to withdraw its financial support for the Philippine Olympic Committee to host the 2019 Southeast Asian Games; reallocating funds meant for the hosting of the games for the rehabilitation of Marawi. However, the government later rescinded the cancellation and held the games.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: The government of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has allocated as aid for displaced Marawi residents. The regional health department has also set up an operations center for the displaced. Other governments in Mindanao have also provided relief aid such as Compostela Valley and Davao City.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: In a manifesto, all mayors of Lanao del Sur in August 2017 labeled the Maute Group and its sympathizers as an "Enemy of the Maranao People" and also classified the group under the ISIL.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: The University of Makati began admitting displaced people from Marawi, and children of soldiers who fought in the conflict under a scholarship program.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: The President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, Socrates Villegas, on Wednesday, 24 May, asked for prayers after Maute militants took a priest and some parishioners hostage in Marawi. The CBCP President also asked the government forces to "make the safety of the hostages a primordial consideration" while ensuring that the law is upheld.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: The Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy condemned the acts of the militant groups saying that their acts were contrary to the teachings of Islam. The Muslim group noted that the incident occurred at the time when Muslims were preparing for Ramadan, which according to them made the acts of the militants more heinous. 22 sultans and imams from Marawi also urged Duterte for the resolution of the crisis before the end of Ramadan and told the militants which they say are not Marawinians to leave the besieged city and insist that Islam respects values and respects humanity.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Sheik Abehuraira Abdulrahman Udasan, a mufti, issued a fatwa "against the entry and spread of violent radicalism or extremism" in the Bangsamoro area. This edict was supported by the militant group MILF, which has been assisting the government.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Muslim clerics from a Ulama conference while expressing support for government efforts in regards to the peace process in Mindanao called for an end of air strike by government forces while condemning the acts of the militants as violent extremism and appealed Duterte to appoint a Muslim Justice of the Supreme Court.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Reactions to the declaration of martial law were mixed on social media. Amidst unconfirmed reports of beheading and kidnapping, PNP spokesman Dionardo Carlos appealed in a press briefing addressed to the public to limit "to what they know what they see" in making posts relevant to the Marawi incident in social media. Numerous Filipino TV personalities have expressed their reactions to the ongoing clash between the government forces and the Maute terror groups in Mindanao. Some Pinoy celebrities also called for unity despite the division in political alliances.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: A group of civilian evacuees who fled from the city organized as the Meranaw Victims Movement (MVM) in September 2017. They have issued statements to the ISIL-linked militants to release the hostages and leave Marawi through a Facebook post or the MVM would be "compelled to face" them. The MVM has also called for the halt of airstrikes on the city as well as the return of evacuated civilians to their homes.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: China, Russia, and the United States expressed support for the security efforts of the Philippine Government, with Russian President Vladimir Putin also expressing condolence for the victims of the crisis. Canada has also said that they will extend humanitarian aid upon request of the Philippine government.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Malaysia began to tighten its border with the Philippines shortly after the President announced martial law, while the United Kingdom warned its citizens to avoid traveling to western Mindanao. Saudi Arabia through its embassy in Manila also advised its citizens to avoid public places in the Philippines in general. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak also announced his government's full support to Philippine forces.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia will launch joint patrols in waters off the Mindanao region to counter threats from Islamic State group militants. Joint sea patrols in the waters bordering the three nations would kick off on June 19, 2017.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Meanwhile, the Indonesian military will also strengthen its outer islands bordering the Philippines by building more military bases to prevent the militant groups from entering Indonesia.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: The United States provided several deliveries of military equipment. In May 2017, the United States delivered 200 Glock pistols, 300 M4 carbines, 100 grenade launchers, four mini-guns, and individual operator gear worth (US$5 million). Two Cessna 208 surveillance aircraft worth (US$31 million) were delivered to the Philippine Air Force in July, and a Tethered Aerostat Radar System was turned over to the Philippine Navy in August to enhance its maritime surveillance capabilities. A Raven tactical UAV, delivered in January 2017, was also used in Marawi.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: On June 23, Australia announced it would provide surveillance support to the Philippines' armed forces by sending two RAAF AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft on flights over the southern Philippines. After the operational details regarding the surveillance support were finalized between the Philippine and Australian military, it was planned that the AP-3C Orion would be immediately deployed in Marawi. In August 2017 the offer was extended further to include the deployment of special forces in a training and advisory role, similar to the role Australian forces play in Iraq. The Philippines accepted the offer in early September 2017 and talks are ongoing to determine the extent of the assistance.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: China donated 50 million renminbi worth of arms aid which comprises around 3,000 rifles and 6 million pieces of ammunition. Three types of rifles were given: sniper rifles, automatic rifles, and marksman rifles.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Russia also pledged to provide weapons, technical and intelligence aid to the Philippines in response to the attack on Marawi which caused President Rodrigo Duterte's state visit to Russia to end earlier than planned. Russia donated 20 multipurpose vehicles, 5,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles, one million rounds of ammunition and 5,000 steel helmets to the Philippines. However these equipment arrived on October 25, 2017, with the battle in Marawi already concluded.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: South Korea made donations to the Philippine Red Cross for the organization's efforts in Marawi. The European Union has pledged to donate 850 thousand euros worth of humanitarian aid meant for people affected in the conflict.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Turkey through its Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency has pledged to support to feed displaced Marawi school children studying in temporary learning spaces.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Singapore has offered to provide its air force's C-130 to help bring in humanitarian supplies. It also offered to send UAVs to be manned by Singaporean troops to assist the AFP in enhancing surveillance and intelligence capabilities and urban training villages to help the AFP train in urban warfare. Defense Secretary Lorenzana accepted the offer and has instructed the AFP to study the Singaporean military's ISR programs. Thailand has also offered to deploy its troops to Marawi for humanitarian non-combat operations.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: On July 6, the Malaysian Armed Forces announced that it was considering sending humanitarian relief for the civilians in Marawi. By July 21, through the country RMAF A400M, food and medical supplies are being sent for the city internally-displaced residents. On July 25, the country promised to send more humanitarian aid as the situation worsened.


title: Siege of Marawi

text: Relief effort assistance also came from the United States which totaled (US$15 million). (US$3 million) was allocated for supplies such as drinking water, hygiene kits, evacuation centers shelter materials, and for programs to protect displaced women and children. (US$13 million) was earmarked for the stabilization and rehabilitation of the city and surrounding areas, including restoring basic public services such as health care, water, and electricity.


title: Penelope

text: Penelope ( ; Ancient Greek: Πηνελόπεια, "Pēnelópeia", or , "Pēnelópē") is a character in Homer's "Odyssey." She was the queen of Ithaca and was the daughter of Spartan king Icarius and naiad Periboea. Penelope is known for her fidelity to her husband Odysseus, despite the attention of more than a hundred suitors during his absence. In one source, Penelope's original name was Arnacia or Arnaea.


title: Penelope

text: Glossed by Hesychius as "some kind of bird" (today arbitrarily identified with the Eurasian wigeon, to which Linnaeus gave the binomial "Anas penelope"), where () is a common Pre-Greek suffix for predatory animals; however, the semantic relation between the proper name and the gloss is not clear. In folk etymology, () is usually understood to combine the Greek word (), "weft", and (), "face", which is considered the most appropriate for a cunning weaver whose motivation is hard to decipher.


title: Penelope

text: Penelope is married to the main character, the king of Ithaca, Odysseus (Ulysses in Roman mythology), and daughter of Icarius of Sparta and Periboea (or Polycaste). She only has one son with Odysseus, Telemachus, who was born just before Odysseus was called to fight in the Trojan War. She waits twenty years for Odysseus' return, during which time she devises various cunning strategies to delay marrying any of the 108 suitors (led by Antinous and including Agelaus, Amphinomus, Ctessippus, Demoptolemus, Elatus, Euryades, Eurymachus and Peisandros).


title: Penelope

text: On Odysseus's return, disguised as an old beggar, he finds that Penelope has remained faithful. She has devised tricks to delay the suitors, one of which is to pretend to be weaving a burial shroud for Odysseus's elderly father Laertes and claiming that she will choose a suitor when she has finished. Every night for three years, she undoes part of the shroud, until Melantho, a slave, discovers her chicanery and reveals it to the suitors.


title: Penelope

text: Penelope's efforts to delay remarriage is often seen as a symbol of marital fidelity to her husband, Odysseus. But because Athena wants her "to show herself to the wooers, that she might set their hearts a-flutter and win greater honor from her husband and her son than heretofore", Penelope does eventually appear before the suitors Irene de Jong wrote


title: Penelope

text: As so often, it is Athena who takes the initiative in giving the story a new direction ... Usually the motives of mortal and god coincide, here they do not: Athena wants Penelope to fan the Suitors’ desire for her and (thereby) make her more esteemed by her husband and son; Penelope has no real motive ... she simply feels an unprecedented impulse to meet the men she so loathes ... adding that she might take this opportunity to talk to Telemachus (which she will indeed do).


title: Penelope

text: It is important to consider the alternate perspective of Penelope entertaining, and even enjoying the attention of, her suitors. Italian philosophy historian Giula Sissa offers a unique perspective which supports this idea. The Odyssey allows room for Penelope’s identity free of being Ulysses’ wife. As she awaits his return, she makes a plan to deal with her suitors while also responding to her desires. Sissa discusses how Penelope gives her suitors the opportunity to demonstrate themselves as the best candidate for her attention. Sissa writes,


title: Penelope

text: "Penelope innovates. And she does so because she responds in the same register to the desires of the men who have been awaiting her verdict for three years. This is an erotic desire to which she reacts, first, with seductive wiles of messages and promises, and then by inviting them to demonstrate their excellence, not in terms of wealth and social prestige, but in terms of something extremely personal and physical. In order to please Penelope, they have to be on par with Ulysses in showing the might of their bodies."


title: Penelope

text: She is ambivalent, variously asking Artemis to kill her and apparently considering marrying one of the suitors. When the disguised Odysseus returns, she announces in her long interview with him that whoever can string Odysseus's rigid bow and shoot an arrow through twelve axe heads may have her hand. "For the plot of the "Odyssey", of course, her decision is the turning point, the move that makes possible the long-predicted triumph of the returning hero".


title: Penelope

text: There is debate as to whether Penelope knows that it is Odysseus. Penelope and the suitors know that Odysseus (were he in fact present) would easily surpass them all in any test of masculine skill, so she may have started the contest as an opportunity for him to reveal his identity. On the other hand, because Odysseus seems to be the only person (except, perhaps, Telemachus) who can actually use the bow, she could just be further delaying her marriage to one of the suitors.


title: Penelope

text: When the contest of the bow begins, none of the suitors are able to string the bow, except Odysseus who wins the contest. Having done so, he proceeds to slaughter the suitors – beginning with Antinous whom he finds drinking from his cup – with help from Telemachus, Athena and the slaves Eumaeus the swineherd and Philoetius the cowherd. Odysseus has now revealed himself in all his glory (with a little makeover by Athena); yet Penelope cannot believe that her husband has really returned – she fears that it is perhaps some god in disguise, as in the story of Alcmene – and tests him by ordering her slave Eurycleia to move the bed in their bridal-chamber. Odysseus protests that this cannot be done, since he made the bed himself and knows that one of its legs is a living olive tree. Penelope finally accepts that he truly is Odysseus, a moment that highlights their "homophrosýnē" (, "like-mindedness"). Homer implies that from then on Odysseus would live a long and happy life together with Penelope and Telemachus, wisely ruling his kingdom, and enjoying wide respect and much success.


title: Penelope

text: In some early sources such as Pindar, Pan's parents are Apollo and Penelope. Herodotus, Cicero, Apollodorus, and Hyginus all describe Hermes and Penelope as his parents. Pausanias records the story that Penelope had in fact been unfaithful to Odysseus, who banished her to Mantineia upon his return. In the 5th century AD Nonnus names Pan's mother as Penelope of Mantineia in Arcadia. Other sources report that Penelope had sex with all 108 suitors in Odysseus' absence, and gave birth to Pan as a result. This myth reflects the folk etymology that equates Pan's name () with the Greek word for "all" (). The "Odyssey" carefully suppresses this variant tradition.


title: Penelope

text: Penelope is recognizable in Greek and Roman works, from Attic vase-paintings—the Penelope Painter is recognized by his representations of her—to Roman sculptures copying or improvising upon classical Greek models, by her seated pose, by her reflective gesture of leaning her cheek on her hand, and by her protectively crossed knees, reflecting her long chastity in Odysseus' absence, an unusual pose in any other figure.


title: Penelope

text: Latin references to Penelope revolved around her sexual loyalty to the absent Odysseus. It suited the marital aspect of Roman society representing the tranquility of the worthy family. She is mentioned by various classical authors including Plautus, Propertius, Horace, Ovid, Martial and Statius. The use of Penelope in Latin texts provided a basis for her ongoing use in the Middle Ages and Renaissance as a representation of a chaste wife. This was reinforced by her being named by Saint Jerome among pagan women famed for their chastity.


title: Mifepristone

text: Mifepristone, also known as RU-486, is a medication typically used in combination with misoprostol to bring about a medical abortion during pregnancy and manage early miscarriage. This combination is 97% effective during the first 63 days of pregnancy. It is also effective in the second trimester of pregnancy. Effectiveness should be verified two weeks after use. It is taken by mouth.


title: Mifepristone

text: Common side effects include abdominal pain, feeling tired, and vaginal bleeding. Serious side effects may include heavy vaginal bleeding, bacterial infection, and birth defects if the pregnancy does not end. If used, appropriate follow up care needs to be available. Mifepristone is an antiprogestogen. It works by blocking the effects of progesterone, making both the cervix and uterine vessels dilate and causing uterine contraction.


title: Mifepristone

text: Mifepristone was developed in 1980 and came into use in France in 1987. It became available in the United States in 2000. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. Mifepristone was approved by Health Canada in 2015 and became available in Canada in January 2017. Cost and availability limits access in many parts of the developing world.


title: Mifepristone

text: Mifepristone followed by a prostaglandin analog (misoprostol or gemeprost) is used for medical abortion. Medical organizations have found this combination to be safe and effective. Guidelines from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists describe medication abortion using mifepristone and misoprostol as effective and appropriate at any gestational age. The World Health Organization and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend mifepristone followed by misoprostol for first- and second-trimester medical abortion. Mifepristone alone is less effective, resulting in abortion within 1–2 weeks in anywhere from 54% to 92% of pregnancies, according to review of 13 studies.


title: Mifepristone

text: Mifepristone is used for the medical treatment of high blood sugar caused by high cortisol levels in the blood (hypercortisolism) in adults with endogenous Cushing's syndrome who also have type 2 diabetes mellitus or glucose intolerance and have failed surgery or cannot have surgery.


title: Mifepristone

text: Mifepristone at low doses has been used for emergency contraception. It may also be used together with misoprostol for early pregnancy loss. Mifepristone has also been used to treat symptomatic leiomyoma (uterine fibroids) and endometriosis.


title: Mifepristone

text: Serious complications with mifepristone are rare with about 0.04%–0.9% requiring hospitalization and 0.05% requiring blood transfusion.


title: Mifepristone

text: Nearly all women using the mifepristone/misoprostol regimen experienced abdominal pain, uterine cramping, and vaginal bleeding or spotting for an average of 9–16 days. For most women, the most severe cramps after use of misoprostol last for less than 6 hours and can generally be managed with ibuprofen. Up to 8% of women experienced some type of bleeding for 30 days or more. Other less common side effects included nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, fatigue, and fever. Pelvic inflammatory disease is a very rare but serious complication. Excessive bleeding and incomplete termination of a pregnancy require further intervention by a doctor (such as a repeat dose of misoprostol or a vacuum aspiration). Mifepristone is contraindicated in the presence of adrenal failure, long-term oral corticosteroid therapy (although inhaled and topical steroids are fine), hemorrhagic disorders, inherited porphyria, and hemophilia or anticoagulant use. Women with an intrauterine device in their uterus should remove the IUD prior to medication abortion to avoid unnecessary cramping. Mifepristone is not effective in treating ectopic pregnancy.


title: Mifepristone

text: A postmarketing summary found, of about 1.52 million women who had received mifepristone until April 2011 in the United States, 14 were reported to have died after application. Eight of these cases were associated with sepsis; the other six had various causes such as drug abuse and suspected murder. Other incidents reported to the FDA included 612 nonlethal hospitalizations, 339 blood transfusions, 48 severe infections, and 2,207 (0.15%) adverse events altogether.


title: Mifepristone

text: No long-term studies to evaluate the carcinogenic potential of mifepristone have been performed. This is in accord with ICH guidelines, which do not require carcinogenicity testing in nongenotoxic drugs intended for administration for less than six months.


title: Mifepristone

text: Mifepristone alone results in abortion within 1–2 weeks in 54% to 92% of pregnancies. The effectiveness increases to greater than 90% if misoprostol is given after the mifepristone. There is no evidence that the effects of mifepristone can be reversed, although some anti-abortion groups claim that it can be reversed by giving progesterone. Researchers in the United States initiated a trial of the so-called "reversal" regimen in 2019, but stopped prematurely due to serious safety concerns about using mifepristone without follow-up misoprostol. Giving progesterone has not been shown to halt medication abortion, and not completing the combination regimen of mifepristone and misoprostol may cause serious bleeding.


title: Mifepristone

text: In those who continue pregnancy after use of mifepristone together with misoprostol for termination, birth defects may occur. Exposure to a single large dose of mifepristone in newborn rats was not associated with any reproductive problems, although chronic low-dose exposure of newborn rats to mifepristone was associated with structural and functional reproductive abnormalities. Studies in mice, rats, and rabbits revealed developmental abnormalities for rabbits, but not rats or mice.


title: Mifepristone

text: Mifepristone is a steroidal antiprogestogen (IC = 0.025 nM for the PR), as well as an antiglucocorticoid (IC = 2.2 nM for the GR) and antiandrogen (IC = 10 nM for the AR) to a much lesser extent. It antagonizes cortisol action competitively at the receptor level.


title: Mifepristone

text: In the presence of progesterone, mifepristone acts as a competitive progesterone receptor antagonist (in the absence of progesterone, mifepristone acts as a partial agonist). Mifepristone is a 19-nor steroid with a bulky "p"-(dimethylamino) phenyl substituent above the plane of the molecule at the 11β-position responsible for inducing or stabilizing an inactive receptor conformation and a hydrophobic 1-propynyl substituent below the plane of the molecule at the 17α-position that increases its progesterone receptor binding affinity.


title: Mifepristone

text: In addition to being an antiprogestogen, mifepristone is also an antiglucocorticoid and a weak antiandrogen. Mifepristone's relative binding affinity at the progesterone receptor is more than twice that of progesterone, its relative binding affinity at the glucocorticoid receptor is more than three times that of dexamethasone and more than ten times that of cortisol. Its relative binding affinity at the androgen receptor is less than one-third that of testosterone, and it does not bind to the estrogen receptor or the mineralocorticoid receptor.


title: Mifepristone

text: Mifepristone as a regular contraceptive at 2 mg daily prevents ovulation (1 mg daily does not). A single preovulatory 10-mg dose of mifepristone delays ovulation by three to four days and is as effective an emergency contraceptive as a single 1.5-mg dose of the progestin levonorgestrel.


title: Mifepristone

text: In women, mifepristone at doses greater or equal to 1 mg/kg antagonizes the endometrial and myometrial effects of progesterone. In humans, an antiglucocorticoid effect of mifepristone is manifested at doses greater or equal to 4.5 mg/kg by a compensatory increase in ACTH and cortisol. In animals, a weak antiandrogenic effect is seen with prolonged administration of very high doses of 10 to 100 mg/kg.


title: Mifepristone

text: In medication abortion regimens, mifepristone blockade of progesterone receptors directly causes endometrial decidual degeneration, cervical softening and dilatation, release of endogenous prostaglandins, and an increase in the sensitivity of the myometrium to the contractile effects of prostaglandins. Mifepristone-induced decidual breakdown indirectly leads to trophoblast detachment, resulting in decreased syncytiotrophoblast production of hCG, which in turn causes decreased production of progesterone by the corpus luteum (pregnancy is dependent on progesterone production by the corpus luteum through the first nine weeks of gestation—until placental progesterone production has increased enough to take the place of corpus luteum progesterone production). When followed sequentially by a prostaglandin, mifepristone 200 mg is (100 mg may be, but 50 mg is not) as effective as 600 mg in producing a medical abortion.


title: Mifepristone

text: 'Contragestion' is a term promoted by Étienne-Émile Baulieu in the context of his advocacy of mifepristone, defining it as inclusive of some hypothesized mechanisms of action of some contraceptives and those of mifepristone to induce abortion. Baulieu's definition of a 'contragestive' included any birth control method that could possibly act after fertilization and before nine-weeks gestational age.


title: Mifepristone

text: The elimination half-life is complex; according to the label: "After a distribution phase, elimination is at first slow, the concentration decreasing by a half between about 12 and 72 hours, and then more rapid, giving an elimination half-life of 18 hours. With radio receptor assay techniques, the terminal half-life is of up to 90 hours, including all metabolites of mifepristone able to bind to progesterone receptors." Metapristone is the major metabolite of mifepristone.


title: Mifepristone

text: Mifepristone, also known as 11β-(4-(dimethylamino)phenyl)-17α-(1-propynyl)estra-4,9-dien-17β-ol-3-one, is a synthetic estrane steroid and a derivative of steroid hormones like progesterone, cortisol, and testosterone. It has substitutions at the C11β and C17α positions and double bonds at the C4(5) and C9(10) positions.


title: Mifepristone

text: In April 1980, as part of a formal research project at the French pharmaceutical company Roussel-Uclaf for the development of glucocorticoid receptor antagonists, endocrinologist Étienne-Émile Baulieu and chemist Georges Teutsch synthesized mifepristone (RU-38486, the 38,486th compound synthesized by Roussel-Uclaf from 1949 to 1980; shortened to RU-486), which was discovered to also be a progesterone receptor antagonist. In October 1981, Étienne-Émile Baulieu, a consultant to Roussel-Uclaf, arranged tests of its use for medical abortion in 11 women in Switzerland by gynecologist Walter Herrmann at the University of Geneva's Cantonal Hospital, with successful results announced on 19 April 1982. On 9 October 1987, following worldwide clinical trials in 20,000 women of mifepristone with a prostaglandin analogue (initially sulprostone or gemeprost, later misoprostol) for medical abortion, Roussel-Uclaf sought approval in France for their use for medical abortion, with approval announced on 23 September 1988.


title: Mifepristone

text: On 21 October 1988, in response to antiabortion protests and concerns of majority (54.5%) owner "Hoechst AG" of Germany, Roussel-Uclaf's executives and board of directors voted 16 to 4 to stop distribution of mifepristone, which they announced on 26 October 1988. Two days later, the French government ordered Roussel-Uclaf to distribute mifepristone in the interests of public health. French Health Minister Claude Évin explained: "I could not permit the abortion debate to deprive women of a product that represents medical progress. From the moment Government approval for the drug was granted, RU-486 became the moral property of women, not just the property of a drug company." Following use by 34,000 women in France from April 1988 to February 1990 of mifepristone distributed free of charge, Roussel-Uclaf began selling Mifegyne (mifepristone) to hospitals in France in February 1990 at a price (negotiated with the French government) of per 600-mg dose.


title: Mifepristone

text: Aside from "did not want to get in the middle of the national battle over abortion" in the United States, "Hoechst" had another reason cited by "The New York Post": "During World War II, Hoechst was called I.G. Farben, the firm that manufactured" the poison gas that killed so many in the "concentration camps".


title: Mifepristone

text: Mifegyne was subsequently approved in Great Britain on 1 July 1991, and in Sweden in September 1992, but until his retirement in late April 1994, Hoechst AG chairman Wolfgang Hilger, a devout Roman Catholic, blocked any further expansion in availability. On 16 May 1994, Roussel-Uclaf announced it was donating without remuneration all rights for medical uses of mifepristone in the United States to the Population Council, which subsequently licensed mifepristone to Danco Laboratories, a new single-product company immune to antiabortion boycotts, which won FDA approval as Mifeprex on 28 September 2000.


title: Mifepristone

text: On 8 April 1997, after buying the remaining 43.5% of Roussel-Uclaf stock in early 1997, Hoechst AG ( billion annual revenue) announced the end of its manufacture and sale of Mifegyne ( million annual revenue) and the transfer of all rights for medical uses of mifepristone outside of the United States to Exelgyn S.A., a new single-product company immune to antiabortion boycotts, whose CEO was former Roussel-Uclaf CEO Édouard Sakiz. In 1999, Exelgyn won approval of Mifegyne in 11 additional countries, and in 28 more countries over the following decade.


title: Mifepristone

text: Mifepristone is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. Since 2019 it has been included on the core list, with misoprostol, with a special note "where permitted under national law and where culturally acceptable".


title: Mifepristone

text: Medication abortions voluntarily reported by 33 U.S. states to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have increased as a percentage of total abortions every year since the approval of mifepristone: 1.0% in 2000, 2.9% in 2001, 5.2% in 2002, 7.9% in 2003, 9.3% in 2004, 9.9% in 2005, 10.6% in 2006, and 13.1% in 2007 (20.3% of those at less than 9 weeks gestation).


title: Mifepristone

text: A Guttmacher Institute survey of abortion providers estimated that medication abortions accounted for 17% of all abortions and slightly over 25% of abortions before 9 weeks gestation in the United States in 2008 (94% of nonhospital medication abortions used mifepristone and misoprostol, 6% used methotrexate and misoprostol). Medication abortions accounted for 32% of first trimester abortions at Planned Parenthood clinics in the United States in 2008. Considering abortions performed in non-hospital facilities, medication abortions accounted for 24% in 2011 and 31% in 2014. In 2014, facilities that provided a relatively small number of abortions (fewer than 400 procedures per year) were more likely to perform them with medication. Medication abortions accounted for 39% of all U.S. abortions in 2017, and 54% in 2020.


title: Mifepristone

text: In France, the percentage of medication abortions of all abortions continues to increase: 38% in 2003, 42% in 2004, 44% in 2005, 46% in 2006, 49% in 2007 (vs. 18% in 1996). In England and Wales, 52% of early abortions (less than 9 weeks gestation) in 2009 were medication-based; the percentage of all abortions that are medication-based has increased every year for the past 14 years (from 5% in 1995 to 40% in 2009) and has more than doubled in the last five years. In Scotland, 81.2% of early abortions in 2009 were medication-based (up from 55.8% in 1992 when medication abortion was introduced); the percentage of all abortions that are medication-based has increased every year for the past 17 years (from 16.4% in 1992 to 69.9% in 2009). In Sweden, 85.6% of early abortions and 73.2% of abortions before the end of the 12th week of gestation in 2009 were medication-based; 68.2% of all abortions in 2009 were medication-based. In Great Britain and Sweden, mifepristone is licensed for use with vaginal gemeprost or oral misoprostol. As of 2000, more than 620,000 women in Europe had had medication abortions using a mifepristone regimen. In Denmark, mifepristone was used in between 3,000 and 4,000 of just over 15,000 abortions in 2005.


title: Mifepristone

text: Mifepristone was approved for abortion in the United States by the FDA in September 2000. It is legal and available in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Guam, and Puerto Rico. It is a prescription drug, but was not initially available to the public through pharmacies; its distribution is primarily restricted to specially qualified licensed physicians, sold by Danco Laboratories under the trade name Mifeprex. As of September 2021, in 32 states, the drug could only be provided by a licensed physician, and in 19 states, the prescribing clinician was required to be physically in the room with the patient while they are taking the drug.


title: Mifepristone

text: Roussel Uclaf did not seek U.S. approval, so in the United States legal availability was not initially possible. The United States banned importation of mifepristone for personal use in 1989, a decision supported by Roussel Uclaf. In 1994, Roussel Uclaf gave the U.S. drug rights to the Population Council in exchange for immunity from any product liability claims. The Population Council sponsored clinical trials in the United States. The drug went on approvable status from 1996. Production was intended to begin through the Danco Group in 1996, but they withdrew briefly in 1997 due to a corrupt business partner, delaying availability again.


title: Mifepristone

text: In 2016, the US Food and Drug Administration approved mifepristone, to end a pregnancy through 70 days gestation (70 days or less since the first day of a woman's last menstrual period). The approved dosing regimen is 200 mg of mifepristone taken by mouth (swallowed).  24 to 48 hours after taking mifepristone, 800 mcg (micrograms) of misoprostol is taken buccally (in the cheek pouch), at a location appropriate for the patient.


title: Mifepristone

text: Mifepristone tablets have a marketing authorization in the United States for the treatment of high blood sugar caused by high cortisol levels in the blood (hypercortisolism) in adults with endogenous Cushing's syndrome who have type 2 diabetes mellitus or glucose intolerance and have failed surgery or cannot have surgery.


title: Mifepristone

text: In 2019, the first generic form of mifepristone in the United States became available, manufactured by GenBioPro.


title: Mifepristone

text: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, safe access to mifepristone was a concern, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists among other groups filed a lawsuit to relax the FDA's rule as to allow mifepristone to be acquired from mail-order and retail pharmacies. While the Fourth Circuit had granted a preliminary injunction to allow this distribution, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a stay order in January 2021 to retain the FDA's rule pending the results of the ongoing litigation.


title: Mifepristone

text: On 16 December 2021, the FDA voluntarily adopted a new rule permanently relaxing the requirement that the pill be obtained in person, allowing it to be sent through the mail. A prescription is still required, so that a doctor can screen for risk factors that would make taking the pill unsafe for the mother.


title: Mifepristone

text: Some drugs are approved by the FDA under subsection H, which has two subparts. The first sets forth ways to rush experimental drugs, such as aggressive HIV and cancer treatments, to market when speedy approval is deemed vital to the health of potential patients. The second part of subsection H applies to drugs that not only must meet restrictions for use due to safety requirements, but also are required to meet postmarketing surveillance to establish that the safety results shown in clinical trials are seconded by use in a much wider population. Until December 2021, Mifepristone was approved under the second part of subsection H. The result is that women could not pick the drug up at a pharmacy, but were required to receive it directly from a doctor. Due to the possibility of adverse reactions such as excessive bleeding, which may require a blood transfusion, and incomplete abortion, which may require surgical intervention, the drug was only considered safe if a physician who is capable of administering a blood transfusion or a surgical abortion is available to the patient in the event of such emergencies. The approval of mifepristone under subsection H included a black box warning.


title: Mifepristone

text: Outside the United States, mifepristone is marketed and distributed by Exelgyn Laboratories under the tradename Mifegyne. It was approved for use in France in 1988 (initial marketing in 1989), the United Kingdom in 1991, Sweden in 1992, then Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland in 1999. In 2000, it was approved in Norway, Russia and Ukraine. Serbia and Montenegro approved it in 2001, Belarus and Latvia in 2002, Estonia in 2003, Moldova in 2004, Albania and Hungary in 2005, Portugal in 2007, Romania in 2008, Bulgaria, Czech Republic and Slovenia in 2013. In Italy, clinical trials have been constrained by protocols requiring women be hospitalized for three days, but the drug was finally approved on 30 July 2009 (officialized later in the year), despite strong opposition from the Vatican. In Italy, the pill must be prescribed and used in a clinical structure and is not sold at chemists. It was approved in Hungary in 2005, but as of 2005 had not been released on the market yet, and was the target of protests. Mifepristone is currently licensed in Ireland for use of abortions up to 12 weeks since it was legalised in 2018. Mifepristone is not available in Poland, where abortion is highly restricted.


title: Mifepristone

text: Mifepristone 200 mg tablets (Mifegyne, Mifepristone Linepharma, Medabon) have marketing authorizations in the European Economic Area from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for:


title: Mifepristone

text: Mifepristone was banned in Australia in 1996. In late 2005, a private member's bill was introduced to the Australian Senate to lift the ban and transfer the power of approval to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). The move caused much debate in the Australian media and among politicians. The bill passed the Senate on 10 February 2006, and mifepristone is now legal in Australia. It is provided regularly at several specialized abortion clinics per state. Mifepristone 200 mg tablets have marketing authorizations in Australia from the TGA for early first trimester medication abortion when followed by the prostaglandin analog misoprostol through 63 days gestational age and second trimester medication abortion when followed by a prostaglandin analog.


title: Mifepristone

text: In New Zealand, pro-abortion rights doctors established an import company, Istar, and submitted a request for approval to Medsafe, the New Zealand pharmaceutical regulatory agency. After a court case brought by Right to Life New Zealand failed, use of mifepristone was permitted.


title: Mifepristone

text: Clinical trials of mifepristone in China began in 1985. In October 1988, China became the first country in the world to approve mifepristone. Chinese organizations tried to purchase mifepristone from Roussel Uclaf, which refused to sell it to them, so in 1992 China began its own domestic production of mifepristone. In 2000, the cost of medication abortion with mifepristone was higher than surgical abortion and the percentage of medication abortions varied greatly, ranging from 30% to 70% in cities to being almost nonexistent in rural areas.


title: Mifepristone

text: A report from the United States Embassy in Beijing in 2000 said mifepristone had been widely used in Chinese cities for about two years, and that according to press reports, a black market had developed with many women starting to buy it illegally (without a prescription) from private clinics and drugstores for about , causing Chinese authorities to worry about medical complications from use without physician supervision.


title: Mifepristone

text: In 2001, mifepristone was approved in Taiwan. Vietnam included mifepristone in the National Reproductive Health program in 2002.


title: Mifepristone

text: Mifepristone is approved in only one sub-Saharan African country—South Africa, where it was approved in 2001. It is also approved in one north African country—Tunisia, also in 2001.


title: Mifepristone

text: Mifepristone was approved for use in India in 2002, where medication abortion is referred to as "medical termination of pregnancy". It is only available under medical supervision, not by prescription, due to adverse reactions such as excessive bleeding, and criminal penalties are given for buying or selling it on the black market or over-the-counter at pharmacies.


title: Mifepristone

text: medication abortion used to be available in Canada but on a limited basis using methotrexate and misoprostol. Clinical trials were done in 2000 in various Canadian cities comparing methotrexate to mifepristone, after approbation by the federal government. While both drugs had overall similar results, mifepristone was found to act faster. Health Canada gave approval to mifepristone in July 2015. Initially, its use was limited to seven weeks into a pregnancy, but this was changed to nine weeks in 2017. The previous requirement of written consent from the woman was also ended at the same time. It can be dispensed directly to a patient by a pharmacist or a prescribing health professional. Women are required to have an ultrasound to ensure the pregnancy is not ectopic.


title: Mifepristone

text: Mifepristone was registered for use in Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Uzbekistan in 2002, in Guyana and Moldova in 2004, in Mongolia in 2005, and in Armenia in 2007.


title: Mifepristone

text: Low dose mifepristone tablets (Bi Yun, Fu Nai Er, Hou Ding Nuo, Hua Dian, Si Mi An) for emergency contraception are available directly from a pharmacist without a prescription and with a prescription in China.


title: Mifepristone

text: Low dose mifepristone tablets for emergency contraception are available by prescription in Armenia (Gynepriston), Russia (Agesta, Gynepriston, Mifepristone 72, Negele), Ukraine (Gynepriston), and Vietnam (Mifestad 10, Ciel EC).


title: Mifepristone

text: Many anti-abortion groups in the United States actively campaigned against the approval of mifepristone and continue to actively campaign for its withdrawal. They cite either ethical issues with abortion or safety concerns regarding the drug and the adverse reactions associated with it. In March 2022, during a debate in the Kentucky House of Representatives about anti-abortion legislation, Republican representative Danny Bentley made several false claims, including the assertion that mifepristone had originally been called Zyklon B and had been developed by the Nazis during World War Two. After several Jewish advocacy groups including the American Jewish Committee complained about Bentley's comments, he later apologized for any harm he had caused, stating that he "clearly should have been more sensitive with (his) comments", but failed to correct the false statement regarding the development of the drug.


title: Mifepristone

text: Religious and anti-abortion groups outside the United States have also protested mifepristone, especially in Germany and Australia.


title: Mifepristone

text: The original target for the research group was the discovery and development of compounds with antiglucocorticoid properties. These antiglucocorticoid properties are of great interest in the treatment of severe mood disorders and psychosis, although a review of published articles was inconclusive on their efficacy, and considered the use of these drugs in mood disorders at 'proof of concept' stage.


title: Mifepristone

text: Use of mifepristone as a cervical ripening agent has been described. The medication has been studied as an antiandrogen in the treatment of prostate cancer. Mifepristone showed no detectable anti-HIV activity in clinical trials.


title: Mifepristone

text: Mifepristone showed initial promise in psychotic major depression, a difficult-to-treat form of depression, but a phase-III clinical trial was terminated early due to lack of efficacy. It has been studied in bipolar disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, and anorexia nervosa.


title: Far side of the Moon

text: The far side of the Moon is the lunar hemisphere that always faces away from Earth, opposite to the near side, because of synchronous rotation in the Moon's orbit. Compared to the near side, the far side's terrain is rugged, with a multitude of impact craters and relatively few flat and dark lunar maria ("seas"), giving it an appearance closer to other barren places in the Solar System such as Mercury and Callisto. It has one of the largest craters in the Solar System, the South Pole–Aitken basin. The hemisphere is sometimes called the "dark side of the Moon", where "dark" means "unknown" instead of "lacking sunlight" each side of the Moon experiences two weeks of sunlight while the opposite side experiences two weeks of night.


title: Far side of the Moon

text: About 18 percent of the far side is occasionally visible from Earth due to libration. The remaining 82 percent remained unobserved until 1959, when it was photographed by the Soviet Luna 3 space probe. The Soviet Academy of Sciences published the first atlas of the far side in 1960. The Apollo 8 astronauts were the first humans to see the far side in person when they orbited the Moon in 1968. All manned and unmanned soft landings had taken place on the near side of the Moon, until 3 January 2019 when the Chang'e 4 spacecraft made the first landing on the far side.


title: Far side of the Moon

text: Astronomers have suggested installing a large radio telescope on the far side, where the Moon would shield it from possible radio interference from Earth.


title: Far side of the Moon

text: Tidal forces from Earth have slowed the Moon's rotation to the point where the same side is always facing the Earth—a phenomenon called tidal locking. The other face, most of which is never visible from the Earth, is therefore called the "far side of the Moon". Over time, some crescent-shaped edges of the far side can be seen due to libration. In total, 59 percent of the Moon's surface is visible from Earth at one time or another. Useful observation of the parts of the far side of the Moon occasionally visible from Earth is difficult because of the low viewing angle from Earth (they cannot be observed "full on").


title: Far side of the Moon

text: A common misconception is that the Moon does not rotate on its axis. If that were so, the whole of the Moon would be visible to Earth over the course of its orbit. Instead, its rotation period matches its orbital period, meaning it turns around once for every orbit it makes: in Earth terms, it could be said that its day and its year have the same length (i.e., ~29.5 earth days). This is, as stated, a result of tidal locking.


title: Far side of the Moon

text: The phrase "dark side of the Moon" does not refer to "dark" as in the absence of light, but rather "dark" as in unknown: until humans were able to send spacecraft around the Moon, this area had never been seen. While many misconstrue this to think that the "dark side" receives little to no sunlight, in reality, both the near and far sides receive (on average) almost equal amounts of light directly from the Sun. However, the near side also receives sunlight reflected from the Earth, known as earthshine. Earthshine does not reach the area of the far side that cannot be seen from Earth.


title: Far side of the Moon

text: At night under a "full Earth" the near side of the Moon receives on the order of 10 lux of illumination (about what a city sidewalk under streetlights gets; this is 34 times more light than is received on Earth under a full Moon) whereas the dark side of the Moon during the lunar night receives only about 0.001 lux of starlight. Only during a full Moon (as viewed from Earth) is the whole far side of the Moon dark. The word "dark" has expanded to refer also to the fact that communication with spacecraft can be blocked while the spacecraft is on the far side of the Moon, during Apollo space missions for example.


title: Far side of the Moon

text: The two hemispheres of the Moon have distinctly different appearances, with the near side covered in multiple, large "maria" (Latin for 'seas,' since the earliest astronomers incorrectly thought that these plains were seas of lunar water).


title: Far side of the Moon

text: The far side has a battered, densely cratered appearance with few maria. Only 1% of the surface of the far side is covered by maria, compared to 31.2% on the near side. One commonly accepted explanation for this difference is related to a higher concentration of heat-producing elements on the near-side hemisphere, as has been demonstrated by geochemical maps obtained from the Lunar Prospector gamma-ray spectrometer. While other factors, such as surface elevation and crustal thickness, could also affect where basalts erupt, these do not explain why the far side South Pole–Aitken basin (which contains the lowest elevations of the Moon and possesses a thin crust) was not as volcanically active as Oceanus Procellarum on the near side.


title: Far side of the Moon

text: It has also been proposed that the differences between the two hemispheres may have been caused by a collision with a smaller companion moon that also originated from the Theia collision. In this model, the impact led to an accretionary pile rather than a crater, contributing a hemispheric layer of extent and thickness that may be consistent with the dimensions of the far side highlands. However, the chemical composition of the far side is inconsistent with this model.


title: Far side of the Moon

text: The far side has more visible craters. This was thought to be a result of the effects of lunar lava flows, which cover and obscure craters, rather than a shielding effect from the Earth. NASA calculates that the Earth obscures only about 4 square degrees out of 41,000 square degrees of the sky as seen from the Moon. "This makes the Earth negligible as a shield for the Moon [and] it is likely that each side of the Moon has received equal numbers of impacts, but the resurfacing by lava results in fewer craters visible on the near side than the far side, even though both sides have received the same number of impacts."


title: Far side of the Moon

text: Newer research suggests that heat from Earth at the time when the Moon was formed is the reason the near side has fewer impact craters. The lunar crust consists primarily of plagioclases formed when aluminium and calcium condensed and combined with silicates in the mantle. The cooler far side experienced condensation of these elements sooner and so formed a thicker crust; meteoroid impacts on the near side would sometimes penetrate the thinner crust here and release basaltic lava that created the maria, but would rarely do so on the far side.


title: Far side of the Moon

text: Until the late 1950s, little was known about the far side of the Moon. Librations periodically allowed limited glimpses of features near the lunar limb on the far side, but only up to 59% of the total surface of the Moon. These features, however, were seen from a low angle, hindering useful observation (it proved difficult to distinguish a crater from a mountain range). The remaining 82% of the surface on the far side remained unknown, and its properties were subject to much speculation.


title: Far side of the Moon

text: An example of a far side feature that can be seen through libration is the Mare Orientale, which is a prominent impact basin spanning almost , yet this was not even named as a feature until 1906, by Julius Franz in "Der Mond". The true nature of the basin was discovered in the 1960s when rectified images were projected onto a globe. The basin was photographed in fine detail by Lunar Orbiter 4 in 1967.


title: Far side of the Moon

text: Before space exploration began, astronomers did not expect that the far side would be different from the side visible to Earth. On 7 October 1959, the Soviet probe Luna 3 took the first photographs of the lunar far side, eighteen of them resolvable, covering one-third of the surface invisible from the Earth. The images were analysed, and the first atlas of the far side of the Moon was published by the USSR Academy of Sciences on 6 November 1960. It included a catalog of 500 distinguished features of the landscape.


title: Far side of the Moon

text: In 1961, the first globe (1: scale) containing lunar features invisible from the Earth was released in the USSR, based on images from Luna 3. On 20 July 1965, another Soviet probe, Zond 3, transmitted 25 pictures of very good quality of the lunar far side, with much better resolution than those from Luna 3. In particular, they revealed chains of craters, hundreds of kilometers in length, but, unexpectedly, no mare plains like those visible from Earth with the naked eye.


title: Far side of the Moon

text: In 1967, the second part of the "Atlas of the Far Side of the Moon" was published in Moscow, based on data from Zond 3, with the catalog now including 4,000 newly discovered features of the lunar far side landscape. In the same year, the first "Complete Map of the Moon" (1: scale) and updated complete globe (1: scale), featuring 95 percent of the lunar surface, were released in the Soviet Union.


title: Far side of the Moon

text: As many prominent landscape features of the far side were discovered by Soviet space probes, Soviet scientists selected names for them. This caused some controversy, and the International Astronomical Union, leaving many of those names intact, later assumed the role of naming lunar features on this hemisphere.


title: Far side of the Moon

text: On 26 April 1962, NASA's Ranger 4 space probe became the first spacecraft to impact the far side of the Moon, although it failed to return any scientific data before impact.


title: Far side of the Moon

text: The first truly comprehensive and detailed mapping survey of the far side was undertaken by the American unmanned Lunar Orbiter program launched by NASA from 1966 to 1967. Most of the coverage of the far side was provided by the final probe in the series, Lunar Orbiter 5.


title: Far side of the Moon

text: The far side was first seen directly by human eyes during the Apollo 8 mission in December, 1968. Astronaut William Anders described the view:


title: Far side of the Moon

text: It has been seen by all 27 crew members of the Apollo 8 and Apollo 10 through Apollo 17 missions, and photographed by multiple lunar probes. Spacecraft passing behind the Moon were out of direct radio communication with the Earth, and had to wait until the orbit allowed transmission. During the Apollo missions, the main engine of the Service Module was fired when the vessel was behind the Moon, producing some tense moments in Mission Control before the craft reappeared.


title: Far side of the Moon

text: Geologist-astronaut Harrison Schmitt, who became the last to step onto the Moon, had aggressively lobbied for his landing site to be on the far side of the Moon, targeting the lava-filled crater Tsiolkovskiy. Schmitt's ambitious proposal included a special communications satellite based on the existing TIROS satellites to be launched into a Farquhar–Lissajous halo orbit around the L2 point so as to maintain line-of-sight contact with the astronauts during their powered descent and lunar surface operations. NASA administrators rejected these plans on the grounds of added risk and lack of funding.


title: Far side of the Moon

text: The idea of utilizing Earth–Moon for communications satellite covering the Moon's far side has been realized, as China National Space Administration launched Queqiao relay satellite in 2018. It has since been used for communications between the Chang'e 4 lander and "Yutu 2" rover that have successfully landed in early 2019 on the lunar far side and ground stations on the Earth. And L2 is proposed to be "an ideal location" for a propellant depot as part of the proposed depot-based space transportation architecture.


title: Far side of the Moon

text: The China National Space Administration's "Chang'e 4" achieved humanity's first ever soft landing on the lunar far side on 3 January 2019 and deployed "Yutu-2" lunar rover onto far side lunar surface.


title: Far side of the Moon

text: The craft included a lander equipped with a low-frequency radio spectrograph and geological research tools. The far side of the Moon provides a good environment for radio astronomy as interferences from the Earth are blocked by the Moon.


title: Far side of the Moon

text: In February 2020, Chinese astronomers reported, for the first time, a high-resolution image of a lunar ejecta sequence, and, as well, direct analysis of its internal architecture. These were based on observations made by the Lunar Penetrating Radar (LPR) on board the "Yutu-2" rover.