Photo courtesy of Anadolu US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs of as much as 100 percent on imported drones and key components, escalating Washington’s push to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers for technology considered sensitive to national security. The highest tariff covered drones weighing more than 25 kilograms, units with thermal imaging capabilities, their docking…
Photo courtesy of Anadolu Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged US President Donald Trump to exempt Australia from Washington’s latest tariffs, arguing that the long-standing alliance and strong trade ties between the two countries warranted special consideration. Albanese said he raised the request during a roughly 40-minute phone call with Trump on Friday, which Australian…
Photo courtesy of Anadolu South Korean President Lee Jae Myung favored changing the country’s presidential system to allow two four-year terms while giving more authority to the National Assembly, a presidential official said Friday. The proposal marked a possible shift from South Korea’s current system, which limits presidents to a single five-year term and places…
Photo courtesy of Anadolu Torrential rain battered Chiba Prefecture near Tokyo, prompting Japan’s weather agency to issue its highest Level 5 heavy rain warning across more than a third of the prefecture’s municipalities. Authorities urged residents to take immediate action as flooding and landslide risks intensified, with several local governments placed under the highest level…
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian. Photo courtesy of Senate of the Philippines. Senate President Win Gatchalian on Friday threw his support behind the proposed Pax Silica initiative, describing it as a major economic opportunity while stressing that safeguards must come first. Gatchalian made the remarks during a Senate hearing on the project, where lawmakers examined its…
Vice President Sara Duterte’s lawyers on Friday intensified their challenge to the grave threats case against her by asking the Quezon City Regional Trial Court to hold oral arguments on their pending motion to quash. Her legal team had earlier questioned the court’s authority to hear the case, citing lack of jurisdiction as its main…
Photo courtesy of Avito Dalan/PNA A Senate hearing renewed scrutiny of system loss charges on electricity bills as lawmakers pressed for safeguards against avoidable losses without weakening the financial capacity of distribution utilities. Sen. Erwin Tulfo said reforms should preserve a reliable and financially stable power sector while ensuring that consumers do not end up…
Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO) chief Dr. Maria Socorro Quiñon. Photo courtesy of PNA. Iloilo recorded 10 deaths from leptospirosis from January to Aug. 8, double the five fatalities logged during the same period last year, according to the Provincial Health Office. The province reported 84 cases across 32 local government units, down 16 percent…
Photo courtesy of DICT-5 More than 1,200 digital and digitally enabled jobs were offered to applicants as the Department of Information and Communications Technology opened its first Trabahang Digital Job Fair in Naga City. The two-day event offered 1,222 vacancies to about 1,500 pre-registered jobseekers, according to DICT Bicol. Available positions covered software development, cybersecurity,…
Photo courtesy of PNA Guimaras recorded slower inflation in July, bucking the broader acceleration in Western Visayas as price growth in the province eased to 4.6 percent from 5.1 percent in June. The Philippine Statistics Authority said Guimaras was the only province in the region where inflation decelerated during the month. Its rate was also…