Malacañang has ordered shortened work hours in Executive branch offices on Sept. 28 to allow government employees to spend time with their families in observance of the 34th National Family Week and Kainang Pamilya Mahalaga Day. Under Memorandum Circular No. 136 signed by Executive Secretary Ralph Recto on Sept. 16, work in government offices under…
The proposed Php 5.088-billion budget of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development for 2027 is expected to support government programs on affordable housing, subsidized financing and shelter assistance, Iloilo City Rep. Julienne Baronda said. Baronda, vice chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, defended the proposed budget of the DHSUD and its attached…
The Department of Information and Communications Technology said Thursday it accepts the House of Representatives’ decision to defer deliberations on its proposed budget while concerns involving Meta remain unresolved. The DICT said it respects the House’s oversight function and supports efforts to strengthen accountability among technology platforms, particularly on issues involving online sexual abuse and…
(Photo: Anadolu) BEIRUT – Israeli forces continued attacks across southern Lebanon on Thursday, while Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said ongoing strikes and Israel’s continued presence in parts of the south were hampering implementation of a US-mediated security framework. Lebanon’s National News Agency reported Israeli airstrikes, artillery fire, demolitions and other military activity in several southern…
TOKYO – The number of foreign visitors to Japan fell 9.6 percent year on year in August to about 3.1 million, marking the first decline in two months, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. The drop was largely attributed to a continued decline in travelers from mainland China, where arrivals plunged 59 percent from…
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines has completed five transmission projects this year worth about Php 7.19 billion, while six more projects valued at around Php 23.54 billion are targeted for completion within the next 12 months. Completed projects include the Nagsaag-Tumana 69-kilovolt transmission line in eastern Pangasinan, the Tacurong-Kalamansig 69-kV transmission line in…
(Photo courtesy of Philippine Army) TACLOBAN CITY – Four members of the New People’s Army have surrendered to government forces in Samar Island, citing appeals from their families and hardships they experienced while in the underground movement, the Army’s 8th Infantry Division said Thursday. The four, identified by the aliases Junjun, Yana, Tanggol and Digma,…
(Photo: Anadolu) A group of international researchers said climate change likely played a destabilizing role in last month’s deadly flash floods and mudslides along the Nepal-China border, though it was not the sole cause of the disaster. In a report released Thursday, World Weather Attribution said the event resulted from a combination of geological conditions…
(Photo: Anadolu) BERLIN – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and US President Donald Trump discussed efforts to end the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea during a phone call on Thursday. German government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said the two leaders exchanged views on the next steps toward…
(Photo: Anadolu) WASHINGTON – A group of US Senate Democrats urged Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio to ensure the State Department is fully involved in the Pentagon-led review of the US military posture in Europe. In a letter to Rubio, the senators said decisions on troop deployments and force posture should…