LEGAZPI CITY — The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in Bicol is adjusting planting schedules and irrigation strategies to help farmers cope with potential water shortages as El Niño threatens agricultural production. NIA Bicol Regional Manager Guadencio John De Vera said the agency is monitoring river conditions, particularly water discharge, to guide farmers on when to

Malacañang on Friday rejected Senator Alan Peter Cayetano's claim that the Marcos administration played a role in Senator Mark Villar's recent transfer to the majority.

Malaysia’s government will boost spending on social welfare while maintaining subsidies to rein in the cost of living under its 2027 Budget unveiled on Friday, as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim seeks to shore up public support while under pressure to call for an early general election. Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) has suffered bruising defeats in a series of state elections since December, as voters expressed disapproval of his administration’s failure to deliver on promises of reforms, which had...

P-pop icon SB19 leads local artists rallying behind a new Senate bill that aims to break down travel and visa barriers for Filipino creatives

The electric cooperative attributes the outages to ongoing national-funded substation upgrades, promising Phase 1 completion in 2026 amid rising public frustration over their unreliable services

MANILA, Philippines — A new low-pressure area (LPA) formed outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Friday but is unlikely to develop into a tropical cyclone within the next 24 hours, according to the state weather bureau. In its morning weather forecast, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the LPA

A Hong Kong court has sentenced a former university student to seven years in prison for raping and sexually targeting five women, with some of the crimes taking place at orientation camps. The 31-year-old defendant was sentenced on Friday at the High Court after a jury found him guilty of one count of rape, another of voyeurism and three counts of indecent assault. The five convictions concerned offences committed between January and August 2023. The defendant, identified only by his initials...

MANILA, Philippines — The prosecution’s presentation of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) as a witness in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial is expected to conclude on Friday, with a forensic financial analyst expected to take the stand immediately after and tie together the panel’s evidence. On the 37th day of Duterte’s trial, the

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent may skip a meeting of Apec finance ministers in Hong Kong later this month to focus on preparing for President Donald Trump’s historic visit to Shenzhen in November, sources told the South China Morning Post. Bessent is expected to meet Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng in Shenzhen ahead of Trump’s visit – when Trump will again hold talks with President Xi Jinping – as the two sides look to secure a longer extension of the bilateral trade truce, which is due to...

The murder trial of Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung has been delayed again while the court addresses legal issues raised by lawyers in the high-profile case. Deputy High Court Judge Brian Keith told the nine-member jury on Friday that the hearing would resume on Monday after the legal arguments concluded. Choi’s mother, Cheung Yin-fa, had been expected to face cross-examination by counsel for Choi’s ex-husband, Alex Kwong Kong-chi, on the fifth day of her testimony. He is standing trial...