Author: WWC NEWSDESK

Lifestyle

TV Owners, Take Note: New Digital Sets in PH Must Carry Emergency Alerts—Here’s What Happens When Disaster Strikes

MANILA, Philippines — Buying a television in the Philippines may soon mean getting more than sharper pictures and clearer sound. Digital television sets sold in the country are required to have a built-in Emergency Warning Broadcast System (EWBS) capable of delivering alerts about impending or ongoing emergencies, according to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC). The development is part of the Philippines’ continuing transition from analog to digital terrestrial television, a shif

August 16, 2026

Asia

Kim and Putin Tighten Russia-North Korea Alliance—But What Comes Next Could Reshape Asia

SEOUL — A relationship once rooted largely in Cold War history is becoming a far more consequential strategic partnership. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin have reaffirmed their countries' deepening ties, with the exchange coming as Pyongyang marked Korea's 81st Liberation Day anniversary and Russia's war in Ukraine continues to reshape security calculations across Asia and Europe. Kim sent a message to Putin in response to the Russian president's congratula

August 16, 2026

Lifestyle

16 YAKAP Clinics Now Ready in Mountain Province—But Many PhilHealth Members May Still Be Missing Out on These Free Benefits

BAUKO, Mountain Province — PhilHealth members in Mountain Province now have more opportunities to access preventive healthcare as 16 health facilities across the province have been accredited as Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP) clinics. The expansion is part of PhilHealth’s push to bring primary healthcare closer to communities while encouraging members to seek medical attention before illnesses become more serious and costly to treat. The 16 accredited facilities include 10 Rural Health Uni

August 16, 2026

Asia

BANGLADESH DRAWS THE LINE: PM Tarique Rahman Won’t Go to India Until Sheikh Hasina Is Extradited — What Happens Next?

DHAKA — Bangladesh has raised the stakes in its increasingly tense relationship with India, saying Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s proposed visit to New Delhi cannot move forward until Dhaka sees progress on its demand for the extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The development puts Hasina — who has been living in India since fleeing Bangladesh during the 2024 uprising — at the centre of a potentially major diplomatic confrontation between the two South Asian neighbours. Bangla

August 16, 2026

Asia

Indonesia’s Transgender Community Under Attack: What’s Behind the Sudden Wave of Violence?

JAKARTA, Indonesia — A growing climate of fear is gripping Indonesia’s transgender community as attacks against trans women, increasingly hostile policies and anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric raise fresh concerns over the safety and rights of one of the country’s most vulnerable groups. The issue has drawn renewed international attention after a series of attacks against transgender women in Bogor, West Java, where LGBTQIA+ advocacy group Pelangi Nusantara documented 10 attacks between March 30 and July 15

August 16, 2026

Lifestyle

165,000 Doxycycline Capsules Inihanda ng Maynila Laban sa Leptospirosis—Pero Sino-Sino ang Maaaring Makakuha?

MANILA — Umabot sa 165,000 kapsula ng doxycycline ang inihanda ng lokal na pamahalaan ng Maynila bilang karagdagang proteksyon para sa mga residenteng nalantad sa baha at posibleng panganib ng leptospirosis, kasunod ng ilang araw na matinding pag-ulan sa Metro Manila. Ayon kay Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso, nakahanda ang mga gamot para sa mga nangangailangan at available sa mga health center sa iba't ibang distrito ng lungsod. Ang paghahanda ay bahagi ng mas malawak na disaster

August 16, 2026

Asia

DAP Was Ready to Walk Away From Anwar’s Government — Then Malaysia’s Crucial Vote Changed Everything

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia — Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government has avoided a potentially explosive political crisis after Malaysia’s Democratic Action Party (DAP) overwhelmingly voted to keep its ministers in the federal Cabinet. At the party’s national congress in Putrajaya on Sunday, 1,857 of 2,106 valid secret ballots — or 88.2% — backed continued participation in the government. Only 242 voted for DAP ministers to leave, while seven ballots were spoiled. The decision gives Anwar a m

August 16, 2026

Politics

Truth Commission, Nagbukas na ng Unang Pagdinig sa Drug War—Pero Ano ang Lalabas sa Mga Kuwento ng mga Pamilyang Ilang Taon Nang Naghihintay ng Hustisya?

MANILA, Philippines — Matapos ang mga taon ng paghihintay, muling nabigyan ng pagkakataon ang mga pamilya ng umano’y biktima ng madugong kampanya kontra droga noong administrasyon ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na magsalita at maitala ang kanilang mga karanasan. Isinagawa noong Agosto 14, 2026 ang unang public “truth-telling session” ng Philippine Truth Commission, isang independent, civil society-led initiative na naglalayong tipunin at idokumento ang mga salaysay ng mga pamilya at iba pa

August 16, 2026

Asia

300,000+ Rohingya Cleared to Return to Myanmar — But One Major Problem Could Stop Them

BANGKOK — Myanmar says it has verified more than 300,000 Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh as former residents of Rakhine State and could accept them back once security conditions improve. The announcement comes as the Rohingya refugee crisis approaches its ninth year, reviving hopes of a possible breakthrough while also exposing the enormous obstacles standing between verification and an actual return. According to Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh submitted a list of 828

August 16, 2026

Asia

ALEX EALA READY TO SACRIFICE WTA RUN FOR PH GOLD—BUT ONE BIG DECISION REMAINS

MANILA, Philippines — Fresh from making Philippine tennis history on the WTA Tour, Alex Eala is facing another career-defining decision—and this time, the prize is not another ranking point or tournament trophy, but a chance to win Asian Games gold for the Philippines. The 21-year-old tennis star is prepared to prioritize the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, even if it means missing the prestigious China Open, a WTA 1000 tournament scheduled during the same period. Philippine Lawn Tennis Ass

August 16, 2026