Category: Politics

Philippines

Sablayan’s Flood-Control Walls Collapsed and ₱1.4 Billion in Damage Followed — But Residents Want DPWH to Answer One Bigger Question

SABLAYAN, Occidental Mindoro — Residents in flood-hit communities are pressing the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for urgent repairs and accountability after flood-control structures in Sablayan failed during weeks of heavy rain, leaving homes and farmland exposed to another round of flooding. The renewed appeal comes as Sablayan struggles to recover from a disaster that has affected all 22 barangays, damaged critical infrastructure and pushed losses in the municipality to rough

August 29, 2026

Philippines

Ombudsman Now Has 42 Witnesses vs. Romualdez—But the Flood Control Case Is Taking an Unexpected Turn

MANILA, Philippines — The high-stakes investigation into alleged irregularities involving multibillion-peso flood control projects has taken another dramatic turn, with the Office of the Ombudsman saying it now has 42 witnesses connected to its complaints against Leyte Rep. and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. But as the number of witnesses cited by investigators grows, so does the fierce dispute over who is telling the truth—and whether the recantations that have rocked the case should c

August 28, 2026

Philippines

Four Senators Stop Taking Their Salaries—But What Happens to the Unclaimed Public Funds?

MANILA, Philippines — Four Philippine senators who are currently unable or unavailable to perform their regular Senate duties are voluntarily giving up their salaries, according to Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian—an arrangement that has also renewed questions about whether the Senate should adopt a formal “no work, no pay” policy for lawmakers. Gatchalian said senators who are detained, considered at large, or on extended leave have chosen not to collect their salaries while they remain awa

August 28, 2026

Politics

US Turns Up the Heat on Iran — But China May Be the Real Target in Washington’s Economic War

Washington’s escalating campaign to isolate Iran is putting China and other major trading partners on notice, raising the stakes in an economic confrontation that could reach far beyond Tehran. The United States is widening its economic pressure campaign against Iran — and China is increasingly finding itself in the crossfire. Washington this week launched what it calls Operation Economic Outcast, a broad effort aimed at cutting off the financial networks, trade routes and overseas partners th

August 28, 2026

Politics

Russia Is Still Fighting—But Putin May Be Running Out of Ways to Win in Ukraine

Four and a half years into the war, Russia remains dangerous and powerful. But behind the missiles, territorial gains and battlefield pressure, a more troubling question is emerging for the Kremlin: what is Moscow’s realistic path to victory? Russia is not collapsing, and anyone predicting an imminent military or economic breakdown would be getting ahead of the evidence. Moscow still controls large areas of Ukrainian territory, retains a much larger population and resource base than Ukraine, a

August 28, 2026

Politics

Iceland Votes on Reopening Its EU Door After Trump’s Greenland Threats — But the Real Battle Isn’t About Trump

REYKJAVÍK, Iceland — For decades, Iceland’s argument over joining the European Union has revolved around fish, money and sovereignty. Then Donald Trump put Greenland at the centre of an international confrontation — and repeatedly called it Iceland. Now one of Europe’s smallest nations is preparing for a referendum that could produce consequences far larger than its population of roughly 400,000 would suggest. On Saturday, August 29, Icelanders will answer a deceptively simple question: Shoul

August 28, 2026

Philippines

Transparent Bags in Schools? More Cebu Mayors Back the Move After Recent Campus Violence

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Transparent school bags could soon become a more common sight in Cebu classrooms as local leaders consider tougher security measures following recent incidents of violence involving students across the Philippines. Several Cebu local governments are now backing or studying the use of see-through bags to make school entry inspections easier, but officials are also stressing that transparent bags alone cannot solve the deeper problem of campus violence. In Cebu City, May

August 28, 2026

Philippines

Moro Ako’s BARMM Election Bid Hits Another Wall—Comelec Stands Firm on Cancellation

MANILA, Philippines — The Moro Ako Party has suffered another setback ahead of the historic 2026 Bangsamoro parliamentary elections after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) denied its motion for reconsideration and upheld the cancellation of its registration and accreditation as a regional parliamentary political party. In its latest ruling, the Comelec en banc found no merit in Moro Ako's appeal, effectively affirming its earlier decision to cancel the party's accreditation for the Septembe

August 28, 2026

Politics

Norway’s King Harald V Dies at 89—What Happens to the Throne Now?

OSLO, Norway — Norway’s King Harald V, Europe’s oldest reigning monarch and a widely respected figure who helped modernize the country’s royal family, has died at the age of 89, the Norwegian Royal Palace announced on Friday, August 28. The palace said King Harald died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital at 6:35 a.m. local time, following a period of serious health complications. His death marks the end of a reign that spanned more than three decades and opens a new chapter for Norway’s mona

August 28, 2026

Politics

Lee Hsien Loong Warns Singapore Must ‘Remake’ Its Economy as Global Trade Fractures — But His Kazakhstan Message Reveals a Bigger Strategy

ASTANA/SINGAPORE — Singapore cannot protect its future by retreating behind economic walls, even as geopolitical rivalry intensifies, supply chains become strategic weapons and the global trading system comes under growing strain. That was the central warning from Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong during a major speech in Kazakhstan on Thursday, August 27 — but behind the warning was an equally important message about where Singapore may look for its next generation of economic opportunities. Sp

August 28, 2026