General

Beijing: Authorities in China have issued high heat warnings for 754 provinces, cities, and counties as the strongest heat wave of 2025 grips East Asia, local media reported Friday. According to Philippines News Agency, citing state media, the warning was first issued at 4:30 p.m. local time (1330 GMT) and extended into Saturday, with some areas upgraded to a yellow high temperature alert-one of the country’s top-tier heat warnings. In many parts of the region, temperatures have already exceeded 40°C (104°F), while much of eastern China, the country’s most populous area, is experiencing widespread heat above 35°C (95°F). Widespread heat

Astana: The Philippines secured four silvers and four bronzes on Saturday to increase its medal haul at the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan. Jhodie Peralta of Zamboanga City pocketed five medals in the women’s 53kg class at Qazaqstan Arena. According to Philippines News Agency, in the Youth category, Peralta placed second in snatch (84kg), clean and jerk (97kg), and total (181kg). In the Junior category, she was third in snatch (84kg) and total (181kg), and fifth in the clean and jerk (97kg). Jerick Icon Castro, competing in the Youth 56kg category, claimed one silver in snatch

Manila: Microsoft is shutting down its direct operations in Pakistan, ending a 25-year presence in the country, in a move it described as a strategic shift to a partner-led model. According to Philippines News Agency, a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed the company will now serve Pakistani customers through resellers and “other closely located Microsoft offices,” as reported by TechCrunch. The spokesperson emphasized that Microsoft has successfully implemented this model in several other countries and assured that customers will continue to receive the same level of service. The Pakistan Ministry of IT and Telecom stated it would continue to engage with Microsoft’s

Manila: The eight OPEC+ countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman, have announced a production adjustment of 548,000 barrels per day for August 2025, based on the required production level set in July 2025. According to Philippines News Agency, this decision comes amid a steady global economic outlook and healthy market fundamentals, reflected in low oil inventories. It aligns with the decision made on December 5, 2024, to gradually and flexibly return to the 2.2 million barrels per day voluntary adjustments starting from April 1, 2025. The eight participating countries, which had previously

Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has assured citizens that the government’s initiative to offer rice at PHP20 per kilo is a permanent program and will soon be accessible in more public markets across the country. According to Philippines News Agency, the program is currently being implemented through Kadiwa ng Pangulo outlets to support vulnerable populations. This effort is part of the administration’s strategy to provide affordable food and bolster the agriculture sector by fostering collaboration between national and local governments. Marcos emphasized the sustainability of the initiative, known as “Benteng Bigas Meron na! (BBM),” which was one of his