‘Nepo baby’ uproar in Philippines after Gen Z jet-setter named urban poor commissioner

South China Morning Post - Oct 21, 2026

A Gen Z jet-setter in the Philippines has been named commissioner for the urban poor, raising eyebrows over her qualifications for a position dealing with issues such as food and housing insecurity. Zofia Canlas took her oath as commissioner for the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) on Monday, but drew widespread attention for social media photos depicting a fashion-forward lifestyle and lavish getaways, such as posing in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and other trips around...

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SC ruling shows 2024, 2025 GAAs ‘worst’ in history – Lacson

Oct 21, 2026

SC ruling shows 2024, 2025 GAAs ‘worst’ in history – Lacson

MANILA, Philippines — The General Appropriations Acts (GAAs) for 2024 and 2025 will go down in history as the worst budgets approved by Congress, Sen. Panfilo Lacson declared on Wednesday. This came after the Supreme Court (SC) ruled on Tuesday that some provisions in the 2024 and 2025 GAAs were unconstitutional. “The 2024 and 2025

2 Cagayan de Oro cops probed after guns stolen from car

Oct 21, 2026

2 Cagayan de Oro cops probed after guns stolen from car

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The Police Regional Office-10 (PRO-10) has launched an investigation to determine the administrative liability of two police officers whose government-issued firearms were stolen from their parked car while they were at a beach resort here over the weekend. The officers, who are assigned to Police Station 10 in Barangay Cugman,

Taal Volcano logs fifth eruption this October; alert level 1 stays

Oct 21, 2026

Taal Volcano logs fifth eruption this October; alert level 1 stays

LUCENA CITY — Taal Volcano in Batangas province recorded another phreatic, or steam-driven, eruption within the past 24 hours, bringing to five the number of reported eruptions this month, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs). In its morning bulletin on Wednesday, Oct. 21, Phivolcs said the latest eruption, locally known as

4 BIFF fighters surrender, yield guns in Maguindanao del Sur

Oct 21, 2026

4 BIFF fighters surrender, yield guns in Maguindanao del Sur

COTABATO CITY – Four members of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) have surrendered along with their firearms, embracing peace under the government’s “Balik-Loob Program” in Maguindanao del Sur. Lt. Col. Williard Maquida, commander of the Army’s 34th Infantry Battalion, presented the Islamic extremists to Brig. Gen. Gremel Brual, commander of the 601st Infantry Brigade on Tuesday

Rosal to bring heavy rains, strong winds to Luzon despite no landfall

Oct 21, 2026

Rosal to bring heavy rains, strong winds to Luzon despite no landfall

MANILA, Philippines — Due to the size of Super Typhoon Rosal (international name: Champi), heavy rains and strong winds are expected to affect several parts of Luzon on Wednesday, even though the storm is not expected to make landfall in the country, the state weather bureau said. According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical

Strongest storm of the year barrels towards Taiwan and mainland China

Oct 21, 2026

Strongest storm of the year barrels towards Taiwan and mainland China

As Super Typhoon Champi – now the strongest storm of the year worldwide – barrels towards eastern China, authorities are planning evacuations and urging those in its path to prepare. Airports in major Chinese cities could be affected by the storm, including Wenzhou Longwan, Fuzhou Changle, Ningbo Lishe, Hangzhou Xiaoshan, Shanghai Hongqiao, Shanghai Pudong and Xiamen Gaoqi, according to aviation data platform VariFlight. Travellers are bracing for potential disruptions, though there have been no...

Malaysia bars civil servants from using Waze, citing Israel’s control of app

Oct 21, 2026

Malaysia bars civil servants from using Waze, citing Israel’s control of app

All civil servants in Malaysia have been banned from using Waze, following a warning by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of security concerns over the Israeli government’s control of the mobile navigation app. The government announced the decision after a National Cyber Security Committee (NCSC) meeting chaired by Anwar on Tuesday, according to an official circular. “In this regard, all ministry secretaries-general and heads of department must make sure this decision is communicated to all officers...

Palace on Atong Ang escape: Investigation needed to find lapses

Oct 21, 2026

Palace on Atong Ang escape: Investigation needed to find lapses

Malacañang on Wednesday said there's a need to investigate to find out the lapses that led to the escape from the country of businessman Atong Ang, who is facing charges in connection with the alleged killing and disappearance of cockfighting enthusiasts, the so-called missing sabungeros.

EU warns websites may need to be taken offline as PHP prepares patches for vulnerabilities

Oct 21, 2026

EU warns websites may need to be taken offline as PHP prepares patches for vulnerabilities

PHP is used across large parts of the internet, and speculation has circulated over the past day that websites running the software could be exposed to serious cyber intrusions

Singapore hits back over claims it rigged Indonesia’s stock market crash

Oct 21, 2026

Singapore hits back over claims it rigged Indonesia’s stock market crash

Singapore’s state investor Temasek has denied involvement in Indonesia’s looming MSCI reclassification, following accusations that the city state’s sovereign wealth funds were pulling strings behind the scenes for their own gain. On Wednesday, Fock Wai Hoong, head of Asia-Pacific at Temasek Global Investments, said the claims had “no basis” and were “patently untrue”. Former Indonesian trade minister Muhammad Lutfi on Monday claimed that Singapore’s sovereign wealth funds, Temasek and GIC, were...

China-US team’s ‘gold factory’ relic; next-gen diabetes care: 7 science highlights

Oct 21, 2026

China-US team’s ‘gold factory’ relic; next-gen diabetes care: 7 science highlights

We have put together stories from our coverage on science from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China breakthrough unlocks low-cost, high-margin sustainable aviation fuel Chinese researchers have developed a catalyst that converts synthesis gas into sustainable jet fuel – an advance that could boost production, help meet net-zero carbon goals and yield a gross profit margin above 50 per cent. 2. Landmark...

Amirudin dodges call for Anwar to address fake social media support allegations, warns of AI threat

Oct 21, 2026

Amirudin dodges call for Anwar to address fake social media support allegations, warns of AI threat

PARLIAMENT | PKR VP calls for guidelines amid fears of public manipulation.

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