Vietnam's university admissions policies fuel costly IELTS race among high school students

VNExpress - Oct 15, 2026

University admissions policies that convert IELTS scores into English exam marks or bonus points have triggered a surge in demand for the English proficiency test, turning it into a potential deciding factor for tens of thousands of applicants.

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No talks of Dy being prepped as VP: Too premature, says Luistro, Garin

Oct 15, 2026

No talks of Dy being prepped as VP: Too premature, says Luistro, Garin

MANILA, Philippines — Two ranking lawmakers from the House of Representatives have shot down rumors that Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III is being considered as the replacement for Vice President Sara Duterte, in case she is convicted by the Senate Impeachment Court. In separate interviews on Thursday, both Deputy Speaker Janette Garin and Batangas Rep.

Northeasterly winds, ITCZ to bring rains in PH on Friday

Oct 15, 2026

Northeasterly winds, ITCZ to bring rains in PH on Friday

MANILA, Philippines — The northeasterly winds and the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) will continue to affect parts of the country on Friday, Oct. 16, the state weather bureau said. According to its 5 p.m. weather advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms will

The China decoupling paradox: why the world still needs its manufacturing machine

Oct 15, 2026

The China decoupling paradox: why the world still needs its manufacturing machine

Talk of global decoupling from China has persisted for years, as has speculation that emerging economies such as India and Vietnam could soon replace it as the “world’s factory”. But for Indian hardware engineer Neeraj Arora, the growth of India’s electronics manufacturing industry has not eliminated the need to source components from China. Instead, it has changed the nature of those imports. A decade ago, Arora imported finished phone chargers from the world’s second-largest economy. Today,...

Visa’s China approval a ‘direct outcome’ of Trump-Xi summit, Beijing says

Oct 15, 2026

Visa’s China approval a ‘direct outcome’ of Trump-Xi summit, Beijing says

China said on Thursday that the recent government approval allowing American bank card payment giant Visa to operate in the country was the “direct outcome” of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the United States last month. “The Visa card was granted permission to establish a banking card clearing institution,” said Qiu Wenxing, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Chinese embassy in Washington. “It is a direct outcome of the presidential summit.” Visa received administrative approval...

Trump press secretary Katie Zacharia never passed bar exam, wrongly claims China has none

Oct 15, 2026

Trump press secretary Katie Zacharia never passed bar exam, wrongly claims China has none

White House press secretary Katie Zacharia has acknowledged that she never passed a bar exam, days after telling reporters she had passed one “when I moved to China”. In an interview with the conservative commentator Jack Posobiec on right-wing streaming channel Real America’s Voice on Thursday, Zacharia said she sat the California bar exam after graduating from Pepperdine University’s law school in 2011 but did not pass. She said the results were “somewhat inconsequential, because I knew I...

PCSO lotto results Oct. 15: ₱50.42M jackpot has no winner

Oct 15, 2026

PCSO lotto results Oct. 15: ₱50.42M jackpot has no winner

MANILA, Philippines—No bettor won the ₱50.42 million Super Lotto 6/49 jackpot or the ₱10 million Lotto 6/42 jackpot in the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) draws on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. According to the PCSO, the winning combination for Super Lotto 6/49 was 13-42-11-37-01-20, with a jackpot prize of ₱50.42 million. No ticket matched all

PSHS-QC campus suspends in-person classes due to flu-like illness

Oct 15, 2026

PSHS-QC campus suspends in-person classes due to flu-like illness

MANILA, Philippines — In-person classes were suspended in Philippine Science High School – Main Campus in Quezon City on Friday, Oct. 16, until Tuesday next week, due to reported cases of influenza-like illnesses. In an advisory, the campus announced that club and homeroom meetings on Friday will be held online. However, its card-giving activity to

SWS: 51% of Filipinos satisfied with VP Duterte’s performance

Oct 15, 2026

SWS: 51% of Filipinos satisfied with VP Duterte’s performance

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte continued to post the highest net satisfaction rating among four top government officials, despite a 10-point decline, according to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey. The SWS conducted the survey from Sept. 21 to 27 through face-to-face interviews with 1,500 Filipino adults ages 18 and older nationwide. The

WATCH: Mindanao politician linked to Laos drug flight tops INQToday newscast

Oct 15, 2026

WATCH: Mindanao politician linked to Laos drug flight tops INQToday newscast

MANILA, Philippines — Here are INQToday’s top stories this evening: The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency says a politician from Mindanao financed the chartered flight linked to the seizure of 521 kilograms of suspected shabu in Laos. A witness also told a court that a “maleta” was allegedly sent to Senators Vicente Sotto III, Stella Quimbo

Anti-crime group chief, 4 others face arson charges at DOJ

Oct 15, 2026

Anti-crime group chief, 4 others face arson charges at DOJ

MANILA, Philippines — United Pilipino Against Crime and Corruption (UPACC) Chairperson Pyra Nucum Lucas and four other individuals face an “destructive arson” complaint before the Department of Justice (DOJ) for allegedly intentionally burning a couple’s newly-built home in Capas, Tarlac. Complainants Emil and Analyn Cadiang — the couple who filed the complaint against Lucas, Arthur

Barbers: Prosecution should seek 16 votes despite 14-vote threshold

Oct 15, 2026

Barbers: Prosecution should seek 16 votes despite 14-vote threshold

MANILA, Philippines —  House prosecutors should still prefer to get 16 votes to convict Vice President Sara Duterte even though the Senate impeachment court had already adopted a lower threshold that will allow a verdict with 14 votes. Former Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, House impeachment adviser and trial spokesperson, explained in a statement that getting

Palace says Marcos listens to the public; Duterte leads in trust ratings

Oct 15, 2026

Palace says Marcos listens to the public; Duterte leads in trust ratings

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. listens to public concerns and considers the needs of different sectors when planning and implementing government programs, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Thursday Her statement came after Pulse Asia Research’s September 2026 Ulat ng Bayan survey found that 49 percent of respondents disapproved of Marcos’ performance, while

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