Day: March 26, 2026

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran on Wednesday dismissed an American plan to pause the war in the Middle East and launched more attacks on Israel and Gulf Arab countries, including strikes that hit a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, sparking a fire.

Iran’s defiance came as Israel launched airstrikes on Tehran and as the United States deployed paratroopers and more Marines to the region.

A Los Angeles jury has handed down an unprecedented win for a young woman who sued Meta and YouTube over her childhood addiction to social media.

Jurors found that Meta, which owns Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, and Google, owner of YouTube, intentionally built addictive social media platforms that harmed the 20-year old’s mental health.

A wildfire forecasting system powered by artificial intelligence (AI) could help detect dangerous fire conditions earlier and reduce the cost of wildfire response, according to new research from Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha, University of Canterbury (UC). The work is published in the International Journal of Wildland Fire.

The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) has filed three petitions for civil forfeiture against assets allegedly linked to the flood control corruption scandal, following six months of investigations and freeze orders.

In a statement, the council said the petitions cover assets of individuals and entities earlier placed under freeze orders issued by the Court of Appeals. However, it did not disclose names or specific amounts covered by the petitions.

MANILA, Philippines — Food prices could rise as Middle East tensions affect logistics and input costs, particularly urea-based fertilizer, the Department of Agriculture said yesterday.

“I don’t want to do this, but we could import what we need to ensure supply is sufficient. We could always cut tariffs to mitigate the impact of higher freight costs,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday, began preparations for anticipated protests and rallies to mark former president Rodrigo Duterte’s 81st birthday on March 28.

PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said he has tasked chiefs of police offices and unit heads to prepare the deployment of officers in areas where rallies are expected.

MANILA, Philippines — The House justice committee has ordered the Office of the Ombudsman to turn over Vice President Sara Duterte’s statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth spanning nearly two decades of public office.

The subpoena was approved during the panel’s first impeachment hearing for Duterte, where lawmakers are now moving to build a documentary record for the impeachment case against the vice president.