Day: December 17, 2025
Rising Memory Chip Prices Could Make Budget Smartphones Pricier in 2026
Smartphone makers could be in for another rough year. Global smartphone shipments are expected to fall by 2.1% in 2026 as rising memory chip prices push production costs higher, according to Counterpoint Research. The biggest headache? DRAM, a key component in every smartphone, is getting more expensive—and it’s hitting budget phones the hardest. Counterpoint says
Political Dynasties Are Not a Right. Democracy Is.
Every time the question of abolishing political dynasties resurfaces, the same tired argument is raised: banning dynasties, we are told, is undemocratic. It allegedly violates a citizen’s right to seek public office simply because he or she was born into a political family. This argument sounds principled. In truth, it is a convenient shield for
Scientists Closer To Solving Mystery Behind Sudden Blue Flashes From Space
Something in deep space is sending out brief but extraordinarily blue flashes of light—and scientists now believe they know what causes them. Astronomers say the mysterious flashes, known as luminous fast blue optical transients (LFBOTs), are likely produced when a massive black hole violently tears apart a nearby star, a process called extreme tidal disruption.
U.S., PH Troops Inspect New Batanes Base as Tensions Rise Near Taiwan
MANILA, Philippines — American and Philippine military officials have inspected a newly opened forward operating base in Batanes, underscoring the allies’ growing security cooperation as tensions continue to rise in waters near Taiwan. The visit comes as Manila strengthens its northern defenses amid China’s increasingly assertive actions in the West Philippine Sea and stepped‑up military
EXPLAINER: Why The Sibugay Wetland’s New Flyway Status Matters
The Sibugay Wetland Nature Reserve has earned a new international recognition that puts Zamboanga Sibugay on the global map of migratory bird conservation. In November, the wetland was named the newest Flyway Network Site of the East Asian–Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP)—officially listed as EAAF 160—during the partnership’s 12th Meeting of Partners in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.
7 Hidden Places in the Philippines Worth Exploring
MANILA, Philippines — Beyond Boracay, El Nido, and Siargao, the Philippines is home to lesser-known destinations that remain largely untouched by mass tourism. These places often require more effort to reach — longer land travel, boat rides, or careful timing — but offer quieter, more intimate encounters with nature and local culture. Here are seven
MNLF Backs Ambolodto, Sinarimbo as BARMM Parliament Deputy Floor Leaders
Cotabato City, Philippines — The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) has expressed support for the appointment of lawyers Suharto Ambolodto and Naguib Sinarimbo as deputy floor leaders of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Parliament. In a statement released Tuesday, December 16, MNLF chairman Muslimin Sema said the group is confident in the ability
Bondi Beach Shooting: What We Know — And What We Still Don’t
Australian authorities say a father and son accused of carrying out the deadly shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach were motivated by extremist Islamic State (IS) ideology. The attack, which killed 15 people, is the country’s worst mass shooting in nearly 30 years. Here’s what investigators have confirmed so far — and what questions remain unanswered.
Did The US Really Sanction ICC Judges? Here’s What We Know
The United States has imposed sanctions on officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC), raising alarm among human rights groups and international law experts. Claims circulating online say the US sanctioned nine ICC judges. But is that accurate? What happened? The US government, under the Trump administration, imposed sanctions on officials of the International Criminal
