MANILA: Colleges and universities will be able to choose between online and face-to-face sessions, according to the Commission for Higher Education (CHED) on Wednesday, July 13. Flexible learning can be used for some degree programs, while face-to-face instruction is required for others, CHED chairperson Prospero de Vera III remarked, “We are leaving it up to the universities to decide what …

SINGAPORE: Following an appeal by prosecutors, the mother of a 5-year-old son who died of scalding injuries was convicted of murder on Tuesday (Jul 12). As a result, the boy’s father’s sentence was increased to life in prison by the Court of Appeal. In 2020, the pair, both 30 years old, was found guilty of intentionally causing great bodily harm …

UKRAINE: Ukrainian officials announced on Tuesday that they had launched a long-range rocket strike against Russian army and military equipment in southern Ukraine, which they claim they are intending to reclaim with hundreds of thousands of troops in a counter-offensive. The settlement of Nova Kakhovka in the Kherson region was attacked by an airstrike that killed 52 people, according to …

US: COVID is making a resurgence. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday that the pandemic is “nowhere near ending,” and expressed alarm that the virus is running free. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed concern that the number of cases was increasing, putting further strain on already taxed health institutions and staff. According to a news conference, “new waves of the virus …

SOUTH AFRICA: Cricket Australia (CA) was unable to meet South Africa’s request to postpone the January one-day international series against Australia. This series had been set for Hobart (Jan. 12), Sydney (Jan. 14), and Perth in January, however Cricket South Africa requested that it be moved (Jan. 17). There are no other dates available, CA stated in a statement on …

SOUTH KOREA: Each day’s COVID For the first time in the past two months, the number of infections in South Korea has surpassed 40,000, and the government has issued a warning about a possible five-fold increase in the months ahead. Han Duck-soo, the prime minister of South Korea, informed a government COVID-19 reaction meeting that between mid-August and late September, …

MALAYSIA: Malaysia’s palm oil stocks hit a seven-month high at the end of June, as exports were curtailed by Indonesian measures aimed at boosting its own shipments, according to statistics released by the industry regulator on Tuesday. According to the Malaysian Palm Oil Board, inventories jumped 8.76 percent from the previous month to 1.66 million tonnes, the highest since November …

INDONESIA: On Wednesday (July 13), Indonesia will begin exporting chicken goods to Singapore, according to an Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture official. Charoen Pokphand’s Indonesian subsidiary, Mdm Tri Mela Sari, a director at the ministry, confirmed to CNA that the first shipment will consist of frozen chicken meat from Indonesia. The volume of exports is still a mystery. “On Wednesday, July …

UKRAINE: As a result of Russia’s war in Ukraine, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki agreed to collaborate on Tuesday to combat rising food and energy costs and currency market volatility. Economic and financial stability could be adversely affected by the increased volatility in the exchange rate, they added. They agreed to collaborate “where appropriate” …

US: According to Walmart’s stated goal of zero net emissions by 2040, the company has agreed to buy 4,500 electric vehicles from Canoo as part of the deal. Prior to the opening bell on Tuesday (Jul. 12), Walmart said that it has an option to purchase up to 10,000 Canoos as it electrified its fleet of delivery vehicles. The deal’s …