Context Dispatch

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed former Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos as Cabinet Secretary, returning a key political ally to his administration after the one-year ban on appointing defeated election candidates expired. Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said Abalos will advise the President on emerging national and political issues, coordinate with government agencies and stakeholders, and head the Strategic Action and Response Office, which oversees Malacañang's complaints centers. Abalos resigned in 2024 to run for senator but placed 16th in the 2025 elections. He previously served as Marcos' campaign manager and Interior secretary. (Marjohara Tucay)

A Saudia Airlines Boeing 787 struck a parked Philippine Airlines (PAL) Airbus A320 while maneuvering at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport late Tuesday, damaging both aircraft and forcing the cancellation of the Saudia flight to Jeddah. The incident occurred at around 11:38 p.m. when the Saudia jet's left wingtip hit the rudder of the PAL aircraft parked at Bay 25. No injuries were reported, and PAL said its aircraft had no passengers or crew on board. The airline withdrew the aircraft from service pending inspection as aviation authorities investigate the cause of the ground collision. (Marjohara Tucay)

State weather bureau PAGASA on Wednesday warned that Super Typhoon Inday could still unleash heavy rains, destructive winds, and dangerous sea conditions even if current forecasts show it is unlikely to make landfall. "The track may still shift within the limit of the forecast confidence cone,” said PAGASA, cautioning against complacency as the cyclone approaches extreme Northern Luzon on Friday before tracking toward Taiwan. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered local governments to carry out preemptive evacuations to reduce risks to vulnerable communities. Inday was packing sustained winds of 195 kilometers per hour, gusts of up to 240 kph, and moving west northwest at 20 kph. PAGASA also expects the typhoon to raise water levels in Luzon dams by about one meter, although the increase will not be enough to significantly ease the region's water supply constraints.

The US launched military strikes against Iran on Tuesday after accusing Tehran of attacking three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions in the Middle East. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes were intended "to impose heavy costs" on Iran for targeting civilian-crewed commercial shipping in international waters, calling the attacks "a clear violation of the ceasefire." Earlier, the US Treasury Department barred new sales of Iranian oil after July 7, tightening sanctions. The twin developments sent global oil prices higher amid fears of renewed disruption to shipping through the critical energy corridor.

The Senate impeachment court on Monday elected Senator Francis Escudero as presiding officer in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, prevailing in a 12-4 vote despite objections that the move could face constitutional scrutiny. Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Pia Cayetano argued that the 1987 Constitution requires the Senate President, now Senator Win Gatchalian, a non-lawyer, preside over impeachment trials except when the President is the respondent. The siblings warned that naming another senator could invite legal challenges, noting that a petition questioning the designation of a presiding officer has already been filed before the Supreme Court by Alan Peter Cayetano.