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ITCZ to bring rains, thunderstorms to Visayas, Mindanao on Monday

Rain showers and thunderstorms are expected to persist in Palawan, Visayas, and Mindanao on Monday due to the effect of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), the state weather bureau reported.

Based on its morning forecast, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the ITCZ, or ‘the line where winds from the northern and southern hemispheres meet,’ is expected to bring cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms over the following areas:

Palawan

Visayas

Zamboanga Peninsula

Northern Mindanao

Caraga

Lanao del Sur

The rest of Mindanao is forecast to experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms, also brought by the ITCZ.

According to Pagasa weather specialist Aldczar Aurelio, the effect of the ITCZ ‘is expected to last in Palawan, Visayas, and Mindanao tomorrow and on Wednesday.’

As for the weather condition in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon this Monday, partly cloudy to cloudy skies with the chances of isolated rain showers or thunderstorms are expected due to the localized thunderstorms.

Meanwhile, Aurelio said Typhoon Surigae (formerly Queenie), which was last located 1,055 kilometers northeast of Extreme Northern Luzon outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), no longer directly affects the country.

Netanyahu, under ICC arrest warrant, orders case against Erdogan

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed an inter-ministerial team and the director of Israel’s International Law Department to begin preparing a potential legal case targeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the International Criminal Court (ICC), i24NEWS reported Sunday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The reported move comes amid escalating diplomatic and legal tensions between Israel and Trkiye.

According to i24NEWS, the directive followed remarks by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Trkiye had approached Interpol seeking a Red Notice for Netanyahu’s arrest. The request was reportedly among several recent developments that prompted Israel to consider a legal response targeting the Turkish president.

The draft case reportedly being prepared by Israeli legal officials would focus primarily on Erdogan’s military operations and policies toward Kurdish groups and communities inside Trkiye.

The alleged case would also include claims concerning the Turkish government’s financial support for Hamas, according to i24NEWS.

Israel and Trkiye are not parties to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, and neither country recognizes the court’s jurisdiction over its nationals on that basis.

While Israel could theoretically seek to initiate proceedings through the ICC’s available legal mechanisms, i24NEWS reported that Israeli officials believe any formal effort would be more likely to involve a third-party country that is a member of the court.

Sources cited by the outlet said Israel would prefer not to bring the case before the ICC if possible.

Instead, the reported strategy would involve preparing a complete legal file that could serve as a deterrent against further legal or diplomatic measures by Ankara.

The case would therefore remain a potential legal option rather than necessarily becoming an active ICC proceeding.

Netanyahu and officials from Israel’s Justice Ministry declined to comment on the allegations reported by i24NEWS.

Ukraine says three more settlements liberated, 250 servicemen taken prisoner in Donetsk

Ukrainian forces have liberated three more settlements in the Lyman direction of the Donetsk region during the latest stage of Operation Vivaldi, according to Ukraine’s 3rd Army Corps.

Brigadier General Andrii Biletskyi, commander of the 3rd Army Corps, said Ukrainian troops had taken control of Nove, Ridkodub and Katerynivka, while also restoring control over Karpivka and Novomykhailivka.

According to Biletskyi, Ukrainian forces regained another 51 square kilometres of territory during the third stage of the offensive, bringing the total area retaken since the operation began to 176 square kilometres.

The Ukrainian commander also claimed that Russian forces suffered around 2,000 personnel losses during the latest phase, while more than 250 Russian servicemen were taken prisoner.

The battlefield figures have been announced by the Ukrainian military and have not been independently verified.

Operation Vivaldi is a Ukrainian counteroffensive focused on the Lyman sector of Donetsk region. Earlier stages of the operation resulted in Ukrainian forces regaining control of several other settlements, including Shandryholove, Derylove and Drobysheve.

The Institute for the Study of War reported earlier this month that Ukrainian counteroffensive operations northwest of Lyman had disrupted Russian efforts in the area, while noting that Russian sources had also begun acknowledging some Ukrainian advances.

APC sweeps Enugu LG polls, wins 17 chairmanship, 260 councillorship seats

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has swept the Enugu State local government election, winning all 17 chairmanship positions and the 260 councillorship seats across the state.

Christian Ngwu, executive chairman of the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC), announced the results following the completion of the collation exercise on September 26, 2026.

Ngwu, who also serves as the chief electoral officer of the Commission, declared the APC candidates winners of the chairmanship and councillorship contests.

According to the ENSIEC chairman, the APC secured victory in all 17 local government areas and won all 260 councillorship positions across the state’s 260 political wards.

The results bring the electoral process to a close following voting and the subsequent collation of results from the various local government areas.

UP Diliman slams NTF-Elcac red-tagging of students, faculty, staff

A University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman committee condemned the ‘continuous red-tagging, harassment, and intimidation’ of its constituents, particularly students, by agents and supporters of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac).

The UP Diliman Committee on the Protection of Academic Freedom and Human Rights said on Monday, Sept. 28, that it ‘stand[s] with our students, faculty, REPS (Research, Extension, and Professional Staff), staff, and other community members who are fighting against the blatant and shameless corruption and impunity in government.’

It pointed out in a statement that social media posts made by NTF-Elcac agents and groups such as Hands of Our Children ‘showing photos of our constituents and accusing them of being terrorists are malicious and harmful.’

‘It creates an environment that is anxiety-inducing and produces a chilling effect on members of progressive groups that are critical of repressive government policies. It harms their well-being and may affect their relationships with their families and their functioning as members of the University,’ it said.

The committee asserted that ‘activism is not terrorism,’ pointing to a 2024 Supreme Court decision that declared ‘red-tagging, vilification, labelling, and guilt by association threaten a person’s right to life, liberty, or security.’

‘Fighting for basic social services and human rights is not terrorism,’ it said, calling on the NTF-Elcac and its allied groups to stop red-tagging members of the UP community who are expressing their legitimate dissent.

EU eyes bigger role in Luzon Economic Corridor

The entry of the European Union (EU) into the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) could pave the way for individual countries from the bloc to also contribute to projects targeted for the growth belt, an envoy said.

That will be through the Global Gateway initiative, an existing cooperation between the EU and the Philippines that the bloc now wants to align with the LEC, according to EU Ambassador to the Philippines Massimo Santoro.

Under Global Gateway, the EU has about pound 60 million (P4.2 billion) for green economy projects in the Philippines, as well as pound 20 million (P1.4 billion) for digital connectivity initiatives.

Santoro said the combined pound 80-million funding could still increase as the EU maps out how its existing programs could be deployed within the Luzon corridor.

‘In the Global Gateway Initiative there is the possibility, as it already happens, for the member states to chip in to what we are already putting together,’ he said. ‘It’s complementary, it’s big and can go beyond the contribution of a single member state.

The pound 60-million Green Economy Program, launched in 2023, supports areas such as circular economy, renewable energy and energy efficiency, while the pound 20-million Digital

Economy Package targets connectivity, 5G, cybersecurity and other digital initiatives.

Santoro said the EU was now discussing with other LEC partners how these existing programs could translate into specific projects within the growth corridor.

These would also work hand-in-hand with investments from European countries that have joined the LEC initiative individually, namely Denmark, France, Italy, Sweden and Spain.

‘The moment that we bring to the LEC the Global Gateway Initiative, to which member states of the European Union who are not formally part of the Luzon Economic Corridor are members, this would entail that they somehow indirectly participate to that,’ he added.

Apart from the LEC, the EU is also part of the US-led Pax Silica initiative, which has identified the Philippines as the site of its first artificial intelligence-native industrial hub.

Santoro, however, said the EU’s specific focus in the Philippines would be its participation in the Luzon Economic Corridor.

The ambassador also expressed confidence in the growth of Philippines-EU bilateral trade, particularly as both sides move closer to finalizing a free trade agreement expected to be signed in 2027.

Ukraine strikes four Russian oil depots in Krasnodar Krai

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) says its drones struck four oil depots in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai overnight on September 28, with fires reported at the facilities.

According to the SBU, drones operated by its Alfa special operations center targeted the Edelweiss-95 and Din-Yug-Oil oil depots in Stanitsa Novotitarovskaya. Fires were reported at the sites.

The Lukoil-Yugnefteprodukt oil depot in Pavlovskaya was also hit, with a fire breaking out at the facility. The Angelinskaya oil depot in Staronizhestebliyevskaya was also reportedly struck and caught fire.

The SBU described the facilities as important parts of the fuel infrastructure used to store and supply petroleum products to Russian forces. Ukrainian officials have said such strikes are intended to disrupt fuel logistics.

Separately, Ukrainian and Russian sources reported a fire at the Edelweiss-95 depot in Novotitarovskaya following a drone attack. The depot has a reported capacity of 4,500 cubic meters and specializes in wholesale fuel supplies.

Botswana cattle industry is ‘on its knees’, Dow, farmers

Botswana’s cattle industry faces an ‘existential threat’ as government restrictions on live cattle exports, financial problems at the state-owned Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) and foot-and-mouth disease disrupt the country’s beef producers, Botswana Congress Party Vice President Unity Dow said.

Dow said she had received complaints from cattle farmers, agricultural stakeholders and members of the public about government policies, with producers repeatedly telling her that ‘the sector is on its knees.’

She accused the government of maintaining policies that have left farmers dependent on an underperforming BMC while preventing them from accessing alternative markets.

Beef producers are required to sell live cattle to the BMC at government-set prices, while the commission does not consistently pay on time or at market prices, Dow said. Farmers sell cattle to the BMC for about P52/kg while the commission sells beef to the European Union for about P100/kg, she said.

‘The BMC is a failed and failing State Owned Enterprise kept afloat by the sweat of farmers and by the public purse (with the current economic situation, by loans!).’

Dow also questioned the commission’s finances, saying its books have not been audited since 2021 and alleging that the BMC classified European Union prepayments as profit last year. She called for the government to activate legislation passed in 2019 that was intended to liberalise the cattle industry and allow citizens to acquire shares in the BMC.

Dow said the government should also permit live cattle exports, arguing that South Africa is prepared to buy Botswana cattle and that exports could inject more than P2.5 billion into the economy. ‘Allowing live exports will lead to the injection into an ailing economy,’ she said.

The restrictions are particularly damaging because the BMC lacks the capacity to absorb all slaughter-ready cattle even if its facilities reopen, according to Dow. Keeping cattle in feedlots for as long as nine months is costly and could leave farmers facing mounting debts, layoffs and bankruptcy, she said.

‘Not allowing live exports under current circumstances means zero income to farmers, layoffs in the industry, over-feeding in feedlots and general aging of cattle. It means bankruptcy!’ Dow said foot-and-mouth disease had intensified an existing crisis rather than caused it, while warning that projected El Niño conditions could further pressure livestock producers.

‘FMD situation has exacerbated an already bad crisis, but the problem is not new,’ she said. ‘Not trading for 9 months is an existential threat for many farmers. Expect lay-offs, unpaid loans, over stocking, bankruptcy and sadly mental health issues.’

She argued that the BMC’s protected monopoly was ultimately undermining the industry it was created to support. ‘The continued protection of the BMC through maintaining as a monopoly, price-setting and expansion into local retail is destroying the beef industry and is directly responsible for the low salaries of farm workers.’

Palace ‘hopes’ fare hike will deter planned transport strike

Malacañang on Monday said it hoped the fare hike for public utility vehicles (PUVs) would discourage transport groups from pushing through with their planned strike.

The fare adjustments, which took effect Monday, were approved to help drivers cope with the continuing impact of the Middle East crisis. The minimum fare for traditional jeepneys increased from P13 to P14 for the first four kilometers, with an additional P2 for every succeeding kilometer.

But the fare hike did not deter transport group Piston from pushing through with its planned transport strike and protests on Sept. 29 and 30, despite warnings that operators and drivers who participate in the strike could face penalties.

In a statement, the group said the Marcos administration is afraid of the people’s ‘anger,’ saying it was not quelled by the ‘insufficient fare hike and the measly wage increase in the National Capital Region.’

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro rejected the claim, saying the government has nothing to fear and is simply doing its job.

She reiterated that protesters have the right to voice their concerns and that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recognizes everyone’s right to speak and protest, as long as such actions remain within the bounds of the law.

Asked whether she expected the fare hike to at least pacify those planning to participate in the transport strike, Castro said she ‘hoped’ it would.

‘They also need to see what the situation is and what the government is doing. The government has not neglected them, nor are they being blamed for what they are feeling,’ the Palace official said.

‘This government has never ignored the difficulties experienced by members and stakeholders in the transport sector. That is why they were among those prioritized to receive assistance, including the fuel subsidy,’ she added.

Castro also said the P12 fuel discount for jeepney and UV Express drivers would remain in effect alongside the fare hike.

Fare adjustments

Under the approved fare adjustments, the minimum fare for modern jeepneys will increase from P15 to P17, with an additional P2.40 for every succeeding kilometer.

Air-conditioned buses in Metro Manila will have a P3 fare increase, from P15 to P18, while ordinary buses will see a P2 increase, from P13 to P15.

Provincial bus fares, meanwhile, will increase by P1, from P11 to P12. Point-to-point buses will also see a 15-percent increase from their existing fares.

Airport taxis will also increase fares from P75 to P115 for the first five kilometers. Fares for succeeding kilometers will remain unchanged.

ýOdodo disburses over N600m bursary to 20,347 Kogi students

ýAhmed Usman Ododo, governor of Kogi State, has flagged off the disbursement of N646.8 million as bursary allowances to 20,347 verified Kogi State students in tertiary institutions across the country under the second season of his students support programme.

ýSpeaking at the ceremony tagged ‘Gov Ododo Students Support Season 2′, Afolabi Joseph – Raji, executive chairman, Kogi State Scholarship Board, said that the Ododo administration revived the bursary scheme, which was last paid in 2019 and recommenced it in 2024 with a 150 per cent increment.

ý’The allowance was increased from N12,000 to N30,000 per student, while medical students who used to receive N18,000 will now get N75,000 each , adding that the governor abolished the old practice where students paid N650 for scratch cards to access the portal without guarantee of payment, and directed that application must be free, paperless, online and transparent,’ he said.

Joseph-Raji disclosed further that in the 2024/2025 session, the board disbursed N256.4 million to 8,549 undergraduates at N30,000 each and N60.3 million to Law School students at N300,000 each, in addition to other scholarships totaling N261 million.

ýHe said the board, which had no operational vehicle for campus verification, has now been given a seven -seater utility vehicle to ease mobilisation ,adding that to deepen engagement, the Board introduced the Governor Ododo Campus Quiz Challenge and the Radio Quiz Challenge airing every Saturday at 12 noon on Confluence 94.1 FM, where students win up to N5,000.

ýHe announced that 20,347 students have been screened and verified for the 2025/2026 bursary, with undergraduates to receive N30,000 each and medical students N75,000 each, totaling N646.8 million.

ýHe explained that payment will be in phases, beginning with students in institutions within Kogi State, while students in over 300 institutions outside the state including UniAbuja, ABU Zaria, UNIJOS and BUK will be paid in the second tranche.

ýJoseph-Raji said the first tranche of the bursary is N403 million which would cover 13,157 students studying in tertiary institutions within the state.

Wemi Jones, Commissioner for Education, who represented Governor Ododo, commended the leadership of the National Association of Kogi State Students, NAKOSS, for their patience and peaceful conduct during the delay.

ýHe said education has the highest allocation in the state budget at 30 percent, describing it as an evidence of the governor’s passion for education , adding that Governor Ododo belongs to the youth constituency and would have attended personally but was away following the death of a former governor.

ýThe Commissioner credited former Governor Yahaya Bello for establishing CUSTECH Osara and KSU Kabba within four years, noting that with three functional state universities, plus the Polytechnic, Colleges of Education, Nursing, Health Sciences and the Nigeria -Korea Friendship Institute, Kogi is now self -sustaining in tertiary education.

ýJones described the leap from 8,000 applicants in Season 1 to over 20,000 verified beneficiaries in Season 2, over 130 percent increase, as monumental.

ýHe also listed other interventions by the state government including payment of Common Entrance, Basic Six, BECE, WAEC for SS3 students in public schools, and NABTEB for technical college students, as well as free CBT training for SS3 students.

ýHe urged students to take advantage of the Federal Government’s NELFUND loan scheme, observing that only a few students at the event indicated they were benefiting.

ýResponding on behalf of students, Sunday Adeola Simon, the outgoing President of NAKOSS, thanked Governor Ododo for the intervention, saying it goes beyond financial assistance to show that students’ welfare remains a priority.

ýSimon said though the application flagged off in September 2025 witnessed some delays with enormous pressure on the student leadership, they chose dialogue and responsible representation and rejected calls to confront the government through violence and propaganda.

ýHe affirmed the continuous support of Kogi students for the administration while appealing to the governor to also capture Kogi students schooling outside the state and those in the Nigeria Law School in the disbursement so no student is left behind.ý