The “rise of the nones” refers to the growing number of people who identify as having no religious affiliation—including atheists, agnostics, or those who consider themselves “spiritual but not religious.” This trend is especially evident in Western countries and among younger generations. While many of these individuals may still believe in a higher power or engage in personal spirituality, they do not associate with organized religion.

For the purposes of this debate, de-Arabization refers to the distancing of the teachings of Islam from Arabic cultural norms and conventions

The current Senior High School system in the Philippines follows a five-strand structure offering students a choice among STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), ABM (Accountancy, Business, and Management), HUMSS (Humanities a Social Sciences), GAS (General Academic Strand), and TVL (Technical-Vocational-Livelihood).

In contrast, the proposed two-strand system under the MATATAG curriculum consolidates these options into just two: the Academic Strand, designed for those planning to pursue college, and the Technical-Vocational Strand, focused on practical skills for immediate employment or entrepreneurship, typically aligned with TESDA
programs.

Article Processing Charges (APCs) are fees that authors may be required to pay to publish their work in open-access academic journals. These charges help cover editorial and publishing costs, and allow the article to be freely accessible to the public. In contrast, subscription-based journals are rely on subscriptions, institutional support (e.g., universities, libraries, governments), or grants to cover publishing costs.

Pakikisama is a Filipino Culture and desire to maintain harmony by going along with the group, even at the cost of personal disagreements

Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings has agreed to sell its shares in its port-operating units, including those managing key ports near the Panama Canal, to a consortium led by BlackRock Inc. The $22.8 billion deal involves selling all shares of Hutchison Port Holdings and Hutchison Port Group Holdings, which control 80% of Hutchison Ports. This transaction gives the consortium control over 43 ports across 23 countries, including major ports in Panama, Mexico, the Netherlands, Egypt, Australia, and Pakistan. The consortium will acquire a 90% stake in Panama Ports Company, which operates the Balboa and Cristobal ports along the Panama Canal.

Previously, the administration has supported the deal as it supplies the government with capital to pursue further infrastructure projects (e.g., new ports, accelerated LNG trade routes). Currently, the deal is halted by Chinese anti-trust regulators, and the US has vocally threatened the Panamanian government over concerns of national security.

Stablecoins are a type of cryptocurrency whose value is pegged to another asset, such as a fiat currency (e.g., US Dollar) or gold. Bolivia has significantly adopted the stablecoin, while other countries, such as Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia, are in the process of adopting it.

Claudia Sheinbaum is the current president of the Mexico.

Planned succession refers to the advanced arrangements for the transition of power. Parties internally identify and prepare a successor to take over a key position of power.

There are two models of electoral representation in a parliamentary system. In individual-based constituencies, voters must choose among individual candidates, where the ones with the most votes wins the seat/s assigned to the constituency. In contrast, group-based constituencies require voters to select among teams of candidates (typically within the same party), with the winning team filling all of the seats allocated to the constituency. All members of the team will serve as co-representatives for the area.

Celebrity culture in sports refers to the phenomenon where athletes are treated not only as competitors or professionals, but also as public figures, entertainers, and brands, often placed on a pedestal by media, fans, and corporations.

Politicization refers to the framing of social issues as being deeply rooted in systemic and structural forces-such as racism, gender inequality, economic exploitation, colonial legacies, and other forms of social oppression. It views mental distress as inseparable from the broader ideological and material conditions in which individuals live. This is distinct from lobbying or institutionalization, which may occur regardless of whether mental health discourse is politicized.

Personality-driven activism gives central importance of personal identity, character, or public persona of an individual rather than the collective identity and agenda of movements.

<font color="#000000">Sovereign AI refers to the development, control, and deployment of artificial intelligence systems by a nation-state, with minimal dependence on foreign technologies, infrastructure, or companies. This includes building domestic AI capabilities (e.g., algorithms, datasets, compute infrastructure, and talent) within national borders or under government oversight. An example of this is the creation of the European Union's sovereign cloud, which allows member countries to control their own data &amp; AI systems.</font>

Earlier this week, Warner Bros. Discovery separated into two publicly traded companies. The first company acquired the HBO Max streaming service, while the second company took over CNN and other television networks. Other companies, such as Disney’s Hulu & ABC Cable, have also discussed the possibility of separating into different companies

The Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) refers to contracting business operations (e.g., customer service, technical support, back-office work) to third-party providers. Common BPO jobs include call center agents, IT support specialists, and data entry clerks.

In Biden's final weeks of administration, he imposed sanctions on the 3rd and 4th biggest oil companies in Russia. However, its top two energy companies, Rosneft and Gazprom, remain unsanctioned to this day. Recently, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham is securing votes for record-high sanctions on Russia's energy industry. Notably, the bill includes extraterritorial sanctions of 500% to any country that imports Russian oil, gas, petroleum, or uranium. Currently, the bill is about to reach a veto-proof majority.

President Trump recently deployed thousands of marines to crackdown on protests against deportation and to facilitate raids against illegal immigrants in Los Angeles. This is the first time since George Bush's term where the president has deployed national military personnel without the permission of the local governor. Currently, the local courts have filed that this is an unlawful and unjust imposition of the national government, and is proposing a clear limitation of Washington's ability to deploy national troops to federal states.

There are two primary models of labor migration. The Sister-City model adopts a decentralized approach where agreements are made directly between local government units (e.g., cities, countries, provinces) of the sending and receiving countries. These localities are responsible for managing key aspects of the migration process, including recruitment, deployment, and regulation enforcement. National agencies are able to advise, provide resources, or give recommendations, but the local governments hold the decision-making power. In contrast, the Government-to-Government (G2G) model involves national governments signing bilateral labor agreements. Under this model, national agencies typically oversee and implement the migration process.

The details of a proposed “Zombie Voting System” are as follows. As the recovery from an economic crisis begins, workers at firms that received significant financial assistance from the government during the crisis would vote for one of two options: 1. Vote to immediately liquidate the firm they work at, and receive unemployment benefits for longer OR 2. Vote not to liquidate, and the government would inject some more cash to make the company viable and help pay off its remaining debts. But if it subsequently were to fail (go bankrupt), the workers’ unemployment coverage would be severely curtailed. The choice of option would be determined by a simple majority vote, with all current workers entitled to one vote.

In the corporate world, management trainee positions are exclusive programs that companies create to attract young talent and train them for leadership positions within the company. Management trainees often earn higher than the average employee and have higher chances of promotion, but you are expected to learn faster, work longer hours onsite, sometimes on the weekends, given more difficult projects, and assessed on a higher standard the others

The Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) is a proposed investment deal between China and the European Union that was tabled in 2021, but is currently under review. The agreement aims to improve market access, ensure fair treatment for foreign investors, and enhance transparency in subsidies and regulatory practices. This deal was heavily opposed by Trump.

Theopolitical resistance refers to actions by the LGBTQ+ movement that challenge the influence of religious institutions in political and social life. It can take the form of drag performances, public protests, artistic expression, or social media campaigns that question or critique religious norms. For example, Filipino drag artist Pura Luka Vega performed in a Jesus costume to express commentary on queer exclusion within religious spaces.

A bedroom community is a town or city near a major urban center where residents mainly live and commute daily for work or education. These areas typically have limited local job opportunities and rely on nearby cities for economic and social needs. Examples include Cavite to Manila in Luzon, Talisay to Cebu City in Visayas, Misamis Oriental to Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao where many residents work in Metro areas but return to more affordable suburban living.

A 'private city' is a city that is owned, developed, and operated exclusively by private individuals and/or organizations (usually companies). Within the city, the operators provide all public services and have some power to establish their own sets of rules that differ from the laws of the country it is in.