Gulf

Riyadh: A cruise missile was intercepted and destroyed east of Al-Kharj Governorate, southeast of the capital, Riyadh, said the official spokesperson for the Saudi Ministry of Defense, Major General Turki Al-Maliki. This was reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) without further details. Read Also LIVE UPDATES: Qatar condemns Iranian attack on buildings in Bahrain housing Qatari Amiri Naval Forces personnel Drone attack halts oil production at Sarsang Field in northern Iraq UAE air defences intercept 9 ballistic missiles, 112 drones Kuwait military responds to wave of missiles, drones Earlier Friday, the official spokesperson for the Saudi Ministry of Defense announced the interception and destruction of a drone northeast of Riyadh.

Asia

Manila: Philippines will shift to a four-day work week with fuel prices set to rocket up amid the geopolitical tension in the Middle East, President Ferdinand Marcos said Friday. Marcos announced the shift, set to start at all government offices on Monday, among measures aimed at easing the economic impact of the armed conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States. Read Also LIVE UPDATES: Qatar condemns Iranian attack on buildings in Bahrain housing Qatari Amiri Naval Forces personnel He warned the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil supply transits, would increase local pump prices next week by 7.48 pesos per litre for gasoline, 17.28 pesos for diesel, and 32.35 pesos for kerosene (13-55 US cents). "We are victims of a war that is not of our choosing," Marcos said in a statement, adding it was uncertain when it would end. "But we control how we will protect the Filipino." The Philippines imports most of its crude oil from the Middle East and still relies on oil-fired power plants to generate electricity. The war also threatens the safety and job security of more than two million Filipinos working in the Middle East. Marcos also ordered all government agencies to cut their fuel and power consumption by 10-20 percent, banned government study tours and team-building activities, as well as "meetings that can be done online". He urged Congress to authorise him to reduce excise taxes on petroleum products if the price of crude oil breached $80 per barrel, as well as to amend a biofuels law so cheaper bioethanol can be used for blending with petroleum products. The government will also provide fuel subsidies and cash transfers to affected sectors, he said without giving details. Marcos said the four-day workweek will be "temporary" but gave no end date. Frontline services, police, and firemen are exempt from the four-day workweek, he added.

Middle East

Baghdad: The Ministry of Natural Resources in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq announced on Friday the suspension of oil production at the Sarsang oil field in Duhok Governorate after a drone attack triggered a fire at the facility overnight. In a statement, the ministry said two drones struck the field in the Sarsang area, causing material damage to infrastructure and forcing the operating company to halt production as a precautionary measure. No casualties were reported. Read Also LIVE UPDATES: Qatar condemns Iranian attack on buildings in Bahrain housing Qatari Amiri Naval Forces personnel The ministry strongly condemned the attack, describing it as an assault on the Kurdistan Region's vital economic infrastructure. It held responsible the parties launching such attacks from areas under their control, warning that these actions harm both the Kurdistan Region's economy and Iraq's overall oil revenues. The ministry also called on the Iraqi federal government to take the necessary measures to prevent further attacks targeting civilians, energy facilities, and the oil and gas sector in the Kurdistan Region. Harir military base in Erbil, the province's international airport, and the headquarters of Kurdish parties opposed to Iran across the Kurdistan Region of Iraq have been targeted by missile and drone attacks since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war on Iran.