Philippine News

February 9 ------ The U.S. State Department announced on Friday morning, February 6, that it was adding to the list of sanctioned tankers and companies supporting Iran’s oil industry as it seeks to keep up the pressure on Tehran. The move came as U.S. officials and Iran’s Foreign Minister were starting indirect talks in Oman. The State Department accused the latest batch of vessels of continuing the efforts to move millions of barrels of Iranian crude oil and playing a key ro

February 9 ------ A new research project at the National University of Singapore (NUS) aims to accelerate the decarbonization of the global shipping industry through the development of next-generation ammonia-fueled marine engines with high efficiency and near-zero emissions. The project focuses on a novel in-cylinder reforming gas recirculation (IRGR) engine concept designed to address key limitations that have so far constrained the wider adoption of ammonia as a marine fue

February 9 ------ Port across Italy were reporting strikes and disruptions in their operations as unionized dockworkers staged a 24-hour strike to protest the alleged “militarization” of the ports. Reports indicate ships of Zim and MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company were being targeted and forced to hold offshore or divert. Unione Sindacale di Base (UBB) called for the 24-hour action. They allege the ports are being “militarized” as shipments of arms and military equipment mo

February 9 ------ The Royal Thai Navy rescued the 16 crewmembers from Bangladesh on a small containership that issued a distress signal on Saturday, February 7. They are reporting that the crew was rescued uninjured, and Thai officials are now organizing an emergency response after the vessel sank about three miles offshore from the southern coast of the Phuket region. The ship named Sealloyd Arc (6,500 dwt) issued a distress call at approximately 3:20 p.m. local time, report

MANILA, February 9 ------ Filipino Olympic pole vaulter EJ Obiena claimed his second gold medal of the 2026 season, this time in Tianjin, China. Obiena ruled the men's vault final at the 12th Asian Indoor Athletics Championships held at the Tuanbo Sports Center. The Filipino pole vaulter cleared 5.70 m in just one attempt to take home the gold. Obiena attempted to leap 5.80 m but was unable to clear the height in all his attempts. China's Li Chenyang tried to clear the same

RODRIGUEZ, RIZAL, February 9 ------ Nxled turned back Capital1 in straight sets, 25-18, 28-26, 25-18, to secure its second win in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference at the Ynares Center Montalban. The Chameleons are now 2-0 in the tournament while dealing the Solar Spikers' first loss, sliding to 1-1 record. "Actually, I'm very happy na nakuha namin 'yung straight sets. And of course, nakita natin nung first two sets nag-struggle kami konti, but

CHICAGO, February 9 ------ Gilas Pilipinas convenes this February 16 to prep for the upcoming FIBA window, they'll have to do so without their best, most important player. Kai Sotto is "unlikely" to attend the 10-day camp, the player's camp told me via text message on Sunday ahead of the summit set to take place at the in Pasig and at the Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna. Gilas is still a loaded team, but minus the vastly improved Kai, our national team is hopelessly vulnerab

LOS ANGELES, February 9 ------ Stephon Castle's 40-point triple-double propelled the San Antonio Spurs to a fourth straight NBA victory with a 138-125 win over the reeling Dallas Mavericks. In addition to a career-high in points, Castle grabbed 12 rebounds and handed out 12 assists, coming up with three steals and a blocked shot for good measure. The 2025 Rookie of the Year became at 21 the third-youngest player to record a 40-point triple-double, behind LeBron James and Luka

February 9 ------ At the inaugural trade show for 1Z Entertainment, SB19’s artist management company, Pablo pledged that their mission is to empower emerging Filipino talents to boldly chase their dreams and break boundaries. "We believe in the power of Filipino talent, shaped by our own journey—self-taught, self-produced, and relentless. We’ve walked this path, and now we’re paving the way for others to shine." "If we had a system to support us back then, we could have soare

February 9 ------ The project is currently being produced by ABS-CBN for its streaming platform iWant in Los Angeles, with first-look images already released ahead of its planned production wrap later this month. Directed and written by Mark Labella, the series represents iWant’s first bilingual English-Filipino production shot in America. Joining Labella as directors are Wesley Villarica and Drea Castro. “Nurse the Dead” stars Filipino-American actress and entrepreneur Jelyn

February 9 ------ BINI made a surprise appearance during the Sexbomb Girls reunion concert, “Get Get Aw!" rAWnd 3! The P-pop group joined the show and performed a short set that included “Halukay Ube,” “Salamin, Salamin,” and “Pantropiko.” The show was held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on Friday. Last month, Jopay Paguia expressed openness to a possible collaboration with BINI, saying she would be thrilled to share the stage with them. “Sobrang proud ako sa BINI noong nagkaro

February 9 ------ Caprice Cayetano and Lella Ford made it to the Ultimate 8 of "Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition 2.0!" The girls won the Big Jump challenge of transferring blocks with a stick while walking across narrow lanes, which signified positive and negative points. Caprice scored -204 points compared to Marco Masa's -253 on the Kapuso side, while Lella garnered -212 points compared to Joaquin Arce's -336 on the Kapamilya side. Both girls are now part of the

February 9 ------ A Chinese navy vessel repeatedly challenged a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) maritime domain awareness (MDA) flight over Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough or Panatag Shoal) in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) a ranking official said. The PCG, in coordination with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), flew an aircraft for the routine MDA flight when a People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) vessel with hull number “553” challenged them, said PCG spokespe

MANILA, Philippines, February 9 ------ The Philippines and Australia have taken further steps to boost maritime relations by reaffirming commitment to mutual recognition of seafarer certificates. The arrangement aims to reduce administrative barriers as well as support the two countries’ shipping and logistics partnerships. Australian Ambassador Marc Innes-Brown met with Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) administrator Sonia Malaluan in Manila on Friday to finalize the arra

MANILA, February 9 ------ For the first time, the Philippine Navy will participate in the 3rd International Fleet Review (IFR26) hosted by the Indian Navy and the Multilateral Naval Exercise (MILAN) 2026. Rear Admiral Peter Jempsun V De Guzman PN, Acting Commander, Naval Defense Command, led the send-off of the contingent before setting sail in Visakhapatnam, India. The Philippine Navy will be represented by the lead ship of the Malvar Class Guided Missile Frigate, BRP Miguel

MANILA, February 9 ------ The death toll due to the former Tropical Storm Basyang (international name Penha) have climbed to 12 while families affected by the weather disturbance reached 132,000, the spokesperson of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said. In an interview over dzBB radio, OCD spokesperson Junie Castillo said this is equivalent to 467,000 persons residing in 850 barangays in the Visayas and Mindanao. "'Yung atin naman pong mga casualties, nakakalungkot po na um

TOKYO, February 9 ------ Japanese stocks jumped to record peaks while bonds slid and the yen sagged to an all-time low against the Swiss franc after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi scored a landslide win in a snap election. The Nikkei 225 share average rallied 2.6 per cent to an unprecedented 55,681.11 shortly after markets opened. The broader Topix advanced 2.4 per cent to a record 3,789.10. Benchmark 10-year Japanese government bond futures declined ¥0.37 to ¥131.22. The 30-y

February 9 ------ The World Health Organization said that a woman had died in northern Bangladesh in January after contracting the deadly Nipah virus infection. The case in Bangladesh, where Nipah cases are reported almost every year, follows two Nipah virus cases identified in neighboring India, which have already prompted stepped-up airport screenings across Asia. The patient in Bangladesh, aged between 40-50 years, developed symptoms consistent with Nipah virus on January

KYIV, Ukraine, February 9 ------ The U.S. and Russia agreed to reestablish high-level military dialogue for the first time in more than four years in another sign of warming relations between the two countries since President Donald Trump returned to office and sought to end the war in Ukraine. High-level military communication was suspended in late 2021, as tension between Moscow and Washington rose ahead of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Trump

February 9 ------ Slovak President Peter Pellegrini said the previous government made a mistake by transferring the country’s MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine without securing a replacement, while claiming that he would not involve himself in the political disputes surrounding the donation. According to a statement published on Pellegrini’s official Facebook page, the president said the decision undermined Slovakia’s ability to protect its own airspace and should never have bee