Philippine News

MANILA, Philippines, January 15 ------ Tropical Depression Ada slightly intensified as it moved over the Philippine Sea east of Mindanao on Thursday morning, January 15, with Signal No. 1 remaining hoisted over 11 areas, the state weather bureau PAGASA said. In its latest weather bulletin. PAGASA said the center of Ada was last located 385 kilometers east-northeast of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, or 465 kilometers east of Surigao City, Surigao del Norte. Ada is packing maximum

MANILA, January 15 ------ The Philippine peso depreciated to a historic low of P59.44 against the US dollar at the end of trading. The local currency started the day's trading at an already weak position of P59.38, which was already weaker than the previous all-time low of P59.355, before depreciating further during the day. Remittances from overseas Filipinos helped the peso regain footing towards the end of 2025, keeping the local currency in the P58-to-the-dollar range. Bu

MANILA, January 15 ------ The National Maritime Council (NMC) pushed back against the Chinese Embassy in Manila’s statements on the situation in the West Philippine Sea rejecting Beijing’s claims as legally unfounded and misleading. The response came after Chinese Embassy Deputy Spokesperson Guo Wei issued a statement on Monday, January 12, insisting that China’s actions in the said waters are lawful. In a televised interview, NMC spokesperson Undersecretary Alexander Lopez s

January 15 ------ The Philippines is not part of the Trump administration's reported list of countries where it is suspending the processing of visas to the United States, Manila's envoy to Washington said. "Philippines is not included," Philippine Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez told GMA News Online in a text message. The Philippines is America's oldest treaty ally in Asia. A Fox News report quoted by Reuters said the US State Department will pause all visa processing for v

TOKYO, January 15 ------ U.S. oil prices fell more than $1 in early Asian trade on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump said killings in Iran's crackdown on nationwide protests were subsiding, easing fears of supply disruptions and possible military action against Iran. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were trading at $60.78 a barrel at 2322 GMT, down $1.24, or 2 per cent, from the previous day's close. WTI had settled more than 1 per cent higher on Wednesday,

NARA, Japan, January 15 ------ South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi agreed to step up cooperation in areas including economic security, defense, and searching for the remains of Korean forced laborers. The two neighbors are both longtime U.S. allies, but their relations have frequently been strained by issues including disputes over their wartime history. "I believe cooperation between Korea and Japan is now more important than ever

January 15 ------ President Volodymyr Zelensky declared a state of emergency in Ukraine’s energy sector – prompting a review of Ukraine’s regional curfew rules and the establishment of an energy headquarters in Kyiv, among other special measures. In recent weeks, Russian missile attacks have created disasters verging on a humanitarian crisis by targeting energy infrastructure across Ukraine. Early Tuesday, a massive overnight Russian drone attack on Kryvyi Rih knocked out hea

January 15 ------ The European Commission presented a package of legislative proposals designed to secure €90 billion ($105 billion) in financial support for Ukraine in 2026 and 2027, advancing December’s political agreement by EU leaders. The loan, agreed by the European Council in December, is intended to cover Ukraine’s budgetary and military financing needs as the war with Russia approaches its fifth year and longer-term funding arrangements remain uncertain. The EU Commi

January 14 ------ A Greek-owned tanker that was caught in a series of back-and-forth maneuvers between the United States and Iran in 2023 and 2024 has quietly been released two years after the Iranians seized the ship and said they were taking its oil cargo. The move comes as Iran appears to be making moves to ease tensions with the West, as the regime is also facing widespread unrest inside the country. The tracking service TankerTrackers.com broke the news reporting on X.co

January 14 ------ Thailand is proposing an ambitious multibillion-dollar project, titled the “Landbridge,” aimed at significantly reducing shipping times between the Indian and Pacific Oceans while alleviating pressure on the busy Malacca Strait, one of the world’s key maritime routes. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin unveiled this initiative to investors in San Francisco, highlighting that the project could reduce shipping times by an average of four days and lower shipping c

January 14 ------ China does not allow the use of Starlink internet connectivity in its waters, and prefers to route all traffic through networks that are subject to its own licensing process. The restriction is unpopular with seafarers, who like Starlink's high speeds and low latency for video calls and general-purpose browsing - but Chinese authorities are beginning to enforce their rules more rigorously. P&I correspondent Oasis reports that the first known Chinese investig

January 14 ------ Somalia's government said on Monday it is annulling all agreements with the United Arab Emirates, including port deals and defense and security cooperation, accusing the UAE of undermining its national sovereignty. "This decision is based on credible reports and compelling evidence concerning hostile actions undermining national sovereignty, territorial unity, and the political independence of the country," Somalia's Council of Ministers said. The decision "

LOS ANGELES, January 14 ------ Luka Doncic scored 42 points but could not prevent the Los Angeles Lakers stumbling to a third straight defeat with a 124-112 loss against the lowly Sacramento Kings. LeBron James wore a special patch on his uniform to mark his historic 23rd season in the NBA and scored 22 points on a frustrating night for the Lakers, who made just eight three-pointers from 36 attempts. Doncic and James were among only four Lakers players to make double figures

January 14 ------ AS if Team Liquid needed any more reminder on just how hard completing the so-called ‘Golden Road’ will be, the Selangor Red Giants just handed them a bitter one only four days into the tournament. The Cavalry’s qualification to the knockout stage will have to wait as they fell to the MPL Malaysia champions, 1-2, in a classic three-game affair between two global powerhouses on Day 4 of the M7 World Championship in Jakarta, Indonesia. From the onset, it was c

MANILA, Philippines, January 14 ------ An elite cast led by Germany’s Tatjana Maria and, schedule permitting, Filipina pride Alex Eala, makes up the historic WTA125 Philippine Women’s Open that’s “almost ready” to welcome the tennis world at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex Tennis Center in Manila on Jan. 26 to 31. Maria, 38, a semifinalist at Wimbledon in 2022, is the highest ranked player in the 32-player main draw at WTA No. 42 with a career-best of No. 36 in July last ye

January 14 ------ GALERIES Tower capped off one of the most sweeping rebuilds of the PVL offseason by bringing in 14 new players ahead of the 2026 season. The Highrisers’ overhaul began with a near-total roster reset, as the club parted ways with 13 players and retained only four holdovers in Julia Coronel, Jean Asis, Roselle Baliton and Winnie Bedaña. Let go from the team were Carly Hernandez, Audrey Paran, Ivy Perez, Lia Pelaga, Dodee Batindaan, Juliet Catindig, Andrea Marz

January 14 ------ The Filipino coming-of-age sports drama “Sunshine,” starring Maris Racal, has earned recognition in Letterboxd’s 2025 Year in Review, ranking across three community-voted categories. According to the annual wrap-up of ratings released on Tuesday, Jan. 13, “Sunshine” placed as the 5th Highest Rated Film by a Woman Director, the 6th Highest Rated Asian Film, and the 7th Highest Rated Drama of the Year. The three rankings include highly acclaimed and award-winn

January 14 ------ Reigning Miss Philippines Earth Joy Barcoma sheds her comical persona to speak up about farmers’ welfare, a plea that has earned the support of many netizens who voiced their agreement with the beauty queen’s position. The sustainability consultant and event host shared a social media post from “The Breeder’s Eye” showing an aging farmer population, along with a call for a younger generation of farmers. “We must first dignify farming and not romanticize it a

MANILA, Philippines, January 14 ------ Last Christmas, Rabin Angeles and Angela Muji, fondly dubbed RabGel by fans, exchanged special gifts and spent the holiday season celebrating with their respective families. Angela recently gave Rabin her present this January. “Her gift is super sweet,” Rabin shared during the media conference for their first movie together, “A Werewolf Boy.” “That’s always been one of my concerns. For example, when I don’t have my glam team with me duri

January 14 ------ Kuh Ledesma and the 1980s show band Music & Magic will reunite for an intimate two-night concert in Cavite, with the veteran artist saying that the upcoming show is a celebration of their friendship. Ledesma and Music & Magic’s concert was announced in a press release, where it will be held at the A.R.T.E. Theater, Hacienda Isabella in Indang, Cavite, on January 31 and February 1. Joining the “Till I Met You” singer in the show are Fe De Los Reyes, Jet Monte