Philippine News

GENEVA, Switzerland, February 27 ------ Iran and the United States began indirect talks in Switzerland on Thursday, a last-ditch effort to avert war following the biggest American military buildup in the Middle East in decades. The Oman-mediated discussions follow repeated threats from Donald Trump to strike Iran, with the US president on Feb. 19 giving Tehran 15 days to reach a deal. The US and Iranian delegations arrived at the venue at the Omani ambassador’s residence amid

COPENHAGEN, February 27 ------ Denmark will hold a parliamentary election on March 24, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said, seeking to capitalize on a surge in support for her defiant stance against US pressure over Greenland. Frederiksen has spent recent months rallying European leaders against US President Donald Trump's renewed interest in annexing the Arctic island, an effort that opinion polls suggest has bolstered her popularity after public dissatisfaction ove

GENEVA, February 27 ------ US and Ukrainian officials concluded talks in Geneva to discuss advancing efforts to end Russia's four-year invasion of Ukraine, just as Moscow signaled it was in no hurry to sign a deal. An AFP reporter saw the US delegation leaving Geneva's Hotel des Bergues, the venue of the talks, and the Swiss agency ATS-Keystone published a photo of the Ukrainian lead negotiator, Rustem Umerov, leaving the hotel. US leader Donald Trump is pushing for an end to

February 27 ------ The war in Ukraine will decide whether Europe or Russia becomes the “third pillar” of a new global order, Poland’s foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski said, two days after the conflict entered its fifth year. NATO member Poland shares borders with both Russia and Ukraine, and its government has been a trenchant critic of Moscow throughout the conflict. “This war will determine which actor becomes the third pillar -- alongside the United States and China -- o

MANILA, February 27 ------ The Social Security System (SSS) announced there will be a 10 percent pension increase this year and another one in 2027 with no contribution hike. At the "Meet with the Press" event, Finance Secretary Frederick Go, who is also chairperson of the Social Security Commission, said that the Pension Reform Program continues. SSS pensioners got a 10 percent increase in 2025 and will also have hikes in September this year and September next year. “We will

MANILA, Philippines, February 27 ------ Kanlaon Volcano erupted Thursday evening, February 26, sending a billowing plume of ash about 2,500 meters (1.5 miles) into the nighttime sky. The two-minute eruption began at 7:04 pm (1104 GMT), state volcanology agency director Teresito Bacolcol told AFP, saying "there might be a bigger explosive eruption in the next few days." Kanlaon Volcano, one of 24 active volcanoes in the archipelago nation, has had several major eruptions in th

MANILA, February 27 ------ The Chinese Embassy in Manila said it will double efforts to bring the bilateral relations between China and the Philippines “back on track” under Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan on the heels of a recent dialogue with Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Erwin Tulfo. “The Chinese Embassy will continue to actively promote dialogue and exchanges, enhance mutual understanding and trust, and bring bilateral relations back on track at an early date.

MANILA, February 27 ------ The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) generated a record PHP30.9 billion revenue in 2025 driven by sustained growth in vessel traffic and cargo throughput. In a message to reporters, PPA spokesperson Eunice Samonte said other contributing factors to the largest dividend remittance ever made by the PPA were higher storage revenues, strengthened regulatory income following tariff adjustments and favorable gains from dollar-denominated tariffs. “These f

Shopping malls are designed to separate shoppers from their money. In order to maximize sales, malls tempt shoppers to spend with oversized “sale” signs near store entrances. Impulse items, such as jewelry and perfumes, are arrayed by cash registers to catch shoppers’ eyes at checkout. As people walk from store to store, sales people working kiosks hawk specialty products to passers-by. Even the odors that waft through the air are designed to trigger spending. Marketers use s

Who doesn’t love a vacation? It’s what we spend most of our year looking forward to. While the prospect of a trip is exciting, the preparation involved – planning a perfect itinerary, working out how to navigate an unfamiliar city, and packing travel essentials – can be overwhelming. In the midst of trying to experience everything a destination has to offer, it's easy to overlook the most important thing: to relax. So, how do you prioritise rest and self-care while still maki

High blood pressure significantly increases the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. High blood pressure is not usually something that you can feel or notice, and it can go undiagnosed because there are usually no symptoms. Regardless, high blood pressure can lead to kidney damage, stroke or a heart attack. Therefore, it's important you get your blood pressure checked regularly. Check with your GP or nurse how often to get it checked. 1. Regular physical

As chair of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC), my commitment to making our regional body more inclusive has never been more vital. My goal is to make this ASEAN more inclusive, a task that I started more than a decade ago, in 2017, when I last headed the ASEAN-BAC. We have made substantial progress, but the need to engage every segment of society in the ASEAN narrative is now more urgent, especially when economic growth and poverty alleviation are at stake. Admi

February 26 ------ Over the past week, 16-23 February, no incident of armed robbery against ships in Asia was reported to the ReCAAP ISC. The ReCAAP ISC advises ships to continue to intensify vigilance, maintain a sharp look-out while anchoring or transiting areas of concern, including the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, and report all incidents to the law enforcement agencies immediately; and the littoral States to increase patrols and enforcement in these areas. For the 6

February 26 ------ Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison said, Panama authorities had threatened its employees with criminal prosecution if they refused to leave two strategic canal ports at the center of a legal battle that has embroiled Beijing and Washington. CK Hutchison said Panama's decision to cancel key port contracts and grant temporary licenses to Maersk and Mediterranean Shipping (MSC) was 'unlawful' as it considers national and international legal action against Pan

February 26 ------ Saudi Arabia is increasing its oil production and exports as part of a contingency plan in case any U.S. strike on Iran disrupts supplies from the Middle East, two sources familiar with the plan said. The Saudi government media office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the plan. U.S. President Donald Trump has said he is considering a strike on Iran to pressure its leaders to agree a deal to curb Tehran's nuclear program. The United Sta

February 26 ------ Swiss marine power company WinGD has completed what it says is the world’s first type approval (TAT) and factory acceptance testing (FAT) for an ammonia-fueled two-stroke marine engine. Both TAT and FAT programs were completed last month, with testing of the X52DF-A-1.0 engine carried out at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ Engine & Machinery (HHI-EMD) facility in South Korea, witnessed by classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR), with representatives f

February 26 ------ JUAN Gomez de Liano is set to make his debut for Gilas Pilipinas men in the Tim Cone era as he was named to the Final 12 for the home game against New Zealand in Window Two of the Fiba World Cup 2027 Asian qualifiers, sources said. While JGdL made the final cut, his Converge teammate Justine Baltazar and Barangay Ginebra's RJ Abarrientos and Troy Rosario were left out as Cone stuck to his old reliables for Thursday's qualifier against the Tall Blacks at the

February 26 ------ The Philippine Women’s National Futsal Team suffered its first setback in the 2026 ASEAN Women’s Futsal Championship, falling 2-0 to defending champion Vietnam in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. Vietnam, eager to recover from its two-goal loss to Australia yesterday, opened the scoring just five minutes into the match. Le Thi Thanh Ngan converted a precise pass from teammate Nguyen Phuong Anh to give the Vietnamese the early lead. The Filipinas saw their hopes

LOS ANGELES, February 26 ------ The Cleveland Cavaliers emphatically got back to winning ways coasting to a 109-94 victory over the New York Knicks as their recent star signing James Harden scored 20 points. The Cavs took the lead barely a minute into the game with an Evan Mobley three-pointer, and never gave it up in a thoroughly comfortable night for the red-hot Ohio franchise. Former NBA Most Valuable Player Harden, who was brought in from the Los Angeles Clippers this mon

MANILA, February 26 ------ Newcomer Alche Gupiteo shone for Criss Cross in their comprehensive 25-17, 25-15, 25-17 sweep of VNS Always Bright Laticrete for a strong start to their campaign in the 2026 Spikers' Turf Open Conference. Gupiteo fired a game-high 11 points on top of eight excellent receptions, while four-time Most Valuable Player Jude Garcia matched him with 11 points and six digs, as the King Crunchers opened their bid for back-to-back titles at the FilOil Centre