Philippine News

MANILA, January 7 ------ The high prices of movie tickets were seen as one of the factors behind the low turnout of movie patrons at this year's Metro Manila Film Festival. On average, regular cinema prices are at P400 now, while premium cinemas go as high as P600 and up. The public and industry folks see this tag price as a reason for the decline of box office receipts this year. This was affirmed by MMFF Overall chairman Atty. Don Artes. This year, the festival fell almost

January 7 ------ Kris and Coleen were among the celebrity guests at the opening of Crepe Glazik's newest branch at Shangri-La Plaza Mall last weekend. The authentic French creperie, owned by couple Neven and Nicole Charpentier, also has branches in Makati and Bonifacio Global City. During the event, both actresses spoke openly about motherhood and how it transformed them as women of purpose. For Kris, mom to two-year-old Hailee Lucca with husband Perry Choi, every day of pare

MANILA, Philippines, January 7 ------ Parenting five children in the digital age has taught Iya Villania-Arellano the delicate balance between setting limits and giving freedom, especially when it comes to screen time. The “24 Oras” co-anchor recently opened up to The STAR about how her family’s relationship with gadgets evolved over the years. Especially so after the pandemic blurred boundaries for gadget use as school, play and social life moved online. “Prior to the pandem

MANILA, Philippines, January 7 ------ Streaming platform Netflix will close its chapter on hit series "Stranger Things" with a documentary on how the show's fifth and final season was shot. "One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5" will give an inside look at the years of work that went into the popular series created by the Duffer Brothers. Netflix described the documentary as a "sweeping behind-the-scenes chronicle that follows the cast, creators, and crew as th

MANILA, Philippines, January 7 ------ Albay province’s Mayon Volcano was raised to Alert Level 3 less than a week after being placed under Alert Level 2 on New Year’s Day. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said “very slow extrusion of shallow degassed magma is ongoing and is incrementally increasing in rate,” or an “effusive magmatic eruption is taking place.” An effusive or non-explosive magmatic eruption is “dominated by the outpouring of lav

MANILA, Philippines, January 7 ------ President Marcos has declared Jan. 9 as a special non-working day in the city of Manila for the celebration of the Feast of the Black Nazarene. In issuing Proclamation No. 1126, Marcos said millions of devotees are expected to join the religious event. The declaration of a special non-working day aims “to ensure the orderly procession of devotees and to facilitate the flow of traffic” in Manila. Executive Secretary Ralph Recto signed the

MANILA, Philippines, January 7 ------ The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) yesterday assured the public that while it expects China to continue its illegal presence and activities in the region, the military will increase and sustain its operations to secure and defend the West Philippine Sea. Combined and joint naval exercises with allied nations will also continue as the military now considers maritime cooperative activities as “part of our operational design” instead

MANILA, Philippines, January 7 ------ Australian authorities have found no evidence that the suspects in the December 14 Bondi Beach mass shooting incident received military-style training during their month-long stay in the Philippines. This confirmation that the two gunmen had acted alone was shared by Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barret on December 30, and welcomed by the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs. "There is no evidence to suggest they rec

January 7 ------ An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 hit the western Chugoku region of Japan on Tuesday, followed by a series of sizeable aftershocks, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The epicenter of the first earthquake was in eastern Shimane prefecture, the agency said, adding that there was no danger of a tsunami. Chugoku Electric Power, which runs the Shimane Nuclear Power Station about 32 km (20 miles) away, said operations were continuing as usual at

COPENHAGEN, January 7 ------ Leaders from major European powers rallied behind Greenland on Tuesday, saying in a joint statement that the Arctic island belongs to its people, following a renewed threat by US President Donald Trump to take over the Danish territory. Trump has in recent weeks repeated that he wants to gain control of Greenland, an idea first voiced in 2019 during his first presidency, arguing that it is vital for the US military, and that Denmark has not done e

PARIS, France, January 7 ------ France, the U.K. and Ukraine signed a “Declaration of Intent” to send their forces to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal with Russia. British, French and partner forces would be on the ground, establishing “military hubs” across Ukraine, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky. Ukraine’s armed forces would use the protective facilities to retain Ukraine’s defensive nee

PARIS, January 7 ------ Ukraine’s allies were meeting in Paris for key talks that could help determine the country’s security after a potential ceasefire with Russia, but prospects for progress are uncertain with the United States’ focus shifting to Venezuela. Before the US capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, France’s President Emmanuel Macron had expressed optimism about the latest gathering of “coalition of the willing” nations. For months, they have been exploring

January 6 ------ Hawaii’s hotly contested and closely followed “Green Fee,” a new tax on hotels, short-stay rentals, and cruises, suffered a setback just hours before it was due to go into effect. It is the first tax of its kind imposed on tourists to contribute to the state’s costs of addressing environmental issues. Two judges on the U.S. 9th Circuit Court granted on New Year’s Eve (December 31) a last-minute request for an injunction in a suit brought by the cruise industr

January 6 ------ Palau's government has ended a longtime commercial arrangement with its flag registry operator, according to the Island Times. The change follows several U.S. Treasury sanctions actions affecting the Palau-flagged fleet, and brings the register a chance for a fresh start. In a statement, Palau's Ministry of Public Infrastructure and Industries confirmed that the Palau flag registry continues to provide all shipping registry services as before, but under new m

January 6 ------ Nigerian authorities have arrested 22 crewmembers from a bulker after finding a small shipment of cocaine aboard the vessel. In November, the bulker Aruna Hulya got under way from Santos, Brazil - a notorious cocaine-trafficking hub - and got under way on a transatlantic crossing to Lagos, arriving December 26. The vessel moored at the GDNL terminal complex in Lagos. Upon boarding, Nigerian authorities found about 32 kilos of cocaine inside the number-three h

January 6 ------ A freighter has gone aground on the northern shores of the Sea of Marmara, reportedly due to strong winds in the area. On December 30, White Line arrived just off the coast of the port of Marmara and when to anchor. At about 1430 hours local time on Saturday, the vessel drifted from her anchorage and grounded just off a sandy beach, a tourist area known locally as Santos Plaji. Local outlet Sozcu reports that the ship was hit by a strong windstorm. No injurie

MANILA, Philippines, January 6 ------ After two sold-out shows last December, the SexBomb Girls are preparing for one final reunion show for this coming February. Fans have clamored for another show date following the conclusion of the second "Get, Get, Aw!" reunion concert on December 9, itself an added show following the popular demand of the initial December 4 concert. While the iconic girl group teased the possibility of a third show, the act's former leader Rochelle Pang

MANILA, Philippines, January 6 ------ Alex Eala added another former champion and top-ranked player to her kill list for an explosive start to her 2026 season. Young guns Eala and American partner Iva Jovic pulled the rug from under the powerhouse and grizzled tandem of Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina and the returning Venus Williams of the United States, 7-6 (9-7), 6-1 in Round 1 of the 2026 ASB Classic at the ASB Tennis Center in Auckland, New Zealand. The 20-year-old Eala and 18

January 6 ------ US President Donald Trump on Sunday issued a pointed warning to Colombian President Gustavo Petro, suggesting that Petro “is not going to be doing it for very long.” When asked about the possibility of a US military operation against Colombia, Trump responded, “It sounds good to me.” Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump criticized Colombia’s leadership, alleging involvement in drug production. “Colombia is run by a sick man who likes making cocai

MANILA, Philippines, January 6 ------ Fuel prices are set to move in opposite directions today, reflecting recent geopolitical developments that rattled global oil markets. In separate advisories, major oil companies announced an upward adjustment of P0.20 and P0.10 per liter for diesel and kerosene prices, respectively. Gasoline prices, on the other hand, will go down by P0.10 per liter. Jetti, Petron, Seaoil and PTT Philippines will implement these adjustments this week. Bo