Philippine News

JAPAN, January 25 ------ Tokyo’s combination of business and research opportunities, along with a high standard of living, a blooming cultural scene, and safety, makes it a popular city for highly skilled talent from around the world. Learn about three people from different fields of expertise, who have each put down roots in Japan’s capital, building not only their careers but also a community and fulfilling life in this city of possibilities. A gardener captivated by the “t

January 25 ------ Reigning Miss Eco International Alexie Brooks is set to fly to the United Kingdom to fulfill her role as global beauty queen and help choose another lady who will aim for the crown she currently holds. The Ilongga national athlete and model will serve as the “Head Judge” of the Miss Eco International UK competition, which will be held on March 15 (16 in Manila). Reigning Miss Eco International UK Victoria Repollo Inglis is a full-blooded Filipino woman from

January 25 ------ Trimmed to a leaner, 10-team field but packed with balance and intrigue, the Premier Volleyball League opens its flagship All-Filipino Conference at the FilOil Playtime Center in San Juan on Jan. 31. The season-ending tournament promises a season unlike any other, where every match counts, every ranking matters, and unpredictability is the only certainty. The excitement stems not just from a streamlined lineup but from a revamped competition format designed

January 25 ------ After agreeing to limit and then relocate cruise ships out of the center of the Dutch city, members of Amsterdam’s coalition government, including the mayor and some aldermen, are now saying it would be more cost-effective to simply eliminate cruise ships. On Wednesday, January 21, they floated a plan to phase out all port calls by ocean-going cruise ships by 2035, while maintaining a smaller number of river cruise ship calls. Concerns about pollution and ov

MANILA, Philippines, January 25 ------ The historic natural gas find at the Malampaya East-1 (MAE-1) may soon be followed by more breakthroughs, as the government expects initial results from two more wells by the end of this quarter. In a statement, the Department of Energy said it is closely monitoring drilling activities at the Camago-3 and Bagong Pag-asa-1 wells, aiming to strike more gas and give further boost to the country’s power supply. The newly discovered reservoir

January 25 ------ Concert King Martin Nievera may have joked about being “the dinosaur in the middle of the poster” — referring to the official layout for “Champions of the Heart” — but at the press conference for this much-anticipated Valentine’s Day concert, the OPM icon was anything but out of place. Held at the Gordon Ramsay Bar and Grill, the media event gathered five celebrated Filipino singers for what’s being billed as this season’s most powerful love show. And while

January 25 ------ The first-ever World team for the NBA All-Star Game is already looking loaded. And the fate of LeBron James' record streak of All-Star selections will now be decided by coaches, or perhaps even Commissioner Adam Silver. Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo, Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver's Nikola Jokic, the Los Angeles Lakers' Luka Doncic and San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama were among those announced as starters — an inexact term this year — fo

PARIS, January 25 ------ A red stencil of a hand pressed against the wall of an Indonesian cave is the oldest rock art ever discovered, scientists said, and sheds light on how humans first migrated to Australia. The cave art dates back at least 67,800 years, according to research published in the journal Nature by a team of Indonesian and Australian archaeologists. “We have been working in Indonesia for a long time,” study co-author Maxime Aubert of Australia’s Griffith Unive

MANILA, January 25 ------ The Department of Health (DOH) said the new guidelines for the Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) will be released in February. “Nakabase ang guidelines sa mahigpit na utos ng Pangulong Marcos na bawal na ang mga guarantee letters mula sa mga elected official para bayaran ang bill ng pasyente sa mga ospital,” the DOH said in a statement on Saturday. Under the new guidelines, the benefit coverage would be e

January 25 ------ Global ship recycling no longer suffers from a lack of rules. It suffers from a failure to connect them. What is often described as a compliance gap is, in reality, a governance failure created by fragmented legal regimes that refuse to engage with where and how ship recycling actually takes place. The result is a system that is legally dense, institutionally complex, and operationally incoherent. Bangladesh and India are today the world’s two largest ship-r

January 24 ------ The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) released its new Deck Procedures Guide, a vital addition to ICS’s suite of shipboard operational guidance. ICS says the publication addresses a critical gap in maritime safety guidance by providing the industry's first comprehensive resource dedicated specifically to deck operations. Together with the widely used Bridge Procedures Guide and Engine Room Procedures Guide, this new publication completes a trilogy of c

January 24 ------ DESPITE a quick exit in her Australian Open main draw debut, Alexandra “Alex” Eala leaped to a career-best 43rd in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) live rankings. Officially, Eala is ranked a career high 49th in the world but when the WTA resets its rankings on Monday, the Filipino ace could set a new personal best. Her live ranking of No. 43 can still change as the Australian Open progresses. Eala got off to a strong start on Monday but fell to American

KARIWA, January 24 ------ The world's biggest nuclear power plant was restarted for the first time since the 2011 Fukushima disaster, its Japanese operator said, despite persistent safety concerns among residents. The plant was "started at 19.02" (6.02 pm, Singapore time), Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) spokesman Tatsuya Matoba told AFP of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata prefecture. The regional governor approved the resumption last month, although public opinio

January 24 ------ The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported an increased presence of Chinese maritime forces, including warships, around Bajo de Masinloc in 2025 compared to 2024. In a statement, PCG spokesperson for West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela noted that China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels were also operating progressively closer to the Luzon coastline. “In our annual report, we noted a higher number of Chinese maritime forces—including the [People’s Liberation Ar

January 24 ------ Filipino singer Gwyn Dorado has left a lasting impression on the Korean public after her participation as a contestant on the singing competition TV show “Sing Again 4.” During the competition, which aired on Korean channel JTBC from October to January, Dorado, 21, wowed the judges and earned praise on social media for her powerful voice in addition to her singing in Korean. “Sing Again” is a music audition TV show that gives singers a second chance to sing

January 24 ------ What started out as a skill, award-winning actor Alden Richards was told he “had to have,” is now a full-bodied expression of joy, storytelling, and connection — not just for the camera, but for real life. As he returns this February to anchor the second season of the GMA Network’s original dance contest, “Stars on the Floor,” Alden opens up about how the show has reshaped his relationship with dance, the stage, and even his approach to hostings. “I really t

LONDON, United Kingdom, January 24 ------ The US is due to officially exit the World Health Organization in the face of warnings it will hit both US health and global health, and also in violation of a US law that requires Washington to pay the UN health agency $260 million in fees that it owes. President Donald Trump gave notice that the US would quit the organization on the first day of his presidency in 2025, via an executive order. Under US law, it has to give one-year no

January 24 ------ Tyrese Maxey scored 36 points, including clutch plays late in regulation and at the end of overtime, lifting the Philadelphia 76ers to a 128-122 home win over the Houston Rockets. Maxey added 10 assists for Philadelphia, while Joel Embiid put up some impressive stats of his own with 32 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. Kelly Oubre Jr. chipped in 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting for the Sixers. Kevin Durant fueled Houston's offense with 36 points, although he

MANILA, January 24 ------ Oil prices are projected to rise by as much as PHP1.40 per liter next week amid supply concerns. In advisory, Jetti Petroleum President Leo Bellas said diesel prices could rise by PHP1.20 to PHP1.40 per liter, while gasoline prices may increase by PHP0.30 to PHP0.50 per liter, based on Asian benchmark prices and foreign exchange movements as of Thursday. The projected hike in gasoline prices would be the third week in-a-row and fifth for diesel. “Wor

January 24 ------ Singapore posted record port performance in 2025, supported by resilient global trade and fuel offtake. The nation achieved a record of 3.22 billion gross tonnage (GT) of vessel arrivals and 44.66 million TEUs of container throughput in 2025 – a 3.5% and 8.6% increase from 2024, respectively. Marine fuel sales also hit a new high at 56.77 million tons, a 3.4% increase from 2024, with continued growth in the use of alternative marine fuels, which increased to