Philippine News

MANILA, Philippines, November 17 ------ Former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co claimed that former House Speaker Martin Romualdez threatened to kill him if he “talked” about his involvement in the flood control scam or even returned to the country. Co made the allegation in the third part of his video statement, saying Romualdez threatened him as early as March 2025 during a supposed meeting. “As early as March 2025, the speaker hinted to me in our meeting that he will shoot me if I

BELEM, Brazil, November 16 ------ Brazil said it would extend negotiations at the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) to give nations time to bridge divides over thorny differences on climate goals and the finances required to achieve them. These sticking points were supposed to be resolved during a session on Wednesday. But just minutes into the meeting, Andre Corrêa do Lago, the diplomat presiding over the talks, announced that more consultations were need

November 16 ------ Despite the existing uncertainty in global regulations for clean shipping, some decarbonization initiatives are setting ambitious targets for transitioning to alternative fuels. One such example is the South Africa-Europe iron ore shipping route, which could feasibly deploy ammonia-fueled bulk carriers as soon as 2029 and scale toward full decarbonization by 2035. These findings are contained in a feasibility study by the Global Maritime Forum, produced in

November 16 ------ On Nov. 16, the Philippine Association of Record Industry (PARI) will confer on Vic del Rosario Jr., or VRJ, the Lifetime Achievement award. It is in recognition of VRJ’s massive contribution to Filipino music. And in this situation, the word “lifetime” is most appropriate. After all, he has been in the music business, and continually at that, for 60 years. It was in 1966 when the 20-year-old VRJ accepted his cousin Orly Ilacad’s invitation they put up a re

MANILA, November 16 ------ Filipina tennis star Alex Eala has been named among the athletes set to play in the 2025 MGM Macau Tennis Masters. Set from December 27 to 28 at the Macau Forum, the exhibition tournament will feature Eala alongside Grand Slam champions Li Na and Conchita Martínez, who will serve as team captains and select their players ahead of the competition. Joining them on court are Mirra Andreeva, Shang Juncheng, Jack Draper, and Jakub Menšík. Eala will be wi

MANILA, November 16 ------ The Government of Japan is extending a ¥370 million (approximately PHP140 million) grant to strengthen the Philippines’ tuberculosis (TB) response, particularly in remote and underserved areas. In a news release, the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines said Japanese Ambassador Kazuya Endo and United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) Geneva Office Director Andrew Kirkwood signed a deal for “The Project for Enhancing Tuberculosis Screening i

November 16 ------ The Alas Pilipinas Girls have at least seven months to prepare for the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U17 World Championship in Chile. According to the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF), the girls may train overseas while their player pool can also be expanded. The Alas Girls qualified for the U17 worlds after a fifth place finish in the 2nd Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Asian Women’s U16 Volleyball Championship, beating Thailand on Satur

MANILA, Philippines, November 16 ------ The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. now covers 343 medical services provided in emergency rooms under the PhilHealth outpatient emergency care benefit or OECB package. “There is a substantial need to support the delivery of acute care for cases not requiring admission, or outpatient services provided in emergency settings,” PhilHealth said. Included in the coverage are nebulization, oxygen, vital signs monitor, CT Scan, X-ray, ultraso

November 16 ------ Cruising is among the shipping segments pursuing new environmentally sensitive technologies, with exploration and luxury at the forefront. Large cruise ships have adopted LNG, scrubbers, and solar panels, while two newly launched expedition cruise ships will be among the most environmentally advanced to date. The ASENAV shipyard in Valdivia, Chile, seeks to establish its position in the sector with the launch of the new Magellan Discoverer for the sustainab

PARIS, France, November 16 ------ It has become nearly impossible for people to tell the difference between music generated by artificial intelligence and that created by humans, according to a survey released. The polling firm Ipsos asked 9,000 people to listen to two clips of AI-generated music and one of human-made music in a survey conducted for France-based streaming platform Deezer. "Ninety-seven percent could not distinguish between music entirely generated by AI and h

PARIS, France, November 16 ------ Global fossil fuel emissions are set to hit a new high in 2025, according to research published that also warns curbing warming under 1.5 °C would now be essentially "impossible". The annual Global Carbon Budget report looks at humanity's emissions of planet-heating CO2 from burning hydrocarbons, cement production, and land use -- like deforestation -- and relates the figures to the warming thresholds outlined in the 2015 Paris Agreement. An

TURIN, Italy, November 15 ------ When it came down to it, Carlos Alcaraz needed less than 90 minutes to secure the year-ending No. 1 ranking in men's tennis. Alcaraz needed one more win at the ATP Finals to beat Jannik Sinner to the No. 1 spot and the Spaniard duly got that as he eased to a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Italian Lorenzo Musetti to sweep his group at the season-ending event for the top eight players. “It means the world to me to be honest,” Alcaraz said in his on-court

November 15 ------ Singer-songwriter Zia Quizon made her musical comeback with the single “Reto Na Naman” at the Dolphy Theater — a “bittersweet, full-circle” moment at the venue named after her late father, Comedy King Dolphy. “Not meaning to, it was just the most logical place to have it logistically. There is a sense of finality. We are moving into a new chapter. This physical space won’t be here for much longer, so it is nice we got to do it while it is here,” she said, m

LONDON, United Kingdom, November 15 ------ Global oil and gas demand could grow until 2050, the International Energy Agency said, departing from previous expectations of a speedy transition to cleaner fuels following US criticism about its climate focus. The Paris-based energy security watchdog also predicted in its annual outlook that the world will likely fail to meet its goal to cap the rise in temperatures as close as possible to 1.5 degrees (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above

MANILA, Philippines, November 15 ------ Southeast Asian nations signed their first region-wide extradition treaty on Friday, November 14, closing a decades-old legal gap that allowed criminals in the region to escape arrest by fleeing to neighboring countries. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. welcomed the signing of the treaty at the opening of the two-day 13th ASEAN Law Ministers Meeting, an event held in the Philippines as part of the country's chairmanship of the ASEAN in 20

November 15 ------ In November 2024, BIMCO launched a Ship Recycling Alliance to help accelerate safe and environmentally sound ship recycling of ships through the coordination of the voices of the ship recycling industry and the shipping industry. The alliance was also launched to help facilitate the global implementation of the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships 2009 (HKC) prior to its entering into force in June 202

November 15 ------ The National Retail Federation, an industry trade group, issued its monthly report on expected import volumes through the major U.S. container ports, projecting that volumes will fall below two million TEU per month and continue a steady decline through the first quarter of 2026. With tariff uncertainty continuing but most holiday merchandise already in stores or warehouses, it projects that import cargo volume will see the usual end-of-year slowdown in Nov

WASHINGTON, United States, November 15 ------ The United States will consider obesity or having children with special needs as reasons to reject immigrant visas, in the latest salvo by President Donald Trump to turn away foreigners. In a cable sent earlier this month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio asks US embassies to factor in conditions, including obesity, when issuing long-term visas, on the grounds that being obese can "require expensive, long-term care." It also asks em

MANILA, November 15 ------ Former congressman Elizaldy Co on Friday broke his silence on the flood control scandal and claimed that he was used as a scapegoat. Co said that he left the country for a medical checkup in July and had planned to go home after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address. But Co said then House Speaker Martin Romualdez supposedly told him in a phone call, “Stay out of the country. You will be well taken care of as instructed by the

November 15 ------ Chadwick Boseman is set to be honored with a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles on November 20. Variety reported Boseman will be awarded the 2,828th star in the Motion Pictures category next week, as part of 2024’s class of honorees. Boseman’s widow, Simone Ledward-Boseman, will accept the honor on his behalf. The morning ceremony will include speeches from “Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler and actress Viola Davis, the actor’s