Philippine News

NEW YORK, December 2 ------ The dollar slipped against the Japanese yen following Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda's strongest indication to date that a December interest rate increase could be under consideration, providing support to the embattled yen. Meanwhile, mounting expectations for a December interest rate reduction by the Federal Reserve exerted downward pressure on the dollar. Ueda said on Monday the BOJ would consider the pros and cons of raising interest rates a

PADANG, Indonesia, December 2 ------ The toll in deadly flooding and landslides across parts of Asia climbed past 1,000 as the hardest-hit Sri Lanka and Indonesia deployed military personnel to help survivors. Separate weather systems brought torrential, extended rainfall to the entire island of Sri Lanka and large parts of Indonesia’s Sumatra, southern Thailand, and northern Malaysia last week. The relentless rains left residents clinging to rooftops awaiting rescue by boat

PARIS, December 2 ------ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Paris, seeking to shore up European support as US President Donald Trump expressed optimism of a deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. US and Ukrainian negotiators held hours of what both sides called “productive” talks in Florida on Sunday on a plan Washington wants to form the basis of a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. The diplomatic flurry after nearly four yea

December 2 ------ The EU has unveiled a series of new defense initiatives in Brussels as Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal called for the rapid integration of Ukraine’s defense industry and urged allies to adopt a financing mechanism grounded in frozen Russian assets. According to statements published by Shmyhal on X, the Ukrainian delegation participated in a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council with defense ministers from all 27 member states on Monday. The disc

December 1 ------ In a tense, fiercely fought election, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on November 28, elected its council for the next biennial term for 2026-27. The Council is the Executive Organ of IMO and is responsible, under the Assembly, for supervising the work of the Organization with the elections for two-year terms. The elections came at the start of the 34th session of the Assembly, which runs through December 3, and which will have an influential r

December 1 ------ In a seismic era for shipping and global sustainability efforts, the perception of LNG as a marine fuel has shifted dramatically in recent years. Once seen as one of many ‘alternatives’ in the future fuels bucket, LNG together with liquefied biomethane (Bio-LNG/LBM/RNG) are firmly becoming mainstream options for owners and operators looking to decarbonize. Over the past three years, investment into the fuel has accelerated driven by a number of factors, incl

December 1 ------ Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) continues to hold 20 Filipino seafarers as it investigates cocaine that it found hidden in the cargo of their vessel. The Philippines Department of Migrant Workers reported yesterday that it is in touch with the authorities and the crew is being well treated but detained aboard their vessel. The incident began on November 16 when the Panama-flagged bulker Nord Bosporus (60,457 dwt), owned by a Japanese c

December 1 ------ Spanish maritime authorities have decided to tow a ship that had allegedly been abandoned by its owners without fuel or provisions in the Strait of Gibraltar, according to local media. The Maritime Captaincy for the Port of Malaga told Spanish outlet Sur that the vessel in question, the 5,800-dwt coastal freighter Marine I, was drifting near the Strait and had been without propulsion for 10 days. The crew were reportedly without fuel, water or food, and thei

December 1 ------ The Angels captured their fourth PVL championship by spoiling ZUS Coffee’s dream run, 21-25, 28-26, 25-23, 25-19, in the 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference crown at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The Angels now stand alone as the most successful team in Reinforced Conference history with three titles spaced three years apart since 2019. The campaign also carved out a slate of Petro Gazz milestones led by its first two-title calendar year, Lindsey Vander Weide becom

December 1 ------ GILAS Pilipinas decided not to tinker with its lineup and will parade the same personnel against Guam when the two sides meet again today in the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers. In the wake of its 87-46 win over the same team in the first game of the opening window Friday at the University of Guam Calvo Field House, the national team opted to retain the 12-man roster for the 7:30 p.m. rematch at the Blue Eagle gym. Returning for Gilas are Chris Newsome, Scot

December 1 ------ The King Crunchers are champions at last, outlasting Japanese guest team Kindai University in a riveting 25-15, 25-21, 23-25, 23-25, 22-20 thriller to capture the 2025 Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference crown at the Playtime Filoil Centre. Once on the brink of a reverse-sweep collapse, the Rebisco-backed team clawed its way through an extended fifth set, saving six championship points before a costly attack error from Misugi Haruka finally sealed the long

December 1 ------ Emmanuel “Jimuel” Pacquiao Jr. fought Brendan Lally to a majority draw in his professional debut at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California. After four rounds, the judges scored the lightweight bout 39-37 for Pacquiao, and 38-38 on the two remaining cards. Lally came out as the aggressor from the opening bell, pressing forward and letting his hands go as he searched for short shots in close quarters. Jimuel, on the other hand, was more economi

December 1 ------ The Philippines pulled off another back-to-back, this time in the 2025 Face of Beauty International pageant in Taiwan on Sunday evening, Nov. 30, with the coronation of Nikki Buenafe Cheveh. The Iranian-Filipino beauty from Pangasinan bested 32 other aspirants for the title in the competition held in Taichung to inherit the crown from Jeanne Isabelle Bilasano. Taiwan has proven to be a lucky destination for the Philippines, as Bilasano also posted the countr

December 1 ------ SB19 - consisting of Pablo, Josh, Stell, Ken, and Justin — emerged as the biggest winner of the 10th P-pop Music Awards after sweeping its major categories, including Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, and Music Video of the Year. Held at the Manila Metropolitan Theater on Saturday, Nov. 29, the awards ceremony is a celebration of the rise of the P-pop industry and the artists that contribute to its growth. Among the artists who graced

December 1 ------ Catriona Gray delivered a powerful speech at the anti-corruption protest on Sunday, November 30 at the People Power Monument in Quezon City. In her address, the former Miss Universe emphasized how corruption has deeply affected the everyday lives of Filipinos. "Today, we stand here as Filipinos who are tired. Tired of watching corruption steal food from our tables, steal medicines from our hospitals, classrooms from our children, and safety from our communit

December 1 ------ While Judy Ann Santos has made a name for herself as a chef, she believes cooking is a form of “survival skill,” instead of it being a mere household chore, hobby, or a way to earn money. “I really want to put up my own cooking school to teach kids someday,” she said at a Kyowa launch event in Quezon City, where she was revealed as the brand ambassador. “Probably, this is for new moms or college students who enjoy watching Judy Ann’s Kitchen. I want to teac

December 1 ------ AIR travel operations returned to normal after a global system upgrade forced Philippine carriers to briefly ground Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft, prompting flight delays, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said. Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific completed the mandatory software updates on their affected Airbus fleets on Saturday, allowing full resumption of flights. “ PAL finished the softwar

MANILA, Philippines, December 1 ------ China Coast Guard (CCG) ships continued to intrude the West Philippine Sea near the coast of Zambales, according to the Philippine Coast Guard. PCG’s patrol vessel BRP Cabra issued radio challenges to a CCG ship 88 nautical miles from Palauig Point in Zambales, according to a video shared to journalists by Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesman on WPS issues. “The PCG has repeatedly asserted that the presence of these Chinese Coast Guard

MANILA, Philippines, December 1 ------ A Filipina died in the devastating fire that engulfed multiple high-rise buildings in Tai Po last week, the Philippine consulate general in Hong Kong confirmed. The consulate said overseas Filipino worker Maryann Pascual Esteban, who was earlier reported missing, died in the conflagration. “With great sadness, the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong confirms the passing of Ms. Maryann Pascual Esteban, an overseas Filipino worker wh

MANILA, December 1 ------ The second edition of the Trillion Peso March, a program calling for action against corruption, formally concluded at 6:07 PM at the People Power Monument in Quezon City. According to Kiko Aquino Dee, one of the event organizers, this year’s anti-corruption gathering was “a success.” He added that they received no reports of participants straying from the intended message of the program, which aims to end corruption and demand accountability. Initial