Philippine News

MANILA, Philippines, November 22 ------ Mexico’s Fátima Bosch was officially crowned Miss Universe 2025 during the 74th edition of the pageant held in Thailand on Friday. The Philippines’ Ahtisa Manalo, meanwhile, delivered an impressive journey and finished as 3rd Runner-Up. Thailand’s Praveenar Singh was named 1st Runner-Up, Venezuela’s Stephany Abasali took 2nd Runner-Up, and Côte d'Ivoire’s Olivia Yacé placed 4th Runner-Up. During the second Q&A portion, all candidates we

MANILA, Philippines, November 22 ------ The Department of Public Works and Highways and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure recommended, the filing of plunder and graft charges against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and former lawmaker Zaldy Co before the Office of the Ombudsman. The referral of charges was made in tandem with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s order — publicly shared in a news release — for both agencies to turn over all evidence gathered in t

November 22 ------ The Philippines prides itself as a leading shipping nation, with its seafarers representing more than a quarter of the world’s maritime workforce. However, the economic impacts of the manning industry on the country’s economy has largely remained a matter of conjecture. A new study is now creating a clear picture of the industry, and has gone ahead to challenge authorities to ensure the global merchant shipping industry does not lose confidence with its sea

November 22 ------ Vice Ganda shared how he was inspired by a foreign benefactor who sent him to school — a memory brought back during the launch of his first endorsement project with partner Ion Perez, under the beauty and wellness company Beautéderm, led by CEO Rhea Tan. The celebrity couple were introduced together as ambassadors for the corporation’s Belle Dolls brand at a press conference, which The STAR attended. The comedian and TV host said he tries to pay it forward

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines, November 22 ------ The daily minimum wage in Western Visayas, including Negros Occidental in the Negros Island Region (NIR), increased by P37 up to P40 but both business and labor groups are unhappy, with one saying the adjustment falls short of expectations. Wage Order No. RBVI-29, approved by the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC), now applies to Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo, Guimaras, and Iloilo City under Western Visayas or

SYDNEY, Australia, November 22 ------ Australians younger than 16 will be removed from Facebook and Instagram on December 4, tech giant Meta said Thursday, as Canberra prepares to enforce sweeping laws banning teens from social media. From December 10, Australia will force social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, to remove users under the age of 16 or face hefty fines. Meta said that it would start removing teenagers from its platforms ahead of the b

MANILA, November 22 ------ PVL President Ricky Palou shared that national team players who are suiting up for their PVL clubs will only be available for Alas Pilipinas after their respective teams' elimination from the ongoing 2025 Reinforced Conference. Palou said that it was an agreement among the teams taking part in the import-laden, year-ending tourney. The Philippines is set to participate in the 2025 Southeast Asian Games, which will take place in Thailand from Decembe

November 22 ------ Swiss-Dutch marine engineering giant Allseas has commissioned a new study on the economic benefits of offshore nuclear powerplants, a new specialty it is developing in cooperation with TU Delft and nuclear energy services company NRG Pallas. In June, Allseas announced plans to build a 25-megawatt small modular reactor (SMR) designed for marine propulsion, auxiliary power and microgrid applications. The company intends to adapt high-temperature gas-cooled re

November 21 ------ The drone strikes on drug smuggling boats have not been holding back the Coast Guard's performance in daily cocaine seizures, according to a top commander for the region. If anything, the numbers have been going up, as demonstrated by the new record set by USCGC Stone's crew over the last few months. The volumes captured are better than ever; if smugglers are deterred by the threat of lethal strike, it hasn't yet affected boat traffic. "The drugs you see he

November 21 ------ South Korea’s HD Hyundai has become the world’s first shipbuilder to build and deliver 5,000 ships, marking half a century since its first vessel delivery in 1974. On November 19, 2025, the company held a ceremony in Ulsan to celebrate the milestone. The 5,000th vessel delivered by HD Hyundai is the second offshore patrol vessel built for the Philippine Navy, the Diego Silang. Launched in March and delivered to the Philippine Navy in October, the vessel mea

November 21 ------ The United Seamen’s Service recognized Crowley mariners with honors at the 2025 Admiral of the Ocean Sea (AOTOS) Awards. As one of the most prestigious ceremonies in the industry, the AOTOS awards spotlight outstanding maritime achievement and pay tribute to American seafarers whose courageous actions and commitment to safety have made a profound impact on the industry and the welfare of those at sea. The crew of the tanker Stena Immaculate was presented wi

November 21 ------ The Korean Coast Guard held a briefing on yesterday’s grounding of a passenger car ferry, reporting a litany of failures and saying it is pursuing charges, including gross negligence. It said the first officer, who was responsible for navigation, was distracted by his cell phone and failed to perform his duties, while the captain and helmsman are also under investigation. The first officer of the ferry, identified as a Korean in his 40s, was in charge of th

November 21 ------ Ahead of the coronation show, Philippine bet Ahtisa Manalo landed the Miss Universe 2025 frontrunners' lists made by established pageant platforms. Missosology, a known global pageant observer, placed Manalo in the fourth spot of its “Final Hot Picks” released on Thursday, Nov. 20. The platform’s list is topped by Thailand’s Praveenar Singh, followed by Colombia’s Vanessa Pulgarin and Mexico’s Fatima Bosch in the second and third spots. Rounding up the Top

November 21 ------ Several Filipino stars are set to attend the Asian Academy Creative Awards, the premier celebration of creative arts in the Asia-Pacific region, taking place in Singapore this December. The event will be held at Singapore’s Capitol Theatre on December 4, featuring a host of celebrities. TV personality Mond Gutierrez will be among the hosts of the red carpet, alongside journalist Yvette King and Singaporean actress Biwa Mastura, according to a press release.

November 21 ------ Belle Mariano is riding a wave of momentum as the family drama “Meet, Greet & Bye,” starring Maricel Soriano, Piolo Pascual, Joshua Garcia, Mariano, and Juan Karlos Labajo, continues its strong box-office run. During an interview last week, Mariano was still reeling from the box-office figures she kept receiving — how the film earned P33 million just three days after its Nov. 12 opening, and how, five days later, its worldwide gross had already climbed to P

November 21 ------ Julie Anne San Jose has released her new single, “Simula,” which marked her latest step into music production. According to Aubrey Carampel’s report on “24 Oras,” the Asia’s Limitless Star is currently in her music producer era, taking a more hands-on role in developing her sound. “It feels liberating and exciting at the same time kasi I have control over everything when it comes to my music. Tsaka mero’n akong creative freedom,” Julie said. Following the r

TOKYO, November 21 ------ Japan sees currency intervention as a possibility in dealing with excessively volatile and speculative moves in the yen, Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said in the strongest warning to date against recent falls in the currency. "We are alarmed by recent one-sided, sharp moves in the currency market," Katayama told a news conference, when asked about recent declines in the yen. "It is important for currency rates to move stably, reflecting fundamen

HOUSTON, November 21 ------ Oil prices fell as the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump pushed for Ukraine's acceptance of a peace agreement with Russia to end a war that has gone on for more than three years. Brent crude futures settled at $63.38 a barrel, down 13 cents, or 0.2%. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures finished at $59.14 a barrel, down 30 cents, or 0.5%. Both benchmarks rose earlier in Thursday's session on a larger-than-expected draw on U.S. cru

November 21 ------ German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Berlin is intensifying work with Kyiv on long-range strike capabilities, signaling a shift toward deeper military support as Russia escalates attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Speaking at a joint press conference in Berlin with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Merz said Germany had been “intensively” coordinating with Ukraine for months on projects related to “long-range fire.” Merz: “We are doing

KYIV, November 21 ------ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has received the draft of a U.S. plan to revive a diplomatic end to the war, and will discuss the "key points required to achieve peace" in the coming days with President Donald Trump, Zelensky's office said. "We are ready now, as before, to work constructively with the American side, as well as with our partners in Europe and around the world, so that the outcome is peace," a statement published on Telegram said