Philippine News

MANILA, Philippines, November 20 ------ The Armed Forces of the Philippines said it did not monitor Chinese bomber formations in the West Philippine Sea during a joint maritime exercise with the United States and Japan last week, contradicting a report by Chinese state media. “There was no monitored such formations in our maritime domain during the conduct of MMCA in the WPS,” Col. Xerxes Trinidad, AFP public affairs chief, told Philstar.com in a message. Trinidad was asked f

November 20 ------ The Philippines and Palestine agree to strengthen their bilateral relations through the signing of a memorandum of understanding on political consultations that will establish a structured mechanism to identify areas of cooperation and mutual interests. Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro and Palestinian Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister Dr. Varsen Aghabekian Shahin held a bilateral meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 18, as part of

MANILA, Philippines, November 20 ------ The Senate has approved the Department of Agriculture’s proposed P184.1-billion budget for 2026, a move the DA said would strengthen initiatives to improve food security and support rural development. During plenary debates Tuesday night, senators expressed willingness to consider higher allocations for the DA during the upcoming bicameral conference committee. Under the approved proposal, the Office of the Secretary will receive P140.0

MALOLOS, Philippines, November 20 ------ The elevation in Angat Dam in Bulacan has gone beyond the reservoir’s normal high-water level of 212 meters, but operators are not keen on opening the spillways. Maria Teresa Serra, chief of the Angat Dam flood forecasting and warning division, told The STAR that as of 8 a.m. yesterday, Angat’s elevation was 212.52 meters, up by 31 centimeters than the previous day’s 212.21 meters. Serra attributed the increase in the water elevation t

November 20 ------ Major websites, including social network X and AI chatbot ChatGPT, were disrupted after US online services provider Cloudflare said it had been affected by a "latent bug". Web monitor Downdetector recorded disruptions for users of X, the video game "League of Legends," and some services from Google and OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. Cloudflare, which specializes in online security and says it manages some 20 percent of global internet traffic, saw its shar

TOKYO/BEIJING, November 20 ------ China has informed Japan that it will ban all imports of Japanese seafood, media outlets reported, in what appeared to be the latest salvo in an escalating diplomatic dispute between the East Asian neighbors. Tensions between the two countries ignited after new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said earlier this month that a Chinese attack on Taiwan threatening Japan’s survival could trigger a military response. China has demanded she re

November 20 ------ President Volodymyr Zelensky met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara for a meeting that focused primarily on the diplomatic efforts surrounding Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine. At a joint press conference after their meeting, Erdoğan emphasized his government’s wish to revive the Istanbul process – a series of meetings between Ukrainian and Russian diplomats hosted by Turkey’s largest city – in light of Russia’s intensifying attacks, as per

November 20 ------ A new US peace proposal for Ukraine would see Kyiv ceding land and more than halving its army, a source told AFP, as a Russian strike in the west of the country killed 26 people, including three children. The proposal appears to repeat Russia's maximalist terms to end the war - demands consistently rejected by Ukraine as tantamount to capitulation. The surprise initiative comes as Russian missiles hit the western city of Ternopil, far from the front line, i

Resilience is the silent strength that carries us through life's toughest challenges. It's the unwavering belief in our ability to overcome adversity and emerge stronger on the other side. In this blog post, we delve into the theme of resilience, exploring its significance in our lives and communities. Life is a journey filled with ups and downs, twists and turns. Along the way, we encounter obstacles and setbacks that test our resolve and challenge our beliefs. Yet, it is of

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral infection that has become a significant public health concern in many tropical and subtropical regions, including the Philippines. What is Dengue Fever? Dengue fever is caused by the dengue virus, which is spread to people by infected Aedes mosquitoes. The illness can be mild or severe, with the severe form called dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) or dengue shock syndrome (DSS) posing a serious risk to life. The Philippines, with its tropic

I don’t know how it happened, but holiday decor is adorning every store, and gift guides are launching left and right. I love the holidays, with all the festive and cozy things they bring, and I anxiously wait all year for them to arrive, but I have to admit, I am feeling a little less enthusiastic about them this time around. The truth is, the last few months have been really rough on my wallet. So, the idea of spending even more money sends me into a little bit of a panic.

Last Thursday, I went to Intramuros to attend the National Launch of the Philippines’ chairship of ASEAN 2026. I listened intently as the President shared his vision of what could be the biggest international event of his administration. He would be chairing the government side of ASEAN 2026, while I will chair the private sector. Having assumed the role back in 2017 under former president Rodrigo Duterte, I was familiar with the amount of work ahead for me and President Marc

November 19 ------ Philippine officials told the Associated Press that they completed a mostly peaceful resupply mission to their outpost on the beached vessel BRP Sierra Madre in the South China Sea after previous confrontations with the Chinese. The latest resupply mission, the 12th in the past year, was observed by the Chinese and timed to the start of a joint Philippine, U.S., Japan exercise led by the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. The Philippines and China have long been

November 19 ------ A severe windstorm in southern Argentina damaged multiple fishing vessels in ports around the region on Monday, including three smaller vessels that sank in the harbor at Caleta Olivia, Santa Cruz. With a low-pressure system arriving from the Pacific and blowing over the Andes, gusts in parts of southern Argentina hit speeds upwards of 80 knots, according to the nation's government weather service. Swells rolling in from the Atlantic hit hard for smaller ve

November 19 ------ Last week, a container barge parted its tow wire and ran aground on a reef in the Bahamas, reportedly attracting looters from nearby communities. According to the operator, the barge Brooklyn Bridge broke away from its towing vessel due to severe winds while en route from Florida to Puerto Rico. The barge then drifted aground on a reef off Abaco, at the northern end of the island chain. The operator commissioned a dive inspection and confirmed that there wa

November 19 ------ Switzerland-based turbocharger producer Accelleron and South Korea’s HD Hyundai Marine Solution, a marine technology provider operating under HD Hyundai, have entered into an agreement aimed at ‘boosting’ the integration of ship management and optimization tools. Under the terms of the contract the parties have signed, Accelleron and HD Hyundai Marine Solution are to explore closer integration as well as “further efficiencies” across digital tools, includin

RODRIGUEZ, Rizal, November 19 ------ Zus Coffee wrapped up its two-round preliminaries campaign in the 2025 Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference on a high note. This, as the Thunderbelles made quick work of Nxled, 25-13, 25-21, 25-21 at the Ynares Center here, bouncing back after absorbing their first loss of the tournament at the hands of the Cignal Super Spikers. Thanks to the duo of import Anna DeBeer and rising standout AC Miner, they will enter the quarterfina

November 19 ------ Josh Giddey posted 21 points and 14 rebounds, Ayo Dosunmu also finished with 21 points, and the visiting Chicago Bulls held on to beat the Denver Nuggets 130-127. Kevin Huerter scored 20 points, Jalen Smith added 16, Jevon Carter contributed 15 and Matas Buzelis rounded out the double-digit scorers with 13 for Chicago, which snapped a five-game skid. The Bulls, who lost in double overtime in Utah on Sunday night, played without Coby White, who was out due t

MANILA, November 19 ------ The Philippine Men's National Football Team kept a clean sheet against Maldives, 2-0 in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. The Philippines dominated possession in the first half at the Maldives National Football Stadium, going against the home team that has yet to get a win in the qualifiers. Jefferson Tabinas headed in the breakthrough goal in the 24 minute to give the Philippines a 1-0 lead over Maldives. Just like in their match against Tajikist

November 19 ------ Four-time World Cup champion Germany finally secured their place in the 2026 edition with a 6-0 rout over Slovakia. It will be Germany's 21st appearance in the World Cup, with the only two editions the country has missed being the inaugural 1930 World Cup it didn't enter and the 1950 tournament it was not allowed to enter. European rival the Netherlands also qualified on Monday with a 4-0 win over Lithuania to complete an unbeaten run through group play. Th