Philippine News

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

PHOENIX, November 15 ------ Devin Booker scored 33 points, Dillon Brooks added 32 and the Phoenix Suns won their fifth straight game by beating the Indiana Pacers, 133-98. The Suns led by 20 early in the third quarter, but the Pacers cut it to 83-73 a few minutes later. Phoenix responded with a 16-0 run — highlighted by 10 straight points from Booker — to take a 106-84 lead into the fourth. Booker shot 12 of 22 from the field and added seven assists and five rebounds. Brooks

November 14 ------ Following its official venue signing at the historic Araneta Coliseum, Mr. and Ms. Chinatown Global (MMCG) announced its new leadership under Pageant Director Nicole Cordoves and Assistant Pageant Director and Pageant Manager Cassandra Chan—signaling a bold new chapter for the CHiNOY TV-produced cultural pageant. A Binibining Pilipinas alumna, crowned Miss Grand Philippines 2016 and Miss Chinatown 2014, Cordoves is also the longest-running host of Binibinin

November 14 ------ Kylie Padilla paid tribute to her mom, Liezl Sicangco, and to all the mothers, praising their strength and selflessness for their children. Kylie spoke about motherhood while showing a photo of Sicangco on her Instagram page. “Motherhood is what forever changed me, the sacrifice, the endless selflessness, and silent resilience will forever be what I hold onto when things feel hard to navigate,” she said. “Watching my own mother navigate her journey influenc

November 14 ------ The delegates of the 74th Miss Universe pageant continued their journey in Thailand in the coastal city of Pattaya, but the Philippines’ Ahtisa Manalo was missing in the welcome event. The city hosted a special dinner dubbed “Memorable Night of Thainess” at Baan Suan Thai, with most of the candidates going onstage. Eagle-eyed pageant fans who followed the event via a live video on social media, however, noted the absence of the Philippines’ Miss Universe be

November 14 ------ As Team Philippines was eliminated in the latest episode of “Physical: Asia,” two of its members, Justin Coveney and Ray Querubin, expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to be part of the sports-themed show. Team Philippines — composed of Coveney, Querubin, team captain and CrossFit athlete Justin Hernandez, CrossFit athlete Lara Liwanag, national team Sambo athlete Mark Mugen, and national team hurdler Robyn Lauren Brown — is the latest team booted

November 14 ------ The VLCC market is currently booming and driving shipping’s strongest earnings performance in over two years. Spot earnings are reaching $100,000 per day on key routes, and analysts suggest this surge could reshape tanker deployment strategies well into 2026. Freight markets have surged, powered by a buoyant crude market, resurgent OPEC+ production, and tightening tonnage capacity. For VLCC owners, this marks not just a rally, but a key turning point, and o

November 14 ------ Japanese shipping major Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) has announced plans to issue transition bonds in late November in an effort to accelerate its decarbonization projects. As explained, transition bonds are designed to facilitate the transition to a low-carbon society. This marks the company’s fifth issuance of such bonds, showing the evolving role of this financial instrument in the shipping industry. Specifically, the company’s transition bonds will have a

November 14 ------ Bahrain and Qatar have for the first time established a direct ferry link. Previously, GCC citizens who wished to travel between the two countries had to fly, or take a long land route through Saudi Arabia subject to border controls. The new ferry route, which went into service on November 6, makes the direct transit in 50 minutes. Initially, two return services will run each day, but from this modest start the operator wants to build a higher-volume servic

November 14 ------ Florida-headquartered Disney Cruise Line has held a naming ceremony for its third cruise ship fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG). As disclosed, the 340-meter-long and 39-meter-wide vessel was formally named Disney Destiny at its homeport of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The Wish-class cruise ship, which features a gross tonnage of 144,000 and a capacity to carry up to 4,000 passengers, is the seventh vessel of its kind to be operated by th

HOUSTON, November 14 ------ Oil prices held largely steady after declining around 4% in the previous session as investors weighed concerns about global oversupply with looming sanctions against Russia's Lukoil. Brent crude futures rose 30 cents, or 0.5%, to $63.01 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude increased 20 cents, or 0.3%, to $58.69 a barrel, after a decline of 4.2%. "There should be considerable support to oil prices around $60/bbl, especially given there could

WASHINGTON, USA, November 14 ------ President Donald Trump signed legislation ending the longest government shutdown in US history, hours after the House of Representatives voted to restart disrupted food assistance, pay hundreds of thousands of federal workers, and revive a hobbled air-traffic control system. The Republican-controlled chamber passed the package by a vote of 222-209, with Trump’s support largely keeping his party together in the face of vehement opposition fr

LONDON/KYIV, November 14 ------ President Volodymyr Zelensky visited troops near Ukraine's southeastern front warning of the need to shore up the lines after losing ground in increasingly high-intensity battles far from Russia's main offensive in the east. Zelensky, whose government is reeling from a corruption scandal, said the situation near the village of Orikhiv was "one of the most difficult" on a sprawling front and that thwarting Russian forces there was key to shieldi

WASHINGTON, November 14 ------ The International Monetary Fund will soon begin a staff mission to Ukraine to discuss its financing needs and a potential new lending program, spokesperson Julie Kozack said underscoring the need for continued anti-corruption efforts in the war-torn country. Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko on Thursday announced an audit of all state-owned companies, including in the energy sector, following an alleged $100 million corruption scandal t

MANILA, November 14 ------ Creamline has formalized its quarterfinals entry in the 2025 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference. This, as the Cool Smashers reasserted their mastery over sister team Choco Mucho, 25-17, 25-17, 25-23 at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. Heading into the match, the defending champions are already mathematically assured of a playoff spot, having a superior points total over the rest of the bottom four teams in the standings, regar

November 14 ------ Stephen Curry scored 46 points, nearly half of them in a pivotal run in the third quarter, to help the visiting Golden State Warriors earn a 125-120 win over the San Antonio Spurs in the first of two games between the teams in three days in the Alamo City. The Spurs led by as many as 16 points in the first half and by seven at the break before Golden State leapfrogged to the lead with a dominating third quarter in which Curry scored 22 of the Warriors’ 43 p

November 14 ------ Two-way Japanese star Shohei Ohtani was the unanimous winner of the National League Most Valuable Player award, his third straight year receiving the honor and fourth overall. Ohtani became just the second player in MLB history to win at least four MVP awards, trailing only seven by Barry Bonds. The 31-year-old Ohtani won American League MVP with the Los Angeles Angels in 2021 and 2023. He signed with the crosstown Dodgers the following offseason and won NL

November 14 ------ DWIGHT Ramos presided over Levanga Hokkaido's 95-93 squeaker against Saga Ballooners to extend their win streak to five in the 2025-26 Japan B.League season at Hokkai Kitayell. The Gilas Pilipinas star uncorked 20 points, five rebounds, two assists, and one steal, as their side protected home court and improved to a 12-4 record. AJ Edu also did his share to see Gunma Crane Thunders blast the Ibaraki Robots, 94-70, at Openhouse Arena Ota. He was a menace dow

MANILA, Philippines, November 14 ------ Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile, a former Senate president and implementor of Martial Law during the Ferdinand Marcos regime, died on Thursday, November 13. He was 101 years old. “It is with profound love and gratitude that my father, Juan Ponce Enrile, peacefully returned to his Creator on November 13, 2025, at 4:21 p.m., surrounded by our family in the comfort of our home,” Enrile’s daughter, Katrina, said in a stat