Philippine News

March 8 ------ Melvin Jerusalem won’t just sit back and relax while waiting for Oscar Collazo for their unification fight. The World Boxing Council minimumweight title holder is set for a rematch against South African challenger Siyakholwa Kuse on May 16 after talks for a rematch against World Boxing Organization (WBO) and World Boxing Association (WBA) unified champion bogged down. Jerusalem was already announced to be facing Collazo on March 14 to unify their belts but was

MANILA, March 8 ------ OPM band Cup of Joe is preparing to make history again as they are set to stage a concert this May in Bulacan. The band is taking the Joewahs to Bocaue for "SANDALI: The Cup of Joe Fest," happening on May 23 at the Philippine Sports Stadium. On Instagram, Cup of Joe shared that they are the first OPM act to stage a solo concert at the Bulacan venue. The concert will be directed by Paolo Valenciano. Details for the much-awaited concert, including tickets

MANILA, Philippines, March 8 ------ Amid the raging conflict in the Middle East and its anticipated impact on consumer oil prices, President Marcos is eyeing “special powers” from Congress to lower the excise tax on fuel. “I am going to talk to the leaders in both the House and in the Senate. This is not yet a sure thing, but this is something that we are discussing and it could be helpful – is to give me, the President, the authority to reduce excise tax on petroleum product

GENEVA, March 8 ------ The Middle East war has forced the World Health Organization (WHO) to suspend operations at its global emergency logistics hub in Dubai, the agency's chief said. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus voiced alarm at the conflict, which erupted Saturday with US-Israeli attacks on Iran, and warned that the "impact goes beyond the immediately affected countries". "Operations at WHO's logistics hub for global health emergencies in Dubai are currently on hold due to in

March 7 ------ De'Anthony Melton converted a second-chance basket with 5.3 seconds remaining, and the short-handed Golden State Warriors held on for a 115-113 overtime victory over the host Houston Rockets. Melton corralled a missed tip shot by Gui Santos and scored to give the Warriors a 115-112 lead. The Rockets failed to knot the score on the previous possession when Kevin Durant missed the third of three free throws after he was fouled with 29.9 seconds remaining. Melton

TOKYO, March 7 ------ The U.S. dollar held broadly steady in early Asian trade and was poised for its steepest weekly gain in more than a year as the escalating conflict in the Middle East drove demand for safe-haven assets. The euro and yen remained on the back foot as the crisis drove oil prices ever higher, spurring inflation risks in economies dependent on energy imports and upending expectations for policy by the Federal Reserve and other central banks. Earlier hopes of

MANILA, March 7 ------ Philippine inflation quickened by 2.4 percent in February from 2 percent in January, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority. The state statistics bureau said that it is also seeing higher inflation in the coming months due to the war in the Middle East. National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa said the major contributors for the February inflation are the housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels segment, followed by the food

March 7 ------ The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, Arsenio Dominguez, has warned that conditions in the Strait of Hormuz region are currently unsafe for vessels and the thousands of seafarers who operate there. The conflict in Iran has escalated into a major regional crisis following coordinated military strikes by the United States and Israel at the end of February 2026, which killed Iran’s supreme leader, prompting fierce retaliation from Tehra

March 7 ------ As Hilda Koronel brings her luminous presence back to the big screen after a 13-year hiatus, she is often asked how she has managed to age gracefully. “I stay away from people most of the time, hahaha! Toxic people, hypocrites, emotional vampires,” Hilda shared with The STAR how she stays stress-free, on the sidelines of a special screening for her comeback film “Sisa,” marking the launch of the Film Development Council of the Philippines’ Cinematheque Centre i

MANILA, Philippines, March 7 ------ Gilas Pilipinas stayed put in the FIBA world rankings following the second window of the World Cup Asian Qualifiers. Gilas, which lost against New Zealand and Australia last week in Manila, stayed at 36th place in the rankings according to the update. The Nationals absorbed a heartbreaking three-point loss to the Tall Blacks last Thursday, 69-66, before getting blown out of the water by the Boomers, 93-66, last Sunday. The Philippines dropp

March 7 ------ The shipping disruption from conflict in the Gulf region is only just getting started, according to new data from Clarksons and forecasts from multiple shipping analysts. Between suspended port calls, canceled freight bookings, bottled-up tonnage inside the Gulf, and long route diversions, the conflict will have substantial secondary effects on shipping interests around the world. The most obvious factor is the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz to all but the m

MANILA, March 7 ------ Consumers will need to brace themselves for a possible massive hike in the prices of petroleum products next week. As of March 5, based on the first three trading days, here is the equivalent peso per liter jump in finished products based on world market adjustments: Diesel-P15.00/L increase Gasoline-P7.00/L increase Kerosene-P28.00L increase But there are more trading days left that can reduce or further bloat the price increases. STAGGERED PRICE HIKES

MANILA, Philippines, March 7 ------ Actress-turned-content-creator Alex Gonzaga gave a tip for aspiring content creators who want to follow in her footsteps. During her recent contract signing with snack brand Captain Calamares as its endorser, Philstar.com asked Alex for one tip on how to be an effective influencer like her. “Just be yourself. Kasi 'yon ang content mo eh, 'yung sarili mo. Kumbaga 'yon ang business mo. So kung gagaya ka sa iba, hindi ka authentic; makikita 'y

BEIJING, China, March 7 ------ China’s new five-year policy blueprint laid out its ambitions to aggressively adopt artificial intelligence throughout the world’s second-biggest economy and dominate emerging technologies such as quantum computing and humanoid robots. The country will “seize the commanding heights of science and technological development” and seek “decisive breakthroughs in key core technologies”, according to the plan released on Thursday, March 5, to coincide

March 6 ------ PLDT had to dig deep to escape a five-set scare against Farm Fresh in a thrilling encounter, 25-17, 23-25, 27-25, 21-25, 15-10, in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference at the Playtime Filoil Centre. The High Speed Hitters climbed to the top of the standings with a 5-1 record, overtaking sister team Cignal, which slipped to second place at 5-2. PLDT quickly set the tone, taking control in the opening set for a comfortable 25-17 win. The Foxies fought back in the

March 6 ------ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sank a clutch three-pointer to secure a hard-fought 103-100 win for the Oklahoma City Thunder over the New York Knicks. Victory improved the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player's remarkable personal record at Madison Square Garden against the Knicks to 7-0, and a fourth straight team win extended the Thunder's lead on top of the Western Conference. "We got the car back on the road in the fourth quarter, we were able to give ourselves a cha

March 6 ------ The Filipinas now face a must-win situation in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026. The Philippines suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat against South Korea at the Gold Coast Stadium in Australia, falling to 0-2 in the continental tournament, where World Cup qualification is on the line. The result left the Philippines at the bottom of Group A with two losses and a -4 goal differential, with Australia and Iran yet to play. To stay alive, the Filipinas must beat Iran on Sunda

March 6 ------ Pinay tennis star Alex Eala will kick off her 2026 Indian Wells campaign against Dayana Yastremska. Eala, who currently ranks No. 32 in the world, will collide against the Ukrainian in the round of 64 in California on Friday (Saturday, Manila time). The No. 52nd ranked Yastremska arranged a second-round face off against Eala by beating Zhang Shuai, 6-3, 6-2, in the Round of 128. The Filipina headed straight to the second round after receiving a first-round bye

March 6 ------ The delegates of the 2026 Miss Universe Philippines pageant will trade their high-heeled shoes for comfortable sneakers for something unprecedented. The national pageant will hold its first-ever “Sports Fest” in this year’s edition of the annual competition, Miss Universe Philippines (MUPH) Executive Vice President Voltaire Tayag revealed. “This year we’ll do something very exciting, and it will not only get them outside, but also be active as well. We’re going

March 6 ------ Bianca Umali marked her 26th birthday with a reflective message about stepping back from the noise and reconnecting with herself and her faith. On social media, the Sparkle star shared a lengthy post, saying she chose to “turn the volume of the world all the way down,” intentionally disconnecting from outside distractions to focus on her spiritual journey. “I stepped back for a while. Turned the volume of the world all the way down. Let the notifications rest.