Philippine News

April 25 ------ The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is preparing a plan to evacuate around 800 vessels that remain stuck in the Strait of Hormuz, IMO’s Secretary-General said on the sidelines of Singapore Maritime Week. According to Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez, the evacuation can only proceed if the conflict de-escalates and the region is confirmed safe, specifically free of threats like naval mines. The proposed plan focuses on creating a “safe maritime cor

BANGKOK, Thailand, April 25 ------ The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has forced policymakers in Asia to face questions over the security of other maritime chokepoints, including the Strait of Malacca, which is the world’s busiest waterway for international trade. What is the Malacca Strait? The 900-km (550-mile) long Malacca Strait, bounded by Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore, provides the shortest sea route from East Asia to the Middle East and Europe. It carri

April 25 ------ From Coachella to Lollapalooza, the Baguio-based pop-rock band Cup of Joe is setting its sights on performing at some of the world’s most prominent arts and music festivals. “Coachella is part of our dream, as well as Summer Sonic, Lollapalooza, and Glastonbury,” lead vocalist Gian Bernardino told The STAR during a press huddle at the “Tang Refreshing Rave” event held at San Juan Beach Front in La Union last Friday. He then quipped, “All of the world stages (a

April 25 ------ CJ McCollum hit the game-winner with 12.5 seconds remaining as the Atlanta Hawks pulled off another nail-biting victory over New York to take a 2-1 lead in their NBA first-round playoff series. The Hawks beat the Knicks, 109-108, in Atlanta, their second straight one-point triumph giving them the advantage in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Series. The Toronto Raptors also thrived at home, pulling away late in a 126-104 victory over the Cleveland Cavali

MANILA, April 25 ------ Another round of significant fuel price cuts is expected for consumers next week, but the rollbacks may not be as substantial as those of the last two weeks. Based on the first three trading days this week, prices of all petroleum products remain down compared to last week's, but the reduction is smaller than in previous weeks. So far, from April 20-22, 2026, prices have fallen by the following amounts: Diesel - P10/L rollback Gasoline - P1/L rollback

April 25 ------ A new generation of showbiz royalty will continue their family legacy as a new crop of stars, the children of beloved actors, actresses and screen veterans, after they were launched by Viva Artists Agency. After Ashley Diaz, Gabbi Ejercito, Icee Ejercito, Jac Abellana, Jaime Yllana, Rob Walcher, Ryan Walcher, and Vito Quizon were introduced as Viva’s “Next Gen” stars, they vowed that they’re more than just rising stars who carry the last names of their famous

MANILA, April 25 ------ President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will visit Japan from May 26 to 29 to advance Manila's strategic partnership with Tokyo, Malacañang announced. In a statement, the Palace said Marcos will embark on a state visit to Japan upon the invitation of the Japanese government. During the trip, Marcos is scheduled to hold a summit meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae to discuss the future direction of the Philippines and Japan’s Strengthened Stra

April 25 ------ THE tone of the series shifted in just one game. What once looked like an experience-driven matchup quickly tilted after Kevin Quiambao and Goyang Sono pulled off a gritty 69-63 comeback win over defending champion Changwon LG in Game 1 of the Korean Basketball League semifinals. Make no mistake, it didn’t come easy. The Skygunners were on the ropes early, trailing 36-23 at halftime, as Carl Tamayo powered the Sakers' strong start with his steady scoring. But

April 25 ------ The EU’s security operation EUNVAFOR Atalanta confirmed that it is investigating a possible armed boarding linked to local piracy off Somalia. It comes shortly after another Iranian dhow was held for several days, and the authorities have warned of a moderate risk of activity in the region. Few details have been released, and Atalanta has not yet posted an official notice or dismissed the reports. Atalanta told The Maritime Executive that “An incident off Soma

TOKYO, April 25 ------ The ​dollar was on track for its first weekly gain in three weeks as stalled peace negotiations between the U.S. ‌and Iran dampened hopes for an immediate easing of Middle East tensions. While Lebanon and Israel extended their ceasefire for three weeks ahead of its expiration on Sunday, Iran showed off its control over the Strait of Hormuz by releasing footage of its commandos storming a huge cargo ship, leaving the timing of the reopening of the world'

April 24 ------ The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has strongly condemned a recent wave of attacks and vessel seizures involving civilian shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, urging all parties to immediately stop using commercial vessels as instruments of war. Within a 24-hour period, three civilian vessels were attacked and two were seized by Iran, while the United States also seized one vessel. ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton said these actions are del

April 24 ------ Iran's use of a swarm of small, fast boats to seize two container ships near the Strait of Hormuz could undermine suggestions U.S. forces have disabled its naval threat and reveals the challenges facing reopening one of the world's most important oil export routes. U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday acknowledged that while Iran’s conventional navy had been largely destroyed, its "fast-attack ships" had not been considered much of a threat. He said any such

April 24 ------ The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) said it is working to handle increased demand since the start of the Iranian war, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and shipping avoiding the Red Sea. While reporting a just under four percent increase in the number of ships transiting the Panama Canal during the first six months of its fiscal year, it, however, also revealed that the average auction price for slots soared 185 percent between March and April. The ACP confirm

April 24 ------ The age of global LNG is upon us. In the latter half of 2025, the global supply increased nearly seven percent. This came largely from North America, which frankly has LNG down to a science. It's abundant here. We know how to extract it in an environmentally conscious manner, and we have the infrastructure to process, store and move it. New U.S. LNG projects reaching final investment decisions in 2025 included Louisiana LNG, Corpus Christi Trains 8 & 9, CP2 ph

MANILA, April 24 ------ The Creamline Cool Smashers completed their redemption run in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference. The league's winningest club added another feat to its loaded trophy shelf, beating Cignal via a two-game sweep in the best-of-three Finals of the tournament at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. The Cool Smashers denied the Super Spikers a breakthrough title in Game 2 with a grueling 25-23, 22-25, 25-16, 16-25, 15-11 win, m

April 24 ------ MARCHING into the round of 16 of the doubles play at the Mutua Madrid Open are best friends Alex Eala and Zeynep Sonmez after defeating Chan Hao-ching and Fanny Stollar, 6-2, 6-2. The Filipina-Turkish duo broke away from a 2-2 start to take control, never letting go for the remainder of the match against their Taiwanese and Hungarian opponents. They secured the win in exactly one hour of play. The WTA 1000 Madrid women’s doubles is Eala’s first doubles tournam

April 24 ------ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 37 points to propel the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 120-107 victory over Phoenix and a 2-0 lead in their NBA playoff series, as Detroit topped Orlando to knot their series at 1-1. Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers as the defending champion Thunder took a commanding lead in their best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series with another comprehensive victory. "Shai made the right play all n

April 24 ------ Alexandria Enriquez delivered the Philippines its first gold medal in the Asian Beach Games, dominating South Korea’s Yeonji Lee, 5–0, in the women’s 63kg final at the Sanya Bay Yuhai Club. The US-based Filipina capped a stellar campaign in her first multi-sport appearance for the country, showcasing her dominance from start to finish. Enriquez opened her campaign with back-to-back submission victories over opponents from China and Thailand, before securing a

April 24 ------ Shuvee Etrata and Sparkle child star Ericca Laude spent a heartfelt afternoon with the kids of the Little Ark Foundation. On social media, Sparkle GMA Artist Center shared a video from Shuvee and Ericca's visit, where they bonded with the children over food and dancing. Shuvee also personally received artworks she had acquired in support of the foundation’s initiatives, according to the post. Little Ark Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to upli

MANILA, April 24 ------ ABS-CBN Studios is entering the vertical drama space with “The Chambermaid’s Daughter,” a microdrama starring singer-actress Alexa Ilacad and BGYO member Gelo Rivera that will stream on iWant starting April 30. The series marks Ilacad and Rivera's first project together as a new love team. The microdrama follows hotel room attendant Hannah Montano (Ilacad), who is often overlooked at work despite her dedication, until she is chosen by Korean executive