Philippine News

November 5 ------ Last week at the annual IISS Manama Dialogues in Bahrain, Cyprus' foreign minister warned that the security situation around the waters bordering Yemen is on the brink of worsening significantly. Foreign Minister Konstantinos Kombos observed that Cyprus, besides being located astride major global shipping routes and being closer to Yemen than to Brussels, Cyprus "has the eleventh largest commercial fleet in the world and the third biggest in the EU . . . [an

November 5 ------ The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) and the International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (INTERCARGO) have formed a partnership to reinforce collaboration between the dry bulk shipping and marine fuels communities, with a focus on decarbonization, safety, and quality. The two organizations entered into a reciprocal membership agreement to formalize their working relationship, underscoring the shared commitment to advancing safe, efficie

November 5 ------ Philippine officials are reporting that there were no injuries as two ferries made contact early on Tuesday, November 4, in an apparent docking accident. The Coast Guard believes it was due to the rough weather, as one of the strongest typhoons of the season was passing through the central Philippines. The passenger car RoRo ferry Maria Rebecca was arriving at Jolo, an island in the southern Philippines, on Tuesday morning. Built in 1972, the 748 gross ton f

November 5 ------ Vietnamese officials report efforts are underway to secure a larger dry bulk carrier that was damaged in a grounding a week ago. The goal is to secure the vessel ahead of a strong approach typhoon. The Star Bueno (178,978 dwt) was arriving from South Africa, carrying a load of iron ore and waiting for its berth on October 25. The area was overtaken by a strong monsoon with winds and waves which washed through the anchorage. The vessel dragged anchor and, eve

NEW YORK, November 5 ------ The dollar rose to a four-month high against the euro as divisions in the Federal Reserve raised doubt about the prospect of another rate cut this year, while a risk-off move sent investors seeking the U.S. currency for safety. Meanwhile, sterling fell after the UK finance minister pointed to "hard choices" in her upcoming budget. Overall market sentiment was noticeably darker, with stocks falling and government bonds drawing demand, while safe-hav

BRUSSELS, November 5 ------ The European Commission said that the EU could welcome new members as early as 2030 as it praised Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine and Moldova for their progress on reforms needed to join the bloc. The Commission also criticized Serbia for slowing down its reform process. It accused Georgia of "serious democratic backsliding" and said the former Soviet republic was now considered a candidate country "in name only." "Expanding the Union is in our best i

BERLIN, November 5 ------ Germany plans to increase its financial aid to Ukraine by about 3 billion euros ($3.5 billion) next year, a spokesperson for the finance ministry said. Germany is Europe's largest contributor of military aid to Ukraine, having provided around 40 billion euros since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. In its 2026 budget, Germany had allocated 8.5 billion euros to Ukraine. "We will continue our support for as long as necessary to defend against Russi

MOSCOW/KYIV, November 5 ------ Russian and Ukrainian troops fought battles on Tuesday in the ruins of Pokrovsk, a transport and logistics hub in eastern Ukraine that Moscow has been trying to capture for over a year. Ukraine's military said fierce fighting was underway in a part of the city that was key for Kyiv's frontline logistics. It said additional special forces had arrived there, and more weapons and equipment were being sent. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sai

MANILA, Philippines, November 5 ------ Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) made its seventh landfall in Batas Island, Taytay, Palawan, at 4:10 am on Wednesday, November 5. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in a briefing around 6 am that Tino was already over the coastal waters of Linapacan, Palawan, as of 4 am. The typhoon slowed down, moving west northwest at 15 kilometers per hour from the previous 25 km/h. It will continue

November 5 ------ The reported fatalities due to the impact of Typhoon Tino (international name: Kalmaegi) has increased to 52, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said. In its 6 a.m. report, the NDRRMC said 50 of the total deaths were reported in Central Visayas, while two were in Western Visayas. The reported death toll is still subject for validation, according to the NDRRMC. “May natabunan po. May nahulugan po ng hard objects. At marami po

MANILA, Philippines, November 5 ------ The Department of Agriculture (DA) and local hog industry groups have agreed to impose a minimum buying price of P210 per kilo of live hogs after farmgate rates plunged below production costs, leaving raisers struggling to recover from rising feed expenses and soft demand. In a statement, the DA said the move was finalized following consultation with the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG), National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc.

MANILA, Philippines, November 5 ------ The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) has asked the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate resigned public works chief Manuel Bonoan and two former undersecretaries for possible liability over a P72.3-million “ghost” flood control project in Plaridel, Bulacan. At a briefing, ICI chairman Andres Reyes Jr. said Bonoan and former public works undersecretaries Roberto Bernardo and Maria Catalina Cabral should be investigated fo

November 4 ------ A product tanker operated by Stolt Tankers sailing near the coast of Somalia is reporting shots fired and a possible boarding attempt. It is the latest in a series of suspicious activities being reported in the past few days, increasing fears of renewed piracy in the region. Several security consultancies reported the incident, which was later confirmed by Stolt as well as the UK and EU forces in the region. The tanker Stolt Sagaland (44,000 dwt) was underwa

November 4 ------ The Clean Arctic Alliance has welcomed the Nordic Council’s adoption of a resolution concerning polar fuels, which calls on Nordic governments to craft and implement a regulation that would mandate the application of cleaner, marine fuels that could cut black carbon emissions whilst operating in the Arctic region. The Nordic Council had adopted the resolution, which called on the UN’s shipping body International Maritime Organization (IMO) specifically to cr

November 4 ------ The White House issued its fact sheet detailing the scope of the agreements reached with China during the meeting between the two countries’ presidents and discussions among the staff to make the agreements actionable. As reported last week, the U.S. and China will suspend the special port fees introduced against each other’s ships, as well start large agricultural shipments to China. The United States confirmed it will suspend, starting on November 10, for

November 4 ------ Satellite imaging of the loading terminal at Tuapse, Russia confirms that oil was spilled after the Ukrainian attack last weekend. The strike was a rare example of a Ukrainian attempt to target foreign-flag merchant tankers; historically it has limited its efforts to Russian-flagged vessels and shoreside infrastructure. The Telegram channel Dosye Shpiona ("Spy Dossier") - often cited by Russian military analysts - claimed that the prolonged, large-scale atta

November 4 ------ FOLLOWING a solid run at the 2025 Hong Kong Tennis Open to close out her Asian swing, Alex Eala has officially broken into the world’s Top 50 for the first time in her career. The Filipina rose one spot from her previous career-high of No. 51 in the latest WTA rankings, tallying 1,143 points to reach another landmark for Philippine tennis in her trailblazing career. Eala’s climb came after her first-round victory over Britain’s Katie Boulter in the WTA 250 P

PARIS, France, November 4 ------ Jannik Sinner won the Paris Masters for the first time by defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) as the four-time Grand Slam champion reclaimed his position atop the world rankings. The 24-year-old's maiden crown in Paris, coupled with incumbent world number one Carlos Alcaraz of Spain crashing out early in the tournament, will see Sinner return to the pinnacle of men's tennis when the ATP rankings are updated on Monday. The Italian fi

November 4 ------ Unheralded Jonas Magpantay shocked the entire field — and even himself — by capturing the Qatar 10-Ball World Cup championship, defeating 2022 World Junior Champion Szymon Kural of Poland, 13-9, in the finals in Doha. Magpantay built a commanding cushion early, racing to an 11-6 lead against the 21-year-old Kural. The Polish cue artist mounted one last push, taking the next three racks to close in at 11-9. But a dry break in the 21st rack halted his rally an

November 4 ------ DWIGHT Ramos and Ray Parks split their weekend series when Levanga Hokkaido visited Osaka Evessa at Ookini Arena Maishima in the ongoing 2025-26 Japan B.League season. Osaka ended Hokkaido's four-game win run with an 84-69 victory on Saturday where Parks registered 12 points, four rebounds, an assist, and a steal compared to Ramos' 13 points, three assists, and two boards. But the Levanga had the final say, routing the Evessa, 102-82, on Sunday behind Ramos'