Philippine News

November 4 ------ The Miss Earth pageant is celebrating 25 years of promoting environmental awareness this year, and the new queen will be crowned on Nov. 5 at the Cove Manila club of Okada Manila in Parañaque City. Eighty-two delegates from different countries and territories are competing in this year’s pageant, hoping to succeed last year’s winner, Jessica Lane from Australia. The ceremonies will be streamed live on the Miss Earth Facebook page and YouTube channel at 6:30

November 4 ------ Lav Diaz’s “Magellan” — the Philippines’ entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the Oscars — brought home the Golden Spike or the Best Picture plum at the 70th iteration of Spain’s Valladolid International Film Festival (or SEMINCI). “Magellan” tied for the Golden Spike with the Kelly Reichardt-helmed “The Mastermind,” which was announced at the festival’s closing gala. According to the festival’s jury, “Magellan” was chosen as a Golden Sp

November 4 ------ For singer-songwriter Maki, what began as a bedroom hobby has turned into a full-fledged music career. With over six million monthly listeners on Spotify, more than 444,000 Instagram followers, and 1.1 million TikTok fans, Maki has established himself as one of today’s most sought-after artists in OPM. Maki’s journey began with small singing competitions, but it was during the pandemic that he truly found his audience. Spending most of his time at home, he b

MANILA, Philippines, November 4 ------ Star maker Johnny Manahan, more popularly known as "Mr. M," has left GMA Network and will reportedly sign with TV5. In a report by PEP, Mr. M is set to sign his contract with TV5 later this week. Mr. M was the consultant of the GMA Artist Center having launched the network's talent agency Sparkle. He is currently the director of TV5's "Vibe," an OPM music countdown show, adding credence to him signing with the network. In her column for

MANILA, Philippines, November 4 ------ Typhoon Tino (international name: Kalmaegi) is battering parts of the Visayas as it barrels westward toward Cebu, state weather bureau PAGASA said. In its 2 a.m. bulletin on Tuesday, November 4, PAGASA said Tino made landfall over Silago, Southern Leyte. By 5 a.m., the typhoon’s center was last spotted over the coastal waters of San Francisco, Cebu. The typhoon packs maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour near the center and

MANILA, Philippines, November 4 ------ Local oil prices will surge in the first week of November, with diesel prices making the biggest jump of P2.70 a liter. In an advisory, Seaoil said gasoline and kerosene would also increase by P1.70 and P2.10 a liter starting today. This marks the fifth straight week of hikes for gasoline, and the second for both diesel and kerosene. Gasoline price hikes set; diesel up P2.70/liter today. Last week, Jetti Petroleum president Leo Bellas sa

MANILA, Philippines, November 4 ------ With Typhoon Tino threatening Negros Island, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned residents that lahar from Kanlaon Volcano may flow into several areas on the island, a Phivolcs advisory said. The heavy to intense rainfall could “generate volcanic sediment flows or lahars, muddy streamflows or muddy run-off in rivers and drainage areas on Kanlaon Volcano,” Phivolcs said. “Prolonged and heavy rainfall may generate

MANILA, November 4 ------ The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) reiterates the warning issued by the Philippine Embassy in Egypt against illegal recruitment and “third-country” schemes offering employment in the African nation without proper permits and accreditation. In an advisory posted on social media, the DMW urged Filipinos seeking jobs abroad to apply only through its accredited agencies, report suspicious recruiters, and always keep their passports and valid work do

November 4 ------ Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries and Western sanctions are helping major oil companies in the US and Europe. Profits from refining at ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, and Total Energies jumped 61% in the third quarter compared with the previous quarter, boosting overall profits by 20%, Reuters reported. Drone attacks on Russian refineries and export terminals since July have cut daily petroleum product shipments by 500,000 barrels in September from this ye

MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan, November 4 ------ A strong earthquake killed at least 20 people in northern Afghanistan, authorities said just months after another deadly tremor that left the country reeling. The 6.3-magnitude quake struck overnight at a depth of 28 kilometers with the epicenter near the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, according to the US Geological Survey. More than 20 people were killed and around 320 were injured in the provinces of Balkh and Samangan, health ministr

November 4 ------ The UK has resupplied Ukraine with an additional batch of Storm Shadow cruise missiles to support Kyiv’s strikes deep inside Russian territory, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. According to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the delivery was made to ensure Ukraine remains well-stocked for the coming winter months. London reportedly fears the Kremlin may intensify attacks on Ukrainian civilians as temperatures drop. T

BRUSSELS, November 4 ------ Ukraine is showing "remarkable commitment" to joining the EU, but must reverse recent negative trends in the fight against corruption and accelerate rule of law reforms, the European Commission said in a draft text seen by Reuters. Ukraine applied to join the EU days after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. It has been pushing to make progress on its bid, despite the challenges of Russia’s war and EU member Hungary blocking K

MANILA, Philippines, November 3 ------ Even when brave young souls — who confessed to suffering from it — started talking about their own mental health issues, the majority of people still undermined the seriousness of the matter and refused to acknowledge it. Yet mental health problems are very real. And while some people easily dismiss them as something conjured up just to gain attention, they are, in truth, medical cases that sufferers have little or no control over. They

November 3 ------ There was no trace of nerves in Ahtisa Manalo as she landed in Thailand just in time for the Miss Universe 2025 tilt. Manalo was all smiles as she arrived at Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport on the afternoon of Sunday, Nov. 2, where she posed for photos and waved to fans who were waiting for her. After leaving the Philippines in an all-white Filipiniana-inspired attire, the beauty queen changed into a pale green number by Anthony Ramirez with an asymmetrical

November 3 ------ A copy of the 1936 pre-war film “Diwata ng Karagatan,” directed by Carlos Vander Telosa and produced by Jose Nepomuceno, was located at the Royal Belgian Film Archive or Cinematek in Belgium, according to film historian Nick Deocampo. In a lengthy post on Facebook on Friday, Oct. 31, Deocampo shared how the film was located decades after it was lost during the height of the war. He added that it is one of the oldest Filipino Pre-World War 2 films. “Important

November 3 ------ The gripping performances of Kathryn Bernardo and Marian Rivera in “Hello, Love, Again” and “Balota,” respectively, earned them Movie Actress of the Year nominations at the 41st Star Awards for Movies. Organized by the Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC) in partnership with GSD Studios, the awards ceremony will celebrate the best of the film industry in the mainstream and indie spectrum. The awards ceremony will be held at the Makabagong San Juan Theater in S

November 3 ------ The Mission to Seafarers released its latest edition of the Seafarers Happiness Index, and it shows that after a period of encouraging improvement earlier this year, perception of working and living conditions at sea has taken a turn for the worse. With most indicators that define the lives of seafarers on a decline, the index shows that the average happiness level has plunged to 7.05 out of 10 in the third quarter of 2025. This is a sharp decline from 7.54

November 3 ------ Debate over whether the Hong Kong Convention’s (HKC) flag-state International Ready for Recycling Certificate (IRRC) can substitute for the Basel Convention’s Prior Informed Consent (PIC) goes to the heart of how the world manages end-of-life ships. Proponents claim the HKC delivers equivalent level of environmental protection through HKC compliant yards, Inventories of Hazardous Materials (IHM), and Ship Recycling Plans (SRP) tailored to vessels followed by

November 3 ------ Dutch maritime solar innovator Wattlab has delivered a seaworthy solar energy system for a diesel-electric vessel owned by compatriot shortsea shipping company Vertom. After two successful pilots with Wattlab in three years, Vertom chose to outfit its latest coaster with 79 kWp of installed solar power – the first seagoing vessel to do so. The 7,280-dwt diesel-electric multipurpose cargo vessel MV Vertom Tula was delivered earlier this year. As explained, th

November 3 ------ The U.S. military has eliminated another suspected drug-trafficking boat in the Caribbean, neutralizing a suspected cocaine shipment and three vessel operators. The 15th strike brings the number of suspected narco-traffickers eliminated using lethal force to more than 60 individuals. "This vessel—like every other—was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying nar