Economy
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is projecting a faster inflation rate for February 2026, estimating it could land between 2.3% to 3.1% — a notable jump from the 2% recorded in January, which was already an 11-month high. The central bank identified several culprits behind the expected price acceleration:
Nation
In a dramatic escalation of the Iran crisis, President Donald Trump claimed Saturday evening that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead — allegedly killed in the joint US-Israel strikes that targeted his compound in Tehran earlier in the day. 'The evil Khamenei is dead,' Trump
Nation
Amnesty International has launched an urgent action calling on the Philippine government to immediately and unconditionally release journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, community worker Marielle Domequil, and human rights defender Alexander Philip 'Chakoy' Abinguna — members of the so-called 'Tacloban 5' who have been detained since February 2020.
Economy
Good news for M&S fans — Marks & Spencer has confirmed it is NOT leaving the Philippines. Despite SSI Group announcing that it will close all 13 M&S stores by May 2, 2026, the British retailer says it has already found a new franchise partner to keep
Economy
Rep. Joey Salceda, chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means, is warning Filipinos to brace for a potentially massive spike in fuel prices following the US-Israel military strikes on Iran. With Iran being one of the world's top oil producers and the Strait of Hormuz — through
Politics
The confirmation of charges hearing against former President Rodrigo Duterte at the International Criminal Court has concluded after four intense days, with both the defense and prosecution delivering sharply opposing closing arguments. The three ICC judges — Reine Alapini-Gansou, Iulia Motoc, and Socorro Flores Liera — now have up to 60 days
Nation
Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific have canceled or diverted multiple flights to and from the Middle East after the US-Israel strikes on Iran shut down airspace across the region. Two PAL planes that had already departed Manila — PR654 bound for Riyadh and PR658 bound for Dubai — were ordered to turn
Politics
Senator Erwin Tulfo is pushing for the Senate to ratify a treaty with the United Kingdom that would allow sentenced Filipinos in British prisons to be transferred back to the Philippines to serve the remainder of their sentences closer to home. Tulfo sponsored Senate Resolution No. 315 to the plenary
Nation
Philippine, American, and Japanese warplanes flew over the Bashi Channel — the strategic waterway separating the Philippines from Taiwan — this week in a joint security exercise that marked a significant first. It was the first time the Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activities (MMCA) expanded beyond the South China Sea into waters near
Economy
The Philippines kicked off 2026 with a wider trade deficit as imports continued to outpace exports. The balance of trade in goods hit a $4.048-billion deficit in January, wider than December's $3.993 billion gap — though still narrower than the $4.926-billion deficit recorded in January 2025.
Nation
What started as US-Israel strikes on Iran has now exploded into a full-blown regional crisis. Iran confirmed launching missile attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates — all countries hosting US military bases — in direct retaliation for what Washington and Tel Aviv called 'major combat operations'
Economy
The Philippine Ports Authority has shattered its own financial records, posting ₱30.09 billion in revenue for 2025 — the highest in the agency's history and an 8.86 percent increase from its 2024 earnings, based on its unaudited financial report. The stellar performance allowed the PPA's