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MANILA, Philippines--The Filipinas climbed up to a record 46th spot in the latest world rankings which was released a month before the Fifa Women's World Cup takes place. Coach Alen Stajcic's squad moved three places higher from its recent position last March based on performances in the first round of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament and the Southeast Asian Games. With its recent jump, the Philippine side is now eighth among nations under the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and still third in Southeast Asia behind fellow World Cup participant Vietnam (No. 32) and Thailand (No. 44). During the period after the March rankings, the Filipinas won all three matches in the in...

Keep on reading: Filipinas rise to world No.46 in latest Fifa rankings

MANILA, Philippines---Perpetual Help notched a sweet victory over NCAA rival Letran, 81-68, in the Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup at San Juan Arena on Friday. Jielo Razon tallied 19 points, three rebounds and two assists in the win that put the Altas at the top of Group I with a 7-2 record. "I'll take this win. In my coaching career in the NCAA, Letran's the only team I haven't beaten. That's why it's sweet for me," coach Myk Saguiguit said. Kurt Reyson's heroics were not enough to bring the Knights to victory with 24 points, three assists and two rebounds as they dropped to a 6-3 card. They will have to compete with Luzon qualifier Guang Ming College in their first assignment ...

Keep on reading: Perpetual caps off preseason elimination round with ‘sweet victory’ over Letran

The Formula One helmet worn by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc at his home Monaco Grand Prix last month sold for a record 306,000 euros ($329,960) in an auction to raise funds for flood victims in Emilia-Romagna. Auctioneers RM Sotheby's said in a statement on Thursday that the amount made it the highest-priced racing helmet ever auctioned. A 1990 helmet worn by Brazilian triple champion Ayrton Senna, with the team radio still in it, set the previous record in 2019 when it went for 162,000 euros. Leclerc's race suit fetched 61,200 euros, his boots went for 20,400 and his gloves sold for 42,000 in a 'Charles Leclerc for Emilia-Romagna' charity auction that made a total of 429,600 e...

Keep on reading: F1: Charles’ Leclerc helmet sells for record sum in Emilia-Romagna auction

MANILA, Philippines--The Filipinas were treated to a sendoff dinner by the New Zealand Embassy on Thursday as the countdown to the team's historic participation in the Fifa Women's World Cup winds down to its final six weeks. Defender Hali Long, goalkeeper Inna Palacios and team administrator Belay Fernando-Dela Cruz graced the affair held at New Zealand Official Residence located inside the posh North Forbes Park in Makati City. Tim Given, the embassy's deputy head of mission, led the event also attended by Philippine Football Federation officials and staff led by president Nonong Araneta. Thanh Le, a counselor for the Australian Embassy, was also on hand for the gathering ...

Keep on reading: New Zealand, Australia embassies host send-off for Filipinas ahead of Fifa World Cup

GUAGUA, Pampanga --The 158th Malasakit Center in the country was inaugurated at the Diosdado P. Macapagal Memorial Hospital in Guagua, Pampanga on Friday. The 89th of its kind in Luzon and the 15th in Region III, the launch of the Malasakit Center will bring essential medical assistance and support to the local community. Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, the primary advocate and sponsor of the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, emphasized the vital role of these centers in delivering crucial medical aid to the Filipino population. As the Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Go prioritizes health-related advocacies and continually supports the establishment of Malasakit Centers. "W...

Keep on reading: 158th Malasakit Center opens in Pampanga

MANILA, Philippines --- Mina Aganon-Digal returns to the volleyball scene after a three-year hiatus, leading the Quezon City Gerflor Defenders in the 2023 Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference starting on June 27 at FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan. Gerflor on Friday unveiled the remaining members of the team including Digal, who last saw action with Generika-Ayala in the 2020 Philippine Superliga that was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic. The 30-year-old outside spiker out of National University is bringing her experience from successful club teams Petron and Foton. The Defenders will also field Justine Dorog and Jannine Navarro, who both last played for Chery ...

Keep on reading: PVL: Mina Aganon-Digal returns to action to bolster Gerflor Defenders

After almost four years, K-pop boy group EXO is coming back to the music scene on July 10. In an article released on the Korean site Naver, EXO's agency SM Entertainment confirmed that the group will release its seventh full-length album next month, nearly four years after releasing "Obsession" in November 2019. According to SM, Kai who recently joined the military, won't be able to join the comeback, although his voice will be featured in the album tracks. Meanwhile, Lay who is currently promoting in China, will not be participating in the album. The hashtags #EXOISCOMING, #EXOISBACK, and "EXO COMEBACK" topped Philippines trends on Twitter following the announcement,...

Keep on reading: EXO announces July 10 comeback

BACOLOD CITY --- The criminal complaint filed against three barangay captains in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, who were accused of being financiers of illegal Small Town Lottery (STL) operations, has been dismissed. NBI special investigator William de Arca Jr. confirmed on Thursday that the charges filed by the National Bureau of Investigation were junked by the Kabankalan City Prosecutor's Office due to a lack of sufficient evidence. The cleared village chiefs are Joel Alibango of Barangay 5, Franz Leonard Siguero of Barangay 6, and Noli Villarosa of Tangub, Bacolod City. Previously, the NBI had filed a complaint against the three barangay captains for violating Presi...

Keep on reading: Criminal raps vs Kabankalan City barangay captains linked to STL junked

  MANILA, Philippines ---Evacuation has begun in the town of Camalig in Albay on Friday due to Mayon volcano's possible eruption, according to the Albay Provincial Information Office (PIO). Four barangays within Mayon's permanent six kilometer danger zone have been ordered by Camalig town Mayor Carlos Irwin Baldo Jr. to evacuate. "Immediate mandatory evacuation is ongoing today for barangays Sua, Tumpa, Quirangay, and Anoling with an estimated 1,400 families," said Albay PIO in a Facebook post. Camalig's local government unit had previously activated its Emergency Operations Center and mobilized each barangay's Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council...

Keep on reading: Evacuation of 1,400 families begins amid Mayon’s restiveness

Kris Aquino, who is currently in the United States for her medical treatments, was emotional as her youngest son Bimby flew home to the Philippines to reunite with his older brother Josh and their family. Kris sent Bimby off last Wednesday, June 7, as seen on the Queen of All Media's Instagram page on Friday, June 9. "He left to fly home on Wednesday---I only have until the end of June until I need to lessen my activities in high density places because by then my immunity will be too weak to fight any infection," she said, showing photos of her hugging Bimby at the airport. "Bimb [and I] discussed it, nakikita ko yung stress [and] anxiety my bunso was feeling. He's had to gr...

Keep on reading: Kris Aquino sends love to son Bimby as he returns to PH

TACLOBAN CITY --- Several mayors in Leyte have forged an alliance to collectively promote their respective tourism destinations. The mayors of Palompon, Albuera, Isabel, Merida, and Matag-ob emphasize that this alliance should not be misconstrued as politically motivated. Instead, its purpose is to enhance the tourism industry and achieve their shared objectives. The group, known as BDO-LS, takes its name from the participating mayors: Bernie Tacoy of Matag-ob, Dodo Oate of Palompon, Lando Villasencio of Merida, and Sixto de la Victoria of Albuera. Tacoy initiated the alliance, recognizing that as the newest member, he could learn from the experienced mayors and seek their g...

Keep on reading: Leyte mayors forge alliance to promote tourism sites

HONG KONG , China -Stocks mostly advanced on Friday, fired by renewed optimism that the Federal Reserve will hold off lifting interest rates next week as fresh data indicated further tightening in the US labor market. Expectations the central bank will stand pat next week -- for the first time since starting its hiking cycle last year -- have pushed equities higher for most of the month, helped by the end of the US debt ceiling standoff. Confidence was dealt a blow this week by the Bank of Canada's surprise lift and a similar move in Australia, causing concern on trading floors that the Fed will act after all. Bank of Canada hikes rates to 22-year high, more increases expected ...

Keep on reading: Most markets rise on revived hopes for a Fed rate pause

  MANILA, Philippines --- While state meteorologists are unlikely to raise a wind signal due to Typhoon Chedeng (international name Guchol), Visayas and several areas can expect rains due to the southwest monsoon or "habagat," which was strengthened by Chedeng. According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) on Friday, Chedeng is currently 885 kilometers east of northern Luzon. The typhoon has maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 160 kilometers per hour. "The enhancement of the southwest monsoon over the next [three] days may bring gusty conditions today over the following are...

Keep on reading: Monsoon rains enhanced by Chedeng to prevail in Visayas, other areas

TOKYO - The Bank of Japan (BOJ) is expected to maintain ultra-loose monetary policy next week and its forecast for a moderate economic recovery, as robust corporate and household spending cushion the blow from slowing overseas demand, sources said. The central bank also may signal that inflation is overshooting its forecasts, which would heighten the chance of an upgrade in its price projections at a quarterly review of its estimates due in July, they said. But any upgrade in its inflation view is unlikely to automatically trigger an interest rate hike, as BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda has stressed the need to maintain ultra-loose policy until durable wage growth accompanies the pric...

Keep on reading: BOJ set to keep ultra-low rates, may signal inflation overshoot

MANILA, Philippines--Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga 3rd District Representative Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr. called on his colleagues in the House of Representatives to maintain their commitment to working on measures that will support the country's economic growth. Gonzales made this appeal in response to the World Bank's decision to upgrade its economic outlook for the Philippines this year from 5.4-5.6 percent to six percent. "Let's ignore any political noise that comes our way. Let's remain focused on helping President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and our Speaker Martin Romualdez in keeping the economy on the high growth path by enhancing conditions that would attract investment...

Keep on reading: House urged to focus on economic growth, ignore political noise

MANILA, Philippines--Jordan Clarkson and Kai Sotto, two integral cogs for the Philippines in the Fiba World Cup, are expected to miss Gilas Pilipinas' string of tune-up games geared towards the global meet. The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) made the announcement on Friday afternoon in a lengthy statement released to media outlets where president Al Panlilio called on for the Filipinos' continued support. "Except for Clarkson, who has one more year left in his contract with the Utah Jazz and is reportedly looking to either negotiate a new deal or test the free market, and Sotto, who is eyeing a stint in the NBA Summer League, the active players in the pool are on call fo...

Keep on reading: Jordan Clarkson, Kai Sotto to miss Gilas’ pre-Fiba World Cup tune-ups

MANILA, Philippines --- Bobby Ray Parks Jr. is set for his third straight season with the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins in the 2023-24 Japan B.League. Nagoya on Friday announced that it resigned Gilas Pilipinas guard as its Asian import for the third consecutive year, amid missing several games in the previous season. Parks, who helped the Diamond Dolphins to reach the playoffs in the past two seasons, vows to continue to contribute to the team's championship aspiration. "We will continue to build, learn and grow. With great fans such as yourselves and a talented team who Is supported by a great company, I truly believe that we can make a good run at winning a championship for the...

Keep on reading: Ray Parks Jr. set for another season with Nagoya Dolphins in B.League

BEIJING - China's new yuan loans are expected to have rebounded in May after a sharp drop in April, a Reuters poll showed, as the central bank keeps policy accommodative to support a fragile economic recovery. Chinese banks are estimated to have issued 1.60 trillion yuan ($225 billion) in net new yuan loans last month, more than doubling the 718.8 billion yuan in April, according to the median estimate in the survey of 27 economists. Yet the forecast new loans would be still lower than the 1.89 trillion yuan issued in the same month a year earlier. The loans data could be released by the People's Bank of China anytime between now and over the next week. China's economy reboun...

Keep on reading: China’s May new yuan loans seen rebounding: Reuters poll

  MANILA, Philippines --- The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) is gearing up for the "worst case scenario" that may happen should Mayon volcano erupt. OCD spokesperson Raffy Alejandro IV said this on Friday. His remark comes, after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) put Mayon under Alert Level 3 on Thursday due to "potential explosive activity happening within days or weeks." "Our direction is, we are looking at a worst-case scenario which is ma-le-level four tayo [we are going on level 4] in the next few weeks or months," Alejandro said in an interview with reporters at OCD Headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City. Phivolcs raises t...

Keep on reading: OCD gears up for ‘worst case scenario’ due to Mayon’s unrest

ZURICH -UBS and the Swiss government signed on Friday an agreement to cover up to 9 billion Swiss francs ($10 billion) in losses from its emergency takeover of Credit Suisse, the country's largest bank and the government said. The deal comes with various conditions, including a requirement that UBS keeps its headquarters in Switzerland, the government said in a statement. The loss protection agreement (LPA) will become effective with the completion of Credit Suisse takeover, expected as early as June 12, UBS said in a separate statement. The guarantees will kick in if UBS incurs losses from the sale of Credit Suisse assets beyond 5 billion francs that the lender is due to cover ...

Keep on reading: UBS, Swiss government agree on Credit Suisse loss guarantee