China ships increase in West Philippine Sea in 2026More than 50 Chinese vessels swarm the vicinity of Iroquois Reef and Sabina Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, July 7. MANILA, Philippines — Just two weeks into 2026, the number of Chinese coast guard and naval vessels in the West Philippine Sea has increased, with some of them on several occasions even sailing dangerously close to ships of foreign nations engaged in drills or joint sail with Philippine ships. Meanwhile around Ayungin Shoal, Philippine Navy spokesman for the WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad noted the presence of six China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels and eight MMVs during the period. “Overall, for these four features, we have a total of 41 different ships and boats from the PLA Navy, the Chinese Coast Guard and the maritime militia,” Trinidad said. So, we foresee that for 2026, this would be the likely trend, increased presence in our maritime features of PLA Navy, the Coast Guard and the maritime militia,” he explained.

Impeach complaints to be acted upon ‘with dispatch, forthwith’“One thing is certain: as Senate President, I will act on it with dispatch, forthwith,” Sotto told reporters when asked about the possibility of impeachment moves against the country’s leaders. MANILA, Philippines — The Senate will act promptly on any impeachment complaint filed against President Marcos or Vice President Sara Duterte, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said yesterday. “One thing is certain: as Senate President, I will act on it with dispatch, forthwith,” Sotto told reporters when asked about the possibility of impeachment moves against the country’s leaders. And if an impeachment is transmitted to us, we have to act on it because that’s our constitutional mandate,” he said in Filipino. “It doesn’t mean that if the Senate acts on impeachment, there is already a guilty verdict,” he added.

Philippines, UAE sign trade agreementPresident Marcos meets with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan yesterday on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. The signing yesterday of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) – the Philippines’ first free trade deal with a Middle Eastern state – was one of the highlights of President Marcos’ two-day working visit to UAE. Citing preliminary studies, the PCO said the free trade agreement could boost Philippine exports to the UAE by 9.13 percent, generate consumer savings and enhance overall trade linkages with the Gulf region. “The CEPA is also expected to further complement the Philippines’ network of FTAs (free trade agreements) with Japan, South Korea, European Free Trade Agreement and regional agreements within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and trade partners, including the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement,” the PCO said. The Philippines has existing agreements with the UAE, including the Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement and cooperation on trade, energy, logistics, innovation and tourism.

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speak during a tour of the Federal Reserve Board building, which is currently undergoing renovations, in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 24, 2025. REUTERS/Kent Nishimura/File Photo/File Photo

A 30-year-old Pinay healthcare worker and her unborn child died in a car crash in Crumlin, Ireland. Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed that Cathrene Kith Singco, a Pinay based in Ireland, was killed after a car crash over the weekend. “We can also confirm that, sadly, Cathrene was pregnant and her baby also died as a result of the collision. Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this time," Detective Inspector Stewart of the Collision Investigation Unit said in the statement. Her husband, Ralph Singco, was reportedly critically injured and is still in the hospital.

The good news is that there are now more practical ways to earn extra income outside a full-time job. Here are some platforms you can jumpstart your freelance search:UpworkUpwork is one of the reliable platforms for freelancers. LinkedInYou can always rely on LinkedIn when searching for part-time jobs. You can use the search filters to narrow down listings and explore trends or top searches on the platform. You can also sort listings through search filters like job type, where you can choose full-time, part-time, freelance, or contractual, as well as the job level and work setup you prefer.

Cabral offered only to be 'ordinary witness', not state witness — lawyerOfficial portrait of Catalina Cabral when she was undersecretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways. "I never confirmed any such deal," she said, adding that Cabral did not even apply to be a state witness. "What she offered was to be an ordinary witness, and not state witness, because the latter would entail admission of complicity," Divinagracia explained. No state witness dealIn media interviews, Divinagracia was asked whether Cabral had been offered a state witness deal if she linked Pangandaman to the anomalies in the infrastructure budget. Leviste, however, also appeared to imply that Divinagracia had confirmed the existence of a state witness deal when he said Cabral chose not to accept it.

Ranking MILF official, companion killed in ambushHamza Sangki Kindo and Mohammad Kader Acob both died immediately when men, armed with assault rifles, opened fire at their vehicle late Monday, January 12, 2026, in Ampatuan town in Maguindanao del Sur. COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Men armed with assault rifles killed one of the ranking leaders of the 118th Base Command of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and a companion in an ambush in Barangay Kapinpilan in Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur on Monday night, January 12. The slain Acob was also a member of the MILF, according to local executives. Col. Sultan Salman Sapal, Maguindanao del Sur provincial police director, said barangay and municipal local officials and investigators from the Ampatuan Municipal Police Station are cooperating in identifying the assailants of Kindo and Acob for prosecution. Their attackers, who managed to escape before responding barangay officials and volunteer watchmen could reach the scene, are now subject of an extensive manhunt by policemen and intelligence agents from the Army’s 601st Infantry Brigade.

Reconfiguration of BARMM districts completedCOTABATO CITY, Philippines — The Bangsamoro parliament approved before dawn Tuesday, January 13, a bill reconfiguring the 32 parliamentary districts in the autonomous region, a requisite its first-ever elections since its creation in 2019. It also established three parliamentary districts in Cotabato City and two in the Bangsamoro Special Geographic Area (SGA) in Cotabato province in Region 12. “This bill was crafted to directly address the legal issues raised by the Supreme Court pertaining to the setting up of the parliamentary districts in the Bangsamoro region,” Sinarimbo said. All 80 members of the BARMM parliament are functioning as presidential appointees, without electoral mandate, since the region’s creation in 2019. BARMM, a product of 22 years of peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, replaced in 2019 the then 27-year less empowered Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

This viral Chinese app helps people check if their loved ones are still aliveLiving alone can be frightening, especially for senior citizens whose health may be declining, but one viral app is changing how families and friends stay connected and ensure their loved ones are safe. or "Demumu" internationally, the mobile app was developed by Moonscape Technologies and was first launched in China back in May last year. The app requires users to designate an emergency contact and complete a daily check-in via the central green ghost button. In its Apple App Store listing, the app is touted to "make solitary life more reassuring." Moonscape Technologies

Pedestrians walk past a banner showing a picture of South Korea's former impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee displayed by Yoon's supporters near the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul on January 9, 2026, as Yoon's final criminal trial on insurrection charges is held in the court. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP)

Photo by MARTIN LELIEVRE / AFP Tourists stand behind barriers blocking the access to the Louvre main courtyard, La Cour Napoleon, with the Louvre Pyramid, designed by Chinese-US architect Ieoh Ming Pei, as the Louvre Museum is closed due a strike, in Paris, on January 12, 2026.

This picture taken on January 5, 2026 and released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on January 6, 2026 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (C) planting a tree at the construction site of the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats at the Overseas Military Operations in Pyongyang. (Photo by AFP)

DOE says Solar Philippines' contract failures cost P24 billionThe company said solar power supply is highest at midday, when power demand also peaks. MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Energy (DOE) said Solar Philippines could incur P24 billion in penalties and financial obligations for failing to comply with its contractual commitments over the past several years. Solar Philippines Holdings secured its contracts through the DOE’s green energy auction program. Some of the projects awarded to the firm in 2025 include solar power projects in Tarlac and Nueva Ecija, where its solar farms are located. According to the company's site Solar Philippines currently has 300 megawatts of generating capacity across 10,000 hectares of land for its solar farms.

Photo by TOBIAS SCHWARZ / AFP This combination of pictures created on January 12, 2026 shows, L,R, a picture taken in center Milan on May 30, 2019 showing the logo of American multinational company Apple and a Google logo pictured at a press conference in Berlin on November 11, 2025.