Wall Street opens higher on first trading day of 2026A Wall Street sign hangs in front of a U.S. Flag outside the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo

Consistent Abarrientos tows Gin Kings to PBA semisWith averages of 27.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals in Barangay Ginebra's twin victories over the FiberXers, RJ Abarrientos was adjudged as the PBA Press Corps Player of the Week. MANILA, Philippines — RJ Abarrientos shrugged off the holiday revelry of being in a playoff advantage to carry Barangay Ginebra into the semifinals of the PBA Philippine Cup. And with his average of 27.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals in the twin victories over the FiberXers, Abarrientos was adjudged as the PBA Press Corps Player of the Week. “I reminded myself na hindi ako hindi pwedeng gumalaw o hindi makapagcontribute para sa team kasi kami-kami na lang ang inaasahan dito,” said Abarrientos. Holt wound up second in the voting among Press Corps members while San Miguel Beer’s June Mar Fajardo and Meralco’s Chris Newsome were also given consideration.

E-trikes no longer allowed in major highways in the metroMANILA, Philippines — The Land Transportation Office (LTO) began implementing a ban on electric tricycles on major highways on Friday, January 2, citing safety concerns. In a statement issued on New Year’s Day, the LTO declared the ban on e-trikes on major thoroughfares, including EDSA, C-5 Road, Roxas Boulevard, and Quirino Avenue to the Magallanes–South Luzon Expressway. Markus Lacanilao, LTO chief, said the restriction is intended to reduce road safety risks. Slow, light vehicles joining these types of roads cause a clear danger to everyone who uses the road,” Lacanilao said in Filipino. Under the new rule, e-trikes caught violating the ban may be fined and their vehicles may be impounded.

Forced into stock scams, 8 Filipinos rescued from syndicatesThe BI repatriates several Filipinos who fell prey to human trafficking schemes and were trapped in Cambodia. MANILA, Philippines — Eight Filipinos who were forced to run fraudulent stock trading scams by criminal syndicates were rescued in Cambodia on New Year’s Eve. The modus the victims were forced into involved tricking other Filipinos into investing in "stock trading platforms or pseudo investment accounts." “The Bureau of Immigration is working closely with law enforcement partners to track, disrupt, and dismantle these scam rings. We are committed to protecting Filipinos and preventing these syndicates from continuing to victimize our people,” he added.

Motorcycles involved in 71% of holiday road crashesMANILA, Philippines — Most of the road crash injuries recorded during the Christmas and New Year season had motorcycles involved, according to the Department of Health (DOH) on Friday, January 2. Authorities have recorded a sample of 1,113 road crash injuries from 10 selected public hospitals, and derived that 787 of these incidents were attributable to motorcycles. This means that motorcycle drivers account for 71% of all recorded road crash injuries. In terms of fatalities, five out of seven people who died in the chosen hospitals were on motorcycles. The DOH found at least 135 of the injured motorists were under the influence, while 965 were not wearing the right safety accessories.

With Sherra de Juan, the bride-to-be who went missing on Dec. 10, back home, her fiancé is sharing news about their wedding. "Unang yakap niya sa akin itong sa may Pangasinan, nag-sorry siya, sabi niya, hindi na siya umabot. Sabi niya, 'Opo, tuloy 'yung kasal," Reyes continued. "As of now, hindi namin fino-force na magdisclose si Sherra sa amin kung ano 'yung... naaalala niya," Reyes said. Ayaw na po namin na 'yung mga interviews namin magamit as, para makagawa ng mga kuwento-kuwento, speculations.

Here's a New Year's gift for you, Filo MIDZYs! ITZY will return to Manila in July. In their social media posts, the K-Pop girl group unveiled the dates and stops for their third world tour, Tunnel Vision. The Manila stop will be on Saturday, July 11, at SM Mall of Asia Arena, set to be produced by Live Nation Philippines. The tour will kick off in Seoul from Feb. 13 to 15, before going to Melbourne, Sydney, and Auckland in April.

An influencer in the US announced the death of his five-year-old son after contracting a severe case of the flu. In a two-part video message posted on his Instagram, Paul Kim shared that his son Micah died on Dec. 31 "after fighting 11 long, hard days." On Dec. 22, Kim shared on the platform that his son Micah experienced a medical emergency and was on the way to the hospital in an ambulance. A day after his son was rushed to the hospital, Kim shared Micah was on life support. By the eighth day of Micah being on life support, Kim shared his son's vitals were steady even as his lungs were on a respirator and his kidney "needs help."

Lacson to Marcos: Don’t waver against corruptionComposite photo of Sen. Ping Lacson (L) speaking at a Senate plenary session in Pasay City in November 2025, and President Bongbong Marcos leading the oath-taking of new military generals on Dec. 18, 2025. MANILA, Philippines — As President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. faces slipping public trust amid corruption controversies, Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson said national leaders must be prepared to confront growing public anger over the misuse of public funds. Lacson made the remarks as multiple reputable survey firms showed waning popularity for Marcos, a trend Malacañang has attributed to the administration’s efforts to make difficult decisions against corruption. Lacson, a presidential candidate in the 2025 elections, said he hoped Marcos would remain firm in pursuing accountability. Following a leadership shuffle in the Senate, Lacson assumed the chairmanship of the Blue Ribbon Committee and oversaw the investigation into the alleged infrastructure scam.

3 types of supermarket food to never buy - Risks of food poisoning, dehydration, and even death revealed

What's taking gov't so long to verify Leviste's 'Cabral files'? Nearly two weeks after the existence Cabral files was unveiled, agencies have yet to confirm whether the files match official records. The Office of the Ombudsman, on the other hand, said Leviste had shared only portions of the alleged Cabral files. However, the Ombudsman has not responded to queries from reporters on whether they will compare the so-called “Cabral files” with documents it and the DPWH have in their possession. In doing so, he said the government should first check if the projects listed in the alleged Cabral files match those in the 2025 General Appropriations Act.

Advance alerts foil 2 fugitives' attempt to enter PhilippinesComposite photos of Ercan Mutlu, 37 and Battulga Ganbold, 30, a Mongolian national, who are both considered fugitives from law as they were intercepted the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, according to a Bureau of Immigration statement on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration has intercepted two foreign fugitives attempting to enter the country after advance screening flagged them as wanted abroad, the agency said Friday. Agents identified one of the intercepted passengers as Battulga Ganbold, 30, a Mongolian national who arrived from Vietnam. Immigration deputy spokesperson and APIS Operations Center chief Melvin Mabulac said the system generated advance alerts while the two passengers were still airborne. Mabulac said the APIS enables authorities to identify high-risk passengers even before they land in the Philippines.

China rejects Kiko Pangilinan statement on Taiwan military exercisesSen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, during the continuation of the public hearing on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, says there is sufficient circumstantial evidence to believe that local businessmen and government officials are in connivance with Chinese smuggling syndicates. MANILA, Philippines — The Chinese Embassy in Manila rebuked Sen. Kiko Pangilinan's criticism of Beijing's recent military drills around Taiwan, saying his "wrongful" remarks go against the Philippines' commitment to the one-China policy. “It is the season of goodwill, but China’s two-day military drills encircling Taiwan have brought ill will all around,” he said in a statement Thursday, January 1. Drills draw regional concernChina earlier this week closed the year with two days of live-fire military drills around Taiwan, including missile launches and simulations of a blockade of key ports. Taiwan condemned the exercises as highly provocative, while Beijing said they were aimed at deterring separatism and foreign interference.

“Wiggle Wiggle is a brand that is full of happiness and positive energy, with different characters, vibrant colors and practical products with good artwork and good design,” said Lily Park, CEO of BMSmile (Business Makes the Earth Smile), the parent company of Wiggle Wiggle. Belly Gom X Wiggle Wiggle soap trayIn the Kitchen Zone, you’ll see Wiggle Wiggle products for cooking, dining and chilling at home. Stop watches, calculators, beer glasses, nail care sets, even pimple patches got the Wiggle Wiggle treatment. Wiggle Wiggle X Belly Gom slippersThere are lunch boxes, key rings, hair accessories, stationery, phone cases and phone grips—so many ways to give your life a dose of Wiggle Wiggle. Hair bandsShoppers can earn Wiggle Wiggle points from every purchase that can be used to redeem items.

New York Mayor Mamdani sworn in with progressive agenda aheadZohran Mamdani is sworn in as mayor of New York City at Old City Hall Station.