Young Alegado kickflips to career-best No. 20 in world skateboard rankingsMANILA, Philippine — Filipina skateboarder Mazel Paris Alegado, who turned heads in last year’s Southeast Asian Games, made a significant jump in the world rankings. 20 in the latest World Skateboard Ranking, per worldskate.org. Her performance made her the youngest Filipino to win a SEA Games gold. Alegado was already a headline-maker in 2023 when she competed in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China at nine — the youngest member of Team Philippines.

MANILA, Philippines — Viral posts, amplified by notable personalities, falsely claimed that Sen. Risa Hontiveros asked tennis sensation Alex Eala to advocate for a political cause. Circulating posts on Facebook falsely claim Sen. Risa Hontiveros asked Alex Eala to endorse a political cause. Jay Sonza's Facebook post and Malou Tiquia's X repost falsely claim Sen. Risa Hontiveros asked Alex Eala to endorse a political cause. Sen. Risa Hontiveros released a statement on April 1 debunking claims that she asked Alex Eala to endorse a political cause. Hindi ako humingi ng anumang pag-endorso ni Alex Eala,” she said.

On Maundy Thursday, Advincula urges priests to take care of mental healthMANILA, Philippines — Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jose Advincula on Maundy Thursday urged priests to pay attention to their mental health, warning that psychological strain is present within the clergy. In his homily during the Chrism Mass on April 2, Advincula cited data indicating that nearly one in five Filipino priests experiences psychological distress. "The sign of mental health issues can be clearly seen in our priestly life. It is not only when our bodily functions lose balance or when our minds are overwhelmed with negative activities," Advincula said. He also urged priests to confront their limits as part of their vocation.

Maundy Thursday weather: Easterlies to bring rain across PhilippinesMANILA, Philippines — Easterlies will bring partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms across Metro Manila and the rest of the country on Maundy Thursday, April 2, the state weather bureau PAGASA said. PAGASA warned that severe thunderstorms may trigger flash floods or landslides in affected areas. The Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region and the rest of Cagayan Valley may also experience similar conditions due to localized thunderstorms. Batanes is expected to have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains due to the northeasterly windflow. PAGASA also warned of possible flash floods or landslides in areas affected by intense thunderstorms.

Judge allows Woods to leave US for treatment; Ryder Cup captaincy offUS golfer Tiger Woods lines up a putt on the 17th green on the opening day of the 152nd British Open Golf Championship at the Royal Troon on the southwest coast of Scotland on July 18, 2024. MIAMI, United States — A Florida judge ruled Wednesday (Thursday Manila time) that Tiger Woods can leave the United States to seek "comprehensive inpatient treatment" after his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence. A breathalyzer test showed no alcohol in his system at the time of the crash, but Woods refused a urine analysis. Woods said in a statement posted to his social media accounts on Tuesday that he was "stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health. Ridley said Augusta National and the Masters Tournament "fully support Tiger Woods as he focuses on his well-being.

Turn family reunions into deeper spiritual reflection, urges CBCP headMANILA, Philippines — The head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines urged the faithful to deepen the spiritual meaning of Holy Week, calling on families to move beyond social gatherings and focus on prayer and reflection. In a video message to the faithful on Holy Wednesday, April 1, CBCP President and Lipa Archbishop Gilbert Garcera said Holy Week should center on reflection on the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. "This is also a time for family reunion, coming together. He described Holy Week as a "moment of conversion" and a "moment of rejoicing," grounded in the belief that Christ is present in the community. Holy Week began on Sunday with Palm Sunday and will culminate on Easter Sunday, which marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

WASHINGTON, United States — President Donald Trump on Wednesday made his case for attacking Iran in his first nationwide address more than a month into the war, insisting the United States was close to victory as his approval rating sinks. In an evening speech from the White House, Trump broke little new ground on how the war would end and vowed two to three weeks further of "extremely hard" strikes against Iran. Bomb to 'Stone Ages'Trump again threatened that if Iran does not reach a negotiated settlement with him, the United States would "hit each and every one of their electric generating plants." Attacks on civilian energy infrastructure are widely considered to be illegal under the laws of war and could constitute a war crime. "Over the next two to three weeks, we are going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong," Trump said.

Philippine Open rises to global prominence with International Series elevationMANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Open, the country’s premier golf championship, steps into a defining chapter in its storied history as it takes center stage from November 12–15 at the Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club in Carmona, Cavite. After a subdued yet meaningful revival last year, the national championship now returns with greater prestige and purpose — elevated as part of the International Series, signaling its full arrival on the global golfing stage. This elevation stems from the resounding success of last year’s International Series Philippines, highlighted by Miguel Tabuena’s breakthrough victory against a world-class field. The International Series, with its direct links to elite global circuits, effectively places Filipino golfers within reach of the sport’s highest tiers. The event also reinforces the Philippines’ position as an emerging hub for international golf.

Mayweather in breach of Pacquiao rematch contract — reportFloyd Mayweather Jr. exchange punches with Manny Pacquiao during their welterweight unification championship bout, May 2, 2015 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. MANILA, Philippines — It seems Floyd Mayweather Jr. is in legal trouble as far as his scheduled rematch with Manny Pacquiao is concerned. There is no termination of any sort, and he (Mayweather) has signed for a professional fight," Mathur told Hale. Such a plan, Mathur told Hale, also constitutes a breach of Mayweather’s contract with Pacquiao. Compounding Mayweather’s legal woes would be the fact that he already received money for the Pacquiao rematch, according to Mathur.

WATCH: Trump addresses nation as Iran war batters approvalPresident Donald Trump delivers a prime-time address Wednesday to Americans on the Iran war in the face of plunging approval ratings, economic jitters and spiralling diplomatic fallout. The remarks at 9:00 pm (0100 GMT) will be Trump's first formal national speech on Iran from the White House since launching the war a month ago. Trump is expected to try and reassure the nation that US goals are being met and that he has a plan for completing the war, which has roiled the US economy and helped drive the 79-year-old Republican's polls into deeply negative territory. — reports from Agence France Presse

Strait of Hormuz updates: Most crossings follow Iran-approved routesThe Strait of Hormuz as seen in this 2026 satellite imagery from NASA via Google Maps. Since March 1, commodities carriers made 218 crossings, according to Kpler data, a 94 percent decrease on peacetime. 2,000 ships in GulfBloomberg data showed Wednesday that 2,190 vessels sent transponder signals in the Gulf west of the Strait of Hormuz over the past day. Of those, 327 were oil and gas vessels, including 12 very large gas carriers and 50 very large crude carriers. Of the crossings by oil and gas tankers, 63 percent were by vessels under sanctions.

Final ticket sales phase begins for FIFA World CupWASHINGTON, United States — The fourth and final phase of ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup in North America began on Wednesday (Thursday Manila time), FIFA announced. The phase for the June 11-July 19 event in the United States, Mexico and Canada involves more than three million tickets. This "last-minute" sales phase opened at 1500 GMT on the official website, FIFA.com/tickets, the global governing body stated in a press release. "A countdown will appear before you can enter the ticket sales phase. The global governing body is likely to break the all-time record of 3.5 million tickets sold for a World Cup — a mark set during the 1994 edition.

Palawan's El Nido named among BBC’s top beach escapesMANILA, Philippines — Tourist destination El Nido in Palawan has been included in the British Broadcasting Corporation's (BBC) list of the world's eight best beach escapes, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said Monday, April 1. BBC journalist Francis Augustin, who visited El Nido, praised its hidden beaches and lagoons. El Nido is also gaining attention as a cruise destination. El Nido now joins other beach destinations in New York, Italy, Puerto Rico, India, St. Maarten, Scotland and Tasmania. In 2016, El Nido was also recognized by travel website TripAdvisor as among the top destinations on the rise.

US: Corruption in Philippines a major barrier to tradeThe USTR said corruption issues are present in both national and local government agencies in the Philippines. MANILA, Philippines — Corruption continues to be a major hindrance to trade and investments in the Philippines, according to the United States Trade Representative (USTR). The USTR said corruption issues are present in both national and local government agencies in the Philippines. It said the Bureau of Customs (BOC), in particular, is beset with various corruption issues, including allegations of overt bribery. Despite the BOC’s attempts to address customs and corruption concerns, the USTR said reports of corruption and irregularities in customs processing are widespread.

When yet another war broke out in the Middle East, we imagine countries like Singapore pulled out a contingency plan prepared well ahead. Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, a few days ago, pushed Senate Resolution 343 calling for a National Contingency Framework. This resolution seeks the creation of an ad hoc committee composed of committee chairs to help move the contingency plan forward. The proposed national contingency plan will, hopefully, avoid that fate. To be sure, the elements of a national contingency plan are still sketchy.