Alcaraz battles back to reach Indian Wells fourth roundCarlos Alcaraz of Spain plays a backhand against Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria in their second-round match of the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 07, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. INDIAN WELLS, United States — World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz battled back to defeat Arthur Rinderknech, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 6-2, and remain unbeaten in 2026 in reaching the fourth round of the Indian Wells Masters 1000 on Monday (Tuesday Manila time). He followed that up with the Qatar Open title and with two wins under his belt in Indian Wells is now 14-0 on the season. Alcaraz, a two-time Indian Wells champion, will face 13th-seeded Norwegian Casper Ruud for a place in the quarterfinals.

Padel to feature at Asian Games in 'significant moment'TOKYO, Japan — The racquet sport of padel has hailed "a significant moment" in its rapid growth after being included as a medal event at the Asian Games in Japan this year. The Asian Games take place every four years, and the Covid-delayed edition in China in 2023 had about 12,000 athletes, more competitors than the Olympics. Luigi Carraro, president of the Lausanne-based International Padel Federation (FIP), said: "This is a significant moment for our sport. "The Asian Games represent one of the most important multi-sport events in the world, and the confirmation of padel as a medal sport reflects both the rapid development of the sport across Asia and its growing global impact." Padel is typically played as doubles and takes place within an enclosed space that resembles a tennis court.

The Pentagon logo is seen behind the podium in the briefing room at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., January 8, 2020. REUTERS/Al Drago/File Photo

What we know about alleged strike on Iran schoolPeople mourn on the day of the funeral of the victims following a reported strike on a school in Minab, Iran, March 3, 2026. Amirhossein Khorgooei/ISNA/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

PARIS, France — Here are the latest economic events in the Middle East war on Tuesday:Oil prices fall- Comments from President Donald Trump declaring the Middle East war "pretty much" over sent oil prices down, and pushed US stocks skyward. US to roll back oil sanctions- Trump announced on Monday that he will waive some sanctions on oil due to the market turmoil. - "We're also waiving certain oil-related sanctions to reduce prices," Trump told reporters after his administration previously signaled it would roll back sanctions on oil exports from Russia. G7 finance ministers- France's finance minister said the G7 was "not there yet" in terms of any release of strategic oil reserves as the world's leading industrialised nations held crisis talks on the economic fallout of the Middle East war, even as they stand ready to do so. - Lufthansa and Air France extended flight cancellations to Middle East destinations.

Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke poses with Fatemeh Pasandideh, Mona Hamoudi, Atefeh Ramezanizadeh, Zahra Ghanbari and Zahra Sarbali, the five women from the Iranian women’s soccer team who were granted humanitarian visas, in Queensland, Australia, March 9, 2026. @Tony_Burke on X/Handout via REUTERS

China's exports turbocharge into 2026 after record-breaking yearFILE PHOTO: A cargo ship with containers docks at a terminal of the Yantian port in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China October 30, 2025.

Djokovic edges Kovacevic to reach Indian Wells Last 16Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays Aleksandar Kovacevic of the United States during Day 6 of the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 09, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays Aleksandar Kovacevic of the United States during Day 6 of the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 09, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. Matthew Stockman / Getty Images / AFPINDIAN WELLS, United States — Novak Djokovic clawed out a 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 victory over 72nd-ranked American Aleksandar Kovacevic on Monday (Tuesday Manila time) to reach the fourth round at Indian Wells for the first time since 2017. With five Indian Wells titles, Djokovic is tied for the record with Swiss great Roger Federer. Alcaraz, riding a 13-0 match winning streak as he chases a third Indian Wells title, headlined the night session, taking on France's Arthur Rinderknech.

DepEd approves 4-day work week for non-teaching personnelParents accompany students as classes open for the new school year at an elementary school in Manila on June 16, 2025. MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education has allowed its non-teaching personnel to work onsite for only four days a week starting Monday, March 9. In a memorandum issued Sunday, March 8, Education Secretary Sonny Angara designates Friday as a common work-from-home day for all covered personnel. In doing so, DepEd joins other government agencies in implementing four-day onsite work arrangements after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s directive for government offices to conserve energy amid the conflict in the Middle East. The policy applies to non-teaching and related-teaching personnel, including contract-of-service and job order employees, under the department’s existing flexible work arrangements.

Trouble brewing in this country clubProblems seem to be hounding some of Metro Manila's posh country clubs, those members-only sports clubs where a share can cost as high as P170 million. Just the same, this exclusive country club, nestled in a city that lies approximately 12 kilometers east of Manila, is facing what some members dub as problematic leadership. Long-time members say this kind of issue is unprecedented in the country club, which according to published records began operating in the mid-1970s. Against this backdrop, they hope to see better leadership in their beloved country club, an extension of their home where they meet with friends while playing their favorite sport. Learning about this problem in this country club involving millions of pesos, unfinished projects and leadership being questioned by stakeholders, I couldn’t help but compare it to our country.

PSA: Cancel mining exec’s birth certificateDuring the Senate committee on justice and human rights hearing yesterday, Sen. Risa Hontiveros grilled PSA director of legal services Eliezer Ambatali over the agency’s slow response, revealing that the agency endorsed the case to the Office of the Solicitor General only on March 2, shortly after the Senate committee followed up on the matter. MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has recommended the cancellation of the birth certificate of mining executive Joseph Sy after a three-month delay that drew sharp rebukes from lawmakers. She noted that the PSA had already confirmed under oath irregularities in Sy’s delayed birth registration during a hearing last December. Detailing the grounds for cancellation, Ambatali enumerated several glaring anomalies in Sy’s civil records, which indicated fraud. According to the PSA official, the parish church explicitly denied issuing the baptismal certificate Sy submitted.

PNP to monitor rallies for Duterte's arrest anniversaryFormer president Rodrigo Duterte, accompanied by former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea, waits in a chartered jet for the flight to The Hague. The motorcade will reportedly start along EDSA and end at Villamor Air Base. “We are closely monitoring developments and coordinating with local units to ensure public safety,” PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said. Nartatez reminded police personnel to maintain order and to observe maximum tolerance during the protests. Uphold the law, protect our citizens and lead by example,” Nartatez said.

Yet, that same army has lost all the three greatest wars after World War II (1939-1945) – the Vietnam War (1955-1975; 211,000 American lives lost), Afghanistan War (2001-2021; 22,300 American lives lost) and the Iraq War (2003-2011; 36,710 American lives lost). From the American revolution to the current Iran war, the US has lost more than two million American lives. The most expensive wars were the Iran and Afghanistan wars, at $4 trillion to $6 trillion. The Iran war is costing America $1 billion a day – money that can feed three million malnourished Filipino children every day for one year. The failure of the Vietnam (20 years), Afghanistan (20 years) and Iraq wars (eight years).

Is victory over Iran enough for Filipinas? MANILA, Philippines — The Filipinas are sitting on pins and needles as they await the fate of their quest for a quarterfinal seat in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia. With two playdates left, the Philippines ranks second in this side race with three points and a goal difference of -2 behind Group C’s Vietnam (three points and zero GD). Group B’s Uzbekistan stands at No. 3 with zero points and -6GD.

No confirmation vote yet on new US envoy – embassyMANILA, Philippines — The confirmation vote on the nomination of businessman-turned-diplomat Lee Lipton as the next United States ambassador to the Philippines has not yet taken place, the US embassy said yesterday. The embassy clarified that the Senate confirmation hearing on US President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as ambassador to Manila took place on March 5, but there was no voting yet. Trump nominated Lipton in October 2025 but his nomination was not confirmed due to procedural gridlock in the US Congress. He was nominated again on Jan. 13, 2026. At the Senate foreign relations committee hearing on March 5, Lipton faced questions on China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific and how he plans to strengthen the US-Philippines alliance.