US immigration agents shot and killed a US citizen in Minneapolis on Saturday, officials said, sparking fierce protests and condemnations from local leaders in the second such incident this month. State officials were already at odds with president Donald Trump's administration over the shooting of another US citizen by federal immigration agents. They have refused to allow local officials to participate in their investigation of the incident. Minneapolis officials, in a statement, said National Guard members would support local police at the scene of the shooting at the request of local officials to the governor. Vice President JD Vance, who visited the city on Thursday, accused local leaders of refusing to provide local police support to immigration agents.

Cop in Marikina road rage incident sackedMembers of the Manila Police District (MPD) prepare for deployment at their headquarters in Ermita, Manila on January 3, 2025. MANILA, Philippines — A police officer seen in a video confronting a fire truck driver for blowing the truck’s horn in Marikina was sacked from his post on Friday. Tecson said the incident appears to be a misunderstanding, noting that it was unclear if the fire truck driver intended to proceed or stop. “The truck followed closely and suddenly sounded its horn loudly, which startled the police officer,” Tecson said, adding that the officer and the fire truck owner have settled the incident amicably. Although the officers had said that they were serving a warrant of arrest at the time of the incident, De Sesto insisted on their relief.

Philipps Soria, chief of the Coast Guard District Southeastern Mindanao, said a fishing company operator informed the CGDSEM that four bodies were first found at past 8 a.m. Believed to be passengers, crewmembers of missing recreational boatMANILA, Philippines — Five bodies believed to be passengers and crewmembers of a missing recreational boat were found floating in the waters off Davao region yesterday morning, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). Earlier, the PCG advised all vessels and fishing boats sailing along the Davao Gulf – particularly along the coasts of Don Marcelino, Malita and Sta. It was expected to arrive in General Generoso town in Davao Oriental on Jan. 19. “A Navy vessel was sailing near the area where the bodies were found,” he said.

Supreme Court declares GMA talents as regular employees after 11-year battleThis file handout photo shows GMA Network Center, one of the buildings at the broadcast giant's Quezon City complex. MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court has affirmed a landmark ruling that recognizes nearly 100 talents of GMA Network as regular employees, ending an 11-year legal battle and granting relief to those illegally terminated. The network argued that higher talent fees and lack of day-to-day supervision meant there was no employer-employee relationship but the Supreme Court dismissed it. The NLRC first declared the workers regular employees in 2015. That ruling was upheld by the Court of Appeals in 2019, prompting GMA to bring the case before the Supreme Court.

In their public announcement, her family served accuracy in commending “A Life of Grace and Literary Distinction”: “Aida Rivera Ford’s life was marked by quiet dignity and profound creative spirit. She led off with one of her memorable short stories, “The Chieftest Mourner,” which became a staple in creative writing classes for over seven decades. Aida Rivera Ford on her 99th birthdayShe authored the short story collections Now and at the Hour and Other Stories (1958) and Born in the Year 1900 and Other Stories (1997)—with the title story referring to her mother. Other titles were Oyanguren: Forgotten Founder of Davao (2010), Aida Rivera-Ford: Collected Works (2012), and the drama compilation Heroes in Love: Four Plays (2012). In 1999, she helped establish the Davao Writers Guild.

Photo by PEDRO PARDO / AFP. Zhang Youxia, first-ranked vice chairman of the CMC, attends the opening ceremony of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 4, 2025.

‘BSP won’t defend specific peso level’An individual exchanges her US dollar at an establishment for foreign exchange in Quezon City on January 15, 2026. Asked about comments from the Palace that President Marcos did not want the peso to reach the 60 to $1 level, Remolona said the BSP would stick to its long-standing approach in managing the currency. Asked directly if the BSP would allow the peso to reach 60 if market movement is not sharp, he replied: “Yes, probably. Remolona reiterated that the BSP does not target a specific exchange rate level and focuses instead on preventing excessive volatility. But it’s not the only factor.”Remolona also rejected the idea of pre-committing to just one more rate cut.

00:56 Si Siim po ay overstaying sa Pilipinas00:58 ng ilang linggo na. 02:09 Siya po ay nagpost. 02:11 Siya po ay may HIV02:14 at ikakalat niya po sa buong Pilipinas ang kanyang sakit. 03:44 Tak kukulong siya. 03:50 Tak kukulong siya.

Angara remains as revamp rumors fadeEducation Secretary Sonny Angara has dodged a bullet. ‘That’s crazy’But in the case of Angara, no less than President Marcos himself seemed in disbelief over the grapevine talk that his education secretary would vacate his post. In fact, a recent non-commissioned Tangere satisfaction and trust survey showed that Angara ranked highest among President Marcos’ Cabinet members with 52.71 percent satisfaction rating and 53.95 percent trust rating. In case he doesn’t know it yet, 2026 is a make-or-break year for President Marcos. Just last week, Hotel101 Global announced the signing of binding agreements to develop a 766-room Hotel101 in Melbourne’s Central Business District at 540 Flinders Lane, Australia.

Light glows from homes along the shore as the sun sets over the coastline in Nuuk, Greenland, on January 23, 2026.An Air Greenland aircraft rolls along the runway after landing at Nuuk Airport, Greenland, on January 23, 2026. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP)

Financial system resources hit P35.8 trillionPreliminary data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed that banks and non-bank financial institutions booked a 7.1-percent growth in assets from P33.38 trillion in the same period in 2024. MANILA, Philippines — The total resources of the country’s financial system rose to P35.76 trillion as of end-November last year, reflecting sustained deposit growth, steady credit demand and continued confidence in the banking system. Financial system resources cover funds and balance sheet items such as deposits, capital, loans, bonds, equities and other debt securities held by banks and BSP-supervised non-bank institutions. These resources are often used as a broad gauge of liquidity, savings behavior and the overall depth of the financial system. Jonathan Ravelas, senior adviser at Reyes Tacandong & Co., said the sustained expansion reflects confidence in the financial system.

Otom bags 5th gold at ASEAN Para GamesMANILA, Philippines — Touched by an angel. Tanker Angel Mae Otom created tidal waves by capturing a fifth gold medal yesterday that kept the Philippines at fourth overall in the 13th ASEAN Para Games in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand yesterday. Otom clocked 44.51 seconds in ruling the women’s 50-meter freestyle S4-S5 class to add to her earlier triumphs in the 50m and 100m backstroke and 100m and 200m free. Gary Bejino also came through in the pool after he topped the men’s 50m free S6 in 33.26 seconds for his third mint. The effort kept the country on track in surpassing its fifth-place (33-33-50) haul in the last edition in Phnom Penh, Cambodia three years ago.

Sugarcane planters worried over declining millgate pricesThe warning, which was contained in a position paper submitted by the Confederation of Sugarcane Producers Association Inc. (CONFED), was aired by former Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) chief Rafael Coscolluela during a public consultation conducted by the Senate and House of Representatives on Friday in Talisay City. BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Sugar stakeholders in Negros Occidental have expressed alarm over the declining millgate prices of sugar and mollasses, saying the industry’s foregone revenues may exceed P20 billion in June if the problem is not addressed properly. CONFED blamed the drastic decline in millgate prices to over-supply of imported refined sugar, large inventories of raw sugar, unchecked molasses importation and unregulated entry of sugar substitutes. From October to December last year, the decline in the millgate prices resulted in foregone revenues of P5.3 billion from sugar sales, and P1.73 billion from molasses sales or a total of P7.28 billion. “This public consultation will be used for our official inquiry in aid of legislation.

For business leaders, these shifts are transformative. For business leaders, this is not the time for reckless expansion or debt-driven optimism. The primary risk in 2026 is not machines replacing people, but leaders outsourcing critical thinking and relying on technology to compensate for weak strategy or poor judgment. Good leaders make a lasting impact because of their character, not just their business plans. Successful leaders will recognize that character is more enduring than strategy.

5 Chinese held over unregistered drinksThe suspects – identified only as Fan, Xiong, Xiang, Zhang and Ze – were collared during a raid on a warehouse in Barangay San Pablo Libutad on Jan. 19. MANILA, Philippines — Five Chinese nationals have been arrested for allegedly selling unregistered drinks in San Simon, Pampanga, the police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) reported yesterday. The suspects – identified only as Fan, Xiong, Xiang, Zhang and Ze – were collared during a raid on a warehouse in Barangay San Pablo Libutad on Jan. 19. The raid resulted in the seizure of 4,176 boxes of milk and energy drinks worth P1.6 million, according to CIDG chief Maj. Gen. Robert Alexander Morico II. Charges for violating Republic Act 9711 or the Food and Drug Administration Act were filed against the suspects who failed to present travel documents and pertinent papers to authorities.