Inquirer Breaking News

    BEIJING -- Authorities in Beijing shut some highways on Wednesday after heavier-than-expected snowfall hit the Chinese capital, part of a cold spell sweeping many parts of the country this week. With freezing rain and snow expected to last until Monday, officials boosted public transport arrangements in the sprawling city of nearly 22 million and shut eight highways, state broadcaster CCTV said. Mountainous areas were still receiving snowfall, though it had stopped in urban areas.   READ: China's Xinjiang battles harshest cold spell in over six decades "I feel like the few days after the snow are a bit inconvenient because the road is kind of s...

Keep on reading: Chinese capital closes highways after heavy snowfall

MANILA, Philippines--EJ Obiena kicked off his indoor season campaign in triumph by asserting himself in the Memorial Josip Gasparac on Wednesday in Osijek, Croatia. Obiena, the world No. 2 pole vaulter, cleared 5.83 meters in his victory warmup for the coming World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. "Indoor season (has) finally kicked off. 5.83 for the win here," Obiena posted on his Instagram. READ: EJ Obiena goes through tests to determine Paris Olympics readiness Portugal's Pedro Buaro placed second with 5.73 meters and American Olen Tray Oates claimed the bronze medal in 5.61. Next stop for the Paris Olympics-bound Obiena, the Asian record holder of s...

Keep on reading: EJ Obiena wins gold in Croatia to begin 2024 season

  MANILA, Philippines --- Senator Risa Hontiveros expressed hopes on Wednesday that a divorce bill could find its way back onto the Senate's legislative agenda. In the House of Representatives, a bill on absolute divorce was brought for plenary consideration on Tuesday. The divorce bill in the Senate, however, remains pending for plenary discussion. "Napapirmahan ko na, months ago pa, 'yung committee report ng Senate committee on women tungkol sa dissolution of marriage bill... pero hindi pa siya scheduled for plenary interpellation and debate," Hontiveros said in a press briefing. (I had the committee report of the Senate committee on women regarding the dissolution ...

Keep on reading: Hontiveros hopes divorce bill can be given ‘fair hearing’ in Senate

NEW YORK/SHANGHAI ---The rapid rise of fast-fashion e-commerce retailers such as Shein and Temu is upending the global air cargo industry, as they increasingly vie for limited air-cargo space to woo consumers with rapid transit times, more than 10 industry sources said. Shein, PDD Group's Temu and ByteDance's TikTok Shop, which recently began online shopping in the U.S., ship the majority of their products directly from factories in China to shoppers by air in individually addressed packages. And their growing popularity - Shein and Temu together send almost 600,000 packages to the United States every day, according to a June 2023 report by the U.S. Congress - is boosting air-f...

Keep on reading: Rise of fast-fashion Shein, Temu roils global air cargo industry

Filipina actress and "Lisa Frankenstein" breakout star Liza Soberano and former Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) alumna Ylona Garcia will be among the presenters at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2024.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by The Anime Awards (@animeawards.official) Anime Awards posted on their official social media accounts a promotional image that shows Soberano among the top musical talent and entertainment icons that will grace the upcoming ceremony. Aside from her roster of Filipino films and television shows and her now blossoming Hollywood career, Soberano is also no s...

Keep on reading: 2024 Anime Awards: Liza Soberano, Ylona Garcia tapped as presenters

MANILA, Philippines --- University of Santo Tomas and Far Eastern University seized the early 2-0 lead in the UAAP Season 86 men's volleyball tournament after overcoming separate foes on Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum. UST needed to fight back from a six-point deficit in the third set before fending off University of the East, 28-26, 25-19, 26-24, for the share of the UAAP lead. The Golden Spikers crawled back from a 14-20 deficit and erased a 20-23 disadvantage as they scored four straight points capped by Dux Yambao's back-to-back blocks to reach match point, 24-23, only to commit a four touches violation that allowed the Red Warriors to save a point. SCHEDULE: UAAP Sea...

Keep on reading: UAAP volleyball: UST Golden Spikers, FEU Tamaraws share early lead

MANILA, Philippines --- Majority Floor Leader Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe on Wednesday said that the House of Representatives committee of the whole would discuss Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 7 on the proposed amendments to the 1987 Constitution extensively, holding three hearings per week from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. starting February 26. Dalipe confirmed that the hearings would start on Monday --- and not today as initially announced --- because the committee on rules is still finalizing the schedule of resource persons invited for the discussions on proposals to amend the 1987 Constitution's economic provisions. Dalipesaid that they are unsure whe...

Keep on reading: House to conduct comprehensive hearings on RBH7, says solon

Ask most people about their dream future, and it would likely involve flying cars. From The Jetsons cartoon to the Star Wars movies, we've always imagined soaring through the skies riding a car becoming part of everyday life. However, we wouldn't need to wait longer as more companies are developing flying vehicles worldwide. Case in point, the Philippine News Agency announced that a German air mobility firm will launch its first Southeast Asian network in the country. In other words, the company will build a system of flying cars or eVTOLs right here in the Philippines. Soon, Filipinos may ride flying taxis to visit relatives, go to work, or explore the Philippines' thousand islands....

Keep on reading: ‘Flying cars’ in PH coming soon

| PHOTO: Official twitter page of the Senate of the Philippines MANILA, Philippines --- A total of 57 lawmakers have signed a manifesto rejecting the proposal of former President Rodrigo Duterte for a separate Mindanao Republic. The signatories include 53 legislators representing different districts in Mindanao. One of them was Lanao del Norte 1st District Representative Khalid Dimaporo. Dimaporo on Wednesday said the paper is titled 'The Unified Manifesto of Mindanao Congressmen for National Integrity and Development.' Unified-Manifesto-of-Mindanao-Congressmen-for-National-Integrity-and-Development-Download The document calls for national unity and opposes the secessi...

Keep on reading: 57 lawmakers sign manifesto vs. ex-Pres. Duterte’s Mindanao republic idea

MANILA, Philippines --- IBON Foundation on Wednesday said that there is enough data to prove that employers can afford to pay the proposed P100 daily wage increase for private workers in the country. This follows statements from some members of the House of Representatives and employers claiming that businesses would be adversely affected if the proposal becomes law. "All those with a sincere belief that workers should have a just share in the fruits of their labor can have confidence that the data at hand already clearly affirms that workers deserve much more than they're getting and that employers can give much better wages than they're giving," IBON Executi...

Keep on reading: Data shows employers can afford P100 wage hike — IBON

SINGAPORE -Chinese markets lifted Asian stocks on Wednesday on optimism over steps taken by policymakers to boost confidence, while looming earnings from Nvidia kept investors on edge following the recent frenzied AI-driven global rally. Financial markets will also look out for the minutes of the Federal Reserve's last meeting in January for further clues on the policy outlook as expectations of early U.S. interest rate cuts dissipate in the wake of sticky inflation data. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.62 percent on Wednesday, touching their highest in seven weeks, with stocks in China and Hong Kong providing the biggest boost. The blue-chip ...

Keep on reading: China boosts Asian shares as investors brace for Nvidia earnings

MANILA, Philippines --- The United States (US) Embassy in the Philippines said on Wednesday that they are confident that religious leader Apollo Quiboloy will face justice for his "heinous crimes." Despite repeated denial from Quiboloy himself, the embassy maintained that Quiboloy has engaged in rights abuses, including rape of girls. READ: Apollo Quiboloy on FBI's 'most wanted' list "For more than a decade, Apollo Quiboloy engaged in serious human rights abuses, including a pattern of systemic and pervasive rape of girls as young as 11 years old, and he is currently on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Most Wanted List," said US Embassy Spokesperson Kanishka Gangopadhyay in...

Keep on reading: US Embassy ‘confident’ Quiboloy will ‘face justice for heinous crimes’

MANILA, Philippines --- The government of the United States of America, through its United States Agency for International Development (USAID), launched a program aimed at strengthening the state of Philippine higher education and make it more receptive to global demands. The U.S.-Philippines Partnership for Skills, Innovation, and Lifelong Learning Program, has a $30 million budget, or around P1.6 billion, and will run for five years. "The challenges and opportunities that young people face today in the workplace make college training and education critical for their future success," Sara Borodin, USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator for East Asia and the Pacific sai...

Keep on reading: US launches $30 M program to boost PH tertiary education

      MANILA, Philippines --- President "Bongbong" R. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. attributed 1 percent of the country's employment rise to a transport network vehicle service (TNVS) firm in the country, the Palace said on Wednesday. In a courtesy call in Malacaan on Tuesday, Marcos met with executives from Grab Philippine, led by Grab Holdings Inc. co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Anthony Tan. READ: Marcos wants to relax regulations on TNVS "Your impact on unemployment numbers [comprises] about 1.1 percent of the increase in employment in the past year and half. That was Grab, so that's the 300,000 that we're talking about has a significant effect," Ma...

Keep on reading: Marcos cites TNVS firm’s role in employment growth

MANILA, Philippines --- Ara Galang repaid Chery Tiggo's trust with an impressive Crossovers debut in the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference on Tuesday. Galang delivered the goods for Chery Tiggo with 12 points built on nine attacks, two aces, and a block to jumpstart their campaign with a dominant 25-6, 25-15, 25-15 win over the debuting Capital1 at Philsports Arena. The veteran outside spiker wanted to prove her worth to the team that gave her a second chance after F2 Logistics' disbandment. SCHEDULE: PVL All-Filipino Conference 2024 "My mindset when Chery Tiggo and coach KungFu (Reyes) signed me was they were interested in me so I have the potential to help this team," said G...

Keep on reading: PVL: Ara Galang repays Chery Tiggo trust with rousing debut

MANILA, Philippines --- Pastor Apollo Quiboloy has refuted the sexual abuse allegations made by former members of his religious sect. He made his denial in a 36-minute video statement on Wednesday. The televangelist said he is only being accused of rape because he rejected the women who were "fighting over" him. Quiboloy is the founder and leader of the Davao-based Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC). He alleged the women who are supposedly maligning him are suffering from what he called a "Potiphar's wife syndrome." "Ako po ay hindi nag-asawa. Ngayon, inaakusahan ako ng napakaraming babae," he said. (I did not marry. Now, I am being accused by so many women.) "Ito po ...

Keep on reading: Quiboloy on rape: Too many women fight over me, ‘pinag-aagawan ako’

    Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko called on law enforcement agencies on Tuesday to organize patrols with small arms on the streets of Belarusian cities to ensure the safety of people. "People should feel safe at home, at work, on the street, at any time of the day," Lukashenko said in a video from a meeting with the country's top security bodies, posted on Pul Pervovo, a state outlet that reports on Lukashenko's activities. Lukashenko said that while the crime rate in Belarus was decreasing, the country was at risk of crimes of an "extremist nature". READ: Belarus new doctrine provides for using nuclear weapons for first time "Today, this is t...

Keep on reading: Belarus calls for armed street patrols, warns of ‘extremist’ crime

NBA Scores, News, Schedules NEW YORK --- Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks hasn't given up on his team making the playoffs this season, and now Kevin Ollie will be tasked with leading it there. Ollie was named Tuesday as Brooklyn's interim coach, replacing Jacque Vaughn, who was fired a day earlier. The Nets are 11th in the Eastern Conference standings, 2 1/2 games behind Atlanta for the final play-in spot with 28 games remaining. Marks said the decision to replace Vaughn with Ollie during the All-Star break was based on "the direction of the team and where it's potentially trending." Marks spoke with reporters for almost 20 minutes prior to the team's practice Tuesd...

Keep on reading: Nets turn to Kevin Ollie seeking to salvage NBA season

NBA Scores, News, Schedules SANTA CRUZ, California --- Nicholas Kerr is focused and serious as he paces the sidelines in front of the scorer's table near his team bench. "Get back! Get back! Get back! Get back!" he shouts, urging the Santa Cruz Warriors to hustle down and play defense. Then there's a moment Kerr finally lets his guard down a little, cracks a smile and starts chatting to people keeping statistics and working the game. Each day, the young coach strives to find a balance between fun and fire while leading Golden State's development G League team, which has none of the big stars --- like Stephen Curry --- that his famous father gets to coach every day just a coupl...

Keep on reading: NBA: Steve Kerr’s son finding way in coaching not far from his dad

MANILA, Philippines --- A police officer, a candidate for village chief, and 10 others allegedly involved in an election-related killing of three people in Cotabato City last year are now out on bail. Police Master Sergeant Pauti Dianal Mamalapat, village chief candidate Juhalidin Ladesla Abdul, and 10 others have already been granted temporary freedom, Bangsamoro Police Regional Director Brig. Gen. Allan Nobleza said during the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs hearing on Wednesday. The other suspects are Mishal Mamalapat, Dixie Mahinay Garcia, Arman Mamalangkal, Ronda Midtimbang Bansuan, Jayson Manguda Bansuan, Surin Alon Kamad, Daniel Gumat Paguital, Nordin Gu...

Keep on reading: 12 suspects in killing of Cotabato village bets out on bail