Inquirer Breaking News

MANILA, Philippines--There are so many things that renowned agent Danny Espiritu wants. World peace. The continued success of his wards. Money? So far, he's getting by just fine. The respected manager, who handles some of the biggest names in sports, on Tuesday warned clients, associates, contacts and friends that he is not going around asking for money. "I was hacked," Espiritu said after receiving several calls asking if he was in some sort of an emergency. READ: Stories from Danny Espiritu "I am not asking money so please ignore messages saying so," he added. Several of Espiritu's contacts received a message on Tuesday requesting them to transfer money using their mobi...

Keep on reading: Player agent Danny Espiritu’s messaging account hacked

NBA Scores, News, Schedules SALT LAKE CITY --- Lauri Markkanen scored 22 points and had nine rebounds to lead the Utah Jazz to a 145-113 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night in the NBA. Jordan Clarkson scored 21 points and Collin Sexton added 20 for the Jazz. Kelly Olynyk had a team-high 10 rebounds off the bench. Utah won for the 10th time in 12 games and earned its seventh straight win at home to move to .500 overall. The Jazz outscored the Raptors 58-32 in the paint and made 21 3-pointers. Utah also had a 68-36 advantage in total rebounds. "The game has just been fun," Clarkson said. "When the ball is popping and everybody is involved, I think the vibe is rea...

Keep on reading: NBA: Jazz whip Raptors for 7th straight home win

NBA Scores, News, Schedules MEMPHIS, Tennessee--- Memphis Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart will miss at least six weeks because of an injury to his right ring finger. The team said Thursday that Smart will be re-evaluated in six weeks after being diagnosed with a ruptured joint. Smart suffered the injury during the third quarter of Memphis' win at Dallas on Tuesday. After making a 3-pointer, Smart noticed that his finger was gruesomely out of place while extending his hand to celebrate. His injury came days after fellow guard Ja Morant was lost for the season. Morant had surgery Thursday to repair a labral tear in his right shoulder and is "expected to make a full recovery ahead o...

Keep on reading: NBA: Grizzlies’ Marcus Smart to miss 6 weeks with a finger injury

NBA Scores, News, Schedules SAN ANTONIO --- Victor Wembanyama had 26 points and 11 rebounds and the San Antonio Spurs routed Charlotte 135-99 on Friday night, spoiling Hornets star LaMelo Ball's return from a 20-game absence. Wembanyama was 9 for 14 from the field, hitting 2 of 3 3-pointers, and had two blocks in 20 minutes. San Antonio had 31 assists in winning consecutive games for just the second time this season. "They look like they're beginning to understand how to play with each other," coach Gregg Popovich said. Ball had 28 points, five assists and five steals in his first game since spraining his right ankle Nov. 26 at Orlando. https://twitter.com/NBA/status/174...

Keep on reading: NBA: Wembanyama, Spurs spoil LaMelo Ball’s return to Hornets

NBA Scores, News, Schedules DENVER --- Nikola Jokic had 27 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds for his 10th NBA career triple-double against New Orleans in the Denver Nuggets' 125-113 victory over the Pelicans on Friday night. Jokic has 12 triple-doubles this season and 117 overall, with the 10 against the Pelicans the most versus one opponent. He also has scored 25 or more points in 14 straight games against New Orleans. Denver rebounded from a loss to Utah on Wednesday night to snap New Orleans' seven-game road winning streak. https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1746046953878594017 Michael Porter had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Nuggets. Jamal Murray finished with 20 po...

Keep on reading: NBA: Nuggets defeat Pelicans, Nikola Jokic posts triple-double

NBA Scores, News, Schedules MIAMI --- By current NBA standards, this was a throwback: A team won without scoring 100 points. Such a thing hadn't happened in more than a month, until the Miami Heat pulled it off on Friday night. Duncan Robinson scored 23 points, Bam Adebayo hit the go-ahead jumper with 18.5 seconds left and the Heat beat the Orlando Magic 99-96. NBA teams are 7-107 this season when scoring fewer than 100 points. Miami got the league's first sub-100-point win since Houston beat San Antonio 93-82 on Dec. 11. https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/1746023806395617670 "And I think the fans really enjoyed it," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. Heat fans did, an...

Keep on reading: NBA: Heat get go-ahead basket from Bam Adebayo, top Magic

MANILA, Philippines---After dabbling into basketball, Strong Group Athletics (SGA), also threw its hat into the Philippine volleyball scene. Strong Group on Saturday announced its entry in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL), taking over the disbanded Gerflor franchise, which is the sister team of Farm Fresh. "We are truly thankful to (owner) Frank Lao and Strong Group Athletics for not only helping pay the salaries of the Gerflor Defenders last year but also for taking the bold step of starting a second team in the PVL," said PVL president Ricky Palou in a statement. "This shows their strong commitment to the development and success of volleyball in the Philippines." SGA...

Keep on reading: Strong Group joins PVL, takes over Gerflor

TACLOBAN CITY --- The national government earned P182.62 million in excise tax from mining operators last year on top of taxes imposed by the local government. However, for environmental groups, no amount of money could compensate for damages caused by mining operations on the environment. According to Glen Noble, regional director of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau in Eastern Visayas (MGB-8), mining companies paidP172.84 million in excise taxes for the 8.22 million nickel ore wet metric tons (WMT) shipped to China in 2023. He added that P9.77 million in excise tax was also paid last year for the 25,900 WMT chromite concentrate that was likewise shipped to China. Noble p...

Keep on reading: Is mining good or bad? Gov’t, green group take opposite sides

NBA Scores, News, Schedules CHICAGO --- Klay Thompson scored 30 points and Stephen Curry scored 15 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter as the Golden State Warriors used a big second-half turnaround to beat the Chicago Bulls 140-131 on Friday night. Thompson and Curry started slow, missing a combined 10 of their first 11 shots from the field. But the tide turned at halftime, with Thompson making five 3-pointers and scoring 17 as the Warriors pulled to a 16-point lead entering the fourth. "It's nice to win a game like that where I know individually I can shoot the ball better but we won a game collectively," Curry said. "We have a standard that we want to live up to for ourse...

Keep on reading: NBA: Warriors beat Bulls, Klay Thompson scores 30

NBA Scores, News, Schedules MEMPHIS, Tennessee --- Paul George scored a season-high 37 points, Kawhi Leonard added 22 and the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 128-119 on Friday night in the NBA. George connected on 12 of 18 shots, going 7 for 10 from 3-point range, in his sixth game this season with at least 30 points. Leonard, who signed a three-year contract extension Wednesday, was 10 of 16 from the field. Amir Coffey had 13 points, making all six of his attempts as the Clippers shot 55% from the floor. https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1746023550287335929 Jaren Jackson Jr. led Memphis with 21 points, and Xavier Tillman finished with 20 points and nine...

Keep on reading: NBA: Clippers, led by Paul George, turn back Grizzlies

Asia is poised to dominate the travel scene in 2024, with destinations like Tokyo, Seoul, and Vietnam's Halong Bay gaining traction. And the Philippines' Palawan Island got the fourth spot among TripAdvisor's top 10 trending destinations for the year. TripAdvisor's annual analysis, which sifts through millions of reviews and ratings for hotels and restaurants, highlights the growing allure of Asian destinations. This shift in traveler interest marks a significant departure from previous years when locations like Dubai, Bali, and London led the popularity charts. Palawan, known for its stunning natural beauty and pristine beaches, has captured the attention of travelers seeking uniq...

Keep on reading: Palawan ranks 4th among TripAdvisor’s top destinations for 2024

MANILA, Philippines --- Environmental watchdog EcoWaste Coalition on Saturday reminded the public to maintain cleanliness and protection of the environment during celebrations for the Feast of Santo Nio. The group specifically encouraged participants torefrain from using single-use plastics and tarpaulin as decorations as these materials are deemed harmful to health and the environment. "As our country grapples with the effects of the plastic pollution crisis, we find it necessary to put a stop on the reckless consumption of single-use plastics such as those used in community fiestas," the group's Zero Waste Campaigner, Ochie Tolentino, said in a statement. According to Tole...

Keep on reading: Keep environment clean, protected during feast of Santo Niño – group

MANILA, Philippines --- The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the Philippine Embassy in Phnom Penh has repatriated 27 Filipinos from Cambodia. It said the 27 Filipinos arrived in Cambodia on various dates as tourists. However, they were eventually employed in companies that engaged in scamming activities. The Filipinos were rescued through the collaboration of the Philippine Embassy in Phnom Penh with the Cambodian National Police while being transferred to another online scamming facility, according to the DFA. READ: Chat support job offers in Cambodia posted on Facebook is 100% scam -- victim They were temporarily sheltered in Caritas Cambodia following their res...

Keep on reading: DFA: 27 Filipinos return to PH from Cambodia

Miles Ocampo, who is now cancer-free, looked back on her ordeal with the disease and disclosed that she underwent surgery without knowing she had been diagnosed with it. "That time, kakaputok lang ng 'Batang Quiapo' so ang dami kong naka-line up na gagawin. 'Yung doctor ko sinabi sakin na ito 'yung situation ko, na parang ayaw pa nila sabihin 'yung cancer sa akin," she recalled in a vlog on broadcaster Karen Davila's YouTube channel on Thursday, Jan. 11. (That time, my "Batang Quiapo" stint was just gaining attention, so I had so many projects lined up. My doctor told me my situation, but they didn't tell me that it was cancer.) "Alam na ng doctor ko at ng manager ko that ti...

Keep on reading: Miles Ocampo declares she’s now cancer-free

Patrick Sugui said there's no truth to the blind item naming his wife, Aeriel Garcia, as allegedly one of the girls of Daniel Padilla. The former Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) teen housemate took to X (formerly Twitter) to dismiss the rumors between his wife and the Kapamilya actor, which stemmed from a Reddit thread. He said he was sure his wife has no involvement in the cheating rumors circulating, as netizens try to use the absence of Kathryn Bernardo and Padilla at their wedding to back up the claims. "We don't know where all of this is coming from. But I can assure you guys, my wife has nothing to do with this. 'Yung di nila pag attend sa wedding namin before, naclear na nami...

Keep on reading: Patrick Sugui dismisses blind item linking his wife to Daniel Padilla

WASHINGTON, United States---A Fox News host suggested this week that Taylor Swift is a "front for a covert political agenda," echoing disinformation that has percolated in right-wing circles for months---and which experts say will likely get worse before the 2024 US election. The Jesse Watters segment warning Swift could be a "Pentagon asset" offered the latest conspiracy theory exploiting the singer-songwriter's fame and her past support for Democrats such as President Joe Biden. Attacks targeting Swift in recent months have ranged from personal barbs to accusations of witchcraft and speculation about her political involvement. "Have you ever wondered why or how she blew up...

Keep on reading: Taylor Swift’s influence attracts conspiracy theories

ILOILO CITY --- The local government here is set to increase its property taxes this year only to offer a 40-percent discount later following widespread concerns. Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treas said that while taxes may be the lifeblood of the government, he understood the sentiments of businesses and residents in the wake of the recent increases in Real Property Tax (RPT). "We need the funds but I understand our businesses," Treas said in a recent press conference. The decision to offer a discount on RPT for 2024 and 2025 was made following a meeting between Treas and key officials, including City Administrator Melchor Tan, City Assessor Cesar Jalbuena Jr., City Treasurer Ji...

Keep on reading: Iloilo City gov’t offers 40% discount on RPT in response to public outcry

NBA Scores, News, Schedules MINNEAPOLIS --- Rudy Gobert had 24 points and 17 rebounds, Karl-Anthony Towns scored 23 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves cruised to a 116-93 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night in the NBA. Gobert returned after missing one game with left hip soreness. The twin tower duo of Gobert and Towns dominated an undermanned and young Portland squad that was on the second game of a back-to-back after losing 139-77 in Oklahoma City a night earlier, matching the fifth-biggest loss in NBA history. Gobert and Towns combined to shoot 16 of 19 from the field and Towns was 3 of 3 from 3-point territory. Minnesota shot 55% as a team, while hol...

Keep on reading: NBA: Timberwolves breeze past Trail Blazers

BACOLOD CITY --- The Negros Occidental provincial government is set to hold a power summit in February to ensure adequate and stable power supply on the island following the recent blackouts on Panay Island. Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said the province is also pushing for more renewable energy. "The purpose is to ensure that we have enough power now and in the future. Learning from what happened in Panay, we would like to make sure that it will not happen here," the governor said. He said there has also been a proposal for an offshore wind power farm to be located in the waters between Negros and Panay. READ: Power outage hits Panay Island The Negros Oc...

Keep on reading: Negros power summit set to ensure stable local supply

MABALACAT CITY --- Some P103,000 worth of "shabu" (crystal meth) was confiscated from a suspected drug pusher and four others in a buy-bust operation here on Friday night, Jan. 12. In a statement issued Saturday, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Central Luzon said the operation was conducted at around 9 p.m. at a suspected drug den in Purok (zone) San Isidro in Barangay Dau. A PDEA agent, who posed as a drug user, was able to buy a small sachet of shabu from suspect Kessy Tiglao, 39, using a marked P500 bill. PDEA Central Luzon tagged Tiglao as a suspected drug den maintainer. READ: P500,000 'shabu,' gun seized from 2 men in Pampanga After arresting Tiglao, t...

Keep on reading: P103K ‘shabu’ seized, 5 suspects nabbed in Pampanga