Inquirer Breaking News

https://youtube.com/live/TbMG4cuOabQ Here's a quick roundup of today's top stories: Quiboloy's camp receives Senate subpoena The camp of Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) sect leader and an accused sex offender, Apollo Quiboloy, already accepted the Senate subpoena on Thursday. The office of Senator Risa Hontiveros reported on Friday that KJC legal counsel Marie Dinah Tolentino Fuentes had received the subpoena for theembattled televangelist. Senate urged: Invite VP Sara to shed light on gun allegation Senators should invite Vice President Sara Duterte to shed light on an allegation made during a Senate inquiry on Monday that she and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte...

Keep on reading: INQToday: Quiboloy’s camp receives Senate subpoena

MANILA, Philippines---At least 300 nursing graduates with no professional licenses had been hired under a new government program to fill the gap in nurses, said a Palace advisory body on Friday (Feb 23). Positions called Clinical Care Associates (CCA) had been created to be filled by nursing graduates who have not passed the board exams yet, according to the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC). In 2023, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the PSAC, the Department of Health and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) which would give work to yet unlicensed nursing graduates. READ: Government launches Cl...

Keep on reading: 300 nursing graduates hired to fill nurse gap, says Palace advisory council

GUINOBATAN, Albay --- Pope Francis has elevated Father Rex Andrew Alarcon, 53, as the new archbishop of the Archdiocese of Caceres, succeeding the retiring Rolando Octavus Tria Tirona. Alarcon, who was appointed bishop of Daet in January 2019, was ordained as a priest for the Archdiocese of Caceres on Nov. 9, 1996. He then became an assistant parish priest at St. John the Evagelist in Naga City. A year later, and for almost three years, he served as a private secretary to then archbishop Leonardo Legaspi. READ: Pope appoints new Daet bishop He obtained a licentiate in church history after studying at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome from 1999 to 2001. Al...

Keep on reading: Alarcon is new Nueva Caceres archbishop

Former "Eat Bulaga" host Toni Rose Gayda shared that Vic Sotto, aka Bossing, expressed his desire to court her during the time they were both on the noontime show. Sitting down with Julius Babao on Thursday, Feb. 22, the TV personality revealed that she didn't allow the "Enteng Kabisote" actor to court her given that she knew how hard it was to be in a relationship with a co-worker. "Hindi ko pinayagan," she said. "Maybe, ganon (nagparamdam) konti. Pero kasi mahirap kung karelasyon mo 'yung kasama mo mahirap lalo for me kasi nga sabi ko selosa ako," Gayda was a mainstay host on the Philippines' longest-running show for almost 18 years, but she left the reality program in 201...

Keep on reading: Toni Rose Gayda reveals Vic Sotto tried to court her

MANILA, Philippines---The Office of the President did not object to the five percent increase in premium of members of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), according to PhilHealth chief Emmanuel Ledesma on Friday (Feb. 23). The state health insurer had announced the adjustment in premiums from four to five percent effective January this year in accordance with the Universal Health Care Act. READ: PhilHealth members' contribution hikes to 5% this 2024 "After very very thorough study on the premium increase, we pose no objection on the scheduled increase which was implemented on January first," Ledesma said, quoting a letter from Malacaang. Asked to comment o...

Keep on reading: Palace didn’t object to hike in premium, says PhilHealth chief

Victory Liner addresses some of the Philippines' persistent small e-commerce business challenges by streamlining order fulfillment and shipping processes with their Drop & Go (D&G) service. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) projects significant growth in the Philippines' e-commerce market, with sales expected to reach $24 billion by 2025. However, the challenges of e-commerce, such as overwhelming order volumes and the need for efficient customer experience, persist. Order fulfillment can become burdensome, especially for those receiving more orders than they can manage. Many businesses are turning to third-party companies to handle order fulfillmen...

Keep on reading: Drop and Go: Luzon’s no-frill cargo delivery system that promises next-day service

MANILA, Philippines --- The official Facebook page of the Marikina City Government has been hacked, Mayor Marcelino Teodoro announced Friday. According to the local chief executive, city hall employees, particularly those from the Public Information Office (PIO), have been unable to access the Marikina PIO Facebook page since Wednesday. The local government uses the social media page to disseminate information, including notices on possible flooding during monsoon season. "The 'Marikina PIO' Facebook page has been hacked by unscrupulous individuals, rendering it inaccessible to our PIO personnel," Teodoro said in a statement. "Our official Facebook page became inaccessible t...

Keep on reading: Marikina’s Facebook page hacked, says mayor

HOUSTON, Texas --- A word to the wise: If you overhear your work-from-home spouse talking business, just forget anything you may learn from it. And most definitely do not trade stocks using what authorities will almost certainly view as inside information. Tyler Loudon, a 42-year-old Houston man, learned this lesson the hard way. He pleaded guilty Thursday to securities fraud for buying and selling stocks based on details gleaned from his wife's business conversations while both were working from home. He made $1.7 million in profits from the deal, but has agreed to forfeit those gains. Things might have turned out differently had Loudon or his wife decided to work from, well, ...

Keep on reading: Don’t buy stocks after eavesdropping on your spouse’s business calls

LUCENA CITY, Quezon, Philippines --- A 73-year-old woman died on Thursday when a fire razed her house in Batangas City. In a report on Friday, Feb. 22, the Calabarzon Police Regional Office (PRO 4A) said the blaze erupted at 5:55 a.m. in Barangay Calicanto and was declared under control 53 minutes later. The report said firemen discovered the body of Ludivina Espirito on the second floor of her burned house, which was made of concrete and light materials. Investigators said the victim's body would be subjected to an autopsy to determine the cause of her death. READ: Elderly man dies in backyard fire in Batangas There was no information on the whereabouts of the victim...

Keep on reading: Elderly woman dies in Batangas City fire

SINGAPORE - Oil prices fell on Friday after a U.S. Fed official said interest rate cuts should be delayed at least two more months. Brent crude futures were down 25 cents, or 0.3 percent, at $83.42 a barrel at 0212 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were 25 cents, or 0.3 percent, lower at $78.36. U.S. Federal Reserve policymakers should delay interest rate cuts by at least another couple of months to see if a recent uptick in inflation signals stalling progress toward price stability or is just a bump in the road, Fed Governor Christopher Waller said on Thursday. READ: Fed's Waller sees 'no rush' to cut interest rates Higher interest rates for longer sl...

Keep on reading: Oil falls after US Fed governor says no rush to cut interest rates

                                              Gwendolyne Fourniol was ecstatic as she claimed a spot both in the Top 25 finalists of the 71st Miss World Head2Head challenge, and in the Top 32 finalists of the sports challenge. "Philippines! We made it to [the] Top 25 of head to head challenge, and qualified for the sports challenge final! (Top 8 per continent)," she announced via her Instagram Stories on Friday, Feb. 23. "Mahal na mahal ko kayo, Pilipinas! Kasama ko kayo sa laban na ito!" Fourniol...

Keep on reading: Miss World: Gwendolyne Fourniol earns spot in Head2Head, sports challenges

MANILA, Philippines --- The camp of Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) sect leader and alleged sex offender Apollo Quiboloy already accepted the Senate subpoena on Thursday. The office of Senator Risa Hontiveros reported on this matter on Friday, noting that it was KJClegal counsel Marie Dinah Tolentino Fuentes who received the subpoena for the embattled televangelist. READ: Apollo Quiboloy on FBI's 'most wanted' list Quiboloy was ordered to appear on Tuesday next week, March 5, before Hontiveros' Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality, which has been conducting a probe into his and his KJC's alleged crimes. Hontiveros earlier said that ifQu...

Keep on reading: Quiboloy’s camp receives Senate subpoena

Actress Mariel Padilla drew flak after conducting a gluta drip session at the Senate office of her husband, Sen. Robin Padilla. In a now-deleted Instagram post on Thursday, Feb. 22, the actress-host shared a picture of her sitting in the Senate office with her husband in the background as she received her dose of intravenous therapy (IV) drip. "Drip anywhere is our motto! Hehehe I had an appointment with @dripinluxeph but I was going to be late so I had it done in my husband's office. Hehe I never miss a drip because it really helps in so many ways. A collagen production, whitening, energy, metabolism, immunity and 50000 much more! So convenient and really effective, magaling t...

Keep on reading: Mariel Padilla receives backlash for doing ‘IV drip’ in Senate office

MANILA, Philippines --- "Inaccurate" and "unscientific" were how advocates criticized the Philippine Medical Association's (PMA) stand opposing the proposed law legalizing the medical use of cannabis. Chuck Manansala, president of the Haraya Policy Center, disagreed with the PMA, which had said that the harmful effects of marijuana outweigh its supposed benefits. "Its sweeping generalizations stand on inaccurate information and unscientific assumptions," Manansala said in a statement. On Feb. 7, the joint House committees on dangerous drugs and health approved an unnumbered substitute measure, which is a consolidation of 10 House bills that aims to make use of marijuana for ...

Keep on reading: PMA stand on medical marijuana bill ‘inaccurate’, ‘unscientific’ – group

SINGAPORE ---The yen sagged to fresh lows on the euro, sterling and other crosses this week and headed for a fourth weekly drop on the dollar as investors chased better yields just about everywhere but Japan, wagering rates there would stay near zero for some time. The yen is the worst-performing G10 currency this year, with a 6.4-percent slide on the dollar. The greenback is the best performing. For the week the yen is down 0.6 percent on the euro, touching its weakest for three months overnight at 163.45 per euro. It dropped by the same margin on sterling to hit its lowest since late 2015 at 190.83 and made nine-year nadir on the Australian and New Zealand dollars. Yen mov...

Keep on reading: Yen sinks as currency traders keep short and carry on

NEW YORK ---The dollar index dipped on Thursday but came off of a three-week low as investors waited on new data catalysts for clues on when the U.S. Federal Reserve is likely to begin cutting interest rates. The greenback has bounced this year as strong growth and sticky inflation lead traders to push back expectations on when the U.S. central bank will begin easing. But after hitting a three-month high last week, the U.S. currency has been largely consolidating. The dollar is likely to benefit from divergences with other countries as the U.S. economy looks relatively stronger, said Noel Dixon, senior macro strategist at State Street Global Markets in Boston. However, after the...

Keep on reading: Dollar dips, data stays in focus for Fed clues

BUENOS AIRES - Argentine President Javier Milei said on Thursday he will propose a bill to penalize the central bank from financing the nation's treasury. Milei, speaking in an interview with local news broadcaster TN, said he would look to stop the monetary authority from printing more bills in a bid to rein in inflation, which currently tops 200 percent annually. The libertarian president, who took office in December with a promise of controlling the economy in a country facing spiraling poverty, said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) supports his policies. IMF support "The fund is very satisfied with what we're doing," Milei said following a meeting earlier in the day ...

Keep on reading: Argentina president wants central bank penalized for financing treasury

MANILA, Philippines --- A policeman was injured during a gun battle between government troops and suspected New People's Army fighters in Bohol province's Bilar town on Friday, the military said. Army spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala told INQUIRER.net in a Viber message that the encounter in Sitio Matin-ao 2, Barangay Campagao, started at 6:45 a.m. and was still ongoing as of this writing. This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.    ...

Keep on reading: Gov’t forces, NPA clash in Bohol town: 1 cop hurt – military

PEORIA, Arizona--- MLB's new uniform reveal hasn't gone very well. Now some of the rampant criticism has moved below the belt. Major League Baseball Players Association deputy executive director Bruce Meyer confirmed on Thursday that the organization is relaying concerns from players to MLB about the new pants, which are somewhat see-through. The complaints --- first reported by ESPN --- are part of broader scorn for the new uniforms, which are designed by Nike and manufactured by Fanatics. "I know everyone hates them," Phillies shortstop Trea Turner said last week. "We all liked what we had. We understand business, but I think everyone wanted to keep it the same way, for the m...

Keep on reading: MLB players miffed at new see-through pants, relaying concerns to league

Dani Alves once said he would "play until I'm 50" if someone threatened his record of trophies won, but his career was brought to a halt in January 2023, when UNAM of Mexico released him after the Brazilian was charged with rape. He was found guilty of raping a young woman at a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022 and was sentenced to four and a half years in prison by a Spanish court on Thursday. Between his debut for Esporte Clube Bahia in Brazil aged 18 in 2001 and his last game for the Pumas in January 2023 aged 39, Alves played almost 1,000 competitive games for club and country, accumulating trophies. READ: Dani Alves found guilty of rape, sentenced to prison "I have th...

Keep on reading: Dani Alves: Record-setting footballer convicted of rape