Inquirer Breaking News

  MANILA, Philippines --- The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) arrested five drug suspects and seized more than P7.3 million worth of shabu in its anti-illegal drug operations in the last two days. In Makati City, around 1000 grams of illegal drugs worth an estimated P6.8 million were seized in a buy-bust operation Wednesday night. Police arrestedModa Mimbalawag and Aslanie Mimbalawag, who were with a 16-year-old minor tagged as a child in-conflict with the law. In a buy-bust operation in Caloocan City, police arrested Analyn Salibio and Marynol Garcia and confiscated 67 grams of shabu worth around P455,000. The NCRPO's string of anti-illegal drug ope...

Keep on reading: Over P7.3M shabu seized, 5 arrested in Metro Manila anti-drug operations — NCRPO

    KYIV/BAKHMUT, Ukraine - Ukrainian forces raised their national flag on a recaptured Black Sea island on Thursday in a defiant act against Moscow, but Kyiv lost a main international supporter after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would step down. Russian forces also shelled potential conquests in eastern Ukraine ahead of an expected new offensive. Moscow did not conceal its delight at the political demise of Johnson, a leader whom it has long criticised for arming Kyiv so energetically. "The moral of the story is: do not seek to destroy Russia," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. "Russia cannot be destroyed. You can bre...

Keep on reading: Ukraine raises flag on recaptured island, but loses key supporter in UK’s Johnson

    KHIMKI, Russia -U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner pleaded guilty in a Russian court on Thursday to drugs charges that could see her face 10 years in prison, a Reuters journalist reported from the courtroom, but said she had not deliberately broken the law. Griner's family have called on U.S. President Joe Biden to step up efforts to secure the WNBA star's release. "I'd like to plead guilty, your honour. But there was no intent. I didn't want to break the law," Griner said, speaking English which was then translated into Russian for the court. "I'd like to give my testimony later. I need time to prepare," she added. The next court hearing was sched...

Keep on reading: U.S. basketball star Griner pleads guilty to drugs charge in Russian court

MANILA, Philippines--San Miguel Beer used a big second half to pick apart TNT, 115-99, in the battle of title favorites in the 2022 PBA Philippine Cup Thursday night at Smart Araneta Coliseum. June Mar Fajardo and Jericho Cruz combined for 60 points to help the Beermen pocket a fourth straight victory to regain solo leadership of the race with a 7-1 record and manufacture a massive morale boost at the expense of the defending champions entering the elimination round's homestretch. "We didn't want our standing to dip. We want to stay at the No. 1 or No. 2 spot, so we worked for it," said Cruz, who unloaded 16 of his total 30 in the third quarter alone. "This is the most impor...

Keep on reading: PBA: San Miguel whips TNT in clash of title favorites to regain solo lead

MANILA, Philippines --- The southwest monsoon or habagat will bring overcast skies with rains in Metro Manila and many parts of the country on Friday, the state weather bureau said. In its Thursday forecast, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that aside from the capital region, Zambales, Bataan, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan), Cagayan, Isabela, Aurora, Bicol Region, the entire Visayas and Zamboanga Peninsula will have cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms. The areas not mentioned will experie...

Keep on reading: Rainy Friday in Metro Manila, other parts of PH due to habagat

MANILA, Philippines --- The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) will now be helmed by Dr. Rene Escalante after he was elected as its chairman on Thursday. He will be assuming the position previously held by Cultural Center of the Philippines President Arsenio "Nick" Lizaso. READ: Director Nick Lizaso officially elected NCCA chair Escalante, who is currently the head of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, was chosen to lead the NCCA for the rest of the year during a Board of Commissioners meeting held at the Metropolitan Theatre. Escalante is also a history professor and formerly the chairman of the De La Salle University Manila's Departm...

Keep on reading: NHCP’s Dr. Rene Escalante gets elected as new NCCA chair

MANILA, Philippines --- Almond Vosotros delivered the big shots as Gilas Pilipinas 3x3 beat Indonesia, 21-15, to reach the main draw of the 2022 Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup on Thursday in Singapore. Vosotros waxed hot with 11 points, putting on the finishing touches with back-to-back deuces to eliminate Indonesia with four minutes to spare. The Filipino cagers completed a two-game qualifying Draw C and will resume their campaign on Saturday in Group C with host Singapore and China. "We're so happy and blessed that our fellow countrymen are there for us," said Vosotros. https://twitter.com/FIBA3x3/status/1545032486157029382?s=20&t=VGiDoDx8aVTTL9e0JblNPg Joseph Eriobu chipped in eight poi...

Keep on reading: Almond Vosotros carries Gilas Pilipinas to Fiba 3×3 Asia Cup main draw

  MANILA, Philippines --- The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have instituted measures to prevent recurrence of the case of its former comptroller retired Major General Carlos Garcia, who was found guilty of direct bribery and facilitating money laundering, its spokesperson said on Thursday. "The court has already rendered its decision so we respect it and, on the part of the Armed Forces, we have learned lessons and we have instituted measures already to prevent the recurrence of that similar incident," said AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar. Sandiganbayan 2nd Division has granted Garcia's plea bargain to the lesser offense of direct bribery, sentencing him to ...

Keep on reading: AFP on Garcia conviction: We learned our lesson, instituted steps vs corruption

Rafael Nadal has suffered a "seven millimeter" tear to his abdomen but still intends to play his Wimbledon semi-final against Nick Kyrgios on Friday, sports daily Marca reported. Nadal, the 2008 and 2010 champion, underwent scans on the injury on Thursday following his grueling 3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10/4) victory over Taylor Fritz in Wednesday's quarter-finals. The 36-year-old said he was unsure over his ongoing participation in the tournament as he targets the third leg of a rare calendar Grand Slam. "I can't give you a clear answer because if I gave you a clear answer and tomorrow another thing happens, I will be a liar," he said after beating Fritz. Nadal played und...

Keep on reading: Rafael Nadal suffers ‘seven millimeter’ tear to abdomen–report

  MANILA, Philippines --- Vice President Sara Duterte has said she is eyeing partnering with China in the field of education to enhance Filipino students' academic performance, her office said on Thursday. The Office of the Vice President (OVP) said this was among the things discussed during the courtesy call of China's top diplomat Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, on Wednesday. Duterte, who concurrently sits as the Education Secretary, also cited the possible cooperation with China for education professionals who can teach English to Chinese students. "She looks forward to partnering with China in the field of education to enhance the academic performance of Filipi...

Keep on reading: VP Duterte hopes China partnership may enhance PH academic performance

CABAGAN, Isabela---A 34-year-old police corporal was shot and killed by unidentified assailants here on Thursday (July 7) morning, police said. The victim was identified as Marnix Baquiran, a native of Peablanca town, Cagayan province, and was assigned to Reina Mercedes police station in Isabela. Investigators said Baquiran was driving his car when he was ambushed along the bypass road in Ugad village here, according to Maj. Rodante Albano, Cabagan police chief. Police were still investigating the incident to determine the motive behind the attack and identify the assailants.   RELATED STORY: Village chief killed, 3 others injured in Isabela ambush JPV...

Keep on reading: Cop slain in Isabela ambush

MANILA, Philippines --- With 1,936 additional COVID-19 cases recorded in the country on Thursday, the Department of Health (DOH) said the tally of active infections has now climbed to 11,370. The latest data from the department's COVID-19 tracker shows that 849 of the newly reported cases are from Metro Manila. Meanwhile, the country's cumulative tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases has reached 3,713,131 with 3,641,136 recoveries and 60,625 deaths. The DOH earlier reported that the country's positivity rate is now at 7.4 percent, a clear uptick from Tuesday's 6.8 percent. The said figure surpasses the World Health Organization's threshold of less than five percent. RELATE...

Keep on reading: Number of active COVID-19 cases in PH breaches 11,000

BAGUIO CITY---Heavy rains triggered flash floods and mudslides in parts of Ifugao province on Thursday, authorities said. According to the police and local disaster officials, torrential rain and strong winds were experienced in the province, especially in Banaue town. Residents in Banaue appealed for help as the torrent of muddy water rushed downslope. The flash floods rendered some roads impassable, and authorities were verifying reports that some houses were destroyed by the mudslides. In an advisory issued at 5 p.m. on Thursday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said moderate to occasionally heavy rains were expe...

Keep on reading: Flash floods, mudslides hit Ifugao province

  BACOLOD CITY --- Nine Negros Island representatives filed a bill seeking the creation of an expanded Negros Island Region (NIR) before the House of Representatives on Wednesday. House Bill 1446 seeks to create Region 6-B composed of the provinces of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor. Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri on Wednesday also filed a bill seeking the creation of the NIR composed of Negros Occidental and Oriental. The expanded NIR bill in the Lower House was introduced by Rep. Francisco Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District), Joseph Stephen Paduano (Abang Lingkod), Gerardo Valmayor Jr. (Neg. Occ., 1st District), Emilio Bernardino Yulo (Neg. Occ., 5th Dis...

Keep on reading: 9 solons from Negros Island file bill to expand region

London, United Kingdom --UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday quit as Conservative party leader, after three tumultuous years in charge marked by Brexit, COVID-19 and mounting scandals. Johnson, 58, announced that he would step down after a slew of resignations this week from his top team in protest at his leadership but would stay on as prime minister until a replacement is found. Resignation inevitable   After days of battling for his job, Johnson had been abandoned by all but a handful of allies after the latest in a series of scandals broke their willingness to support him. "His resignation was inevitable," Justin Tomlinson, Deputy Chairman of the Conservat...

Keep on reading: UK PM quits as Conservative leader

MANILA, Philippines--Converge kept its playoff hopes alive on Thursday night after taking down NLEX, 112-108, in the 2022 PBA Philippine Cup at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao. The FiberXers used a 10-0 run to open the fourth quarter and take control of the contest helping the club arrest a two-game slide and stay in the hunt for a spot in the quarterfinals. "Just being able to bounce back from two tough losses is really hard. You have to come in with your perspective on point," said Jeff Cariaso, whose charges improved to 3-5. "Guys came out focused and I want to attribute that to the focus and the energy they brought to practice this week. It really carries over and it sho...

Keep on reading: PBA: Converge pulls away to beat NLEX, stay in playoff hunt

MANILA, Philippines--Wangs Basketball @26-Letran flashed its championship form in its 94-87 victory over Adalem Construction-St. Clare in the 2022 PBA D-League Aspirants' Cup opener Thursday at Smart Araneta Coliseum. Louie Sangalang fired 21 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks, while Kobe Monje dropped 17 points and six boards. Three other players scored in double figures for the Knights. The Bonnie Tan-mentored side, however, still had a bit of a scare after seeing their 23-point lead trimmed down to just three, 88-85, on a Jolo Sumagaysay three with 57.1 seconds left. King Caralipio saved the day for Wangs-Letran with a left corner three with 47 seconds to g...

Keep on reading: PBA D-League: Wangs-Letran, CEU triumph on opening day

MANILA, Philippines --- The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Thursday announced the appointment of lawyer Karen Lim as the officer-in-charge of the department's Office for Transportation Security (OTS). Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista appointed Lim through Special Order No. 2022-116 dated last Friday, July 1. According to the department, Lim is expected to "perform and discharge the functions and responsibilities as OIC of the OTS until July 31, 2022 or until a replacement has been appointed or designated, whichever comes first." Lim has previously served as the OIC of the OTS Legal Service, the agency's in-house legal arm, which has rendered advice, comments a...

Keep on reading: DOTr chief names lawyer Karen Lim as OTS officer-in-charge 

Doctors and other health industry experts are sounding the alarm over the surges in deaths due to heart disease and diabetes over the past two years. Data from the Philippine Statistics Office show that ischemic heart disease was the top cause of death in the Philippines in 2020 and 2021. In fact, the number increased from over 95,000 in 2020 to almost 126,000 in 2021. Meanwhile, fatalities from diabetes mellitus marked a 22 percent increase to 44,000 in 2021. These findings were highlighted in the recent "Confessions of a Sweet Talker: How Your Sweet Tooth Can Cause Heartaches" media briefing of For Your Sweetheart Philippines, a nationwide movement among health industry stalwa...

Keep on reading: Pinoys urged to take better care of their health amidst diabetes and heart disease surges

  ATHENS --- Greece's prime minister ruled out an early election on Thursday, quashing speculation at home that a snap poll could be held this fall before his popularity takes a hit from the energy crisis. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who was elected in 2019, said his priority was stability to complete reforms. His conservative government wants to take advantage of its four-year term's final stretch to recover the ground lost in tackling crises such as the COVID pandemic and to continue economic reforms. "I'm not looking at opinion polls for a clearing to call elections," Mitsotakis told Skai radio. "We have a government with a strong majority and it's my obli...

Keep on reading: Greek PM rules out snap election ahead of tough winter due to energy