Inquirer Breaking News

MANILA, Philippines --- Lawmakers are convinced the firearm found in an anomalous arrest of four female Chinese in Paraaque city was merely planted by police. Members of House committee on public order and safety determined the weapon actually belonged to the foreigners' bodyguard. During the committee's hearing on Monday, Antipolo 2nd District Representative Romeo interrogated three individuals who worked for the arrested Chinese. He also investigated their bodyguard Michael Novecio, who surrendered to the House on Thursday. Acop's resolution launched the House probe. He asked Novecio to confirm the testimony of former cop Lord Jean Antonino. Antonino had said it w...

Keep on reading: SPD cops may have ‘planted’ gun used in anomalous raid vs 4 Chinese – Acop

NBA Scores, News, Schedules PORTLAND, Oregon--- Damian Lillard was greeted with a lengthy standing ovation by an appreciative Portland crowd when he was introduced for Milwaukee's game against the Trail Blazers in the NBA on Wednesday night. Lillard, who spent 11 seasons with the Blazers and still has a home in Portland, played his first game in the city since the offseason trade that sent him to the Bucks. The sellout crowd at the Moda Center feted Lillard with cheers. He responded with by applauding the fans and held up his hands in a heart shape before his Bucks teammates danced around him. But the celebration was muted at the end of the night by the Blazers' 119-116 sur...

Keep on reading: Damian Lillard cheered in return to Portland after trade to Bucks

MANILA, Philippines ---Tycoon Manuel Villar Jr.'s flagship property firm Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc. postponed a $700-million (P39.2 billion) overseas bond sale amid tepid demand from buyers, underscoring debt market constraints faced by corporations while interest rates remain elevated. Vista Land canceled plans for its US-dollar 5NC 3-year notes that were priced at 8.875 percent after bond investors sought higher returns. The cancelation was first reported by debt market-focused news service Debtwire. A source with knowledge of the matter told the Inquirer that bond investors sought yields above 9 percent. While the final price was set, the issuer decided to drop the offer a...

Keep on reading: Vista Land shelves $700-M bond offer amid tepid demand

      YANGON -- Myanmar on Thursday entered its fourth year since a coup ended a short-lived dance with democracy, with the embattled junta warning it will do "whatever it takes" to crush opposition to its rule. The junta extended a state of emergency by six months on the eve of the anniversary, once again delaying promised elections as it struggles to quash growing resistance to its rule. Streets in commercial hub Yangon were quieter than usual on Thursday morning, AFP reporters said, as opponents of the military called for people to stay indoors in a "silent strike" against the coup. Buses usually packed for the morning rush hour were almost empty a...

Keep on reading: Myanmar enters fourth year of post-coup crisis

Despite spending over a week in isolation due to COVID-19, Shaina Magdayao said she's grateful to have had the pause she "didn't ask for but apparently needed." The actress, who appears to have contracted the virus in early January, reflected on the kind of peace attained through spending time with one's self via her Instagram page on Tuesday, Jan. 30. "Trust YOUR process. With isolation, everything you feel will sort itself out," she said, quoting American author R.M Drake. "Beautiful words I kept on reading and reminding my frustrated sick self during more than a week of isolation and testing positive," she stated. READ: Piolo Pascual grateful to Shaina Magdayao for 'pu...

Keep on reading: Shaina Magdayao reflects on ‘rest, pause’ she needed after bout with COVID-19

NBA Scores, News, Schedules OKLAHOMA CITY --- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points to help the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the short-handed Denver Nuggets 105-100 on Wednesday night in a matchup of teams near the top of the NBA Western Conference standings. Denver star Nikola Jokic sat out because of pain in his lower back. Oklahoma City took advantage of the two-time league MVP's absence by holding the defending champion Nuggets to 39.8% shooting. Oklahoma City's MVP contender wasn't sure he'd play, either. Gilgeous-Alexander was questionable but ended up with his 14th game in January with at least 30 points. "Dealing with a little bit of illness, but I (felt) good enou...

Keep on reading: NBA: Thunder pounce on short-handed Nuggets

        SYDNEY -- An Australian toddler who clambered into a "Hello Kitty" arcade claw machine and "was in no hurry to get out" has been saved in a smash-and-grab rescue, police said Thursday. Queensland police said that during a shopping trip three-year-old Ethan climbed into the machine -- which was filled with stuffed toys -- via the prize dispenser chute. Police video shows four officers sizing up the problem before shooing the unperturbed toddler to the far side of the glass compartment.   READ: Pakistani children rescued from a broken cable car say they repeatedly feared they would die "Police ensured Ethan was at a safe distance ...

Keep on reading: Australian toddler rescued from arcade claw machine

It is safe to say that the no-pants trend has firmly planted its roots in Korea, especially within the K-pop scene. This look has triggered mixed reactions, with some arguing that it is a way of expressing freedom while others say that it is too provocative and simply inappropriate. The now-trending no-pants look speaks for itself, featuring a style that discards pants, skirts, or any bottom-covering attire, except for briefs, often paired with tights. The origins of this look can be traced to the attire of dancers in the 1950s. This trend first gained attention on various Korean online forums in 2022 when Kendall Jenner donned a look from Bottega Veneta's spring 2023 collec...

Keep on reading: Too hot to handle? K-pop stars’ ‘no pants’ look sparks debate

University of Tokyo researchers created a new bipedal robot that runs with living muscle tissue. This unique component enables the machine to walk on two legs and make sharp turns to avoid obstacles. Moreover, the living tissue enables it to crawl and swim like humans. As a result, it may help future robots perform more human-like activities more efficiently. Tesla and other tech firms want to bring humanoid robots into more industries, but they should become more flexible than existing models. For example, Tesla could bring us humanoid household bots, but they should be able to turn their bodies less than 90 to navigate homes. Fortunately, this bipedal bot might be the right step to...

Keep on reading: Bipedal robot walks with living muscle tissue

MANILA, Philippines ---The Department of Transportation and Philippine National Railway recently opened their South Commuter Rail's site office and a 15-hectare integrated pre-cast yard in Santa Rosa, Laguna, signaling the start of permanent works at the 12.8-kilometer Laguna railway project. The Laguna railway project, covered by PNR South Commuter Rail contract package (CP)-05, forms part of the 147-km North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) system connecting Clark in Pampanga and Calamba, Laguna. The site office and its cutting edge facilities in Santa Rosa is covered by the P27.6-billion contract package 05 which was awarded to the joint venture between Hyundai Engineering and Cons...

Keep on reading: DOTr’s Laguna site office seen to propel NSCR project forward

NBA Scores, News, Schedules   HOUSTON--- Jonas Valanciunas scored 25 points, Brandon Ingram added 24 and the duo combined for 24 rebounds to help the New Orleans Pelicans snap a three-game skid with a 110-99 win over the Houston Rockets in the NBA on Wednesday night. New Orleans led by five to start the fourth quarter before scoring the next 15 points to make it 99-79 with just under 6 1/2 minutes remaining. Jose Alvarado hit a 3-pointer during that stretch and Valanciunas had six points to help the Pelicans pad their lead. The Rockets missed eight shots and committed two turnovers in the fourth before Fred VanVleet scored their first points on a jump shot halfway thro...

Keep on reading: NBA: Pelicans zoom past Rockets to end 3-game skid

NBA Scores, News, Schedules MIAMI--- Jimmy Butler scored 31 points and the Miami Heat snapped a seven-game skid with a 115-106 victory over the Sacramento Kings in the NBA on Wednesday night. Butler shot 10 of 14 from the field and had seven rebounds for the Heat, who ended their longest losing streak since dropping 15 straight during the 2007-08 season. Josh Richardson was 6 of 10 from 3-point range and finished with a season-high 24 points. Bam Adebayo added 16 points and 11 rebounds. Tyler Herro was Miami's fourth double-figure scorer with 14 points. "Just remember that we are very fortunate to have a job that we get to hoop, that we get to play before so many great fans...

Keep on reading: NBA: Heat beat Kings and snap 7-game skid

MANILA ---The Philippine Stock Exchange has cleared the P12.9-billion initial public offering (IPO) of tycoon Edgar Saavedra's Citicore Renewable Energy (CREC), which hopes to jumpstart the 2024 listing season with its planned market debut on March 22. Citicore Renewable received the notice of approval from the PSE on Jan. 29. The IPO price will be set on March 6 while the offer period will run from March 11 to 15 this year. The company is raising up to P11.25 billion via the sale of 2.9 billion primary shares for as much as P3.88 each to bankroll its expansion. READ:Citicore Renewable kicks off 2024 IPO season with P12.9-B offer Another 435 million shares, worth P1.69 billio...

Keep on reading: PSE OKs Citicore Renewable’s P12.9-B IPO; listing on March 22

  BERLIN -- Security staff at some of Germany's biggest airports, including the global hub Frankfurt, walked off the job on Thursday, grounding flights and piling pain on Europe's largest economy. The 24-hour strike, called by labor union Verdi, is the latest in a series of industrial actions that has paralyzed the country's transportation sector in recent weeks. Almost 200,000 travelers will be affected by over 1,100 flight cancellations or delays, the German airports association ADV estimated on Wednesday as some of Germany's biggest airports including Frankfurt, Berlin, Hamburg and Stuttgart said there would be no departures for passengers.   READ: Operator ...

Keep on reading: German airport security’s nationwide protests to ground flights

NBA Scores, News, Schedules CHARLOTTE, N.C. --- Coby White scored 35 points, Nikola Vucevic added 22 points and 12 rebounds and the Chicago Bulls outlasted Charlotte 117-110 on Wednesday night to send the Hornets to their fifth straight loss in the NBA. Ayo Dosunmu scored 16 points for the Bulls (23-26), who are in ninth place in the Eastern Conference. White turned in one of his better outings of the season, attacking the hole with a purpose. He finished 12 of 22 from the field with four 3s, nine assists and seven rebounds after being limited to 13 points Tuesday night in a 118-107 loss to the Toronto Raptors. "I personally don't think he was happy the way he played (Tuesd...

Keep on reading: NBA: Bulls hand Hornets their fifth straight loss

  SUZU, Japan -- Moments after a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck western Japan on New Year's Day, Yoshimi Tomita was trapped in the dark under the roof of her collapsed house, feeling the sharp edges of protruding nails. "I was thinking, if I'm going to get crushed I hope it's fast," the 35-year-old said. She was rescued 10 hours later without any major injuries, but that proved to be only the beginning of weeks of fatigue and stress, Tomita said on Wednesday, while sitting in a tent at an evacuation centre in hard-hit city Suzu, surrounded by cardboard boxes used as a makeshift bed. A month after the earthquake, residents of the devastated Noto peninsula still have ...

Keep on reading: Fatigue sets in for Japan quake survivors facing long road to recovery

In a groundbreaking scientific feat, researchers at Northwestern University have transformed the very ground beneath our feet into a powerful energy source. Their pioneering fuel cell taps into an unlikely ally -- the microbes dwelling in soil -- to generate electricity. This innovative approach not only marks a significant departure from previous microbial fuel cell (MFC) designs, which were hampered by low power and performance issues, but also heralds a new era in sustainable energy. Our world is expanding its digitalization, meaning we will deploy more electronic gadgets for more industries. However, building them from conventional materials could exacerbate climate change an...

Keep on reading: New fuel cell runs on earth’s natural dirt

NBA Scores, News, Schedules CLEVELAND--- Donovan Mitchell scored 20 of his 45 points in the fourth quarter, Darius Garland had 19 points in his return from a broken jaw and the Cleveland Cavaliers held off the NBA-worst Detroit Pistons 128-121 in the NBA on Wednesday night. Jarrett Allen had 14 points and 11 rebounds for his franchise-record 16th straight double-double and Isaac Okoro added 14 points for the Cavaliers. Cleveland won for the 11th time in 12 games and has the best record in the league since Dec. 16 at 16-4. "You marvel at what Donovan does when the game is on the line," Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "We have a closer. Not a lot of teams can say that and...

Keep on reading: NBA: Donovan Mitchell scores 45, Cavaliers hold off Pistons

Elisse Joson was all smiles as she declared that she and her partner McCoy de Leon are "healed" after their relationship went through a rough patch last year. On the sidelines of a brand Thanksgiving event, Joson told reporters that while the past year had been tough for her and de Leon, their relationship grew stronger after taking the time to heal. "We talked about it. I guess last year was a stage for us where we wanted to be quiet and heal on our own. It happened, and what you see is what you get. But now, we're happy to show it to you," she said in response to a question on how she and de Leon are doing. The actress said 2024 is a year for them to be "healed and [be] be...

Keep on reading: Elisse Joson on ‘healed’ relationship with McCoy de Leon

MANILA, Philippines ---The European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) on Wednesday expressed optimism about the Philippine economy and the local business environment for this year. ECCP President Paulo Duarte said they remain "mostly positive" despite the economic impact arising from the situation in the Red Sea and the Israel-Hamas conflict, as well as from the continuing war between Russia and Ukraine. "We remain mostly positive with regards to the performance of the Philippine economy... also for 2024," Duarte said during a press conference in Makati. "I think we have good elements, good tailwinds," he added, citing the announcement on Wednesday of the 5.6 percent...

Keep on reading: European business group optimistic about PH prospects for 2024