Inquirer Breaking News

Michael V. spoke up in support of Filipino-American comedian Jo Koy, saying the latter should not explain his Golden Globes jokes to people "who purposely choose not to understand them." "I think Jo Koy's Golden Globes jokes are funny, direct and pretty much self-explanatory," the "Bubble Gang" star said via his Facebook page on Thursday, Jan. 11. "The last thing Jo Koy should be doing is trying to explain it to people who purposely choose NOT to understand and appreciate them," he added. The comedian's post has so far garnered 25,000 likes and "heart" reactions, with netizens chiming in with their similar sentiments on the matter via the comments section. ...

Keep on reading: Michael V. says Jo Koy’s Golden Globes jokes ‘are funny, direct’

MANILA, Philippines --- The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) expressed hope that the latest efforts to obtain freedom for Mary Jane Veloso will result in her return to her family. In a statement Saturday, the constitutional body lauded the administration's action to assist the family of Veloso and allow them to reach out to the Indonesian government. Veloso was sentenced to death in 2010 after authorities found 2.6 kilograms of heroin in her suitcase at Yogyakarta's Adisucipto International Airport. In 2015, during the administration of then President Benigno S. Aquino III, the Indonesian government delayed Veloso's execution after new evidence emerged that she was also victimi...

Keep on reading: CHR hopes new push to free Mary Jane Veloso leads to her homecoming

ILOILO CITY --- Iloilo incurred more than P3.7 billion in economic losses during last week's three-day power outage on the islands of Panay and Guimaras and parts of Negros. Mario Nillos, head of the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO), said the province's three electric cooperatives collectively lost over 3,351.86 megawatts of electricity from Jan. 2 to 5, affecting both residential and commercial establishments. The PPDO's computation followed the methodology outlined by the Philippine Independent Power Producer Association in 2020. They considered a power loss of 500 megawatts in five hours, amounting to P556 million. Breaking it down further, each hour of a...

Keep on reading: Iloilo lost P3.7B during 3-day power outage

NBA Scores, News Schedules PHILADELPHIA --- Tobias Harris had 37 points and Tyrese Maxey added 21 as the Philadelphia 76ers snapped a three-game losing streak, beating the Sacramento Kings 112-93 on Friday night in the NBA. Harris scored 14 points in the first period, his most in any quarter this season, and never slowed down. It was the most points he's scored in a regular-season game in six seasons with Philadelphia, and his most since setting a career-high with 39 for the Los Angeles Clippers in December 2018 against Portland. Playing without reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid, who missed his third straight game with left knee soreness, as well as rotation forwards Kelly Oubre Jr...

Keep on reading: NBA: 76ers, minus Joel Embiid, rout Kings to stop 3-game slide

NBA Scores, News Schedules CHICAGO --- A halftime ceremony honoring Chicago Bulls greats was spoiled Friday night as United Center fans booed former general manager Jerry Krause, apparently moving his widow to tears. Krause was one of 13 members of the inaugural class for the Bulls' "Ring of Honor," and was being recognized as the architect of their six championship teams. https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1746007231890379113 Having died in 2017, Krause was represented by his widow, Thelma, who was visibly upset by a torrent of booing from fans in the United Center and remained seated rather than acknowledge the crowd. Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson was one of many for...

Keep on reading: NBA: Bulls fans boo Jerry Krause during Ring of Honor ceremony

NBA Scores, News, Schedules ATLANTA --- Buddy Hield and Obi Toppin each scored 18 points and the Indiana Pacers overcame star Tyrese Haliburton's absence with balanced scoring, beating Atlanta 126-108 on Friday night to continue their season dominance over the Hawks. After Indiana scored at least 150 points while winning each of its first two games of the season against Atlanta, including a 150-116 rout on Jan. 5 at Indianapolis, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle was braced for a strong response from the Hawks. "I expect a haymaker from them because we beat them a couple of times," Carlisle said before the game. https://twitter.com/Pacers/status/1746008397961363737 Instead, the...

Keep on reading: NBA: Pacers overcome Tyrese Haliburton’s absence, beat Hawks

Janine Gutierrez reiterated her disinterest in joining beauty pageants, saying her heart is not just attached to doing them. During a skin care event on Friday, Jan. 12, the "Dirty Linen" star gave a direct "no" to the possibility of joining any beauty contest, despite attempts of other people to lure her into the competition. "No talaga, I'm so flattered, honestly, every time I get comments like 'Uy, sumali ka na' pero wala kasi talaga siya sa puso ko. Ang pangarap ko talaga is to represent the country through movies and series," she said. Gutierrez, who's a stellar beauty in her own right, also offered advice to people, especially women who want to start improving themselv...

Keep on reading: Janine Gutierrez says ‘no’ to beauty pageants

NBA Scores, News, Schedules DETROIT --- Fred VanVleet scored 17 points in the second half, including eight in a key fourth-quarter stretch, as the Houston Rockets handed the Detroit Pistons their seventh straight loss, 112-110 on Friday night in the NBA. Detroit is 1-35 after a 2-1 start, including an NBA-record 28-game losing streak. The current streak started with a 136-113 loss to the Rockets on New Year's Day. Jaden Ivey had an open look at a game-winning 3-pointer with three seconds left, but it went in and out. Alperen Sengun scored 29 and Jalen Green added 28 for Houston, which had lost two in a row. VanVleet finished with 20 points and 12 assists. https://twitter...

Keep on reading: NBA: Rockets score comeback victory over Pistons

In real life he's a prince of an Islamic sultanate steeped in centuries-old traditions, but on Instagram Brunei's Abdul Mateen is more Hollywood than royalty as he flies in fighter jets, drives speed boats and poses bare-chested after workouts. Mateen, 32, was one of Asia's most eligible bachelors until he married his 29-year-old fiancee on Thursday in a male-only ceremony at a mosque in the capital Bandar Seri Begawan. As the 10th child and fourth son of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, he is unlikely to ever ascend the throne of the oil-rich country on the northern edge of Borneo island. Yet, Mateen's matinee idol looks, rippling six-pack and sense of adventure -- captured in photos a...

Keep on reading: Brunei’s ‘hot’ Prince Mateen gives royal family a fresh look

WASHINGTON --- The US military early Saturday struck another Houthi-controlled site in Yemen that it had determined was putting commercial vessels in the Red Sea at risk, two US officials said, a day after the US and Britain launched multiple airstrikes targeting Houthi rebels. Associated Press journalists in Sanaa, Yemen's capital, heard one loud explosion. The first day of strikes on Friday hit 28 locations and struck more than 60 targets. However, the US determined the additional location, a radar site, still presented a threat to maritime traffic, one official said. The officials spoke anonymously to the AP to discuss an operation that hadn't yet been publicly announced. ...

Keep on reading: US military strikes another Houthi-controlled site

Nadine Lustre shared her thoughts on working with Maris Racal and Kathryn Bernardo for a girl love movie, saying she's "game" because she loves collaborating with different people and likes working on a new challenge. At a skin care event on Friday, Jan. 12, Lustre noted that she would be down to doing the said movie if it involved a good script. "Nice, okay. Let's see. I don't know if I'm ready for a movie like that. Ako naman, I'm always leaning towards a good script. If it is always a good script, down naman ako to do it," she said to INQUIRER.net. The actress also expressed her flattery and excitement, knowing that Racal said in one of her recent interviews that she want...

Keep on reading: Nadine Lustre on working with Maris Racal, Kathryn Bernardo in GL movie: ‘Game’

MANILA, Philippines --- The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Saturday that many parts of the country may experience cloudy skies with rain for the next three days. Based on itsthree-day weather outlook, the shear line is expected to bring overcast skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms over eastern Visayas, Caraga, the Davao region, and northern Mindanao from January 14-17. A shear line is the convergence of cool and warm winds. The weather outlook also said that the northeast monsoon, which is locally known as amihan, will continuously bring cloudy skies with light rains over Cagayan Valley, the Cordille...

Keep on reading: Pagasa says parts of PH may see rains for next 3 days

Valeen Montenegro tied the knot with her non-showbiz boyfriend Riel Manuel in a church wedding held on Friday, Jan. 12. The actress-comedian treated fans to a peek at their wedding preparations, rings, reception as well as the after-party, through posts she reposted to her Instagram Stories. Montenegro walked down the aisle in an off shoulder serpentina gown adorned with embellishments, while her groom looked dapper in a black suit. Among the celebrities present at the wedding were Mavy Legaspi, Carla Abellana, Ashley Rivera and Ina Feleo who each extended their well-wishes to the newlyweds via their respective Instagram pages. ...

Keep on reading: LOOK: Valeen Montenegro now married to non-showbiz BF

WASHINGTON --- From his hospital room, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin first orchestrated and then watched in real-time as the US retaliatory attack on Yemen-based Houthi militants unfolded Thursday night. Austin's hospital-room leadership was the latest in a series of actions the defense chief has carried out from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he has been recovering from complications due to treatments for prostate cancer. Austin only revealed he had prostate cancer on Tuesday -- the same day that the Houthis launched their most aggressive onslaught to date of 18 drones and missiles at commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea. That attack set the sta...

Keep on reading: Austin ordered strikes on Houthis from hospital, says Pentagon

NEW YORK --- Former President Donald Trump was ordered Friday to pay nearly $400,000 in legal fees to The New York Times and three investigative reporters after he sued them unsuccessfully over a Pulitzer Prize-winning 2018 story about his family's wealth and tax practices. The newspaper and reporters Susanne Craig, David Barstow and Russell Buettner were dismissed from the lawsuit in May. Trump's claim against his estranged niece, Mary Trump, that she breached a prior settlement agreement by giving tax records to the reporters is still pending. New York Judge Robert Reed said that given the "complexity of the issues" in the case and other factors, it was reasonable that Donald...

Keep on reading: Trump ordered to pay New York Times, reporters nearly $400K in legal fees

Airlines in the United States canceled more than 2,000 flights on Friday after a massive winter storm knocked out power and affected businesses in 12 states ahead of a likely brutal freeze over the weekend. A total of 2,058 flights were canceled and 5,846 flights were delayed as of 5.30 p.m. ET, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware. Southwest Airlines led the list of cancellations with 401 flights, followed by SkyWest at 358. "We expect some operational challenges due to the weather in the Midwest today and potentially tomorrow due to the winter weather in the region," Delta Air Lines said. Southwest Airlines said in a travel advisory that some of its flights ...

Keep on reading: US airlines cancel over 2,000 flights due to massive winter storm

Microsoft's stock market value ended a trading session higher than Apple's for the first time since 2021 on Friday, making it the world's most valuable company as worries about demand hit the iPhone maker's shares. Apple crept up 0.2% on Friday, while Microsoft added 1%. With that, Microsoft's market capitalization stood at $2.887 trillion, its highest ever, according to LSEG data. Apple's market capitalization was $2.875 trillion, calculated with data in a filing on Thursday, January 12. Worries about smartphone demand have pushed Apple's shares down 3% so far in 2024 after rallying 48% last year. Microsoft is up about 3% year to date after surging 57% in 2023 in a rally drive...

Keep on reading: Microsoft edges out Apple as world’s most valuable company

EMMAUS, Pennsylvania --- United States President Joe Biden on Friday called Yemen's Houthi forces a "terrorist" group, after American and British warplanes, ships, and submarines launched dozens of air strikes across Yemen overnight. Biden said Washington would respond to the Houthis if they continued behavior that he called "outrageous." Why it is important London and Washington say their strikes in Yemen were in retaliation for months of attacks by the movement on Red Sea shipping that the Iran-backed fighters cast as a response to the ongoing war in Gaza. The strikes represent one of the most dramatic demonstrations to date of the widening of the Gaza conflict. READ: US, B...

Keep on reading: Biden says Yemen’s Houthis are a ‘terrorist’ group

United Nations aid chief Martin Griffiths called anew for a ceasefire in Gaza as he expressed being "deeply alarmed" by Israeli ministers' statements about "plans to encourage the mass transfer" of Palestinian civilians from the Gaza Strip to third countries. "Unless we act, it will become an indelible mark on our humanity," Martin Griffiths, the UN undersecretary for humanitarian affairs, told the UN Security Council on Friday. "I reiterate my call for this council to take urgent action to bring this war to an end." Griffiths painted a dire picture of a worsening humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip as Israel presses the offensive it launched after the Oct. 7 onslaught i...

Keep on reading: UN aid chief calls anew for Gaza ceasefire, urges UN action to end war

PARAMARIBO --- Surinamese authorities are searching for ex-President Desi Bouterse after he failed to turn himself in to start a prison sentence for involvement in the murder of 15 activists in 1982, the prosecutor general's office said Friday. A three-judge panel in December affirmed the convictions of Bouterse, 78, and four others in the execution of the government critics who included lawyers, journalists, union leaders, soldiers and university professors. While Bouterse was ordered this week to report to jail, his wife, Ingrid Bouterse-Waldring, told journalists outside their home early on Friday, "He's not going to turn himself in." Lawyer Irvin Kanhai, arriving at the ...

Keep on reading: Suriname authorities hunt for fugitive ex-president amid prison no-show