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NEW ORLEANS — It’s been nearly five years since Pelicans fans packing a downtown block party erupted as New Orleans officially selected Zion Williamson first overall in the 2019 NBA Draft. On Tuesday night, Williamson is slated to play in a postseason game for the first time since he starred for Duke in the NCAA Tournament. It’ll be in the Western Conference play-in as No. 7 seed New Orleans hosts an eighth-seeded Los Angeles Lakers team featuring NBA all-time leading scorer LeBron James and the Pelicans’ 2012 first overall draft choice, Anthony Davis. READ: NBA Playoffs: The play-in arrives and […]...

Keep on reading: Zion Williamson finally set to suit up in NBA postseason

Multi-awarded actress Vilma Santos believes that her becoming one of the National Artists of the Philippines is a matter best left to fate, noting that not everyone has the same tastes or preference in the arts. During the screening and talkback of “Anak” on Monday, April 14, a timeless film for which even the Star for All Seasons herself is still being brought to tears after all the years, Santos expressed her gratitude to those who were petitioning her to be a National Artist, given her significant contribution to the film industry. “Doon sa mga nagsasabi na (to those who […]...

Keep on reading: Vilma Santos on being National Artist: 'If it's meant to be'

BACOLOD CITY — Four bishops from different Christian denominations in Negros have called for a permanent ceasefire in Palestine. The One Negros Ecumenical Council (ONE-C), composed of bishops from the Roman Catholic Church, Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI), and the United Church of Christ of the Philippines (UCCP), has released a solidarity message on Friday, April 12, saying they stand together with those suffering in Palestine. Palestine, an area of the eastern Mediterranean region, comprises parts of modern Israel along with the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The four bishops said Gaza remained under siege and the principle of proportionality […]...

Keep on reading: 4 Negros bishops join int’l call for ceasefire in Palestine

CEBU CITY — It was his first day as acting general manager of Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD) that has been rocked by leadership dispute. But lawyer John Dx Lapid found himself barred from entering his office in the morning of April 15 as lockdown was imposed in MCWD by its chair, Jose Daluz III and Edgar Donoso, who had been suspended by the Local Water Utilities Administration’s (LWUA). Lapid, head of the MCWD Customer Care Division, was installed by the MCWD Interim Board of Directors last April 12, as the acting general manager for 90 days after the suspension […]...

Keep on reading: Acting Cebu water board director denied entry amid power row

Sydney, Australia — Australia’s prime minister on Tuesday suggested a visiting Frenchman who heroically fended off a knife-wielding Sydney mall attacker using only a bollard could be offered citizenship. Damien Guerot has been dubbed “bollard man” and a “hero” of Saturday’s attack that killed six people a wounded a dozen more. READ: Police probe killer’s targeting of women in Sydney mall attack Prime Minister Anthony Albanese singled Guerot out for praise on Tuesday, thanking him for his “extraordinary bravery” in confronting Joel Cauchi on an escalator and preventing the 40-year-old attacker from reaching more victims. “I say this to Damien […]...

Keep on reading: Australia offers French mall stabbing hero citizenship

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stressed that launching the drug war without resorting to violent means is possible, with the largest-ever drug bust being conducted without anyone being killed or shot. In a short briefing on Wednesday, after inspecting the shabu confiscated in Alitagtag town of Batangas province, Marcos said that the estimated weight of the contraband was 1.8 tons, making it the biggest-ever drug seizure in the country’s history. READ: Marcos notes ‘abuses’ in Duterte drug war  “Ang estimate baka umabot ito ng 1.8 tons, so ang ibig sabihin, ito na ‘yong pinaka-malaking huli na nagawa natin. […]...

Keep on reading: Marcos on largest shabu bust ever: No bullet fired, not one person dead

MANILA, Philippines — Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) said on Tuesday that some of its services will be temporarily unavailable. According to the BPI advisory, its automated teller machine (ATM) withdrawals, Cash Accept Machine (CAM) deposit, and other applications and payments will not be available as the bank is still processing weekend transactions from tax payments. READ: BPI posted record profit in 2023 However, it added that it will try to fix its services by noon on Tuesday. “Please be advised that ATM withdrawals, CAM deposits, Debit Card purchases, BPI app, BPI online, and use of BPI online credentials […]...

Keep on reading: Some BPI services temporarily unavailable on Tuesday morning

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Amid the water crisis in Cebu City, the end for the dispute between the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) and the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) remains a blur. In a statement released by the MCWD on Tuesday, April 16, the water district “condemns” for the “brazen actions” taken by the LWUA, its interim board, the Cebu City Hall, and the LWUA-appointed officer-in-charge general manager, Lawyer John Dx Lapid. The water district said that around 10 p.m. on April 15, Lapid and his cohorts from the Cebu City Hall entered the MCWD building, harassing the security […]...

Keep on reading: MCWD 'condemns' LWUA, City Hall for 'atrocious disruption'

CHICAGO — Pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocked roadways in Illinois, California, New York and the Pacific Northwest on Monday, temporarily shutting down travel into some of the nation’s most heavily used airports, onto the Golden Gate and Brooklyn bridges and on a busy West Coast highway. In Chicago, protesters linked arms and blocked lanes of Interstate 190 leading into O’Hare International Airport around 7 a.m. in a demonstration they said was part of a global “economic blockade to free Palestine,” according to Rifqa Falaneh, one of the organizers. READ: Pro-Palestinian protesters block airport roads in New York, Los Angeles Traffic in the […]...

Keep on reading: Pro-Palestinian protesters shut down airport highways, key bridges in US

MANILA, Philippines — The April 16 heat index is projected to hit between 42 degrees Celsius and 46 degrees Celsius in 24 areas nationwide, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said. Dagupan City in Pangasinan province may experience the highest heat index for Tuesday at 46 degrees Celsius, followed by Aparri, Cagayan at 43 degrees Celsius and Aborlan, Palawan; Roxas City, Capiz; Iloilo City, Iloilo; and Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur at 43 degrees Celsius. Pagasa said temperatures of 42 to 51 degrees Celsius fall under the “danger category“and may bring about heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and […]...

Keep on reading: Heat index outlook for April 16: Dangerous 42°C to 46°C in 24 areas

HONG KONG — China’s economy in the first quarter beat expectations while receiving a boost from policies and an increase in demand, the government said Tuesday. The world’s second-largest economy expanded at a 5.3 percent annual pace in January-March, beating analysts’ forecasts of about 4.8 percent, official data show. Compared to the previous quarter, growth was up 1.6 percent. China’s economy has struggled to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic, with a slowdown in demand and a property crisis weighing on its growth. The better-than-expected economy data came days after China reported a decline in import and export figures for […]...

Keep on reading: China's economy grew 5.3% in first quarter, beating expectations

LOS ANGELES — The armorer who loaded the gun that killed a cinematographer on the set of the Alec Baldwin movie “Rust” was sentenced to 18 months in prison by a US court on Monday, April 15. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed stood impassive as a judge in New Mexico told her she was not remorseful for the October 2021 death of Halyna Hutchins during filming of the budget Western. “You were the armorer, the one that stood between a safe weapon and a weapon that could kill someone. You alone turned a safe weapon into a lethal weapon,” Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer said. […]...

Keep on reading: 'Rust' armorer sentenced to 18 months over deadly on-set shooting

BACOLOD CITY — Local government officials of Negros have defended plans to revive the Negros Island Region (NIR) amid the request of the Diocese of Dumaguete for President Marcos to veto it. Rep. Manuel Sagarbarria of Negros Oriental’s 2nd district said consultations about the NIR had been done for the past decade contrary to what the local church claims. “Are 10 years of consultations not enough time? This (NIR push) has been going on for the longest time, 10 years or more,” he said. “We will wait for what the President has to say on this,” added Sagarbarria, who is […]...

Keep on reading: Negros execs slam local Church try to veto NIR revival

MANILA, Philippines — No Filipinos have so far signified their intentions to be repatriated amid the battle between Israel and Iran, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega told INQUIRER.net on Tuesday. “None. They feel safe,” De Vega said in a text message when asked if there have been repatriation requests from Filipinos residing in the area. “All our embassies have contingency plans in place,” he added. READ: Philippines urges non-escalation of situation in Middle East Data from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) showed that about 30,000 Filipinos are residing in Israel while at least 2,000 are in Iran. The […]...

Keep on reading: No Filipinos in Israel and Iran want to come home, 'they feel safe,' says DFA

After 1,230 games, here’s where things stand: 12 teams are in the NBA playoffs, 10 teams are done and eight teams are about to fight for the final four postseason spots. The NBA’s play-in tournament starts Tuesday with the Western Conference games. The eighth-seeded Los Angeles Lakers visit seventh-seeded New Orleans, and 10th-seeded Golden State plays an elimination game at ninth-seeded Sacramento. The Lakers-Pelicans winner is the No. 7 seed and takes on Denver in Round 1; the Lakers-Pelicans loser will play host to the Warriors-Kings winner on Friday to decide who is the No. 8 seed and takes on […]...

Keep on reading: NBA Playoffs: The play-in arrives and drama awaits

MANILA, Philippines — National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) will place Luzon and Visayas grids under red and yellow alerts today, April 16, as several power plants are either offline or running at a reduced capacity. In a statement sent to reporters, NGCP said a red alert will be raised in the Luzon grid from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The yellow alert, on the other hand, will be up from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. NGCP will also put the […]...

Keep on reading: Luzon and Visayas grids placed under yellow, red alert

MANILA,  Philippines — Let people speak out, but insulate the country’s armed forces from politics. This was according to Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel, who was reacting to statements made following Davao Del Norte 1st District Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez’s controversial remarks about the West Philippine Sea (WPS)  issue. Speaking at a political rally in Tagum City on Sunday, Alvarez urged the armed forces to withdraw their support from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to force him to step down and stop a possible war in the WPS. READ: AFP, PNP reject Alvarez’s call to turn back on gov’t But for […]...

Keep on reading: Koko Pimentel: 'Insulate' armed forces from politics

Henry Cavill confirmed that he is going to be a father, saying he and his girlfriend Natalie Viscuso are very excited to welcome their first child. The celebrity couple were earlier spotted in public, with the “Man of Steel” actor assisting Viscuso whose baby bump was visibly seen in her black body-con dress. Cavill then made the pregnancy confirmation in an interview with “Access Hollywood” at the sidelines of the premiere of his film “Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” on Monday, April 15. The topic was brought up after Cavill was asked if his co-star and celebrity dad Henry Golding “[inspired […]...

Keep on reading: Henry Cavill, GF Natalie Viscuso expecting first child

Caitlin Clark. Cameron Brink. Kamilla Cardoso. Angel Reese. All stepped into the glaring spotlight of Monday night’s WNBA’s draft having faced the challenge essentially every woman can identify with: wearing just the right outfit for a special occasion. When a woman finds what she wants, it’s not a question of whether alterations are needed, but how much. The taller the woman, the bigger the challenge. READ: Caitlin Clark taken No. 1 in WNBA draft by Indiana Fever This draft, thanks to Clark and others, more people should be watching than ever before. “There’s never been a bigger spotlight on women’s […]...

Keep on reading: WNBA fashionistas showcase styles at draft

NEW YORK — Caitlin Clark admitted she was a bit nervous before being chosen with the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever, even though it was no surprise. “I dreamed of this moment since I was in second grade, and it’s taken a lot of hard work, a lot of ups and downs, but more than anything, just trying to soak it in,” Clark said. The former Iowa star became a household name among basketball fans during her record-breaking college career, and she will now try and help revive the Indiana franchise along with last […]...

Keep on reading: Caitlin Clark taken No. 1 in WNBA draft by Indiana Fever