Inquirer

BANGKOK, Thailand — Air pollution in the Thai capital forced more than 350 schools to close on Friday, city authorities said, the highest number in five years. Bangkok officials also announced free public transport for a week in a bid to reduce traffic in a city notorious for noxious exhaust fumes. Seasonal air pollution has long afflicted Thailand, like many countries in the region, but this week’s hazy conditions have closed the most schools since 2020. “It’s hard to breathe… I really feel the burn in my throat,” drinks seller Benjawan Suknae, 61, told AFP. “I think (school closures) could […]…

Keep on reading: Bangkok air pollution forces 352 schools to close

WASHINGTON, United States — Move over President Trump — the newest stars in Washington are two giant pandas who made their public debut on Friday in front of hundreds of adoring fans. Bao Li and Qing Bao rambled around their enclosure, played in the snow and munched on bamboo at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in […]…

Keep on reading: Pandas, like Trump, are back in Washington

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has created a technical working group (TWG) that will study the establishment of a National Forensics Institute (NFI) which will strengthen the country’s expertise in forensics and bring about comprehensive justice reforms. On Wednesday, Marcos signed Administrative Order No. 29 which formed a nine-member TWG tasked to conduct […]…

Keep on reading: Marcos forms panel on creating PH forensics institute

DENVER— Nikola Jokic took an inbounds pass with 1.7 seconds left in the third quarter, turned and let fly with a 66-foot heave that got all net at the other end. He casually walked over to his bench as his teammates mobbed him and the sold-out arena erupted. “I thought it had a chance, and then boom,” Russell Westbrook said. “The best part of it was no reaction from him. Which I love.” READ: NBA: Nikola Jokic’s 5th straight triple-double leads Nuggets past Kings It appeared to be a footnote in what looked like a Denver Nuggets blowout win Thursday […]…

Keep on reading: Nikola Jokic hits 66-foot shot to highlight 5th straight triple-double

Mindanawon indie film ‘Hello, Daisy’ garnered acclaim on the international stage as ‘Best Emerging Filmmaker’ at the 11th Emirates film festival in Dubai held last January 15. ‘Hello, Daisy’ also stood out among a pool of 427 international film entries, having received nominations for ‘Best Film,’ ‘Best Actress’ for Mia Cabaobao, and ‘Best Screenplay’ for Franky Arrocena. The film boasts a full Mindanawon and Dabawenyo cast and crew. This is a testament to the ingenuity of local indie films, especially those from the Mindanao region, which audiences don’t always get to see in the mainstream. In a similar light, the […]…

Keep on reading: Mindanao-made film ‘Hello, Daisy’ triumphs at the ‘Emirates Film Festival’

MANILA, Philippines — Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin defended President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s comment about the supposed “ridiculous” and “abhorrent” provision on the proposed Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act of 2023 about masturbation. In an ambush interview on Friday, Bersamin was asked what was the basis of Marcos’s comments about the provision allegedly encouraging masturbation in children aged 0 to 4 or teaching bodily pleasure to children aged 6 to 9. “This is very common; when you read something, you read between the lines. Language is very broad. You have connotation, denotation, and the other implications of language,” Bersamin told […]…

Keep on reading: Bersamin backs Marcos’ comment on provisions of anti-teen pregnancy bill

Despite its huge international success, including a leading 13 Oscar nominations, “Emilia Perez” faces criticism in Mexico, where the transgender narco-musical has been accused of trivializing raging drug-related violence. French director Jacques Audiard’s Spanish-language production shattered the record for the most Academy Award nominations for a non-English-language movie on Thursday, Jan. 23, after winning four Golden Globe Awards. It will vie for the Oscars for best picture, best director, best adapted screenplay and best international film, as well as multiple song, score and sound nods. But in Mexico, where a spiral of cartel-related violence has claimed hundreds of thousands of […]…

Keep on reading: ‘Emilia Perez’ lauded in Hollywood but criticized in Mexico

CEBU CITY, Philippines—At one point, badminton became a craze in Cebu, sweeping through the entire island with courts popping up across the metro, drawing players from all walks of life. Today, badminton remains popular for many, thanks to organizations like the Cebu Badminton Academy (CBA), which continues to nurture the sport’s popularity and elevate its […]…

Keep on reading: Cebu Badminton Academy: Elevating Cebu badminton to a higher level

Frankfurt, Germany — Volkswagen wants to boost sales of electric cars to avoid 1.5 billion euros ($1.56 billion) in fines under stricter EU carbon emissions targets, a source at the German car giant said Tuesday. “1.5 billion is the risk… That’s the fine we would be facing, the theoretical amount if we would do nothing at all,” the source told AFP. “We have new [electric] models coming. That’s not the value we expect for the year,” the source added. READ: Volkswagen deliveries fall in 2024 amid China woes From this year, the European Union is lowering the average emissions that […]…

Keep on reading: Volkswagen hopes to avoid hefty EU emissions fines

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Government leaders condemned the ambush staged by members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) against soldiers in Sumisip town, Basilan on Wednesday, in the most serious slide to violence against each other since the landmark peace deal in 2014. The Army’s 32nd Infantry Battalion lost two soldiers in the ambush while […]…

Keep on reading: In Basilan, 2 dead as MILF fighters ambush soldiers