Tom Cruise and Alden Richards. Image: Instagram/@aldenrichards02, @paramountpicsph Alden Richards could not seem to contain his excitement as he met, hugged and even engaged in a conversation with Hollywood star Tom Cruise in South Korea. The Filipino actor was able to meet face to face with Cruise during the Seoul red-carpet premiere of the latter’s “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” on Thursday, May 8. Article continues after this advertisement Richards and Cruise shook hands while the former was saying something, with the latter even initiating the hug. “Ethan meets Ethan… I have no words!” Richards captioned a video of…

The ACC announced Tuesday that its 18-team men’s basketball conference is going back to playing an 18-game league schedule. The conference had played a 20-game league schedule since the 2019-20 season, a move that seemed destined to stick following last year’s additions of SMU, Stanford and California. And yet, here we are. Where we are is uncharted territory for the ACC. While the SEC and the Big Ten are enjoying record levels of success, the ACC hasn’t placed more than five teams in an NCAA Tournament since 2021. If not for North Carolina’s highly controversial inclusion in the First Four…

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, left, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, appears on the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican shortly after his election as the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, Thursday, May 8, 2025. —Photo by Associated Press World leaders welcomed the election on Thursday of Robert Francis Prevost, who as Pope Leo XIV, becomes the first leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics from the United States. Here are key reactions: Article continues after this advertisement American pride “Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an…

The 2025 NCAA women’s lacrosse tournament begins this weekend, with games getting underway on Friday at on-campus sites. The 29-team field features 15 automatic bids and 14 at-large selections. Boston College is the sport’s reigning champs and the Eagles will try to become the first team to repeat as national title holders for the first time in a decade. Standing in their way however is the undefeated North Carolina Tar Heels, who have already bested BC twice this season. The rest of the field includes talented players, interesting storylines and a handful of teams with real chances to contend for…

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, left, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, appears on the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican shortly after his election as the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, Thursday, May 8, 2025. —Photo by Domenico Stinellis | Associated Press Cardinal Robert Prevost, the first US pope in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church, previously led a Catholic religious order. Prevost, 69, who chose the name Pope Leo XIV, was formerly the prior general, or leader, of the Order of St. Augustine, which was formed in the 13th century as a community…

The WNBA season is just over a week away, and the time to cut down rosters is here. Wednesday saw a wave of waivers after Tuesday’s three-game preseason game schedule, as more teams get closer to their goal of 11-12 players for the regular season. One of the biggest cuts of the day was Harmoni Turner from the Las Vegas Aces. Turner led Harvard to an Ivy League Championship this season, winning the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year award before being drafted 35th overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft. An Olympian was also cut from the Indiana Fever…

 Love Knots, May 9, 2025 | Inquirer Entertainment …

I like to think of the Pittsburgh Steelers as the song, “The Middle” by Jimmy Eat World. In a world where we throw the phrase “mid” around a lot, the Steelers have embodied the word for approximately five years. Their entire M.O. has been to be good enough to steal a wild card spot, but never good enough to seriously threaten the legitimate teams in the AFC. While it’s admirable to continue down this road, eventually the rope runs out, and it looks like 2025 has been the breaking point. The Steelers are beginning to remodel their own roster, with…

MANILA — Award-winning, single origin, bright and fruity… are words that aren’t exclusive to Arabica beans, especially when we’re talking about Fine Robusta. Usually grown in flat, expansive lowlands, Robusta is known for its rich, earthy, intense flavors. Nurtured and harvested in higher elevations, Arabica yields fruity flavors and lower quantities, fetching higher prices and prestige. But what about robusta that grows on higher ground, say, 960 MASL (meters above sea level) in the mountains of Sultan Kudarat? Winey, citrusy, with notes of dark chocolate and the essence of berries, it scales to a cupping score of 86.45. This is…

The Las Vegas Aces have cut two players after their latest preseason game — rookie guard Harmoni Turner and veteran forward Queen Egbo. Turner was the Aces’ third-round pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft; she was the 34th overall pick after a standout career at Harvard in which she averaged 18.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. In her senior season, she shot 43% from the field and 35.6% from three. Harvard star Harmoni Turner was drafted by the Aces, but won’t make the team’s final roster. Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images Egbo, meanwhile, was the 10th overall pick in…