(UPDATE) THE FIBA World Cup Championship Trophy made a stop at the SM Mall of Asia Atrium on Sunday. The Championship Trophy, also known as the Naismith Trophy, was shown to the public, with former Gilas Pilipinas players and now ambassadors Larry Fonacier and Jeff Chan gracing the event. Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, World Cup Global ambassador, was also present. GOLDEN FIBA World Cup Global Ambassador Catriona Gray presents the Naismith Trophy at the SM Mall of Asia on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. The Philippines opens its World Cup campaign against the Dominican Republic on August 25 at the Philippine Arena.

Two hit-and-run cases occurred Sunday morning in one hour in Kowloon Tong and Tai Po. The first case happened in Tai Po at around 6 am, a driver lost control of his Mercedes-Benz sedan going down the slope on Tai Po Tai Wo Road when turning right to enter Po Nga Road. The car crashed into the metal fence and a traffic light before overturning on the streets, and the driver climbed out of the vehicle with minor injuries. The police and paramedics were alerted to the scene, but the driver was nowhere to be found when they arrived. Pedestrians witnessed a male driver and a female passenger abandoning the vehicle and reported the incident to the police.

(UPDATE) THE Sangguniang Bayan of Kalayaan in the province of Palawan adopted a resolution on Aug. 3, 2023 declaring Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian as persona non grata. The South China Sea has long been a source of tension between Manila and Beijing. Beijing claims "indisputable sovereignty" over almost all of the 1.3 million square mile South China Sea, as well as most of the islands within it. Philippine maritime authorities have accused Chinese vessels of harassing Filipino fishers in the vicinity. Relations were strained in December when Manila expressed "great concern" about the presence of Chinese vessels in the contested body of water.

The city’s graft-buster held its first-ever recruitment experience day on Saturday as the watchdog aims to bring in new blood with 60 new hires and opens applications to third-year university students. Citizens who earlier registered for today’s event can also submit applications and conduct the physical fitness test on-site. When asked if he worries about the competition, Wu said he was satisfied with his physical test results and will strive in upcoming interviews. She said she is interested in ICAC’s work but feared she doesn’t fulfill the requirements, including Cantonese and English. Given the overwhelming response, ICAC will hold another experience day on August 27 and is expected to see over 1,000 participants.

More economic engagements coming our wayRecent developments have been very encouraging with a surge of economic activities coming not only from the United States but countries in Europe and Asia as well. Even when he was a senator, the President has been espousing “green economy” to help mitigate the impact of climate change. The President urged Filipinos to adopt the concept of a “circular economy” – simply put, an economic system where materials are reused and recycled to reduce waste. President Marcos clearly pointed out that economic security is an important part of his administration’s agenda, and surely his efforts are coming into fruition with the investment pledges starting to become a reality. All these important developments are obviously an offshoot of the recent trip of the President to Washington, DC.

A man died after he was buried in debris when the wall of a Yuen Long village house collapsed during the demolition work on Saturday afternoon. A woman filed the report at around 3 pm today, saying that the wall of a house in Tin Liu Tsuen collapsed and a man was buried underneath. The man was hit in his head and fell into a coma. He was later rescued and rushed to Pok Oi Hospital but was eventually pronounced dead at around 5 pm. It was understood that the villagers were carrying out the demolition work of the village house at the time.

Sweden take third place to spoil Australia's World Cup partySweden players celebrate with their bronze medals after winning the Australia and New Zealand 2023 Women's World Cup third place play-off football match between Sweden and Australia at Brisbane Stadium in Brisbane on August 19, 2023. BRISBANE, Australia -- Sweden scored either side of half-time to spoil Australia's party and claim third spot at the Women's World Cup with a 2-0 win in Brisbane on Saturday. Ranked third in the world, this is the fourth time that Sweden have finished third at the tournament. They fully deserved their win against the hosts, dominating the midfield and keeping talismanic Australian striker Sam Kerr relatively quiet. Australia's other dangerous attacker, Mary Fowler, had a night to forget as she struggled physically against the size and power of the Swedish defenders.

Filipino-American Megan Paragua (right), niece of Grandmaster Mark Paragua, takes on Antia Vazquez Sanchez of Mexico in the first round. For topping the event, the 10-year-old Paragua will also get an outright Woman Fide Master title. She is the daughter of Jan Vincent Paragua, younger brother of Grandmaster Mark Paragua. ), Michelle Zhang (6.5), Li (6.5), Fang (6), Figueroa (5.5), Ellery Zhang (5.5), Laura Valentina Pardo Useche (5.5) and Sophia Sun (5.5) in this order. In her two previous tournaments, the young Paragua placed third in the Weeramantry National blitz chess tournament of state champions 1800-2199 Section and the 11th Annual WIM Ruth Haring National Chess Tournament held in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Fish from the surrounding seas have always been a key element in Japanese cuisine. A thousand years ago, kamaboko was developed to preserve fish that easily goes off, making a paste then curing, steaming and cooking it. It became the custom to eat it in celebratory meals. Kamaboko has many regional variations, the most popular kind being sold mounted on a thin wooden board. The famous Toyama specialty, Saiku Kamaboko, creates sculptures representing traditionally lucky motifs like sea bream, cranes and turtles, and is used as the centerpiece at celebrations of important life events like weddings.

Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung and Commissioner for Tourism Vivian Sum Fong-kwang went to the terminal to welcome the tourists and inspect the situation. Yet, taxi drivers encouraged by the government to pick up passengers at the terminal were not so happy. One of the drivers, Chan, waited for at least an hour. Minibuses didn’t see a lot of customers either, as staffers said they had only 23 passengers in two hours in the morning. Tourism minister Yeung only said it took a lot of work to ensure that cabbies could get hired at once.

BEIJING: Chinese leader Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to South Africa next week, the foreign ministry said Friday, while confirming the president will attend the Brics summit in Johannesburg. Xi will pay a state visit to South Africa next week, the foreign ministry said Friday, Aug. 18, 2023, while confirming the president will attend the Brics summit in Johannesburg. This will be Xi's second international trip of 2023, after paying an official state visit to Russia in March. Xi previously visited South Africa in 2018 as he sought to enhance his country's diplomatic and economic ties with the continent. Brics, a loosely-defined group that sees itself as a counterweight to Western economic domination, derives its name from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) shakes up Manila's nightlife scene for the first time ever with "SingaPob" – a two-week bar takeover featuring a lineup of Singapore bars recognized as some of the best watering holes in Asia and the world. From speakeasy cocktail bars to craft beer purveyors, two neighborhoods that masterfully showcase Singapore's vibrant array of nightlife destinations are Chinatown and City Hall. This penchant for unique experiences is shared by Makati's Poblacion neighborhood which has become one of Manila's prime nightlife locations in recent years. STB is excited to bring a diverse lineup of world-class Singapore bars to Manila. A bar masterclass featuring the Singapore bars from week two will be mixed in with the SingaPob festivities.

The Best of Anime, one of the Philippines' major Japanese pop-culture conventions, is poised to make a comeback after the coronavirus pandemic forced its hiatus. Dubbed as the Best of Anime 2023: The Reunion, the event slated to be held on September 16 will be headlined by UchuSentai:NOIZ, the Japanese visual-kei rock group who made waves with their cover renditions of Filipino rock songs such as "Narda," "Liwanag sa Dilim," and "Pinoy Ako". Japanese rock idol group Chicken Blow The Idol will also make an immediate comeback to the country after their debut performance at the Philippine Toy Convention 2023. Davao-based J-pop cover idol group Pastel Mix, who now has a solid following across the Philippines, will also be making their BoA debut. The Manila Times is one of the media partners of The Best of Anime 2023, which is organized by Primetrade Asia, organizers of The Manila International Book Fair, and The Embassy of Japan in The Philippines.

On why we are still (standing) hereToday is World Humanitarian Day (WHD). Humanitarian work has become a highly risky responsibility. In this unprecedented context, the significance of humanitarian work becomes even greater and more meaningful. However, it would be a mistake to think that the solution to humanitarian crises is, simply, more humanitarian support. And so why are humanitarian efforts still important, and why are we standing still, despite many odds?

My astrologer friends tell me to always find time for reflection, especially when Mercury the planet is on a backward spin or what we call Mercury Retrograde (MR). So, after you have looked up information about Mercury Retrograde and you note the inclusive dates, what else should we do during this period? Over the years I have managed to avoid making major decisions during Mercury Retrograde periods. Would you like to hear about failed attempts when we tried to do things despite it being Mercury Retrograde? Today, every other mall has a coffee event with the same idea – know your farmer, know the source, try the coffee.