(UPDATE) LAS VEGAS: Victor Wembanyama freely acknowledged that he was often confused in his first NBA Summer League game, going as far as to say that there were times when he didn't know what he was doing. San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama AFP PHOTOWembanyama shared the stage for a conversation on Saturday at NBA Con with a pair of champions, Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Isiah Thomas. You have things to learn," Abdul-Jabbar told him on the stage during the 30-minute conversation that Thomas moderated, one of the featured attractions at the inaugural NBA Con. He airballed a couple of 3s, got dunked on once, and there were times he knew he was making a mistake. I'm just ready to learn."

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has assured the public that it would guard against the wanton conversion of the country’s remaining agricultural land into other uses, including real estate development, following President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos’ recent signing of the New Agrarian Emancipation Act. ADVERTISEMENT“The arable lands that we say must be planted on, we will have them planted on—we will guard them against conversion,” Pangulayan said. 11953 last Friday, condoning more than P57.56 billion in unpaid amortizations among 610,054 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) working on 1.173 million hectares nationwide. Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III had reminded agrarian reform beneficiaries that they could not sell nor transfer the titles to the lands awarded to them under the agrarian reform law for 10 years after receiving their titles. Pangulayan said DAR also aims to push for the economic empowerment of farmers through agricultural productivity, profitability and rural development.

Reyes in fact, described Gilas' improvement on defense as "night and day" as compared to how they started when they opened the tune-up game with an 81-71 loss to Estonia in the host country's capital city in Tallinn. Chot Reyes PHOTO BY RIO DELUVIO"Definitely we showed improvement. "All the work we put in on perfecting our defense is starting to show." And while the 59-year-old Gilas mentor is happy to see the national team's strides during its close to three weeks Europe training camp, Reyes stressed there's "still a lot of work to be done." Gilas is expected to leave Kaunas, Lithuania soon and make its way back to Manila for a few days off.

It will be a hot and humid Sunday as the easterlies will continue to prevail, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said. Weather specialist Daniel James Villamil said the easterlies, winds coming from the east that pass through the Pacific Ocean and bring warm and humid weather, will prevail in most parts of the country especially in Luzon. Along with the inter-tropical convergence zone, an imaginary line where the air from the northern and southern hemisphere meet, the weather system will bring overcast skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms in Visayas, Caraga, Northern Mindanao, Zamboanga Peninsula, Masbate and Sorsogon. "We can expect hot, humid weather especially in Luzon areas although isolated downpour and thunderstorms will be likely in the afternoon or at night," Villamil said. Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

Amazon neighbors race to save world's biggest rainforestAerial view of an illegal mining camp surrounding huts of an indigenous tribe, taken during an operation by the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) against Amazon deforestation at the Yanomami territory in Roraima State, Brazil, on February 24, 2023. LETICIA, Colombia — With the effects of climate change mounting, Amazon basin countries met in Colombia for a summit Saturday to strategize on how to save the world's biggest rainforest. "Losing the Amazon, reaching the point of no return, has irreversible consequences for global climate change," she warned at the meeting attended by representatives from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. Rainforests are often called the "lungs of the Earth," soaking up planet-warming carbon dioxide and expelling life-giving oxygen. Their protection is crucial in the battle to combat climate change.

KYIV — Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov welcomed a U.S. decision to send cluster bombs to Kyiv, saying it would help to liberate Ukrainian territory but promised the munitions would not be used in Russia. The U.S. announced on Friday it would supply Ukraine with widely banned cluster munitions for its counteroffensive against occupying Russian forces. “We recognize that cluster munitions create a risk of civilian harm from unexploded ordnance,” Sullivan told reporters. ADVERTISEMENTRussia, Ukraine, and the United States have not signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans the production, stockpiling, use, and transfer of the weapons. “We will continue to do our part to support Ukraine against Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion,” he told reporters on Saturday.

Two Chinese SU-30 fighter jets take off from an unspecified location to fly a patrol over the South China Sea. Addressing commanders at the Jiangsu province headquarters, Xi "stressed efforts to ... break new ground for theater command development and war preparedness," state media reported. The PLA, the world's largest standing armed force, serves as the military wing of the Chinese Communist Party and is overseen by a committee headed by Xi. Beijing also objects vigorously to US military support for Taiwan, and lashed out on Wednesday at an upcoming $440-million sale of cannon shells and other equipment, accusing Washington of turning Taiwan into a powder keg. Yellen is not expected to meet with Xi during her visit.

KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky returned from a visit to Turkey on Saturday, bringing home five former commanders of Ukraine’s garrison in Mariupol despite a prisoner exchange last year under which the men were meant to remain in Turkey. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Turkey had violated the prisoner exchange terms and had failed to inform Moscow. ADVERTISEMENTThe commanders, lionised as heroes in Ukraine, led last year’s defence of the port, the biggest city Russia captured in its invasion. Moscow freed some of them in September in a prisoner swap brokered by Ankara, under terms that required the commanders to remain in Turkey until the end of the war. “We are returning home from Turkey and bringing our heroes home,” said Zelensky who met Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan for talks in Istanbul on Friday.

Over 120 residents evacuated from Oi Kan House at Tsz Oi Court, Tsz Wan Shan on Saturday afternoon after a fire broke out from a flat on the 13/F. An 88-year-old woman and her 31-year-old helper felt unwell after inhaling the smoke and were sent to Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Heavy smoke billowed out of the flat and darkened the exterior wall of the upper floors. Many residents evacuated onto the ground floor and waited at a badminton court nearby. Those affected by the smoke and an unusual odor carried by the wind are advised to close their doors and windows.

UNITED NATIONS: Governments will soon likely be able to apply for deep sea mining contracts in international waters, a plunge into the unknown that is worrying conservationists as calls for a moratorium on such digging grow. "I think it's a very real possibility that we see an application submitted this year," Emma Wilson of the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition told AFP. It is responsible for protecting the seabed in the high seas as well as regulating activities related to coveted minerals. The Nauru authorities have given assurances that they will not act immediately, but other companies sponsoring states' underwater mining ventures could take advantage of the opportunity, experts say. NGOs and scientists say that deep sea mining could destroy habitats and species that may still be unknown but are potentially vital to ecosystems.

(UPDATE) WASHINGTON: Las Vegas police said Thursday (Friday in Manila) they had investigated an incident between French NBA top draft pick Victor Wembanyama's security and pop star Britney Spears, who said she had been hit in the face. Media reports said that Spears was pushed away by Wembanyama's security, which the singer's husband Sam Asghari said was "violent" and "out of control." Spears said she had simply wanted to greet the player and questioned Wembanyama's account. The Las Vegas Police Department investigated the incident but did not take any action. "On July 5, 2023, at approximately 11 p.m., LVMPD officers responded to a property in the 3700 block of Las Vegas Boulevard regarding a battery investigation," the police said in a statement.

Puregold's official YouTube channel, a first in Philippine retail, marks an exciting milestone as it racks up 200,000 subscribers, accomplishing the feat by expanding its market reach and providing more engaging content. ‘Ang Lalaki sa Likod ng Profile’ is the latest digital series hit available on the Puregold Channel. In 2021, Puregold introduced its retailtainment digital series featuring heartwarming, feel-good stories that capture the Filipino imagination. The Puregold Channel not only entertains — it creates brand synergy, too. New episodes of "Ang Lalaki sa Likod ng Profile" go up every Saturday, at 7 p.m., on the Puregold Channel on YouTube.

"Circle of Influencers" gears up for its highly anticipated second season with the introduction of a captivating new segment "A Journey with Joana Marie." The show is available on free-to-air TV station Light TV. Hosting this exciting segment is Joana Marie Lazaro, who serves as the CEO and owner of Laurus Philippines, an esteemed events company in the country. Each episode of "A Journey with Joana Marie" will feature industry leaders sharing their passions and insights, all for the benefit of their chosen charities and foundations. The pilot episode of "A Journey with Joana Marie" is set to premiere on July 8, Saturday, at 1:30 p.m. on Light TV network, the sister station of A2Z.

(REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez/File Photo)The Philippine military on Friday reported an "alarming" increase in the number of Chinese fishing vessels in disputed waters in the South China Sea, which it said threatens the security of the oil and gas-rich Reed Bank. "China must cease its swarming of vessels to respect our sovereign rights," Ariel Coloma, spokesperson for the Western Command, said in a statement. The Philippines won a landmark arbitration case in 2016 that invalidated China's expansive claims in the South China Sea, where about $3 trillion worth of sea-borne goods pass every year. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told his Philippine counterpart, Gilbert Teodoro, on Thursday that the U.S. commitment to the defense of its ally was "ironclad," including in the South China Sea, according to a U.S. summary of the call. The Philippines on Wednesday accused the China Coast Guard of harassment, obstruction and "dangerous maneuvers" against its vessels, after another incident near a strategic feature of the South China Sea.

Making Pinoy-style vegetable spring rolls, also known as lumpiang toge, is easy and can be part of your pondo meals when you find yourself with no time to cook or to prepare. Vegetable spring roll or lumpiang toge is delicious as a snack and as a meal. Vegetable spring roll or lumpiang toge is delicious as a snack and as a meal. Below is an easy recipe my mom used that has elevated this lumpiang toge to a memorable heirloom snack that I now make for my family. For the sweet potato, use the yellow/orange variety.