Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The Venice Film Festival has added a new documentary about the civilian toll of the Israel-Hamas war to its lineup. ‘NAZA,’ from two of the filmmakers behind the Oscar-winning documentary ‘No Other Land,’ will screen in the main competition, festival organizers said Monday.

According to the synopsis, the film was shot at night on Tel Aviv rooftops and focuses on the killings of Palestinian civilians. Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor co-directed ‘Naza,’ which was produced by The Guardian and filmmakers behind ‘The Zone of Interest.’ It’s the only documentary competing for the Golden Lion award.

Abraham and Szor were two of the four directors of the 2025 best documentary winner ‘No Other Land,’ the story of Palestinian activists fighting to protect their communities from demolition by the Israeli military. A collaboration between Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers, it was made over four years between 2019 and 2023, wrapping production days before Hamas launched its deadly Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel that started the war in Gaza.

‘Naza’ builds on reporting between 2023 and 2025 published by the Israeli-Palestinian +972 Magazine, the Hebrew-language outlet Local Call and The Guardian.

The war was top of mind at last year’s festival as well, where thousands gathered for a large pro-Palestinian protest during one of the busiest nights in hopes of redirecting the spotlight from the movie stars to the real world. The subject was also prominent in the program: Kaouther Ben Hania’s ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab,’ about the death of a 6-year-old girl attempting to flee Gaza City with her family in early 2024, won the festival’s Silver Lion award.

Ben Hania is part of the Maggie Gyllenhaal-led jury that will be selecting the award winners at the festival, which begins on Sept. 2. Winners will be announced on Sept. 12.

Earlier this year, the Venice Biennale contemporary art exhibition opened with no Golden Lions after the jury quit in protest of Israel’s and Russia’s participation and loud protests outside their pavilions. In 2024 the artist and curators representing Israel at the Venice Biennale kept the Israeli pavilion exhibit closed, saying they would only open it if there were a ceasefire in Gaza.

Counsel for the prosecution team Atty. Mae Divinagracia on Tuesday was seen holding a wooden cross as she did her direct examination of the witness during the 18th day of the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte.

But what is it for?

‘For Comfort. It gives me confidence, clarity of mind, that’s how I feel when I’m holding it,’ Divinagracia said in an ambush interview when asked the question.

Several netizens were posting about the said cross online, curious about what the lawyer was holding.

The wooden cross is often called a ‘comfort cross,’ an asymmetrical cross ergonomically designed to be grasped in one’s clenched hand during prayer or difficult times.

The litigation lawyer said that the cross is something she always carries with her whenever she is at hearings and trials

Coach Tim Cone always considers Kai Sotto a difference-maker or a game-changer whether he sees action for Gilas Pilipinas or not.

That alone makes Sotto feel valued as he makes his comeback for Gilas Pilipinas in the fourth window of the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers against Jordan and Iran.

‘It’s a huge thing for any player to have the coach’s trust,’ Sotto said. ‘I’m thankful to Coach Tim for trusting me a lot and that he’s always grateful that I’m part of the team.’

WE WERE JUMPING FOR JOY WHEN HE DECIDED TO JOIN US

Cone mentioned how the team was ‘jumping for joy’ when the 7-foot-3 agreed to take part in the crucial window, which Gilas needs to probably sweep in order to at least stay within distance of the race for the four World Cup slots in Group E.

Sotto hasn’t played since November 2024, when he put up a big performance that helped Gilas secure a breakthrough win over New Zealand in the Asia Cup Qualifiers.

An ACL injury while playing in the B.League months ago kept him out of subsequent windows and the 2025 Asia Cup in Saudi Arabia, as well as the first three windows of the World Cup qualification.

Initially, it appears Sotto has plans other than Gilas. The past few months have seen Sotto play in a so-called ‘Family League’ from one court after another in his hometown of Las Piñas.

Then there’s also the possibility that Sotto may play in the US NCAA, one of the pathways for his NBA dream.

Cone initially ruled Sotto out before he showed up on the first day of Gilas practice.

‘It just so happened that I’m fully healthy and it’s the offseason and I have nothing else to do,’ Sotto said. ‘And then we got to talk to Coach Tim, the management and team, and then CJ [Perez’s] back and Kuya June Mar [Fajardo’s] probably playing his last window.

‘So it’s just fortunate that all things have aligned that we are able to come together for this opportunity,’ he added.

South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun has made his first on-air television appearance in over a year, following his 2025 hiatus.

Kim appeared as a special guest on the live broadcast Mahakarya RCTI 37, a special program celebrating the 37th anniversary of RCTI, held in Jakarta on Aug. 23. RCTI is one of Indonesia’s leading privately owned commercial free-to-air television networks.

During the event, Kim thanked the audience before performing Dreaming, a song from the South Korean hit drama Dream High (2011), in which he played Song Sam-dong, one of the main protagonists.

Kim, 38, became embroiled in a controversy in March 2025, when claims emerged that he had been in a relationship with late actress Kim Sae-ron while she was a minor. Kim Sae-ron was found dead at her home in Seoul in February 2025. She was 24.

LOOK: Kim Soo-hyun officially returns following controversy

The allegations led to a criminal complaint filed by Kim Sae-ron’s family in May 2025, accusing Kim Soo-hyun of dating her while she was underage and violating the Child Welfare Act.

Kim Soo-hyun’s side acknowledged that the two had dated but denied that their relationship began while she was a minor, and disputed an audio recording released by her family as an artificial intelligence fabrication.

In July, South Korean police cleared Kim Soo-hyun of allegations that he violated the Child Welfare Act, deciding not to refer the case for prosecution.

Kim also filmed a commercial for a Philippine fashion brand on July 14, marking his first official activity since March 2025.

When Kevin Quiambao was tapped to be part of Gilas Pilipinas’ long-term program a few years ago, he made it a point to make the most of his minutes.

With the second round of the 2027 Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers coming up, the La Salle product’s mentality remains the same.

‘From the start, when Coach Tim (Cone) got me at the very first window, I told myself to stay ready every time, whenever the opportunity comes, to take every moment and make the most out of it,’ he said.

‘I’ll do whatever I can to contribute for the team and for the country. Same thing. I’ll do whatever I can to be effective for the team.’

Quiambao did just that when he showed his readiness for Gilas during the third window of the qualifiers.

After scoring 24 points across four games in the first two windows, the 25-year-old forward had his breakout performance for the Philippines.

Quiambao played his best game for Gilas against New Zealand, scoring 23 points on top of three rebounds, one steal and a block in a heartbreaking double-overtime loss last July in Auckland.

Quiambao picked up the slack with Justin Brownlee struggling and dealing with injuries.

He faces the same predicament in Gilas’ crucial homestand against Jordan and Iran with Brownlee out anew.

And just like his previous outing, Quiambao isn’t the type who backs down from a challenge, especially when he has the full support of his teammates.

‘I’m thankful and blessed that my teammates are giving me confidence every single game.’

Gilas Pilipinas’ second round campaign tips off Friday against Jordan before clashing with Iran on Sunday with both games taking place at Mall of Asia Arena.

A falling acacia crushed a tricycle and killed its driver in the Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur on Monday.

The 45-year-old driver, a resident of Barangay Poblacion Sur, was resting inside his tricycle at the Innanus TODA parking area along Dakota Street when the tree fell at around 3 p.m.

Several tricycle drivers in the area noticed the tree beginning to fall and warned people nearby to move away, said Police Lt. Jenson Refuerzo, officer-in-charge of the Sta. Maria Municipal Police Station.

The victim did not apparently hear the warnings because he was asleep inside his tricycle, Refuerzo said in a radio interview.

Two tricycles were damaged in the incident, police said.

A 34-year-old construction worker died after his motorcycle collided with a passenger bus along the Maharlika Highway in Pagbilao town in Quezon province on Monday night, Aug. 24.

The Quezon police on Tuesday said the victim, a resident of Lucena City, was riding along Barangay Silangang Malicboy when he was struck by a DLTB bus at 10:50 p.m.

The impact instantly killed the motorcycle rider. Police said parts of his dismembered remains were scattered on the road when first responders arrived.

Initial investigations revealed that the bus had overtaken another vehicle and had entered the opposite lane, which may have led to the crash.

The motorcycle rider was only carrying a student driver’s permit at the time of the incident, police also discovered.

Under Land Transportation Office regulations, a student permit holder is allowed to operate a motor vehicle only when accompanied by a duly licensed driver.

The bus driver was taken into police custody and is facing appropriate criminal charges in connection with the incident

Smilegate announced on Wednesday the 26th that it will carry out the first world merge for its MMORPG ?LORDNINE? (developed by NX3GAMES) and hold Gear Restoration and Trading Post fee reduction events to commemorate the occasion.

Smilegate will merge the four servers Horatio, Yvonne, Douglas, and Santiago into the Musha server, while the two servers Medea and Ricardo will be merged into the Remus server. Players can now encounter more users on a single server, creating a more competitive environment and offering a wider variety of cooperative content. The new Sven and Helena servers are excluded from this world merge.

Smilegate is holding various events to commemorate the world merge. First, through August 31, a commemorative coupon for the limited-edition Homun Rider mount will be distributed via the official social media channels and the official YouTube update preview video. Following the world merge, a series of in-game events will be held, offering various rewards including an ‘Epic Avatar Guaranteed Summon Ticket.’

The first-ever Gear Restoration Event will also run through September 9. During the event period, players can restore gear that was destroyed while attempting to enhance it. Players can request restoration for Epic and Legendary weapons destroyed at +7 enhancement or higher and armor destroyed at +5 enhancement or higher. Restored gear can be claimed from September 9 until maintenance on September 30.

The Trading Fee Reduction Event will also run through September 9. Accordingly, World Trade fees will be reduced from 13% to 10%, while Personal Trade fees will be reduced from 15% to 10%.

Counsel for the prosecution team Atty. Mae Divinagracia on Tuesday was seen holding a wooden cross as she did her direct examination of the witness during the 18th day of the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte.

But what is it for?

‘For Comfort. It gives me confidence, clarity of mind, that’s how I feel when I’m holding it,’ Divinagracia said in an ambush interview when asked the question.

Several netizens were posting about the said cross online, curious about what the lawyer was holding.

The wooden cross is often called a ‘comfort cross,’ an asymmetrical cross ergonomically designed to be grasped in one’s clenched hand during prayer or difficult times.

The litigation lawyer said that the cross is something she always carries with her whenever she is at hearings and trials

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has identified a group of ‘groomers’ who allegedly recruit minors to carry out acts of violence, Director Melvin Matibag said Tuesday.

The development comes as the NBI investigates the recent school shooting at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU) Junior High School, where the shooter-a 14-year-old Grade 8 male student-also documented the incident through Facebook Live.

In a press conference, Matibag said that based on their initial investigation, the supposed groomers, who he said have a group chat, target minors aged 12 to 19.

‘There is a group, the groomers, who were friends with – they will profile you. Initially, they’ll be very friendly, look at your profile, your family, your capability. Then there it is, they teach you [to commit violence],’ Matibag said.

‘We entered this group chat. But that group collapsed for some reason,’ he said.

Matibag also mentioned that he – along with officials from the Office of the President, Office of the Speaker, Department of Information and Communications Technology and Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center – will meet with Meta in Singapore on Thursday to seek help in probing the incident.

In an ambush interview, Matibag said the ‘groomers’ in the group chat number approximately 1,000 individuals.

‘There are members from other countries but mostly Filipinos,’ he added.

‘Initiation’

According to Matibag, the group allegedly has what he described as an ‘initiation’ that directs members to carry out violent acts, such as bomb-making, and engage in other illegal activities.

‘It’s like initiation. You will be promoted. You’re taught – there’s this like Bible that if you do it, you’ll be promoted,’ he said.

‘You have a group that you’re taking care of. The thinking is … after you do that task and then kill yourself, you’ll be elevated to sainthood. Something like that,’ he added.

Matibag said the NBI is verifying whether the supposed group of groomers is connected to the AdZU school shooting and other school-related incidents in the country.

He also said the NBI will profile the individuals who shared the AdZU student’s video of the incident.

‘That’s why it was broadcast live; people were watching. He wanted an audience. Who was there? It could be the groomer or the head…That’s why we will profile everyone,’ he explained.

Based on the authorities’ initial investigation, the AdZU student entered the school on Aug. 18 armed with a 9mm Glock pistol.

He shot a 15-year-old Grade 10 male student inside Room 404 of the university’s high school building, killing him instantly.

Afterward, the shooter ran to another floor while yelling and then turned the gun on himself.

Before the incident, several cases of school-related violence – such as stabbing and shooting – had been reported in the country over the past three months, starting June 16. /mcm