A four-car pile-up involving a school bus with 13 kids onboard at the West Kowloon Corridor Saturday morning saw a private car driver fleeing the scene when aiding police investigations. Apart from the school bus, the crash also involved a Volkswagen, a Tesla, and a taxi. The 43-year-old Tesla driver surnamed Chan sustained injuries to his neck and waist and was sent to hospital, while the Volkswagen driver, suspected to be trafficking drugs, successfully outran the police. Yet, the driver refused to pull over and headed towards New Territories along the West Kowloon Corridor. The case has been listed a furious driving and trafficking in a dangerous drug, and officers are still searching for the man.

Lahore, Pakistan — Police in Pakistan said Friday they busted an organ trafficking ring when a missing 14-year-old boy was found in an underground lab after having his kidney removed. ADVERTISEMENT“It was only after we followed the evidence and leads that we discovered that there was an organ trafficking operation behind the boy’s disappearance,” Rehan Anjum, a spokesman for Punjab police, told AFP on Friday. “The boy told us that when he woke up there was an Arab man on the stretcher next to him, so we think that most of the clients were foreigners,” Anjum said. The gang’s victims were taken to a medical testing lab used for clandestine organ transplant surgeries in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, near the capital Islamabad. Facilities for such clandestine surgeries in Pakistan often lack proper medical equipment and standards, and patients are known to die from complications as result.

(UPDATED) PHOENIX Super LPG has parted ways with head coach Topex Robinson. The partnership that started in 2017 when Robinson came in first as assistant coach has come to a close through an official statement released by Phoenix on Thursday. "We thank coach Topex for his five years of service with Phoenix, and wish him the very best as he pursues other endeavors," Phoenix said in an official statement. The 48-year-old Robinson joined the team when Louie Alas was hired as head coach. He then assumed the interim role when the latter left and was later appointed head coach during the PBA bubble conference in Clark, Pampanga.

And so, with my waste basket ready, I begin to throw away unwanted things, but as I look through my stuff, I realize that no matter what happens, there are some things you keep. Throwing things away meant there’d always be more. You can throw away things but some things you keep close. Love people and use things; Do not use people to love things. Some things you throw away but the relationships you keep.

Bay Area head coach Brian Goorjian is thrilled to have a chance to play his first-ever Game 7 finals game, more so in an extraordinary setting where the crowd inside a 55,000-seater arena is rooting against them. “I have never been in a seven game series. Playing in a prospect of 50,000 fans watching, Goorjian, regardless if they or lose, would be something special for him and for his young Dragons crew. “I am just excited to be part of it and whatever goes one from here absolutely no complains everything’s been above board. None of us have played in front of that many people ever so we’re all excited and one game to win it all.

MTR announced Friday that overnight train service will be provided on Lunar New Year’s Eve (Jan 21), while the service of five railway lines will also be enhanced in the lead up to and during the Lunar New Year holidays. For overnight service, all MTR railway lines, except the Airport Express, Disneyland Resort Line and journeys to or from Lok Ma Chau Station on the East Rail Line, will run trains overnight on January 21, while service will be stepped up starting from 8pm on that day on the Island Line, Tsuen Wan Line and Kwun Tong Line. Seven Light Rail routes 505, 507, 610, 614P, 615P, 706 and 751 will also provide overnight service on that day. MTR Bus routes 506, K51 and K54, meanwhile, will extend their service hours for Lunar New Year’s Eve. Separately, service on the Island Line, Tsuen Wan Line, Kwun Tong Line, South Island Line and Tuen Ma Line will be enhanced during different periods today, this weekend, next Friday and during the first four days of the new year on the Lunar calendar.

Last Wednesday, senator Risa Hontiveros raised alarm over the impending importation by the Department of Agriculture (DA) of almost 22,000 tons of onions, urging its officials to wait for the turnout of local harvests next week before making a decision. If the yield is good like last year, we may not need to import 22,000 metric tons of onions,” she said. Agriculture Deputy Spokesman Rex Estoperez said that it was the decision of the agency to stop selling highly subsidized onions at the Kadiwa outlets. Estoperez said that farmers are welcome to sell onions at the Kadiwa stores, but the DA will no longer provide support. "If farmers can sell onions at the Kadiwa they are welcome but the P1 70 being subsidized is over."

Macasaet is of course not new to social insurance and to running a state-run pension fund. He also has more than two decades of professional experience in financial services, banking, and public-private partnerships, and the private sector, having worked with the Philippine National Bank, Bank of Commerce, San Miguel Corp., PCI Bank, and the Private Infrastructure and Development Corp. Beginning last Jan. 1, SSS members’ contributions were increased to 14 percent from the previous 13 percent. Why are members’ benefits being expanded only to make them pay for these later on in terms of additional contributions? But as has been pointed out earlier, SSS pension funds are being depleted because of increases in benefits without a corresponding funding source.

Former Cherry Tiggo player Aleona "Dindin" Santiago-Manabat has signed a deal with the newest Philippine Volleyball League (PVL) team, the Akari Chargers. The team announced her signing on Friday. All of these we can expect from the newest member of the Akari fam! Let's welcome Dindin Santiago-Manabat into the fold! the team wrote.

A number of people arrived at the West Kowloon Station Friday morning queuing for the high-speed rail tickets for the second day running, with the MTR Corporation saying that some popular time slots have been sold out. The railway operator said, as of Thursday night, 3,000 high-speed rail tickets to the mainland had been sold ahead of the line reopening on January 15. Many people complained yesterday that they encountered difficulties when buying tickets on the mainland's 12306 website and urged the MTR to provide better guidelines for the public. She also said those who still encountered difficulties could contact the high-speed rail’s hotline 21200888, while more staff have been deployed at the West Kowloon Station to provide assistance. He also said the government and the MTRC may have underestimated the demand for rail tickets, whereas the MTRC should teach passengers how to use the 12306 website prior to selling the tickets.

UN confirms 2022 among eight hottest years on recordA worker drinks water in a construction site in Savenay, outside Nantes, on July 18, 2022, as a heatwave hits France. GENEVA, Switzerland — The past eight years were the hottest since records began, the United Nations confirmed Thursday, despite the cooling influence of a drawn-out La Nina weather pattern. The hottest year on record was 2016, followed by 2019 and 2020, it found. - La Nina effect 'short-lived' -The UN agency highlighted that the warmest eight years on record had all been since 2015, despite consecutive La Nina events since 2020. The weather pattern, it said, "will not reverse the long-term warming trend caused by record levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in our atmosphere."

“Our projection is that egg supply will be somewhat stable despite a relatively low supply. We are on the low side of production [since the fourth quarter of last year because] many farmers have incurred losses,” Ubra chair Gregorio San Diego said. They cannot cut down on their spending on house rent or transportation fares either,” San Diego said. The reduction in demand for eggs, San Diego noted, could either drive prices down or have no effect at all. Nearly all countries are affected because of bird flu outbreaks worldwide,” San Diego said.

The Centre for Health Protection announced on Friday that one new confirmed melioidosis infection case had been recorded in the past week, involving a 90-year-old woman living in Sham Shui Po. The center said the woman, who suffered from multiple underlying illnesses including diabetes, hypertension and blood lipid disorder, developed toe pain and swelling since December 25, 2022, and sought medical consultation. She attended the Accident and Emergency Department of Caritas Medical Centre on January 8 due to persistent pain and swelling, and was admitted on the same day. A total of one melioidosis infection case has been recorded in Hong Kong so far this year. In 2022, 46 melioidosis infection cases were recorded, among which 30 cases living in Sham Shui Po were recorded since August that year.

P1.3 billion allotted for free ridesBudget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said that under the 2023 national budget, P1.285 billion would be allocated for the SCP as implemented by the Department of Transportation (DOTr). MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has earmarked P1.3 billion to cover the government’s service contracting program (SCP), where free rides are provided to commuters in and out of the metro. The SCP allows agencies to hire public utility vehicles to service transport routes and provide free rides to commuters along the EDSA busway and several regions outside Metro Manila. The DBM emphasized that the free rides are a big help to Filipino commuters as their transport savings can already be used for other necessities such as food and house bills. The free bus rides benefited 389,579 passengers daily, peaking to 400,000 during holidays.

Ricardo J. Romulo's 90th birthday celebration last Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023. There is Eduardo Mestre, who is an active 74 (and shares the same birthday as Atty. Whenever my clients were willing, I also recommended they work with the Romulo Law Office out of both gratitude and merit. On his 80th birthday, which I was also honored to attend, they gave away buttons that had his picture with the phrase "I was billed by Dick Romulo." Happy Birthday again to my forever mentor who I will always be best most grateful to.