Earthshot – give it a shot! That is a simple idea worth a shot, an Earthshot. Check out the website of Earthshot Prize -https://earthshotprize.org and jog your mind after you read the past winners’ ideas. This is my Earthshot idea: Regenerative agriculture rather than chemical-based, weed-killer kind of agriculture. I hope to see the spread of this idea, whether we make it to the Earthshot prize or not.

Knowing where to tapHere is a fascinating observation. Then someone in the company remembered an old man who had been repairing machines for years. The old man put his hammer away and went back home. They know where to tap the hammer. Meanwhile, those who claim to be “gurus” and subject matter experts with embellished CVs may not have enough experience, wisdom, and knowledge to know where to tap the hammer.

A company founded by Otto Poon Lok-to, husband of former justice secretary Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, is facing a fine of HK$150 million after it admitted violating antitrust laws. The Competition Commission said on Friday that it had been investigating Poon’s ATAL Building Services Engineering over a suspected air-conditioning works cartel. "The cooperation agreements entered into with several respondents in the case represent significant developments in the commission’s investigation into the multi-year air-conditioning services cartels," said the commission's CEO, Rasul Butt, in a statement. Analogue Holdings, meanwhile, said in a stock exchange filing that it will not be named as a party in the suit. Read more: Poon aircon firm in $2b cartel probe

A doctor from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital was charged yesterday for abusively prescribing and stealing over 1,000 bottles of cough syrup and over 400 tablets of psychiatric medication for his family members and acquaintances. According to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), Lee Chi-leung, the 47-year-old associate consultant doctor, was alleged of "misconduct in public office" over his prescribing of medication for his own use and retention between 2015 and 2020. He also faces charges of theft as being accused of stealing medicines from the hospital. During the period, it was found that Lee stole over 1,000 bottles of cough syrup and over 400 tablets for treating ADHD, worth approximately HK$15,000 in total. Lee is now in custody and will be brought to the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (November 4) for mention of his case.

The government announced today that people undergoing free testing services of nucleic acid screening will be required to provide their address in the Test Registration Code in their LeaveHomeSafe apps. “It will contribute to tracing the positive cases via the addresses provided,” said Winnie Chui Hiu-lo, Principal Assistant Secretary for Health. She added citizens need to prepare personal identification cards when showing the Test Registration Code to confirm the information. Chris Wong Lei-po, director of the Hong Kong Molecular Pathology Diagnostic Center, touted the Test Registration Code will help to reduce the waiting time in line for people to do Covid tests. “With the registration information provided,” he said, “the waiting time could be controlled under 15 minutes.”

Manila, Philippines — The Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) on Thursday reminded the public that the free ride program for students would end on November 5. Hernando Cabrera said that their free ride program, which began operations on August 22, has already benefited 1,527,219 students who rode LRT line 2 from Santolan to Recto Avenue. LRTA assured that the students would still get financial support by giving them a 20% discount on LRT line 2 starting November 6. The program is implemented to assist the students who have been highly affected by the pandemic. LRTA also announced that they have successfully reached their one million mark in giving students free rides in 58 days.

Police announced on Wednesday the arrest of two men who were suspected of using false cash and seized 37 counterfeit banknotes in Kwun Tong. The two arrestees, aged 34 and 41 respectively, were alleged to be engaging in a series of crimes for passing fake bills in the districts of Tseung Kwan O, Tsing Yi, and Kwun Tong in October. Officers also detected a printer that was believed to have been used for producing the fake cash during the operation. It is also found by the police that two arrestees have used the fake banknote to purchase food and second-hand goods on local online platforms. According to Hong Kong laws, anyone who produces or uses counterfeit notes or coins knowingly can be punished with imprisonment for 14 years.

MANILA, Philippines — The reported deaths left by Tropical Storm Paeng have climbed to 122, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Wednesday. ADVERTISEMENTMost of the deaths, 61, were caused by flash floods and landslides in Maguindanao del Norte. The other deaths were reported as follows:Western Visayas – 29Calabarzon– 12Eastern Visayas – 5Zamboanga Peninsula – 4Soccsksargen – 3Mimaropa – 3Central Visayas – 2Central Luzon – 1Bicol – 1Cordillera Administrative Region – 1A total of 103 were injured and 36 remained missing. The total agricultural damage is estimated to be P1.6 billion and infrastructural damage is P1.03 billion. On Wednesday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. the following regions under a state of calamity:CalabarzonBicolWestern VisayasBangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim MindanaoRELATED STORIESatmRead Next

“The government is discussing reviewing the cost of electricity consumption with two major local suppliers,” he said, noting authorities will avoid “unnecessary expenses.”“However, citizens should also conserve electricity to offset the impact of fuel costs,” said the Secretary. Gary Chan Hak-kan, a lawmaker from the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, slammed that the government should not blame fuel price fluctuations on the public. Lawmaker Michael Luk Chung-hung from the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions questioned the two local major suppliers - China Light and Power Group and the Hongkong Electric Company failed to bear the risk of themselves in a monopolized market. In response, the environment secretary claimed the electricity suppliers have been under monitoring by the government. “Besides,” he noted, “the cost of transferring to the external market will bring more burden to the electricity prices, and Hong Kong itself currently has the capability to maintain an electricity table supply.”

MANILA (Philippine Daily Inquirer/Asia News Network): The reported death toll left by Tropical Storm Paeng (international name: Nalgae) climbed to 121 on Wednesday (Nov 2) said the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). According to NDRRMC in its latest situation report, of these total deaths, 92 have already been verified while the remaining 29 are still up for validation. Meanwhile, the number of injuries remained at 103, while 33 individuals remain missing. The total number of affected individuals, on the other hand, also further rose, breaching the three-million mark at 3,180,132 or a total of 927,822 families in 7,341 barangays. As of Nov 2, NDRRMC said 59,698 families or 176,337 individuals — are still inside evacuation centres, while 277,825 families or 692,941 individuals are outside these centres.

He was responding to rumors in social media that he was in Japan at the height of the typhoon for another R&R, just as he went last month to Singapore to watch the Formula 1 race. In fact, studies in the US showed that most newspaper readers do not read past the third paragraph of a news article or an opinion piece. SCREENGRAB FROM INQUIRET.NETSo, in this case, Maharlika's rants were what most readers read, not the columnist's sorry attempt at debunking her. Be very, very careful of "social media," much of which has become a dark world where character assassins and hatchet men roam. In a few months, the demolition job that was swirling in the dark depths of the swamp that is "social media" rise to the surface — in print media.

A new study shows that 314 children may not have foster homes to go to due to a nearly 20 percent decline in foster families. Foster care services provide residential family care for children under 18 who have no parents to take care of them due to special circumstances. “This year witnessed more foster families leaving the services,” said Kong Ka-wai, Chief Director of Foster Service of the Hong Kong Christian Service, noting at least six families she knew quit for emigration. In addition, the survey found that 124 children this year had failed to find their foster families. Along with 190 children in the process of submitting their applications to find their foster families, a total of 314 children are awaiting care.

The Philippine sugar industry todayThe sugar industry was recently shaken by the confusion of signals within the government on whether there was a need to import 300,000 metric tons of sugar. The sugar industry today is very different from the sugar industry of old. The old sugar industry was a truly export competitive industry that served a very large export market. The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), which superseded the SQA as the regulator of the sugar industry, is designed to resolve the conflicting interests of sugar planters, millers, and consumers in the industry. The literature analyzing the problems of the sugar industry is sparse despite the fact that much literature on the sugar industry has been an analysis of past problems of the old sugar industry.

MORBI, India: India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to visit the site in western India where a newly repaired 143-year-old suspension bridge collapsed into a river, sending hundreds plunging into the water and killing at least 134 in one of the South Asian country's worst accidents in years. The premier was expected to reach Morbi town in Gujarat state later on Tuesday. Sandeepsinh Zala, a Morbi official, told the Indian Express newspaper the company reopened the bridge without first obtaining a "fitness certificate." Modi was the top elected official of Gujarat for 12 years before becoming India's prime minister in 2014. A Gujarat state government election is expected in the coming months and opposition parties have demanded a thorough investigation of the accident.

The Chief Executive emphasized today the legitimacy of empowering the health minister to invalidate the “problematic” vaccine exemption certificates. In a press conference on Tuesday, Hong Kong’s leader John Lee Ka-chiu slammed the criticism which accused the government of “winning by force” in amending the Control of Disease (Vaccine Pass) Regulation. The amendment authorizes the Secretary for Health - who lost a case in the High Court challenging his original voiding of the vaccine exemption certificates - to nullify the waivers assumed to be “fake.”“It shows the government is acting in accordance with laws,” Lee said. After losing the case, he claimed that the government recognized the flaw in the legislation, which contributed to the authority's decision to amend the law and fix the loopholes to defend the rule of law and show that the law enforcement actions had a legal basis. “No matter whether the government would appeal the judgment or not,” Lee said, “the intention was only to ensure public health.”Over 20,000 vaccine exemption certificates from a total of seven doctors who have been arrested for issuing their exemption documents without assessing the patients will expire on November 9.