A health expert claimed a low chance of getting severe symptoms when infected with Melioidosis, noting the source of this disease may stem from the contaminated soil. This contributed to a total of 34 cases of Melioidosis recorded across the city this year, among which 23 were found in Sham Shui Po. He claimed a further investigation would be needed to confirm whether the chain of the infection has been broken. Lam added more time is required to detect newly infected cases since the incubation period of Melioidosis could last several months. “It may take more than 4,000 cases for a severe one to occur,” he said, noting the development of infection depending on the amount and channel of exposure to the bacteria of the patient.

Police cracked a criminal syndicate involving car theft cases in New Territories, arresting four people and recovering five stolen cars worth around HK$300,000. The four arrestees included two men and two women aged between 24 and 38. They were seized in Tin Yuet Estate of Tin Shui Wai during a raid launched by police on October 29. Five stolen cars were spotted at an open-air parking lot in Tin Shui Wai, Fung Kat Heung Road, and a warehouse in Yuen Long, with a batch of weapons including telescopic sticks and cleavers found inside. "The criminals would pick old private cars which were parked in remote and isolated places," he said, "after which they would drive the car to their warehouse for reselling."

AHMEDABAD — At least 40 people were killed and 30 were critically injured when a suspension bridge in India’s western Gujarat state collapsed on Sunday, two government officials said. ADVERTISEMENTMore than 400 people were on the bridge over the Machhu River in the town of Morbi at the time of the collapse, local TV channel Zee News said. Footage broadcast by the TV channel showed dozens of people clinging onto the cables of the collapsed bridge as emergency teams struggled to rescue them. The 230-meter historic bridge was built during British rule in the 19th century. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in his home state Gujarat for a three-day visit, said he has directed the state chief minister to mobilize teams urgently for the rescue operation.

Disaster officials blamed a tragic combination of continuous rains from the approaching Severe Tropical Storm Paeng (international name: Nalgae), deforestation, and silted rivers for the floods and landslides that swamped many parts of the country this week. At least 4,443 families, or 17,167 individuals, in the region evacuated before Paeng wreaked havoc in the Visayas. One 5-year-old boy drowned while swimming in a drainage canal as Paeng dumped heavy rains over Ormoc City, Leyte, on Friday afternoon. After hitting land in Catanduanes, Paeng made a second landfall in Caramoan town in Camarines Sur province at 1:40 a.m. In Isabela, the Burgos-Ilagan road in Burgos town was also temporarily closed as heavy rains flooded the area.

SEOUL — Dozens of people were injured in a stampede in Seoul as a huge crowd poured into a central district of the South Korean capital for Halloween festivities late on Saturday, the Yonhap news agency reported. Fire authorities were administrating CPR to at least 50 people in the Itaewon district as of 11:30 p.m. (1430 GMT) on Saturday, according to the news agency. ADVERTISEMENTSocial media footage showed several people being assisted by rescue officials and private citizens at the scene. South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol ordered the dispatch of an emergency medical team to the area and said hospital beds should be prepared to minimize casualties, his office said. RELATED STORIESatmRead Next

Four teenagers aged 15 to 18 were arrested after they claimed to be members of a triad society and beat up another 17-year-old teenager over a quarrel at a Sham Shui Po basketball court on Tuesday. The incident occurred around 7pm Tuesday when the 17-year-old was playing basketball with his friends at the court in Lai Kok Estate, Sham Shui Po. The teen had physical contact in a quarrel with the four, who claimed to be members of a triad society, but the two sides departed soon. The case was handled by the police's Sham Shui Po anti-triad unit. The remaining two, aged 15 and 17, were released on bail and must report to the police in late November.

New Castle, PA (16103)TodayA mix of clouds and sun in the morning followed by cloudy skies during the afternoon. High near 65F. Winds light and variable..TonightCloudy in the evening, then off and on rain showers after midnight. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.

Natural disasters cost P61 billion damage last yearPeople clean their flooded homes in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Noru (Karding) in San Mateo, Rizal province on Monday, Sept 26, 2022. MANILA, Philippines — The total cost of damage due to natural extreme events and disasters that hit the country increased by 27 percent to hit P60.68 billion last year from P47.82 billion in 2020, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Data released by the PSA showed this was the third largest amount of damage brought by natural extreme events and disasters from 2012 to 2021. Of the total deaths due to natural extreme events and disasters, PSA said biological disasters accounted for 57,544 or 99.1 percent. It said the natural extreme events and disasters affected 3.56 million families last year.

With Halloween just around the corner, police have urged the public not to carry any imitation firearm as props during the celebrations. The force also said on Friday that people should steer clear of sharp objects, offensive weapons or other illicit items. Special traffic arrangements will also be implemented in Lan Kwai Fong, Central from October 30 to November 1. Click here for details on the special traffic arrangements at Lan Kwai Fong on Halloween. Drivers and citizens who are going to Lan Kwai Fong for entertainment are advised to follow police instructions and to stay tuned to radio and television announcements.

Landslides and flooding kill 13 people and leave seven missing in the southern Philippines. (Reuters)Landslides and flooding killed 31 people as heavy rain from an approaching storm lashed the southern Philippines, a disaster official said Friday. The storm unleashed flash floods carrying uprooted trees, rocks and mud overnight in mainly rural communities around Cotabato, a city of 300,000 people on Mindanao Island. Many residents were caught by surprise by the rapidly rising floodwaters, Naguib Sinarimbo, the spokesperson and civil defence chief for the regional government, told AFP. The state weather office in Manila said it was partly caused by Tropical Storm Nalgae, which it expects to strengthen at landfall.

Over 7,000 to take Ateneo entrance testMANILA, Philippines — For the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ateneo de Manila University will hold this weekend its pen-and-paper entrance test for college freshmen admission for school year 2023 to 2024. Over 7,000 examinees are expected to take the Ateneo College Entrance Test (ACET), which will be administered on Saturday and Sunday at the university’s campus in Quezon City. Ateneo advised the university community and the general public to expect traffic jams during the examinations. Another set of entrance tests will be held on Nov. 5 and 6 for applicants from outside Metro Manila. Ateneo said the ACET is a “refreshed version of the examination, seen to help assess applicants better.”Aside from the ACET score, acceptance to Ateneo will be based on academic and non-academic performance from Grades 9 to 11, batch ranking at the end of Grade 11, personal admission essays, recommendation letters, extracurriculars and disciplinary records.

Former Executive Council convenor Bernard Charnwut Chan said on Thursday that Hong Kong’s talent acquisition has been disadvantaged by its Covid curbs, but it is not “the end for Hong Kong”. Speaking at an event today, Chan said Hong Kong’s economic development is currently at a bottleneck, in which the city should build a big enough talent pool and develop traditional and emerging industries. He said Hong Kong has been “too confident” in the past and turned a blind eye to the threats, but he believed this is not “the end for Hong Kong”. Hong Kong still has its perks in talent acquisition, including its simple, low-rate tax system and well-established health care and education system, Chan said, adding that the city still has abundant opportunities for economic development. Meanwhile, the former ExCo convenor said that with other places worldwide all stepping up efforts to draw global talent, Hong Kong should not fall behind and implement more aggressive measures to attract talent to drive economic development.

Mike ToledoMetro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) and its subsidiaryMANILA, Philippines — MPT Mobility held a Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue entitled, “MoBUILDlity 2022: Synergized, Smart, Sustainable” last Oct. 21, 2022. Standing at the forefront of business transformation in response to the changing demand of the customers, MPTC is ready to meet the challenge of developing synergized, smart, and sustainable mobility solutions. This led the MPTC business to shift from being a tollways-centric business to becoming a mobility and infrastructure and solutions provider. That means from the need to provide infrastructure, good service, public transport, bus network, human management – all these have to work hand-in-hand. McKinsey & Company Acting Managing Director Jon Canto discussed the impact of smart mobility strategies on quality of life.

Of celebrity endorsers and excusesThe brouhaha that hounded an e-commerce site on its decision to hire a controversial celebrity associated with some political personalities has revived the interest on celebrity endorsements. Thus, when I was invited to be a guest in a national broadcast program and was asked whether politics comes into play in hiring celebrity endorsers, I needed to contextualize my response. In choosing a celebrity endorser, the overall question that must always be asked is: Is this celebrity perfect for the brand? After all, the celebrity will be the extension of your brand; thus, the character of the celebrity becomes a major part of your brand identity. Other scholars advise marketing professionals that in choosing celebrity endorsements they must consider several factors.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po tested positive for Covid during his visit to Saudi Arabia, a government statement said on Thursday. Chan led a delegation to Bahrain on Saturday before he headed to Saudi Arabia to attend an international conference held Tuesday to Thursday and run by a think tank under the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the country’s main sovereign wealth fund. It is understood that Chan would seek new investment opportunities and boost ties with the two Gulf states throughout his visit. The statement today noted that Chan tested positive for the coronavirus under a rapid antigen test in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. “Chan had scheduled to complete his visit and depart for Hong Kong today (October 27).