KYIV: At least 11 people, including five children, were killed by a Russian missile strike on the eastern Ukraine town of Pokrovsk on Saturday, the regional governor said, as the bombardments intensify. Since late December, there has been an increase in the number of strikes in both Ukraine and Russia, with particularly heavy casualties, as the war triggered by Russia's invasion in February 2022 nears the end of its second year.

THE Asia-Pacific (APAC) region saw significant growth in 2023, and will likely remain the fastest-growing this year, an economist said. "The APAC economic outlook for 2024 is for continued rapid economic expansion, helped by resilient domestic demand in a number of large Asian emerging markets, including mainland China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines," S&P Global Market Intelligence economist Rajiv Biswas said.

A seven-year-old girl fell to her death in On Tat Estate in Sau Mau Ping on Saturday, which led the mother to have a mental breakdown sending her to hospital. Paramedics provided the girl with resuscitation but in vain, and the girl was pronounced dead at the scene. It is understood that the girl Chan was diagnosed with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder two years ago and had to see a doctor on a regular basis. Mok and Chan usually slept together in the living room to better convenience Mok when looking after Chan. Mok has another older daughter aged about 12 to 13, studying in secondary school, they also said.

IN its bid to achieve carbon neutrality, the leading mobility company and automotive manufacturer, Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. (TMP), signed a retail supply contract (RSC) with a local supplier to provide green-backed electricity for its manufacturing operations. This move would allow TMP to achieve 100-percent renewable energy (RE) ratio by supplying approximately 90 percent of the company's total electricity requirement, complementing the rest of RE sourced on-site from an existing 1.46-megawatt rooftop solar power system.

At least 10 people were injured after a bus collided with a firetruck on Castle Peak Road outside Tai Wo Hau Sports Center on Saturday afternoon. The incident occurred around 2 pm this afternoon when the firetruck was heading in the direction of Tuen Mun. As the route 73X bus exited the stop on the far-left, it cut across the three lanes to get into the fast lane. The firetruck failed to brake in time and crashed into the rear end of the bus. Ten people on the bus were injured, including the driver, five male and four female passengers.

Baghdad, Iraq: A US strike in Baghdad on Thursday killed a military commander of the Hashed al-Shaabi, an ex-paramilitary faction of the grouping said, with an Iraqi security official reporting two deaths in a drone attack. The Iraqi government, supported by pro-Tehran factions, decried an "aggression". It accused a US-led international coalition but stopped short of pinning the blame on Washington, as regional tensions soar amid the Israel-Hamas war.

Hong Kong will roll out electronic driving licenses by the end of 2024 at the soonest, allowing drivers to use their phones to display the license without carrying a physical one. Still, drivers can choose to carry their physical driving licenses if they wish, the Transport Department said at a press conference on Friday afternoon. The electronic license will come with a QR code for police to scan when enforcing the law, the department noted. The department expects a dedicated one-stop electronic license application platform will be launched mid-2024. The four license offices will give out a total of 980 tickets a day to handle driving license services and applications for driving exams.

Displacement of SHS students, teachers in SUCs spawn concernsStudents listen attentively to their teacher during their face-to-face class at the Hands of Children School in Quezon City on August 19, 2022. MANILA, Philippines — Education groups have expressed worries over the impending displacement and limited options faced by students and teachers affected by the discontinuation of the senior high school (SHS) program in state universities and colleges (SUC). The two groups also expressed concerns over the 17,700 current Grade 11 students who will be “affected by dislocation” and the impact this will have on public school congestion. Another teachers' group, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), said that the directive may lead to more “overworked” public school teachers as a result of having to accommodate larger class sizes from the acceptance of student transferees. Under GASTPE, voucher subsidies or financial assistance is also given to private junior high school students.

NAIC, Cavite: The happy vacation of a whole family in Bicol turned gloomy after the van they were riding on their way home to Cubao, Quezon City, figured in an accident on Wednesday morning, January 3. Due to the sheer length of the trip, the driver may have fallen asleep, causing him to lose control of the van which crashed into a tree along Governor's Drive in Barangay Sabang here.

Freetown, Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone on Wednesday charged former president Ernest Bai Koroma with treason and other offenses for his alleged role in what authorities have called an attempted coup on November 26, authorities said. Koroma, who led the West African nation from 2007 to 2018, had previously been questioned, with authorities saying he was an official suspect in the organization of the coup attempt.

BANGKOK: Thai Prime Minister and Finance Minister Srettha Thavisin on Wednesday proposed his government's fiscal year 2024 budget bill worth 3.48 trillion baht ($101 billion) to parliament for its first reading. The budget allocation aims to improve people's well-being through six national strategies, covering economic, social and political aspects, with immediate and long-term plans to boost the Southeast Asian country's growth potential, Srettha told parliament.

LIST: Long weekends for 2024MANILA, Philippines (Updted 3:58 p.m.) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday reminded the public to plan ahead of the long weekends scheduled for 2024. In October 2023, the president issued Proclamation 368, identifying regular holidays and the special non-working holidays for 2024. Some of these holidays were moved around to extend rest days after or before the weekend. In a January 1 post on social media, Marcos said that the public should plan their transactions and vacations during the long weekends for a "prosperous and productive year." We’ve compiled a list of the long weekends for the year:MarchMarch 28, Thursday – Maundy Thursday (regular holiday)March 29, Friday – Good Friday (regular holiday)March 30, Saturday – Black Saturday (additional special non-working day)March 31, Sunday – Easter SundayAprilApril 6-7, Saturday and SundayApril 8, Monday (possible date for leave)April 9, Tuesday – Araw ng Kagitingan (regular holiday)AugustAugust 21, Wednesday – Ninoy Aquino Day (special non-working day)August 22, Thursday (possible date for leave)August 23, Friday (possible date for leave)August 24-25, Saturday and SundayAugust 26, Monday – National Heroes Day (regular holiday)NovemberNovember 1, Friday – All Saints’ Day (special non-working day)November 2, Saturday — All Souls’ Day (additional special non-working day)November 3, SundayDecember

Grace Lau Mo-sheung has made history by topping the world rankings in women's kata, the first Hong Kong martial artist to gain the accolade. The World Karate Federation's rankings released yesterday shows the 32-year-old Lau at the top with 7,125 points after being world No 2 since November 2022. Topping the world rankings came quicker than she expected and provided a very happy start to her year. "It's very exciting to see Hong Kong's homegrown athletes ranking among the best in the world again. Although she was edged out by Ono by one point in the final of the world championships, Lau still claimed a silver medal to make Hong Kong history, which also marked a career best.

A New Year demands that we be hopeful and fearless. There is an extra day this year to be humbled for your bold takes and preposterous predictions. This is not that day, and for now, we can indulge in visions for the hoop landscape for the next year. Non-American Born NBA MVP

Previous NextHeavy pressure for public hospitals as 20 pc more patients seek help at A&E compare to past holiday peaks: HAThere was a surge in people seeking treatment in public hospitals following the Christmas-new-year holiday, with the occupancy rate of medical wards surpassing 110 percent, according to a committee under the Hospital Authority. Speaking on a radio program, Siu noted the public hospitals faced the pressure of heavy service demand yesterday (Jan 2) as over 6,700 patients sought care in the emergency room, a 20 percent increase compared to the past holiday peaks. He anticipated that 20 to 30 percent more patients with mild symptoms would visit emergency rooms compared to the previous week or two. He urged them to consider seeking help from family doctors or general clinics in order to free up resources for those in need. "It will also help reduce the work pressure on frontline medical staff," he added.