NEW DELHI: At least 13 people were killed and about 50 were injured when two trains collided in southeastern India, officials said on Monday, updating an earlier toll of eight. The accident occurred on Sunday night after one of the passenger trains overshot a signal between the towns of Alamanda and Kantakapalle in Andhra Pradesh state. CRUSHING SIGHT Members of the National Disaster Response Force conduct a rescue operation at the site of a train accident in Vizianagaram district, Andhra Pradesh state, southeastern India on Monday, Oct. 30, 2023. In August, at least nine people were killed when a coach parked in southern India caught fire as a passenger tried to make tea. And earlier this month, four people were killed after an express train derailed in Bihar.

The projects and timetables for the four zones that will make up the Northern Metropolis will be released today, says Bernadette Linn. Previous NextThe government will outline development projects and timetables in an action plan to be announced today for the Northern Metropolis, says Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho. "The Northern Metropolis will be the new engine of Hong Kong's future development. This will allow current land owners to take part, save time and expenses to prepare for development, while also giving the Northern Metropolis bigger pieces of land plots to work with. Apart from the Northern Metropolis, Linn said the government will start the environmental impact assessment as scheduled for the Kau Yi Chau artificial islands, which will provide around 1,000 hectares.

LIVE updates: 2023 Barangay, SK electionsPeople cast their votes in the presidential election at a polling precinct in Batac, Ilocos Norte on May 9, 2022. MANILA, Philippines — Follow this page for updates on the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections. The Commission on Elections announced that the elections commenced in 201,836 precincts nationwide this morning, with voting hours open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. today. Check out the updates below:

ADVERTISEMENTHealth minister Veena George earlier told Reuters a 12-year girl with 95% burns was also in a critical state. TA Sreekumar, regional spokesperson for the Jehovah’s Witnesses, told Reuters that Martin was not a registered member of the group. READ: Jehovah’s Witnesses mark their most sacred event on April 4Preliminary investigation showed that an improvised explosive device was used, Kerala Director General of Police Shaik Darvesh Saheb told reporters earlier. Jehovah’s Witnesses are an international Christian denomination founded in the United States around 1870. Subscribe to our daily newsletter SIGN ME UPThe group said it has about 60,000 followers in India.

THE country's pioneer compact car distributor, Suzuki, has brought its fun-filled and good-vibes inducing Suzuki Auto Festival in Nueva Ecija at the main atrium of SM City Cabanatuan on Oct. 28 and 29, 2023. The third part in a three-leg, three-province road show, the Suzuki Auto Festival at SM City Cabanatuan brought at least six iconic Suzuki cars and tons of highly entertaining activities spread over the weekend to Novo Ecijanos, and other car enthusiasts from neighboring provinces. Customers who inquired, placed an application and reserved the New Ertiga Hybrid, Dzire or XL7 during this two-day auto festival received a P5,000 savings on top of ongoing promotions by Suzuki Philippines. "We wanted the Suzuki Auto Festival not to be just about our iconic cars but rather about families, friends and even kids to enjoy a time of wonderful experience and great bonding while getting close to the cars of their dreams. We wanted our customers in Nueva Ecija to have a seamless experience in buying their Suzuki car of choice," Suzuki Philippines Automobile Division director and general manager Norihide Takei said.

Hong Kong athletes returned to the city on Sunday after achieving their outstanding achievements in the Asian Para Games and were greeted with a warm reception. The representatives won a total of 47 medals, comprising eight golds, 15 silvers, and 24 bronzes. Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration Warner Cheuk Wing-hing and Secretary for Culture, Sports, and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung participate in the welcome ceremony for the athletes. Gold medalist lawn bowler Yeung Hiu-lam was glad to see herself continuously improve after each of the Asian Para Games and ultimately win a gold medal this year. Jim Luk Tze-chung, the chef de mission of the Hong Kong delegation, was satisfied with the team finishing 10th in the medal tables and expressed his gratitude to the government and sports institutes for their supports.

Bigger transport strike set ahead of PUJ phaseoutThe Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) approved a provisional P1 increase in the minimum fare of both traditional and modern jeepneys. MANILA, Philippines — Transport group Manibela yesterday said it is preparing a “bigger” strike to oppose the Dec. 31 deadline on the phaseout of traditional jeepneys. In separate interviews with The STAR, Manibela president Mar Valbuena and Piston national president Mody Floranda confirmed they have discussed holding a transport strike on the same day. “I am now communicating with Manibela so that we can hold a joint transport strike,” Floranda said. Manibela on Oct. 16 held a nationwide transport strike to urge the government to take action on the alleged corruption in the LTFRB.

MANILA, Philippines — The three-member Makabayan bloc has called on the House of Representatives to condemn Israel’s attacks and apartheid against Palestinians as bombardment in the impoverished Gaza Strip continues to intensify. The Philippines earlier ordered the mandatory evacuation of 131 Filipinos residing in Gaza Strip. Israel’s heavy bombing campaign of Gaza Strip has killed over 8,000 people, mainly civilians, with more than 3,500 of them children. Move to abstain criticizedThe Philippines was one of the countries that abstained from voting on a United Nations resolution calling for an “immediate humanitarian truce” in Gaza. There is a long history of the struggle for Palestinian liberation and Israel's aggression that has to be considered and told,” Castro said.

By Sunday morning, though, phone and internet communications had been restored to many people in Gaza, according to telecommunications providers in the area, Internet-access advocacy group NetBlocks.org and confirmation on the ground. After weeks of a total Israeli siege, Palestinians in Gaza felt the vise tightening. Reached by WhatsApp, freelance photojournalist Ashraf Abu Amra in northern Gaza said panic and confusion surrounded him. "People right now are walking, using their cars because there isn't internet," al-Khoudary said. The wounded poured in from Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, al-Khoudary said, where Israeli bombs wrought destruction the night before.

Schools will move to an online regime starting Monday, October 30, in Ukraine’s central city of Vinnytsia after a Hepatitis A outbreak sent scores of children and adults to the hospital, the country’s chief sanitary official said over the weekend. ADVERTISEMENTREAD: Children in more countries suffer mystery hepatitisKuzin, who also serves as Ukraine’s deputy health minister, said 141 people in the city and the region were in a hospital. Vinnytsia, which had a pre-war population of around 370,000, is the administrative center of the Vinnytsia region in central Ukraine. “So far, there is no single cause of the outbreak,” Kuzin said. “We are analyzing the centers of spread and are working with the population, in particular, to establish a circle of contact persons.”READ: One in seven Filipinos has ‘hyperendemic’ hepatitis B

"In light of the alarming scale of civilian casualties, we call on all parties to respect international humanitarian law. We have all witnessed that the UN no longer holds even one ounce of legitimacy or relevance," Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan said, telling the assembly: "Shame on you." "We demand its immediate application to allow the entry of fuel and humanitarian aid for civilians," said a Hamas statement. The resolution co-sponsored by nearly 50 other countries centered largely on the dire humanitarian situation in sealed-off Gaza as Israel presses on with its bombardment. With approximately 30,000 Filipino nationals in Israel and a further 130 in Gaza, their safety and well-being remain paramount to us," he said.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu hoped that all sectors of the community will continue to vigorously promote the Constitution and the Basic Law and work together for the steady and long-term implementation of one country, two systems. Lee made the remarks at a symposium commemorating the 33rd anniversary of the promulgation of the Basic Law of the HKSAR held by the Joint Committee for the Promotion of the Constitution and Hong Kong Basic Law on Saturday. The Hong Kong leader said both the Constitution and the Basic Law form the constitutional basis of the city and reflect the inseparable relationship between the central government and Hong Kong. Based on the solid legal foundation jointly established by the Constitution, the Basic Law and the national security law as well as the city's long-term prosperity and stability have been safeguarded in an effective manner, he added. Lee stressed that all sectors should enhance their understanding of the Constitution, the Basic Law and the national security law.

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) is seeking a full takeover of the IT system, which the government contracted from a German firm to handle all transactions in the agency since 2019 to finally resolve the perennial issues hounding the LTO. LTO chief Vigor Mendoza II said the takeover of the Land Transportation Management System (LTMS) would not only expedite the services provided by the agency, but also address all the technical issues raised by the Commission on Audit and the Department of Information and Communications Technology. “Our IT experts are capable of operating and maintaining the system. The LTO is pushing for full digital transactions before the end of November this year. According to Mendoza, the LTMS is currently handling 100 percent of the issuance of the driver’s license, while the renewal of motor vehicle registration is at 95 percent.

NO SUPPORT FOR SHEIKH Supporters of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) shout slogans and demand the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during a rally in the capital Dhaka on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. "Vote thief, vote thief, Sheikh Hasina vote thief," chanted the crowd at the BNP demonstration in front of the party's headquarters. Dhaka Metropolitan Police spokesman Faruk Hossain said at least 100,000 people had joined the BNP rally, while up to 25,000 were at the Jamaat protest near the city's main commercial district. Police arrested at least 200 BNP supporters near the party headquarters after they were accused of hurling Molotov cocktails, Faruk said, adding that at least 600 had been detained over the previous week. Her security forces are accused of detaining tens of thousands of opposition activists, killing hundreds in extrajudicial encounters, and disappearing hundreds of leaders and supporters.

Secretary Robert Borje, vice chairman and executive director of the Climate Change Commission, said on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, that the Philippines will present a 'strongest case' when the country participates in the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28). President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is expected to attend the summit that will be held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from November 30 to December 12. Video by Catherine Valente