Palawan confirms first ASF case, steps up containment measures

Inquirer.net - Oct 3, 2026

CALAPAN CITY—The provincial government of Palawan has confirmed its first case of African swine fever (ASF) in Barangay Concepcion, Agutaya, and has rolled out strict containment measures to prevent the virus from spreading. Laboratory tests by the Bureau of Animal Industry showed that 40 samples collected from the village tested positive for ASF. Authorities immediately

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‘Better than expected’: 73,800 subdivided flats apply for 3-year grace period

Oct 3, 2026

‘Better than expected’: 73,800 subdivided flats apply for 3-year grace period

More than 73,000 subdivided flats in Hong Kong have applied for a three-year grace period to meet the government’s minimum standards, a figure the housing chief has described as “better than expected”. Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin said on Saturday that authorities received around 73,800 applications during the “early bird” registration phase under the Basic Housing Unit Ordinance, which closed on August 31. The tally represented nearly 70 per cent of the city’s estimated 110,000...

Non-issuance of Trillanes subpoena wasn't just Escudero's decision -- Lacson

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Non-issuance of Trillanes subpoena wasn't just Escudero's decision -- Lacson

Senator-judge Panfilo "Ping" Lacson said Saturday the decision not to subpoena former senator Antonio Trillanes IV as a witness in the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte did not rest solely with impeachment presiding officer Francis "Chiz" Escudero.

Mainland Chinese arrivals in first 2 days of ‘golden week’ holiday top 2018 total

Oct 3, 2026

Mainland Chinese arrivals in first 2 days of ‘golden week’ holiday top 2018 total

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Step inside this healing spot inside Civilian Control Line in Paju

Oct 3, 2026

Step inside this healing spot inside Civilian Control Line in Paju

“Please prepare for a brief security check.” As the bus doors open, a soldier in combat gear boards and collects the identification cards of each passenger. The soldier looks to be in his early 20s, but the scene, reminiscent of something from a movie, is enough to make passengers slightly tense. After collecting all the IDs from the roughly 10 passengers, the soldier gets off the bus. “The IDs will be returned when we come back,” the guide explains, putting everyone at ease again. This is a checkpoint on the Civilian Control Line, the northernmost point that civilians can freely travel to. If you see a chartered bus crossing the line into the Civilian Control Zone and assume that the passengers are taking part in a security tour or academic research, you would be wrong. They are vacationers. They are heading into the forest beyond the Civilian Control Line to relax and recharge — walking on moss, picking up fresh chestnuts and meditating to the sounds of insects and birds. A new opportunity is opening for individuals to visit the Civilian Control Zone for leisure, a place that h

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Oct 3, 2026

Filipinos turn Hongdae venue into home away from home

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[MORNING CALM TALES] The irresistible appeal of Korea's 'pojangmacha' food tents

Oct 3, 2026

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Cheong Wa Dae holds emergency security meeting on N. Korea's missile launch

Oct 3, 2026

Cheong Wa Dae holds emergency security meeting on N. Korea's missile launch

The presidential National Security Office (NSO) has held an emergency meeting to discuss North Korea's firing of at least one ballistic missile, Cheong Wa Dae said Saturday. The NSO said the North's firing of a ballistic missile is in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and urged Pyongyang to immediately stop such provocative action. South Korea's military said the North fired at least one ballistic missile earlier in the day, a day after Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, again rejected blame for the recent mine blast inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and mocked Seoul's call to reduce tensions.

[COVER STORY] North Korea's border fortification raises questions over DMZ buffer role

Oct 3, 2026

[COVER STORY] North Korea's border fortification raises questions over DMZ buffer role

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8 in 10 draft dodgers violating travel rules go unpunished

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A shark trapped in a canal in the southeastern city of Busan has returned to the waterway a day after authorities managed to guide it to near the canal's outlet to the open sea, officials said Saturday. The shark, named "Bukang-i," crossed the 50-meter-long, 6.8-meter-high net installed by a joint rescue team the previous day and returned to the inside of the canal at around noon, according to officials. The rescue team, comprising city and Coast Guard officials, had installed the net as part of a rescue operation to escort the shark out of the canal at Busan's North Port on Friday. However, the net became stuck to the bottom of the canal and the shark showed no intention of moving out, leading the authorities to halt the rescue operation and fixed the net some 100 meters from the canal exit. It marked the second attempt to rescue the shark, after the initial attempt on Tuesday involving only water streams, without the net, failed as the animal repeatedly escaped by swimming behind the boats. Bukang-i — a combination of Bukhang, or North Port, and the Korean suffix "i" — had attracted

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