Who is Giovanni Lopez, Marcos' new DPWH chief?

GMA Network - Oct 26, 2026

Atty. Giovanni “Banoy” Lopez will take the helm of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), a year after serving as secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

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Why Zhou Xun risked it all for that amazing long take in The First Taste of Loneliness

Oct 26, 2026

Why Zhou Xun risked it all for that amazing long take in The First Taste of Loneliness

In The First Taste of Loneliness, one of the highest-profile Chinese art-house film debuts of 2026, three generations of women – played by Zhou Xun, Xi Meijuan and Wang Shengdi – struggle to put their lives back on track after the death of their family’s patriarch. This beautifully crafted family drama from Chinese writer-director Gu You (previously known as Gu Xiaogang) premiered in competition at the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea earlier this month. Zhou stars as Jiang Yue,...

Fire breaks out at Hong Kong’s Shek Kwu Chau waste-to-energy plant

Oct 26, 2026

Fire breaks out at Hong Kong’s Shek Kwu Chau waste-to-energy plant

A fire broke out on Monday at Hong Kong’s waste-to-energy incinerator on an artificial island off Shek Kwu Chau. The blaze started at 12.43pm at the Integrated Waste Management Facilities Phase I and was upgraded to a No 3 alarm at 1.24pm, the Fire Services Department said. A No 3 alarm is the third of five levels, with five the most severe. Higher alarm levels trigger the deployment of more resources to fight a fire. Firefighters deployed two water jets and two breathing apparatus teams to...

Discovery of baby orangutans in India exposes booming illegal pet trade

Oct 26, 2026

Discovery of baby orangutans in India exposes booming illegal pet trade

The villagers who first spotted the five baby orangutans in a casuarina forest in India in early September were puzzled by their reddish hair and unfamiliar faces. The three males and two females, aged six to eight months – were left on a plantation in eastern India’s Odisha, over 2,700km (1,700 miles) from their native rainforests in Borneo and Sumatra, evidence of a growing illicit trade of apes being trafficked into India. They are now at an Indian zoo, where keepers reportedly have been...

Suspected murder of man at Malaysian underground gig raises safety concerns

Oct 26, 2026

Suspected murder of man at Malaysian underground gig raises safety concerns

The death of a 21-year-old delivery rider at an underground gig in Malaysia, now being investigated as murder, has highlighted concerns over crowd safety and regulatory flaws in the country’s independent live music scene, industry players say. Police reclassified the case on Sunday, four days after the man died from head injuries sustained at the gig in the southern state of Melaka, where the event was reportedly held without the necessary permits and local authority approval. The...

Former Japanese prime minister Yasuo Fukuda, known for seeking China ties, dies at 90

Oct 26, 2026

Former Japanese prime minister Yasuo Fukuda, known for seeking China ties, dies at 90

Former Japanese prime minister Yasuo Fukuda, who used ⁠his brief period ⁠in office to seek ⁠closer ties with Asian neighbours, particularly China, has died at the age of 90, according to the Nikkei business daily on Monday. The Japanese politician, the first son of a prime minister to become one ‌himself, died on Thursday from heart failure, the Nikkei reported. Following news of his death, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expressed “deep sorrow” when speaking to reporters in Tokyo, praising him as...

Hong Kong positioned as green gateway for belt and road firms: John Lee

Oct 26, 2026

Hong Kong positioned as green gateway for belt and road firms: John Lee

Hong Kong is well positioned to help companies deploy green services and technologies across belt and road countries, the city’s leader and a mainland Chinese official have said, with authorities noting that at least five enterprises have signed up. They made the remarks at the Belt and Road Green Innovation Conference, which opened in Hong Kong on Monday. It is the first time the event has been held outside the mainland, as the city seeks to act as a bridge for expanding the global market for...

China’s Communist Party opens fifth plenum with focus on discipline and loyalty to Xi

Oct 26, 2026

China’s Communist Party opens fifth plenum with focus on discipline and loyalty to Xi

The Communist Party has started a key four-day conclave focused on party discipline and fighting corruption, as official media outlets say adherence to the party’s leadership under President Xi Jinping is key to the country’s success. The meeting – the fifth plenum of the Communist Party’s 20th Central Committee – began in Beijing on Monday, according to state news agency Xinhua. It said the main agenda for the plenum included a work report by the Politburo to the Central Committee and the...

Cybercrime ring busted over AI-powered data theft targeting hospitals, businesses

Oct 26, 2026

Cybercrime ring busted over AI-powered data theft targeting hospitals, businesses

Police have busted a cybercrime ring that allegedly stole over 8 million pieces of personal information from dozens of businesses by using artificial intelligence (AI), officials said Monday. Seven suspects allegedly stole 8.2 million pieces of personal data and other internal records from over 90 entities, including hospitals, private academies and businesses, until recently from September last year, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. The group is suspected of using AI tools to hack 60 of the targets and attempting to extort some of them. Of the targeted entities, 38 suffered losses, with the group demanding a combined 360 million won ($272,000) from them. Police said the group's 32-year-old ring leader was referred to the prosecution on Friday while he was under physical detention. The other suspects are facing further questioning. The ringleader, a self-taught hacker, learned about hacking skills by working at a security company, where the suspect was in charge of mock hacking attacks. Authorities have recently been on alert over cybercrime suspected of employing AI tool

Seoul courts rail ties with 6 nations to boost Korean exports

Oct 26, 2026

Seoul courts rail ties with 6 nations to boost Korean exports

Seoul is bringing railway officials from six countries to Korea this week in a bid to turn its urban transit expertise into overseas contracts for Korean rail operators and manufacturers. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Monday that 12 officials from Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Egypt and Malaysia are taking part in its five-day international training program, which runs through Friday. The program is the largest of its kind since 2020, according to the city, and brings together officials from countries pursuing major urban railway projects. Rather than limiting the visit to policy discussions, Seoul has designed the program to expose participants to the technology and operations behind its transit network, from traffic management to train manufacturing. The itinerary includes the Seoul Transport Operation and Information Service, known as TOPIS, Seoul Metro, the Shinbundang Line and the Ui-Sinseol Line, as well as the Korea Railroad Research Institute and a railway vehicle manufacturing plant. The visits are intended to give participants a broad view of Korea’s

Seoul pop-up puts 19 young entrepreneurs' ideas to public test

Oct 26, 2026

Seoul pop-up puts 19 young entrepreneurs' ideas to public test

Nineteen aspiring entrepreneurs will put their business ideas to the test in Seoul’s Ikseon-dong neighborhood Friday, showcasing products and services developed over five months in a city-backed program designed to turn local culture and resources into viable businesses. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said the pop-up event will run from 12:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the first floor of Stage X Ikseon, where visitors can try prototypes, offer feedback and help participants assess market demand. The teams are part of the fifth cohort of Local in Seoul, a program that trains young entrepreneurs to build brands rooted in the character, stories and resources of local neighborhoods. Since their selection in June, participants have prepared business ideas in four local commercial districts: Magok Art Street in Gangseo District, Konkuk Youth Street in Gwangjin District, Noryangjin Mannaro in Dongjak District and Gwanghui Road in Jung District. The projects range from tea-tasting kits inspired by East Asian traditions to interactive activities built around board games, emotion cards and illustrated

Budget ministry to start early review of 2028 spending cuts

Oct 26, 2026

Budget ministry to start early review of 2028 spending cuts

Korea's budget ministry said Monday it will begin reviewing spending restructuring measures in November for inclusion in the 2028 budget proposal, as part of efforts to develop detailed plans to improve spending efficiency. The Ministry of Planning and Budget unveiled the plan after incorporating 88 measures to cut spending by 44.2 trillion won ($33.4 billion) into the 2027 budget proposal. "In 2027, we plan to eliminate inefficient spending more promptly and precisely," Budget Minister Park Hong-geun said during a meeting of the Fiscal Management Strategy Committee. "We plan to begin identifying tasks in November and expand participation by private-sector experts and civil society groups," Park added. The budget ministry said it plans to harness artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to identify such tasks. "The government plans to use AI assistants to thoroughly review potential tasks, including issues raised by the National Assembly, the audit board and the press, and develop reasonable solutions by analyzing similar cases abroad," the ministry said.

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