China’s embassy issues fresh Thailand travel alert over kidnappings, job scams

South China Morning Post - Oct 17, 2026

China’s embassy in Thailand has warned citizens to carefully plan their trips and pay extra attention to transport security following a string of high-profile kidnappings targeting Chinese nationals. Online influencers and artists were also advised to remain vigilant against high-paying job scams operating in Thailand in the latest such warning issued on Friday. There have been a number of high-profile incidents in recent months in which online celebrities and travellers were kidnapped in...

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Oct 17, 2026

P1.1M contraband cigarettes uncovered after blaze in Bukidnon house

VALENCIA CITY, Bukidnon — A dawn response to a residential fire in Barangay Batangan here on Friday, October 16, led to the discovery and confiscation of 45 cartons of contraband “Commando Red Label” cigarettes valued at an estimated P1.1 million. Firefighters responded to a distress call at around 11:45 p.m. on Thursday, October 15, regarding

Rare, threatened amphibian spotted in Mount Apo

Oct 17, 2026

Rare, threatened amphibian spotted in Mount Apo

KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato — A rare, threatened amphibian known as the Mindanao caecilian (Ichthyophis mindanaoensis) has been recorded at a biodiversity monitoring site in Mount Apo Natural Park in Cotabato province, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The DENR in Region 12 said the species was identified by Marisol Pedregosa,

Bukidnon ube set to enter US market

Oct 17, 2026

Bukidnon ube set to enter US market

LANTAPAN, Bukidnon — The ube harvest of local farmers here, who are mostly members of the Talaandig indigenous tribe, is set to enter the United States market after they secured a five-year contract to supply the increasingly globally popular purple yam for export. The contract was formalized last October 5 at the Northern Mindanao Agricultural

Northern Samar leads Eastern Visayas in economic growth at 4.6%

Oct 17, 2026

Northern Samar leads Eastern Visayas in economic growth at 4.6%

TACLOBAN CITY — Northern Samar posted the highest economic growth rate in Eastern Visayas in 2025, with its economy expanding by 4.6% from 3.4% in the previous year, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) regional office. The PSA- 8 released the latest Provincial Product Accounts (PPA) on Oct. 15, showing Northern Samar outperforming the

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Red tide warning up over Samar’s Irong-Irong Bay

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Only 17% of Philippine businesses have a roadmap to scale AI

Oct 17, 2026

Only 17% of Philippine businesses have a roadmap to scale AI

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Army renders 21-gun salute for cops, soldiers slain during Marawi siege

Oct 17, 2026

Army renders 21-gun salute for cops, soldiers slain during Marawi siege

MARAWI CITY – Secretary Nasser Pangandaman Jr., Presidential Adviser for Marawi Rehabilitation and Development, led Saturday’s commemoration of this city’s liberation from the hands of Islamic State-linked militants nine years ago. Soldiers from the Army’s 103rd Infantry Brigade rendered a 21-gun salute for government security personnel who sacrificed their lives to liberate the city. October

Incheon stabbing raises questions over effectiveness of electronic ankle monitors

Oct 17, 2026

Incheon stabbing raises questions over effectiveness of electronic ankle monitors

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Korean 'haenyeo' diver honored by UN for work in food systems, rural life

Oct 17, 2026

Korean 'haenyeo' diver honored by UN for work in food systems, rural life

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Oct 17, 2026

Securing equipment emerges as new variable for Korea's chip expansion plans

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Sejong relocation set to worsen KTX seat shortage

Oct 17, 2026

Sejong relocation set to worsen KTX seat shortage

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Dispute intensifies over street food stalls near Seoul elementary school

Oct 17, 2026

Dispute intensifies over street food stalls near Seoul elementary school

As autumn reaches its peak, street food stalls across from Yeomni Elementary School in Seoul's Mapo District begin lighting up one by one in the early evening. On Oct. 8, the aroma of spicy rice cakes spread through the street. Office workers heading home and nearby residents gathered at the stalls, where drinking sessions continued late into the night. As the cooler season draws more visitors to outdoor dining spots, a long-running dispute between local residents and street vendors near the school has intensified once again. In the spring, parents launched a petition calling for the removal of the stalls, citing pedestrian safety and concerns about children's exposure to drinking and smoking. This autumn, vendors have countered with their own petition campaign, urging authorities to protect their livelihoods. The stalls have stood near Yeomni Elementary School for decades, but tensions have escalated recently after the area gained popularity on social media as a cherry blossom-season outdoor dining destination, dubbed the "cherry blossom night market." A sudden influx of visitors durin

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