La Union adopts four-day workweek starting Oct. 5

Inquirer.net - Oct 2, 2026

CALASIAO, Pangasinan — The provincial government of La Union will shift to a four-day workweek starting Oct. 5, with employees working from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. The new schedule will remain in effect until revoked, according to Memorandum Circular No. 31-2026. John Martin, a staff member of the La Union information

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La Union adopts four-day workweek starting Oct. 5

Oct 2, 2026

La Union adopts four-day workweek starting Oct. 5

CALASIAO, Pangasinan — The provincial government of La Union will shift to a four-day workweek starting Oct. 5, with employees working from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. The new schedule will remain in effect until revoked, according to Memorandum Circular No. 31-2026. John Martin, a staff member of the La Union information

Kapunan reminds Senate of Safe Spaces Act after Tulfo ‘pa-cute’ remark

Oct 2, 2026

Kapunan reminds Senate of Safe Spaces Act after Tulfo ‘pa-cute’ remark

MANILA, Philippines — Counsel for the prosecution Lorna Kapunan reminded the Senate on Thursday that it was the same chamber that passed the Safe Spaces Act, after Sen. Raffy Tulfo said a member of the prosecution team was “trying to be cute” while questioning a witness in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial. Kapunan said

DOH Mimaropa boosts preparations for El Niño

Oct 2, 2026

DOH Mimaropa boosts preparations for El Niño

CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro — The Department of Health (DOH) in Mimaropa has stocked up on water, medicines and emergency supplies and placed response teams on standby as the region prepares for the possible impact of El Niño. During a recent meeting of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the DOH-MIMAROPA Center for

Police recover arms cache in Cagayan forest

Oct 2, 2026

Police recover arms cache in Cagayan forest

TUGUEGARAO City – Police recovered an arms cache believed to have been hidden by communist rebels in a forested area of Baggao, Cagayan, on Thursday. The Cagayan Provincial Police Office said a rebel returnee led authorities to the weapons cache in Sitio Tagang, Barangay Bunugan. Police Maj. Abdel Aziz Maximo, commander of the 1st Cagayan

'It's not that we like Seoul': Young Koreans explain why they leave their hometowns

Oct 2, 2026

'It's not that we like Seoul': Young Koreans explain why they leave their hometowns

"Why do you insist on living in Seoul? You could just live in your own region." Young people from outside the capital hear that question often, and they say it misses the point. About 30,000 of them move to Seoul each year in net terms for university or work, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics. The regional antagonism that split their parents' generation between the Jeolla provinces in Korea's southwest and the Gyeongsang provinces in the southeast has faded. In its place, the concentration of opportunity in Seoul alone has deepened their marginalization. Eight participants in a roundtable discussion described what that gap looks like from the other end of the country. Regional prejudice survives as mockery Participant 7: "The regional rivalry between Gyeongsang and Jeolla doesn't seem that strong among people in their 20s these days." Participant 6: "There isn't the same level of it as among people in their 50s and 60s. But I have encountered some anti-Jeolla sentiment. Some friends whose parents are from Jeolla make such comments even more openly." Participant 1: "I've har

Korea abolishes Prosecutors' Office after 78 years, putting new criminal justice system to test

Oct 2, 2026

Korea abolishes Prosecutors' Office after 78 years, putting new criminal justice system to test

Korea on Friday abolished the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office after 78 years and launched two new state agencies dividing its investigative and prosecutorial powers, ushering in one of the most sweeping changes to the country’s criminal justice system in decades. Under the new framework taking effect Friday, investigations will be divided among the newly established Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA), the police and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO). The new Prosecution Service will review cases, decide whether to indict suspects, request warrants from courts based on applications from investigative agencies and conduct prosecutions in court. But the launch of the new system leaves several unanswered questions: How agencies will handle cases when their jurisdictions overlap, whether prosecutors can exercise sufficient oversight without investigative authority of their own and whether the new agencies are adequately staffed and equipped to take over complex major-crime investigations. In the days leading up to the overhaul, prosecutor’s office

President requests confirmation hearing for nominee to head new investigation agency

Oct 2, 2026

President requests confirmation hearing for nominee to head new investigation agency

President Lee Jae Myung has approved a request for a parliamentary confirmation hearing for his nominee to become the inaugural chief of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA), a presidential spokesperson said Friday. The announcement came as the SCIA was set to launch later in the day to take over prosecutors' functions of investigating serious crimes as part of the Lee administration's prosecution reform. Lee's approval of a document requesting a parliamentary hearing for SCIA chief nominee Kim Ji-yong indicates the president might be taking steps to officially appoint him. The president nominated Kim early last month at the recommendation of the interior minister, but suspicions have since been raised within the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, including over claims that Kim had once opposed prosecution reform. The presidential office said the previous day that Cheong Wa Dae will soon submit a request to the National Assembly for a parliamentary confirmation hearing for Kim. It said it had carried out an additional verification process on Kim but found that his nomination shou

Busan to launch 2nd rescue attempt for shark Bukangi

Oct 2, 2026

Busan to launch 2nd rescue attempt for shark Bukangi

A second rescue operation will be carried out Friday afternoon to return “Bukangi,” a shark that has been stranded in an artificial waterway at Busan North Port Waterfront Park for 15 days, to the open sea. A joint rescue team of Busan city officials and other relevant agencies is slated to begin the second rescue attempt at 3:30 p.m. The operation will involve pulling a custom-made 50-meter-long, 6.8-meter-high net to draw the shark toward the open sea from the fourth pedestrian bridge spanning the waterfront park’s waterway. Two boats and 10 personnel will be deployed for the operation. The net will be stretched from one end of the waterway to the other to block any gaps through which Bukang could escape, before the team slowly moves toward the open sea. One boat will tow the center of the net, while five people will be positioned at each end of the waterway to hold the net and keep pace with the shark. Behind the net, another boat equipped with a water pump will create foam on the water to guide Bukangi toward the open sea. Once the shark passes through the fifth and sixth pedes

Seoul looks to foreign entrepreneurs to fuel its next economic engine

Oct 2, 2026

Seoul looks to foreign entrepreneurs to fuel its next economic engine

Armed with an artificial intelligence (AI) platform designed to predict fall risks for the elderly, a Ukrainian entrepreneur walked away from a Seoul pitch competition this week with something far more valuable than cash: a golden ticket toward permanent residency in Korea. The winning startup, NeuroDetectYO, was named top entry at Seoul’s second annual "Jump Up, Start Up" foreign entrepreneurship competition. Founder Oleksandr Yuhai received a 2 million won ($1,500) cash reward, but the most crucial prize was 30 points toward Korea’s notoriously difficult D-8-4 technology startup visa — a vital bridge allowing foreign founders to convert ambitious ideas into permanent Korean businesses. As domestic birth rates plummet and economic growth slows, Seoul is aggressively pivoting outward, attempting to transform itself into Asia's premier hub for global tech talent. City officials are actively rolling out the red carpet for foreign founders, believing that international perspectives can ignite the capital’s next wave of growth. "Foreign entrepreneurs are creating new business opportu

Lee warns of 'additional measures' if Ukraine refuses to apologize for NK POW transfer disclosure

Oct 2, 2026

Lee warns of 'additional measures' if Ukraine refuses to apologize for NK POW transfer disclosure

President Lee Jae Myung warned Friday that South Korea will take "additional measures" should Ukraine continue to refuse to officially apologize for denying its agreement to keep the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) secret. The South Korean president issued the warning on his X account amid a diplomatic wrangle with Ukraine over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's surprise disclosure last week of the transfer of two North Korean POWs to South Korea. Seoul has since accused Ukraine of breaching a bilateral agreement to keep the transfer secret, but Ukraine has denied the existence of the confidentiality agreement. "If (Ukraine) continues to deny the fact and refuse to offer an official apology, (Seoul) will take additional measures," Lee said. Lee affirmed that Ukraine unilaterally disclosed the transfer despite having previously demanded confidentiality from South Korea, and then made the head of state of the counterpart country a "liar" by saying the nondisclosure agreement did not exist. "In response to a demand to acknowledge the agreement and apologize, it has in

Defense chief highlights S. Korea-US alliance, readiness on 1st visit to USFK base

Oct 2, 2026

Defense chief highlights S. Korea-US alliance, readiness on 1st visit to USFK base

Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul underscored the South Korea-U.S. alliance and their firm combined readiness during his first visit to the main U.S. military base south of Seoul on Friday, his office said. The trip marked Kang's first visit in his new capacity to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, about 60 kilometers south of Seoul, since taking office last month. Kang, a retired Army general and former deputy commander of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC), met with U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson and discussed "key pending issues," the defense ministry said, without providing further details. "Minister Kang reaffirmed the solid combined defense posture and close coordination between South Korea and the United States," the ministry said in a release. "He highlighted the importance of the resolve to 'fight together,' citing lessons from the history of war, and called for an airtight defense posture amid a grave security landscape on the Korean Peninsula," it said. Discussions may well have included last week's land mine blast in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ

President Lee, first lady meet citizens at traditional market

Oct 2, 2026

President Lee, first lady meet citizens at traditional market

President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hea Kyung visited a traditional market in Seoul on Friday and met with citizens in the president's latest public outreach, a presidential spokesperson said. The presidential couple toured Yeongcheon Traditional Market in Seoul following their attendance at a ceremony marking the Day of Older Persons, and heard from merchants and citizens, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a press release. During the visit, Lee and Kim also talked to merchants and purchased food from them before having lunch at a restaurant in the outdoor market, where they chatted with other customers, Kang said. The market visit marks the latest in a series of Lee's public outreach activities, with the president often visiting markets across the country to speak with people.

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