PHILTHRA urges harm reduction: Studies back lower-risk nicotine products

Inquirer.net - Oct 18, 2026

MANILA, Philippines — Citing studies that suggest lower risks from nicotine products other than traditional cigarettes, the Philippine Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (PHILTHRA) identified e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and nicotine pouches as less harmful alternatives for smokers who switch completely, based on what it described as current scientific evidence. PHILTHRA convened the 2nd National Summit

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2 alleged fixers nabbed over disorderly behavior in LTO central office

Oct 18, 2026

2 alleged fixers nabbed over disorderly behavior in LTO central office

MANILA, Philippines — Two suspected fixers were arrested by Highway Patrol Group (HPG) personnel assigned to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) over their disorderly behavior in the agency’s central office. According to the LTO on Saturday, the two men were arrested after they were not allowed to proceed with their transactions in changing license plates

PDEA seizes P415.6-M illegal drugs, arrests 126 suspects

Oct 18, 2026

PDEA seizes P415.6-M illegal drugs, arrests 126 suspects

MANILA — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) seized P415.63 million worth of illegal drugs and arrested 126 suspects in 81 nationwide operations Oct. 8 to 14. In a news release Sunday, the PDEA said the operations included buy-busts, interdiction activities, marijuana eradication, search and seizure operations, and the implementation of search warrants. Of those

AFAB, Bataan officials seek solution to long-standing housing row

Oct 18, 2026

AFAB, Bataan officials seek solution to long-standing housing row

MARIVELES, Bataan — A long-standing housing dispute affecting hundreds of residents, mostly former employees of the Bataan Export Processing Zone (BEPZ) and their dependents, may soon be resolved following discussions between the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB) and local officials. AFAB Administrator and Chief Executive Officer Hussein Pangandaman met with Bataan third

LTFRB: Over 600 TNVS partners under ‘tempo’ status to be regularized

Oct 18, 2026

LTFRB: Over 600 TNVS partners under ‘tempo’ status to be regularized

MANILA, Philippines — The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Sunday said 638 transport network vehicle service (TNVS) partners would be granted regularized status, having already been issued provisional authority. According to the LTFRB, it had received 9,036 applications from TNVS partners with “tempo” status, a practice in which transport network companies (TNCs)

Gen Z workplace communication sparks friction in Korean offices

Oct 18, 2026

Gen Z workplace communication sparks friction in Korean offices

"This new hire is really strange. Even when calls come in, they do not answer, and when given instructions, they do not respond. They ignore most KakaoTalk messages and only reply to things that benefit them." Senior employees in their 30s who work with new hires in their 20s with impressive credentials frequently voice this grievance. They complain that open communication with junior staff remains difficult despite considerable effort. However, the 20-somethings targeted by this criticism counter that their true intent — exchanging precise information and avoiding getting hurt while communicating — is not getting across. Why young workers avoid office phones Participant 4: Why do people in their 20s avoid phone calls these days? Participant 2: We prefer text messages because they let us reply after preparing our thoughts. That is especially true for work-related matters. Because text leaves a written record, we can check details directly from the message without having to ask again later. Even if a phone call is recorded, it is more inconvenient because we have to go back and listen

Lee pays tribute to firefighter killed in Bucheon factory fire

Oct 18, 2026

Lee pays tribute to firefighter killed in Bucheon factory fire

President Lee Jae Myung paid his respects Saturday to a firefighter who died while responding to a factory fire in Bucheon, west of Seoul, the presidential office said. Lee posthumously awarded firefighter Kim Jin-seok the Okjo Order of Service Merit in recognition of his dedication and sacrifice, and offered condolences to his bereaved family, the office said. After paying his respects, Lee said, "The government must provide firefighters with recognition and support commensurate with their dedication and sacrifice." Lee also stressed the need to strengthen on-site safety measures to ensure that firefighters can perform their duties in safer working conditions. The president instructed Interior Minister Yoon Ho-jung, who accompanied him, to provide all necessary support for the treatment and recovery of firefighters injured in the blaze. The government also plans to provide further honors for Kim, including arrangements for his burial at a national cemetery. The fire broke out at a four-story metalworking factory at 8:38 a.m. Friday and was fully extinguished at 11:06 a.m., according to fi

Wearable robots offer mobility to people with disabilities in Seoul

Oct 18, 2026

Wearable robots offer mobility to people with disabilities in Seoul

Advanced rehabilitation involving wearable robotics has traditionally remained out of reach for many due to high costs and limited availability outside major medical centers. Now, a pioneering municipal program in western Seoul is bringing this cutting-edge technology directly into neighborhood streets. The Mapo District office is running a specialized robotic rehabilitation initiative designed to help registered residents with mobility impairments regain independence. By partnering with the Seoul Seobuk Hospital and wearable robotics firm Angel Robotics, the district has established a collaborative support framework bridging public health infrastructure with advanced medical engineering. Driven by leading tech firms, research institutes and startups like Hyundai Motor, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and Angel Robotics, Korea has rapidly expanded wearable robot technology beyond specialized medical rehabilitation into everyday industrial, agricultural and community mobility applications. The program utilizes robotic exoskeletons to analyze participants' gaits and

Dark Side of Seoul Podcast digs up city's secrets

Oct 18, 2026

Dark Side of Seoul Podcast digs up city's secrets

Korea has always been conscious of its own image, even as K-content exports and inbound tourism numbers continue to break records. But that global spotlight comes with an unspoken condition: show the shiny face, and sweep the unpolished parts under the rug. From outside, the country is often viewed through rose-tinted glasses, a tidy utopia of cute cafes and picture-perfect K-drama lifestyles. The Dark Side of Seoul Podcast offers something that doesn't fit on a postcard: an unvarnished look at Korean history and culture, aimed at the genuinely curious rather than the credulous, equally comfortable with the country's dark folklore as with its murders, crimes and political purges, distant and not so distant. The show is hosted by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey, who have both lived in Korea for more than two decades and together lead The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk. To be clear, this isn't a foreigner-complaint fest where the hosts look down on Korean culture. It respects the culture and its listeners enough to give the fuller picture, with a dark sense of humor that labels certain

Korea should approach Trump with business mindset, Sunny Park says

Oct 18, 2026

Korea should approach Trump with business mindset, Sunny Park says

When Sunny K. Park arrived in the United States in 1974 with just $200 in his pocket, he had little idea that he would one day become a successful Korean American entrepreneur with extensive ties to Washington. Park, now 84 and president of the American Korean Friendship Society, was 32 when he moved to Indiana to study at Indiana University. Having grown up in poverty and survived the 1950-53 Korean War, he recalled seeing America as a “paradise” filled with opportunities. Two years later, however, he left school to support his family and began selling life insurance door to door. His involvement with the Korean immigrant community eventually led him into a different line of work. While helping newly arrived Koreans find jobs, Park noticed growing demand in the commercial cleaning industry. “Korean immigrants came into the U.S., but they had a tough time to get a job, so I helped them and that brought me to a new industry — commercial cleaning,” Park told The Korea Times. “That business became so popular and it doubled in just one year. I gave up the insurance sales and star

Hyundai Motor steps up physical AI push amid Chinese competition, stock slump

Oct 18, 2026

Hyundai Motor steps up physical AI push amid Chinese competition, stock slump

UIWANG, South Korea — Seeking to remain competitive against fast-growing Chinese automakers and find new sources of growth amid a sharp retreat in its share price, Hyundai Motor Group is stepping up its push into robotics and physical artificial intelligence (AI). The move comes as the world's third-largest automotive group faces growing pressure to improve profitability in its conventional carmaking business amid intensifying competition in the global electric vehicle (EV) market, particularly from lower-priced Chinese models. Investors are also questioning when the group's heavy investments in robotics will start to pay off. Hyundai Motor Co.'s shares more than doubled after its U.S. subsidiary Boston Dynamics unveiled its Atlas humanoid robot at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January, reaching a record closing high of 755,000 won ($565.2) in June. But the stock has since fallen sharply to near pre-CES levels, closing at 312,000 won Friday, as enthusiasm over robotics has faded amid weak earnings and growing concerns about how soon the technology can turn profitable. Speculati

Voice phishing cases detected by major banks double in 2025

Oct 18, 2026

Voice phishing cases detected by major banks double in 2025

The number of voice phishing transactions confirmed as fraud after being flagged by monitoring systems at major commercial banks doubled last year from a year earlier, data showed Sunday. According to the data submitted by the Financial Supervisory Service to Rep. Park Seong-hoon of the People Power Party, the five major banks — KB Kookmin Bank, Shinhan Bank, Hana Bank, Woori Bank and NH Nonghyup Bank — detected 8,760 such transactions through their fraud detection systems (FDS) in 2025 and subsequently confirmed them as actual fraud after taking temporary measures to suspend them. The figure more than doubled from 4,343 cases in 2024. An FDS is a technical system that monitors transactions, user activity and other data in real time to identify and flag suspicious behavior. The banks' FDS flagged 1.11 million suspected voice phishing transactions last year, up 39.9 percent from 796,000 in 2024. Of those, the banks took temporary measures against 157,000 transactions in 2025, up from 125,000 in 2024. Recently, Korean financial institutions are stepping up efforts to strengthen their cyb

Number of inmates granted early parole rises on prison overcrowding: lawmaker

Oct 18, 2026

Number of inmates granted early parole rises on prison overcrowding: lawmaker

The number of inmates released on parole before serving 60 percent of their full sentence has increased due to prison overcrowding, a lawmaker said Sunday. A total of 634 inmates who had served less than 60 percent of their full sentence were granted early parole in the January-August period, Rep. Joo Jin-woo of the main opposition People Power Party said, citing justice ministry data. The figure is around 3.7-fold bigger than the annual total of 172 in 2025, according to the lawmaker. The number of inmates who were released before fulfilling 60 percent of their sentence remained below 40 between 2022 and 2024 but sharply jumped last year. The increase was attributed to overcrowding at prisons across the country. As of the end of August, correctional facilities were operating at 126.2 percent of their capacity, compared with 122.1 percent in 2025, the data showed, according to Joo. To lower the rate, the justice ministry has been expanding early paroles for elderly and sick inmates who were deemed to have a low risk of reoffense. The ministry has said it plans to increase the number of ear

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