DA chief urged to take leave amid rice import probe

Inquirer.net - Oct 15, 2026

MANILA, Philippines — The Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) on Wednesday urged Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. to show “delicadeza” and take a leave of absence while an investigation into the alleged illegal importation of P395 million worth of rice is ongoing. The Bureau of Customs seized 312,000 bags of Vietnamese

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Baguio sets P950M to fix city’s first shopping mall

Oct 15, 2026

Baguio sets P950M to fix city’s first shopping mall

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Heeding the wishes of President Marcos, the city government is set to spend close to a billion pesos for the makeover of Maharlika Livelihood Complex, the summer capital’s first shopping mall that was completed in 1980 at the direction of the President’s mother, then first lady Imelda Marcos. Mayor Benjamin Magalong

DepEd honors student who fought off Banga shooter

Oct 15, 2026

DepEd honors student who fought off Banga shooter

KORONADAL CITY, SOUTH COTABATO, Philippines — A 14-year-old student who fought off the gunman during a gun attack at Banga National High School in Banga, South Cotabato, last month said he was only concerned about keeping his classmates safe. Bryan Ezel Pamonag bared this during his recognition by the Department of Education (DepEd) during the

Japan Protests Russia’s Detention of Journalist Accused of Spying

Oct 15, 2026

Japan Protests Russia’s Detention of Journalist Accused of Spying

Tokyo summoned Russia’s ambassador after a Japanese reporter was arrested in Russia’s far east and accused of collecting military intelligence.

North Korea and China Open Their Biggest Border Bridge

Oct 15, 2026

North Korea and China Open Their Biggest Border Bridge

The long-delayed opening of the New Yalu River Bridge comes as the two countries expand trade despite international sanctions imposed on North Korea.

Invitation to Estonia: Conductor Paavo Järvi connects his homeland to world

Oct 15, 2026

Invitation to Estonia: Conductor Paavo Järvi connects his homeland to world

“Knowing that many people don’t even know where Estonia is — that is an important task for us.” Paavo Järvi, 63, one of the world’s busiest conductors, is passionate about introducing his homeland, Estonia, to the world. He is music director of the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich and artistic director of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. Beginning with the 2028-29 season, he will also serve as principal conductor and artistic adviser of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Despite conducting some of the world’s leading orchestras, Järvi has a special attachment to the Estonian Festival Orchestra (EFO), which he founded. Ahead of the ensemble’s concerts at Art Center Incheon on Oct. 18 and Seoul Arts Center on Oct. 20, he spoke to the Hankook Ilbo in a recent video interview. Reaching him in Paris, where he was staying for performances with the Orchestre National de France, Järvi said, “Anyone who comes from a somewhat smaller culture and becomes international is, in a way, an ambassador for that culture. I’m not just introducing Estonian music; through music, I’m in

University of Tokyo engineer becomes classical piano sensation

Oct 15, 2026

University of Tokyo engineer becomes classical piano sensation

Pianist Hayato Sumino, who will give a recital at Lotte Concert Hall on Oct. 29, holds a master’s degree in engineering from the University of Tokyo. He advanced to the semifinal round of the 2021 Chopin International Piano Competition while still an engineering student at the university. During the competition, he livestreamed his practice sessions and interacted with viewers using YouTube’s live chat. His second-round performance drew as many as 45,000 viewers. At the time, the classical music world largely regarded him as an eccentric who happened to enjoy playing the piano. Sumino was a top student who attended Kaisei Junior and Senior High School, one of Japan’s most prestigious schools. From an early age, he was immersed in music video games. Even while preparing for university entrance exams, he competed in gaming tournaments. While a student at the University of Tokyo, he researched music information processing at the Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music in Paris. In a crowded field, his unconventional activities initially seemed like a gimmick desi

Migrant Indie Art Festival seeks artistic independence with Declaration of Freedom

Oct 15, 2026

Migrant Indie Art Festival seeks artistic independence with Declaration of Freedom

The Migrant Indie Art Festival is back for its 15th year, but this time it's being held under a new name. Organized by the Asian Media Culture Factory, it started in 2012 as the Seoul Migrant Art Festival. This year's festival will be held in two venues from this Saturday to Oct. 25 in Seoul’s Yeongdeungpo and Seodaemun districts, featuring events including music and screenings of films made by migrants living in Korea. Founded in late 2011, the Asian Media Culture Factory is a nonprofit cultural and arts organization led by migrants. The organizers told The Korea Times that their mission is to support migrant-led artistic practices and build a cultural and artistic platform for people who arrived from overseas. “We believe that everyone should have the right to engage in the arts, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, religion or visa status," they said. “We hope to create a space where migrant artists and cultural practitioners, who often have limited cultural and artistic networks and few opportunities to present their work in Korean society, can showcase their work and gain rec

Seoul mayor says to press ahead with housing supply plan

Oct 15, 2026

Seoul mayor says to press ahead with housing supply plan

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said Thursday the city government plans to press ahead with its supply plan for the housing market, noting that construction has already begun for 15,000 units this year. The municipality plans to break ground on 310,000 housing units by 2031 through redevelopment and reconstruction projects amid recent supply shortages that have contributed to sharp price hikes. "Under the principle that sufficient and continued supply is the starting point of reducing housing concerns, we have sped up improvement projects through rapid integrated planning," Oh said during a parliamentary audit of the city government. "Going forward, we will continue to ease on-site difficulties and unfair regulations so that housing can be supplied continuously without stopping." He also pledged to actively respond to shortages in the rental housing market by broadening the foundation for private supply.

President Lee to meet US-Korea Business Council chair to discuss cooperation

Oct 15, 2026

President Lee to meet US-Korea Business Council chair to discuss cooperation

President Lee Jae Myung was set to meet Thursday with the chair of the U.S.-Korea Business Council (USKBC) to discuss economic cooperation between the two countries and trade relations, officials said. During the meeting with Evan G. Greenberg, chair of USKBC and CEO of Chubb Group, scheduled for Thursday afternoon, Lee plans to hear the outcome of a joint plenary meeting of the U.S.-Korea and Korea-U.S. Business Councils held in Seoul the same day. The plenary meeting brought together the USKBC and its Korean counterpart, which is operated by the Federation of Korean Industries. The USKBC is a major business advocacy organization representing top U.S. companies engaged with Korea. During the meeting, Lee also plans to call for the USKBC to play a role in expanding economic cooperation between Seoul and Washington, Cheong Wa Dae said.

S. Korea to kick off annual Hoguk exercise next week

Oct 15, 2026

S. Korea to kick off annual Hoguk exercise next week

The South Korean military will launch an annual outdoor defense field exercise next week, along with some joint field drills with the United States that were pushed back as the allies scaled back their combined summertime exercise, officials said Thursday. The Hoguk exercise will begin Monday for a five-day run, aimed at bolstering joint operational capabilities and the readiness posture of the armed forces across the land, maritime and air domains, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). This year's drills will involve a similar number of troops to the 2025 exercise and incorporate the operation of opposing forces and simulated combat training to better reflect realistic threats, the JCS said. The drills will be conducted alongside computer-simulated command post exercises and various strategy discussions as part of efforts to maintain a "robust" readiness posture, it added. The U.S. Forces Korea will also participate in the drills to enhance interoperability with South Korean troops, a JCS official said. Launched in 1996, the Hoguk exercise is aimed at enhancing the interoperabili

Sejong University forum addresses quality of education for international students

Oct 15, 2026

Sejong University forum addresses quality of education for international students

Sejong University hosted an international higher education forum at its Seoul campus on Oct. 1 to discuss ways to improve education for international students and support their career development. The 8th International Student Future Higher Education Korea 2026 Fall was organized in collaboration with Stuvisor, a global study-abroad platform, and Careertus, which supports international students’ employment and entrepreneurship. The university said the event consisted of a career fair for international students and a higher education forum for representatives of universities and other institutions. The event has served as a networking platform where international students can explore employment, further study and entrepreneurship opportunities, while university and institutional representatives discuss ways to improve education and support systems for international students. This year’s event took on added significance as the number of international students in Korea surpassed 300,000, highlighting the need to move beyond enrollment growth and focus on educational quality and talent d

PM office denies report about ministers' complaints over live broadcasts of Cabinet meetings

Oct 15, 2026

PM office denies report about ministers' complaints over live broadcasts of Cabinet meetings

The prime minister's office denied a news report Thursday that some government members have raised complaints that it is difficult for them to object to what the president says during Cabinet meetings as the sessions are broadcast live. The Hankook Ilbo daily carried the report that about 10 ministers raised such complaints during a dinner meeting with Prime Minister Han Seong-sook earlier this month and asked for the live broadcasting of Cabinet meetings to be curtailed to allow for healthy policy debates. The prime minister's office denied the report, saying, "The government is live-broadcasting Cabinet meeting discussions for the first time in history, and this is aimed at transparently making the running of state affairs public and actively reflecting the opinions of the people in government policy." "Regarding the agenda discussed at Cabinet meetings, members of the Cabinet are freely expressing their views and the president is actively accepting them," it added.

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