Drag queens, an almost one-woman show, and blurred realities

Inquirer.net - Nov 11, 2026

With its new theater season, IdeaFirst shows how film and stage can thrive side by side

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Marinduque group seeks urgent rehab of Marcopper-hit sites

Nov 11, 2026

Marinduque group seeks urgent rehab of Marcopper-hit sites

CALAPAN CITY, ORIENTAL MINDORO, Philippines — Nearly 30 years after the 1996 Marcopper mining disaster, residents in Marinduque are pressing for the immediate implementation of a $100-million (about P6.4-billion) settlement to rehabilitate affected areas. The Marinduque Council for Environmental Concerns (Macec), in a statement on Monday, asked the provincial government to convene the Provincial Rehabilitation

Balicasag tour guide fees questioned

Nov 11, 2026

Balicasag tour guide fees questioned

TAGBILARAN CITY, BOHOL, Philippines — A Bohol provincial board member has sought an inquiry into the collection of environmental or entrance fees from Department of Tourism (DOT)-accredited tour guides accompanying visitors to Balicasag Island in Panglao town, citing the need for clear and consistent policies across the province’s tourism destinations. Lawyer Jiselle Rae Aumentado Villamor,

Jinan: Korea's open-air museum of geological wonders

Nov 11, 2026

Jinan: Korea's open-air museum of geological wonders

JINAN, North Jeolla Province — Just a 30-kilometer drive east from Jeonju Station, the rolling green mountains of North Jeolla Province give way to a sight that feels entirely alien yet deeply sacred as two colossal weathered rocks bearing a striking resemblance to a pair of giant horse ears rise abruptly out of the forests of Maisan ("horse ear mountain") Provincial Park. Stepping into this high-plateau region, which forms an integral part of the Jinan-Muju National Geopark, visitors are immersed in the unique landscape that earned Mount Mai three stars in the prestigious Michelin Green Guide, the highest possible rating. First time visitors will immediately be struck by the texture of the mountains. Rather than the granite found in most places on the peninsula, the giant cliffs here are made of conglomerate sedimentary rock, pockmarked with thousands of hollow cavities known as tafoni. Geologists believe these unique depressions were created during the Fourth Ice Age, when water trapped in fissures in the rock repeatedly froze and thawed, expanding and shattering the stone from with

Fire breaks out again at shantytown in southern Seoul; no injuries reported

Nov 11, 2026

Fire breaks out again at shantytown in southern Seoul; no injuries reported

A fire broke out early Wednesday at a shantytown in Seoul's southern ward of Gangnam, but firefighters fully extinguished the blaze, officials said, with no injuries reported. The fire began at a home in Guryong Village at 4:28 a.m. before fire authorities put it out at 6:27 a.m. after mobilizing 105 personnel and 32 vehicles. Authorities plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire. The latest fire at the village came about two weeks following the Oct. 27 fire that forced 39 people to flee and left one person with a minor injury. Many of the makeshift homes illegally built in the town are prone to fires as they are built with highly flammable materials.

Korea adds 139,000 jobs in October, above 100,000 for 4th month

Nov 11, 2026

Korea adds 139,000 jobs in October, above 100,000 for 4th month

Korea added 139,000 jobs in October from a year earlier, government data showed Wednesday, with job growth exceeding the 100,000 mark for the fourth consecutive month. The number of employed people came to 29.17 million in October, compared with 29.04 million a year earlier, according to data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics. Job growth turned positive in June after declining by 40,000 in May, the first drop in 17 months. The country's jobless rate came to 2 percent last month, down 0.2 percentage point from a year earlier. The number of unemployed people totaled 602,000 in October, down 56,000 from the same month in 2025. The employment rate for people aged 15 to 64 came to 70.4 percent, up 0.3 percentage point from a year earlier. The figure for those aged 15 to 29, on the other hand, fell 1.7 percentage points to 42.9 percent.

Justice minister nominee reiterates special counsel role over indictments against Lee

Nov 11, 2026

Justice minister nominee reiterates special counsel role over indictments against Lee

Justice Minister nominee Lee Yong-cheol on Wednesday reiterated that a special counsel probe into allegedly fabricated indictments against President Lee Jae Myung should focus on uncovering the truth, declining to offer a clear stance on whether he would seek to drop the indictments. His remarks come after the National Assembly passed the special counsel bill last week, which the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) has criticized as being aimed at ultimately canceling all indictments against the president. "As I said earlier, now is the time to focus on uncovering the truth, while there is no change to my stance that the rest should follow the law and principles," the nominee told reporters outside his office. He earlier emphasized the role of the special counsel probe Monday following his nomination Friday. When asked about whether he would order an investigation based on the special counsel probe results, the nominee declined to comment, noting that the special counsel has yet to even launch. "I will watch the special counsel's fact-finding activities without any presumptions or pr

Korea ranks 10th place in global AI, digital competitiveness

Nov 11, 2026

Korea ranks 10th place in global AI, digital competitiveness

Korea came in 10th place among 70 countries in a global digital and artificial intelligence (AI) competitiveness ranking, the science ministry said Wednesday. The country moved up eight spots from the previous year, according to the report published by the International Institute for Management Development, a Swiss-based business school, according to the ministry. Taking the top spot this year was the United States, rising from its fourth spot a year ago. Canada, however, lost its top-spot position to be ranked at fifth place this year. Among countries in the Asia-Pacific region, Singapore was ranked second place, China came in at seventh place, and Japan ranked 19th place. By category, Korea ranked third in the technology infrastructure and efficiency metrics. The country ranked first place in the research and development expenditure per gross domestic product category and ranked eighth in the AI adaptation index, the ministry said. The science ministry added that Korea's rise in overall rankings was a result of the government's policy efforts and the country's strong resilience, and vowe

Gwanghwamun Square to glow blue in tribute to 23 UN Korean War allies

Nov 11, 2026

Gwanghwamun Square to glow blue in tribute to 23 UN Korean War allies

Gwanghwamun Square in downtown Seoul will glow blue Wednesday evening, as Seoul invites residents and visitors to honor United Nations veterans whose sacrifices helped defend Korea's freedom and peace during the 1950-53 Korean War. The Seoul Metropolitan Government will hold a public memorial at the Garden of Gratitude on Wednesday, marking UN Veterans International Memorial Day with candlelight, a special lighting ceremony and opportunities for citizens to share messages of appreciation. The evening program will begin after sunset with a candle-lighting event, allowing visitors to receive free LED candles and gather around the installation known as Lights of Gratitude 23. At 8 p.m., 23 lights representing countries that sent troops to the Korean War will glow blue, the color associated with the United Nations. The lights will turn on and off in sequence 23 times, symbolizing gratitude to the countries and veterans who contributed to defending Korea. Visitors will also be invited to write messages of remembrance and appreciation at stations near the installation and the entrance to Freed

Korea warns of rare vision-loss risk linked to GLP-1 drugs

Nov 11, 2026

Korea warns of rare vision-loss risk linked to GLP-1 drugs

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety issued a safety alert Wednesday to medical professionals and patients over a potential risk of a rare eye condition associated with GLP-1 obesity drugs, including popular obesity treatments Wegovy and Mounjaro. The move follows safety measures by overseas regulators concerning nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), a condition caused by reduced blood flow to the optic nerve that can lead to sudden, potentially permanent vision loss. In June last year, the European Medicines Agency classified it as a very rare side effect of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy, estimating it may affect up to 1 in 10,000 users. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked drugmakers Monday to add a possible increased risk of NAION to the warnings and precautions on GLP-1 drug labels. The letter advises medical professionals to stop treatment and have patients examined immediately if NAION is suspected in those taking GLP-1 drugs, which aid weight loss by mimicking a hormone that regulates appetite and blood sugar. Patients with related symptom

Police chief nominee's confirmation hearing set for Nov. 18

Nov 11, 2026

Police chief nominee's confirmation hearing set for Nov. 18

The National Assembly will hold a confirmation hearing for Kim Jong-chul, nominee for commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA), next week, officials said Wednesday. The parliamentary public administration and security committee adopted a plan to hold the hearing next Wednesday during a plenary meeting earlier in the day. The KNPA commissioner general nominee can be appointed by the president even without parliamentary consent following the confirmation hearing. If appointed, Kim would fill a post that has remained vacant for nearly two years since former President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law in late 2024.

Lee vows to reflect farmers' voices in decision on CPTPP membership

Nov 11, 2026

Lee vows to reflect farmers' voices in decision on CPTPP membership

President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday vowed to accommodate farmers' opinions in deciding whether to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The president made the remarks in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on the 31st Day of Farmers, reiterating his pledge to take farmers' interests into account when deciding to join the Indo-Pacific trade bloc. "On important issues, including farmland reform ... and the CPTPP, the government will work toward faithfully reflecting voices from the (agricultural) field so as to be helpful to farmers," Lee wrote in the post. The president has previously said that Korea's entry into the CPTPP would be "unavoidable," but has pledged to focus on finding complementary measures to implement when seeking CPTPP membership. While CPTPP membership is expected to help boost Korea's overall exports, the agricultural and fisheries sectors are likely to take a hit from market opening due to imports of cheaper products. Lee has ordered the government not to apply for CPTPP membership this year, expressing the need for sufficie

Nat'l Assembly speaker vows push for constitutional revision, rules out Lee seeking 2nd term

Nov 11, 2026

Nat'l Assembly speaker vows push for constitutional revision, rules out Lee seeking 2nd term

National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik on Wednesday reaffirmed his commitment to pushing for a constitutional revision, rejecting opposition claims that the revision would be aimed at allowing President Lee Jae Myung to seek a second term. Cho's remarks came as opposition lawmakers have questioned whether he had left open the possibility of Lee seeking another term after he told a press conference in July that an incumbent president's eligibility to seek another term would be up to the people to decide. "As stipulated in Article 128 of the Constitution, the extension of a sitting president's term is not a subject of discussions for a constitutional revision," Cho said during a discussion hosted by the Kwanhun Club, a senior journalists' association. "This should no longer be used for political conflict." Cho said the National Assembly should take the lead in pursuing constitutional reform, adding he plans to launch an advisory committee under his office soon to set the direction and key priorities for the revision. He also pledged efforts to further advance Korea's national interest, sa

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