Over 1,500 tobacco farmers in Ilocos Sur receive financial aid

Inquirer.net - Nov 8, 2026

SAN ILDEFONSO, Ilocos Sur — The municipal government of Sinait in Ilocos Sur distributed financial assistance to 1,593 tobacco farmers in recognition of their contribution to the agriculture sector and local economy. The two-day distribution, held at the Municipal Auditorium, was led by Mayor Glenn Guzman through the Municipal Agriculture Office. Guzman assured the farmers

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Busan nears 4 mil. foreign visitor mark after beating 2025 total in 9 months

Nov 8, 2026

Busan nears 4 mil. foreign visitor mark after beating 2025 total in 9 months

Long viewed as a scenic coastal secondary stop for international travelers venturing outside Seoul, Korea’s second-largest city is rapidly transforming into a standalone global destination. Driven by expanded direct flights, cruise traffic, and a surge in international visitors, Busan welcomed 3.93 million foreign tourists in the first nine months of 2026, the Busan Metropolitan Government said Friday. The figure easily surpassed the southeastern port city's total visitor count of 3.64 million for all of 2025 and positions it to clear its annual target of 4 million visitors well ahead of schedule. The shift marks a crucial milestone in Korea’s broader efforts to disperse tourism beyond the capital. Nationwide, international arrivals rose 21.5 percent over the same period, but Busan saw a 47 percent surge — more than double the national growth rate. Unlike past years, when foreign tourists typically entered Korea through Incheon International Airport before taking high-speed trains south, travelers are increasingly bypassing Seoul altogether. Nearly 63 percent of foreign visitors to

Jeonbuk National University tops regional peers in environmental engineering rankings

Nov 8, 2026

Jeonbuk National University tops regional peers in environmental engineering rankings

Jeonbuk National University’s Department of Environmental Engineering ranked No. 1 among regional flagship national universities in Korea in both the U.S. News and QS global university rankings released this year. The university said Friday that the rankings reflect the department's international research competitiveness. The department ranked 137th globally (tied) and fifth nationally in environmental engineering in the 2026-2027 U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings, climbing 29 places from the previous year. It also maintained its fifth-place national ranking and No. 1 position among regional flagship national universities for the third consecutive year. In the 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject for environmental sciences, the department placed in the 251-300 band globally and tied for eighth nationally, earning the highest ranking among Korea’s regional flagship national universities. U.S. News places emphasis on research indicators, including publication volume, citation impact, the proportion of highly cited papers and international research collaboration. QS, me

Kookmin University research team develops AI model to predict properties of mixtures

Nov 8, 2026

Kookmin University research team develops AI model to predict properties of mixtures

A Kookmin University research team has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model that predicts the properties of mixtures based on the proportions of their chemical components. The university said Thursday that the team was led by Joung Joon-young, a professor in the Department of Chemistry at the university’s Graduate School. The team included Kim Ji-hwan, a student in the university’s integrated master’s and doctoral program, and Kim Chan-joong, an undergraduate student. The findings were published in the Chemical Engineering Journal under the title “Encoding composition-dependent intermolecular interactions into learned molecular representations.” Most chemical products people encounter in everyday life are mixtures of multiple substances rather than single compounds. Common examples include industrial solvents, electrolytes in batteries, automotive fuels, and cosmetic and pharmaceutical formulations. The properties of a mixture depend not only on which substances it contains but also on the proportions in which they are combined. These changes, however, do not necessar

CJ's Miky Lee honored as 'Godmother of K-culture' at Asian Hall of Fame

Nov 8, 2026

CJ's Miky Lee honored as 'Godmother of K-culture' at Asian Hall of Fame

CJ Group Vice Chairwoman Miky Lee received the Centennial Medal of Lifetime Achievement at the 2026 Asian Hall of Fame ceremony in Los Angeles, recognizing her leadership over three decades in building the foundation of K-culture and expanding its global reach. The special honor, presented Thursday (local time), recognizes individuals who have made lasting contributions to advancing cultural influence, industry excellence and cross-cultural collaboration across film, music and television. During her acceptance speech, Lee shared her lifelong belief in the power of culture and emphasized the importance of empowering the next generation of storytellers. "Culture is like oxygen. We may take it for granted, but we cannot live without it," Lee said. "Our greatest legacy is not simply what we have accomplished, but the opportunities we create for those who come after us. I hope the next generation will dream bigger than we ever dared, and challenge what we thought was possible." Lee also recalled CJ’s landmark initiatives in shaping the entertainment landscape, including launching Mnet, the

1st snow arrives early in Seoul, but warmer, wetter winter expected

Nov 8, 2026

1st snow arrives early in Seoul, but warmer, wetter winter expected

Seoul recorded its first snowfall of the season Sunday, nearly a month earlier than last year, with light flurries observed in the capital. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), the first snow was observed at the Seoul Meteorological Observatory in Jongno District. The snowfall came 26 days earlier than last year and 12 days ahead of the seasonal average. It marked the sixth-earliest first snowfall since nationwide weather records began in 1973. Seoul's earliest first snowfall on record occurred on Oct. 23, 1981. In Seoul, the official first snowfall is determined when an observer at the central Seoul weather station visually confirms that snow is falling. The designation does not necessarily mean snow fell across the entire city or accumulated on the ground. Despite the early snowfall, KMA expects a warmer, wetter winter than usual, with more frequent rain and snow, as a strengthening El Niño is forecast to continue through the season. El Niño occurs when ocean temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific near the equator rise above normal. It is officially dec

Korea's nuclear submarine project faces hurdles despite key approval

Nov 8, 2026

Korea's nuclear submarine project faces hurdles despite key approval

South Korea’s plan to build nuclear-powered submarines has cleared a key domestic hurdle, but securing reactor fuel from the United States remains unresolved, with legal requirements and closer congressional scrutiny threatening to complicate the project. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) approved the basic acquisition strategy for the Jangbogo N program Friday, setting a 2027 start date targeting deployment of the first submarine in the late 2030s. The decision establishes how the project will proceed, not how Seoul will obtain the nuclear fuel it needs. A defense acquisition official said Seoul believes it can secure submarine fuel without needing to revise its existing nuclear cooperation agreement with Washington. Instead, the government is pursuing a separate arrangement under Section 91 of the U.S. Atomic Energy Act, which provides for military nuclear cooperation. The official cited the AUKUS partnership, under which the U.S. and Britain are helping Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines, as a precedent for a separate agreement. But negotiations have ye

Gov't weighs tighter social media restrictions for minors, targeting addictive features

Nov 8, 2026

Gov't weighs tighter social media restrictions for minors, targeting addictive features

The government is considering expanding restrictions on minors’ social media use beyond age limits for account registration to include regulations on recommendation algorithms and platform features to curb excessive use. However, questions remain over how the proposed measures can effectively protect minors from excessive social media use while safeguarding their freedom of expression and access to information. According to the Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC), Sunday, it is considering amendments to the Information and Communications Network Act to prohibit children under 14 from creating social media accounts and require platform operators to verify users’ ages. The commission first proposed the measures during a presidential policy briefing in July. The proposed measures also include disabling personalized recommendation algorithms that analyze users’ interests and browsing histories, as well as features such as infinite scrolling that could encourage excessive use, by default for accounts belonging to users aged 14 to 19. It aims to finalize the measures by the

Defense committee chair says OPCON agreement stands despite US midterm outcome

Nov 8, 2026

Defense committee chair says OPCON agreement stands despite US midterm outcome

The United States acknowledged that certain policy-related variables could affect the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) to Seoul, but reaffirmed its commitment to the existing bilateral agreement that the handover will proceed based on agreed conditions, a Korean lawmaker said Sunday. Rep. Jin Sung-joon of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), who chairs the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee, briefed reporters at the National Assembly on the outcome of a parliamentary delegation’s trip to the United States from Nov. 1 to 5. He said the delegation was granted entry approval only at the last minute, but was still able to proceed with its scheduled visit to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and its subordinate component commands in Hawaii. Asked whether the Democratic sweep in the U.S. midterm elections could affect the OPCON transfer process, Jin said he did not expect any significant changes. "Korea and the U.S. have discussed and reached agreements over OPCON transfer for more than 20 years. A Democratic victory (in the U.S.) would not affect the existing bil

Meta glasses in hand. How do they actually work?

Nov 8, 2026

Meta glasses in hand. How do they actually work?

We tried the soon-to-be-available Ray-Ban and Oakley Meta glasses. Here are our first impressions

Man shot in both legs in Palawan mangrove area; suspects flee

Nov 8, 2026

Man shot in both legs in Palawan mangrove area; suspects flee

CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro — Police said two armed men shot a 39-year-old man several times in a mangrove area in Bataraza, Palawan, on Saturday night, Nov. 7, wounding him in both legs. The victim, identified only by the alias “James,” is a married resident of Barangay Tarusan. The attack occurred around 8 p.m., according

Judge orders Paraguay’s ex-president Peña held before trial

Nov 8, 2026

Judge orders Paraguay’s ex-president Peña held before trial

Prosecutors allege that Santiago Peña used his position as president to influence decisions by government agencies and state-owned entities to keep large amounts of public money deposited with a digital lender he has ties to

Pedro Taduran retains world crown by clear unanimous decision

Nov 8, 2026

Pedro Taduran retains world crown by clear unanimous decision

Pedro Taduran, the pride of Libon, Albay, still stands as the Philippines' sole world boxing champion after a decisive win over Brandon Moreno of Spain

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