VALENCIA CITY, Bukidnon — The Department of Agriculture (DA) in Northern Mindanao (Region 10) has extended farm equipment assistance to the city government and farmers’ groups here worth around P6.6 million to boost farm production and livelihood opportunities. Jose Apollo Pacamalan, DA-10 regional director, and Valencia City Vice Mayor Greizl Galario-Fernandez signed the Memorandum of

The contest to replace António Guterres as U.N. secretary general has been jolted by last-minute entrants and deep divisions among members of the Security Council.

LUCENA CITY – A 40-year-old businessman was shot dead by two motorcycle-riding gunmen in Lumban, Laguna, on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 7, police said. In a report on Sunday, the Police Regional Office 4-A said the victim was standing in front of his water refilling station along Rizal Street in Barangay Primera Parang at 1:40 p.m.

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Authorities will file criminal charges against two warring families that clashed on Saturday in Picong, Lanao del Sur, which stranded hundreds of motorists for several hours along the national highway connecting the cities of Pagadian and Cotabato. Col. Caezar Cabuhat, Lanao del Sur Provincial Police Office director, said that frustrated

MANILA, Philippines – Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Sunday said she expects Vice President Sara Duterte to attend the budget deliberations of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) just like the heads of other government agencies do. “I expect her to appear, that was explicitly mentioned by Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian during the committee hearing

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has launched a cybercrime probe into a fraudulent Facebook account posing as its chief, while cautioning the public against fake social media profiles impersonating police officials. —Photo from PNP     MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) ordered a cybercrime investigation into a fake Facebook account using its

Click here for more articles by Kormedi.com. Actress Song Hye-kyo has shown off a sophisticated bob haircut that captures the fresh, elegant mood of fall. Song recently shared photos of herself on social media, wearing a black mini dress, a cropped jacket and sunglasses. Her understated outfit, paired with a short bob that exposed her neckline, created a light and polished look. The key features of her hairstyle are its length, which falls just below the chin, and its naturally flowing waves. Her bangs are swept away from her forehead and fall gently along the sides of her face, while the ends curve softly inward, creating a neat yet lively appearance. These features also make the hairstyle an appealing option for middle-aged women. Adjusting the length to suit the face shape and adding gentle waves can help refresh one's appearance. However, maintaining a short haircut requires more than simply trimming the hair. Preventing frizz and managing volume at the roots and ends are equally important. Gentle waves create a sophisticated, softer look A bob with ends that curve slightly inward, lik

Click here for more articles by Kormedi.com. Drinking a cup of hot tea may expose people to microplastics, particularly when tea bags are made from plastic materials. When exposed to hot water, these tea bags can release tiny plastic particles into the beverage. Microplastics are plastic fragments smaller than 5 millimeters. They can enter the human body through food and drinking water, and some studies have suggested potential links to inflammation and cellular damage. A recent study found that nylon tea bags released up to approximately 2,500 microplastic particles when steeped in hot water. Researchers at Recep Tayyip Erdogan University in Turkey placed nylon tea bags sold in the country into 150 milliliters of water heated to approximately 95 degrees Celsius and steeped them for three minutes. An analysis of the resulting water detected between 555 and 2,498 microplastic particles. The researchers said that immersing tea bags in hot water could cause tiny plastic particles and chemical substances to leach into the water. The nylon tea bags used in the study were made from plastic fibe

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

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

Eight drag queens actively performing in Seoul are gearing up to compete for the inaugural title of Miss Femme Supreme 2026 at the first-ever Korea Drag Pageant. The event was created to celebrate artistic excellence in drag performance, connect Korean performers with the international drag community and contribute to the growth and visibility of drag culture in Korea. "At the heart of it, I want someone who has dreamed of becoming a pageant queen to have a real opportunity to pursue that dream here in Korea," said Leah Taylor, the founder of Korea Drag Pageant, an independent organization dedicated to developing professional drag pageantry in Korea through competitions, educational initiatives and international collaboration. "I want the contestants to feel that their work has been taken seriously and that they have a stage worthy of their preparation and ambition. For audiences, I hope the event offers a fuller understanding of the performance, fashion, craftsmanship and dedication involved in drag." Her ambitions with the pageant are also looking further into the future. "I also hope t

Kim Sung-hong, a professor emeritus of architecture at the University of Seoul, delivered a keynote address at the 2026 Korea Architecture Symposium at Harvard University last month. The University of Seoul said KoreaGSD, a Korean student organization at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, hosted the symposium under the theme “+82+82: From Independence to Acceleration” on Oct. 17. The event was organized to examine how Korean society has adopted, tested and transformed architectural and urban institutions and forms over the past eight decades, using speed as a framework for exploration. The symposium brought together theorists, architects and researchers working in Korea and abroad to reassess contemporary Korean architecture and explore its potential for transformation. In his address, titled “Contextualizing Korean Architecture,” Kim examined contemporary Korean architecture in its historical and social context, focusing on how rapid social change has shaped the country’s urban and architectural landscape. The lecture drew on his book, “Seoul Urban Architecture

The number of children entering elementary schools in Korea is expected to fall below 300,000 for the first time next year amid the country's low birth rate, data showed Sunday. The number of first graders, born in 2020, entering elementary school for the 2027 academic year, is expected to fall short of 300,000, just three years after dropping below the 400,000 mark, according to data compiled by the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS) and the Korean Educational Development Institute (KEDI). The decline comes as only 272,337 babies were born in 2020, down 10 percent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics. A total of 301,442 students enrolled as elementary school freshmen this year, barely surpassing the 300,000 mark and marking the lowest level since 1964, when the ministry began compiling related data. The figure is expected to fall further next year to roughly one-fourth of the 1.05 million recorded in 1968. The shrinking school-age population has raised concerns over school closures, particularly in rural areas, and a widening education gap bet

The government is reportedly reviewing plans to expand the label-free mandate for domestically produced drinking water to include bottled water brands imported from overseas, officials said Sunday. The plan was discussed in a recent meeting with importers of foreign-produced bottled water, according to the officials from the environment ministry. The meeting was a routine consultation with industry officials, and the ministry is still undecided on whether to apply the mandate to offshore brands, they added. Korea has required all bottled water produced and sold domestically to be label-free starting early this year, replacing physical labels with QR codes on bottle caps and external packaging. The mandate is expected to reduce the country's annual plastic usage by 2,270 metric tons, according to the ministry of climate, energy and environment. Bottled water produced overseas, however, is excluded from the mandate and is sold with traditional labels. Domestic producers have raised equity concerns, arguing that competing products in the same market should be subject to the same standards. As

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

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

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

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

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

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

The government has agreed to consider funding about 2 trillion won ($1.5 billion) for essential investments related to firefighting efforts, a ruling party official said Sunday. The move came as part of discussions to ease the fiscal burden on provincial governments, Democratic Party of Korea chief spokesperson Park Sung-joon said at a press briefing following a consultation session between the government, the ruling party and Cheong Wa Dae. Additional budget funds to prepare firefighting equipment and training facilities, as well as strengthening a medical system centered on firefighting efforts, will also be factored in for a review of next year's budget, Park said. Currently, provincial governments fund the bulk of the firefighting-related budget, with only about 10 percent of the total amount funded by the central government. At the meeting, Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said the government will review whether it is providing full support for firefighters before asking them to devote themselves to public safety. In the meeting, held a day ahead of the 64th anniversary of the Day of Fi

Senior U.S. Navy and Marine Corps officials have visited Korean shipbuilding giant HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' shipyard to assess its naval shipbuilding capabilities, photos showed Sunday. Their Nov. 4 visit to the shipyard in the southeastern Korean city of Ulsan came as Seoul and Washington are jointly seeking to revive the U.S. shipbuilding industry under the MASGA, or "Make American Shipbuilding Great Again," initiative. "The visit brought together senior U.S. Navy and Marine Corps leaders to assess naval shipbuilding capabilities, installation infrastructure and logistics support across South Korea," read a photo caption of one of the uploaded photos on the Pentagon's Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS). The delegation included Brendan P. Rogers, assistant secretary of the U.S. Navy for energy, installations and environment; U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Andrew M. Niebel, deputy commandant for installations and logistics; and U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Valerie A. Jackson, commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Korea. As part of the itinerary, the delegation also as

CALASIAO, Pangasinan — The clash between the Super El Niño and the northeast monsoon, or “amihan,” is bringing cooler nights and scorching daytime temperatures to Pangasinan, where the heat index has reached 40°C and above. The unusual weather pattern is associated with the shear line, a meteorological boundary where contrasting air masses meet. The interaction

MANILA, Philippines — Severe Tropical Storm Cempaka maintained its strength on Sunday morning ahead of its expected entry into the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), when it will be given the local name Samuel, according to the weather bureau. In its 11 a.m. bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Cempaka

Hong Kong is set to nearly double the campus area of one of three university towns planned for the Northern Metropolis to 75 hectares, with space reserved for a second campus for the city’s only public institution specialising in performing arts. According to a paper submitted to North District Council by the Development Bureau and picked up by the media over the weekend, the campus area of Ta Kwu Ling university town – which is part of a 250-hectare zone earmarked for priority development –...

China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has been tasked with uncovering fabricated data using modern technology, according to the latest update to the agency’s responsibilities endorsed by Beijing. On Friday, the State Commission Office for Public Sector Reform published a revised scheme dictating the agency’s functions, internal structure and staffing quotas. The scheme took effect on October 28, according to the notice. The office is a joint Communist Party and state body that finalises...

Vice President Sara Duterte confirmed on Sunday that she has filed another request with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to allow her visit her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, in December.

‘Hindi naman ako nangarap na yayaman ako…. Basta makakain lang tatlong beses sa isang araw,’ says one street food vendor

Japanese police arrested a 33-year-old man who admitted to stabbing a bookshop worker in Osaka on Sunday, a spokesman said, adding that the suspect said he “held a grudge against society”. The man, identified as Satoshi Okamoto, allegedly used a kitchen knife to stab the worker – who called police immediately afterwards – at a branch of national chain Maruzen & Junkudo in the heart of Japan’s second largest city. Police did not elaborate on the victim’s condition, but there was no fear for his...

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte’s conviction is unlikely to spark massive protests, with a survey showing that half of Filipinos would accept the Senate Impeachment Court’s ruling, according to Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon. Ridon, one of the prosecutors in Duterte’s trial, said the vice president’s supporters may instead rally support online rather