Ilocos Norte first province to surpass 90% HPV vaccination target

Inquirer.net - Oct 11, 2026

SAN ILDEFONSO, Ilocos Sur — Ilocos Norte has become the first province in the country to surpass the 90 percent target for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among girls aged 9 to 14, with a coverage rate of 95.7 percent, the Department of Health (DOH) Ilocos Center for Health Development said. The province vaccinated 22,039 of

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Oct 11, 2026

University of Seoul students showcase achievements of overseas exploration program

The University of Seoul held a showcase Wednesday to highlight the experiences and achievements of students who took part in its 2026 GO (Global Odyssey)-UOS overseas study tour program. The university said the event, held for the first time this year, gave the 25 participating teams an opportunity to present their projects and exchange ideas after completing their overseas trips during the summer break. This year’s GO-UOS program involved 100 students divided into 25 teams, which visited 33 cities in 12 countries, including the United States, Australia, Spain, Portugal, Japan and China. Each team carried out a range of activities tailored to its specific theme and objectives. All 25 teams presented the results of their overseas projects at the showcase. Ten teams were selected for awards based on a combination of peer evaluations of promotional materials submitted in advance and on-site assessments. Through their presentations, students shared what they had learned during their overseas trips and how the experiences had contributed to their personal growth. “This trip went beyond a sim

Oct 11, 2026

Lee vows to communicate more directly with public: official

President Lee Jae Myung has vowed to communicate more directly and actively with the public, a presidential official said Sunday. Lee made the remarks during his flight back to Seoul after his state visit to Mexico late last month, according to Seong Ghi-hong, senior presidential secretary for public relations and communication. "I will communicate more actively and directly with the public," Lee was quoted as saying by Seong. "What the president seeks is not simply 'social media politics' but dialogue that bridges the gap between the public and the president, and communication that lowers the barrier between state affairs and the people," Seong wrote on X. He added that social media is just one of many channels for communicating with the public. Lee has recently stepped up his posts on social media to express his views on political, diplomatic and real estate-related issues, prompting concerns among some over the frequency of his posts. On Saturday, Lee said in a post on X that he would continue to communicate with the public via social media despite criticism that such outreach lacks dig

Oct 11, 2026

Cheong Wa Dae makes rare disclosure of Lee's golf outing ahead of opposition attack

Cheong Wa Dae on Sunday took the unusual step of disclosing information on President Lee Jae Myung’s private golf schedule, shortly before an opposition lawmaker held a news conference questioning his whereabouts when a ceiling collapsed at a supermarket in Daegu. The office confirmed that Lee visited Taereung Golf Club with his family Saturday, about the time reports that the ceiling of a commercial building collapsed in Daegu, injuring dozens of people. Lee was briefed on the accident at the course and called acting National Police Agency chief Kim Jong-chul to check on casualties and injuries, Cheong Wa Dae said. He then ordered authorities to focus on rescue efforts and ensure a swift, safe response. “We normally do not confirm the president’s undisclosed schedule or private holiday activities,” the presidential office said, explaining that it made an exception “to prevent unnecessary controversy.” “We regret that the president’s private, undisclosed schedule is being used for political disputes,” it added. The announcement came shortly before Rep. Joo Jin-woo of the

Oct 11, 2026

Experts see no quick fix to Korea-US intelligence rift

Although the South Korean government insists its alliance with the United States remains strong despite six months of restrictions on North Korea intelligence sharing, experts say the dispute is best understood not as a personnel problem but rather as a symptom of a deeper structural shift — one in which the alliance is transitioning from a traditionally hierarchical relationship into a more horizontal partnership. That framing came as the National Intelligence Service (NIS) on Sunday dismissed a local news report claiming Washington had narrowed intelligence sharing with Seoul to missile-related information only. "We make it clear once again that, aside from some information that led to the intelligence-sharing restrictions already acknowledged by our government, South Korea and the U.S. are actively cooperating across a wide range of areas, including Pyongyang's missiles, conventional military capabilities and what is happening in North Korea, as well as international relations, cybersecurity and counterintelligence," the NIS said in a press release. The denial comes amid media repo

Oct 11, 2026

Rights groups call for release of 3 detained activists in Hong Kong, Thailand

Two human rights groups called Sunday for the immediate release of three detained Gwangju Prize laureates in Hong Kong and Thailand. The May 18 Memorial Foundation and the Network of Laureates of the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights said the detentions of Chow Hang-tung of Hong Kong and Thai activists Arnon Nampa and Jatupat Boonpattararaksa "reflect a crisis of democracy in Asia." Jatupat, a Thai activist and the 2017 recipient of the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights, and Arnon, a Thai human rights lawyer who won the prize in 2021, are detained in Thailand. Chow, a Hong Kong human rights lawyer and the 2023 laureate, is detained in Hong Kong. "We stand in solidarity with activists striving to defend democracy and human rights in Thailand, Hong Kong and Myanmar despite violence, imprisonment and restrictions on basic rights," the groups said in a joint statement. The prize was established in 2000 to promote the spirit of the May 18 pro-democracy uprising in the southwestern Korean city of Gwangju in 1980, during which a military crackdown on demonstrators left more than 200 civilians dead an

Oct 11, 2026

7 in 10 workers get no extra pay for covering parental leave: survey

Most Korean workers who took on additional duties while colleagues were on parental leave or working reduced hours for childcare received no extra compensation, with 7 in 10 going unpaid for the added workload. According to a survey released by workplace advocacy group Gabjil 119 on Sunday, 47.8 percent of 1,000 workers said their workloads had increased due to colleagues taking maternity or parental leave. The survey was conducted nationwide from Sept. 1 to 7. The results suggest that employers are shifting the burden of staffing shortages caused by parental leave or reduced working hours onto existing employees rather than hiring replacements or adjusting workloads. Of the 478 respondents who reported taking on additional duties, just 29.5 percent said they had received extra compensation, such as allowances, while the remaining 70.5 percent received no additional pay. Awareness of government subsidies aimed at compensating workers who take on extra duties was also limited. Only 37 percent of respondents were aware of the government’s workload-sharing subsidy for parental leave, while

Oct 11, 2026

Korea's role in combined command set to grow after OPCON transfer

As Korea prepares to regain wartime operational control (OPCON) from the United States, questions remain over how the leadership and organization of their combined military command will change. The Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC) is expected to retain its integrated command structure, with Korean officers potentially taking more senior staff positions, military experts said. The outlook comes after Seoul and Washington disclosed that they have agreed on a provisional organizational plan for the post-transfer command. While the two countries have already agreed to put a Korean general in charge, the division of responsibilities beneath the commander has yet to be made public. Gen. Kim Seong-min, the CFC’s deputy commander, told a parliamentary audit Wednesday that the provisional arrangement would be finalized during the Full Mission Capability (FMC) assessment, the final stage of the three-phase evaluation process for OPCON transfer. He described the plan as a draft and dismissed suggestions that the combined command would be dissolved after the handover. Kim Jung-sup, directo

Oct 11, 2026

China’s rich coastal cities to see sea-level rise up to 20% higher than global average

International scientists warn that rising sea levels driven by melting Antarctic ice will be 15 to 20 per cent higher in cities such as Hong Kong and Shanghai compared with the global average. They said gravitational shifts caused by shrinking Antarctic ice would redistribute water across the globe, causing higher ocean levels along China’s densely populated coastlines. “Even if we limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius [2.7 degrees Fahrenheit], the Paris Agreement’s most ambitious goal,...

Between adolescence and parenthood: Photo stories of Filipino teen parents

Oct 11, 2026

Ilocos Norte first province to surpass 90% HPV vaccination target

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