Super El Niño puts Ilocos Sur town under state of calamity

Inquirer.net - Nov 15, 2026

SAN ILDEFONSO, Ilocos Sur — The municipality of Santa Maria in this province was placed under a state of calamity early this week due to extensive damage to agricultural crops caused by a prolonged drought associated with Super El Niño, with losses estimated at over P48 million. Mayor Michael Florendo, who sought the declaration, said

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Presidential office weighs life without parole as part of public safety push

Nov 15, 2026

Presidential office weighs life without parole as part of public safety push

South Korea's presidential office said Sunday it is considering life imprisonment without parole as part of an initiative aimed at strengthening public safety and cracking down on crimes targeting vulnerable people. The initiative will focus on crimes targeting socially vulnerable people, including relationship-based crimes and crimes with apparently random motives. The issue has drawn renewed attention amid a series of high-profile cases involving relationship-based violence in recent years, including the killing last month of a woman on the southern resort island of Jeju who had been under police protection after reporting stalking and dating violence, allegedly by a man who told police she was his former lover. The government will also step up efforts to eradicate crimes involving scams, illegal drugs, illegal private lending, digital sex crimes and false or fabricated information, among other offenses that disrupt people's daily lives or threaten public order, presidential chief of staff Lim Kwang-hyun said. Lim said the initiative follows instructions from President Lee Jae Myung at

Warming seas slash Ulleung's squid catch by 99% in 25 years

Nov 15, 2026

Warming seas slash Ulleung's squid catch by 99% in 25 years

The squid catch around Ulleung Island has plummeted amid rising sea temperatures caused by climate change, highlighting how warming waters are reshaping Korea’s marine ecosystem and the coastal communities that depend on it. According to Ulleung County on Sunday, the local catch fell from 11,315 tons in 2000 to 1,852 tons in 2015 and 1,172 tons in 2020, before plunging to 141 tons in 2025. The 2025 catch amounted to just 1.2 percent of the 2000 figure. The decline has continued this year, with only 54 tons caught from January to September. Squid is the signature seafood of the island in North Gyeongsang Province and has long been a mainstay of its economy. The decline stems largely from rising sea temperatures, which have reshuffled the marine food chain and are pushing squid out of Korean waters. The National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS) believes squid that would normally grow off Korea’s coast have moved north toward Russia and other areas as their main coastal and offshore habitat in the southern East Sea has warmed. The average sea surface temperature around the Korean Pe

Bacnotan, La Union records first sea turtle nest of the season

Nov 15, 2026

Bacnotan, La Union records first sea turtle nest of the season

SAN ILDEFOSO, Ilocos Sur, Philippines — The first sea turtle nest of the season in Bacnotan town, a major nesting site in nearby La Union province, was discovered along the beach in Barangay Pandan on Saturday, Nov. 14, with 112 eggs transferred to a hatchery for protection, according to environmental conservation group Curma. According to

Mansalay suspends nonreligious fiesta activities as Super El Niño looms

Nov 15, 2026

Mansalay suspends nonreligious fiesta activities as Super El Niño looms

CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro — The municipal government of Mansalay in Oriental Mindoro suspended all nonreligious activities for its town fiesta on Nov. 24 and 25 as a precautionary measure against the possible effects of a looming Super El Niño. Under Memorandum Order No. 227, series of 2026, Mayor Ferdinand Maliwanag ordered the cancellation of

4 arrested in Lucena City drug den raid

Nov 15, 2026

4 arrested in Lucena City drug den raid

LUCENA CITY, Philippines —The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) operatives and police have dismantled an alleged drug den and arrested four suspects in this city. According to a report by PDEA Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) issued on Sunday, anti-narcotics operatives raided a suspected drug den in Barangay Ibabang Dupay and arrested a 42-year-old

Romualdez’s congressional aid continues despite suspension – Acidre

Nov 15, 2026

Romualdez’s congressional aid continues despite suspension – Acidre

MANILA, Philippines — Residents of Tacloban and neighboring municipalities in Leyte will continue to be represented and receive services despite the suspension of Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Tingog Rep. Jude Acidre said on Sunday. In a statement, Acidre sought to quell concerns that the former House speaker’s suspension from service would disrupt constituent services,

Asean long weekend draws more passengers to Southern Luzon ports

Nov 15, 2026

Asean long weekend draws more passengers to Southern Luzon ports

CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro — Seaports in Batangas and Southern Luzon recorded increased passenger traffic on Saturday, Nov. 14, as travelers headed to their home provinces and tourist destinations ahead of the extended holiday declared for the Asean Summit, according to the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA). Batangas Port recorded 10,593 passengers as of noon on

ASEAN adopts declaration on fair, ethical recruitment of migrant workers

Nov 15, 2026

ASEAN adopts declaration on fair, ethical recruitment of migrant workers

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Sunday adopted a declaration promoting the fair, ethical and sustainable recruitment of migrant workers across the region.

Pagasa notes slight rise in water levels of 5 dams in 24 hours

Nov 15, 2026

Pagasa notes slight rise in water levels of 5 dams in 24 hours

MANILA, Philippines — The water levels of five out of nine monitored dams across the country have risen slightly over the past 24 hours, according to the weather bureau.  In its latest update issued at 8 a.m., the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) observed an increase in the water levels of Ipo,

Evolutionary threat: Chinese mountain birds lost nearly half genetic diversity in 50 years

Nov 15, 2026

Evolutionary threat: Chinese mountain birds lost nearly half genetic diversity in 50 years

Genetic diversity is nature’s insurance policy – an evolutionary safety net that provides the building blocks for natural selection. While members of the same species share a mostly identical genome, a sliver of unique genetic variants determines their individual traits. When this diversity erodes, and a population becomes more uniform, it could leave them vulnerable to the same threats and unable to adapt when new ones emerge. In China, scientists have found that common songbird species were...

Taal Volcano records spike in quakes after days of low activity

Nov 15, 2026

Taal Volcano records spike in quakes after days of low activity

LUCENA CITY — Taal Volcano in Batangas recorded a spike in volcanic earthquakes over the past 24 hours, ending several days of relatively low seismic activity, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported Sunday, Nov. 15. In its latest morning bulletin, Phivolcs said the volcano registered 17 volcanic earthquakes during the 24-hour monitoring

Hongkongers face chilliest days of the season as cold front brings wind and rain

Nov 15, 2026

Hongkongers face chilliest days of the season as cold front brings wind and rain

Hongkongers will experience the chilliest days of autumn this coming week, with temperatures expected to drop to 16 degrees Celsius (61 Fahrenheit) as a cold front sweeps across the southern Chinese coast. The expected drop to 16 degrees on Friday and Saturday may mark the coldest days of the month, falling below the previous low of 17.5 degrees recorded in the city on November 10, according to records on the Hong Kong Observatory’s website. Temperatures earlier in the month remained above 17.5...

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