Fierce debate as California changes course in central water hub

Los Angeles Times - Oct 30, 2026

California regulators adopted a controversial plan changing how the state governs the pumping of water in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. It gives water agencies more leeway in how they comply with the rules.

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Oct 30, 2026

Flooded graves, fading traditions: Undas in Hagonoy

MANILA, Philippines — The water reaches past the ankles, swallowing the narrow paths between tombs at the Hagonoy Catholic Cemetery in Bulacan. Into it, families step carefully in rubber boots, carrying candles and flowers for loved ones they have come to remember. It is a scene far removed from the Undas gatherings residents once knew

Oct 30, 2026

MMDA: Light to moderate traffic Friday morning ahead of Undas break

MANILA, Philippines — Light to moderate traffic was reported in several parts of Metro Manila on Friday morning as travelers headed to their home provinces in time for the Undas 2026 weekend. Below is the traffic situation along major roads as of 8 a.m., according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA): READ: Rain, cloudy skies

Oct 30, 2026

LOOK: Aquino family tomb draws visitors ahead of Undas

MANILA, Philippines — Flower arrangements were seen at the Aquino family mausoleum at Manila Memorial Park-Sucat in Parañaque City on Friday, ahead of the Undas holidays. The tomb serves as the final resting place of prominent members of the Aquino family, particularly former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, former President Corazon “Cory” Aquino, and former

Oct 30, 2026

Labor group disputes claims of high sugarcane labor costs

MANILA, Philippines — The Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA) has challenged the Sugar Council’s characterization of sugarcane labor as costly, citing low wages, long working hours without overtime pay and hundreds of thousands of field workers who reportedly did not receive seasonal cash bonuses. In a statement, UMA chairperson Ariel Casilao said most

Oct 30, 2026

Search underway for missing fisherman in Quezon

LUCENA CITY — The Philippine Coast Guard has launched a search and rescue operation for a 57-year-old fisherman who went missing after leaving home to fish off the coast of Infanta town in Quezon on early Thursday (Oct. 29). The fisherman left home in Barangay Dinahican at around 3 a.m. aboard a white-and-orange wooden boat

Oct 30, 2026

VP camp dismisses fresh cash suitcase claims as another ‘tanim witness’

MANILA, Philippines — The camp of Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday dismissed as “another tanim witness” the allegations of a man identified only by the alias “Chris” that he had twice delivered suitcases of money to the vice president. In a statement, Duterte spokesperson Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr. denied the allegations and said that the

Oct 30, 2026

Prosecutors indict independent lawmaker for alleged sexual harassment

Prosecutors on Friday indicted Rep. Jang Kyung-tae without physical detention over allegations that he sexually harassed a female aide of another lawmaker. Jang, an independent who left the ruling Democratic Party of Korea in March over the scandal, is accused of sexually harassing the aide at a restaurant in western Seoul in October 2024, according to the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors Office. The lawmaker also faces charges of partially exposing the aide's identity in violation of the sexual violence punishment law. The indictment comes after the aide filed a complaint with the police last year. A police committee, convened at the lawmaker's request, recommended in March that he be referred to prosecutors over the allegations. The prosecution said it decided to indict Jang, who has denied the sexual harassment allegations, after questioning those involved in the case and reviewing evidence, including video footage of the incident.

Oct 30, 2026

Police to deploy 7,800 personnel nationwide for crowd safety during Halloween

Police will deploy around 7,800 personnel across the nation to manage crowds celebrating Halloween over the weekend, officials said Friday, as the country prepares for its fourth Halloween since the deadly 2022 Itaewon crowd crush. The National Police Agency (NPA) said it will operate a special safety management period from Friday to Sunday. During the period, riot police, regional patrol teams and detectives will be dispatched mainly to 28 key areas, including 14 locations in Seoul. The government is seeking to prevent any recurrence of the Oct. 29, 2022, tragedy in Itaewon, a popular nightlife district in Seoul, where 159 people died in a surge through a narrow alleyway. Police will split pedestrian traffic in narrow bottleneck areas and guide crowds to walk in a single direction, officials said. If crowd density rises dangerously, police will restrict incoming traffic from the perimeter to secure open space for people to disperse. Police said they will share real-time data with relevant agencies and dispatch officers immediately to scenes in case of crowd-related reports. Officers will

Oct 30, 2026

Check-in system malfunction at Incheon airport causes major delays

A check-in system malfunction occurred at Incheon International Airport on Friday, causing major delays in passenger processing, the airport operator said. The malfunction began at 4:30 a.m. in an airline network connecting ticketing systems at the country's main gateway, leading to intermittent connectivity issues at eight airlines at Terminal 1 and five airlines at Terminal 2, according to Incheon International Airport Corp. By afternoon, ticketing was effectively halted at three airlines — China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Air China. Long lines of passengers formed at check-in counters, with some protesting that their airlines were not informing them of expected recovery times despite their approaching departures. The airport operator said the disruption appeared to have been caused by a glitch in the global network of American aviation service provider ARINC and that it was looking for solutions.

Oct 30, 2026

Korea's medical AI advances, but clinical adoption remains slow

While artificial intelligence (AI) holds great potential to transform health care, its clinical adoption in Korea remains slow due to inadequate reimbursement and limited access to medical data, experts said. The remarks came during a symposium hosted by Eulji University Medical Center to mark its 70th anniversary, under the theme "Future Healthcare with AI," in Seoul. AI has already been transforming Korea's health care system. It has significantly improved public access to medical information, while helping physicians at primary and secondary health care institutions stay up to date with the latest medical research and developments. Despite these advances, AI adoption in clinical settings remains slow. While AI-based medical devices have gained regulatory approval in Korea, few are covered by national health insurance. Based on Ministry of Food and Drug Safety data, 549 AI medical devices have received regulatory approval until the first half of this year, but only 49 are covered by national health insurance. "This is a global challenge. Regulatory approval does not necessarily mean a t

Oct 30, 2026

Seoul expects progress on OPCON transfer at early 2027 defense talks with US

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said Friday that Seoul expects to make progress on the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) at defense talks with Washington early next year. Speaking at a press briefing at Cheong Wa Dae, Wi said the two countries plan to hold another defense ministers’ meeting in Washington in December, followed by the annual Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in early 2027. “We expect to make substantive progress on the OPCON transfer,” Wi said. He said U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to the transfer during Wednesday’s meeting with Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul in Cebu, Philippines. A senior presidential official said Washington was not opposed to the transfer itself, although the allies still needed to meet the agreed conditions. Wi also said the allies completed an assessment for full operational capability (FOC) verification during this year’s Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, as part of the conditions-based transfer process. The SCM, traditionally held in the fall, had been expected to take place late

Oct 30, 2026

Court acquits PPP lawmaker over luxury gift to ex-first lady

A Seoul district court on Friday acquitted a lawmaker of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) of anti-graft charges over a luxury bag gifted to former first lady Kim Keon Hee. The Seoul Central District Court found Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon not guilty of violating the anti-graft law over the Roger Vivier clutch bag his wife gave to the then first lady, wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, in March 2023. Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team had sought a one-year prison sentence for the lawmaker, accusing the couple of gifting the bag worth 2.67 million won ($2,000) in return for her support in his election as the PPP's leader earlier that month. The court, however, convicted the lawmaker's wife of the charges, sentencing her to a fine of 5 million won. Min's team had sought a six-month prison term for Kim's wife. The court rejected arguments by Kim's wife that the clutch bag was merely a customary gift, ruling that it constituted a violation of the anti-graft law given the former first lady's position. It also rejected the special counsel team's argument that the couple had conspired to

Fierce debate as California changes course in central water hub

MORE NEWS

Flooded graves, fading traditions: Undas in Hagonoy

MMDA: Light to moderate traffic Friday morning ahead of Undas break

LOOK: Aquino family tomb draws visitors ahead of Undas

Labor group disputes claims of high sugarcane labor costs

Search underway for missing fisherman in Quezon

VP camp dismisses fresh cash suitcase claims as another ‘tanim witness’

Prosecutors indict independent lawmaker for alleged sexual harassment

Police to deploy 7,800 personnel nationwide for crowd safety during Halloween

Check-in system malfunction at Incheon airport causes major delays

Korea's medical AI advances, but clinical adoption remains slow

Seoul expects progress on OPCON transfer at early 2027 defense talks with US

Court acquits PPP lawmaker over luxury gift to ex-first lady

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