Balicasag tour guide fees questioned

Inquirer.net - Nov 11, 2026

TAGBILARAN CITY, BOHOL, Philippines — A Bohol provincial board member has sought an inquiry into the collection of environmental or entrance fees from Department of Tourism (DOT)-accredited tour guides accompanying visitors to Balicasag Island in Panglao town, citing the need for clear and consistent policies across the province’s tourism destinations. Lawyer Jiselle Rae Aumentado Villamor,

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Angola celebrates independence, reaffirms commitment to unity, peace, development

Nov 11, 2026

Angola celebrates independence, reaffirms commitment to unity, peace, development

Nov. 11 holds a special place in Angola’s history. It marks the achievement of freedom, sovereignty and the right of a people to determine their own destiny. On this day in 1975, Angola proclaimed its national independence, bringing an end to a long period of colonial rule and beginning a new chapter in its history as a sovereign nation. Independence was achieved through years of resistance, sacrifice and struggle by thousands of Angolans who believed in a free and independent country capable of shaping its own future. Driven by patriotism and a shared aspiration for freedom, men and women contributed to the historic journey that culminated in the proclamation of independence on Nov. 11, 1975, by Angola’s first president, António Agostinho Neto. The years that followed were profoundly affected by armed conflict, which continued until 2002. The loss of human lives, displacement of communities, destruction of infrastructure and disruption of agricultural production and education left lasting consequences. Reconstruction required not only the rebuilding of roads, schools and hospitals

Fire breaks out again at shantytown in southern Seoul; no injuries reported

Nov 11, 2026

Fire breaks out again at shantytown in southern Seoul; no injuries reported

A fire broke out early Wednesday at a shantytown in Seoul's southern ward of Gangnam, but firefighters fully extinguished the blaze, officials said, with no injuries reported. The fire began at a home in Guryong Village at 4:28 a.m. before fire authorities put it out at 6:27 a.m. after mobilizing 105 personnel and 32 vehicles. Authorities plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire. The latest fire at the village came about two weeks following the Oct. 27 fire that forced 39 people to flee and left one person with a minor injury. Many of the makeshift homes illegally built in the town are prone to fires as they are built with highly flammable materials.

Korea adds 139,000 jobs in October, above 100,000 for 4th month

Nov 11, 2026

Korea adds 139,000 jobs in October, above 100,000 for 4th month

Korea added 139,000 jobs in October from a year earlier, government data showed Wednesday, with job growth exceeding the 100,000 mark for the fourth consecutive month. The number of employed people came to 29.17 million in October, compared with 29.04 million a year earlier, according to data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics. Job growth turned positive in June after declining by 40,000 in May, the first drop in 17 months. The country's jobless rate came to 2 percent last month, down 0.2 percentage point from a year earlier. The number of unemployed people totaled 602,000 in October, down 56,000 from the same month in 2025. The employment rate for people aged 15 to 64 came to 70.4 percent, up 0.3 percentage point from a year earlier. The figure for those aged 15 to 29, on the other hand, fell 1.7 percentage points to 42.9 percent.

HRW urges UN to address N. Korean human rights situation alongside security issues

Nov 11, 2026

HRW urges UN to address N. Korean human rights situation alongside security issues

WASHINGTON — Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged the United Nations to address North Korea's human rights situation alongside security issues in future diplomatic engagement with Pyongyang. In a commentary published Monday, the New York-based rights group, citing a recent U.N. report highlighting deepening repression in the country, said the U.N. General Assembly should recommend that future dialogue with North Korea address human rights and security concerns together, rather than treating them as separate issues. "Security and rights issues need to be addressed together. The U.N. General Assembly has the power to forge these connections, even as the Security Council remains deadlocked," Audrey Gregg, HRW's senior coordinator for Asia, wrote in a commentary published Monday. "Security and rights issues need to be addressed together. Gregg added that North Korean rights issues should not be displaced by the focus on security issues, as the United States and South Korea pursue diplomatic dialogues with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The commentary came after U.N. Special Rapporteur Eliz

Justice minister nominee reiterates special counsel role over indictments against Lee

Nov 11, 2026

Justice minister nominee reiterates special counsel role over indictments against Lee

Justice Minister nominee Lee Yong-cheol on Wednesday reiterated that a special counsel probe into allegedly fabricated indictments against President Lee Jae Myung should focus on uncovering the truth, declining to offer a clear stance on whether he would seek to drop the indictments. His remarks come after the National Assembly passed the special counsel bill last week, which the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) has criticized as being aimed at ultimately canceling all indictments against the president. "As I said earlier, now is the time to focus on uncovering the truth, while there is no change to my stance that the rest should follow the law and principles," the nominee told reporters outside his office. He earlier emphasized the role of the special counsel probe Monday following his nomination Friday. When asked about whether he would order an investigation based on the special counsel probe results, the nominee declined to comment, noting that the special counsel has yet to even launch. "I will watch the special counsel's fact-finding activities without any presumptions or pr

Bus rams into 32 vehicles in Bundang, 48 injured

Nov 11, 2026

Bus rams into 32 vehicles in Bundang, 48 injured

SEONGNAM — A bus plowed into more than 30 vehicles waiting at a traffic stop in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, during morning rush hour, officials said, leaving 48 people injured. The city bus, driven by a man in his 60s, collided with four other buses, a cargo truck and 27 passenger cars before coming to a stop after hitting a traffic barrier in Seongnam's Bundang Ward at 7:34 a.m. The collision left 48 people hurt, including six with serious injuries. None of the injuries were reported to be life threatening. The 60-something bus driver was not found to be under the influence of alcohol. The driver reportedly told police that the brakes did not work, with investigators looking into the exact cause of the crash.

Korea ranks 10th place in global AI, digital competitiveness

Nov 11, 2026

Korea ranks 10th place in global AI, digital competitiveness

Korea came in 10th place among 70 countries in a global digital and artificial intelligence (AI) competitiveness ranking, the science ministry said Wednesday. The country moved up eight spots from the previous year, according to the report published by the International Institute for Management Development, a Swiss-based business school, according to the ministry. Taking the top spot this year was the United States, rising from its fourth spot a year ago. Canada, however, lost its top-spot position to be ranked at fifth place this year. Among countries in the Asia-Pacific region, Singapore was ranked second place, China came in at seventh place, and Japan ranked 19th place. By category, Korea ranked third in the technology infrastructure and efficiency metrics. The country ranked first place in the research and development expenditure per gross domestic product category and ranked eighth in the AI adaptation index, the ministry said. The science ministry added that Korea's rise in overall rankings was a result of the government's policy efforts and the country's strong resilience, and vowe

Revised regional currency swap arrangement takes effect

Nov 11, 2026

Revised regional currency swap arrangement takes effect

A revision of the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralisation (CMIM), a multilateral currency swap arrangement among Korea, China, Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), took effect Wednesday, the Bank of Korea said. All 13 members of the ASEAN+3 group have completed their internal procedures for signing the revised agreement, which was endorsed at the ASEAN+3 Finance Ministers' and Central Bank Governors' Meeting in May 2025, according to the BOK. The revised CMIM includes the Rapid Financing Facility, which provides prompt financial assistance to members facing urgent balance of payments needs. It took effect Wednesday, seven days after the completion of the signing procedures, the central bank said. Launched in 2010, the CMIM is a multilateral currency swap arrangement among ASEAN+3 members aimed at providing liquidity to member economies in times of financial crisis. The facility has a total pool of $240 billion, with Korea contributing $38.4 billion.

S. Korean FM stresses bilateral trust following meeting with Ukraine counterpart

Nov 11, 2026

S. Korean FM stresses bilateral trust following meeting with Ukraine counterpart

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun stressed mutual respect and trust as the foundation for bilateral relations during his talks with Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha, the Korean foreign ministry said Tuesday. It was their first meeting since a deepening rift emerged between the two countries over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's September disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to South Korea. Their discussion took place on the sidelines of the Group of Seven Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in France on Tuesday (local time). "Cho stressed that mutual respect, trust and the faithful implementation of agreements between countries are fundamental prerequisites for developing bilateral relations, expressing hope that all pending issues between the two countries will be resolved amicably," the ministry said in a press release. The remarks are being interpreted as a repetition of the South Korean government’s demand for Ukraine to apologize for the disclosure, which Seoul claims the two sides had agreed to keep confidential. The ministry’s statement, however,

Sangmidang expands food bank support with 2 refrigerated trucks

Nov 11, 2026

Sangmidang expands food bank support with 2 refrigerated trucks

Sangmidang Holdings said Wednesday that its charitable foundation donated two refrigerated trucks to the Korea Foodbank on Tuesday, expanding a delivery support program launched to help local food banks safely transport donated food. The latest contribution brings the total number of trucks provided since the foundation signed a partnership agreement in October 2022 to 12. The foundation plans to provide eight more by 2030. Sangmidang Holdings Chairman Hur Young-in and Kim Hyun-hoon, president of the Korea National Council on Social Welfare, attended the handover ceremony in Dongjak District in Seoul. The company also donated 4,000 bakery products, which were loaded onto the trucks. The vehicles will serve Busanjin District in Busan and Gyeryong, South Chungcheong Province. The company said aging vehicles have hampered deliveries at some food banks, with refrigeration failures and frequent breakdowns creating operational difficulties. Replacing the vehicles also posed a financial burden to the food-sharing organization. The nationwide food bank network distributes donated food and househ

AMCHAM raises $127,000 for student scholarships

Nov 11, 2026

AMCHAM raises $127,000 for student scholarships

The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) raised a record 175 million won ($127,000) for university scholarships at its annual charity event on Tuesday, bringing together business leaders to support students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds. The total marked a 17 percent increase from the 150 million won raised a year earlier. Organized by AMCHAM’s Partners for the Future Foundation, the event featured 44 CEOs and senior executives from member companies volunteering as servers, personally serving dinner to approximately 440 guests. The number of executive volunteers increased from 41 last year. Now in its 19th year, CEO Servers’ Night is one of AMCHAM’s signature charity events, bringing business leaders out of their boardrooms to serve guests and raise funds for university students in financial need. “CEO Servers’ Night brings business leaders together in a different capacity, united by a common purpose: helping students pursue their education,” AMCHAM Chairman James Kim said. “I want to thank every CEO and executive who took the time to serve, as well as

LX Hausys wins 2027 Home Reno Award with E-stone

Nov 11, 2026

LX Hausys wins 2027 Home Reno Award with E-stone

LX Hausys has won a 2027 Home Reno Award with VIATERA Solea, its E-stone surface material, the interior materials company said Wednesday. The Home Reno Awards, organized by U.S. lifestyle magazine Good Housekeeping, recognize home renovation products and services for their design, functionality and other qualities through expert evaluations and testing. E-stone is LX Hausys' engineered stone brand, made primarily from natural quartz. It is known for its durability and natural stone-like appearance, and is used for kitchen countertops and bathroom vanity tops. VIATERA Solea features wide and subtle gold-toned veining against a white background, giving the engineered stone surface a natural stone-like appearance. It is designed to have patterns align seamlessly when multiple slabs are installed side by side, creating the appearance of a single continuous surface across large areas. It also offers high resistance to scratches and stains from everyday use, making it durable and easy to maintain, the company said. LX Hausys has won the award for the second consecutive year, following last year

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