South Cotabato gears up for ‘super’ El Niño

Inquirer.net - Oct 12, 2026

KORONADAL CITY — South Cotabato has stepped up preparations for the projected “super” El Niño, with water facilities, disaster funds, and relief supplies ready amid concerns about prolonged severe dry conditions that could affect farms, livestock, and public health. Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. said the province has prepared early for the possible effects of a

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Oct 12, 2026

Maguindanao del Norte village chair shot dead in Sultan Kudarat

COTABATO CITY — A village chair of Maguindanao del Norte was shot dead in Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat, on Sunday, police confirmed Monday. Maj. Jeffrey Lazaro, chief of the Esperanza Municipal Police Station, identified the victim as Datu Manalao Mangelen Nur Sr., chairperson of Barangay Dados in Datu Odin Sinsuat town. Nur was aboard his black

Oct 12, 2026

Romualdez’s bail hearing for plunder begins

MANILA, Philippines – Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s bail hearing at the Sandiganbayan Third Division for his plunder case began Monday, with the accused attending via video conference from detention facility. Romualdez also signed the pretrial order remotely at the New Quezon City Jail of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Barangay Payatas.

Oct 12, 2026

‘Maleta boys’ to testify vs Romualdez in plunder bail hearing

MANILA, Philippines — Two former bodyguards of ex-Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co, known as the “maleta boys,” are set to testify on Monday in the bail hearing of former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, who is facing a plunder case over alleged kickbacks worth P7.44 billion. George Villalon Jr. and Johnny Buduan will take the witness

Oct 12, 2026

Fallen Isabela soldier given full military, Islamic honors in Sulu

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur – The Philippine Army’s 11th Infantry “Alakdan” Division paid its final tribute to Corporal Efren Lagmay, who succumbed to injuries following an ambush in Basilan. Lagmay, a member of the 45th Infantry “Gallant” Battalion, died on Friday, October 9, after being wounded in an ambush in Lamitan City the previous

Oct 12, 2026

Best spots for autumn stroll: 4 destinations in South Gyeongsang Province

October, when autumn colors grow richer, is an ideal time to slow down and take in the seasonal scenery on foot. With every step, the changing hues of autumn leaves, the breeze, ancient trees and forest paths offer a chance to escape the daily routine and fully immerse oneself in the spirit of the season. To mark the arrival of October, South Gyeongsang Province and the Gyeongnam Tourism Foundation have recommended four destinations under the theme “Autumn Foliage Tours on Foot,” where visitors can experience the beauty of fall up close. The routes each offer a distinct appeal, from the ridgelines of Mount Jiri and urban walking trails to historic paths shaded by ancient trees and scenic valley trails. As autumn deepens, the area around Odojae Pass in Hamyang is blanketed in red and yellow foliage, creating a striking contrast with the majestic ridgelines of Mount Jiri. Jiri Mountain Observatory Park offers sweeping views of the mountain range, while visitors can savor the autumn atmosphere on a leisurely walk along the path leading to Jiri Mountain Jeilmun Gate. One of the area's

Oct 12, 2026

Seoul Grand Park to unveil twin baby red pandas

Maru and Marong, twin red pandas born at Seoul Grand Park in the first successful breeding of the species in Korea, will make their public debut on Oct. 14. The park said Wednesday that the cubs, born on June 19, have grown healthily and recently begun exploring outside their den. It decided to introduce them to the public earlier than originally planned. The twins are the first red pandas to be born through successful breeding in Korea. Their mother, Rian, arrived from Tama Zoological Park in Japan in 2023, while their father, Ravi, came from the Calgary Zoo in Canada the same year. The cubs were named through a public contest on social media. The female was named Marong and the male Maru. Marong's name evokes a chestnut that is full and abundant, symbolizing the hope that she will grow into a bright-natured animal that embraces the world with warmth and generosity. Maru's name expresses the wish that he will be a precious and outstanding presence who brings comfort and love to many people. The cubs are learning various behaviors by following Rian, including walking, climbing trees and

Oct 12, 2026

Why some Koreans look beyond their culture to Islam

An estimated 45,000 ethnic Koreans born and raised in South Korea have changed their faith to Islam. Among them is Yusuf, an ethnic Korean in his 30s who converted to Islam in 2014. “Most of the men do it to find wives," Yusuf said. Disillusioned with Korea's competitive dating culture, especially in Seoul, many of the men seeking out Islam are also seeking a return to what Yusuf described as a simpler path to marriage. At Seoul Central Masjid in Itaewon, between five and 25 new converts arrive every month for the training course in basic Islamic tenets. Students may choose to recite the Shahada — the Muslim declaration of faith and the first of the five pillars of the religion — and officially convert to Islam at the end. Most of them are men. Female converts, while not explicitly motivated by marriage, also cited “simplicity” when asked about why they became Muslim. Two interviewees said they found the basic premise of Islam — one God — appealing. Areum, a Korean follower in her 30s, said Islam’s respect for elders also aligned well with her native Korean culture, makin

Oct 12, 2026

Chungbuk Nat'l University's AI, business programs draw 1,800 int'l students

Chungbuk National University is seeing tangible results from its efforts to attract international students, with its School of International Studies playing a central role and the expansion of degree programs in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), software and global business. The university enrolled more than 1,800 international students from approximately 40 countries this year, reflecting its efforts to expand its global student population. The university introduced a master’s program in global business in September 2024, followed by graduate programs in convergence software and global education in September last year. It also broadened its offerings in March this year with the introduction of two undergraduate majors in convergence software and global education. Following the expansion, the university enrolled 385 new students across five undergraduate and graduate programs for the fall 2026 semester, including 109 in the master's program in convergence software, which has drawn growing interest amid rising demand for AI-related education. Students at the School of Interna

Oct 12, 2026

3 telecoms' Q3 profits to jump 84% to $1.04 bil.

Three major telecom companies — SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus — are expected to report an 83.56 percent year-on-year jump in combined third-quarter operating profits to 1.37 trillion won ($1.04 billion), as one-off costs from last year’s hacking incident and voluntary retirement program fade. Their combined revenue is also forecast to rise 1.54 percent to about 15.35 trillion won. According to financial data provider FnGuide, the increase largely reflects a low base from last year, when SK Telecom incurred expenses related to a SIM card data breach and LG Uplus recorded costs for a voluntary retirement program. The combined figure would also be 10.47 percent higher than the 1.24 trillion won recorded in the third quarter of 2024, putting earnings above pre-incident levels. SK Telecom is expected to lead the recovery, with an operating profit soaring 981.5 percent year-on-year to 523.9 billion won and revenue rising 11.87 percent to about 4.45 trillion won. The company’s operating profit slumped to 48.4 billion won in the third quarter last year after the breach in April led to costl

Oct 12, 2026

FTC head vows stern action against unfair practices burdening people

The head of Korea's antitrust watchdog said Monday his agency will take stern action against unfair market practices, such as price fixing, that add to people's financial burdens. Ju Biung-ghi, head of the Fair Trade Commission (FTC), made the remarks during a parliamentary audit at the National Assembly, noting the watchdog will work to revamp policies to root out such abuses. "To fundamentally address deep-rooted price fixing in the market, the FTC will develop more effective policy measures, such as revoking the registrations of businesses repeatedly engaging in price fixing, seeking business suspensions or ordering companies to reset their prices," Ju said. The chairperson added the commission will proactively address unfair practices in sectors closely linked to people's daily lives, including the wedding, leisure and funeral industries. Ju said the FTC's policy goals include giving vulnerable groups, including small businesses and the self-employed, a stronger voice. "To ease the imbalance of power among market players, we aim to establish an environment where they can compete fairl

Oct 12, 2026

Lee's approval rating falls for 2nd straight week: poll

President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating fell for the second consecutive week to 35.2 percent, a poll showed Monday, amid controversies over judicial independence and last month's mine blast near the border. In the poll conducted on 1,504 adults nationwide from last Tuesday to Thursday by Realmeter, positive assessments of Lee's job performance fell by 2.2 percentage points from the previous week. Negative assessments rose 1.6 percentage points to 61.4 percent. "Controversies surrounding judicial independence involving Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, disputes between rival parties over mine explosions in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), as well as rising rental and housing prices in the Seoul metropolitan area, all came under the spotlight during parliamentary audits, leading to the decline in approval ratings," the pollster said. In a separate survey of 1,004 adults conducted last Wednesday and Thursday, support for the ruling Democratic Party fell 7 percentage points to 35.5 percent, while that of the main opposition People Power Party rose 2.9 percentage points to 41.3 percent.

Oct 12, 2026

Cheong Wa Dae urges N. Korea to immediately halt illegal missile launches

The presidential National Security Office (NSO) demanded Monday that North Korea immediately stop its ballistic missile launches, calling them a grave violation of international sanctions. The NSO issued the call during an emergency meeting, shortly after the South Korean military detected multiple ballistic missiles launched from the Pyongyang area over the East Sea. "North Korea's repeated ballistic missile launches are grave acts that violate U.N. Security Council resolutions and are of no help to managing the current situation on the Korean Peninsula, and (the NSO) demanded they be halted immediately," presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing. The meeting brought together officials from the defense ministry and the Joint Chiefs of Staff and reviewed the country's readiness posture and security situation in light of North Korea's recent successive missile launches, according to the spokesperson. The NSO called for taking all necessary measures while analyzing and assessing the latest launch's impact on South Korea's security. North Korea last fired a ballistic

South Cotabato gears up for ‘super’ El Niño

MORE NEWS

Maguindanao del Norte village chair shot dead in Sultan Kudarat

Romualdez’s bail hearing for plunder begins

‘Maleta boys’ to testify vs Romualdez in plunder bail hearing

Fallen Isabela soldier given full military, Islamic honors in Sulu

Best spots for autumn stroll: 4 destinations in South Gyeongsang Province

Seoul Grand Park to unveil twin baby red pandas

Why some Koreans look beyond their culture to Islam

Chungbuk Nat'l University's AI, business programs draw 1,800 int'l students

3 telecoms' Q3 profits to jump 84% to $1.04 bil.

FTC head vows stern action against unfair practices burdening people

Lee's approval rating falls for 2nd straight week: poll

Cheong Wa Dae urges N. Korea to immediately halt illegal missile launches

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