FIFA has promised to deliver a "transparent" bidding process for the 2026 World Cup after the controversy surrounding the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments to Russia and Qatar.　The successful bid will have to "formally commit to conducting their activities based on sustainable event management principles and to respecting international human rights and labor standards" laid out by the United Nations.　A joint United States-Mexico-Canada bid is the favorite to host the 2026 tournament, wi

　The number of traffic-related deaths in South Korea has been on a steady decline, but still remains in the top level among member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, according to data compiled by Statistics Korea.　Based on the OECD’s criteria, the country’s death rate from traffic accidents reached 10 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2016, which is relatively high. 　In 2014, Mexico recorded 15.7 deaths per 100,000 people, followed by Chile with 12.3, the United Sta

　Technology giant Apple is the best brand in the world, according to the annual Interbrand Best Global Brands Report for 2017. Google once again took second place, while Facebook entered the top 10 this year at eighth.　Tech giant Microsoft displaced beverage brand Coca-Cola from third place this year. Other brands among the top 10 are Amazon, Samsung, Toyota, Facebook, Mercedes-Benz and IBM. 　The report estimated the value of the Apple brand at $184 billion, Google at $142 billion and Samsung at

　The German city Dusseldorf was named the best city for driving, according to a German study.　Among the top 10 cities were Zurich, Tokyo and Basel. Kolkata was bottom of the list, followed by Karachi, Lagos, Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia, and Mumbai. 　The study examined factors such as congestion, public transport, the average cost of parking, the cost of fuel as well as the frequency and perception of road rage.

　According to the data compiled by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, foreigners spent around 270 billion won ($235 million) in South Korea on plastic surgeries and dermatology treatments last year.　The number of foreigners visiting South Korea for medical purposes came to 452,380 in 2016, with nearly 100,000 of them receiving beauty-related treatments, the data showed. 　Of the foreign patients visiting plastic surgery clinics, Chinese accounted for 57.7 percent, trailed by Japanese with 5.7 pe

　Soft drinks are the most popular drink consumed by South Koreans, followed by coffee, a survey showed.　The survey of 500 people conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs revealed 26.8 percent picked soda as their most favored drink, trailed by coffee at 17.6 percent.　Beverages for a water supplement came next at 17.3 percent, followed by fruit beverages at 15.1 percent and teas at 13.1 percent.　By gender, soft drinks were more popular among men at 28.8 percent compared to

　According to the OECD data released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, South Korea had 2.2 doctors per 1,000 people in 2015, the lowest number among member states of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.　South Korea scored the lowest in physicians per 1,000 people, with the average being 3.3. The data included licensed physicians practicing Oriental medicine.　Austria ranked top with 5.1 doctors per 1,000 people, followed by Norway with 4.4, Sweden and Switzerland with 4

　Kweather, a governmental body under the Korea Meteorological Administration, forecast that the first appearance of 2017 fall foliage will be on Seoraksan from Wednesday to Thursday. 　Peak colors appear two weeks after the first fall foliage is observed. 　The best of the fall foliage is expected to occur on Odaesan around Oct. 17 and Seoraksan around Oct. 19.

　According to survey data, workers will take an average 8.4 days off and spend 580,000 won during the quickly approaching 10-day Chuseok holiday.　The survey of 858 employees by Hunet, a career education institute, revealed the most common expected expenditure was 300,000 won-500,000 won, at 33.4 percent.　Another 21.4 percent said expenses will be between 500,000 won and 700,000 won. About 17.2 percent said they will spend more than 1 million won, 14.1 percent between 700,000 won and 1 million wo

　According to the IFPI Global Music Report 2016, the United States’ music industry generated $4.9 trillion in 2015, ranking top in the world. 　Japan’s music industry generated $2.63 trillion in 2015, ranking second behind the US. Meanwhile, South Korea’s music industry generated $266 billion in the same year. 　The following are the 10 largest music industries in the world, according to data from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.

　According to a recent United Nations report, the world population of 7.6 billion is expected to reach 8.6 billion in 2030, 9.8 billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion in 2100. 　Roughly 83 million people are expected to be added to the world's population every year, even though fertility levels are assumed to continue declining. 　Among the 10 largest countries worldwide, Nigeria is growing the most rapidly. The population of Nigeria -- currently the world’s seventh largest -- is projected to surpass th

Leaves use carbohydrates (sugars) to continually produce chlorophyll, which makes the leaves green; the chemical absorbs the blue and orange components of sunlight and converts them into energy for the tree.

　The Ring of Fire is a 40,000-kilometer horseshoe-shaped area of intense volcanic and seismic activity that follows the edges of the Pacific Ocean. The Ring of Fire includes 75 percent of the world‘s active volcanoes and is also responsible for 90 percent of the world’s earthquakes.　The Ring of Fire is an arc of mountains, volcanoes and oceanic trenches that stretch from New Zealand northward along the eastern edge of Asia, then east across the Aleutian Islands of Alaska and south along the west

　Hunger is on the increase across the globe once again after a decade of declines, a UN report said.　Most of the world‘s hungry people are in Asia and Africa, with 520 million and 243 million, respectively. But proportionally Africa is hardest hit, with 20 percent of people not having enough food -- in Asia the ratio is 11.7 percent, according to the report.　Overall, the number of chronically hungry people rose to 815 million, or 11 percent of the world's population, in 2016. The figure represen

　Many countries with land borders in Asia have long remained peaceful, others remain tense. Five Asian countries have no land border with other countries. 　In a world of connected societies, border demarcation has been essential. When countries share a border, territorial disputes arise over tracts of land or water that are claimed by different independent countries.　China, the most populous nation on the planet, has 16 unique land neighbors, with 22,147 kilometers of land borders. It has border

　According to an OECD report, Korea was one of the smallest investors in families among member states of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in 2013. The country allocated 1.13 percent of its gross domestic product to family benefits spending, ranking No. 32 among 35 OECD member states surveyed.　The family benefits cited by the report consist of public money allocated to enhance family units, including financial support exclusively for members of households and children, ac

　London remains the world‘s most attractive financial center despite fear mongering over Brexit, according to the Z/Yen Group’s latest Global Financial Centres Index.　The City was placed ahead of New York on factors such as infrastructure and access to high-quality staff.　Hong Kong leapfrogged Singapore into third place.　Six Asian countries ranked in the top 10 in the index of global financial centers.　

　About 90 percent of South Koreans are expected to go on a trip during the Chuseok holiday, which begins late this month, a survey showed Monday.　The government has designated Oct. 2 as a one-off holiday to bridge the Sept. 30 weekend with the Chuseok holiday (Oct. 3-5), National Foundation Day (Oct. 6) and Hangeul Day, which commemorates the invention of the Korean alphabet that falls on Oct. 9.　Of 623 people surveyed by hotel and restaurant reservation app Dailyhotel, 89 percent said they woul

　Nearly 300,000 Rohingya people have fled to Bangladesh to escape the violence in Rakhine state, the United Nations said Saturday, while the Myanmarese government for the first time offered humanitarian aid to members of the Muslim minority still in the country.　The UN is bracing for a further surge in arrivals to Bangladesh. Tens of thousands more are believed to be displaced in Rakhine, fleeing burning villages, the army and ethnic Rakhine mobs, who Rohingya refugees accuse of attacking civili