Alcantara: P213.75M in kickbacks delivered to Estrada

Inquirer.net - Nov 14, 2026

A total of P213.75 million worth of kickbacks was delivered to a hotel in Manila allegedly for Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) district engineer Henry Alcantara testified before the Sandiganbayan Second Division on Friday. Speaking as a witness for the prosecution in the continuation of Estrada’s graft trial, Alcantara

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With only 20,000 Korean War veterans still alive, gov't steps up efforts to preserve their stories

Nov 14, 2026

With only 20,000 Korean War veterans still alive, gov't steps up efforts to preserve their stories

PYEONGTAEK, Gyeonggi Province — When a group of Korean War veterans visited Camp Humphreys on Nov. 5, the emotional meeting with a new generation of American soldiers offered a rare moment of recognition. However, for the roughly 20,000 Korean veterans of the 1950-53 war still living — now averaging 94 years old — the more urgent question is whether the government can provide adequate care, medical support and financial assistance in their remaining years. Vice Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Kang Yun-jin, who accompanied them, said the visit brought back memories of her earlier work promoting exchanges between Korean and American veterans. Watching the veterans receive a warm welcome from U.S. soldiers was particularly moving, she said. But beyond such occasions, Kang said the government’s priority must be ensuring that veterans receive proper care and recognition while they are still alive. “What matters most is ensuring that veterans can spend their remaining years in good health and comfort, with the pride and honor they deserve for their service to the country,”

[COVER STORY] 'It feels like coming home': Korean War veterans revisit US Army base after 70 years

Nov 14, 2026

[COVER STORY] 'It feels like coming home': Korean War veterans revisit US Army base after 70 years

PYEONGTAEK, Gyeonggi Province — More than seven decades after the 1950-53 Korean War, a group of Korean veterans returned to a U.S. Army base where they once served — this time as honored guests of a new generation of American soldiers. “It feels like coming home,” said Kang Ku-kon, who was 15 when he volunteered and began helping care for wounded American soldiers at an Eighth Army field hospital. “I served here 70 years ago. The moment I walked in, even the smell was the same.” Kang was among a group of Korean War veterans welcomed to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, on Nov. 5. As their bus arrived at the Van Fleet Hall, a U.S. Army band began playing. For many of the visitors, now in their 90s, the trip offered a chance to see a place tied to their wartime service and meet the soldiers stationed there today. The visit grew out of a request from the veterans themselves. Vice Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Kang Yun-jin said several veterans, including Ryu Jae-sik, head of the Korean War Veterans Association’s Seoul branch, raised the idea at a mem

Antitrust fines to hit brokerage, bank earnings but leave capital buffers intact: KIS report

Nov 14, 2026

Antitrust fines to hit brokerage, bank earnings but leave capital buffers intact: KIS report

Korea’s largest-ever antitrust fine will cut into this year’s earnings at the brokerages and banks that underwrite government debt, but it is unlikely to weaken their capital buffers, according to Korea Investors Service (KIS), a Moody’s affiliate. In a report released earlier this week, the credit rating agency said the penalties imposed by the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) will make “a short-term decline in profitability unavoidable,” especially at the firms facing the largest penalties. It added that their capital strength and the earnings they built up in the first half should be enough to absorb the cost, creating a formidable yet manageable financial hurdle for the country's primary financial institutions. The regulatory crackdown stems from an investigation into primary dealers in Korea's sovereign debt market. The FTC issued corrective orders on Wednesday and imposed roughly 1.6 trillion won ($1.2 billion) in combined fines on 15 financial institutions — all designated primary dealers responsible for underwriting Korea Treasury bonds — for restricting competit

Trump to meet Xi, Putin in China next week; no plans for N. Korea engagement: reports

Nov 14, 2026

Trump to meet Xi, Putin in China next week; no plans for N. Korea engagement: reports

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in China next week, while there are no plans for him to engage with North Korea during his upcoming Asia trip, foreign media reports said Friday. Trump will meet Xi and Putin on Thursday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China, Bloomberg reported, citing a White House spokeswoman. The planned meeting comes as Trump seeks a diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine, while Washington and Beijing continue to navigate differences over trade, tariffs and other geopolitical issues. Separately, Reuters reported that a U.S. official said there were no plans for Trump to engage with North Korea during his trip to Asia next week, amid speculation over the possibility of renewed diplomacy between Washington and Pyongyang.

FAST FACTS: What is a Super El Niño, and what should we expect from it?

Nov 14, 2026

FAST FACTS: What is a Super El Niño, and what should we expect from it?

This Super El Niño is expected to bring prolonged dry spells, drought, and water shortages until April 2027

From selling shoes at 8, SM’s Tessie Sy-Coson still sees the perks of being small

Nov 14, 2026

From selling shoes at 8, SM’s Tessie Sy-Coson still sees the perks of being small

'My dad always tells his friends that if he can do it, you can do it too,' says Teresita Sy-Coson, recalling her childhood helping out at Henry Sy Sr.'s little shoe shop that would grow into the SM empire

LIVE UPDATES: 49th ASEAN Summit in Manila

Nov 14, 2026

LIVE UPDATES: 49th ASEAN Summit in Manila

Leaders and representatives of the 11 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and their allies, are gathering in Manila for the bloc's biggest event of the year

6 areas log danger-level heat indices on Friday, Nov. 13

Nov 14, 2026

6 areas log danger-level heat indices on Friday, Nov. 13

MANILA, Philippines — Several areas reached danger-level heat indices on Friday amid the effects of El Niño, the state weather bureau said. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) tags indices ranging between 42°C and 51°C as “danger” level due to increased risks of heat cramps and heat exhaustion, which could then lead

Jeepney drivers affected by ASEAN preps also given aid -- DSWD

Nov 14, 2026

Jeepney drivers affected by ASEAN preps also given aid -- DSWD

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Saturday said jeepney drivers, whose routes were affected by security measures implemented for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Pasay City, were also given cash aid by the government.

LTFRB assists deaf woman file abuse raps vs bus conductor in Bohol

Nov 14, 2026

LTFRB assists deaf woman file abuse raps vs bus conductor in Bohol

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol — A deaf and mute woman and her minor daughter have received assistance from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Central Visayas (LTFRB-7) in filing criminal charges against a bus conductor accused of sexual harassment aboard a Ceres Liner bus in Bohol. In a statement, LTFRB-7 said it had also

Suspect eludes arrest but drugs, gun, grenade seized in Sultan Kudarat

Nov 14, 2026

Suspect eludes arrest but drugs, gun, grenade seized in Sultan Kudarat

COTABATO CITY – Police operatives in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat on Thursday were to search the home of a man suspected to be in possession of illegal drugs and firearms but he escaped before law enforcers reached his home in Barangay Lagandang around 3 p.m. READ: Gun confiscated from teenaged student in Sultan Kudarat Stil, law

Cops seize P900,000 smuggled cigarettes in Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat

Nov 14, 2026

Cops seize P900,000 smuggled cigarettes in Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat

COTABATO CITY – A businesswoman in Cotabato province and a pump boat operator in Sultan Kudarat province were separately arrested for trying to smuggle contraband cigarettes past law enforcers on Thursday, the Police Regional Office (PRO-12) said. Brig. Gen. Alan Manibog, Police Regional Office (PRO-12) director, said that in Kabacan, Cotabato, a 27-year-old woman was

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