Ex-Bangsamoro lawmaker tagged as mastermind in foiled drug haul – PDEA

Inquirer.net - Oct 22, 2026

MANILA, Philippines – The individual previously identified as the financial backer of an intercepted P3.5-billion shipment of shabu (methamphetamine) from Laos is now considered the “mastermind” behind the smuggling attempt, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Isagani Nerez said on Thursday. Nerez said Sultan Edrieza Hadji Nasser Rimbang “appears not as a mere financier,

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Oct 22, 2026

Handwritten bomb threat prompts Pampanga school to halt classes

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—A bomb threat at the Our Lady of Fatima University campus in Pampanga prompted school and police officials to suspend classes on Thursday morning. The bomb threat was conveyed in a note left in one of the comfort rooms, according to Col. Ricardo David, Pampanga police director. David said the note was

Oct 22, 2026

52.6 million Filipinos could not afford healthy diet in 2025

MANILA, Philippines — Nearly half of the Philippine population could not afford a healthy diet in 2025, with an estimated 52.6 million people unable to pay for enough nutritious food after covering other essential household expenses, according to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). In an analysis of the

Oct 22, 2026

NGCP to place Visayas grid on red, yellow alert Thursday

MANILA, Philippines — The Visayas grid will be placed on red and yellow alerts on Thursday, Oct. 22, said the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP). In an advisory, the NGCP said the Visayas grid will be placed under red alert from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. READ: NGCP: Mindanao reserves may run out

Oct 22, 2026

Robbery case filed vs Koronadal ex-employee over missing rice

KORONADAL CITY — The city government here has filed a robbery complaint against a former employee for allegedly stealing rice and other supplies from its warehouse, Mayor Erlinda Araquil said. Araquil said they filed the complaint with the City Prosecutor’s Office last Tuesday against the former employee over the alleged theft of government property from

Oct 22, 2026

DOTr, Marina eye pilot testing of hybrid, full electric ferries

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) are planning to pilot test fully electric and hybrid ferries on select routes in the country to reduce carbon emissions and fuel costs. According to Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez on Thursday, the initiative aims to harness the hybrid technology to benefit

Oct 22, 2026

Witness: Zaldy Co’s alleged kickbacks have acknowledgment receipts

MANILA, Philippines — The alleged kickbacks delivered to former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co from state witness and former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineer Henry Alcantara have acknowledgement receipts (AR), a witness told the Sandiganbayan Third Division on Thursday. Wirt Walter Rosales, personal assistant of Alcantara, made this revelation when he testified during the bail

Oct 22, 2026

Korea's int'l student boom puts universities to new test

SINGAPORE, LONDON, SEOUL — Korea reached its goal of attracting 300,000 international students ahead of schedule. Now comes the harder part. As the government shifts its focus from quantity to quality, universities face a tougher test of whether they can turn rising enrollment into quality education, meaningful career opportunities and long-term talent retention. Under its Study Korea 300K initiative launched in 2023, the government set a target of attracting 300,000 international students by 2027. It reached that milestone early, with enrollment climbing to 307,464 this year, according to the Ministry of Education. Yet the gap between recruitment and retention remains wide, raising questions about whether universities are equipped to deliver on the government's new priorities. Despite a surge in international enrollment, Korea continues to struggle to retain foreign graduates. Of the 36,271 international students who graduated from Korean universities between August 2023 and February 2024, 42.9 percent left Korea, while fewer than 5,000 secured employment in the country. The problem is

Oct 22, 2026

Kentucky bourbon master eyes global expansion with Korean bartenders

Jefferson’s Bourbon founder Trey Zoeller was in Seoul last week for a special event in Korea, offering a unique opportunity to introduce his Kentucky-based brand to Korean consumers. It marked the finale of a six-month program involving 40 Korean bartenders who explored the brand and developed their own cocktails using its bourbon. Zoeller, who founded the brand with his father, Chet Zoeller, in 1997, came to Korea to recognize the bartenders whose cocktails for the Camp Jefferson program sold the most and best reflected his vision for the brand. In 2023, Zoeller and his late father were inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame. During the event, he shared insights into the brand with the participating bartenders, explaining how his passion for outdoor adventure helped shape its identity beyond bourbon-making traditions. Zoeller said he was surprised to see his bourbon transformed into a variety of creative cocktails he had never imagined before. “I loved it. There was so much creativity that came through so many different variations of products that I never had. I tasted every

Oct 22, 2026

Korea, US conclude multinational maritime mine warfare exercise off Busan

WASHINGTON — South Korea and the United States have concluded a multinational maritime mine warfare exercise off Korea's southeastern port city of Busan with 15 partner nations, according to the U.S. Navy. The ninth Multi-National Mine Warfare Exercise 2026 concluded Friday after bringing together mine countermeasures vessels, explosive ordnance disposal personnel, clearance divers and autonomous underwater vehicles, the U.S. Navy said in a press release. The exercise was aimed at strengthening mine warfare capabilities and interoperability among participating navies through combined maritime operations. It included mine-hunting operations, harbor clearance and port-entry scenarios, mine detection and neutralization, and seabed surveys using unmanned underwater systems. The U.S. Navy deployed USS Chief, an Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship, alongside expeditionary mine countermeasures companies and diving detachments. The South Korean Navy participated with mine laying and hunting vessels, supported by specialized clearance divers and underwater disposal teams. The exercise also i

Oct 22, 2026

Cuba seeks closer ties with S. Korea amid prolonged US embargo: envoy

Cuba is seeking to deepen economic ties with South Korea as it has been grappling with the economic and energy crises exacerbated by decadeslong U.S. sanctions on Havana, the Cuban ambassador to Seoul has said. Ambassador Claudio Raul Monzon Baeza made the remarks in an interview with Yonhap News Agency in Seoul on Monday, ahead of next week's vote at the U.N. General Assembly on Cuba's annual resolution calling for an end to the U.S. embargo. "There has been a constant trickle of new measures and sanctions that affect both the public and private sectors," Monzon said. "This is an unprecedented offensive aimed at causing a humanitarian crisis by strangling the economy." The ambassador said intensified U.S. sanctions have had far-reaching effects on Cuba's trade, fuel supplies and public services, including healthcare. "If not the worst, it's at least one of the worst situations we've been through," he said. Cuba has submitted an annual resolution against the U.S. embargo since 1992, and this year will be no exception, with a vote scheduled for Oct. 27-28. "There is a clear and unquestiona

Oct 22, 2026

NK leader's sister warns of border countermeasures, loudspeakers to be ready within days

Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, warned Thursday of "new counter means" along the inter-Korean border, saying propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts against South Korea will be ready within days. Kim's warning came a day after she inspected the North's border fortification work and threatened to take military action against South Korean troops over firing warning shots at North Korean soldiers crossing the border. "Our new counter means will get into the alert for duty at all the southern border line and the loudspeakers against the ROK will be on standby in a matter of days," Kim said in a statement carried by the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). ROK is the acronym for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea. Kim warned Wednesday that Pyongyang would resume propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts toward South Korea later this month, as South Korea has vowed to respond sternly to North Korean troops crossing the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) during border fortification work. "Within the territory where our sovereignty is exercised, the perm

Oct 22, 2026

S. Korean, US air forces to bolster autonomous combat platform cooperation

The air forces of Korea and the United States will sign a letter of intent (LOI) on autonomous combat platform cooperation Thursday to bolster collaboration in the manned-unmanned combat systems, the Korean Air Force said. The LOI will be signed during a meeting between the chiefs of staff of the two countries' air forces — Gen. Son Sug-rag and U.S. Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, the South's armed force said in a statement. The autonomous collaborative platform (ACP) refers to an autonomous system designed to collaborate with manned aircraft and other unmanned assets to execute air missions. Such manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) is regarded as a cornerstone of next-generation air operations, reducing risks to pilots and significantly boosting the operational range and survival chances for airmen. The collaboration comes as the U.S. Air Force is pushing for the development and operational integration of the unmanned combat aircraft systems. Korea's Air Force is also working to lay the groundwork to secure operational capabilities for the MUM-T systems. Building on the collaboration, the two air fo

Ex-Bangsamoro lawmaker tagged as mastermind in foiled drug haul – PDEA

MORE NEWS

Handwritten bomb threat prompts Pampanga school to halt classes

52.6 million Filipinos could not afford healthy diet in 2025

NGCP to place Visayas grid on red, yellow alert Thursday

Robbery case filed vs Koronadal ex-employee over missing rice

DOTr, Marina eye pilot testing of hybrid, full electric ferries

Witness: Zaldy Co’s alleged kickbacks have acknowledgment receipts

Korea's int'l student boom puts universities to new test

Kentucky bourbon master eyes global expansion with Korean bartenders

Korea, US conclude multinational maritime mine warfare exercise off Busan

Cuba seeks closer ties with S. Korea amid prolonged US embargo: envoy

NK leader's sister warns of border countermeasures, loudspeakers to be ready within days

S. Korean, US air forces to bolster autonomous combat platform cooperation

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