YOURSAY | Insecurity, not stability, guides Harapan-Bersatu alliance

Foreign banks trim China branch networks as low returns test strategy

Almost two decades after gaining permission to conduct yuan business for local clients, foreign-funded banks are still refining their strategy in China, where the financial sector is dominated by state-owned lenders. While Citi exited its China retail banking business, other foreign banks have continued to close branches and sub-branches, focusing instead on digitalisation, wealth management and core clients to strengthen their foothold in the market. Deutsche Bank (China) announced the closure...

PH pitches LEC projects to Italian firms

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government has pitched potential projects under the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) to Italian companies interested in investing in infrastructure, technology, and other strategic sectors. This is according to the Department of Finance (DOF), which said it presented potential projects where 10 Italian companies could contribute through financing, technical assistance, technology

Philippines’ ‘China-free’ manufacturing strategy is a high-risk bet

China and the Philippines recently traded accusations over the medical evacuation of a Philippine serviceman from a grounded naval vessel in the hotly disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. The incident has sparked renewed worries about potential armed skirmishes in a global artery of trade. But Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr was also quick to emphasise the economic dimensions of a major conflict. After a decade of rapid economic growth, the Philippines is facing...

BIR: Senior citizen discount burden to be shared among drugstores, pharmas, supermarkets

The Bureau of Internal Revenue has released new rules to make it fairer for drugstores, supermarkets, and pharmaceutical companies when they give discounts to senior citizens.

There’s a village behind every Likhang Habi piece

‘It's really about the people behind every craft that we create. It represents the sacrifices, the hard work, the time and effort that they have put into the piece.’

Baligod, 4 ex-bodyguards of Zaldy Co post bail

Lawyer Levito Baligod and four former bodyguards of ex-lawmaker Zaldy Co posted bail and were freed on Friday after their arrest in San Juan City.

Japan’s Takaichi sends offering to controversial Yasukuni war shrine

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Saturday sent a ritual offering to Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, regarded by Japan’s neighbours as a symbol of the country’s past militarism, at the start of its three-day autumn festival. Takaichi, known as a conservative who routinely visited the Shinto shrine before becoming prime minister a year ago, was unlikely to visit the shrine during the festival, a source close to her said, amid strained relations with China and relatively stable ties with South Korea. The...

DOST chief: No talk of data center in Clark under Pax Silica initiative

DAVAO CITY — Science Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. clarified on Thursday that discussions about the US-led Pax Silica program in the country does not include the setup of data centers in the New Clark City in Tarlac. “We should understand that this Pax Silica program of the United States has many components. It has a component that manufacture chips and semiconductors that will be used later on in the development of data centers or artificial intelligence hubs. (But) it is not a data center,” Solidum told reporters here. “There will be no data center to be put up there,” he pointed out. READ: Pax Silica brings promise – but at what cost? Instead, what is being planned in New Clark City is

Heavy rains batter Bohol towns on Friday

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol — Heavy rains on Friday, Oct. 16, toppled an acacia tree in Barangay Agape in Loay town, and triggered a landslide along a national highway in nearby Loboc, Bohol disrupting traffic in both towns. The acacia tree fell across the national highway in Barangay Agape at around 6:20 p.m., briefly causing traffic

Love Knots, October 17, 2026

Malaysia’s shoppers love Chinese e-commerce. Its factories pay the price

In hindsight, it was only a matter of time before Esha Yusof joined the growing ranks of Malaysian shoppers being drawn to Chinese e-commerce giant Pinduoduo. Esha is a relative newcomer. She signed up in July, more than half a year after the platform launched in Malaysia – and has been smitten with it ever since. Rock-bottom prices, a vast range of products and seamless payments through a popular local e-wallet make it easy for the 32-year-old to spend an average of 500 ringgit (US$122) a month...