A complete supply-side transformation of China’s housing market is likely to take precedence over any immediate revival in homebuyer demand following Wuhan’s overhaul of new-home sales, according to property analysts. Wuhan, capital of the central Chinese province of Hubei, is the fourth major economic hub – after Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou – to encourage a broader transition towards completed-home sales. “These measures do not directly stimulate demand, but they will drive a structural...

Motorists should expect mixed movements in pump prices in the coming week, with diesel seen rolling back while gasoline might go up by as much as P2 per liter.

After Ping An Bank became the first listed Chinese lender to formally adopt rules governing its use of artificial intelligence, analysts said more mainland institutions were likely to follow, with the move setting an early benchmark for how far the sector can go in applying the technology. The Shenzhen-listed bank said in a filing on Wednesday that its board had approved AI management measures, following a regulatory push for banks to strengthen oversight of AI use. The full rules have not been...

The Department of Health advised motorists to be alert and take extra precautions when driving in areas affected by haze and unclean air, such as Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Siquijor, Cebu, Bohol, and all provinces in Mindanao.

Foreign companies can establish representative offices in Indonesia: KPPA, KP3A, and KP BUJKA, each with specific rules and limitations.

Vietnam leads ASEAN as most attractive for European business expansion, with 64% planning investment growth over five years. Indonesia follows at 57%, while Malaysia and Thailand lag at 49%. Vietnam's appeal combines market opportunity, established business presence, and supply chain resilience needs.

Thailand & Asia | 3 October 2026 Thailand flood losses climb toward THB69 billion as agriculture, factories and exports come under pressure Thailand’s flooding is emerging as a much larger economic shock than the initial urban disruption suggested. A new assessment from Rangsit University puts losses across the agricultural supply chain at THB69.1 billion, equivalent […]

The chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food suggested using cable cars to transport high-value crops from mountain areas as a cheaper, easier way to move goods compared to farm-to-market roads.

The price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is expected to rise by P18/kg in October due to the ongoing Middle East conflict.

As “long-dormant old money” steps back into Hong Kong’s retail property market, McDonald’s has sold the property housing its first New Territories restaurant for HK$120 million (US$15.3 million), extending its year-long sell-down of self-owned shops. The property at 10-22 Tsuen Wan Market Street, spanning the ground floor to the second floor, was sold to Keen Charm Holdings (HK) Limited, with the agreement for sale signed on August 31, according to the Land Registry. Company Registry listed Ngan...

The Philippines and Singapore have concluded the negotiations for updating a pact entered into by the two neighboring countries nearly five decades ago to prevent double taxation.

Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC) has extended the tenure of its current CEO, Clara Chan Ka-chai, for another three years as the city vows to boost emerging industries in its first five-year plan. The wholly government-owned investment vehicle, which manages HK$62 billion (US$7.9 billion) in funds, announced that Chan would stay on as head through October 2029, according to a statement on Friday. “I look forward to Clara’s continued leadership of the HKIC over the next three years,...

A member of the House panel on banks and financial intermediaries said Friday that the P6.60 final pricing of the initial public offering of Mynt Inc., the parent company of mobile wallet GCash, could bring ownership of the digital platforms within reach of a broader base of Filipino investors.

The Social Security System (SSS) on Friday called on its members to avail of the pension fund"s new digital microloan facility, the SSS Micro Loan Program, also known as SSS LoanLite.

The sole residential site included in the Hong Kong government’s latest land sale programme has attracted interest from a host of major developers, with 10 tenders being submitted before a noon deadline on Friday. Chinachem Group, Wheelock Properties, Kerry Properties and Sun Hung Kai Properties all confirmed to the South China Morning Post that they had submitted individual bids for the site on Fat Kwong Street in Ho Man Tin, Kowloon, while Sino Land issued a joint tender with Great Eagle...

Hong Kong stock debuts are losing steam as a deluge of initial public offerings (IPOs) overwhelms investor appetite. Seven of September’s 12 IPOs fell on the first day of trading, raising the third-quarter total to 15 flops out of 31, based on Bloomberg data. By contrast, there were only 14 declines among 77 debuts in the first half of the year. Medcaptain Medical Technology led September’s first-day flops, plunging 43 per cent. Fast-fashion giant Shein tumbled as much as 10 per cent on its...

China has set a five-year goal for the expansion of intelligent computing capacity to drive artificial intelligence (AI) that calls for a more than fourfold increase on what was in place at the end of June this year. To reach the 2030 target while being blocked by the United States from importing the most advanced Western-made AI chips will require innovation, adaptation and the application and coordination of vast resources. Judging by the 177 per cent increase in capacity achieved in the year...

Hong Kong ranked seventh globally as a destination for attracting and retaining the next generation of high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), trailing traditional rival Singapore in sixth place, according to a Savills study. The two top finance hubs in the Asia-Pacific region have been stepping up efforts to strengthen their positions as regional wealth-management hubs amid an unprecedented global transfer of wealth between generations. “Hong Kong offers many incentives similar to Singapore,”...

A sell-off in technology stocks pushed mainland Chinese equities to their lowest level in more than a year, even as Beijing stepped up support for the economy with a key interest rate cut. At the same time, Chinese government bonds attracted fresh interest as US Treasury yields climbed to a new high. Here are some figures that have captured market attention this week. China’s CSI 300 Index hits 13-month low Mainland China’s CSI 300 Index dropped 2.2 per cent on Monday to its lowest level since...

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) on Friday said its recent mobile broadband service speed tests which resulted in sanctions against Globe, PLDT-Smart, and DITO have undergone due process.

Mynt Inc., the parent company of mobile wallet GCash, announced Friday that it has set the final price for its initial public offering (IPO), which could amount to about P60 billion, in what could be the largest and most anticipated IPO in the Philippine capital market.

China’s quantitative investing sector has added 18 new members to the ranks of funds managing more than 10 billion yuan (US$1.5 billion) in assets this year, underlining the industry’s ability to generate competitive returns despite a tight regulatory environment. The firms were among 159 Chinese hedge funds overseeing more than 10 billion yuan each, according to financial news agency Cailian Press. Their growth has been fuelled by technology-driven momentum in the world’s second-largest stock...

Gasoline and kerosene prices may increase, while diesel prices could see a rollback next week based on the latest movement in international oil prices, the Department of Energy (DOE) said Friday.

As education sector demand supports Hong Kong’s Grade A office leasing activity, analysts said infrastructure that will serve the Northern Metropolis could decide whether schools and universities move their administrative and other services to this potential new centre of the city. “Over the medium to long term, the Northern Metropolis could be a viable option for institutions seeking to expand their teaching, research and administrative facilities,” said Kelvin Lee, director at property agency...

Bangkok’s latest floods reveal the economic cost of treating recurring disasters as emergencies, exposing the need for permanent urban resilience and coordinated planning

German semiconductor maker Infineon Technologies has inaugurated a new manufacturing facility in Samut Prakan, marking one of the most significant recent additions to Thailand’s semiconductor ecosystem. The project, valued at about US$1.4 billion by Thailand’s Board of Investment, is designed as a backend manufacturing site covering power modules, discrete devices, wafer testing and research and […]

The Philippines is mulling whether to impose tighter regulations on artificial sweeteners following calls from the sugar industry to protect locally produced sugar, the DA said.

Consumer advocates are calling on the government to reconsider imposing higher excise taxes on vape products.

Filipinos with private insurance could see more of their medical costs covered as the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), major health maintenance organizations (HMOs), and private insurers have inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to coordinate benefits for primary care services.

Philippine share prices continued their decline on Thursday falling further within the 5,600 level as investors opted out of the local stock market amid rising global fuel prices.