SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean and U.S. troops will begin their annual exercises next week to beef up readiness against North Korean threats, the allies announced Monday, days after North Korea resumed ballistic missile testing activities that are banned by the U.N. The Ulchi Freedom...
The United Kingdom (UK) has launched consultations to assess the potential benefits of a deeper trade relationship with the Philippines, following the start of preparatory talks for Manila’s potential accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)....
The Philippine economy faces an uphill battle in the second half of 2026 after posting its weakest post-pandemic growth, with private sector economists warning that faster infrastructure spending, easing inflation, and stronger investor confidence will determine whether the country can meet the...
The Department of National Defense (DND) on Saturday, Aug. 8, rejected China’s demand for the Philippines to abandon its position on Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough or Panatag Shoal), saying it would continue to exercise its sovereignty over the disputed maritime feature. DND spokesperson Asst....
A new United Nations (UN) report has warned that illicit tobacco trade is helping finance non-state armed groups and criminal organizations operating in Mindanao, turning cigarette smuggling from a revenue-loss issue into a broader peace, order, and national security concern. According to the UN...
“Wetlands are weird,” said Dr. Jerome L. Montemayor, executive director of the Laguna-based ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity. “To those who are unfamiliar, it either looks like a muddy lake or a waterlogged forest. But after years in this field, you will definitely learn to appreciate these...
Logistics giant United Parcel Service Co. (UPS) is looking to transfer some of its existing Hong Kong-based flights serving other countries to Clark International Airport, as it prepares to position the gateway as its next major logistics hub. In a notice dated July 31 seen by Manila Bulletin, UPS...
Philippine economic growth likely picked up above the three-percent level in the second quarter, mainly on improved spending on public goods and services, with most private-sector economists expecting the economy to perform better than in the previous quarter despite lingering headwinds from...
The Philippines has formally deposited with the United Nations its official nautical chart of Bajo de Masinloc and its surrounding maritime zones, placing the country 's baselines and the geographic extent of its claimed authority and jurisdiction around the shoal on the public international...
The Philippines has formally presented before the United Nations (UN) Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) its partial submission seeking recognition of the country 's entitlement to an extended continental shelf (ECS) in the West Philippine Sea, covering the West Palawan...
The war in the Middle East could push as many as 86,000 more people living in Philippine urban areas into poverty as higher fuel, food, as well as transport costs strain household budgets, according to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). In its...
Asia United Bank (AUB) reported a slight uptick in net income to ₱6.19 billion for the first half of 2026 from ₱6.13 billion in the same period last year due to steady growth in its core lending business and a resilient funding base. In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, the bank...
