Author: WWC NEWSDESK

Philippines

Puerto Galera Covered in Haze as Indonesia Fires Send Smoke Across PH—Here’s What Residents Need to Know

PUERTO GALERA, Oriental Mindoro — Residents and visitors are being urged to take extra precautions as haze linked to forest and peatland fires in Indonesia continues to affect parts of the Philippines, including Puerto Galera. The Puerto Galera Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) warned that what may appear to be ordinary mist is actually a concentration of fine particles and pollutants in the air. The advisory comes as smoke from fires in Kalimantan, Indonesia, is

September 5, 2026

Business

Korean Stocks Surge as AI Chip Export Boom Fuels KOSPI Rally — But a New U.S. Rate Shock Could Test the Momentum

South Korea’s stock market delivered another powerful rally Friday as foreign investors piled back into some of the country’s biggest technology names, propelled by extraordinary semiconductor exports and hopes that the U.S. Federal Reserve might hold interest rates steady. But just hours after Seoul closed, Wall Street received fresh economic data that could make the next move much less predictable. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index, or KOSPI, climbed 107.73 points, or 1.64%, to

September 5, 2026

Business

Fake Goods Keep Coming Back Online Despite Aggressive Takedowns — Now the Fight Is Shifting to the Sellers Behind Them

MANILA — Philippine e-commerce platforms are removing counterfeit listings at increasingly high rates. Government agencies are issuing hundreds of takedown orders. Police and Customs are seizing billions of pesos worth of illicit products. Yet consumer advocates say the fake-goods problem is far from solved. Consumer advocacy group Malayang Konsyumer has urged the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, or IPOPHL, to intensify enforcement against counterfeit and unregulated products s

September 5, 2026

Business

Hyundai And POSCO Just Broke Ground On A $5.8B U.S Steel Giant – But One Permit Still Hangs Over The Project

Hyundai Steel has officially broken ground on a $5.8 billion steel mill in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, joining forces with rival POSCO as well as Hyundai Motor and Kia to create what could become a critical new link in Hyundai Motor Group's North American automotive supply chain. The ceremonial groundbreaking took place on September 4, more than a year after Hyundai Motor Group first unveiled the project at the White House in March 2025. Commercial production is targeted for 2029. But the pro

September 5, 2026

Philippines

₱17.27-B Health Projects Flagged: Gatchalian Uncovers 488 HFEP Problems—Then This Bigger Issue Emerged

MANILA, Philippines — Hundreds of government-funded health infrastructure projects have been flagged for implementation problems, raising fresh questions over how billions of pesos intended to improve public healthcare facilities are being used. Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian raised the alarm over 488 infrastructure implementation deficiencies under the Department of Health's (DOH) Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) during the agency's 2027 budget briefing at the Senate on Friday

September 5, 2026

Asia

9 Days Trapped Underground: Two Nepal Workers Finally Pulled Alive From Flooded Tunnel—But Rescuers Heard More

KATHMANDU, Nepal — A dramatic rescue operation in Nepal has delivered a rare breakthrough after two hydropower workers were pulled alive from a mud-filled tunnel nine days after devastating floods and landslides swept through the region. The two men, identified as Sanjay Sah, a mechanical foreman, and Kabir Maharjan, a mechanical supervisor, were rescued Friday from the underground facilities of the Upper Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project in Nepal's Rasuwa district. Their rescue immediately raise

September 5, 2026

Business

South Korea Presses U.S. for Tariff Relief as Hyundai-POSCO Launch $5.8 Billion Louisiana Steel Mill

South Korea is pushing Washington for additional tariff relief just as Hyundai Steel and POSCO move ahead with one of the biggest Korean industrial investments ever undertaken in the United States — a $5.8 billion next-generation steel mill in Louisiana. Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan raised the issue with Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry ahead of the ceremonial launch of the Hyundai-POSCO Louisiana Steel project in Ascension Parish, asking U.S. authorities to ease tariff burdens on specialized equi

September 5, 2026

Business

Sulu Sea Gas Prospect Triples to 8 Tcf as Tetragon Hunts for Global Partners — But the Biggest Test Still Lies Beneath the Seabed

MANILA, Philippines — A little-known gas prospect beneath the Sulu Sea has suddenly become one of the most closely watched exploration plays in the Philippines after its estimated mid-case resource more than tripled to 8 trillion cubic feet. But there is a catch. The company leading the project is now looking for international oil and gas partners willing to help finance the expensive drilling campaign needed to determine whether the enormous gas estimate actually exists underground in commerc

September 5, 2026

Business

PH Business Confidence Sinks Back Below Zero as Inflation and Oil Risks Rattle Firms — But One Signal Says Companies Haven’t Given Up

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine businesses have turned pessimistic again, reversing a brief improvement just one month earlier as high inflation, oil-price risks and renewed Middle East tensions cloud the outlook for companies already facing a slower domestic economy. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ latest Business Expectations Survey showed the overall business confidence index plunging to -20.3 percent in July from 0.0 percent in June. A negative reading means pessimists outnumber optimist

September 5, 2026

Philippines

Duterte Camp Makes New Move Before ICC Trial—And It Could Put Digital Evidence Under the Microscope

MANILA, Philippines — The legal battle surrounding former President Rodrigo Duterte’s International Criminal Court (ICC) case is taking another turn, with his defense team asking judges to impose stricter verification requirements on digital evidence before his trial begins. Duterte’s lawyers have asked the ICC Trial Chamber III to amend its E-Court Protocol, particularly for open-source and user-generated materials that could be presented as evidence in the case. The defense argues that simpl

September 5, 2026