Category: Asia

Business

Mexico Reopens Japan Steel Dumping Fight After Imports Surge 35-Fold — The 2024 Decision Behind It Is Back in Focus

MEXICO CITY — Mexico has reopened a potentially consequential trade battle with Japan over steel, launching an anti-dumping investigation after authorities found preliminary evidence that imports of Japanese steel plate surged dramatically while entering the Mexican market at prices substantially below those charged by domestic producers. Mexico’s Economy Ministry formally opened the investigation in a resolution published in the Diario Oficial de la Federación on September 2, following a compl

September 2, 2026

Singapore

Singapore’s New Childcare Leave Scheme Will Take Months to Roll Out as Employers Brace for Staffing Pressure

SINGAPORE — Singapore parents expecting up to 12 days of childcare leave under the government’s latest family-support push will have to wait a little longer, with Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah warning that the expanded scheme will take “at least several months” to implement. The delay is not a reversal of the policy announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the National Day Rally on August 23. Instead, the government must first amend legislation, overhaul administrat

September 2, 2026

Philippines

Luzon Floods Refuse to Recede After Habagat as NLEX Gridlock, Evacuations Deepen Crisis

MANILA, Philippines — The rain may have weakened in parts of Luzon, but for thousands of families trapped by stubborn floodwaters, the disaster is far from over. Days after torrential monsoon rains inundated communities across Central Luzon and other parts of the country, floodwaters remained dangerously high in several areas Wednesday, September 2, disrupting highways, isolating communities and keeping families inside evacuation centers. The prolonged flooding has transformed what began as a

September 2, 2026

Business

THAILAND’S SOLAR SHIELD: 1 Million Homes Targeted as LNG Prices Put Energy Security at Risk — What Comes Next?

BANGKOK — Thailand is accelerating its push into rooftop solar as the government looks to protect households from volatile energy prices and reduce the country's heavy dependence on imported liquefied natural gas (LNG). Energy Minister Akanat Promphan said Thailand plans to help install 5 gigawatts (GW) of rooftop solar capacity within one year, with the program potentially reaching around 1 million households. The initiative comes as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have exposed the v

September 2, 2026

Philippines

Balanga Launches Citywide Cleanup After Habagat Flooding as Bataan Shifts From Rescue to Recovery

BALANGA CITY, Bataan — Balanga has launched a citywide post-disaster cleanup after another stretch of punishing rains and flooding linked to the southwest monsoon, or Habagat, as authorities race to clear communities and waterways before the next round of heavy weather arrives. The cleanup operation, reported by the Manila Standard on September 2, comes after days of weather disruptions across Bataan and much of western and Central Luzon. But for Balanga, the bigger challenge may go beyond cle

September 2, 2026

Philippines

Lazatin Gives Angeles Cops ₱100,000 After Five Robbery Suspects Are Caught in Three Days

ANGELES CITY, Pampanga — A three-day police operation that led to the arrest of five people linked to robbery incidents in Angeles City has earned local officers a ₱100,000 cash incentive from Pampanga First District Rep. Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin Jr., putting renewed attention on the city’s campaign against street crime. The five suspects were arrested in separate police actions conducted from August 25 to 27, 2026, according to reports from Pampanga News Now and Punto Central Luzon. The operatio

September 2, 2026

Business

Dell’s AI Server Orders Hit $60.9 Billion—But the $95 Billion Backlog Is the Number Wall Street Can’t Ignore

Dell Technologies has delivered one of the clearest signals yet that the global artificial intelligence infrastructure boom is still accelerating, sending its shares sharply higher after the computer and server giant unveiled record quarterly results and dramatically upgraded its financial outlook. Dell shares climbed nearly 10% in U.S. premarket trading on September 2 after the company revealed that demand for AI-optimized servers had reached unprecedented levels. But behind the stock-market e

September 2, 2026

Business

FROM LOCAL TO NATIONWIDE: Filipino Entrepreneurs Are Taking Homegrown Products Online — But the Real Secret to Scaling May Be Where They Started

MANILA, Philippines — For many Filipino entrepreneurs, the path to bigger markets is no longer about abandoning their local roots. Instead, more homegrown businesses are discovering that their communities, traditions and locally made products can become their biggest competitive advantage in the digital economy. A new wave of Filipino entrepreneurs is using e-commerce to take products that once served mainly local customers to buyers across the Philippines—while keeping the stories and communit

September 2, 2026

Philippines

More Than 10,000 Army Personnel Deployed for Historic BARMM Elections as Security Risks Come Into Focus

MANILA, Philippines — More than 10,000 Philippine Army personnel have been deployed across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao as authorities mount one of the most closely watched election-security operations in the region’s recent history ahead of the September 14, 2026 Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections. The Army said 10,031 soldiers and CAFGU Active Auxiliary members from the 1st, 6th and 11th Infantry Divisions have been mobilized to support security operations surrounding t

September 2, 2026

Politics

OVP Seeks ₱785-Million Budget for 2027 — But the Bigger Question Isn’t the ₱104-Million Cut

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Vice President is heading into the 2027 budget season with a smaller spending plan, asking Congress for ₱785.204 million in new appropriations, or roughly ₱104 million less than the ₱889.236 million appropriated to the office for 2026. The proposed reduction translates to 11.7 percent, even as the overall proposed Philippine national budget is expanding to ₱7.2 trillion for 2027. The national spending plan is about 6 percent higher than the ₱6.793-trillio

September 2, 2026