Category: Business

Business

SK Is Bringing AI From Chips and Data Centers Into Korea’s Factories — But Ulsan’s Biggest Test Comes Next

ULSAN, South Korea — South Korea’s industrial heartland is preparing for an ambitious experiment: taking artificial intelligence beyond chatbots and software and putting it directly onto factory floors, production lines and industrial equipment. SK and the Ulsan Chamber of Commerce and Industry are set to bring manufacturers, policymakers, academics, AI companies and local leaders together on September 11 for the 2026 Ulsan Forum, where one of the central questions will be how quickly artificia

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Business

Tesla and BYD Gain Ground in South Korea as Hyundai, Kia Strikes Disrupt Auto Market

SEOUL, South Korea — A prolonged labor dispute at South Korea’s biggest automakers has created an unexpected opening for two of the world's most aggressive electric-vehicle competitors: Tesla and China’s BYD. Domestic vehicle sales plunged in August as strikes and production disruptions hit major Korean manufacturers, while imported-car sales moved in the opposite direction. The result was a striking shift in South Korea's auto market: Tesla and BYD captured a large portion of the growth in im

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Business

Four Sacks of Talaba Seized in Iloilo — Vendor Says It Cost Their Families a Day’s Income, But LEEO Has a Different Story

A routine clearing operation near the Iloilo Terminal Public Market has sparked a dispute between oyster vendors and the city office tasked with enforcing market and sidewalk regulations. The incident happened on September 4 along Jalandoni Street, where personnel identified by the vendors as part of the Local Economic and Enterprise Office (LEEO) confiscated four sacks of talaba, according to Bombo Radyo Iloilo. The vendors said they were caught off guard by the operation and questioned why t

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Business

Western Visayas Poor Households Face 9.8% Inflation—But One Province Is Feeling the Squeeze Far Worse

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — The cost-of-living squeeze is intensifying for low-income families in Western Visayas, with inflation among the region’s bottom 30 percent of income households jumping to 9.8 percent in July 2026, significantly higher than the 8.2-percent national rate for the same income group. The latest figures from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) show that the regional rate climbed from 8.1 percent in June, highlighting the growing pressure on families whose budgets are

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Business

From Native Fruit to Global Business: Filipino Entrepreneurs Turn Batuan Into an Export Opportunity — Is This the Next Big Pinoy Food Export?

A little-known Philippine fruit traditionally used to add sourness to local dishes is finding a new life as a value-added product, with entrepreneurs turning batuan into a potential export business. The story highlights how Filipino agricultural entrepreneurs are looking beyond conventional crops and transforming indigenous produce into commercially viable food products. Batuan, scientifically known as Garcinia binucao, is a native fruit widely associated with the Visayas, particularly Panay a

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Business

Vietnam and Myanmar Deepen Defence Ties — What Min Aung Hlaing’s Hanoi Visit Could Mean for ASEAN

HANOI, Vietnam — Vietnam and Myanmar have agreed to significantly deepen defence and security cooperation, elevating the sector into a major pillar of their bilateral relationship as Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing made a high-profile visit to Hanoi. The agreement, reached during talks with Vietnamese leader To Lam on Sept. 5, includes expanded cooperation in military training, exchanges involving young officers, search-and-rescue operations and disaster response. The two Southeast Asian nat

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Business

Trump Finally Opens His Midterm War Chest: $10M Texas Ad Blitz Signals a High-Stakes Election Gamble

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Donald Trump's political machine has finally made a major move in the 2026 midterm elections — and the first big battlefield is Texas. Trump-aligned super PAC MAGA Inc. has committed at least $10 million to television and digital advertising in the increasingly competitive Texas Senate race, backing Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton against Democratic state Representative James Talarico. The move marks MAGA Inc.'s first major general-election spending push of the midter

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Business

Indonesia’s Main Airport Shut Down After Anak Krakatau Eruption—Hundreds of Flights Caught in the Disruption

JAKARTA — Indonesia temporarily suspended flight operations at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Sunday after volcanic ash from an eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau spread into the airport area, disrupting hundreds of flights and affecting thousands of passengers. The eruption of Anak Krakatau, the volcano located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, sent ash plumes across parts of western Indonesia, prompting aviation authorities to halt operations at the country’s busiest airport

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Business

Singapore Investors Are Flocking to Osaka Property — But Is Tokyo’s Cheaper Rival About to Get Too Hot?

Singapore Investors Are Flocking to Osaka Property — But Is Tokyo's Cheaper Rival About to Get Too Hot? SINGAPORE — Singaporean investors looking overseas for their next property purchase are increasingly turning their attention to a Japanese city that has long lived in Tokyo's shadow. Osaka. With property prices in Tokyo approaching record levels, more investors are looking at Japan's second-largest metropolitan area for potentially lower entry prices, rising rents and stronger rental yields

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Business

PSEi Went Nowhere, But Investors Kept Trading—COL Financial’s Commissions Just Jumped 21%

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine stock market may have struggled to deliver meaningful gains in the first half of 2026, but Filipino investors were clearly not sitting on their hands. Online brokerage COL Financial Group Inc. saw its commission income climb 21 percent to ₱234.5 million in the first six months of the year as investors continued buying and selling shares despite the Philippine Stock Exchange index giving up much of its early momentum. The surge highlights an interesting shif

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