Category: Politics

Philippines

Makati Students to Get Free Rice and Up to ₱7,000: Here’s What Families Need to Know

MAKATI CITY, Philippines — Thousands of students in Makati are set to receive expanded assistance as the city government rolls out a package combining monthly rice aid, cash incentives and school meal programs designed to ease the financial burden on families while improving student nutrition. The initiative, announced by the Makati city government on September 2, covers learners from daycare through Grade 12, including students under the Special Needs Education (SNED) program. At the center o

September 3, 2026

China

Xi Jinping Wants a New Middle East Security Order — But the Bigger Question Is Who Will Follow China’s Lead

CAIRO — Chinese President Xi Jinping is using his first visit to Egypt in a decade to promote something far bigger than closer relations with Cairo: a new vision for how security in the Middle East should be organised. Meeting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on September 2, Xi urged countries across the region to take greater control of their own security arrangements, reduce dependence on outside powers and explore what Beijing describes as a new regional security architecture. The pr

September 3, 2026

Politics

WEST BANK UNDER PRESSURE: Settler Violence and Settlement Expansion Are Reshaping Palestinian Land—But the Bigger Question Is What the World Will Do Next

WEST BANK — The war in Gaza may dominate international headlines, but another conflict is intensifying just a few dozen kilometers away. Across the occupied West Bank, Palestinian communities are facing a growing combination of settler violence, military raids, settlement expansion, demolitions and displacement—raising increasingly urgent questions about whether the territory is being permanently transformed before diplomacy can catch up. An Asia Times analysis published September 3 described

September 3, 2026

Business

US Says It Isn’t ‘Stealing’ Venezuela’s Oil — But the 65-Billion-Barrel Deal Gives Washington Powers Few Expected

CARACAS, Venezuela — U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright has rejected accusations that Washington is effectively taking Venezuela’s oil, insisting that the South American country will remain the owner of its vast petroleum resources. But newly disclosed details of the extraordinary U.S.-Venezuela energy arrangement show why the agreement is generating far more controversy than a conventional foreign oil investment. The deal connects Washington to roughly 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan proven

September 3, 2026

Politics

18 Dead, 108 Wounded: Iran-U.S. War Erupts Again After Strike Hits Wedding

The fragile pause in the Iran-U.S. conflict has shattered, with a new wave of American strikes triggering Iranian missile and drone attacks across the Middle East and raising fresh fears that the war could spiral into an even wider regional confrontation. Iran’s health minister said 18 people were killed and 108 wounded in the latest U.S. strikes carried out on Tuesday night, according to Iranian state media and Channel NewsAsia. Among the dead were civilians, including victims of a strike that

September 3, 2026

Business

Quezon City Waives Barangay Fees For New Nano-Enterprises

QUEZON CITY, Philippines — Starting a tiny business in Quezon City is about to become cheaper and potentially far less complicated after the city government removed barangay business clearance fees for newly registered nano-enterprises and moved to standardize business-related barangay charges across all 142 barangays. The change could particularly benefit neighborhood businesses such as sari-sari stores, small carinderias and other community-based livelihoods whose owners often operate with on

September 3, 2026

Business

Japan’s Bond Rout Is Rewriting Global Capital Flows — And Investors Are Watching What Happens Next

Japan’s bond market has crossed a threshold not seen in three decades — and the consequences could reach far beyond Tokyo. Japan’s benchmark 10-year government bond yield climbed above 3% for the first time since 1996, making Japanese fixed-income assets increasingly attractive and raising the possibility that some of the country’s enormous overseas investments could gradually return home. The move comes as global bond markets face a broader sell-off, with investors increasingly concerned abou

September 3, 2026

Philippines

OCD, NDRRMC Deepen Asia Foundation Pact — What Comes Next Could Reshape Disaster Response in the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) are moving to deepen their partnership with The Asia Foundation as the Philippines tries to shift disaster policy beyond emergency response and toward stronger preparedness, resilient infrastructure and long-term risk reduction. The renewed cooperation comes at a critical moment for a country repeatedly exposed to typhoons, floods, earthquakes and other hazards — and

September 3, 2026

Business

Moro Ako Races to Supreme Court for TRO — Can It Stay Alive in the Sept. 14 BARMM Elections?

With the historic September 14 Bangsamoro parliamentary elections just days away, Moro Ako Party is taking its battle with the Commission on Elections to the Supreme Court—where emergency relief could determine whether votes cast for the party will ultimately count. MANILA, Philippines — The legal battle over Moro Ako Party’s participation in the September 14, 2026 Bangsamoro parliamentary elections has moved to the Supreme Court after the Commission on Elections cancelled the regional party’s

September 3, 2026

China

Nepal Races to Rebuild China Border Warning System After Deadly Glacial Flood

Nepal is moving to rebuild an early-warning system along its border with China after a catastrophic glacial flood killed more than 1,100 people and left thousands missing, exposing major gaps in disaster monitoring and communication. Two Nepali government sources told Reuters that the new system will use seismic sensors, cameras and satellite communications to detect landslides and other dangers in the unstable Himalayan terrain. The first equipment is being installed in Timure, in Nepal’s Rasu

September 3, 2026