The day's most relevant stories from the Philippines and Asia's major countries. Links to original sources.
During their meeting in Abu Dhabi, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed Zayed Al Nahyan witnessed the inking of three agreements on energy cooperation, water cooperation and disease vector control.
Today’s headlines: Philippine economy, China, Elon Musk
BOJ's Himino signals readiness to raise borrowing costs
China’s super-rich scramble to exit offshore trusts, raise cash as taxman knocks
Japan’s export growth stays solid, supported by chips and cars
Thailand authorised 971 foreign businesses and firms linked to more than 271 billion baht in foreign investment during the first nine months of 2026, even as the government intensifies its nationwide crackdown on illegal foreign nominee companies and land ownership. The Ministry
[Vantage Point] GCash ends debut flat at P6.60 as early gains fade
A UK court has ordered a worldwide freeze on assets belonging to Vietnamese budget airline VietJet Aviation as an aircraft financing company seeks to recover approximately US$250 million in unpaid judgments arising from a dispute over four Airbus A321 aircraft. The Commercial Cou
Stinking rich: Malaysia eyes land routes to boost durian trade in China
Thailand is preparing new rules requiring major ride-hailing and delivery apps to justify service fee increases, after regulators found that some platforms’ charges had risen by as much as 400% over five years. The Trade Competition Commission of Thailand (TCCT) is scheduled to o
Big IPO, big bonus: GCash employees get their own payday
Opposition offers alternatives to food consumption tax cut in parliamentary debate
Second land tender at Hong Kong’s border tech hub draws 9 bids
Natixis buys Japanese advisory firm to join M&A dealmaking boom
The memo said the tech group would also launch an AI-first enterprise platform named Sea Cloud.
Reveal other ministries that exceeded allocations, BN MP tells Treasury
[Vantage Point] The price of control: Behind Metro Pacific’s P12.4-B Meralco bet
GCash debuts on stock market with record P60.9-B IPO
Thailand is moving closer to introducing a 50,000-baht solar panel subsidy for up to one million households after a government screening committee approved a proposed 50-billion-baht funding package. The scheme is expected to go before the Cabinet on October 26, with registration
Singapore, Hong Kong take different paths in race for stablecoin dominance. Who will win?
Top hyperscalers likely to have more AI-linked debt than now known, S&P Global warns
Data centre power demand to peak at 8.39 gigawatts by 2030
No agreement to support AirAsia financially, says govt
MP proposes phasing out cooking oil price stabilisation scheme
Daiichi Life offers $4.4 billion to buy rest of Challenger
China’s growth rebound tops forecasts to close in on annual goal
After the IPO party, GCash comes for 5-6 lending next
Japan aims to soothe world traders’ fiscal anxiety with outreach in English
Kioxia shares face headwinds from margin-buying gone wrong
Nidec legal reckoning reaches founder and shares drop to decade low
Services affected in Singapore include wallet top-ups, currency exchange and payment authentication.
Indonesian stocks slide to six-year low as MSCI warning weighs
[Vantage Point] JAZA’s painful question: Why aren’t we winning?
Former Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Yuthasak Supasorn has warned that Thailand’s tourism industry can no longer sustain the country’s economy on its own, as declining visitor numbers, high household debt and growing regional competition weaken its contribution to
Logistics subsidies keep essentials affordable in Sabah, S’wak, say economists
French luxury house Louis Vuitton has closed five stores in mainland China in the past two years - including a chocolate boutique in Shanghai - while Parisian department store Galeries Lafayette shut its Beijing flagship in May.
Nidec to seek damages from founder and executives over accounting fraud
Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) has paid out 5.2 billion baht (US$156 million) in flood relief to 683,286 households, and will ask the Cabinet on Tuesday, October 20, for 10.5 billion baht more. The money was sent through the Government Savings
Southeast Asia’s ethnic Chinese traders feel the China squeeze
New property purchase disclosure rule in Japan sparks fears it may curb foreign investment
IMF official welcomes Japan’s temporary tax cut plan
This Chinese export boom really has legs — and wings
BOJ’s Ueda ‘can’t tolerate’ underlying inflation further over 2%
SoftBank is said to weigh buying top U.S. security firm Allied
PSA: Sorsogon’s poverty incidence drops 13.3 percent in 2025
Major development banks step up support for critical minerals value chains
Protest organisers called on institutions like the International Monetary Fund to focus on climate financing and tax reforms that aid poorer citizens, rather than demand governments cut subsidies and social spending.
[Vantage Point] When a paycheck runs out before payday
Hong Kong touts distinct features to set it apart from London in global gold hub push
JAZA: Does the Philippines have what it takes to win big investments?
ADB chief warns of high inflation in Asia amid uncertainty
Rakuten sells record ¥400 billion of bonds on retail demand
Concerns regarding the projects' impact on bird migration routes are being addressed, and the developments align with the province's goal to transition to renewable energy and reduce reliance on fossil fuels
CoreWeave’s slump spotlights growing burden of debt behind AI boom
Katayama says G20 should monitor markets with urgency
China’s R&D spending keeps up steady rise as No 1 US seeks further funding cuts
Anti-China protectionism backfiring on American carmakers’ EV plans: analyst
Japan, South Korea agree to extend $10 billion currency swap arrangement
Gasoline price cut, slight diesel price hike seen next week
Peso tumbles beyond 63:$1
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