When Manila’s airspace went dark on January 1st, stranding around 65,000 passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, discussions about privatizing the airport and essential services such as air traffic control soon spread. There have been several attempts to privatize the airport, with some of the country’s wealthiest individuals teaming together to fund the P102 billion refurbishment. However, the plans …

It is anticipated that Albert Andrada will become the first Filipino designer to exhibit his haute couture designs in a solo presentation at the famed Paris Fashion Week Couture 2023. This would mark the beginning of Andrada’s place in the annals of Philippine fashion history. At the high fashion event that will take place on January 25 and 26 at …

Thailand is reintroducing regulations requiring confirmation of Covid immunisation for visitors. The action comes in response to the announcement that China will loosen its travel restrictions starting on January 8 and no longer require incoming travellers to undergo quarantine. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnviraku was quoted by the Bangkok Post as saying: “New controls are necessary because Thailand is a …

Intermap Technologies, a leader in 3D geospatial data and intelligence solutions, said today that it has won a new government contract in Malaysia to supply 3D elevation data to help the State of Johor Baru determine the root causes of pollution in the Skudai River. In West Malaysia, the Johor Water Management Authority is performing study to find the points …

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stated that members of a bilateral group addressing the West Philippine Sea conflict should have “direct access” to both him and Chinese President Xi Jinping to allow faster communication and decision-making. “I desired to elevate the dialogue to a ministerial level and provide direct access to both presidents. The objective is, of course, to minimize all …

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ousted a former foreign minister who played a key role in his summits with former US President Donald Trump in 2018 and 2019, according to intelligence authorities cited by South Korean MPs on Thursday (5 January). Ri Yong-ho has remained out of the public view since denuclearization talks with Washington halted following a …

Now that the border between Hong Kong and China has been reopened, Shanghai engineer Roy Wang has a pressing task: rekindling his long-distance love after a terrible separation. “So many arguments occurred between my girlfriend and I. It was quite difficult to manage,” Wang, 23, reported to AFP on Wednesday (Jan 4). His request to visit her the following day …

A woman posed as an attorney and conned her contacts into giving her over S$62,000 for “legal services” or employment at a reputable firm. Siti Suhailal Halil, 28, was given a two-year prison sentence on Friday (Jan 6). She pleaded guilty to three counts of cheating, with three further counts taken into account. The court heard that Siti cheated on …

On Friday, January 6, the operator of McDonald’s restaurants in Japan announced its third price raise in less than a year. This is the latest indicator of compounding inflationary pressures on the customers of the nation’s McDonald’s restaurants. McDonald’s Holding Company Japan announced on January 16 that it would raise prices on around 80 percent of its menu, citing currency …

The United States Geological Survey reported that the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii started erupting on Thursday, January 5, after detecting a glow in the summit producing smog that is confined within the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. This was stated in the volcanic activity notice issued by the US Geological Survey. The warning stated that the alert level for the volcano …