The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), a universal bank in the Philippines, has earned the award for best remittances service provider company in the Philippines at the 16th Annual Best Financial Institution Awards 2022 by Alpha Southeast Asia. The bank has been recognised for setting the pace for open banking in the Philippines and helping Filipinos in sending and …

Malaysia has been rated tenth on a list of 82 nations that are most impacted by China, according to a new research measuring Beijing’s growing worldwide influence. The China Index, a database released on December 8 by Taiwanese research firm DoubleThink Labs, focuses on nine categories to track China’s global influence, including higher education, domestic politics, economic ties, foreign policy, …

The recently passed Indonesian criminal code will not endanger visitors to Bali, according to the island’s governor, who dismissed worries that amended regulations criminalizing sexual activity outside of marriage may deter tourists from visiting the island. The Indonesian parliament enacted the contentious measure prohibiting cohabitation between unmarried couples last week. In an effort to reassure tourists, Bali’s governor Wayan Koster …

The Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare hopes that the promise of more money in the bank would motivate more individuals to have a family in Japan, which has been battling for some time to boost its low and decreasing birth rate. The current Childbirth and Childcare Lump-Sum Grant for new parents in Japan is 420,000 yen. Minister of Health, …

Hundreds of people have marched in the capital of the Philippines to protest what they claim is an increase in extrajudicial executions and other injustices under the leadership of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The demonstrators, coordinated by a Philippine rights organization, gathered in a Manila public square before marching to the presidential palace to seek justice for the victims. The …

The flu season has returned to Singapore, and physicians are reporting a 20 percent increase in instances of respiratory illness. During the winter season, health officials overseas have warned of a “tripledemic” including concurrent epidemics of COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus. Clinics have been scrambling to guarantee sufficient drug availability during this period, as a COVID-19 outbreak looms and …

The confiscation of a private plane, supercars, narcotics, and sumptuous residences are just some of the rewards of crime that are raising uncomfortable concerns about how international criminals have effortlessly transferred millions of dollars worth of illegal money through the kingdom of Thailand. Late in the month of October, during a statewide anti-drug operation conducted by the Thai police, a …

Maria Ressa, Nobel laureate and CEO of Rappler, presented her book How to Stand Up to a Dictator in the Philippines at the Estancia mall at Capitol Commons in Pasig City on Saturday, December 10, the International Day of Human Rights. In attendance were former Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio, Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay, economist Winnie Monsad, and architect …

Manny Pacquiao succeeded in his comeback to the ring, defeating DK Yoo by majority decision in an exhibition battle at the Korean International Exhibition Center on December 11. In the six-round bout, the Filipino boxing legend dominated the Korean mixed martial artist with bursts of brilliance that made him the only eight-division world champion in boxing. Pacquiao has not fought …

After many setbacks, on December 11 a new space firm in Japan successfully launched a spacecraft toward the moon. This is an important step toward achieving a first for both the country as a whole and for a private enterprise. After two delays brought on by inspections of its SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the HAKUTO-R mission that was being carried …