UAE: Middle Eastern countries have taken notice of the Biden administration’s commitment to focusing more on China than on the historically problematic region. When it comes to Iran’s regional ambitions, the Palestinian conflict, or other security threats, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are forging new alliances and hedging their bets because they are concerned that a Washington, …

MALAYSIA: Some Malaysian palm oil mills have temporarily halted production due to a drop in prices, according to a miller’s organization representative (Jun 27). Malaysian crude palm oil (CPO) prices tumbled by 22% on Monday, wiping out most of this year’s gains from a peak of 6,632 ringgit (US$1,506.25) per tonne. For the most part, Malaysian millers buy palm fruit …

MANILA: The disqualification and cancellation of Marcos’ certificate of candidacy (COC) cases were thrown down by the Supreme Court. Those two cases were combined into a single one by the court. According to the Public Information Office, the Court ruled 13-0 on Tuesday, June 28, to allow Marcos to proceed in the en banc session. In the end, just two …

US: After a shocking first-quarter decline, Netflix Inc. is turning to Asia in an attempt to both maintain growth in the one region where it is still adding customers and reproduce its success there in other parts of the world. Tony Zameczkowski, senior vice president of business development for Asia Pacific, stated in an interview that investment in Asia will …

TEXAS: Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson has been named as one of the defendants in a civil lawsuit against the team. The Houston Texans and Deshaun Watson’s activities have prompted us to launch the first of several lawsuits against the team. To put it succinctly, the evidence accumulating showing the Houston Texans encouraged Watson’s actions is shockingly damning, according to …

PHILIPPINES: What does it look like when you try to homogenize several voices into a single and stereotypical narrative?  It is like walking into a room, only to face the caustic mass of people that already defined who you are from head to toe. No need for introductions or chirpy biddings because no matter what you do, you’ll always be …

US: In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Chris Hemsworth has spent more than a decade portraying Thor, the god of thunder who wears a flowing blond mane. Hemsworth reminisced about his love for the part in an Instagram video retrospective, and his Marvel teammates applauded him for bringing humor and complexity to the character. “I have adored every single time I’ve …

JAKARTA: Investigators are looking into potential irregularities in the procurement of Bombardier and ATR planes, Indonesia‘s attorney general said on Monday (June 27), in agreements the state auditor said resulted in US$600 million losses. From 2005 to 2014, Emirsyah Satar served as the flag-CEO, carrier’s and he was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2020 for bribery and money …

TAIPEI: The economy ministry announced on Monday that Taiwan will hike power costs by an average of 8.4% on July 1 (Friday), in response to rising global energy prices, including a 15% rise for major industrial customers. However, following a review of power pricing, the ministry stated that costs will not rise for 97 percent of homes. The government has …

BEIJING: Since the weekend, heavy rains have pounded more than ten cities in Shandong Province, flooding streets, delaying traffic, and reigniting requests for better drainage in built-up regions where concrete and asphalt retain water. A video posted to the social networking site Weibo showed automobiles in the northeastern province of China trapped in waist-deep water as the weather bureau issued …