Briefly: Indonesia To Allow Higher Foreign Stakes in Local Banks
From the current limit of 40 percent, Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority has hinted that it is open to lifting the curb and allowing a higher percent of foreign ownership in…
Is Taliban Leader Mullah Mohammed Omar Dead? Afghan Government Checking Report
The Taliban’s one-eyed leader Mulla Mohammed Omar is reportedly dead but Afghan government officials said they are still trying to verify the report. If indeed Omar, who has a USD10-million…
Malaysia Busts Pakistan Drug Syndicate; 35 Kilograms of Heroin Seized in Desa Melawati
KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian authorities scored big in the fight against illegal drugs as police busted a Pakistani drug syndicate that tried to sneak up to 35 kilograms of heroin…
Metrobank Partners with Bank of Yokohama To Serve Japanese Firms in the Philippines
MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company (Metrobank) recently signed an agreement with one of Japan’s leading financial conglomerates, The Bank of Yokohama (BOY), in a bid to better…
Smart Opens Online Registration for Clash of Clans Philippine Tournament
MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Clash of Clans fans all over the Philippines may now gear up for their ultimate battle as wireless services leader Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), the mobile subsidiary…
BusinessNewsAsia.com Offers Free Press Release Service for Asian Businesses
MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Businesses around Asia now have an online venue for their corporate announcements, press releases, and disclosures as BusinessNewsAsia.com, a Google News-indexed website now allows companies to post…
Hong Kong Monetary Authority Warns of Bogus Bank Voice Messages
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to remind members of the public again to stay vigilant to a recent massive scale of bogus voice message (VM) phone calls purportedly…
Qatar Pardons 12 Filipino Convicts
Twelve Filipinos, 11 men and a woman, who are languishing in the jails of Qatar will soon be going home to the Philippines after they were given royal pardon by…
Cake, Ice Candy Down 400 Elementary Students in the Philippines
LAGUNA, PHILIPPINES – More than 400 students fell ill after allegedly eating sponge cake, locally known as “mamon”, and ice candy provided to them by a company that conducted community…
Chris Brown Finally Allowed to Leave Philippines
Grammy nominated singer Chris Brown was finally allowed to leave the Philippines Friday night, after four days of being stranded in the country due to an estafa case filed by…
Botswana Life Insurance Takes ‘Pride’ in New Corporate Identity
Botswana Life Insurance Limited (BLIL), the country’s oldest and only home-grown life insurer, has unveiled a new corporate identity during its 40th anniversary celebration. BLIL, which is currently manaing a…
Australia Gets Credit Rating Warning Due to Budget Performance
Ratings agency Standard & Poor has warned Australia that the country’s AAA credit rating could be lowered if its budgetary performance does not improve broadly. The agency reaffirmed Australia’s AAA…
China Briefs: H1 Deficit, Stocks Up For Six Straight Days, Urban Unemployment Down Slightly
China Deficit Hits USD104 Billion Mainland China experienced more net-capital outflow from January to June this year, even as the foreign-exchange settlement deficit went up. According a State Administration of…
China’s Anbang Insurance Completes Acquisition of Delta Lloyd Bank Belgium
Chinese insurance firm Anbang Insurance Group and Delta Lloyd Bank Belgium have announced in a statement that Anbang’s acquisition of the Belgian bank has been concluded. Anbang received all regulatory…
Anthem-Cigna Merger To Create Insurance Firm with USD115 Billion Revenue
American health insurance giant Anthem is acquiring its rival Cigna for USD48.3 billion, creating a combined insurance company that will have an estimated USD115 billion revenue and serve 53 million…
North Korea’s Economy Posts 4th Year of Steady Growth
North Korea’s economy expanded by 1 percent last year, lower than the 1.1 growth posted in 2013, South Korea’s central bank, the Bank of Korea (BOK) has reported. Data released…
17 Films To Be Featured in CinemaRehiyon 7 in Cebu
CEBU, PHILIPPINES – The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) will hold a press conference on Monday at the Summit Circle Hotel in Fuente Osmeña as it spearheads…
Google Posts 11 Percent Revenue Rise in Q2, Beats Forecast
Silicon Valley-based Google proved that it is still a force to reckon with when it comes to mobile search and advertising after posting an 11 percent in revenue in the…
7 Drug Suspects Killed in Davao City Drug Raid
DAVAO CITY, PHILIPPINES – Authorities announced today that seven suspected drug pushers were killed during a shootout with police operatives in Davao City past 3 a.m. Wednesday. The shootout erupted…
UBS To Open Branch in Shanghai This Year
Swiss lender UBS Group AG, the biggest private bank in Asia, is set to open a Shanghai branch within this year to further cement its position in the country’s wealth…