Oct 18, 2026
For iPhone users in China, the calendar has long presented a small but recurring problem. On a Sunday designated as a make-up workday, an alarm might remain silent. On a regular Friday converted into a day off, it might ring anyway. Nearly 17 years after entering the Chinese market, Apple quietly updated its operating system in September to automatically recognise China’s official schedule of adjusted holidays and workdays. The fix is modest, but it points to a larger question: what happens when...
Senior US commanders have highlighted the importance of land-based troops and equipment stationed in the Asia-Pacific in any conflict with China, countering assumptions that such a war would be fought mainly at sea and in the air. General Ron Clark, commander of US Army Pacific, said the “tyranny of distance” made it difficult to rely on air and naval forces during a panel discussion at the Association of the United States Army’s annual meeting this week. The comments reflect mounting concerns...
As Hong Kong hosts the Apec Finance Ministers’ Meeting on Tuesday, this two-part series examines the summit’s significance and its implications for Beijing on the global stage. In part one, Simpson Cheung and Alfred Lam explore how the event could elevate the city’s status as an international financial centre at a pivotal moment. Beijing’s decision to have Hong Kong host the Apec Finance Ministers’ Meeting this week is a deliberate move to galvanise the city’s standing as an offshore renminbi...
Anna Leigh Waters, the world’s top-ranked pickleball player, visits the Philippines and encourages fans of the country’s fast-growing sport to commit to improving, ‘whether it works out professionally or not’
Vice President Sara Duterte can file charges against the witnesses in her trial following the withdrawal of three articles of impeachment against her, a law professor said on Sunday.
US President Donald Trump is expected to drive hard bargains on tariffs and critical minerals in his return to the Asean summit in Manila next month, with Washington seeking greater economic and strategic concessions while remaining hawkish on China. The Philippines confirmed on Wednesday that Trump would fly in for the summit from November 16 to 18, before attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Shenzhen that same week. Trump’s second consecutive appearance at the forum...
Oct 17, 2026
At least 19 people were killed and two dozen more injured on Saturday in eastern India after a stampede that occurred during sudden rainfall at a Hindu religious gathering, officials and Indian media said. West Bengal’s Chief Minister Suvendhu Adhikari told reporters the fatalities included a seven-year-old girl, adding that 25 other people were injured outside a pavilion “in a stampede” at the Hindu festival of Durga Puja in the city of Kolkata. “Six bodies have so far been identified,”...
KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato — Police seized about nine kilograms of suspected marijuana worth P1.016 million and arrested a 21-year-old man in a buy-bust operation in General Santos City on Friday night, Oct. 16. The suspect, identified only as alias “Mels,” of Barangay Fatima, was arrested at around 8:42 p.m. in Silway Darimco, Barangay Dadiangas
When Ria Xi set off on her 20,000km (12,400-mile) endurance challenge, she had no idea what the impact on her body would be. But she was curious to find out. The Beijing-born former tech executive who used AI to develop running training plans has now developed a daily test to track her biometric data alongside memory, motivation and energy levels as she runs across Eurasia. The extraordinary journey, which began on May 1, 2026, from Vladivostok, Russia, will see Xi run the ancient Silk Road...
MARAWI CITY — The Army’s 101st Infantry Brigade on Saturday rendered a 21-gun salute on Saturday for 168 soldiers and police officers who perished in the five-month battle nine years ago that concluded in the flushing out from this besieged city of Islamic State-linked militants. That is why Oct. 17 is observed as “Marawi Liberation
SAN ILDEFONSO, Ilocos Sur — The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in the Ilocos region turned over three solar-powered irrigation projects in Piddig, Ilocos Norte, to improve water access for farmers and boost agricultural productivity. The Bimmanga, Sallaguid and San Antonio projects will provide irrigation to 45 hectares of farmland, using solar energy to help ensure
In Kazakhstan’s futuristic capital Astana, car dealer Auyez Kabdygali is planning a big change to his business as he switches from importing European cars to Chinese electric vehicles. Kabdygali says there is increasing demand for Chinese EVs both from locals and Russian customers due to their competitive price and quality. His grandfather is among the converts – he has an order in for a BYD Han, the carmaker’s flagship model, and plans to collect it from a terminal on the border with China and...
