The days of having to take out the trash or wash the dishes before leaving an Airbnb are numbered as the short-term rental platform is tightening rules on what conditions hosts may impose on guests.

MANILA, Philippines — The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) delivered an outsized half-point interest rate hike on Thursday, taking a more aggressive stance against stubbornly high inflation. The Monetary Board, the BSP’s top policymaking body, set the key rate at 5.50 percent. READ: Poll: BSP seen raising rates again Only two of 20 economists polled

MANILA, Philippines —The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) has exceeded its full-year target, as approved investments from January to October already reached P309.63 billion. That performance also puts Peza closer to beating its full-year investment approval record of P311.9 billion set in 2012. READ: Ecozone investments poised for banner 2026, says Peza On Thursday, the

The Bureau of Internal Revenue said it has filed two complaints with the Department of Justice against two corporations due to P45 million in tax liabilities for taxable years 2017 and 2018.

MANILA, Philippines — Fresh from its stock market debut, GCash operator Mynt Inc. is turning investors’ attention to its upcoming third-quarter results, which analysts expect will provide a clearer picture of its growth trajectory. Mynt closed its first trading session at its P6.60 offer price. Abacus said the flat finish suggested price stabilization by the offering’s

Hong Kong’s top banking regulator has called for greater innovation in the city’s financial system to help address “pain points” in the real economy, as the city works with mainland Chinese and Asia-Pacific partners to navigate a host of sustainability, geopolitical and other challenges. “True innovation in finance is not simply about chasing novelty; it’s about transforming conventional financial tools into efficient solutions,” said Eddie Yue Wai-man, chief executive of the Hong Kong Monetary...

The president of the American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham China) has urged Beijing and Washington to push more negotiations down to working-level officials, saying businesses need greater long-term stability in bilateral ties than leader-level diplomacy alone can provide. Michael Hart, president of the chamber, said American businesses were encouraged by the unprecedented frequency of meetings between the presidents of China and the US, but warned that working-level officials had less...

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine peso sank past 63.4 per dollar to hit a fresh record low on Thursday, as investors braced for the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) next policy move amid persistently high inflation. The local currency opened at 63.31 against the greenback before sliding to an intraday low of 63.47 during morning trading,

Suspended Undersecretary David Almirol said that it was Multisys that belatedly filed its General Information Sheet before the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

MANILA, Philippines — Consumers face brownout risks across the Visayas as the grid remains under red alert for a third straight day amid tight power supply. The country’s grid operator placed the Visayas under red alert from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., still due to a power crunch caused by outages at several power plants in

Barclays announced it will cut around 5,000 jobs, or roughly 5% of its global workforce, by the end of 2026 in an AI efficiency drive, alongside an update that its net profit grew 13% in Q3.

Beijing’s plan to recruit more tax officers next year is drawing attention from businesses and wealthy families as tax compliance rises up the policy agenda and authorities intensify enforcement efforts. China’s 2027 national civil service recruitment plan includes 24,013 tax-related positions, accounting for more than 67 per cent of all vacancies, up from over 65 per cent a year earlier. Most of the vacancies are at the State Taxation Administration’s local branches, which are recruiting staff...

Thursday marked the deadline for Chinese taxpayers to make outstanding tax payments tied to offshore trusts as the government chases new funding sources to help ease fiscal strains. Investors face a 20 per cent tax based on the initial value of assets placed in trusts and a 20 per cent tax on distributions under a policy coming into force on Friday. Authorities backdated the taxes to January 1, 2023, and gave trust holders a 90-day grace period to make penalty-free payments when the changes were...

MANILA, Philippines — Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) has tapped consumer banking head Maria Cristina “Ginbee” Go to succeed Jose Teodoro “TG” Limcaoco as president and CEO next year. On Thursday, the  Ayala-led bank said its board approved a succession plan for Go to assume the posts on April 26, 2027, following its annual stockholders’

The Philippine peso depreciated further against the US dollar on Thursday to mark its 30th record low so far this year, amid inflationary concerns as global oil prices continue to increase.

Every real estate development is built on the collaboration of architects, builders, and suppliers—partnerships cultivated over many years. In Bacolod, Robinsons Land (RLC) is drawing on these longstanding relationships to help enhance the city’s public spaces, strengthen its tourism circuit, and support improvements to school facilities, among other community-focused initiatives. Hand in Hand for Progress,

The Bangko Sentral on Thursday decided to implement a jumbo rate hike, extending its tightening streak for the fourth straight meeting, as it expects inflation to remain high through 2027.

France’s 10-year borrowing cost topped 5 per cent again in early Paris trading on Thursday, a day after touching that level for the first time since 2002, as the country recovers from its worst urban riots in years and braces for more clashes to come. Analysts expected market pressure to persist in the near term amid uncertainties at home and abroad, but noted that the situation remained far from turning into another euro-zone crisis. The spread between 10-year French and German bonds widened to...

China has taken a major step in spearheading the standardisation of brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies, as it now chairs the secretariat of a subcommittee jointly overseen by two key international organisations and lists the technology applications as a national development priority. The China-led subcommittee, known as ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 43, was set to formulate global standards regarding the communication and interaction between brains and computers that are applicable across...

The Chamber of Real Estate and Builders’ Associations, Inc. (CREBA) has strongly opposed House Bill No. 9697, warning that the proposed amendments to the Urban Development and Housing Act (UDHA) will do exactly the opposite of what they claim to achieve—drastically reducing the production of socialized housing while discouraging private sector investment in residential development.

The Chamber of Real Estate & Builders’ Associations, Inc. (CREBA) recently called on the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) to reconsider two regulatory measures that it believes could impose significant financial burdens on property developers and impede housing delivery. The oldest and largest umbrella advocacy group in the housing sector was referring

Starbucks China says it will roll out its “purchase before seating” rule nationwide starting Thursday, with corresponding signs put in stores, following a similar policy it introduced at its North America stores last year. The Seattle-based coffee chain would prioritise helping visitors in need, such as pregnant women and people with limited mobility, and would continue to foster its stores as so-called third places, it said in a statement on Wednesday. The policy has sparked widespread...

Clients of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) will temporarily be unable to use their debit cards during select hours starting early Saturday morning, October 24, as the lender will undergo system maintenance activities.

Sell-offs in Hong Kong stocks deepened on Thursday, with the benchmark gauge capping its steepest decline in seven months, as hopes faded that Beijing would implement more meaningful stimulus policies, following latest economic data indicating the annual growth target was within reach. The Hang Seng Index sank 3 per cent to 22,934.68 at the close, its worst single-day performance since March 23. The Hang Seng Tech Index plunged 5 per cent, finishing at a level not seen in two years. Tencent...

Thailand faces potential increases in transport, manufacturing and tourism costs as businesses continue recovering from flooding

Asia is experiencing significant growth in artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, but several pain points contribute to market jitters.

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino consumers are warming up to artificial intelligence (AI) in customer service. However, they still want to know when they are dealing with technology rather than a human, according to a new study by technology firm Genesys. The company’s 2026 State of Customer Experience report found that 64 percent of Filipino respondents felt

The Philippine peso fell to another record low on Wednesday as expectations of a more hawkish US Federal Reserve (Fed) bolstered the dollar, while investors awaited the next policy move of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). The local currency shed 27.1 centavos from its previous finish to end the trading session at 63.361, data

MANILA, Philippines — Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. firmly stated that the agency’s recent decision to block a rice shipment from Vietnam last month aimed to safeguard the farm sector against illicit transactions. Tiu Laurel said he is exploring legal options, such as filing a case, after weeks of a misinformation campaign seeking to remove

MANILA, Philippines — Hotel101 Global, the Nasdaq-listed hospitality subsidiary of DoubleDragon Corp., is positioning itself in Africa by building one of Egypt’s largest hotels, with a project value pegged at P6.44 billion. In a statement on Wednesday, the company said its unit had signed definitive agreements with WNTR Property & Hospitality, an affiliate of Egyptian conglomerate