Philippines Business News

RCBC extends ‘Piso Fare’ at LRT-2 for MySSS Cardholders

RIZAL Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) has extended its “Piso Fare,” allowing MySSS Cardholders to continue enjoying a P1.00 fare at Light Rail Transit (LRT)-2 until Auag. 31, 2026. In line with the bank’s mission to make digital banking more accessible and relevant in everyday life, RCBC is extending the promo to encourage greater adoption of digital fare payments and reinforce a digital-first mindset among Filipino commuters. The extension comes as more Filipinos continue to r

Brazil former first lady Bolsonaro launches Senate bid

BRASÍLIA, Brazil — The right-wing Liberal Party in Brazil nominated former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro as a senate candidate on Sunday, despite her recent feud with her stepson Flavio Bolsonaro, the party's presidential nominee. With ex-president Jair Bolsonaro under house arrest for plotting a coup at the end of his 2019-2022 term, Michelle and Flavio Bolsonaro have been locked in a struggle over influence in Brazil's large conservative movement. The feud became public in late Ju

Ascentage Pharma Appoints Dr. Faiçal Miyara as Chief Business Officer and Jim Ziegler as Chief Commercial Officer

Appointments put dedicated leadership behind two separate priorities: building Ascentage Pharma’s own commercial organization in the United States, and expanding its global business development program ROCKVILLE, Md., Aug. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ascentage Pharma Group International (NASDAQ: AAPG; HKEX: 6855), a global, commercial-stage, integrated biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development and commercialization of novel therapies to address unmet medical needs in cance

Business Council Alberta calls for immediate federal action to end WestJet disruption

Calgary, AB, Aug. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With negotiations between WestJet and its flight attendants at an impasse, the Business Council of Alberta (BCA) is calling on the federal government to intervene immediately to restore air service. In 2025, the federal government acted within hours of the Air Canada cabin crew strike. Canadians affected by the WestJet disruption deserve the same urgency and a consistent response from their federal government for an Alberta based airline. The Busine

Today's Weather, 5 A.M. | Aug. 3, 2026

Idaho shooting suspect died from self-inflicted gunshot wound — police

TWIN FALLS, Idaho — The suspect in a fatal shooting at a fast-food restaurant in Idaho died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said Sunday, crediting an off-duty officer and a citizen with firing shots that diverted him. Investigators are confident that the gunman, identified as 24-year-old Chad Williams, acted alone during the shooting Saturday in Twin Falls, Police Chief Matthew Hicks said at a news conference. In all, three people died and seven others were injured at the recentl

Group slams ‘selective justice’ after Revilla granted bail

MANILA, Philippines — A support group for political prisoners on Sunday accused the Philippine justice system of applying a “double standard” after former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. was granted bail while elderly and seriously ill political prisoners, including 77-year-old Vicente “Vic” Ladlad, remain behind bars after years of detention without conviction. The group KAPATID issued the statement after the Sandiganbayan Third Division granted Revill

Cboe Completes Sale of Cboe Australia to TMX Group

CHICAGO, Aug. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (Cboe: CBOE), a leading global markets operator and pioneer in equity and index derivatives, today announced it has completed the sale of Cboe Australia (now TMX Australia Exchange) to TMX Group Limited (TMX Group). "Over the past year, Cboe has taken decisive steps to refocus our business, concentrate resources on our core strengths and invest in our most compelling growth opportunities. The sale of Cboe Australia is a part of that

AI's Hidden Problem Isn't Chips. It's Electricity.

Legendary Economist explains the power required to keep scaling AI may be the constraint that finally breaks the boom Baltimore, MD, Aug. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The AI boom is usually framed as a race for faster chips and bigger models. Jim Rickards says the real limit is far more physical, and far harder to engineer around: raw electrical power. In a new presentation, the former advisor to the CIA and the Pentagon argues that the energy required to keep AI growing may be the wall the enti

Trump to halt Iran strikes once parameters for ending war are met

CAIRO — US President Donald Trump said in a Saturday evening social media post he will order American forces to hold off on new strikes against Iran, claiming Mideast allies had reached the parameters of a deal to end the five-month old war. The emerging deal “would include the Immediate, Complete, and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran’s nuclear threat,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Based on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit o

Peru probes crash of tourist plane that killed 13

LIMA, Peru — Peruvian authorities said Sunday they are investigating the crash of a small plane carrying tourists to view the famous Nazca Lines, which killed all 13 people on board. Seven Italians, two Germans and two Spaniards died, along with two Peruvian crew members, when their Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft crashed Saturday after it took off from the airport in Pisco, located about 240 kilometers (150 miles) south of the capital Lima. A grim recovery process carried on overnight, with p

Airtripmaker Enhances Access to Flights to India from USA for Travelers seeking Economy and Business Class air tickets with Expanded Route Coverage Options to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Cochin & More.

Airtripmaker is expanding its U.S travel platform by introducing enhanced coverage for Indian destinations, including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Cochin, Trivandrum, Goa, Pune, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Calicut, Vadodara, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Jammu, Srinagar, Kashmir, Punjab and more. Germantown, Maryland, Aug. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Airtripmaker, a fast-growing global flight booking platform, today announced an expanded focus on USA to India Flights, strength

Tulfo urges electric firms to cooperate on system loss charge removal

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Erwin Tulfo on Sunday urged electric companies to cooperate in removing system loss charges from the electric bills, saying that it is unfair to make consumers pay for electricity they never used. Tulfo, chariman of the Senate Committee on Energy, said that electric companies are gaining billions in profit because they charge system losses to the public, while consumers suffer from poverty. “Where is the concept of social responsibility in all of these? The

Small blaze hits House contractor storage facility; no injuries reported

MANILA, Philippines — A small fires broke out a contractor’s storage facility inside the House of Representatives compound on Sunday morning but was swiftly contained. No casualties or injuries were reported from the incident that started around 9:30 a.m. According to the Office of the Secretary General, personnel from the House of Representatives Fire Unit and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) responded immediately and declared the fire out at 9:57 a.m. Initial assessment showed d

Nation building where it matters

Nation-building is often associated with highways, bridges and airports. But the institutions that sustain economic growth are just as important. They attract investments, provide financial security, develop skilled workers, improve healthcare, expand housing and strengthen food security. Several government agencies continue to demonstrate how these responsibilities work together. The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) is bringing investments and jobs into the country. The Government Serv

InstantProspector Exits Beta, Launching the First White-Label Go-To-Market Intelligence Platform for Digital Marketing Agencies

Founder, Lane Houk, announces industry first GTM prospecting and sales platform developed for the digital marketing industry and agency owners who don't have a repeatable system for prospecting, outreach and sales. Bigfork, Montana, Aug. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- InstantProspector™ officially announces its launch out of beta today, introducing a comprehensive, white-label Go-To-Market (GTM) intelligence platform designed exclusively for digital marketing agencies. The platform addresses one o

COA auditors next to testify

TWO Commission on Audit (COA) auditors are scheduled to testify on alleged anomalies in Vice President Sara Duterte’s fund disbursements on Monday, the 11th day of her impeachment trial. The Senate impeachment court granted the House prosecution’s request to summon former Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office (Icfao) state auditor Roderick Wamil and Icfao Supervising Auditor Celine May Del Campo as its next witnesses. Director Marivic Pareja of the House of Representatives

PDP-Laban blasts probe of Legarda, son

THE Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) on Sunday denounced the graft and plunder complaints filed against Sen. Loren Legarda, her son, Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste, and former Energy secretary Alfonso Cusi, calling the allegations “an obvious attempt to weaken the legitimate opposition.” PDP-Laban spokesman Ferdinand Topacio issued the statement after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said his office was initiating a preliminary investigation involving Legarda, Leviste and Cusi for al

Analysts: Q2 growth likely slowed to 2.6%

ECONOMIC growth could have slowed further in the second quarter due to the inflationary impact of the war in the Middle East and the continued fallout of last year’s massive flood control project scandal. The median forecast in a Manila Times poll of economists was 2.6 percent, lower than the 2.8 percent seen in the first three months of 2026 and the 5.4 posted a year earlier. It is also well below the government’s downwardly revised 3.5- to 4.5-percent target for the year. Second-qu

Eala stuns Osaka to reach Mubadala D.C. Open final

FILIPINO tennis ace Alexandra “Alex” Eala ousted former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka of Japan, 6-4, 6-2, to reach her first 500 WTA Tour final at the Mubadala D.C. Open at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center Stadium Court in Washington Sunday morning in Manila. Eala racked up three straight games, including a service hold, to finish the semifinal encounter against the 4-time major champion in 1 hour and 16 minutes, much to the delight of the Filipino-dominated crowd. “I’

Inflation, GDP results to set tone for stocks

INVESTORS are expected to take their cues from key economic releases this week, with July inflation and second-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) figures likely to determine the stock market’s near-term direction amid the continuing earnings season. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) ended July on a weak note, slipping 0.71 percent week on week to 6,236.44, as cautious sentiment and declines in index heavyweights offset gains in mining and oil shares. Foreign investors,

Lacson may take up Cayetano’s offer to ‘visit’ Taguig

SEN. Panfilo Lacson on Sunday said he is considering visiting Taguig City, the political bailiwick of Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, but only after the city’s flood control program is properly implemented and rid of corruption. In a recent Facebook Live broadcast, Cayetano “invited” Lacson to visit Taguig and personally see the infrastructure projects there — even after he and his team gathered evidence about the anomalies. Lacson said in jest he does not wan

ERC to Meralco: Refund P9.51 billion to customers

THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has ordered Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) to refund P9.51 billion to its consumers as a result of overrecovery of rates, higher than the distribution utility’s proposed P9.010 billion. In its decision released on Sunday, the ERC directed Meralco to refund the total amount of P9,506,566,556.00 or an equivalent average refund rate of P0.3448 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), because of overrecoveries for the period of January and December in 2025. The refund wil

Bong Go calls for swift passage of Epira reforms

SEN. Bong Go called for the swift passage of proposed reforms to the country’s power sector, saying measures aimed at lowering electricity costs should result in tangible savings for ordinary households and not remain mere promises. “I hope the promise of easing electricity costs will not remain just a promise. What matters is that every Filipino family feels genuine relief in their monthly electricity bills,” Go said in a statement. He said every peso saved on electricity expe