The BSP is maintaining a hawkish interest rate posture even as inflation decelerated to 4.1 percent for November – which is better than expected and only a touch outside the 2 to 4 percent target inflation range. Our unemployment rate is at an 18-year low, matching the lows of the Arroyo era when the economy was solidly managed. In other economies, the unemployment rate usually rises when monetary authorities tighten through interest rate increases. The exuberance indicated by a lower inflation rate and an even lower unemployment rate may be short-lived. This should be a cautionary tale for hawkish central bankers fixated exclusively on the inflation rate.

BEIJING — China will “strictly and reasonably” control total coal use and curb high-emissions projects to improve air quality, China’s state council said in an action plan released on Thursday. ADVERTISEMENTOther proposed measures include the development of new and clean energy, increasing natural gas production, and curbing projects that lead to high energy consumption and high emissions. READ: Unfazed by smog, runners go maskless in BeijingThe plan sets a target to reduce coal consumption in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and surrounding areas by about 10% from 2020 levels by 2025. The government also called for the consumption of energy from alternative or renewable sources to account for about 20% of total consumption by 2025. Subscribe to our daily newsletter SIGN ME UPChinese cities have grappled with high air pollution readings in recent months despite authorities’ efforts to improve air quality in recent years.

Corporate reputationWhy do some entities shy away from doing business with our government? Unfortunately, predictability and consistency in so far as the rules of the game are concerned is important to businesses. The Comelec earlier set the deadline for the submissions for the 2025 automated election on Dec. 12. If it is Comelec’s intention to safeguard the integrity of future elections, including the 2025 presidential election, then this is definitely not the way to do it. And we aren’t even talking about the damage to Smartmatic’s reputation that Comelec’s ban may cause.

MOSCOW, Russia – President Vladimir Putin said Friday he will run for re-election in 2024, Russian news agencies reported, allowing the Kremlin leader to extend his decades-long grip on power into the 2030s. Following a controversial constitutional reform in 2020, Putin could stay in power until at least 2036. Putin tightened media rules on covering the 2024 election in November, banning some independent media outlets from accessing polling stations. Five major parties have been allowed to submit a candidate for the 2024 vote without collecting signatures, all of which support the Kremlin and the offensive in Ukraine. Analysts say Putin has sensed revived fortunes as Western support for Ukraine frays and Kyiv’s counter-offensive fails to pierce heavily entrenched Russian lines.

Doogee S Mini positions itself as an adventurer’s partnerThe Doogee S Mini makes a bold statement with its rugged design, featuring reinforced corners and a durable frame that can handle the rigors of outdoor adventures. Adventure seekers and thrill enthusiasts, meet your new companion – the Doogee S Mini. The Doogee S Mini measures 133.0 x 60.0 x 13.5mm and weighs at a lightweight 155g. Adventure-ready cameraThe Doogee S Mini doesn't just survive the adventure; it helps you capture it in vivid detail. For thrill-seekers who demand more from their smartphones, the Doogee S Mini emerges as a rugged and reliable companion.

TOKYO: A Japanese court is due Tuesday to give a verdict in the landmark trial of three ex-soldiers accused of sexual assault in a country where still very few victims come forward. STANDING UP Former soldier Rina Gonoi at a news conference at Japan’s National Press Club in the capital Tokyo on Jan. 30, 2023. A Japanese court is due Tuesday, December 12, to give a verdict in the landmark trial of three ex-soldiers accused of sexual assault in a country where still very few victims come forward. "In Japan, suffering sexual violence brings stigma and shame, often leaving survivors reluctant to come forward," Teppei Kasai from Human Rights Watch told AFP. "The 'rape myth' persists in Japan, meaning that there is a widespread assumption that the victims of rape and sexual assault are at fault," said Machiko Osawa, a researcher at Japan Women's University.

MANILA, Philippines: Promising young players sent by the Unified Tennis Philippines (UTP) to compete in Malaysia captured multiple gold medals in the 38th Penang Open International Juniors Tennis Championships held from November 29 to December 3, 2023. Winning titles in the singles event were Kenzo Brodeth in the boys 14-under, Kendrick Bona in the boys 16-under, Mateo Rivas in the boys 18-under, Jana Jelena Diaz in the girls 14-under, Maria Hannah Divinagracia in the girls 16-under, and Kaye Ann Emana in the girls 18-under. The Unified Tennis Philippines (UTP) players and coaches show off their medals at the 38th Penang Open International Juniors Tennis Championships in Malaysia. Caroliean Fiel in the girls 10-under, Jayden Reece Ballado in the girls 14-under, Kimi Brodeth in the girls 16-under, and Mica Ella Emana in the girls 18-under. UTP and Cebuana Lhuillier president Jean Henri Lhuillier expressed extreme pride and inspiration following the outstanding performances of the young Filipino netters in Penang, Malaysia.

Indigenous peoples, settlers say no to mineral reservation in Maguindanao del SurIndigenous peoples and migrant settlers held a protest Thursday in front of the municipal gym in South Upi. MANILA, Philippines — The Lambangian and Teduray indigenous communities, along with migrant settlers in Maguindanao del Sur, have voiced their opposition to a proposed mineral reservation area, fearing the potential destruction of their forests and traditional grounds. Around 300 indigenous peoples and migrant settlers held a protest Thursday in front of the municipal gym in South Upi, according to the group Task Force Bantay Kalikasan (TFBK). The proposed mineral reservation area will cover Mt. “The burial grounds of our ancestors and the remaining forests such as Uga, Fengalungon and Kinemkem are within the proposed mineral reservation area.

The De La Salle Green Archers outlasted the UP Fighting Maroons, 73-69, in Game 3 of their Finals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023 to win the UAAP Season 86 men's basketball championship. The victory over the Fighting Maroons netted La Salle its first title in seven years and 10th overall in the tourney. Video by Niel Victor Masoy

A defence from five participantsUS Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry arrives for a press conference at the United Nations climate summit in Dubai on December 6, 2023. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — In recent years, there have been growing questions about whether the climate talks known as COP are useful. Here, five participants at this year's COP28 defend the meetings, insisting that without them, the planet would be in much worse shape. "There is a potentially historic moment to seize, given the international mobilisation on the objective of tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency... Gustavo Pinheiro, senior associate for E3G in Brazil:"We wouldn't even have knowledge about climate change," without the COP process, Pinheiro told AFP.

THE Emirati head of the UN's climate conference pressed countries on Wednesday to strive for common ground and reach a "historic" deal by early next week, giving negotiators days to untangle disagreements over the fate of fossil fuels. COP28 president Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber speaks during a press conference at the United Nations climate summit in Dubai on December 4, 2023. KARIM SAHIB / AFP COP28 president Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber speaks during a press conference at the United Nations climate summit in Dubai on December 4, 2023. COP28 kicked off last week with the landmark launch of a loss and damage fund for nations devastated by climate change. "I want this COP to mark the beginning of the end for fossil fuels," European climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said on Wednesday.

GLOBE Telecom Inc. (Globe) on Thursday said that it had sold another 120 telecommunication towers to Frontier Tower Associates Philippines Inc. (FTAP) for P1.5 billion. In August 2022, Globe signed agreements with MIDC and FTAP for the sale of 5,709 telecommunication towers and related passive infrastructure for approximately P71 billion. Under the agreements, Globe said 2,180 towers would be sold to MIDC for approximately P26 billion, while 3,529 towers would be sold to FTAP for approximately P45 billion. MIDC is an independent tower company specializing in the development, ownership and management of communication towers and infrastructure, offering digital infrastructure solutions to the Philippine market. FTAP, also an independent tower company in the Philippines, is a subsidiary of Pinnacle Towers, an Asia-focused digital infrastructure platform that invests in, builds and operates telecommunication infrastructure with a focus on towers and related assets.

PISA scores show Filipino boys are being left behindStudents arrive for the first day of in-person classes after years-long COVID-19 lockdowns at Pedro Guevara Elementary School in Manila on Aug. 22, 2022. According to the Philippines’ PISA scores, female students continue to outperform their male peers in mathematics, reading and science — and reading scores indicate that boys could be trailing behind girls by nearly two years’ worth of schooling. Male Filipino students only attained an average score of 348 points in mathematics in PISA 2022 -- 14 points less than the score of female students. This mathematics gap between boys and girls is different from the OECD average, where boys scored nine points higher than girls overall. Consistent in past PISA reports, female students in the Philippines outscored their male counterparts in reading, which is a category globally dominated by female students.

Asian diva Karen Mok will hit the stage at Sha Tin Racecourse for the first time with a show-stopping set list. The Hong Kong Jockey Club is collaborating with Asia Motion E-Sports to offer racing fans a chance to sample the dynamics of jockey apprenticeship through e-experiences. Previous NextHong Kong's premier international horse racing event, the Longines Hong Kong International Races, returns to Sha Tin Racecourse on December 10. With A-list entertainment and world-class racing under the twilight sky, the Longines Hong Kong International Races is poised to be an unforgettable extravaganza. -----------About the Longines Hong Kong International RacesDate: 10 DecemberTime: Event starts at 11:30 am; First race at 12:25 pmVenue: Sha Tin RacecourseEnquiries: 1817

11422 already call for an “ipso facto revocation.”ADVERTISEMENT“Well, we are giving them a chance. It was stated in their franchise that it is ipso facto revoked. ADVERTISEMENTDeliberation on franchise violationsWhen asked again if the panel would recommend revoking SMNI’s franchise, Pimentel said: “It will be deliberated. “Ipso facto revocation,” Pimentel said, is stated as a possible repercussion for SMNI if the network breaches provisions in the franchise. “So this noncompliance shall render the franchise ipso facto revoked again, that’s automatically revoked.