Bigger than Busan? US considers China’s ‘bigger deal’ on trade as Xi summit nears

South China Morning Post - Sep 23, 2026

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday that Washington is ready to sign on to China’s proposal of a “bigger deal” on trade or extend last year’s Busan trade agreement, hours before Chinese President Xi Jinping was due to arrive for a state visit. Bessent made the remarks after an unscheduled meeting with Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng at the World Bank headquarters, following their earlier engagement on Sunday at JPMorgan’s offices in New York. “The Chinese on Sunday came up with...

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Tropical depression’s trough to bring rains in Visayas, Mindanao Thursday

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MANILA, Philippines — The trough of a tropical depression will continue to affect Visayas and Mindanao, while localized thunderstorms may prevail over the rest of the country on Thursday, Sept. 24. This is the forecast from Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) at 5 p.m. today (Wednesday). The weather bureau reported that the

All you need to know about a state visit, as White House rolls out red carpet for Xi

Sep 23, 2026

A grand military welcome, a state dinner, tea at the White House and a tour of the National Archives: Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington will see his American counterpart, Donald Trump, roll out the pomp and pageantry. The United States’ capital is bracing for high-level bilateral discussions served with a side of symbolic gestures, marking Xi’s first state visit to the country since 2015. But what exactly makes this a state visit, and how does it differ from other official...

Tropical depression to intensify, enter PAR on Thursday — Pagasa

Sep 23, 2026

MANILA, Philippines — The tropical depression (TD) off Southeastern Luzon may intensify as it enters the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Thursday morning, Sept. 24, the state weather bureau said. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) reported in its 5 p.m. weather advisory that the TD is likely to enter the

Angara: Ratified voucher bill boosts private school subsidy reforms

Sep 23, 2026

MANILA, Philippines — Education Secretary Sonny Angara commended Congress on Wednesday for ratifying the Basic Education Voucher Assistance Act, as it would strengthen the Department of Education’s private school assistance framework. “This legislation provides a pragmatic solution to public school constraints while giving families more equitable access to quality schooling,” Angara said in a DepEd

Mangyan group slams ‘fabricated cases’ in ancestral land dispute

Sep 23, 2026

CALAPAN CITY, Occidental Mindoro – The Mangyan-Iraya Repungpungan sa Malatabako, an indigenous group in Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro, has denounced what it calls “fabricated criminal charges” filed against its members by a real estate developer. They described the cases as retaliation for the legitimate defense of their ancestral domain. In a video statement posted by

PH may achieve full electrification only by 2033 – lawmaker

Sep 23, 2026

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines may not achieve full electrification until 2033, five years later than the government’s target, Camarines Sur Rep. Arnie Fuentebella said Wednesday. Fuentebella said connecting remote rural areas to the electric grid could cost as much as P67 billion, with funding shortfalls potentially delaying the National Electrification Administration’s (NEA) rollout. He

Marcos backs private sector’s call to suspend real property tax hike

Sep 23, 2026

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Wednesday said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is inclined to support a proposal to suspend real property tax hikes amid private-sector concerns that higher valuations could increase property owners’ financial burden. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the Department of Finance (DOF) had already begun taking action on the issue following

QCPD recovers stolen SUV in Mandaluyong after breach in mortgage deal

Sep 23, 2026

MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon City police have recovered a Mitsubishi Montero during a follow-up operation in Mandaluyong City, they said on Wednesday. In a report, the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) said its operatives seized the 2024 Mitsubishi Montero in response to a victim’s complaint filed at the District Anti-Carnapping Unit on Sept. 17.

Paraguay’s president urges UN to let Taiwan in, calls island’s exclusion ‘a stain’

Sep 23, 2026

Paraguayan President Santiago Pena told the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday that his country “is not neutral” on the Taiwan Strait, pledging support for the self-ruled island and calling for its “full and meaningful participation” in the UN system. Casting a conflict in the strait as a potentially far greater threat than the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Pena warned of “ominous clouds gathering over the Indo-Pacific” and of a conflict that would hit Japan, the rest of East and...

American views of China improve before Xi-Trump summit, Pew report finds

Sep 23, 2026

As Chinese President Xi Jinping makes his high-profile state visit to the US, Americans’ views of China remain negative but have improved in recent years, according to a new Pew Research Centre report. Using a “feeling thermometer” ranging from zero, the coldest rating, to 100, the warmest, Pew found that Americans gave China an average rating of 37, up from 28 in 2021. “The [Xi-Trump] meeting comes as Americans’ feelings about China have warmed in recent years, even though they remain cold...

Criminologist links campus shootings to family, state, school ‘failures’

Sep 23, 2026

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — A cascading “collapse” of family guidance, school security, and government regulation is turning Philippine classrooms into killing fields, a criminology expert said on Wednesday. Dr. Gerry Caño, president of the Asian Criminology Society and Professional Criminology Associations in the Philippines, criticized the Philippine National Police (PNP) and state agencies for

Pia Cayetano asks NPC if publishing flight details could be probed

Sep 23, 2026

MANILA, Philippines — Senate finance panel vice chair Sen. Pia Cayetano confirmed with the National Privacy Commission (NPC) on Wednesday whether it could investigate the publishing of her flight details. She inquired about the matter after her flight details were made public when she and her brother, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, took a trip to

Bigger than Busan? US considers China’s ‘bigger deal’ on trade as Xi summit nears

More News

Tropical depression’s trough to bring rains in Visayas, Mindanao Thursday

All you need to know about a state visit, as White House rolls out red carpet for Xi

Tropical depression to intensify, enter PAR on Thursday — Pagasa

Angara: Ratified voucher bill boosts private school subsidy reforms

Mangyan group slams ‘fabricated cases’ in ancestral land dispute

PH may achieve full electrification only by 2033 – lawmaker

Marcos backs private sector’s call to suspend real property tax hike

QCPD recovers stolen SUV in Mandaluyong after breach in mortgage deal

Paraguay’s president urges UN to let Taiwan in, calls island’s exclusion ‘a stain’

American views of China improve before Xi-Trump summit, Pew report finds

Criminologist links campus shootings to family, state, school ‘failures’

Pia Cayetano asks NPC if publishing flight details could be probed

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