LATEST PULSE

A quiet front in the South China Sea dispute is moving online.   Cybersecurity researchers and Philippine officials say suspected China-linked groups have embedded themselves inside government agencies, telecom networks, and potentially military-linked systems across the Philippines and parts of Southeast Asia.   Unlike smash-and-grab cybercrime, these operations are slow, patient, and strategic. The goal is to gain access, collect ...

According to new reports, the Philippines is expected to see economic growth in 2026, with GDP projected at 5.3%, up from 4.4%in 2025. The projected improvement reflects a gradual recovery in business activity and consumer spending. However, this outlook is increasingly shaped by global risks, especially rising oil prices linked to conflict in the Middle East.   While the headline numbers suggest progress, the truth is that the average Fil...

A fast-moving global energy crisis is shaking economies across the world as the ongoing US-Israel-Iran war drives oil prices through the roof and disrupts supply chains. Countries from Egypt to South Korea are racing to protect their economies, businesses, and citizens from rising costs.   Egypt Implements Early Closures and Daily Life Changes In Egypt, daily life is already changing. Shops, restaurants, and cafes must now close by 9:00pm...

The Philippines' new executive order on maritime naming will not alter realities at sea, but it does reinforce Manila's position at a decisive moment in its competition with China.   The new executive order mandates that Philippine government agencies adopt official Philippine names for 131 maritime features in the Kalayaan Island Group, part of the wider archipelago internationally known as the Spratly Islands. The Spratlys are part of th...

The Russia-Ukraine war shows how long and far-reaching the costs of conflict can be. It is not just bombs and bullets. War destroys families, communities, and economies. The fighting that began in 2014 escalated into a full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, marking the deadliest war in Europe since World War II. Today, its effects touch every part of Ukrainian life and ripple across Europe and the world.   Lives Shattered and Futures St...