The Philippine military has opted to keep Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio in charge of an army reserve command despite her incendiary public remarks, even as it recently expelled a pro-Duterte lawmaker from the reserve force for politicised conduct. Military officers and defence observers said the contrasting treatment underscores how power, political risk and legal grey zones shape how the Arm...
The Philippine military has opted to keep Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio in charge of an army reserve command despite her incendiary public remarks, even as it recently expelled a pro-Duterte lawmaker from the reserve force for politicised conduct. Military officers and defence observers said the contrasting treatment underscores how power, political risk and legal grey zones shape how the Armed Forces of the Philippines disciplines its reservists, as the rift between the president and his...
A Hong Kong court has remanded a 61-year-old man in custody after he was charged with allegedly posting seditious content on social media. Retiree Chong Wai-man appeared at West Kowloon Court on Thursday afternoon over one count of intentionally publishing seditious material in breach of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. Prosecutors alleged he shared seditious statements and images on ...
A Hong Kong court has remanded a 61-year-old man in custody after he was charged with allegedly posting seditious content on social media. Retiree Chong Wai-man appeared at West Kowloon Court on Thursday afternoon over one count of intentionally publishing seditious material in breach of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. Prosecutors alleged he shared seditious statements and images on Facebook from March 26, 2024 to November 29, 2025. Those materials were allegedly intended to incite...
Foreign investors flocked to Japanese equities last year, purchasing the most since 2013 as they sought refuge from US economic uncertainty under President Donald Trump. Overseas investors net purchased roughly ¥5.4 trillion ($35 billion) in Japanese cash equities in 2025, 35 times more than the amount they bought in 2024, according to data from the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Foreigners’ purchases were...
Foreign investors flocked to Japanese equities last year, purchasing the most since 2013 as they sought refuge from US economic uncertainty under President Donald Trump. Overseas investors net purchased roughly ¥5.4 trillion ($35 billion) in Japanese cash equities in 2025, 35 times more than the amount they bought in 2024, according to data from the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Foreigners’ purchases were second only to Japanese corporates, which net bought ¥10.5 trillion in domestic stocks as the nation’s buyback boom continued. Last year’s “aggressive” foreign buying was largely fueled by optimism for Japan’s economy, helped by the central bank’s steady monetary policy normalization , wrote Japan equity analyst Pelham Smithers in a report. “Foreign investors tend to be very motivated by the strength of the economy and economic expectations,” he wrote. Read more: Tariff Turmoil Leads Global Funds to Pile Back Into Japan Stocks In a year when the US economic outlook grew increasingly uncertain under Trump’s tariff policies, Japan emerged as an attractive alternative, especially due to companies’ efforts to boost capital efficiency and shareholder returns. Foreigner’s bullishness stood in contrast to domestic retail investors, who net sold ¥3.6 trillion in Japanese stocks last year. However, foreign investors are likely to get choosier this year as Japan’s stock benchmarks have already risen to record-high levels, Smithers warned.
CMA’s move comes as Associated British Foods, which also owns Primark, issues profit warning Business live – latest updates The UK competition watchdog has ramped up its investigation into a £75m takeover deal that will result in the owner of Kingsmill snapping up its sliced bread rival Hovis. Associated British Foods (ABF), which also owns the Primark clothing chain, confirmed plans to buy Hovis ...
CMA’s move comes as Associated British Foods, which also owns Primark, issues profit warning Business live – latest updates The UK competition watchdog has ramped up its investigation into a £75m takeover deal that will result in the owner of Kingsmill snapping up its sliced bread rival Hovis. Associated British Foods (ABF), which also owns the Primark clothing chain, confirmed plans to buy Hovis from private equity owners Endless in August, combining the UK’s second- and third-largest bread brands. Continue reading...
South African food producers climbed to an almost eight-year high after JPMorgan Chase & Co. recommended buying the stock, citing robust prospects. “We see a positive outlook for South African food producers in 2026,” JPMorgan analysts Shaun Chauke and Elena Jouronova wrote in a report Thursday. That’s due to softer commodity prices, improved operating-cost structures thanks to investment in manuf...
South African food producers climbed to an almost eight-year high after JPMorgan Chase & Co. recommended buying the stock, citing robust prospects. “We see a positive outlook for South African food producers in 2026,” JPMorgan analysts Shaun Chauke and Elena Jouronova wrote in a report Thursday. That’s due to softer commodity prices, improved operating-cost structures thanks to investment in manufacturing facilities, and easing local inflation that could boost volumes, they said. JPMorgan gave new overweight ratings to Tiger Brands Ltd. , AVI Ltd. and Premier Group Ltd. The FTSE/JSE Food Producers Index rallied as much as 1.7% in Johannesburg to the highest intraday level since March 2018. The gauge is outperforming the broader South African bourse, which fell for a second straight day, and has the best sectoral showing on the exchange today. The bank sees food producers as a better play on the South African consumer story when compared with food retailers because they stand to derive greater benefit from lower commodity costs and grocers are seeing penetration of private labels stagnate while key food brands experience sustainable market share. “These factors are enabling producers to maintain a strong market position in a dynamic industry, while also helping them withstand the challenges of a weaker consumer environment and the strong bargaining power of retailers,” Chauke and Jouronova wrote. Since peaking at almost 8% in 2022, South Africa’s annual inflation rate has eased to 3.5%, spurring a series of interest-rate cuts that have reduced the cost of debt for consumers in Africa’s biggest economy. The United Nations’ food-price index , which tracks five commodity groups, declined for three straight months through November and is on track to show an annual decrease for 2025. Premier Group, which produces bread, corn products and flour, is JPMorgan’s top pick in the sector after its recent purchase of RFG Foods, the analysts wrote. Sign up here for the twice-weekl...