
Philippines signals it won't intervene to cap peso strength
MANILA: Philippine central bank Governor Eli Remolona signalled authorities are unlikely to intervene to curb the strength in the peso, which has risen along with Asian peers this month.
"This is a story of dollar weakness,' Remolona said in a mobile-phone message on Wednesday (May 7).
"To intervene now would be to go against the tide.'
The peso climbed to its strongest level since March 2024 this week, on growing optimism over trade deals. The stance of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas stands in contrast to peers in Taiwan and Hong Kong, who have intervened in the market to slow the pace of appreciation in their currencies. - Bloomberg

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The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Senior Taiwan official visits site of new Alaska LNG project
TAIPEI: A senior Taiwanese official said on Saturday he had this week visited the site of a potentially enormous new liquified natural gas (LNG) project in Alaska that the Trump administration has been pushing hard to allies in Asia as a supply option. Energy developer Glenfarne had said on Tuesday that 50 firms had formally expressed interest in contracts worth more than $115 billion from its Alaska LNG project, a massive infrastructure deal championed by U.S. President Donald Trump. Writing on his Facebook page, Pan Men-an, secretary-general to Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, said he had attended an energy conference in Alaska at the invitation of U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and visited the state's North Slope. Phase One of the project is expected to deliver natural gas about 1,230 km (765 miles) from the North Slope to the Anchorage region. 'Despite the freezing temperatures, we talked enthusiastically about building resilience and responsibility as democratic partners in the face of global climate change and the challenges of authoritarianism,' Pan wrote. 'In the face of trade challenges and international turbulence, we have no choice but to rise to the occasion,' he said, without mentioning whether he had signed any deals while there. The presidential office said late on Friday that Pan had been accompanied by Fang Jeng-zen, chairman of Taiwan's state-owned energy company CPC. CPC in March signed a non-binding agreement to buy LNG and invest in the project, a move Taiwan's president has said would ensure the island's energy security. If built, the Alaska LNG project will export up to 20 million metric tons of the superchilled gas a year. It would open direct access for U.S.-made LNG to Asian markets without having to go through the Panama Canal or around the Horn of Africa, reducing transit time and costs. Taiwan has pledged to massively ramp up its purchases from the United States, including energy, to reduce a yawning trade surplus that has angered Washington.


The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Vietnam bride gifted lavish dowry of 100 civet cats worth US$70,000 to generate future income
BEIJING (SCMP): A Vietnamese woman who received a lavish dowry from her parents of 100 civet cats, gold bars, cash, company shares and several high-value properties has shocked social media. The unidentified 22-year-old comes from southwestern Vietnam and was married last May. As part of her dowry, her parents gave her 100 female civet cats, all capable of breeding, with an estimated total value of 1.8 billion Vietnamese dong (US$70,000). It also included 25 taels of gold, 500 million dong (US$20,000) in cash, company shares worth 300 million dong, seven properties and other valuable assets. In return, the groom's family offered a bride price of 10 taels of gold, 200 million dong in cash and diamond jewellery. Dowries remain an important tradition in many Asian countries, symbolising family wealth and the parents' commitment to supporting their daughter's new life. The bride's father, Hong Chi Tam, said that all his children have taken over the family business after graduating from university, and he wanted his daughter to own assets that could generate income. He said he would fully support her decision, whether she chose to raise the civet cats or sell them. 'My daughter is a business school graduate. She is fully capable of managing these assets. No matter the method, it ensures her financial independence,' Hong said. Civet cats are a valuable asset in Vietnam. A female that has given birth can be worth around 18 million dong (US$700), while a pregnant one can fetch up to 27 million dong. Their value partly comes from their role in producing Kopi Luwak coffee, which is considered one of the most expensive coffees in the world. The animals eat ripe coffee cherries, which then pass through their digestive system, producing beans that are collected, cleaned, processed and roasted. In addition to their role in coffee production, civet meat is also seen as a luxury food in China and Vietnam and has been used in traditional Chinese medicine. However, according to World Animal Protection International, civet cats are often captured from the wild using harmful methods such as box traps and snares. To fuel the industry, they are then sold to farms, where they are kept in small cages and fed poorly in stressful conditions, leading to self-harm, injury and an early death. The story, reported by ETtoday, drew a mixed online reaction. One online observer said: 'While people in China are still competing over cash dowries, Vietnamese tycoons are already giving away entire industry chains as dowries.' Another said: 'This is the real way to raise a daughter. Teaching her to fish is better than giving her a fish.' However, a third said: 'Behind the luxury is animal exploitation. We should reflect on the ethics of using wildlife in business and marriage transactions.' - South China Morning Post/ANN

Barnama
a day ago
- Barnama
CPO Futures End Lower On Rising Output Concerns
By Durratul Ain Ahmad Fuad KUALA LUMPUR, June 5 (Bernama) -- The crude palm oil (CPO) futures contract on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives ended lower today due to concerns over rising production, according to palm oil trader David Ng. He said weaker soybean oil prices on the Chicago Board of Trade during Asian trading hours also weighed on market sentiment. 'The rising production is mainly due to seasonality. We see prices supported at RM3,800 per tonne and resistance at RM4,000 per tonne,' he told Bernama. At the close, the spot-month June 2025 and July 2025 contracts dropped RM42 each to RM3,904 per tonne and RM3,923 per tonne, respectively. August 2025 fell RM45 to RM3,903 per tonne, September 2025 and October 2025 declined RM47 each to RM3,890 per tonne and RM3,886 per tonne respectively, and November 2025 reduced RM40 to RM3,891 per tonne. Trading volume improved to 64,761 lots from 59,422 lots yesterday, while open interest edged up to 245,562 contracts from 245,345 contracts previously. The physical CPO price for June South decreased by RM50 to RM3,950 per tonne. -- BERNAMA