Asia

Philippine Competitiveness

MANILA, Philippines — For several decades now, the country had been struggling to rise from a negative image in several critical economic aspects, one of which is competitiveness. The good news is that last year, it climbed 10 notches to become No. 75 in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global […]

Palestinian crisis likely to deepen without more aid

Reuters | Mar 15,2012 | JORDAN TIMES RAMALLAH — The aid-dependent Palestinian economy faces a deepening crisis unless foreign support grows and Israel eases restrictions on its trade, the World Bank said on Thursday. The Western-backed Palestinian Authority is relying on foreign aid to cover a 2012 budget deficit projected […]

A first–Islamic fashion staged in Manila

Islamic fashion is no oxymoron. As the recent Islamic Fashion Festival (IFF) staged in Manila showed, there’s more to Muslim dressing than the traditional abaya, chador and even burka. The collections of seven designers, including the Philippines’ JC Buendia, Jun Escario and Veejay Floresca, were noteworthy for their wearability, craftsmanship, […]