Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has urged China to "temper" its behaviour in the South China Sea in a rare criticism of the Asian superpower over its programme of island-building in disputed waters.China has alarmed and angered its neighbours by claiming dominion over most of the South China Sea and building a string of artificial islands and military airbases.

Monsoon rains battered down on Manila this week as a tropical storm - the ninth this year - howled nearby. Schools, courts and the senate were shut for two days; roads were flooded; public transport was affected. It could have been worse.That the Philippine capital is one big ocean wave away from disaster isn’t news to climate scientists or economists.

In the Philippines, the life expectancy of mayors and their deputies can be very short. A recent spate of public assassinations of local officials in broad daylight brought the spotlight back on political killings in the country, now dubbed the “murder capital of Asia” by opposition senator Antonio Trillanes.Five local officials were shot to death in six days, from 2 to 7 July, in a mix of political and drug war-related killings.

Philippine central bank Governor Nestor Espenilla laid out the case for another interest rate increase, citing broadening price pressures, tighter United States (US) monetary policy and a currency slump.While Espenilla stopped short of saying that a rate hike is on the cards on Wednesday, he said in an interview that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) aims to anchor inflation back to its target next year.

Philippines is on the cusp of transformation. When President Rodrigo Duterte assumed power, he initiated the “Build! Build! Build!” project to usher in a “golden age of infrastructure” for the Philippines. The ambitious Build! Build! Build! project is estimated to cost the country US$180 billion, with over 70 projects planned nationwide. Among the planned projects is a new Manila airport terminal, Manila’s first subway system, and a 102-kilometre railway in Mindanao.

The hunt for bargains in Southeast Asian’s red-hot technology arena is finally driving investors to the Philippines.Galvanized by Alibaba-founder Jack Ma’s investment in payments outfit Mynt, early-stage investors have begun to explore opportunities in one of the region’s fastest-growing economies, which since 2012 has drawn but an iota of Southeast Asian venture capital investment.

The Supreme Court of the Philippines ruled on Friday to remove Maria Lourdes Sereno as Chief Justice. The historic ruling was made in a special en banc session which saw the high tribunal ultimately vote 8-6 against Sereno and declare void her appointment as the country’s Chief Justice.The ruling is immediately executory but Sereno is expected to file an appeal against the decision.

e-Commerce is now in fashion. The Fourth Industrial Revolution has seen many sweeping changes take place in the tangible market, with Southeast Asia’s internet economy growing exponentially. In the region, e-Commerce transactions have leapt from US$5.5 billion in 2015 to US$7.9 billion in 2017. By 2025, the industry is projected to reach US$88.1 billion, attaining the status as the most valuable segment in the Southeast Asian internet economy.

With a relentless implementation of new technologies combined with a surge in investment deals, it is not erroneous to say that the automotive industry in Southeast Asia is experiencing a positive transition. Before the proposed introduction of Vietnam’s VinFast, Malaysia was the only Southeast Asian nation that had its own national car, in the form of Proton.

The Philippines is Asia's worst stock and currency market this year. A 6 percent slump in the benchmark index combined with a 4.6 percent slide in the peso means U.S. dollar-based investors are looking at double-digit losses. Year-to-date, foreigners pulled more than $580 million from shares, after inflows of $1.1 billion in 2017.Analysts aren't telling clients to buy the dip.