Tokyo—Standard & Poor’s lowered Japan’s sovereign credit rating and said it doesn’t expect Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s economic revival strategy to reverse deteriorating government finances within the next three years.

Washington—The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned sales of four cigarette brands from R.J. Reynolds because they did not meet the agency’s safety review requirements.

Brussels—The greatest influx of people into Europe in decades is not just a humanitarian emergency, but also a potential stroke of luck for many countries facing the economic threat of an aging population.

Havana—Pope Francis visit to Cuba and the United States is his first trip to the onetime Cold War foes after helping to nudge forward their historic rapprochement. He will be offering a show of solidarity with Cubans and making clear that Hispanics in the United States are the bedrock of the American church.

Publicly listed 8990 Holdings Inc. spearheaded the forming of a research center aimed at gathering data on the industry to help the government and the private sector ease the problem of lack of shelter in the country. 

Broadcasting giant ABS-CBN said several online sites illegally providing ABS-CBN TV shows and movies have been barred after it received several preliminary injunctions in the US Federal District Court against 44 sites. 

By Jerry Maglunog Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the main cogs of the economy, as 94 percent of local firms are classified under this category. 

By Riza Lozada European trade experts will visit the country to present investment options and business conditions in three rising Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) members, the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) said. 

The World Bank (WB) is working with the government to develop an insurance and risk-transfer mechanism for national and local governments, businesses and even individual households to help them deal with natural disasters. 

By Jerry Maglunog Banks are also making a killing out of lending, aside from the conventional route of bank loans through tie-ups with credit-card companies.