The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business

Alcatel Flash, one of the leading mobile-phone developers in the Asia-Pacific region, recently launched its Flash 2 smartphone that offers an ergonomically designed unit that fits perfectly in its user’s hand. 

When heroes are no longer enough to save the Earth from evildoers, who would be humanity’s last hope? 

The World Premieres Film Festival (WPFF) Philippines has introduced an exciting new incentive for Filipino directors to submit their films to the festival, which will begin in late June. 

A French businessman and former president of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) has urged fellow businessmen to invest in developing tourism in the country’s bays, since they don’t get as much attention as its beaches.

It seems the Metro Manila Film Festival’s (MMFF) disqualification of Erik Matti’s acclaimed film Honor Thy Father from its Best Picture race last month has turned out to be a good thing.

By Luis Leoncio  The government will widely miss its forecasts in 2015 and this year due mainly to troubles brewing in major economies and the chronic underspending of the current administration. 

Washington—A scary sell-off in Chinese stocks is magnifying concerns about the health of the world’s second-biggest economy. 

By Jerry Maglunog  Former National Treasurer Leonor Magtolis Briones asked voters to challenge those running for Congress to reveal their positions on the P3.0002-trillion 2016 national appropriations that her group, Social Watch Philippines (SWP), has described an “election budget loaded with lump-sum appropriations and pork.” 

By Christopher Bodeen / The Associated Press Beijing—Two civilian jets landed on the airstrip of a new island that China built in the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea, drawing more protests over China’s activities in disputed waters. 

By Luis Leoncio The property sector is expected to make a strong comeback this year, with eight areas, led by Metro Manila cities, seen to fuel strong growth through new projects, according to online real-estate market site Lamudi in a report.