Author: WWC NEWSDESK

Indonesia

PH Haze Alert: Indonesian Wildfire Smoke Spreads Across Several Areas—Here’s Where Air Quality Is Worst

MANILA, Philippines — The haze hanging over parts of the Philippines is continuing to raise air-quality concerns, with authorities monitoring elevated levels of fine particulate matter in several areas as smoke from forest and land fires in Kalimantan, Indonesia, is carried across the region by prevailing winds. The Philippine News Agency reported Thursday that haze remained visible in several parts of the country, with Talisay City, Cebu, recording a PM2.5 reading classified as “acutely unheal

September 3, 2026

Singapore

SMRT Bus-Lorry Crash Leaves Bus Damaged at Outram Road — One Person Assessed for Minor Injuries

SINGAPORE — A collision involving an SMRT bus and a lorry at a busy Outram Road junction left the bus with shattered windows and a badly damaged middle door on Wednesday (Sept. 2). The crash happened at the junction of Outram Road and 2nd Hospital Avenue, in the vicinity of Singapore's major healthcare institutions. Images and video of the aftermath circulating online showed the two vehicles stopped near a zebra crossing. The SMRT bus appeared to have suffered significant damage around its mid

September 3, 2026

Business

She Lived With Severe Pain for More Than 10 Years Without a Diagnosis — Her Story Is Raising Questions About Fibromyalgia in Japan

A Tokyo woman’s long struggle to find an explanation for severe, persistent pain is drawing renewed attention to fibromyalgia and the challenges faced by patients whose symptoms can be difficult to recognize through routine medical tests. Reina Serikyaku, a 30-year-old certified care worker, says her symptoms began when she was a junior high school student on Ishigaki Island in Okinawa. During class, she suddenly experienced intense chest pain and was taken to a hospital by ambulance. But the

September 3, 2026

Business

Aboitiz Construction Takes Safety Drive Across 22 Sites — But Its Bigger Achievement Goes Beyond the Quill Award

MANILA, Philippines — Aboitiz Construction is turning workplace safety from a rulebook requirement into a company-wide behavior—and its latest recognition suggests the strategy is gaining traction far beyond individual construction sites. The company received an Award of Excellence at the 22nd Philippine Quill Awards on August 27, 2026, at Solaire Resort Entertainment City for its “SHES First. Excellence Always.” campaign, a behavior-driven safety communication program deployed across 22 projec

September 3, 2026

Entertainment

Hong Kong Entertainment Mourns: Legendary Actor and Dance Pioneer Lau Siu-ming Dies at 94—But His Final Years Tell a Deeper Story

HONG KONG — Hong Kong's entertainment and arts community is mourning the death of veteran actor and dance pioneer Lau Siu-ming, affectionately known as “Ming Sir,” who died on September 2, 2026, at the age of 94. Lau died at around 6 p.m., according to reports citing fellow veteran actor and voice artist Ding Yue, who confirmed the news. His cause of death has not been publicly disclosed. Reports said Lau had experienced declining health in recent years. Hong Kong's Secretary for Culture, Spor

September 3, 2026

Business

LG Wants Your Home to Think for You — But ThinQ Claw’s Biggest Test Comes After IFA 2026

BERLIN — LG Electronics is pushing artificial intelligence deeper into the home, moving beyond AI-powered refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioners toward something far more ambitious: an intelligent system capable of coordinating the entire household. At the center of that strategy is ThinQ Claw, a new text-based AI agent that LG plans to showcase at IFA 2026 in Berlin from September 4 to 8. Instead of forcing users to manually control individual devices or build complicated automa

September 3, 2026

Malaysia

Malaysia’s Rare-Earth Moment: Why Global Investors Are Watching as China Tightens Its Grip

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia is emerging as an increasingly important piece of the global critical-minerals puzzle as governments and manufacturers look for alternatives to supply chains heavily concentrated in China. The spotlight is particularly intense on Malaysia’s rare-earth resources, which could become strategically valuable as China maintains export controls on several rare-earth materials and related products. But Malaysia's opportunity comes with a major condition: the country wants to bu

September 3, 2026

Entertainment

Red Velvet’s Joy Turns 30 in Style: 10 Fashion Looks That Prove She Owns the ’90s and Y2K Revival

Red Velvet’s Joy is officially 30—and if her fashion evolution is anything to go by, the K-pop star is entering the next chapter of her career with a wardrobe that refuses to be boxed into a single aesthetic. Born Park Soo-young on September 3, 1996, Joy has spent more than a decade moving between polished glamour, relaxed streetwear, nostalgic ’90s minimalism and unmistakable Y2K styling. Tatler Asia recently revisited 10 of her standout fashion moments, highlighting just how effortlessly the

September 3, 2026

Business

Thomson Reuters Hit by Cybersecurity Breach Affecting Court Records in 11 U.S. States and Canada—Here’s What May Have Been Exposed

A cybersecurity incident involving a Thomson Reuters court-management platform has raised fresh concerns over the security of sensitive digital court records after an unauthorized party accessed files connected to court systems across the United States and Canada. Thomson Reuters said its C-Track case management platform was affected by unauthorized activity that was detected on June 30, 2026. The company's subsequent investigation determined that an unauthorized party had obtained certain C-Tr

September 3, 2026

Business

PITX Wants Metro Manila Reachable in Just Two Transfers — But the Bigger Plan Could Change More Than Commuting

Workers miss shifts. Businesses lose customers. Deliveries slow down. Retailers see foot traffic disappear. And for employees paid only for days they actually report for work, a transport disruption can quickly become lost income. That is the bigger argument now being pushed by the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX): the Philippines should treat reliable transportation not simply as a commuter issue, but as part of the country’s economic resilience strategy. At the PITX Media Forum

September 3, 2026