Author: WWC NEWSDESK

Business

HO CHING DEFENDS TEMASEK’S AIR INDIA BET AS LOSSES MOUNT

Former Temasek CEO Ho Ching has defended Singapore Airlines’ investment in Air India as scrutiny grows over the Indian carrier’s mounting losses and request for fresh funding. In a Facebook post, Ho argued that Air India’s difficult history shows why rebuilding a major airline is a long-term challenge. She said running an airline is complicated because the industry is heavily regulated and influenced by factors beyond normal market forces. The debate intensified after Air India reportedly soug

September 3, 2026

Business

Oil Prices Slip After US-Iran Strikes — But the Strait of Hormuz Could Decide What Happens Next

Oil prices edged lower in Asian trading on Thursday, September 3, but the relatively modest retreat offered little evidence that the latest Middle East risk premium is disappearing. Brent crude futures fell 43 cents, or 0.45%, to $95.20 a barrel at 0029 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude slipped 24 cents, or 0.26%, to $90.77, according to Reuters data carried by CNA. The pullback came after an extraordinarily volatile Wednesday session in which both benchmarks moved between gains of ro

September 3, 2026

Asia

2 DEAD, 3 OFFICERS INJURED: Minneapolis Apartment Shooting Ends With Suspect Dead — But Questions Remain

MINNEAPOLIS — A deadly shooting inside a downtown Minneapolis apartment building left two people dead, three police officers injured and the suspected gunman dead, authorities said Wednesday. The shooting unfolded at an apartment building at 15 E. Grant Street shortly after 4:30 p.m., triggering a major police response and warnings for residents to stay away from the surrounding area. According to Minneapolis police, officers entered the building within minutes of receiving the initial 911 cal

September 3, 2026

Entertainment

Ignacio Buse Ends Peru’s 68-Year US Open Family Wait — But His Grandfather’s Story Makes the Victory Even Bigger

NEW YORK — Ignacio Buse did more than win his first US Open main-draw match. The 22-year-old Peruvian revived a family story at Flushing Meadows that had been waiting nearly seven decades for its next chapter. Buse survived an exhausting five-set battle against American Marcos Giron on Wednesday, September 2, defeating the home favorite 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-1 after three hours and 48 minutes on Court 6. The victory sent the No. 32 seed into the second round of the US Open — and made Buse t

September 3, 2026

Business

China Thought It Was Beating Deflation — Then These Numbers Exposed a Much Deeper Problem

BEIJING — China appeared to be finally putting years of deflationary pressure behind it. Then the latest numbers arrived. Consumer prices rose just 0.5% year on year in July 2026, slowing sharply from the previous month, while prices actually slipped 0.1% from June. Food prices were 1.5% lower than a year earlier, and prices of consumer goods increased only 0.2%, according to China’s National Bureau of Statistics. The figures reinforce a troubling reality for Beijing: China may have succeeded

September 3, 2026

Business

ASIA’S AI BOOM IS HIDING A BIGGER ECONOMIC PROBLEM — THE WARNING SIGNS ARE ALREADY SHOWING

Asia is riding one of the biggest technology investment waves in years, with artificial intelligence driving unprecedented demand for semiconductors, data centers and advanced electronics. But beneath the spectacular growth in AI-related industries, economists are warning that parts of the region’s traditional economy remain considerably weaker than the headline numbers suggest. The concern is becoming increasingly visible across major Asian economies: AI-linked exports are booming while domes

September 3, 2026

China

The US Navy May Build Its Next Frigates Overseas — But the Real Reason Has Washington Worried About China

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy is considering something that would have been almost unthinkable for much of the past century: putting foreign-built combat ships into American service. Japanese, South Korean and Turkish frigate designs are being evaluated as Washington searches for a faster way to add warships while its own shipbuilding industry struggles with delays, workforce shortages and rising costs — all while China continues to expand the world’s largest navy and dominates global commercial s

September 3, 2026

Entertainment

SABALENKA SENDS A WARNING: World No. 1 Crushes Iatcenko in 53 Minutes — Now Her US Open Three-Peat Dream Is Getting REAL

NEW YORK — Aryna Sabalenka is wasting little time reminding the women’s tennis world why she arrived at the US Open as the player to beat. The defending champion produced a devastating display of power Wednesday, crushing Russian qualifier Polina Iatcenko 6-1, 6-1 in just 53 minutes to storm into the third round of the 2026 US Open. The victory was a major statement from the world No. 1, who dropped only two games and finished with 24 winners, compared with just three from Iatcenko, according

September 3, 2026

Entertainment

Dolly Parton’s Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Replaced After Vandalism Days After Her Death

The country music legend’s Hollywood marker became an impromptu memorial after her death at 80. Then fresh scratches appeared across her name — forcing officials to accelerate work on a replacement. HOLLYWOOD — Less than two weeks after the world began mourning Dolly Parton, one of the most visible monuments to her extraordinary career has become the center of another emotional story. Parton’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is being replaced after it was apparently vandalized, with deep sc

September 3, 2026

Thailand

FROM GRANDPA’S HERBAL REMEDIES TO LUXURY SPAS: How One Thai Family Turned Ancient Beauty Wisdom Into a Global Brand

Manusanun “Mew” Leelahongjudha grew up with a beauty routine she didn’t always appreciate. When she and her siblings suffered insect bites or skin irritation after playing outdoors, their mother would turn to herbal remedies passed down from their late grandfather, a village herbalist. Among the ingredients was yanang, turmeric and other Thai botanicals prepared from the family garden. As a child, Mew questioned the unusual smell and texture. Years later, after studying at MIT Sloan School of

September 3, 2026