Author: WWC NEWSDESK

Lifestyle

100,000 Pack Taipei Streets as Giant Mechanical Elephants Take Over Shilin — And the Crowd Was So Huge, Officials Had to Step In

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Three enormous mechanical elephants transformed the streets of Taipei into a spectacular open-air theater Saturday night, drawing more than 100,000 people to Shilin for the opening of the 2026 Taipei Arts Festival. The free street performance, “Trois Éléphants Passent…” (“Three Elephants Pass…”), was staged by French street-theater company Compagnie Oposito in collaboration with Taiwanese performers. The spectacle featured three giant mechanical elephants moving through Shilin

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Business

Southeast Asia Is Growing Older — And a Massive New Business Boom Is Just Beginning

SINGAPORE — Southeast Asia is getting older. And increasingly, business is paying attention. Across the region, private companies, healthcare operators, property developers and even luxury resorts are racing to serve a rapidly expanding generation of older consumers — creating what policymakers and businesses now call the silver economy. From assisted living homes in Singapore to retirement communities and wellness-focused developments in Thailand, ageing is no longer being viewed only as a d

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Business

China Wants Consumers to Spend More — But Economist Lan Xiaohuan Says Beijing Faces a Delicate Balancing Act

BEIJING — China has built one of the world's most powerful manufacturing and export machines. Its factories produce everything from electric vehicles and solar panels to smartphones, machinery and advanced technology. But Beijing now faces a problem that could define the next phase of China's economic future: How do you convince hundreds of millions of consumers to spend more? Economist and bestselling author Lan Xiaohuan says the answer is not as simple as handing out more subsidies or laun

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Japan

Japan Dominates Asia Triathlon Para Championship in Subic Bay — Six Golds Reported as Philippines Hosts Asian Para Stars

SUBIC BAY, Philippines — Japan once again made a powerful statement in Asian para-triathlon, reportedly collecting six gold medals at the 2026 NTT Asia Triathlon Para Championships in Subic Bay, according to the Philippine News Agency. The championship was held Sunday, September 6, at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, bringing together elite para-triathletes from across Asia for one of the region's major continental competitions. The event was organized by Triathlon Philippines in cooperation with

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Entertainment

Who Is Sun Qian? 6 C-Dramas You Need to Watch After ‘The Early Spring’ Takes Netflix by Storm

ENTERTAINMENT — Chinese actress Sun Qian is gaining fresh international attention following the release of The Early Spring, but Netflix viewers discovering her through the workplace romance may be surprised to learn that her career already spans family comedy, coming-of-age stories, urban drama, period romance and even sci-fi romantic comedy. From a rebellious younger sister to an ambitious advertising professional, Sun Qian has steadily built one of the more varied television catalogues among

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Philippines

Palace Budget Slashed 64% for 2027 — But Recto Says Malacañang Can Still “Do More”

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the President is seeking a dramatically smaller budget for 2027, but Executive Secretary Ralph Recto says the 64% reduction will not cripple Malacañang's ability to run the government. The proposed budget for the Office of the President (OP) stands at approximately ₱10.156 billion for 2027, down sharply from the roughly ₱28 billion allocated to the office in 2026. Recto defended the lower spending plan, saying the reduction reflects lower operational require

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Philippines

5% Pay Hike Coming for Police, Soldiers in 2027 — But That’s Not All They’re Getting

MANILA, Philippines — More than 583,000 military and uniformed personnel (MUPs) are set to receive a 5% increase in base pay beginning January 1, 2027, under the government's proposed next round of compensation adjustments. The increase will cover personnel including members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), with the government also maintaining a PHP350 daily subsistence allowance. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said the pay adjus

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South Korea

Civic Groups Renew Push for UNESCO Listing of Comfort Women Records as Survivors Dwindle

SEOUL, South Korea — A coalition of civic groups is once again pressing UNESCO to move forward with a long-delayed effort to place historical records documenting Japan's wartime sexual slavery system on the Memory of the World Register. The renewed campaign comes as the number of surviving victims continues to fall, adding urgency to efforts to preserve their testimonies and related historical records. At a press conference in Seoul on Sept. 6, the groups called on UNESCO to accelerate conside

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Singapore

20-Year-Old SCDF Firefighter Dies Weeks After Joining Marina Bay Station — But What Happened in the Training Yard Is Still Unknown

SINGAPORE — A 20-year-old Singapore Civil Defence Force full-time National Serviceman has died after being found unconscious while on duty at Marina Bay Fire Station, just weeks after completing his firefighter training and being posted to the frontline unit. Lance-Corporal Muhammad Nur Ilham Mohammed Iswadi was found unconscious in the station’s training yard at about 8.10am on Sunday, September 6, according to the SCDF. Personnel immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation before he was

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Asia

Greek F-4 Phantom Crashes Before Thousands at Athens Airshow — But the Mystery Is What Happened in Its Final Seconds

ATHENS — Thousands of aviation fans had gathered at Tanagra expecting to watch one of Greece’s most recognizable combat aircraft roar through the sky. Minutes later, they were looking at a column of black smoke. A twin-seat Hellenic Air Force F-4E Phantom II crashed during a flying display at Athens Flying Week on Saturday, Sept. 5, killing both members of its crew and bringing one of Greece’s largest aviation events to an abrupt and devastating halt. The fighter went down during a low-altitu

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