Author: WWC NEWSDESK

Thailand

NIGHT OF FIRE IN THAILAND: 51 Incidents Rock Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani — What Security Forces Fear Could Come Next

NARATHIWAT, Thailand — Thailand’s southern border region was hit by a sweeping wave of violence Saturday night, with authorities reporting 51 separate incidents involving explosions, arson and other acts of sabotage across Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani. The incidents began at around 8 p.m. on August 22, according to Thailand’s Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 (ISOC 4). By midnight, authorities had recorded 22 incidents in Narathiwat, 18 in Yala and 11 in Pattani. The attacks includ

August 23, 2026

Singapore

Singapore Just Opened the Door to 200MW of New Data Centres — STT GDC Gets 50MW, But There’s a Bigger AI Push Behind It

SINGAPORE — Singapore is making another major move to expand its artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure capabilities, with ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC) provisionally allocated 50 megawatts (MW) of new data-centre capacity under the government’s second Data Centre Call for Application (DC-CFA2). The award is part of a broader 200MW allocation announced by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) on Aug. 21. STT GDC,

August 23, 2026

Politics

U.S. Navy Sends P-8A Through Taiwan Strait as Xi-Trump Summit Nears—Beijing Watches Closely

A U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft flew through the Taiwan Strait in international airspace on Friday, prompting China to monitor the mission as Washington and Beijing prepare for a high-level meeting expected next month. The U.S. 7th Fleet said the transit demonstrated Washington's commitment to a “free and open Indo-Pacific,” framing the operation as an exercise of navigational rights under international law. China, meanwhile, tracked and monitored the aircraft throughout its

August 23, 2026

Business

Alibaba’s Ad Revenue Is Slipping—But Its AI Gamble Could Change Everything

Alibaba is seeing a dramatic shift in where its growth is coming from. While revenue tied to its traditional e-commerce advertising ecosystem weakened during the June 2026 quarter, surging demand for artificial intelligence and cloud computing helped push the Chinese technology giant's overall revenue higher. The results underscore a high-stakes transformation for Alibaba: its established commerce business remains under pressure, but its increasingly expensive bet on AI is beginning to generate

August 23, 2026

Singapore

Dempsey Tree CRASHES Onto 2 Cars, Trapping Driver Inside — Then Nearby Workers Rushed In

SINGAPORE — A quiet Saturday morning in Dempsey turned frightening when a large tree suddenly toppled onto vehicles along Loewen Road at about 10am on Aug. 22, damaging at least two cars and briefly trapping a private-hire driver inside his vehicle. The 60-year-old driver, identified by The Straits Times as Saiful, was turning his white Nissan MPV out from the Museum of Ice Cream area when he heard a loud cracking sound. He looked up and saw the tree beginning to fall. Saiful tried to reverse

August 23, 2026

Philippines

14 Days, Thousands of Acres Searched—But Sofia Is Still Missing: What Happens Next in Sagada?

The intensive 14-day search for 17-year-old Sofia Isabela Magalgalit Oria has officially entered a new phase—but the effort to find the missing Sagada teenager is far from over. The Incident Command Post (ICP) coordinating the large-scale search was closed on Saturday, August 22, after two weeks of intensive field operations. However, the Municipality of Sagada said its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) remains activated, allowing authorities to continue monitoring information and supporting co

August 23, 2026

Singapore

BUS DRIVER HAD ENOUGH: Singapore Cars Block JB Bus Lane—Then He Stepped Off the Bus

A bus driver’s decision to step into the rain and confront motorists blocking a dedicated bus lane near the Johor Bahru customs complex has gone viral, reigniting debate over lane discipline and the growing traffic pressure at the Singapore-Malaysia land border. The incident was captured on video and shared on Instagram by user @jon_tri_fast on Aug. 20. By Aug. 23, the footage had reportedly been viewed about 367,000 times. In the video, the bus driver—wearing what appeared to be a neck pillow

August 23, 2026

Entertainment

BTS Jungkook Targeted in ₱1.6-B Hacking Scheme—But What Happened to His ₱350-Million HYBE Shares?

A Chinese national has been sentenced to 20 years in prison in South Korea after being convicted of leading an international hacking operation that targeted wealthy individuals, including BTS member Jungkook, in a scheme linked to more than 38 billion won (around ₱1.6 billion or US$27.2 million) in stolen assets. The Seoul Central District Court handed down the sentence on August 20, finding the man, identified by his surname as Chun in several English-language reports, guilty of fraud and viol

August 23, 2026

Philippines

Sara Duterte Impeachment Vote Faces Crucial Twist: Will 16 Votes Still Decide Her Fate?

MANILA, Philippines — A potentially decisive legal question is emerging in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial: How many votes will ultimately be required to convict her? Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, one of the House prosecutors, said Saturday that the determination belongs to the Senate sitting as an impeachment court—not to either the prosecution or the defense. Ridon’s statement comes as the Senate trial enters a critical stage and questions continue to surround the c

August 23, 2026

Philippines

PH Officials Fly to Meta After Deadly School Shooting—What Will They Demand From Facebook’s Parent Company?

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine technology officials are set to bring growing concerns over online violence, harmful content and disinformation directly to Meta's regional leadership, following the deadly shooting at Ateneo de Zamboanga University that renewed questions about how quickly major social media platforms respond during a crisis. Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Henry Aguda and Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) Executive

August 23, 2026