Author: WWC NEWSDESK

Malaysia

Malaysia Waited 28 Years for This — What Taanusiya Chetty Did at Miss World 2026 Has the Nation Talking

The 26-year-old Malaysian representative was named second runner-up at the 73rd Miss World final, held in Nha Trang, Vietnam, on Sept 5. Taanusiya's achievement puts her alongside Lina Teoh, who also finished third for Malaysia at Miss World in 1998 — meaning the country has waited 28 years to match its highest-ever placement at the competition. The crown went to Joheirry Mola of the Dominican Republic, while Elisabeth Reynés of Spain finished as first runner-up. Taanusiya secured third place

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Politics

China Doubts US “Hellscape” Strategy for Taiwan Strait—But Its Military Experts Are Watching Closely

TAIPEI, Taiwan — China may publicly dismiss the United States' proposed “Hellscape” strategy for a Taiwan Strait conflict, but behind that rhetoric, Chinese military analysts appear to be taking the concept far more seriously than Beijing's official messaging suggests. That is the central finding of a new analysis by Ian Easton, an associate professor at the U.S. Naval War College's China Maritime Studies Institute (CMSI), who examined Chinese-language military and strategic writings on the U.S

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Philippines

CALABARZON Police Seize P13.3M in Illegal Drugs in Just One Week—But One Province Stands Out

LUCENA CITY, Philippines — Police operations across CALABARZON resulted in the seizure of more than P13.3 million worth of suspected illegal drugs in just one week, with 228 suspects arrested in 181 anti-drug operations, according to the Police Regional Office IV-A. The operations were conducted from August 31 to September 6, 2026, covering the region's five provinces—Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon. According to the latest police figures reported by Inquirer, authorities confiscate

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Business

Taiwan Cooling Suppliers Race to Beat AI Heat as New Designs Target Thermal Resistance

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan's thermal-management industry is entering a new phase as the rapid rise of artificial intelligence pushes processors, servers and data centers to generate more heat than conventional cooling systems can comfortably handle. For Taiwan's cooling suppliers, the challenge is no longer simply moving more air. It is about reducing thermal resistance, moving heat away from increasingly powerful chips faster, and fitting more cooling capability into increasingly compact systems

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Business

Tokyo’s Shinjuku Moves to Ban More Than Half of Vacation Rentals — And Existing Airbnb-Style Homes Could Be Next

TOKYO, Japan — One of Tokyo’s most popular tourist districts is preparing for a major crackdown on vacation rentals, with more than half of Shinjuku’s short-term accommodations potentially facing closure under proposed new restrictions. Shinjuku, home to the bustling Kabukicho entertainment district and one of the world’s busiest railway hubs, is planning to prohibit private lodging businesses, commonly known in Japan as minpaku, in residential neighborhoods and areas near schools. The tougher

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Taipei

French Mechanical Elephants Draw 150,000 in Taipei—Massive Crowds Turn Streets Into a Giant Theater

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Three enormous mechanical elephants from France have transformed Taipei's Shilin district into a giant open-air theater, drawing more than 150,000 people over two days and turning the opening of the 2026 Taipei Arts Festival into one of the city's biggest cultural spectacles of the year. The spectacle, titled “The Elephants Are Coming…” (《大象來了……》), featured three towering mechanical elephants moving through Shilin's streets alongside phoenix figures, musicians and performers.

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Business

Jakarta Airport Closure Extended as Anak Krakatau Ash Cloud Grounds More Flights—Here’s What Travelers Need to Know

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Air travel across Indonesia remains severely disrupted after the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau sent volcanic ash into the atmosphere, forcing authorities to extend the closure of Jakarta’s main international airport and several other airports in Java and Sumatra. The Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, the country’s primary aviation gateway serving Jakarta, is among the airports that remain temporarily closed as authorities continue monitoring volcanic ash

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Asia

AI Data Center Boom Pushes UK Chipmaker IQE Back Into Profit — But the Bigger Surge May Be Just Beginning

CARDIFF, United Kingdom — The global race to build artificial intelligence infrastructure is creating winners far beyond the companies making AI chatbots and graphics processors — and British semiconductor materials specialist IQE is emerging as one of them. IQE has returned to profitability in the first half of 2026 as surging demand for technology used in artificial intelligence and data center infrastructure lifted its performance, underscoring how the AI boom is reshaping the global semicon

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Politics

DPP Accuses KMT of Dropping Sheltered Workshop Mooncake Orders as Taiwan Election Fight Intensifies

TAIPEI, Taiwan — A political fight over Taiwan's Mid-Autumn Festival mooncakes has taken a new turn, with the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) accusing the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) of failing to follow through on promised purchases from sheltered workshops serving people with disabilities. The controversy erupted after two sheltered workshops in southern Taiwan said they had been contacted by the KMT about bulk purchases but later received no confirmed orders. The allegations have

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Asia

Nepal Falls Silent for Its Flood Victims — But Thousands Are Still Missing

KATHMANDU, Nepal — Nepal observed a national day of mourning on Monday, September 7, as the country continues to grapple with the devastating aftermath of the catastrophic August 26 floods that killed more than 1,300 people and left thousands still missing. Government offices across Nepal and Nepali embassies and diplomatic missions abroad flew the national flag at half-mast to honor the victims of one of the country's deadliest recent natural disasters. The day of mourning falls on the 13th d

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