Author: WWC NEWSDESK

Uncategorized

U.S. Pressure Starts to Bite as Iran’s Economy Comes Under Growing Strain

DUBAI — The economic pressure campaign against Iran is beginning to show deeper effects, with collapsing oil exports, a plunging currency and soaring inflation leaving Tehran with fewer options to keep trade and imports flowing. A Reuters report published by The Korea Times on September 4 said three senior Iranian sources described the latest U.S. sanctions and measures targeting Iranian oil exports and sanctions-evasion networks as increasingly difficult for Tehran to withstand. The developme

September 4, 2026

Business

Oil Nears $96 as US-Iran Tensions Escalate—But the Real Risk May Be What Happens Next

SINGAPORE — Oil prices were holding near six-week highs on Friday as renewed fighting between the United States and Iran pushed crude toward its strongest weekly advance since mid-July, with traders increasingly focused on the risk that disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz could worsen. Brent crude futures were around $95.52 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) stood near $91.36 in early trading Friday. On the week, Brent was up about 7.6%, while WTI had climbed 10.4%, putting

September 4, 2026

Asia

Taiwan Firms Prepare Another $20 Billion U.S. Investment as AI Chip Boom Drives Massive Expansion

TAIPEI — Taiwanese companies are preparing an additional US$20 billion in investment in the United States, with much of the money expected to flow into semiconductor supply chains and artificial-intelligence server businesses as demand for AI computing continues to surge. Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs said the planned investment represents the latest expansion of Taiwanese companies’ U.S. manufacturing footprint and comes on top of roughly US$35 billion in previously identified investme

September 4, 2026

China

52 Singaporeans Detained in China Over Suspected Pyramid Scheme—But What Happened Behind the “Investment” Pitch?

A major warning over high-risk investment schemes has emerged after 52 Singaporean citizens were arrested and detained in Guangxi, China, over suspected pyramid-scheme activities and related offences. The arrests were confirmed on September 4 by Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and Singapore Police Force (SPF) following a law-enforcement operation by Chinese authorities. Investigations in China remain ongoing, and Singaporean authorities have stressed that the detainees are entitle

September 4, 2026

Philippines

Sara Duterte Faces Arrest After QC Court Issues Warrant—What Happens Next?

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte is now facing arrest after the Quezon City Regional Trial Court issued a warrant in connection with a criminal case accusing her of three counts of grave threats. Duterte’s lawyer, Paul Lawrence Lim, confirmed the issuance of the warrant on Friday, September 4, 2026, saying that the vice president has no intention of evading the law and will continue to pursue available legal remedies. The warrant was issued by Quezon City Regional Trial Court

September 4, 2026

Uncategorized

South Korea Weighs Longer School Days for Young Students as Hagwon Pressure Fuels Education Debate

SEOUL — South Korea is considering a controversial change to elementary education that could keep first- and second-grade students in school until around 3 p.m., with policymakers arguing that longer school hours could help close childcare gaps and reduce families' reliance on private academies known as hagwons. But the proposal has immediately triggered a major backlash from teachers, parents and education groups, who warn that simply keeping younger children in classrooms for longer could inc

September 4, 2026

Business

U.S. Military Presence in Australia Set to Grow as Washington and Canberra Tighten Pacific Defence Alliance

The United States and Australia are moving to deepen their military partnership, with Washington and Canberra agreeing to accelerate plans that could expand the U.S. military presence on Australian bases amid growing strategic concerns about China’s military expansion in the Indo-Pacific.  The announcement followed a September 2 meeting in Washington between Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles and U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. Marles said the American m

September 4, 2026

Uncategorized

Taiwan Artist Sangna Take Brings His “Slacker Boy” World to Life in New Taipei Exhibition

TAIPEI, Taiwan — What happens when exhaustion, vulnerability, humor and the ordinary routines of everyday life become the raw material for contemporary art? Taiwanese artist Sangna Take (桑拿大可) is exploring exactly that question in his latest solo exhibition, A Pair of Underwear, A Pair of Socks, now on display at Eslite Gallery in Taipei. The exhibition brings together 40 new works—34 paintings and six ceramic sculptures—and marks the artist's return to Eslite Gallery following his well-receiv

September 4, 2026

Philippines

ARMAS NA NAMAN! 4ID TROOPS UNEARTH HIDDEN WEAPONS CACHE IN SURIGAO DEL SUR—HERE’S WHAT THEY FOUND

CANTILAN, SURIGAO DEL SUR — A buried weapons cache containing high-powered rifles, magazines and more than a hundred rounds of ammunition has been recovered by Philippine Army troops in the hinterlands of Cantilan, Surigao del Sur, in another operation aimed at preventing communist insurgent remnants from regaining access to firearms. Troops from the 30th Infantry Battalion (30IB), under the Army’s 4th Infantry Division (4ID), discovered the cache on Thursday, September 3, in Signalnan, Sitio K

September 4, 2026

Asia

Taiwan’s Deep-Geothermal Breakthrough: 200°C Heat Found Beneath Yilan, Opening Door to First Deep-Geothermal Power Plant

TAIPEI — September 4, 2026 — Taiwan’s long-running search for commercially viable deep geothermal energy has received a major boost after state-owned CPC Corp. discovered temperatures of about 200°C at a depth of 3,361 meters in Dongshan, Yilan County. The finding does not yet mean Taiwan has approved or begun construction of a new geothermal power plant. Instead, it gives CPC enough reason to move into the next phase of exploration—testing whether the underground heat reservoir is large and pr

September 4, 2026