Category: Asia

Indonesia

Indonesia’s Wildfires Are Choking Southeast Asia—And the Toxic Haze Could Get Even Worse

JAKARTA, Indonesia — A worsening wildfire crisis in Indonesia is sending thick, toxic haze across Southeast Asia, disrupting schools, threatening public health and pushing parts of neighboring Malaysia into emergency measures as smoke travels hundreds of kilometers beyond the Indonesian archipelago. Fires burning across parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan have intensified during one of Indonesia's harshest dry periods in years, with hot and dry conditions linked to a powerful El Niño pattern helpin

September 6, 2026

Business

Indonesia’s Main Airport Shut Down After Anak Krakatau Eruption—Hundreds of Flights Caught in the Disruption

JAKARTA — Indonesia temporarily suspended flight operations at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Sunday after volcanic ash from an eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau spread into the airport area, disrupting hundreds of flights and affecting thousands of passengers. The eruption of Anak Krakatau, the volcano located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, sent ash plumes across parts of western Indonesia, prompting aviation authorities to halt operations at the country’s busiest airport

September 6, 2026

Asia

Causeway Jam Returns: Heavy Traffic Chokes Woodlands Checkpoint as Malaysia Tailback Hits Singapore

SINGAPORE — Motorists heading into Malaysia on Sunday, Sept. 6, found themselves caught in heavy traffic at Woodlands Checkpoint as congestion from across the border backed up onto the Causeway. The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said at about 9.42am that there was heavy departure traffic at Woodlands Checkpoint due to a traffic tailback from Malaysia. By around 11am, traffic camera checks cited by AsiaOne showed the congestion stretching along nearly the entire Causeway. The lates

September 6, 2026

Asia

Greek F-4 Phantom Crashes in Front of Thousands at Air Show — Both Pilots Killed

ATHENS, Greece — A Greek Air Force fighter jet crashed during a major aerial display north of Athens, killing both pilots as thousands of spectators watched in horror. The twin-seat F-4 Phantom went down during a low-altitude manoeuvre at the annual Athens Flying Week event at Tanagra Air Base on Saturday, Sept. 5. The aircraft erupted into flames after impact, sending thick black smoke into the sky and triggering a major emergency response. Both pilots were killed. But despite the crash hap

September 6, 2026

Business

Singapore Investors Are Flocking to Osaka Property — But Is Tokyo’s Cheaper Rival About to Get Too Hot?

Singapore Investors Are Flocking to Osaka Property — But Is Tokyo's Cheaper Rival About to Get Too Hot? SINGAPORE — Singaporean investors looking overseas for their next property purchase are increasingly turning their attention to a Japanese city that has long lived in Tokyo's shadow. Osaka. With property prices in Tokyo approaching record levels, more investors are looking at Japan's second-largest metropolitan area for potentially lower entry prices, rising rents and stronger rental yields

September 6, 2026

Philippines

Ombudsman Presses Supreme Court: Why Has Complaint Against 7 CA Justices Remained Unresolved Since 2025?

MANILA, Philippines — Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla is pressing the Supreme Court to address an administrative complaint filed against seven Court of Appeals (CA) justices, saying there appears to be no public record showing that the case has been acted upon or resolved since it was filed in March 2025. Remulla raised the issue after the Supreme Court recently challenged the Ombudsman—or any concerned party—to formally substantiate allegations of partiality, misconduct and corruption involvin

September 6, 2026

Business

PSEi Went Nowhere, But Investors Kept Trading—COL Financial’s Commissions Just Jumped 21%

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine stock market may have struggled to deliver meaningful gains in the first half of 2026, but Filipino investors were clearly not sitting on their hands. Online brokerage COL Financial Group Inc. saw its commission income climb 21 percent to ₱234.5 million in the first six months of the year as investors continued buying and selling shares despite the Philippine Stock Exchange index giving up much of its early momentum. The surge highlights an interesting shif

September 6, 2026

Entertainment

Iga Swiatek Escapes the US Open Noise — But Her Next Opponent Could Bring Back a Painful Memory

Iga Swiatek is thriving at the US Open, but she appears to have little interest in the biggest spotlight New York can offer. The world No. 8 advanced to the fourth round Saturday with a hard-fought 7-6(3), 7-6(3) victory over 25th-seeded Marie Bouzkova on the Grandstand court — a venue that holds just over 8,000 spectators, far fewer than the nearly 24,000-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium. And Swiatek made it clear that she doesn't necessarily miss the noise and spectacle of Ashe. “Ashe is really ali

September 6, 2026

Philippines

13,441 Bar Hopefuls Enter the 2026 Philippine Bar Exams at 15 Sites — Who Will Survive the Ultimate Legal Test?

The long-awaited test of endurance, preparation and legal knowledge has begun. A record 13,441 aspiring lawyers have been cleared to take the 2026 Philippine Bar Examinations, which officially begin today, September 6, and will be administered across 15 local testing centers nationwide. The examinations will continue on September 9 and conclude on September 13. The figure comes from 14,291 registered applicants, meaning 13,441 were ultimately cleared by the Supreme Court’s Office of the Bar Co

September 6, 2026

Entertainment

Philippine Tarsiers Found in 29 Provinces — But Scientists Warn Their New Habitat Discovery Comes With a Catch

Researchers from the University of the Philippines Diliman Institute of Biology analyzed 1,125 Facebook posts published between 2006 and 2024 that contained information about Philippine tarsier encounters. The posts documented encounters across 29 provinces in the Greater Mindanao Faunal Region — more than twice the number of provinces previously listed in the species' IUCN range description. The findings were published in the International Journal of Primatology in a study titled “Improving O

September 6, 2026