Category: Asia

Business

PAYMONGO AND SKYRO MOVE TO CLOSE PH CREDIT GAP — BUT THE BIGGER SHIFT MAY ALREADY BE HAPPENING

MANILA, Philippines — Digital payments are surging across the Philippines, but access to formal credit remains a major hurdle for millions of Filipinos. Now, fintech companies PayMongo and Skyro are trying to close that gap by connecting Skyro-approved credit with PayMongo’s growing network of QR Ph merchants. The partnership allows eligible Skyro customers to use their approved credit at participating merchants on PayMongo’s network through QR Ph — without requiring businesses to install new

September 2, 2026

Business

500+ Students Fall Ill After Indonesia’s Free School Meals — Now Authorities Are Testing The Food

Sidoarjo, Indonesia — More than 500 students in Indonesia’s East Java province have fallen ill and required medical treatment after eating meals supplied through the government’s ambitious free nutritious meals programme, triggering an investigation into whether the food was responsible. The incident occurred in Sidoarjo, where 516 students were treated at hospitals after developing symptoms consistent with suspected food poisoning, according to local officials cited by CNA and Reuters. East J

September 2, 2026

Business

Cavite Takes Over Imus Retarding Basin as DPWH Says Major Flooding Has Sharply Eased

IMUS CITY, Cavite — One of Cavite’s biggest flood-control facilities is officially moving into its next phase, with the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Japan International Cooperation Agency turning over the Imus Retarding Basin to local authorities—putting the long-term success of the massive project increasingly in the hands of local government. The 35-hectare floodwater catchment facility in Barangay Anabu 1-G can store about 1.12 million cubic meters of water, roughly equiva

September 2, 2026

Business

Dyson Just Put AI, a Camera and a Flosser Into a S$699 Toothbrush — But Its Biggest Test Comes Next

SINGAPORE — Dyson has built its reputation by turning ordinary household products into expensive engineering showcases. After vacuum cleaners, hair dryers, air purifiers and headphones, the Singapore-headquartered technology company is now making one of its boldest bets yet: reinventing the toothbrush. The company launched the Dyson CameraJet, its first electric toothbrush, on September 1, 2026, bringing a built-in camera, machine-learning technology and a precision mouthrinse jet into a single

September 2, 2026

Philippines

GSIS RETURNS ₱19 BILLION TO 700,000+ MEMBERS — BUT THOUSANDS MAY STILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR MORE

MANILA, Philippines — More than 700,000 government workers and other qualified GSIS members have already received a combined ₱19 billion in loan-payment refunds under the Government Service Insurance System’s Balik Ginhawa programs, giving families additional financial breathing room amid rising everyday expenses. As of August 31, 2026, GSIS said the refunds covered nearly 1.3 million loan contracts, bringing the pension fund closer to its ₱20-billion target before the enhanced Balik Ginhawa 2

September 2, 2026

Business

AFAB Locks In ₱1.36-Billion Water Deal for 25 Years—But One Number Shows How Big the Problem Really Is

BATAAN, Philippines — The Freeport Area of Bataan is preparing for one of its biggest utility upgrades in years, with a ₱1.358-billion public-private partnership aimed at rebuilding and expanding the economic zone’s aging water and sanitation network. The Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB) has entered into a 25-year Joint Venture Agreement with a consortium composed of Tubig Pilipinas Group Inc. and FB Infrastructure Corporation, handing the private partners a long-term mandate to

September 2, 2026

Politics

Zelenskyy Warns Airlines Russia’s Skies Are Becoming Unsafe as Ukraine’s Drone War Reaches Deeper

KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has issued an unusually direct warning to international airlines and aviation insurers: flying through Russian airspace is becoming increasingly dangerous as Ukrainian drones penetrate farther into Russian territory. The warning, delivered in Zelenskyy’s evening address on September 1, marks a new phase in the expanding drone war between Russia and Ukraine. While Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine does not deliberately threaten civilian aircraft, he s

September 2, 2026

Philippines

AFP Wants More Doctors and Nurses as Reservists—But the Recruitment Push Comes With a Bigger Challenge

MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines is looking beyond traditional soldiers as it strengthens its reserve force, putting a growing premium on doctors, nurses and other licensed professionals whose civilian expertise could become critical when disasters, national emergencies or security crises strike. The AFP Reserve Command, or AFPRESCOM, is stepping up efforts to bring more medical and other professionals into the military reserve system, according to a September 2 report

September 2, 2026

Entertainment

NFL’S NEXT 50 MILLION FANS AREN’T IN AMERICA — The League Is Betting Big on the World, and 2026 Could Be the Turning Point

The NFL is no longer treating international growth as a side project. The league is preparing for what could become one of the biggest expansion efforts in its history, with NFL International chief Gerrit Meier saying the organization believes its next 50 million fans will come from outside the United States. And the NFL is already putting that strategy into action. The 2026 season features a record nine regular-season games outside the United States, spread across four continents, seven coun

September 2, 2026

Business

Filipino MSMEs Want To Hire More Workers—But Nearly Half Can’t Find The Right Talent

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino micro, small and medium enterprises are ready to expand their teams, but a stubborn talent mismatch is threatening to turn their growth ambitions into a hiring bottleneck. JobStreet by SEEK is stepping up its push among Philippine MSMEs through free job advertisements, artificial intelligence-assisted recruitment tools, business workshops and partnerships with local governments—part of a wider effort to make professional hiring more accessible to businesses that m

September 2, 2026