Category: Asia

Philippines

Romualdez Camp Says Recantations Have Weakened Flood-Control Case — But Ombudsman Says 42 Witnesses Are Still in Play

MANILA, Philippines — The legal battle surrounding former House Speaker and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez has entered a potentially decisive phase, with his lawyers arguing that a series of witness recantations has badly weakened the flood-control corruption case against him — while the Office of the Ombudsman insists the investigation is far from collapsing. At the heart of the dispute is a simple but critical question: When a witness changes his story, does that destroy the original t

September 1, 2026

Business

Philippines May Import Up to 5 Million Tons of Rice—But the Bigger Food-Security Risk Could Come Next

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines could import as much as 5 million metric tons of rice this year as the government races to build up food reserves amid worsening weather risks, including a developing El Niño and damage from heavy monsoon rains and tropical cyclones. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. told lawmakers on Tuesday that additional rice imports may be needed after the country's main harvest season to ensure sufficient stocks during the first quarter of 2027. The stra

September 1, 2026

Business

Singapore K-Beauty Fans, Get Ready: Sephora Is Bringing Olive Young’s Trending Korean Beauty Picks Closer to Home

SINGAPORE — K-beauty fans in Singapore will no longer have to wait for their favourite Korean skincare trends to make their way across the region. Starting Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, Sephora Singapore will launch the Olive Young K-Beauty Edit, bringing a curated selection of Korean beauty brands and products to local shoppers as part of a major global partnership between Sephora and South Korea’s Olive Young. The Singapore rollout follows the partnership’s first activation in the United States

September 1, 2026

Singapore

Singapore Night Market Horror: Driver to Face 7 Charges After Fatal Crash Linked to Etomidate

SINGAPORE — A fatal night-market crash that claimed the life of a 66-year-old stall attendant has resurfaced more than a year later, with a 41-year-old man set to face seven charges over the incident, including allegations of driving after using etomidate and dangerous driving causing death. The case stems from a crash at Pipit Road near Block 52A Circuit Road on July 11, 2025, when a car reportedly surged forward, broke through a car-park barrier, crossed the two-lane road and mounted the kerb

September 1, 2026

Politics

Lawrence Wong Heads to Bangkok as Singapore, Thailand Revive Leaders’ Retreat After 11 Years — But the Bigger Test Comes Next

SINGAPORE/BANGKOK — Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will travel to Bangkok on Wednesday, September 2, for a meeting that looks like a routine bilateral summit on paper but could have wider consequences for Southeast Asia’s economic and strategic direction. Wong will meet Thai Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul for the fifth Singapore-Thailand Leaders’ Retreat—the first such gathering between the two countries in 11 years and the first between the two current leaders. The last

September 1, 2026

Politics

Keir Starmer QUITS Parliament Just Weeks After Leaving No. 10 — Here’s What Comes Next

LONDON — Former British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is leaving Parliament, ending his 11-year career as the MP for Holborn and St Pancras just weeks after stepping down as prime minister. Starmer announced on Tuesday, September 1, that he will resign as a Member of Parliament and focus on international affairs, including defence, security, trade and technology. The decision marks another major turning point in the political career of the former Labour leader, who led his party from one of

September 1, 2026

Entertainment

Leslie Cheung’s Iconic ‘Days Of Being Wild’ Returns in 4K—But Its Most Haunting Moment Still Comes at the End

More than three decades after Leslie Cheung captivated audiences as the restless York in Wong Kar-wai’s Days Of Being Wild, the Hong Kong classic is returning to the big screen in a newly restored 4K version—and Singapore fans will have a rare chance to experience it in its original Cantonese audio. Golden Village will screen the 1990 film from Sept. 11 to 13, 2026, as part of commemorations for what would have been Cheung’s 70th birthday on Sept. 12. The limited screenings will take place at

September 1, 2026

Business

Foo Cexiang Puts AI, Working Parents and New Growth Markets at Top of Agenda — But Singapore’s Hardest Workforce Test Is Still Ahead

SINGAPORE — Artificial intelligence, the pressures facing working parents and Singapore’s search for its next generation of overseas growth markets are emerging as three major priorities for newly appointed Minister of State Foo Cexiang as he begins work at the Ministry of Manpower and Ministry of Trade and Industry. Foo formally took up his appointments on September 1, marking a rapid rise for the first-term Tanjong Pagar GRC MP, who entered Parliament following the 2025 General Election. His

September 1, 2026

Entertainment

Barcelona Sign Gabriel Jesus From Arsenal in Deadline-Day Deal — But His Real Role Under Hansi Flick Could Be the Bigger Story

BARCELONA, Spain — September 1, 2026 — FC Barcelona have officially signed Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus from Arsenal, adding an experienced Premier League winner to Hansi Flick’s attack in one of the most intriguing moves of the closing stages of the summer transfer window. Barcelona confirmed on Tuesday that Jesus has signed a three-year contract running until June 30, 2029, bringing the 29-year-old’s four-season spell in north London to an end. Neither Barcelona nor Arsenal publicly discl

September 1, 2026

Philippines

Bonoan Out of Plunder, Graft Cases: Sandiganbayan Drops Former DPWH Chief—But What Happens Next?

MANILA, Philippines — Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan is no longer an accused in the plunder and graft cases being handled by the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division, in a major development tied to the widening investigation into alleged corruption in flood-control projects. The anti-graft court granted the Office of the Ombudsman’s request to discharge Bonoan from the cases, clearing the way for prosecutors to potentially use him as a state witness in oth

September 1, 2026