Category: Asia

Philippines

PRA Orders DPWH to Reveal All Laguna de Bay Reclamation Projects—What Will the List Expose?

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) has ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to submit an inventory of projects around Laguna de Bay that may have reclamation components, escalating a government inquiry into controversial development activities along the lake’s Taguig shoreline. The directive comes after questions were raised over projects allegedly involving reclamation work in the Taguig portion of Laguna de Bay and whether the necessary gove

September 1, 2026

Philippines

18-Year-Old Found Tied to Tree in Iloilo With Knife Wound—What Happened Before His Final Moments?

ILOILO CITY — A disturbing killing in Iloilo City is under investigation after an 18-year-old man was found bound to a tree with severe stab wounds in Barangay Calaparan, Arevalo district, on Sunday night, August 30. The victim, identified by Panay News as Aaron Bacolinao, was discovered after authorities received a report from a concerned resident who heard cries for help. He was found tied to a tree in Zone 10 of the barangay and was rushed to the Western Visayas Medical Center. Bacolinao la

September 1, 2026

Philippines

Rodriguez Mayor Says Flood-Hit Residents Should Build Second Floors — But One Question Is Swamping the Plan: Who Pays?

RODRIGUEZ, Rizal — After another night of frightening flash floods sent families scrambling for safety in Rodriguez, Rizal, Mayor Ronnie Evangelista has offered residents of some of the municipality’s most flood-prone communities a stark proposal: build upward. The mayor said households repeatedly exposed to flooding may have to convert their homes into two-storey structures, arguing that Rodriguez — still widely known by its former name, Montalban — sits in a geographic position that makes flo

September 1, 2026

Asia

He Had Just 14 Minutes to Decide: Nepal Principal Saves 900 Students Before Flood Sweeps Away Their School

BIDUR, Nepal — A frantic warning, a ringing school bell and a decision made in just minutes may have saved the lives of more than 900 students when catastrophic flash floods tore through Nepal's Trishuli Valley. Headmaster Rajendra Dawadi was at Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School in Bidur on Wednesday, August 26, when the school's accountant rushed in with an urgent message: the flood was coming. The warning came from a relative in upstream Rasuwa, an area already being hit by the disaster. A

September 1, 2026

Philippines

Metro Manila Haze Pushes Air Quality to ‘Acutely Unhealthy’ in Two Cities as Indonesia Fires Intensify

MANILA, Philippines — A blanket of haze has reached parts of Metro Manila, CALABARZON and MIMAROPA, sending air pollution readings to dangerous levels in several areas as Philippine authorities investigate whether smoke from raging forest and peatland fires in Indonesia has been carried north toward the country. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) said the haze observed over parts of Luzon and MIMAROPA was possibly associated with smoke

September 1, 2026

Philippines

Sara Duterte Impeachment Trial Enters Day 20—Then This AFP Testimony Takes Center Stage

MANILA, Philippines — The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte enters its 20th day on Tuesday, September 1, with the Senate impeachment court turning its attention to military certifications allegedly used to support the liquidation of confidential funds spent by the Department of Education (DepEd) during Duterte’s tenure as education secretary. The House prosecution is set to present retired Colonel Manaros Boransing II as its latest witness. His testimony is expected to focus on A

September 1, 2026

Asia

Grand Canyon Flash Flood Kills 2, About 15 Still Missing — But the Next Storm Could Change the Search

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Arizona — Search crews were racing against dangerous weather at the Grand Canyon after a violent flash flood killed at least two people, left approximately 15 others missing or unaccounted for and tore apart critical infrastructure deep inside one of America's most visited national parks. The disaster unfolded at about 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 29, when intense rainfall sent floodwater surging through Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area. The torrent ri

September 1, 2026

Philippines

Sara Duterte Impeachment Day 20 Turns to AFP Witnesses — But One ₱15-Million Question Could Change the DepEd Fund Case

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial enters Day 20 on Tuesday, September 1, with the spotlight shifting to military officers whose signatures became part of a controversial paper trail involving confidential funds at the Department of Education. And the central question is deceptively simple: What exactly were those military certifications meant to prove? Retired Col. Manaros Boransing II is expected to take the witness stand before the Senate impeachment court

September 1, 2026

Business

Brazil Just Rewrote the Rules for Concert Tickets — And Resellers May Have to Reveal the Number Fans Rarely See

Brazil is taking aim at one of the biggest frustrations facing concertgoers worldwide: tickets that disappear in seconds, unexplained fees that appear at checkout and seats that quickly reappear on resale sites at sharply higher prices. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed new regulations on August 31 governing the sale and resale of tickets for cultural and entertainment events, introducing tougher transparency requirements for ticketing companies and new measures designed to stop automa

September 1, 2026

Business

South Korea’s Factories Keep Growing for 9 Straight Months—But One Number Reveals What’s Really Driving the Boom

SEOUL — South Korea’s manufacturing sector continued its expansion in August, extending its growth streak to nine consecutive months as strong export demand helped keep the country’s factories moving despite a modest slowdown in overall new orders. The seasonally adjusted S&P Global Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell to 52.3 in August from 53.1 in July, but remained comfortably above the 50-point threshold that separates expansion from contraction. The latest reading means South Korean facto

September 1, 2026