Category: Asia

Politics

Trump Says ‘America First’ Is His Foreign-Policy Strategy — But One Growing Contradiction Could Redefine His Presidency

WASHINGTON — More than a year into Donald Trump’s second presidency, one of Washington’s biggest foreign-policy debates is no longer simply about whether the United States is becoming more isolationist, interventionist or transactional. It is about whether all of Trump’s increasingly consequential moves abroad actually fit together. The White House insists they do. Its 2025 National Security Strategy explicitly describes Trump’s foreign policy as being driven above all by what works for the U

August 29, 2026

Singapore

Singapore Road Deaths Fall to 61, But Traffic Accidents and Injuries Rise in First Half of 2026

SINGAPORE — Singapore recorded fewer road deaths in the first half of 2026, but the improvement came alongside a troubling increase in traffic accidents and injuries, prompting the Traffic Police to warn that the broader road-safety situation remains concerning. From January to June 2026, 60 fatal traffic accidents claimed 61 lives, down sharply from 78 fatal accidents and 79 deaths during the same period in 2025. The number of fatal accidents fell by 23.1 per cent, while road fatalities decli

August 29, 2026

Asia

14 NEWBORNS DEAD IN PAKISTAN HOSPITAL FIRE — Questions Mount Over What Went Wrong

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — At least 14 newborn babies were killed after a fire tore through a maternity ward at one of Pakistan’s largest government hospitals, triggering an investigation into how the blaze started and whether adequate fire-safety measures were in place. The fire broke out early Wednesday, August 26, at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad, in the Mother and Child Health Ward. Officials said the blaze was concentrated in the neonatal area, where critically

August 29, 2026

Entertainment

CHINA JAILS ARTIST OVER MAO SATIRE: Gao Zhen Gets 3 Years as Rights Groups Cry Foul

BEIJING — Chinese artist Gao Zhen has been sentenced to three years in prison over satirical artworks depicting former Chinese leader Mao Zedong, triggering renewed international criticism over artistic freedom and the use of China’s laws protecting “heroes and martyrs.” The 70-year-old artist was sentenced on August 25, 2026, by the Sanhe City People’s Court in Hebei province after being convicted of “slandering China’s heroes and martyrs,” according to Reuters, the Associated Press and Amnest

August 29, 2026

Philippines

₱510K WORTH OF SUSPECTED SHABU SEIZED IN DUEÑAS: 24-YEAR-OLD HVI ARRESTED IN BUY-BUST

ILOILO — A 24-year-old man identified by police only as alias “Josh” was arrested in a drug buy-bust operation in Dueñas, Iloilo, after authorities seized about 75 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated street value of ₱510,000. The operation was conducted at around 7:35 p.m. on August 26 in Barangay Poblacion A, Dueñas, by personnel of the Dueñas Municipal Police Station (MPS) in coordination with Iloilo Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU) Team 1. Police described Josh as an alleged h

August 29, 2026

Philippines

7-YEAR-OLD GIRL DROWNS AT HINIGARAN BEACH RESORT — RESCUE EFFORTS FAIL TO SAVE HER

HINIGARAN, Negros Occidental — What was supposed to be a family outing ended in tragedy after a 7-year-old girl drowned while swimming with her siblings and two other minors at a beach resort in Barangay Gargato, Hinigaran, on August 21. According to the Hinigaran Municipal Police Station, the incident happened at around 12:20 p.m. at Ma-ay Beach Resort, where the child had gone swimming with her older sister, another sibling and two minor neighbors. Police said the girl, a resident of Remedio

August 29, 2026

Philippines

ANTIQUE’S NO. 1 MOST WANTED FALLS: 57-YEAR-OLD SUSPECT ARRESTED IN BARBAZA

ANTIQUE — The long-running manhunt for Antique’s No. 1 provincial-level most wanted person has ended after police arrested a 57-year-old man in Barbaza on August 27. The suspect, identified only by authorities as alias “Toto,” was apprehended at around 11:30 a.m. in Sitio Aligtos, Barangay Igpalge, Barbaza, during a coordinated manhunt operation. Police said “Toto” is a married, unemployed resident of Barangay Mayos, also in Barbaza. His arrest was carried out by virtue of a warrant of arrest

August 29, 2026

Philippines

Ombudsman Questions Loren Legarda’s Extended Medical Leave: What Happens Next?

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman is continuing to raise questions over Sen. Loren Legarda’s repeated medical leave extensions, with its spokesperson saying the circumstances surrounding her absence have added to the agency’s concerns as she faces a preliminary investigation alongside her son, Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste. Assistant Ombudsman and spokesperson Mico Clavano said Friday that if Legarda is suffering from a serious illness, the repeated extensions of her medical lea

August 29, 2026

Entertainment

Barbie Forteza Says Cheaters Don’t Deserve a Second Chance — But Her Biggest Relationship Rule Goes Even Further

MANILA, Philippines — Barbie Forteza has made her position on cheating unmistakably clear, but the Kapuso actress says the boundary she has drawn in relationships is actually about something much bigger: self-respect. The award-winning actress addressed her viral comments about infidelity during the August 28 episode of Fast Talk with Boy Abunda, explaining why she does not personally believe a cheating partner deserves another chance. Her original answer during the media conference for her up

August 29, 2026

Philippines

PANAY’S LAST HORNBILLS ARE RUNNING OUT OF FOREST: 68 DULUNGAN COUNTED — BUT THE BIGGER THREAT IS CLOSING IN

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — A rare Philippine hornbill found nowhere else on Earth is facing a new wave of pressure as roads, renewable-energy proposals, forest loss and other development activities increasingly overlap with its remaining habitat in the Central Panay Mountain Range. The latest coordinated count offers a small measure of hope — but conservationists say it is far too early to declare a recovery. Community volunteers and conservation groups recorded 68 Dulungan, or Rufous-headed H

August 29, 2026