Category: Asia

Sport

Fritz Had 22 Aces. Nakashima Still Found a Way to Win — Then Cincinnati Delivered Another Stunning Upset

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Open delivered another wave of major upsets Friday as Brandon Nakashima knocked out fellow American Taylor Fritz and Czech qualifier Sara Bejlek continued her remarkable run by eliminating Madison Keys. Nakashima, the No. 27 seed, battled past sixth-seeded Fritz 7-6(9), 4-6, 6-3 to book his place in the semifinals of the ATP Masters 1000 event. The victory extended a remarkable North American hard-court run that has rapidly turned Nakashima into one of the tournament

August 22, 2026

Philippines

Strong Group Finished the Jones Cup 6-1 After Beating Jordan—So How Did a Team That Barely Lost End Up Only Fifth?

NEW TAIPEI CITY, Taiwan — On paper, Strong Group-Pilipinas walked away from the 2026 William Jones Cup with the kind of record normally associated with a championship contender. Six wins. One loss. Yet when the tournament ended for the Philippine side, Strong Group was celebrating neither a championship nor even a semifinal appearance. Instead, it was fifth. Strong Group closed its campaign with a hard-earned 96-91 victory over Jordan on Friday, August 21, at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium in New T

August 22, 2026

Singapore

An EM Services Manager Is Accused of Taking S$220,000 in Bribes—Now Singapore Town Councils Face a Much Bigger Question

SINGAPORE — A corruption case involving a former senior project manager at one of Singapore’s major town council managing agents has put fresh attention on how contractors compete for public-estate work, after prosecutors alleged that S$220,000 in bribes changed hands in connection with contract proposals involving three town councils. Phua Gim Chuan, 63, who worked as a senior project manager at EM Services, was charged in the State Courts on August 21 with six offences linked to alleged corru

August 22, 2026

Entertainment

They Called It China’s Worst Animated Movie—Then Something Completely Unexpected Happened at the Box Office

A Chinese animated film that was initially mocked online for its crude visuals, awkward animation and bizarre storytelling has pulled off one of the year’s most unlikely box-office turnarounds. “Niu Lai,” translated as “Here Comes the Cow,” has gone from virtually unknown to a viral cinema sensation, with audiences reportedly buying tickets simply to experience for themselves the movie that social media users were calling “so bad it’s good.” According to ticketing platform Maoyan, the film had

August 22, 2026

Business

US-Canada Trade War Erupts Again as 50% Tariffs Hit Canadian Goods

WASHINGTON — A last-minute trade deal between the United States and Canada has collapsed, pushing the two longtime allies into a deeper trade confrontation after Washington imposed 50% tariffs on about US$20 billion worth of Canadian goods and Ottawa vowed to respond with matching measures. The breakdown came after three days of intense negotiations in Washington failed to produce an agreement before the extended deadline. U.S. President Donald Trump had given negotiators an additional three da

August 22, 2026

Philippines

Ramil Madriaga May Not Even Need to Testify Against Sara Duterte—What Gina Acosta Already Admitted Could Change the Trial

MANILA, Philippines — Ramil Madriaga was once expected to become one of the most explosive witnesses in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial. Now, prosecutors are asking a very different question: Do they still need him? The House prosecution panel has yet to make a final decision on whether Madriaga—who has described himself as having participated in the movement of confidential funds—will personally testify before the Senate impeachment court. According to prosecution counsel an

August 22, 2026

Philippines

The Philippines Wants ASEAN to Unite in Space—But What Marcos Is Building Could Go Far Beyond Satellites

MANILA — The Philippines is trying to move Southeast Asia’s space ambitions from scattered national programs into something much bigger: a coordinated ASEAN strategy that could shape how the region uses satellites, protects orbital assets, responds to disasters and competes in the rapidly expanding global space economy. Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the Philippines’ 2026 chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Manila is pushing for an ASEAN Declaration on Space Co

August 22, 2026

Business

Trump Just Opened the Door to 300,000 Tons of Cheaper Beef — But There’s a Catch

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is moving to temporarily open the U.S. market to more imported ground beef in an effort to bring down stubbornly high grocery prices — but the move is already triggering backlash from American cattle producers who fear cheaper imports could undermine the domestic beef industry. Trump said Friday that the United States would allow up to 300,000 metric tons of ground beef to enter the country over a 90-day period without the higher out-of-quota tariff. The Whi

August 22, 2026

Philippines

Philippine Poverty Just Fell Below 10% for the First Time—But 11 Million Filipinos Are Still Below the Line

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has crossed a milestone that once seemed years away. The share of Filipinos officially classified as poor dropped to 9.7% in 2025, the lowest level recorded in the country’s official poverty statistics and the first time the national poverty incidence among individuals has fallen below 10%, according to new data from the Philippine Statistics Authority. That translates to roughly 11.08 million Filipinos still living below the official poverty threshold in

August 22, 2026

Philippines

Philippines Holds A- Investment-Grade Rating as Japan’s R&I Reveals the Economic Risk Investors Are Watching

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has retained its A- investment-grade credit rating from Japan-based Rating and Investment Information Inc. (R&I), a move that signals continued confidence in the country’s creditworthiness even as the economy faces a tougher growth environment in 2026. In its August 2026 rating action, R&I maintained the Philippines’ A- foreign-currency issuer rating and a stable outlook. The agency also kept the country’s foreign-currency short-term debt rating at a-1. Th

August 22, 2026