Category: Asia

Business

Makro Is Coming Back to Four Ayala Estates—But the Bigger Story May Be What Ayala Is Building Around It

MANILA, Philippines — Makro’s return to the Philippines is no longer just a comeback plan on paper. The wholesale retail brand has now secured four strategic Ayala Land locations, setting the stage for a rollout that could become a much bigger play for both retail and real estate. Ayala Land Inc. announced that it has signed lease agreements with Makro Philippines covering four of its mixed-use estates: Cloverleaf in Quezon City, Arca South in Taguig, Broadfield in Biñan, Laguna, and Evo City i

August 22, 2026

Entertainment

LaLaLa Fest Finally Landed in Manila With Steve Lacy, Two Door Cinema Club and OPM’s Biggest Names—But the Real Story Was the Mix

MANILA, Philippines — Manila's already crowded concert calendar gained a new player this week, but LaLaLa Fest wasn't built around just one superstar. Instead, its Philippine debut attempted something considerably broader: putting Grammy-winning international talent, indie-rock favorites, contemporary R&B, Southeast Asian artists and some of the Philippines' fastest-rising OPM acts on the same festival bill. LaLaLa Fest Manila was held on August 21, 2026 at the World Trade Center Manila in Pas

August 22, 2026

Philippines

Four Drug Den Operators Nabbed in Maguindanao del Sur—Then Authorities Revealed Who Helped Bring Them Down

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Four men allegedly operating a drug den in Buluan, Maguindanao del Sur were arrested during an anti-drug entrapment operation, with authorities seizing an estimated ₱54,000 worth of suspected shabu and drug paraphernalia from the site. The operation was carried out on August 18, 2026, in Purok 1, Barangay Upper Siling, where Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEA-BARMM) agents, backed by police units, conducted a buy

August 22, 2026

Politics

Japan’s Inflation Picks Up as Iran War Fuels Energy Shock—What Happens Next Could Hit the Global Economy

Japan’s inflation story is heating up again—and the next move by the Bank of Japan could be the part markets are watching most closely. Japan’s core consumer inflation accelerated to 1.8% year-on-year in July, up from 1.6% in June, according to government data released Friday. The reading matched economists’ expectations but remained below the Bank of Japan’s 2% inflation target for a seventh consecutive month. But beneath that headline figure is a more complicated warning: energy costs, highe

August 22, 2026

Entertainment

Gabby Lopez Is Backing ABS-CBN With Billions—But the Real Battle May Be Over What the Network Becomes Next

MANILA, Philippines — Six years after ABS-CBN lost its broadcast franchise and was forced into one of the most painful restructurings in Philippine media history, Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III is once again emerging at the center of the company’s future. But this time, the story is not simply about restoring the television empire his family once controlled. It is about whether ABS-CBN can become something fundamentally different—and survive. Lopez, the network’s former chairman and chairman emeri

August 22, 2026

Business

LRT-1 Is Getting Closer to Cavite—But the Biggest Impact May Have Nothing to Do With Faster Travel

MANILA, Philippines — For thousands of workers living south of Metro Manila, the long-awaited completion of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension could eventually mean more than simply spending fewer hours trapped in traffic. It could change which jobs are realistically within reach. Metro Pacific Investments Corp. chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, widely known as MVP, said improved mass transportation could give people living outside the National Capital Region better access to employment concentrated in M

August 22, 2026

Philippines

Kerwin Espinosa Gives Up Loose Firearms and Says He’s “Law-Abiding” — But What Happens Next Could Be Bigger

Albuera Mayor Kerwin Espinosa has surrendered his loose firearms to authorities, saying he wants to demonstrate that he is now committed to being a law-abiding citizen. ALBUERA, LEYTE — Albuera Mayor Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa has turned over his loose firearms to police, in what he described as a step toward proving that he is now choosing to follow the law. The development comes as Espinosa attempts to move forward from years of controversy surrounding his name, including previous allegations i

August 22, 2026

Business

Tradeluxury Luxury Goods Scam: Director Charged Over S$35,000 Money Transfer — But the Bigger Mystery Is What Happened to Victims’ Money

SINGAPORE — The multimillion-dollar Tradenation and Tradeluxury luxury goods scandal has taken another turn, with a former Tradeluxury director charged in Singapore over an alleged S$35,000 transfer linked to criminal proceeds. Yap Lee Peng Somchai, a 30-year-old Singapore citizen, appeared in court on 21 August 2026, facing one charge under Singapore's Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act for allegedly transferring property despite having reasona

August 22, 2026

Business

Kita Just Raised $4.5 Million to Let AI Judge Borrowers in Seconds—But the Bigger Story Is Who Banks Could Start Lending To

A young artificial intelligence startup with Filipino roots has raised $4.5 million in seed funding to tackle one of lending’s oldest problems: figuring out whether borrowers with limited traditional credit histories are actually creditworthy. Kita, an AI-powered credit assessment company co-founded by Carmel Limcaoco and Rhea Malhotra, secured the fresh capital in a round led by BoxGroup, with participation from Y Combinator, Golden Gate Ventures, BEENEXT, Kaya Founders, U.S. News Digital Vent

August 22, 2026

Entertainment

Riot Games Pulls the Plug on 2XKO Development—But Fans Aren’t Losing the Game Yet

Riot Games is ending active development of 2XKO at the end of 2026, less than a year after the League of Legends-based fighting game officially launched on consoles and PC. But despite the shocking announcement, the game itself is not being shut down. Riot Games confirmed on August 20 that it will conclude active development of 2XKO, its free-to-play 2v2 tag-team fighting game featuring champions from the League of Legends universe. The decision comes after months of evaluating player retentio

August 22, 2026