Category: Asia

Business

Trump’s Economic Plan Is Shaking Markets—But Bessent’s Next Move Could Change Everything

WASHINGTON — Financial markets are being pulled in several directions at once as the Trump administration intensifies its economic pressure campaign against Iran, the U.S. Treasury moves more aggressively into the long-term bond market, and investors react sharply to major corporate developments at Walmart and Moderna. At the center of the latest market drama is Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who said the U.S. government is prepared to increase its purchases of longer-dated Treasury securiti

August 22, 2026

Business

Zim Cleanser Has Survived in Filipino Homes for Decades—But Syril Ko’s Biggest Business Lesson Isn’t About Cleaning Products

MANILA, Philippines — In a consumer market where products can disappear almost as quickly as they arrive, remaining visible on Philippine store shelves for decades is an achievement in itself. That is part of what makes the story behind Zim Cleanser and the family business associated with executive Syril Ko worth examining. The household-cleaning brand is part of the portfolio of the Cymar Group of Companies, a Filipino family-run consumer-goods organization whose roots stretch back more than

August 22, 2026

Business

Puerto Galera’s P50 Environmental Fee Faces Growing Backlash—But There’s More Behind the Controversy

PUERTO GALERA, Oriental Mindoro — A growing backlash is putting Puerto Galera’s revised environmental fee policy under scrutiny, with residents, tourism stakeholders and local figures questioning whether charging fellow Mindoro residents could hurt domestic tourism. The controversy centers on Municipal Ordinance No. 2025-030, or the Revised Puerto Galera Environmental User’s Fee (EUF) System Ordinance, which was approved on December 11, 2025. Under the revised system, a P50 environmental user’

August 22, 2026

Business

Pop Mart’s Labubu Empire Just Hit an Overseas Speed Bump—But What’s Replacing the Hype Could Decide Its Next Chapter

HONG KONG — Pop Mart turned Labubu from an eccentric, sharp-toothed character into one of the world’s most recognizable collectible toys. Now, the Chinese company behind the global phenomenon is confronting a much harder test: proving that the extraordinary growth surrounding Labubu can survive once the initial frenzy starts to normalize. Pop Mart shares came under pressure in Hong Kong after its first-half 2026 results revealed a striking split in its business. Overall revenue was still growi

August 22, 2026

Singapore

Singapore Just Put an AI Chatbot Between Citizens and Government Services—But What Happens When the Questions Get Personal?

SINGAPORE — Finding the right government information could soon become as simple as asking a question in a chat box. Singapore is beta testing Chat.gov.sg, a new artificial intelligence-powered government assistant designed to help members of the public navigate official services, policies and information without having to search across multiple agency websites. The platform entered its final pre-release testing phase on July 3, 2026, according to Channel NewsAsia. The initiative is led by Ser

August 22, 2026

Philippines

Bianca Pagdanganan Fires 69, But Late Slip Costs Her at Wildhorse — Can She Make the Weekend Charge?

PENDLETON, Oregon — Bianca Pagdanganan put together another promising start but could not maintain her momentum down the stretch, settling for a 3-under-par 69 and a share of 39th after the opening round of the Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic on Friday. The ICTSI-backed Filipina looked poised for an even stronger position after making four birdies through her first 14 holes at Wildhorse Golf Course. But a late stumble prevented her from moving higher on a leaderboard that produced exceptionally l

August 22, 2026

Business

John Gokongwei Jr.’s Name Now Runs Through Bridgetowne—But What Robinsons Land Is Building Around It Could Be the Bigger Legacy

MANILA, Philippines — John Gokongwei Jr. did not live long enough to see Bridgetowne become the sprawling business, residential and lifestyle district Robinsons Land envisioned. But nearly seven years after his death, his name now runs through the heart of the estate—and the symbolism goes far beyond a new street sign. Robinsons Land Corp. has renamed the roughly one-kilometer main road cutting through Bridgetowne as John Gokongwei Jr. Boulevard, permanently linking the late industrialist with

August 22, 2026

Business

Singapore MRT Commuters Were Charged More Despite Tapping Before 7.45am — SimplyGo Reveals What Went Wrong

SINGAPORE — Thousands of Singapore commuters who expected cheaper MRT fares during the morning rush got an unwelcome surprise this week after a SimplyGo system issue prevented eligible pre-peak discounts from being applied. SimplyGo said the problem has now been resolved after affecting an average of 210,000 journeys a day on Aug. 20 and 21. The company attributed the disruption to a configuration error that affected both SimplyGo EZ-Link transactions and bank-card payments. Commuters notice

August 22, 2026

Singapore

A Crocodile Photo Shut Down Pandan Reservoir—But PUB’s Investigation Uncovered a Very Different Story

SINGAPORE — What began as an alarming report of a crocodile at Pandan Reservoir has taken an unexpected turn after authorities determined that the photograph submitted as evidence of the sighting was fake. National water agency PUB said on Friday, August 21, that further investigations established the photo connected to the reported crocodile sighting a day earlier was not authentic. PUB subsequently stopped its search operations and lodged a police report, saying it takes seriously false infor

August 22, 2026

Entertainment

Bangladesh Collapsed to 35/6 After Starc’s Stunning Burst—Then the Second Test Took Another Turn

MACKAY, Australia — Mitchell Starc delivered a devastating opening spell on Saturday, ripping through Bangladesh’s top order with five wickets in just 22 balls as Australia made an emphatic response to their historic defeat in the first Test. Bangladesh reached lunch at 35 for six on the opening morning of the second Test at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay, with Starc finishing the session with remarkable figures of 5/11 from nine overs. The Australian left-arm quick wasted no time. St

August 22, 2026