Category: Asia

Asia

OpenAI Just Slashed GPT-5.6 Sol Prices—But What Happens After the Three-Month Discount Could Reshape the AI Race

OpenAI is making its most powerful GPT-5.6 model cheaper for developers — and the timing suggests the company is fighting for far more than lower API bills. The ChatGPT maker has announced a temporary price reduction for GPT-5.6 Sol, its flagship model, cutting the cost of standard short-context API usage for the next three months as competition across the artificial intelligence industry intensifies. Under the new pricing, developers will pay $4 per million input tokens, down from $5, while o

August 22, 2026

Philippines

AI for Filipino Small Businesses Could Cost Just ₱1,200 a Month—But Globe Says There’s a Bigger Catch

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Artificial intelligence may sound like an expensive investment for small businesses, but Philippine micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) may be able to start experimenting with AI tools for roughly ₱1,200 a month, according to Globe Business. The figure, however, does not mean Globe is offering a universal AI subscription for ₱1,200. Globe Business Vice President Glenn Estrella said during the G Summit Cebu 2026 that some AI providers offer free trials, followed

August 22, 2026

Singapore

Priest Stabbed During Communion: Singapore Man Gets Jail and Caning—But What Happened Inside St Joseph’s Church?

SINGAPORE — Nearly two years after a shocking stabbing at St Joseph’s Church in Upper Bukit Timah, the man who attacked a Catholic priest during communion has been sentenced to four years and three months in jail and nine strokes of the cane. Basnayake Keith Spencer, 38, was sentenced on Aug. 21, 2026, after pleading guilty to voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a dangerous weapon and offences involving the possession of weapons in public without a lawful purpose. The case stems from the No

August 22, 2026

Singapore

Singapore Airlines Is Returning to Madrid After 20 Years—But the Bigger Surprise Is What It’s Doing Across Europe

Singapore Airlines is preparing one of its most significant European network changes of 2026, and the headline attraction is a destination the carrier has not served for more than two decades: Madrid. Beginning October 26, 2026, Singapore Airlines (SIA) plans to operate five flights a week from Singapore to Madrid via Barcelona, subject to regulatory approvals. The move will make Madrid the airline’s 15th destination in Europe and its second in Spain, alongside Barcelona. But Madrid is only pa

August 22, 2026

Sport

Tiafoe Is One Win From the Cincinnati Final—But Nakashima’s Red-Hot Run Has Changed the Equation

CINCINNATI — Frances Tiafoe has found his momentum at exactly the right time. The American powered past Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti 7-6(2), 7-5 on Friday to reach the 2026 Cincinnati Open semifinals, setting up an all-American showdown with an increasingly dangerous Brandon Nakashima just days before the US Open festivities begin. Tiafoe needed more than two hours and four match points to finally put away the 10th-seeded Musetti on a humid night in Ohio. Thunderstorms threatened around the venue b

August 22, 2026

Business

She Started With a $700 Used Bass Guitar—Now This Singaporean’s Cat Designs Are Taking the Guitar World by Storm

SINGAPORE — What began as an attempt to make an old bass guitar look less ordinary has turned into an international business for Singaporean entrepreneur and product designer Julia Becker. Becker, 24, is the founder of ThreeStools, a Singapore-based business creating custom and 3D-printed guitar and bass pickguards featuring unconventional designs—including her now-famous cats. Her creations have attracted customers from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Japan, South Korea

August 22, 2026

Singapore

Singapore’s Marriage-and-Parenthood Reset Is Coming — But What Will Change After Sunday’s National Day Rally?

SINGAPORE — Singapore’s struggle to get more people to marry and have children is moving into a new phase, with marriage, parenthood and the rising pressures of family life expected to take centre stage at Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s 2026 National Day Rally on Aug. 23. But this year’s discussion is shaping up to be about more than simply encouraging Singaporeans to have more babies. Instead, analysts expect the Government to address a much broader question: How can Singapore make marriage a

August 22, 2026

Sport

Australia Choose to Bowl First Against Bangladesh—But What Happened in Darwin Has Turned This Mackay Test Into Something Much Bigger

MACKAY, Australia — Australia captain Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to bowl first against Bangladesh in the second and final Test in Mackay on Saturday, setting up a high-pressure showdown as the hosts fight to avoid what would be a stunning home series defeat. The decision to field first at the Great Barrier Reef Arena comes only days after Bangladesh shocked Australia by nine wickets in Darwin, recording their first-ever Test victory on Australian soil and taking a 1–0 lead in the two-

August 22, 2026

Business

Australia Is Buying Back Guns After the Bondi Beach Attack—But Canberra’s Decision Could Trigger a Much Bigger National Shift

CANBERRA/SYDNEY — Australia’s sweeping response to the deadly Bondi Beach terror attack is expanding, with the Australian Capital Territory agreeing to join a national gun-buyback program as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pushes states and territories toward tougher and more consistent firearms laws. The ACT, which includes the national capital Canberra, has reached a funding agreement with the federal government to participate in the proposed buyback, adding momentum to reforms introduced aft

August 22, 2026

Lifestyle

Manila’s Weekend Is Packed: Seafood Chefs, GMMTV Stars and Museum Secrets — Here’s Where to Go

MANILA, Philippines — Looking for something exciting to do this weekend? From a seafood cooking battle at Farmers Market to a much-anticipated Philippines-versus-Thailand celebrity showdown and curator-led museum tours, Metro Manila is packed with events on August 22 and 23, 2026. Here are some of the weekend activities worth checking out. Seafood chefs face off at Farmers Market Foodies have a reason to head to Dampa at Farmers Market on August 22, where the Farmers Market Culinary Showdown

August 22, 2026