Category: Asia

Sport

Australia’s ‘Darwin Disaster’ Has Left Them One Test From a Stunning Series Defeat — But the Biggest Twist Is Yet to Come

Australia heads into the second and final Test against Bangladesh knowing that anything short of a commanding response could turn a shock defeat into one of the most embarrassing series results of its recent Test history. The second Test begins Saturday, August 22, at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay, Queensland, with Australia needing a victory to level the two-match series. The pressure follows Bangladesh’s stunning nine-wicket victory in Darwin last week — the visitors’ first-ever Tes

August 20, 2026

Sport

Amanda Serrano and Lucrecia Manzur Trade KO Warnings Ahead of High-Stakes Featherweight Title Fight

TEMECULA, Calif. — Amanda Serrano and Lucrecia Manzur are not waiting for the opening bell to make their intentions clear. The two fighters exchanged knockout talk ahead of Friday’s unified featherweight championship showdown at Pechanga Resort Casino, where Serrano will defend her WBA and WBO titles — as well as The Ring championship — against Argentina’s Manzur. For Serrano, the fight carries an additional piece of history: a victory by stoppage would give her 33 professional knockouts and s

August 20, 2026

Lifestyle

DENR Issues Urgent Warning as Habagat Rains Continue—But It’s What’s Blocking Metro Manila’s Waterways That Has Authorities Worried

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is calling on local government units (LGUs) to step up solid waste management efforts as persistent rains from the southwest monsoon, or Habagat, continue to affect Metro Manila and other parts of the Philippines. DENR Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna stressed the need to keep waterways, drainage channels and other water passages free of garbage, warning that waste accumulating in these areas can obstruct water flow and worsen flooding during

August 20, 2026

Business

Humanoid Robots Can Dance, Fight and Work—Now China Is Waiting for the One Breakthrough That Could Change Everything

BEIJING — China’s fast-growing humanoid robotics industry may be approaching a breakthrough that could transform robots from impressive demonstrations into machines capable of performing everyday tasks with little human guidance, according to Unitree founder and CEO Wang Xingxing. Speaking at the 2026 World Robot Conference in Beijing on Aug. 20, Wang said the industry is “marching towards” a “ChatGPT moment” in embodied intelligence—a point at which robots could be placed in unfamiliar environ

August 20, 2026

Business

Your Next Amazon Package Could Arrive From the Sky—Here’s Where Prime Air Is Headed in 2026

Amazon is dramatically scaling up its Prime Air drone delivery program, with the company announcing plans to bring the service to nearly 500 cities and towns across the United States by the end of 2026. The planned expansion would represent roughly a sixfold increase from Amazon’s current footprint of 11 drone delivery sites across 10 US metropolitan areas, potentially putting ultrafast aerial deliveries within reach of tens of millions of customers. The announcement marks a major step in Amaz

August 20, 2026

Singapore

Singapore’s Illegal Accommodation Cases Are Rising — And the Latest Numbers Reveal What’s Happening Behind Closed Doors

SINGAPORE — Suspected cases of illegal accommodation are rising in Singapore, with authorities investigating hundreds of properties allegedly being used as unauthorised dormitories or short-term stays. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) investigated 544 suspected unauthorised dormitory cases in 2025, up from 534 in 2024. In just the first five months of 2026, another 278 suspected cases had already been investigated. Suspected cases involving illegal short-term accommodation also increase

August 20, 2026

Business

Samsung Eyes $72 Billion-Plus Shareholder Return Plan as AI Chip Boom Swells Profits

SEOUL — Samsung Electronics is reportedly preparing one of its biggest-ever shareholder return programs, with South Korean media reporting that the technology giant could announce a plan worth more than 100 trillion won, or roughly $72 billion, later this month. The potential payout would mark a dramatic expansion from Samsung's current shareholder-return policy and comes as the world's largest memory-chip maker rides a powerful artificial-intelligence-driven semiconductor boom. However, Samsu

August 20, 2026

Asia

Four Workers Were Hit by a Train in Japan—Then Rescuers Found Three Trapped Underneath

TOKYO, Japan — Four railway workers were left unconscious Thursday after being struck by a train at Shin-Kanuma Station in Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo, authorities said. The incident happened on August 20, 2026, with emergency responders finding three of the workers trapped beneath the train and another worker on the station platform. A fire department spokesman told AFP that all four workers were unconscious when they were taken for medical treatment. Another media report said the work

August 20, 2026

Business

DEATH TOLL RISES TO 29: Luis, Maymay and Habagat Leave Widespread Destruction Across PH—And the Rains Aren’t Over Yet

The death toll from the combined effects of Tropical Cyclones Luis and Maymay and the southwest monsoon or Habagat has climbed to 29, with authorities reporting deaths from landslides, flooding, falling trees, electrocution and other weather-related incidents. The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said the latest tally was recorded as of 6 a.m. Thursday, August 20, underscoring the continuing danger posed by the prolonged rains across several parts of the country. Benguet records the most fatalit

August 20, 2026

Business

Iran Issues New War Warning as US Talks Stall — What Happens Next Could Shake the Gulf

TEHRAN — Iran is signaling a major shift in its military strategy, warning that it could move from a largely defensive posture to a “fully offensive” one if diplomatic efforts with the United States fail — raising fresh fears that the conflict could widen across the Gulf and further disrupt the vital Strait of Hormuz. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran was prepared to take what it described as “timely and precise” military action to challenge the U.S. naval blockade if negotiati

August 20, 2026