Category: Asia

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

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