Category: Asia

Business

Singapore COE Premiums Surge, Open Category Hits S$135,000 — Now All Eyes Turn to the Next Bidding Round

SINGAPORE — Car buyers are facing another expensive round of Certificate of Entitlement (COE) bidding after premiums closed mostly higher on Wednesday (Aug. 19), with Category A rebounding sharply and the Open Category reaching S$135,000. The latest results delivered a fresh warning for motorists hoping that COE prices would finally cool. Category A, covering smaller cars and qualifying electric vehicles, climbed S$4,611 to S$128,501, up from S$123,890 in the previous exercise. The increase ma

August 19, 2026

Asia

A Routine Ship Inspection Turned Into a Massive Drug Bust—Then Officers Found 2.6 Tons of Meth

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesian authorities have seized 2.6 tons of liquid methamphetamine from a Tanzanian-flagged vessel in one of the country's largest recent narcotics busts, arresting 10 crew members in an operation that authorities say was triggered by intelligence about a suspected drug shipment from Malaysia. The joint operation involving Indonesia's National Narcotics Agency (BNN), Customs authorities and the Riau Islands Regional Police intercepted the vessel on Aug. 17 after receivin

August 19, 2026

Politics

IRAN ISSUES STARK WARNING TO GULF STATES: “HELP THE US, AND YOU’RE PART OF THE WAR” — WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

TEHRAN — Iran has issued a fresh warning to countries bordering the Persian Gulf, saying any assistance or facilitation provided to the U.S. military could be treated as participation in American military operations. Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Ali Abdollahi delivered the warning on Wednesday, August 19, as military activity and tensions across the Gulf continue to intensify. According to Iran’s Mehr news agency, Abdollahi said that any form of assistance to U.S. forces w

August 19, 2026

Philippines

DOH Assures Filipinos: Medicines Ready as Rainy-Season Diseases Loom—But There’s More Help Coming

MANILA, Philippines — As heavy rains and flooding raise the risk of dengue, leptospirosis and other rainy-season illnesses, the Department of Health (DOH) is assuring Filipinos that hospitals and health facilities are preparing essential medicines and medical supplies while the government strengthens financial protection for patients through expanded PhilHealth benefits and its Zero Balance Billing (ZBB) program. The health department's latest preparations come as flooding and prolonged rains c

August 19, 2026

Business

Japan’s Bond Market Is Breaking Its Old Rules—And Tokyo May Be Running Out of Options

TOKYO — Japan’s bond market is sending an increasingly uncomfortable warning to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government: ambitious spending and tax-cut plans are becoming harder to finance as borrowing costs surge. Japan’s benchmark 10-year government bond yield has climbed to levels not seen since the 1990s, briefly approaching the psychologically important 3% threshold. Reuters reported that the yield reached 2.945%, its highest level since September 1996, as investors reassessed Japan’s i

August 19, 2026

Philippines

FLOODWATER ALERT: DOH Warns of Deadly Leptospirosis — PhilHealth Coverage Now Reaches ₱411,000

MANILA, Philippines — As heavy monsoon rains continue to trigger flooding in parts of the Philippines, the Department of Health (DOH) is warning Filipinos not to underestimate the health risks hidden in floodwaters, particularly the potentially deadly bacterial infection leptospirosis. The warning comes as the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) rolls out a significantly expanded leptospirosis benefit package that can provide up to ₱411,000 in coverage for qualified patients wh

August 19, 2026

Asia

CHINA JUST LANDED A ROCKET LIKE SPACE X — AND THE NEXT MOVE COULD CHANGE THE GLOBAL SPACE RACE

BEIJING — China’s commercial space industry has just scored a breakthrough that could reshape the global race for cheaper and more frequently reusable rockets. Chinese private aerospace company LandSpace successfully launched its Zhuque-3 Y2 rocket and recovered its first-stage booster on land on August 19, 2026, marking China’s first successful land-based recovery of an orbital-class rocket stage using powered vertical landing and landing legs. The achievement puts LandSpace alongside SpaceX

August 19, 2026

Entertainment

Zoe Tay Had 8 Hours to Find Aileen Tan — Her Final Guess Took Them Back Nearly 40 Years

Singapore — What began as an eight-hour hunt across Singapore ended with an emotional reunion between two of the country’s most familiar television faces. Veteran actresses Zoe Tay and Aileen Tan, whose friendship dates back to the inaugural Star Search competition in 1988, recently revisited nearly four decades of shared memories — from their early television days to mahjong sessions, yoga and their latest drama collaboration. The reunion was featured in CNA Insider’s Meet Me There, where Tay

August 19, 2026

Business

SK hynix Drops a $28.6 Billion Bombshell — But the Bigger Move May Still Be Coming

SEOUL — South Korean memory-chip giant SK hynix is making one of its boldest moves yet to reward shareholders, approving plans to buy back and cancel approximately ₩40 trillion (US$28.6 billion) worth of its own shares. The decision, announced Wednesday, August 19, comes as SK hynix rides an unprecedented wave of demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips used in artificial-intelligence systems. The company said the move is aimed at enhancing shareholder value. It also raised the bar for its

August 19, 2026

Philippines

DOE Warns Visayas LGUs: Energy Efficiency Could Hold the Key as Power Supply Pressures Persist

BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental — The Department of Energy (DOE) is stepping up its push for energy efficiency across local governments in the Visayas, urging LGUs to make smarter energy use a permanent part of public-sector operations as the region continues to face power-supply challenges. The DOE held its 3rd Government Energy Management Program (GEMP) Summit–Visayas Leg in Bacolod City, bringing together more than 100 energy-efficiency personnel and representatives from LGUs in Western, Cen

August 19, 2026