Category: Asia

Business

SK Hynix Workers Could Get 60% of Their Bonuses in Stock—But the Biggest Surprise Is How Much the Average Payout Could Be

SEOUL — The artificial intelligence boom has already transformed SK hynix into one of the biggest winners of the global semiconductor surge. Now, some of that extraordinary wealth could land in employees’ hands in a very different form. The South Korean memory-chip giant has reached a preliminary agreement to pay 60% of its 2026 employee bonuses in company shares and the remaining 40% in cash, according to a person familiar with the negotiations cited by Reuters. But despite the eye-catching n

August 20, 2026

Business

Women’s Suits Are Back in 2026 — But This Isn’t the Old Power Suit

Women’s suits are making a major comeback in 2026 as Saint Laurent, Prada, Celine and Tom Ford reinvent tailoring with softer cuts, relaxed proportions and everyday versatility. The women’s suit is making a serious comeback in 2026—but anyone expecting a return to stiff shoulders, restrictive trousers and old-school corporate dressing may be surprised. This time, designers are bringing tailoring back on very different terms. Across the latest collections, jackets are becoming softer, trousers

August 20, 2026

Business

Korea Artiz Studio Vanishes From Singapore After Couples Paid Thousands—But the S$271,000 Losses May Be Only Part of the Story

SINGAPORE — Couples who thought their dream wedding photos were already secured are instead scrambling for refunds, replacement photographers and answers after Korea Artiz Studio abruptly stopped operating in Singapore, leaving more than S$271,000 in reported prepayment losses. The Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) said it received 66 complaints against the bridal photography studio between August 14 and 18, involving more than S$271,000 in prepayments. Some customers had already paid t

August 20, 2026

Entertainment

Kazuyoshi Miura Just Scored Twice at 59 to Break an Emperor’s Cup Record—But His Next Opponent Makes the Story Even Bigger

At an age when most professional footballers have been retired for decades, Kazuyoshi Miura is still rewriting the record books. The Japanese football icon known across the country as “King Kazu” became the oldest player ever to score in the Emperor’s Cup after converting two penalties at the age of 59 years, five months and 24 days, helping Fukushima United demolish amateur side Oyama Soccer Club 7-0 in the tournament’s first round on Wednesday, August 19. But the remarkable part may not simp

August 20, 2026

Philippines

Marcos Says 13 Pumping Stations Could Help Fight Metro Manila Floods by Next Year—But One Problem Could Still Render Them Useless

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is pushing for the completion of 13 pumping stations in and around Metro Manila as the government races to strengthen the capital region's defenses against worsening floods—but officials acknowledge that pumps alone will not solve a decades-old problem involving outdated drainage, clogged waterways, garbage and increasingly intense rainfall. Marcos said Thursday that the pumping stations are expected to be completed as part of the government'

August 20, 2026

Politics

Trump Threatens Any Country Helping Iran With ‘Tremendous’ Economic Consequences—But One Major U.S. Rival Could Put That Warning to the Test

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is dramatically widening Washington’s pressure campaign against Iran, warning that the economic consequences may no longer stop at Tehran’s borders. In a sweeping declaration Wednesday, August 19, Trump said the United States would pursue what he described as unprecedented economic isolation of Iran — while putting governments, banks, businesses and other institutions around the world on notice that helping Tehran could come with a price. The announcement po

August 20, 2026

Entertainment

Australia Begins Unprecedented H5N1 Vaccination Drive for Little Penguins — But the Race May Be Against Time

SYDNEY — Australia has launched an extraordinary effort to protect one of the world’s largest and most famous little penguin colonies after H5 bird flu reached Phillip Island, prompting wildlife officials to begin vaccinating thousands of wild birds. The emergency campaign is targeting about 5,000 little penguins at Phillip Island in Victoria and at St Kilda in Melbourne. Officials describe the operation as unprecedented because it involves vaccinating a large population of free-ranging wild bi

August 20, 2026

Politics

South Korea Says North Korea Could Have Up to 120 Nuclear Warheads — But Trump Says 57. So Who’s Right?

SEOUL — A new estimate from South Korea has put North Korea’s possible nuclear arsenal at 80 to 120 warheads, a figure substantially higher than the 57 nuclear weapons recently cited by U.S. President Donald Trump. South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back told lawmakers on Thursday that North Korea is generally estimated to possess between 80 and 120 nuclear weapons. However, he stressed that the figure is based on estimates from private research organizations and cannot be officially confirm

August 20, 2026

Politics

Zelenskyy Fires Senior Aide as Anti-Graft Probe Reaches His Office—But the Investigation May Be Much Bigger

KYIV — A major corruption investigation has reached deep into Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s administration, putting fresh pressure on the wartime leader as anti-graft investigators examine an alleged criminal network involving lawmakers, senior presidential officials and financial figures. Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau, or NABU, and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, known as SAPO, launched what authorities described as a special operation targeting an

August 20, 2026

Philippines

PNP Moves to Erase Ateneo de Zamboanga Shooting Videos Online — But Investigators Are Now Following a Digital Trail

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is intensifying efforts to remove photos and videos related to the deadly shooting at Ateneo de Zamboanga University’s junior high school campus, as investigators widen their probe into the attack and how sensitive footage spread online. PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. ordered the Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) to strengthen its cyberpatrol operations and coordinate with social media platforms to take down images, videos and other online material conn

August 20, 2026