Category: Asia

Business

Massive Cigarette Haul Stopped at Changi: 81,750 Cartons Bound for Mexico Were Not What They Claimed to Be

SINGAPORE — Singapore Customs has seized a staggering 81,750 cartons of counterfeit cigarettes after officers intercepted a suspicious consignment at a warehouse in the Changi Free Trade Zone, authorities said on Tuesday (Aug 18). The cigarettes were discovered during an inspection on June 9, when Customs officers examined a consignment that had been declared as cigarettes under a transshipment permit. The shipment was destined for Mexico. But the contents raised immediate suspicion. The ciga

August 18, 2026

Politics

Trump Turns Down the Drills and Looks to Kim Jong Un—Is a New Korea Strategy Taking Shape?

WASHINGTON/SEOUL — A new security dispute is rippling across Asia after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to substantially reduce joint military exercises with South Korea, while simultaneously signaling that he wants to maintain a positive relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The decision has put fresh attention on the future of the U.S.-South Korea alliance—and prompted Japan to emphasize that cooperation among Washington, Seoul and Tokyo remains essential to regi

August 18, 2026

Asia

Indonesia Turns to Cloud Seeding as El Niño Fuels a Worsening Wildfire Crisis

Indonesia is turning to the skies for help as a powerful El Niño-driven dry season fuels widespread forest and peatland fires, with authorities deploying firefighters and preparing weather-modification operations in an effort to bring desperately needed rain. More than 100,000 hectares of land had burned across Indonesia in the first half of 2026, according to government figures cited by CNA. Independent fire and deforestation monitoring group Nusantara Atlas put the area affected through July

August 18, 2026

Asia

Everyone Said It Was Terrible’—So Why Is China Suddenly Buying Tickets to Niu Lai?

A Chinese animated film that was initially dismissed for its crude visuals and confusing storyline has pulled off one of the most bizarre box-office turnarounds of the year — and the secret may have been the internet laughing at it. Niu Lai (牛来), also translated as The Arrival of the Ox or The Cow Is Coming, was released in China on Aug. 5 with virtually no conventional marketing. For its first 10 days in cinemas, the film earned only around ¥7,700, with fewer than 300 people reportedly buying

August 18, 2026

Asia

Anwar Reopens Malaysia’s GST Debate — And What Comes Next Could Affect Millions

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 18, 2026 — Malaysia is once again weighing changes to its consumption-tax system, with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim signaling that elements of the country’s former Goods and Services Tax (GST) could potentially form part of a new approach. But despite the renewed discussion, Malaysia has not announced a return of GST, and no new GST rate or implementation date has been set. Anwar, who is also finance minister, said Tuesday that the government is studying ways to create a tax

August 18, 2026

Asia

Park Eun-bin’s ‘Spooky In Love’ Takes Over Singapore—But Did You Spot These Iconic Locations?

SINGAPORE — Singapore has landed a starring role of its own in Park Eun-bin and Yang Se-jong’s hit supernatural romance “Spooky In Love,” with Episodes 9 and 10 transporting the drama’s central couple from Korea to some of the city-state’s most recognizable landmarks. The latest episodes follow hotel heiress and CEO Cheon Yeo-ri, played by Park Eun-bin, as she travels to Singapore for a business conference. Her love interest, attorney Ma Kang-wook, played by Yang Se-jong, follows her—turning wh

August 18, 2026

Asia

China Lets Couples Say “I Do” at a Bank as Officials Try to Reverse Marriage Slump

A bank branch in China has become an unlikely wedding venue as local authorities experiment with unconventional marriage-registration sites in a broader effort to encourage young people to tie the knot. In Tianjin’s Hexi District, a branch of the Postal Savings Bank of China (PSBC) on Sishui Road is now offering marriage-registration services on Wednesday and Thursday mornings, making it one of the country’s latest unusual locations for couples to obtain their marriage certificates. The site h

August 18, 2026

Asia

ALEX EALA FALLS IN CINCINNATI—BUT THE WAY SHE FOUGHT BACK MAY BE THE BIGGER STORY

CINCINNATI, USA — Alexandra Eala's latest giant-killing run has come to an end, but not before the Filipina tennis star once again showed why she has become one of the most dangerous young players on the WTA Tour. Eala fell to American ninth seed Amanda Anisimova, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, in the third round of the 2026 Cincinnati Open on Tuesday, August 18. The defeat ended Eala's bid to advance deeper into another WTA 1000 tournament and, more significantly, stopped her remarkable streak of five consec

August 18, 2026

Asia

Oriental Mindoro Reports No Fake Birth Certificates Involving Foreigners—But What Did the PSA Find Nationwide?

CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro — The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in Oriental Mindoro has reported that it has recorded no cases of fake birth certificates involving foreign nationals in the province, amid a nationwide government crackdown on irregular and allegedly fraudulent civil registration. The clarification comes as Philippine authorities continue investigating the use of questionable birth records by foreigners seeking to establish Filipino identities and obtain government-issu

August 18, 2026

Politics

China Lowers Flags for Zhu Rongji’s Funeral—But the Heavy Security Around Tiananmen Is Raising Questions

BEIJING — August 18, 2026 — China lowered its national flags at key government sites across the country on Tuesday as the nation held a formal day of mourning for former Premier Zhu Rongji, one of the most influential economic reformers of modern China. The Chinese flag was flown at half-mast at Tiananmen Square, the Great Hall of the People, Xinhua Gate and the Foreign Ministry, while similar measures were observed at government offices across China, in Hong Kong and Macau, and at Chinese dipl

August 18, 2026