Category: Business

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

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

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

Business

CK Hutchison Takes Panama to Arbitration Over Canal Ports — And the Bill Could Top US$1.5 Billion

HONG KONG — The dispute between Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison and Panama over two strategically important ports near the Panama Canal has entered a new legal phase, with the company seeking more than US$1.5 billion in damages through international arbitration. CK Hutchison said Thursday that it had initiated arbitration proceedings against Panama, alleging that actions by the Panamanian state violated an investment-protection treaty and ultimately resulted in the destruction of its invest

August 20, 2026

Business

More Than 600 Young Singaporeans Want In, But There Are Just 100+ Rooms — Is Singapore’s Housing Model About to Change?

Singapore’s new co-living initiative for young adults is attracting far more interest than the number of rooms available, highlighting a growing demand among younger Singaporeans for greater independence — even as homeownership remains at the heart of the country’s housing policy. The pilot, introduced under the SG Youth Plan, offers more than 100 co-living rooms to Singapore citizens aged 21 to 35 at discounted rental rates. As of Aug. 12, more than 600 people had expressed interest, according

August 20, 2026

Business

Hong Kong Designer Kinyan Lam Is Turning Ancient Craft Into the Future of Fashion — And the Reason Is More Powerful Than You Think

Hong Kong designer Kinyan Lam is proving that fashion does not always have to move faster to move forward. At just 31, the Guangzhou-born, Hong Kong-based designer has built a growing international reputation around something increasingly rare in the fashion industry: slowing down. Lam was named one of 20 semi-finalists for the 2026 LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers, selected from more than 2,400 applicants worldwide. His inclusion placed him among a new generation of designers being watc

August 20, 2026

Business

US Treasury Doubles Bond Buybacks as Global Yields Retreat — But What Happens Next Could Be Bigger

NEW YORK — August 20, 2026 — Global bond markets received a sudden jolt after the U.S. Treasury announced it would significantly increase its purchases of longer-dated government debt, helping push U.S. and European bond yields lower after a sharp selloff had sent borrowing costs to multi-year and, in some cases, multi-decade highs. The Treasury said it will at least double the maximum size of liquidity-support buyback operations for longer-dated nominal Treasury securities from $2 billion to $

August 20, 2026

Business

Sy, Consunji Go All-In on Mining: Dominion Eyes Tampakan Control as Capital Plan Nears ₱30 Billion

MANILA, Philippines — The Sy and Consunji families are making a much bigger bet on Philippine mining, with Dominion Holdings Inc. emerging as the vehicle at the center of an increasingly ambitious strategy that could eventually put the group behind some of the country's biggest copper and gold assets. The latest move adds another layer to the rapidly developing story: Dominion is reportedly preparing to dramatically expand its capital base as the group positions itself for larger mining investm

August 20, 2026

Business

AIA’s New Business Value Jumps 10% to US$3.21B — But One Asian Market Is Starting to Raise Questions

AIA Group delivered another strong financial performance in the first half of 2026, with its value of new business climbing 10% to a record US$3.21 billion. But while growth was broad-based across its Asian operations, Thailand stood out as the one major exception. AIA Group, one of Asia’s largest life and health insurance groups, reported a 10% year-on-year increase in value of new business (VONB) for the six months ended June 30, 2026, reaching US$3.212 billion on a constant exchange rate bas

August 20, 2026