The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has commended the various reform measures being implemented by the Financial Services Authority (OJK) in the insurance and pension fund sectors to strengthen financial sector resilience, enhance consumer protection, and encourage healthy and sustainable industry development. A statement released by the OJK said that the remarks were made by Mr Pablo Antolín, Head of Insurance and Pensions at the OECD, who is on a fact-finding mission. The OECD visit, from 5th to 11th June, is part of Indonesia’s accession process to full membership in the OECD. Mr Antolin is accompanied by Mr…
Author: Isla
Facebook-parent Meta and Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries on Wednesday announced a deal to develop an AI-enabled data centre in the state of Gujarat, as the US tech giant scales its global digital footprint. The project, to be built in Jamnagar district, comes as technology giants race to expand computing capacity and support generative AI services in the world’s fastest-growing major economy. Reliance will develop a 168-megawatt data centre to be delivered within two years, while Meta will lease capacity from the facility, the companies said in a joint statement. Also on AF: Nvidia’s Huang Unveils String of AI…
Industry veteran to continue bringing high-touch, relationship-driven financial services to agriculture, food production, and related industries RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif., June 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Five Star Bancorp (Nasdaq: FSBC) (“Five Star” or the “Company”), a holding company that operates through its wholly owned banking subsidiary, Five Star Bank, has announced the promotion of Cliff Cooper to Executive Vice President / Food, Agribusiness & Diversified Industries President.Cooper has over 35 years of banking expertise in food and agribusiness, with a passion for providing the most exceptional banking services available to those who feed our nation. Since 2025, Cooper has led…
Hong Kong’s night skyline from Victoria Peak, part of the Shenzhen–Hong Kong–Guangzhou innovation cluster that leads WIPO’s 2025 global ranking of science and technology hubs. Credit: Base64 (retouched by CarolSpears), 2008 / CC BY SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons. Some places felt like they were testing tomorrow on the street, not in a lab. Payments moved fast, transport ran on data, and everyday errands happened through a phone tap instead of a cash register. In 2025, five urban hubs stood out for how consistently they turned research into working products and daily habits, according to global innovation-cluster rankings. How ‘tech…
Algeria’s 2026 hydrocarbon bidding round is arriving at a moment when timing may matter as much as geology. Oil and gas prices have been lifted by the prolonged Middle Eastern crisis, Europe is still trying to hardwire non-Russian gas into its supply system, and former Middle Eastern investors are reassessing where long-cycle upstream capital can be redirected without excessive security risk. For Algiers, this creates a sudden opening to cement its position as Europe’s second-largest natural gas supplier but also exposes the scale of the challenges it must overcome.In early June, the Algerian National Agency for the Valorisation of Hydrocarbon…
The video was shared by Dubai’s official tourism accountDubai wasn’t built overnight. It grew brick by brick into the city it is today – a fitting comparison to a video from Dubai’s official tourism account, Visit Dubai, which reimagines the city in LEGO form.The video features some of Dubai’s most recognisable landmarks, including the Museum of the Future, Dubai Metro, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Burj Khalifa, Dubai Marina, Dubai Frame, Zabeel Park and Ain Dubai – all reimagined in LEGO.We also see scenes from Dubai International Airport, with Emirates aircraft loading luggage and taking off against the skyline, alongside everyday moments…
I refer to Tan Dawn Wei’s piece, “China’s surprise blockbuster Dear You is a love letter to the Nanyang generation” (June 7), and would like to share my experience as part of a family of Singaporeans living in Hong Kong.Curiosity led me to Guangzhou to watch the film Dear You and to visit its qiaopi (remittance letters) exhibition at the Guangzhou Huaqiao Museum recently.Looking at the faded letters on display, I reflected on my background as a Singaporean who was surrounded by aspects of Teochew culture growing up. Like many in my generation, I never mastered the dialect or grasped…
Shake Shack is not leaving the Dubai chocolate trend in 2025. The Dubai Chocolate Pistachio Shake has returned to the chain restaurant’s menus nationwide for a limited time, with Shake Shack posting on Instagram that “your summer fling is back” and is “turning heads,” referencing the hit show “Love Island.” The Dubai Chocolate Pistachio Shake is topped with nutty shavings and a hardened chocolate shell surrounds the cup. EMMY PARK The shake is inspired by the viral chocolate bar and is made with pistachio custard and toasted kataifi-shredded phyllo, coating the top in a crackable, dark chocolate shell and pistachios.…
Clients are holding more liquidity in Singapore amid uncertainty.Relationship managers and private bankers are taking on broader advisory roles as clients seek guidance on trade corridor shifts, war risks, and liquidity management, an executive at Bank of America Corp. (BofA) said.“Clients today expect us to connect the dots across products, markets, and platforms, provide them with forward-looking insights on macro, FX (foreign exchange), and liquidity trends, and help translate complexity into actionable treasury strategies,” Christian Stolcke, head of financial institutions and governments at BofA’s Global Payments Solutions unit, told Asian Banking & Finance.He said treasury functions are becoming more central…
SAN FRANCISCO, June 10, 2026–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (Nasdaq: VIR) today announced the appointment of Timothy Coughlin to its Board of Directors and as Chair of the Audit Committee, effective June 9, 2026. “We are pleased to welcome Tim to Vir Biotechnology’s Board of Directors at a pivotal moment for the company,” said Marianne De Backer, M.Sc., Ph.D., MBA, Chief Executive Officer, Vir Biotechnology. “Tim brings a strong background of strategic discipline and operational insight that has helped organizations evolve into fully integrated enterprises. His extensive experience as chief financial officer and board member spanning discovery through commercialization will be…