Vietnam Pitches International Financial Center to San Francisco Investors
Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh urged San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie to back the Vietnam International Financial Center (VIFC), seeking U.S. investors for the flagship project in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. The initiative aligns with Vietnam’s goal of becoming a high‑income economy by 2045 and targets around 10% average GDP growth from 2026‑2030. Binh highlighted the need for transparent legal frameworks, strong anti‑money‑laundering safeguards, and robust data‑privacy protections to attract capital. San Francisco pledged to leverage its tech‑finance expertise to facilitate the partnership.
Major Parties Reject $430k Vice-Chancellor Cap
Australian Senate parties rejected Senator Jacqui Lambie's bill to cap university vice‑chancellor salaries at $430,000 AUD (about $284,000 USD). 2023 data shows the average VC earns $1.3 million AUD (~$858,000 USD), far above the $300,000 AUD level of 1985 and higher...
High Oil Prices Fuel Apac Energy Crisis as Middle East War Enters Fifth Week
Brent crude rose above $115 a barrel, up $3 over the weekend, as the Middle East war entered its fifth week. The conflict, which began on February 28 with Israeli and U.S. airstrikes in Iran, has tightened global oil supplies....
Aldi Australia Embraces Zen of Low Prices in New BMF Campaign
Australian discount grocer Aldi has launched the “Aldi Prices” campaign, created by BMF, featuring a guru‑like figure reassuring shoppers that prices are already low. The ad rolls out across TV, digital, radio and social, positioning low price as the brand’s...
Cyber Security’s Workforce Gap Is a Capability Risk for Government
Australia is pouring billions into cyber security hardware and sovereign capability, yet its workforce remains a critical vulnerability. Women represent only 17% of the nation’s cyber professionals, highlighting a stark diversity gap that hampers problem‑solving under pressure. The Australian Public...
Why Chinese Tech Companies Are Racing to Set up in Hong Kong
Mainland Chinese technology firms are increasingly listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, with IPOs jumping 153% to 76 companies last year. The surge reflects a strategic shift toward Hong Kong as a gateway for capital, international customers, and regulatory credibility amid...
Tech CEOs Suddenly Love Blaming AI for Mass Job Cuts. Why?
Tech CEOs from Meta, Amazon, Block and others are increasingly blaming artificial intelligence for recent mass layoffs, shifting away from traditional efficiency rhetoric. Meta alone cut 700 roles while Amazon shed about 30,000 corporate workers, citing AI‑driven productivity gains. The...
Designing Fiscal Consolidation to Achieve Fiscal Sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals
The paper by Bhasin and Loungani (2026a) examines over 200 fiscal consolidation episodes across advanced and emerging economies, revealing that specific design choices—such as timing with available monetary space, tax‑based versus spending‑based instruments, and the speed of adjustment—can dramatically alter...
RSL Queensland Declares ‘The ANZAC Spirit Lives Here’ in New Work via Rumble Strategic Creative
RSL Queensland has launched a new ANZAC Day campaign in partnership with independent agency Rumble Strategic Creative. The initiative features five hero films that translate the timeless values of mateship, respect, sacrifice, tradition and community into contemporary stories. Distributed across...
Russian Oil Tanker Arrives Off Cuba Despite U.S. Ordered Embargo
After three weeks at sea, the Russian‑flagged tanker Anatoly Kolodkin, loaded with about 730,000 barrels of crude (roughly $62 million), arrived off Cuba on March 31. Despite a Trump‑era embargo, the U.S. administration quietly permitted the ship to dock, ending Cuba’s oil...
EPIC Microsystems Raises $21M to Power Next-Gen AI Data Centers
EPIC Microsystems announced an oversubscribed $21 million Series A round, bringing its total capital to $26 million. The funding, led by Seligman Ventures with participation from Intel Capital and other venture firms, will accelerate commercialization of its hybrid switched‑capacitor (HSC) power delivery technology...
UK's Reeves to Warn G7 Against Unilateral Trade Moves During Iran War
Britain’s finance minister Rachel Reeves will tell her G7 counterparts not to impose unilateral trade barriers while the Iran war rages, warning that protectionist steps could undermine energy security. She will argue that coordinated action is essential to keep energy...
GumGum Reveals The Land Down Under To Be A Strong ‘Growth Market’ For Contextual Ads
GumGum’s chief revenue officer says Australia is a strong growth market for its contextual advertising platform, citing the nation’s high per‑capita digital ad spend of $769 per person and $568 per internet user. The company’s Attentive Lift solution, launched globally...
LinkedIn Will No Longer Allow Real-Time Livestreams
LinkedIn announced that, starting June 22, 2026, all LinkedIn Live broadcasts must be scheduled in advance, ending the ability to stream spontaneously. The platform allows short‑notice scheduling, letting users set a start time minutes before going live. The change follows...
LinkedIn Will No Longer Allow Real-Time Live Streams
LinkedIn announced that, effective June 22, 2026, members can no longer start live streams spontaneously; all broadcasts must be scheduled in advance, though events can be set up minutes before airing. The change follows a 24 % quarter‑over‑quarter rise in LinkedIn events and...
Tooheys Ultra Highlights ‘The Sliding Schooner’ In Campaign Via Thinkerbell
Tooheys Ultra has launched a new multi‑channel campaign created by Thinkerbell, centered on a sliding schooner visual that symbolizes the beer’s smooth, low‑carb profile. The spot features Australian cricket legend Mike Whitney and indie band Dune Rats, tying the brand’s historic jingle...
Why Kenneth Rogoff Thinks China’s Yuan Will Be a Reserve Currency ‘in the Next 5 Years’
Harvard economist Kenneth Rogoff predicts China’s yuan will join the ranks of global reserve currencies within five years. He argues that the U.S. dollar faces a legitimacy crisis due to mounting debt, political fragmentation, and waning confidence among central banks....
GlobalMET Appoints Jillian Carson-Jackson as Managing Director
GlobalMET has appointed Jillian Carson-Jackson as its new Managing Director, bringing over four decades of maritime operations, regulation, and training expertise. Her career spans three continents and includes senior roles in national administrations and international bodies, with recognized authority in...
Meta’s Next Subscription Package Could Boost Instagram Performance
Meta is poised to launch a new Instagram Plus subscription package, adding premium features to its app. Potential add‑ons include Story Extend, Story rewatches, Story spotlight, linkable captions, and Reels download. The move builds on Meta Verified, which helped generate...
U.S. Allows Russian Oil Shipment to Cuba Amid Global Energy Disruptions
The United States has authorized a Russian‑flagged tanker, the Anatoly Kolodkin, to deliver between 650,000 and 730,000 barrels of crude oil to Cuba, temporarily easing a long‑standing de facto oil blockade. The move coincides with a broader, short‑term relaxation of Russia‑related...
Parmesan Exports Doing Grate... But Sales Melt in Italy
Parmesan Reggiano exports surpassed the 50% threshold last year, reaching nearly 75,000 tonnes, a 2.7% increase driven by stronger U.S. shipments that grew 2.3% despite a 25% tariff. Domestic sales in Italy fell 10% as the aging population cuts back...
Sunshine List: Top HR Leader Earned $573,000 in 2025
Ontario’s 2025 sunshine list shows human‑resources executives as some of the highest‑paid public‑sector officials, with top earners pulling roughly $350,000‑$425,000 USD. University of Toronto professor Glen Whyte leads at about $424,000 USD, while OPG’s senior VP of HR, Cynthia Domjancic, earns near $403,000 USD....
How Datavault AI (DVLT) Reached Its First Profitable Quarter and Set a 2026 Growth Target
Datavault AI Inc. posted its first profitable quarter in Q4 2025, reporting $33.8 million in revenue—a 3,650% year‑over‑year increase—and an operating profit of $4.2 million, reversing a $6.3 million loss. Net profit for the quarter was $661 thousand, marking the company’s inaugural profit. For...
Bastion’s Jack Playfair Joins M+C Saatchi As Head Of Partnerships
Jack Playfair has been hired by M+C Saatchi as head of partnerships, a newly created role aimed at expanding the agency’s sport and entertainment capabilities. He joins after three years at Bastion, where he managed integrated brand collaborations for clients such...
Why Rezolve AI (RZLV) Is Betting Big on Reward Loyalty to Scale Commerce Media and Payments
Rezolve AI PLC (NASDAQ:RZLV) announced a cash acquisition of Reward Loyalty UK Limited for $230 million, financed entirely from existing resources. The deal is non‑dilutive and is projected to contribute roughly $90 million of EBITDA‑accretive revenue. Reward Loyalty brings a live commerce‑media,...
China’s Property Crisis Is Starting to Look a Lot Like Japan’s Lost Decade
China’s housing market has entered a six‑year correction that mirrors Japan’s 1990s Lost Decade, with prices falling, construction slowing, and developers facing defaults. The sector once drove roughly one‑third of China’s GDP and now holds about 70% of household wealth,...
Uganda’s Merchandise Exports Surge 72% Driven by Gold and Coffee
Uganda’s merchandise exports jumped 72% year‑over‑year, reaching $1.45 billion in January 2026. The surge was driven primarily by a 182% rise in gold shipments, which alone generated $914 million, and strong coffee earnings. The country posted a $147 million trade surplus for the...
Exclusive: Openmarkets Hires Pepperstone Alum David Jenkins as CPTO
Openmarkets, the Australia‑based brokerage and technology firm, has appointed David Jenkins as its new Chief Product and Technology Officer. Jenkins previously led product and technology at Pepperstone from 2022 to 2025 and held senior roles at Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters and...
How to Choose the Right Project Management Tools for Your Team
Choosing the right project management tool is critical for team productivity, as it influences task organization, communication, and progress tracking. The article outlines a step‑by‑step framework: start with a clear inventory of team needs, then assess usability, collaboration features, integration,...
EXCLUSIVE: Karl Stefanovic Takes His Podcast to the Streets with ‘Ridiculous’ Billboard Push
Karl Stefanovic’s eponymous podcast, The Karl Stefanovic Show, launched in January and is now backed by a bold out‑of‑home campaign across Queensland. Partnering with outdoor agency Bishopp, the show’s team installed a series of irreverent billboards that mirror the program’s...
It's a Very Light Economic and Event Calendar in Asia Today. Bank of Japan 'Summary'.
The Bank of Japan left its short‑term interest rate unchanged at the March 18‑19 policy meeting and issued a “Summary of Opinions” documenting the board’s discussion. The summary outlines members’ views on domestic and global growth, inflation, employment, and the...
NAB Is Co-Designing a SIEM with Databricks
National Australia Bank (NAB) has joined four other design partners to co‑design Lakewatch, a new security information and event management (SIEM) platform built on Databricks. The solution, currently in private preview, leverages the bank’s existing Databricks‑on‑AWS data lake, Ada, to...
The Cognitive Dark Forest
The essay frames today’s AI‑driven web as a "cognitive dark forest" where every prompt and code snippet becomes data that large platforms harvest. It argues that the early internet rewarded open sharing, but consolidation of services and cheap AI execution...
Rules Finalised, Rollout of All 4 Labour Codes Likely in April
The Indian government has finalized the rule‑making process for its four consolidated labour codes and is set to notify them in April 2026. Introduced in November 2025, the Code on Wages, Social Security, Industrial Relations and Occupational Safety, Health and...
AGC's Data DIGest: March 23-27, 2026
The Middle East war is driving a 43 % surge in diesel prices and tightening supplies of oil, fuel, and petrochemicals, which in turn raises construction material costs and hampers investment planning. Construction spending held at $2.19 trillion in January, with private...
Apollo Pushes to Open a Second Headquarters in Florida or Texas
Apollo Global Management announced it is scouting for a second U.S. headquarters, with South Florida and Texas emerging as the top candidates. The move aligns the private‑equity giant with a broader wave of financial firms relocating to the Sun Belt...
Middle East Tensions Disrupt Zimbabwe’s Gold Exports
Zimbabwe's gold exports are being hit by Middle East tensions that have disrupted key shipping routes. The United Arab Emirates, which accounts for 45% of Zimbabwe's gold export revenue, is affected as the Strait of Hormuz closure forces vessels around...
JPMorgan, Pimco Say Bond Market Is Underestimating Slowdown Risk
JPMorgan and asset manager Pimco warned that the bond market is downplaying the risk of a sharp economic slowdown triggered by the ongoing US‑Iran conflict. Crude oil has surged past $110 a barrel, intensifying inflation pressures. Traders have largely fixated...
Top ICE Official Falling Apart Medically Due to Stress of Getting Yelled At
Acting ICE director Todd Lyons has suffered at least two stress‑related hospitalizations, according to Politico. The episodes stem from intense pressure, notably from White House adviser Stephen Miller, who repeatedly berated Lyons over deportation targets. Lyons publicly blamed President Joe Biden’s policies for...
How Amy Liu Built Tower 28 Into One of Sephora’s Fastest-Growing Skincare Brands
Amy Liu founded Tower 28 in 2019 and has turned it into one of Sephora’s fastest‑growing skincare lines. The brand’s entire portfolio follows the National Eczema Association’s ingredient guidelines, and its SOS Rescue set carries seals from the NEA, Psoriasis Foundation...
Reign Of Guilds Studio Head Steps Down After 9 Years At Company
Atlant Studio’s founder and studio head announced his resignation after more than nine years leading the development of the MMORPG *Reign of Guilds*. He cited personal burnout, financial losses, and an over‑reliance on his own vision as reasons for stepping...
Traditional Open Plan Offices Linked to Higher Risk of Workplace Bullying, Study Claims
New research published in Occupational Health Science finds that employees in traditional open‑plan offices face a significantly higher risk of workplace bullying compared with those in private or smaller shared spaces. The study analyzed a nationally representative sample of 3,307...
PetroChina Successfully Concludes "the 14th Five-Year Plan", 2025 Operating Results Remain at Historical High Levels
PetroChina reported 2025 revenue of ¥2.86 trillion (≈$401 bn) and profit attributable of ¥157.3 billion (≈$22 bn), despite a 14.6% drop in Brent prices. Free cash flow rose 15.2% to ¥120.2 billion (≈$16.8 bn) and the debt‑to‑asset ratio improved to 36.4%. The company paid a record...
Russia Was Expecting a Windfall From Soaring Oil Prices, but Relentless Ukrainian Drone Attacks Are Devastating Nearly Half Its Export...
Russia banked on a windfall after oil prices spiked when the Strait of Hormuz closed and the United States briefly eased sanctions on its crude. The surge lifted Urals prices near Brent, temporarily rescuing a revenue stream that had collapsed...
Why Hustle Culture Is Failing Women Founders
The article argues that hustle culture is causing severe burnout among women founders and executives, who feel pressured to work nonstop and equate rest with laziness. It highlights that genuine rest—high‑quality sleep or short power naps—restores cognitive function and productivity,...
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to Visit Canada in May for Trade Talks
India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will travel to Canada in May 2026 to head a high‑level business delegation. The visit follows the launch of comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) negotiations on March 2, 2026, and aims to accelerate the...
Voice of Global South: India Bats Strongly to Shield WTO’s Core Mandates at MC14
India emerged as the lone dissenter among 166 WTO members, successfully blocking the China‑led Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) agreement at the MC14 in Yaoundé. The move underscored New Delhi’s commitment to preserving the WTO’s consensus rule and protecting core...
Seattle’s Restaurant Reality: Navigating High Costs & Complex Regulations While Unlocking Real Opportunity
Seattle’s restaurant operators face soaring labor costs, now over 40% of expenses, and a maze of regulations that delay permits and increase overhead. Proposed state taxes, including a $600 per employee healthcare surcharge, threaten small LLCs already operating on razor‑thin...
EU Enlargement Rethink as Divisions Emerge Among Key Member States
The European Union’s next enlargement round faces a crossroads as member states clash over speed and criteria. A German Council policy paper highlights Germany’s shift toward geopolitically‑driven, merit‑based accession, while the EU rejected a fast‑track proposal for Ukraine, insisting on...
Netanyahu Orders Expansion of Security Buffer Zone in Southern Lebanon
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the Israeli military will further expand the security buffer zone along the southern Lebanese border. The move aims to strengthen Israel's defensive posture amid rising cross‑border fire from Hezbollah. Netanyahu framed the expansion...