The German Football Association confirmed Nagelsmann’s departure with immediate effect after the national side’s elimination in the last 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Germany were beaten by Paraguay on penalties after a campaign that deepened concern over the direction of a team once viewed as the benchmark of tournament football.

Klopp, who left Liverpool in 2024 after nine years at Anfield, is now the preferred candidate to succeed Nagelsmann. The 59-year-old has been working as Red Bull’s head of global soccer since January 2025, a strategic role covering the group’s football network rather than daily coaching. His contract is understood to contain an exit route for the Germany post, removing one of the main obstacles to an appointment.

The move follows a sharp change in tone inside the DFB after Germany failed to build on signs of recovery under Nagelsmann. The former Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig coach had taken charge in September 2023 after Hansi Flick was dismissed, becoming part of a wider attempt to stabilise the national team before Euro 2024 and the following World Cup cycle.

Nagelsmann’s contract had been extended to 2028, but the Paraguay defeat forced a reassessment. The 38-year-old said the team needed “the opportunity for a true new start” after what he described as a painful disappointment. DFB president Bernd Neuendorf thanked him for his work, commitment and ambition, while the governing body moved quickly to make Klopp its central target.

Germany’s exit has carried particular weight because it continues a difficult World Cup pattern. The four-time champions went out in the group stage in 2018 and 2022, and the expanded 2026 format did not produce the expected reset. Progress beyond the group phase was not enough to ease public frustration after another early knockout departure.

Klopp’s appeal rests on more than his record. He remains closely associated with emotional leadership, aggressive pressing football and the ability to reconnect teams with supporters. At Borussia Dortmund, he won two Bundesliga titles and reached the Champions League final. At Liverpool, he delivered the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup, restoring the club to Europe’s elite after years of instability.

His possible appointment would also mark a stylistic shift from Nagelsmann’s more analytical approach. Germany’s current squad contains technically strong players across midfield and attack, but the team has struggled to impose itself consistently in high-pressure tournament matches. Klopp’s direct communication and clear tactical identity are seen as qualities that could address a side accused of lacking conviction at decisive moments.

The DFB must still settle several practical questions. Klopp has not managed day to day since leaving Liverpool and had spoken of needing distance from the intensity of frontline coaching. Red Bull would also have to manage the loss of the figurehead around whom it built its global football structure. Even so, the Germany job has long been viewed as one of the few posts capable of tempting him back.

The timing is sensitive. Germany need clarity before the next competitive cycle begins, with qualifying, squad renewal and tactical planning all requiring a permanent coach. Several senior players face questions over their international futures, while younger options will need to be integrated before the next European Championship campaign gathers pace.

Nagelsmann’s exit closes a tenure that began with cautious optimism. Germany reached the Euro 2024 quarter-finals before losing to Spain, and there were periods when the side looked more balanced than under Flick. Yet the World Cup defeat revived doubts about mentality, defensive structure and the ability to turn possession into control against disciplined opponents.

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The first public phase of the UAE’s national passenger rail service began on June 30, connecting Abu Dhabi Station in Mohammed bin Zayed City with Fujairah Station in Al Hilal. Tickets are being sold through the Etihad Rail website and mobile app, with launch fares showing a 50 per cent discount on the route. Comfort Class seats are listed from AED55, while Premium Class fares start from AED120.

The service has quickly become a lifestyle and travel talking point, not only because it marks the arrival of inter-emirate passenger rail, but also because the journey links the capital with the east coast through a route designed to offer an alternative to long road trips. The train can operate at speeds of up to 200 kilometres per hour and is positioned as a comfortable option for residents, visitors, families and weekend travellers.

The passenger experience is being promoted around convenience as much as speed. Travellers can search routes, compare fares, book seats, access digital tickets and manage journeys through the Etihad Rail app. The platform is available through major app stores, while bookings can also be completed on the official website. Tickets are offered in different fare categories, giving passengers flexibility depending on price, refund conditions and travel plans.

Demand has been strong at launch, with thousands of tickets sold before and immediately after operations began. Early journeys drew interest from commuters, rail enthusiasts and leisure travellers keen to experience the UAE’s first national passenger train. Launch-day services between Fujairah and Abu Dhabi also drew public attention because they turned a project long associated with freight and infrastructure planning into a visible passenger transport option.

On board, Etihad Rail has focused on modern amenities aimed at making the journey suitable for work, family travel and tourism. Passengers have access to free WiFi, charging ports, reclining seats, luggage space and lounge-style areas. Food and beverages are available for purchase, while Premium Class includes added service benefits. The interiors are designed to provide more space than typical road transport, with an emphasis on quiet travel, digital connectivity and comfort during the cross-country trip.

The route also gives the rail service a tourism angle. Fujairah’s coastline, mountain scenery and growing hospitality sector make it a popular short-break destination, while Abu Dhabi remains a hub for business, culture, government services and international travel. A reliable rail link between the two emirates could encourage more weekend movement, day trips and domestic tourism, especially among residents who prefer not to drive long distances.

The wider Etihad Rail passenger network is planned as a phased rollout across the country. The national rail system spans about 900 kilometres and is designed to connect key population centres, logistics hubs and commercial districts. Passenger stations announced for future phases include Dubai, Sharjah, Al Dhaid and several Al Dhafra locations. The opening of Dubai Station and Al Dhaid Station is scheduled for September 30, 2026, followed by Al Dhafra stations on December 30, 2026, and Sharjah Station on March 30, 2027.

The project has already been operating freight services, moving goods across the UAE and linking industrial zones, ports and border areas. Passenger operations add a public-facing dimension to a network intended to reduce road congestion, support lower-emission travel and strengthen connectivity between emirates. Rail travel is also expected to complement buses, taxis, ride-hailing services and future urban transport links around stations.

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DUBAI, UAE – Media OutReach Newswire – 3 July 2026 – Today’s EV buyers are looking beyond range and horsepower. They want an ownership experience that is just as reassuring as the vehicle itself, and that is where the VinFast VF 8 makes a strong case.

Just a few years ago, conversations surrounding EV buying were dominated by battery size, driving range and acceleration. Those things still matter today, but they are no longer the whole story. As EVs move into the mainstream, buyer priorities are shifting toward practical, long-term considerations, including the post-purchase experience, charging convenience, straightforward servicing, and the enduring reliability of the brand. These factors increasingly shape purchasing decisions, and they also provide a useful lens through which to look at the VinFast VF 8, an all-electric mid-size SUV.

Designed by the legendary Italian design house Pininfarina, the all-electric D-segment SUV combines clean, modern styling with the practicality expected of a family vehicle. It delivers up to 493 km of NEDC driving range, produces up to 402 horsepower through a dual-motor AWD system, and comes equipped with Level 2 driver assistance technologies, a 15.6-inch infotainment display, and a spacious cabin designed for everyday comfort. In the UAE, buyers also benefit from a 10-year vehicle warranty, a 10-year unlimited-mileage battery warranty, alongside 24/7 roadside assistance and five years of free maintenance up to 100,000 km.

While the VF 8 already has plenty to offer on paper, the real challenge is making ownership feel effortless once the excitement of the purchase has passed. Recognizing that, VinFast has invested heavily in the ecosystem that supports its vehicles.

Earlier this year, the company signed agreements with 29 international aftersales partners as part of a broader plan to expand its global service network to more than 1,100 workshops across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia during 2026. The company is also rolling out customer support initiatives such as software updates, battery inspections, and technical support throughout the ownership journey.

In the UAE specifically, VinFast works with Al Tayer Motors to provide local aftersales support while continuing to strengthen its regional service network through experienced local partners. In March, the company signed an MoU with PlusX Electric, a DEWA-approved charging provider, to extend support beyond the dealership network. The plan includes portable charging pods, on-demand mobile charging, and emergency roadside charging services. The goal is to reduce downtime and eliminate the awkward scenario of running low on charge far from a plug.

“VinFast is committed to building a long-term and comprehensive EV ecosystem in the UAE, one that gives customers confidence not only in the quality and performance of our electric vehicles, but also in the reliability and accessibility of the supporting infrastructure,” one executive of VinFast Middle East said in a press release.

The Middle East is entering an important stage of its EV journey, with governments investing in cleaner mobility and consumers enjoying more choices than ever before. As the market evolves, delivering a competitive vehicle is only part of the equation, while making ownership straightforward is becoming just as important. The VinFast VF 8 reflects that shift, pairing the features of a modern electric SUV with growing investments in charging, aftersales support, and customer service.

Hashtag: #VinFast #EV

https://me.vinfast.com/en

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The article The VinFast VF 8 and the New Priorities of EV Ownership appeared first on Arabian Post.

Now in its 19th year, the festival has grown into one of Taiwan’s largest outdoor music events, attracting tens of thousands of fans every summer. Set against Hualien’s breathtaking mountains and Pacific coastline, the event combines live performances with one of Asia’s most scenic festival experiences.

This year’s lineup features an impressive mix of award-winning Taiwanese artists, rising indie musicians and international performers. Headliners include Jam Hsiao, Show Lo, Accusefive, Sun Shu-mei, Hsu Fu-kai, MIXER, Aisa Senda, Chih Siou, Lee Chu-hsin and Chen Yi-no, representing pop, rock, folk and contemporary Taiwanese music.

Adding an international dimension, South Korean rock band ChRocktikal and CNU and Gongchan from K-pop group B1A4 will also perform, highlighting Hualien’s growing role as a cultural destination connecting audiences across Asia.Each festival night carries a unique musical theme, including：Nature & Adventure Night、Youth Power Night、Rock Explosion Night、Asia Wave Night、All-Star Finale.

The festival also showcases seven winning acts from Hualien’s emerging artist competition, giving local musicians the opportunity to share the stage with internationally recognized performers.

Organized by the Hualien County Government, the event reflects the county’s long-term vision of promoting cultural tourism through music while strengthening international exchange. By combining Taiwan’s original music scene with performances from across Asia, organizers hope to position Hualien not only as Taiwan’s summer music capital but also as an emerging destination for international music tourism.

Beyond the concerts, visitors can explore Hualien’s dramatic natural landscapes, indigenous culture, local cuisine and outdoor attractions, making the festival an ideal gateway to experience eastern Taiwan.

With free admission and five consecutive nights of live entertainment beneath the stars, the 2026 Hualien Summer Carnival invites music lovers from Taiwan and around the world to celebrate an unforgettable summer on Taiwan’s spectacular east coast.

Hashtag: #HualienSummerCarnival

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The article 2026 Hualien Summer Carnival　 Taiwan’s Premier Summer Music Festival appeared first on Arabian Post.

Boosting Southeast Asia Strategy

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 3 July 2026 – Recently, XTransfer, the world’s leading B2B cross-border trade payment platform, officially inaugurated its new office in Malaysia. This marks XTransfer’s continued investment in localised operations across Southeast Asia and lays a solid foundation for further strengthening its regional trade finance services.

Leaders and partners from several major local Malaysian banks and financial institutions attended the event to witness this important milestone. The opening ceremony began with a lively lion dance performance, followed by a ribbon-cutting session led by distinguished guests in a festive atmosphere. Ribbon-cutting guests included Ms Winnie Wong, Director of Financial Institutions Group at Maybank; Ms Sylvia Wong, Regional Head at CIMB; Ms Daphne Yoo, Director at OCBC; along with representatives from various institutions and associations, and the head of XTransfer’s Malaysia team.

Guests warmly congratulated XTransfer on the opening of its new office and expressed their expectation that XTransfer will continue to support the development of local trade by providing Malaysian SMEs with more efficient and secure cross-border payment solutions. Representatives from multiple banks also noted that they look forward to deepening collaboration with XTransfer, further improving localised settlement networks, and jointly promoting the development of the cross-border payments ecosystem.

As a fintech company deeply focused on global trade finance, XTransfer has consistently adhered to a technology-driven and compliance-first approach. It is committed to providing global trade enterprises with secure, convenient, and cost-effective cross-border payment and collection solutions. With the launch of its new Malaysia office, XTransfer will position Malaysia as a strategic hub for its Southeast Asia operations, extending its reach across the Asia-Pacific market and further accelerating regional business expansion. Going forward, XTransfer will continue to advance its internationalisation strategy to better serve global trade companies.

It is also worth noting that in February this year, XTransfer received conditional approval from Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) for key payment licenses. Upon completing the pre-issuance conditions and being permitted to launch, XTransfer will introduce digital payment services to support businesses, particularly SMEs engaged in international trade. With the official opening of the new office, XTransfer will leverage stronger local service capabilities together with its global network resources to continue helping regional trade businesses seize global opportunities and expand into broader international markets.

Hashtag: #XTransfer #Crossborder #Payment #SMEs #Malaysia

https://www.xtransfer.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtransfer.cn

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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Fitch Ratings says the durability of the truce between Washington and Tehran will be central to the outlook for banks across the Gulf Cooperation Council, where lenders entered the crisis with strong capital, liquidity and profitability buffers. The June 17 Memorandum of Understanding extended the ceasefire agreed on April 8 and opened a 60-day window for the two sides to negotiate a broader peace arrangement.

The accord also requires Iran to use its best efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, a condition that carries direct implications for Gulf economies, oil revenues, trade flows and investor confidence. The waterway is one of the world’s most sensitive energy corridors, carrying roughly a fifth of global petroleum liquids consumption and a large share of liquefied natural gas trade, mainly from Qatar.

The immediate banking risk is not a balance-sheet shock, but pressure on operating conditions. Gulf lenders depend on confidence, government spending, hydrocarbon liquidity and cross-border funding markets. A stable ceasefire would support oil and gas exports, restore shipping schedules, ease insurance costs and help governments maintain spending plans that feed credit growth.

The risk picture would change if the 60-day negotiation period breaks down. A return to sustained hostilities could weaken non-oil activity, delay investment, disrupt transport and tourism, and push some borrowers into tighter cash-flow positions. Banks in smaller and more externally exposed markets would face sharper pressure if foreign funding becomes more expensive or deposit flows turn cautious.

Gulf banks have entered the period from a position of relative strength. Loan books across the region have benefited from years of high oil revenue, sovereign investment, population growth and infrastructure spending. Capital ratios remain comfortable by international standards, while profitability has been supported by elevated interest rates and expanding private-sector credit. Asset quality has also remained broadly stable, with problem loans contained in most major markets.

Sovereign support remains a key factor behind bank resilience. Many leading Gulf lenders are either state-owned, linked to ruling institutions, or systemically important to domestic financial systems. That gives investors confidence that governments would step in if liquidity stress became severe. Oil exporters with large financial reserves also have room to cushion disruption, although the depth of those buffers varies across the GCC.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE are better placed than some peers because of stronger fiscal capacity, deeper capital markets and larger banking systems. Qatar remains supported by its gas export base and substantial state-linked assets, but its reliance on LNG shipping through the Strait of Hormuz makes maritime stability crucial. Kuwait and Bahrain have narrower buffers, while Oman’s position depends heavily on continued fiscal discipline and market access.

The reopening of Hormuz has already helped ease energy-market anxiety. Oil flows have been moving back towards pre-war levels, and Brent prices have retreated from the sharp spikes seen during the height of the disruption. Kuwait has increased crude output after severe curbs, while UAE exports have benefited from resumed tanker movement and inventory drawdowns. Even so, logistics remain uneven, with insurers, shipowners and cargo buyers still watching security guarantees closely.

The banking channel is therefore indirect but important. Lower oil volatility supports government deposits, project awards, corporate liquidity and household confidence. It also reduces the risk that states will need to cut spending or delay payments to contractors. Any renewed threat to Hormuz would quickly revive concerns over energy exports, marine insurance, dollar liquidity and access to international debt markets.

Debt issuance is a key area to watch. Gulf banks and corporates have relied heavily on global investors for dollar funding. A prolonged security shock could push borrowers towards private placements, shorter maturities or domestic funding, raising costs and reducing flexibility. Stronger banks could absorb that shift, but smaller lenders would face tighter margins if deposit competition rises.

The ceasefire also has a political dimension for bank ratings. The MoU is not a final settlement, and its implementation depends on verification, shipping arrangements, sanctions relief and the handling of Iran’s nuclear programme. Tehran has insisted that its missile programme is not part of the negotiations, while Washington is seeking a broader framework that can reassure regional allies and energy markets.

The article Gulf bank resilience hinges on Tehran talks appeared first on Arabian Post.

The rating is the highest Insurance Financial Strength Rating assigned by Moody’s to a UAE insurer and the highest across the GCC among life, property and casualty, and reinsurance companies. It places Daman in a stronger position as PureHealth accelerates its strategy of combining healthcare provision, insurance coverage and digital health services under one platform.

Moody’s cited Daman’s market position, profitability, capital adequacy, reinsurance support and liquid investment portfolio as key drivers of the rating. The stable outlook reflects expectations that the company will maintain asset quality, underwriting profitability, liquidity buffers and capital strength even as it expands premiums and diversifies beyond its traditional health insurance base.

Daman is one of the central assets in PureHealth’s “Cover” vertical, which has become a key contributor to the group’s earnings profile. PureHealth reported 2025 revenue of about AED27.2 billion, with net profit of roughly AED2 billion. Its insurance business recorded revenue of AED7.8 billion, up 13.5 per cent year on year, while gross written premiums rose 9 per cent to AED7.6 billion. Membership increased 6 per cent to about 3.4 million.

The rating comes as Daman broadens its business from a health-focused insurer into a multi-line operator. The company adopted its current legal name in May 2025 to reflect expansion into wider insurance lines, starting with property and casualty products. That move followed earlier diversification through the Daman Gratuity and Employee Benefits Trust, launched in 2024.

The expansion gives PureHealth a broader risk pool and a route into insurance segments that are expected to grow with corporate demand, population expansion and infrastructure spending across the emirates. It also reduces reliance on medical insurance alone, where margins can be affected by claims inflation, pricing pressure and regulatory requirements.

Daman’s strength remains closely linked to its standing in Abu Dhabi’s health insurance system. Established in 2006, the company has developed into a leading provider of mandatory and enhanced health cover, serving government, corporate and individual customers. Its scale gives it access to large volumes of claims data, provider relationships and enrolment flows that smaller insurers may find difficult to match.

PureHealth’s structure gives Daman an added strategic role. The group operates hospitals, clinics, diagnostics, pharmacies and insurance services, creating a payer-provider model that is uncommon in the region. This can support cost management, patient navigation and service integration, though it also raises the need for clear governance around claims handling, provider choice and pricing transparency.

The UAE health insurance market is expanding as mandatory coverage, population growth, medical inflation and higher demand for private healthcare lift premiums. Market estimates place the UAE health and medical insurance sector at about $9.3 billion in 2025, with forecasts pointing to continued growth over the next several years. The sector remains competitive, with national and international insurers seeking share in employer-backed schemes, individual policies and specialist cover.

The rating also has implications for Daman’s ability to negotiate reinsurance, win large corporate accounts and support new product lines. A stronger financial strength rating can reassure policyholders, brokers, regulators and counterparties that an insurer has the capacity to meet obligations. It can also reduce friction when entering more capital-intensive lines such as property and casualty insurance.

PureHealth’s insurance momentum follows a period of active expansion for the broader group. The company has built scale across healthcare assets in the UAE and overseas, including hospitals and specialist networks, while positioning itself around preventive health, longevity and integrated care. Its model depends on converting scale into efficiency without diluting service quality or exposing the balance sheet to excessive acquisition or claims risk.

The article Daman rating strengthens PureHealth insurance push appeared first on Arabian Post.

Developers sold 1,668 off-plan office units between January and June, compared with AED5.48 billion generated from 1,821 transactions between 2019 and 2025. The jump reflects a sharp acceleration in demand for high-quality commercial space as companies expand their regional operations and investors move early into projects expected to meet a shortage of Grade A supply.

The performance marks a turning point for a market that had traditionally been dominated by completed office sales and leasing deals. Off-plan office transactions have gained momentum as occupiers confront limited availability in established business districts, rising rents and tighter vacancy levels in prime towers. For developers, the shift has opened a deeper commercial pipeline at a time when residential off-plan launches have already reshaped Dubai’s broader property market.

Business Bay led the first-half activity, generating AED6.8 billion in off-plan office sales across 476 transactions. The district accounted for about 52 per cent of total sales value and 28.5 per cent of the number of deals, reinforcing its position as a major commercial hub for companies seeking proximity to Downtown Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road and the Dubai Canal corridor.

Trade Centre Second ranked next with AED1.7 billion from 76 transactions, supported by its location near the Dubai International Financial Centre and the World Trade Centre area. TECOM Site A recorded AED1.4 billion across 498 transactions, while Dubai Maritime City crossed AED1 billion from 87 deals, showing that demand is extending beyond the traditional central business districts.

Premium assets captured a large share of capital. A total of 212 transactions exceeded AED20 million each during the first half. Offices priced between AED20 million and AED50 million accounted for AED6.11 billion across 201 transactions, while 11 deals above AED50 million added AED629.9 million. The figures show that demand is not confined to small investors seeking rental yields, but includes larger buyers positioning for long-term income and capital growth.

The surge follows a strong first quarter, when Dubai’s office market recorded about 1,600 transactions and AED8.2 billion in sales. Off-plan offices accounted for more than 60 per cent of office sales activity during the quarter, overtaking ready office transactions for the first time since 2010. That shift has been driven by a combination of business formation, regional headquarters demand and limited stock in the best-located buildings.

Average office rents have continued to rise across major districts, although growth has become more measured in some segments after several years of steep increases. Market data for the first quarter showed average rents around AED238 per square foot, broadly stable quarter on quarter but still higher than a year earlier. The pause suggests occupiers are becoming more selective, particularly as geopolitical uncertainty and cost discipline shape corporate decisions.

Supply remains the central issue. Dubai has a sizeable office pipeline planned between 2026 and 2030, with millions of square feet expected across key districts. Yet construction timelines, fit-out requirements and demand for specific locations mean the immediate shortage of fitted, high-grade space is unlikely to ease quickly. Companies seeking contiguous floors in prime buildings continue to face limited options, giving developers room to price future projects more aggressively.

The occupier base is also changing. Financial firms, asset managers, technology companies, family offices and professional services groups have expanded across the emirate, supported by business-friendly regulation, residency reforms and Dubai’s role as a regional decision-making centre. DIFC, Downtown Dubai, Business Bay, Jumeirah Lakes Towers and TECOM-linked districts have benefited from this movement, while newer commercial clusters are being positioned to absorb future growth.

Investor appetite is being helped by the income profile of offices. Commercial units in well-managed buildings can offer relatively stable yields when leased to corporate tenants, particularly where service standards, parking, transport access and building specifications meet institutional requirements. Buyers are also betting that office rents will remain resilient as long as job creation and business registrations continue to support demand.

The market is not without risks. Off-plan commercial property depends on timely delivery, construction quality, developer credibility and sustained occupier demand at handover. Buyers also face exposure to market cycles if a large volume of supply is completed at the same time. Rising fit-out costs, service charges and financing conditions could affect returns, especially for investors who entered at peak prices.

The article Dubai office boom shifts decisively off-plan appeared first on Arabian Post.

The licence, recorded on VARA’s public register as VL/26/06/002 and issued on 22 June 2026, authorises Tribe Tokenisation FZE for broker-dealer services. Its addition takes the number of active licensed VASPs under the Dubai framework to 50, covering exchanges, broker-dealers, custodians, advisory firms, management and investment platforms, lending businesses and virtual-asset issuers.

The milestone underlines how Dubai has moved from policy ambition to a more structured licensing market since VARA was established in March 2022. The regulator oversees virtual asset activity across Dubai’s mainland and free zones, excluding the Dubai International Financial Centre, which operates under a separate financial regulatory system. VARA’s framework was designed to bring crypto businesses, tokenisation platforms and digital asset intermediaries into a rule-based environment rather than leaving them to operate through lightly supervised structures.

Tribe Tokenisation FZE is registered at the Dubai World Trade Centre and has positioned itself around tokenised property investment. Its platform model allows investors to access fractional exposure to real estate assets through digital tokens, with governance rights, disclosure of fees and secondary-market exit options forming part of its commercial pitch. The company had earlier stated that it held in-principle approval from VARA for broker-dealer activities. The new listing moves it into the licensed category, though operational launch remains subject to regulatory conditions.

An active licence does not automatically mean a firm has begun full commercial operations. Newly licensed VASPs may still need to complete controlled operational requirements before offering services to clients or expanding market activity. At the end of 2025, 39 licensed VASPs were classified as fully operational, showing that licence numbers and live market activity are related but not identical indicators.

Dubai’s register shows that broker-dealer services dominate the licensing pipeline, but the market has widened over the past two years. Binance FZE, Crypto. com’s Foris DAX Middle East FZE, OKX Middle East Fintech FZE, Deribit FZE, BitOasis Technologies FZE, BitGo entities, Zand Bank, HashKey MENA FZE and several specialist platforms are among the firms listed with permissions spanning trading, custody, exchange services, derivatives, lending, management and investment activities. This mix indicates that Dubai is trying to build a complete digital-asset ecosystem rather than a market led only by retail trading platforms.

The expansion comes as real-world asset tokenisation becomes a more prominent theme in global digital finance. Tokenisation seeks to represent assets such as real estate, bonds, commodities or funds on blockchain-based systems, allowing fractional ownership, faster settlement and potentially wider investor access. The model also carries risks around valuation, custody, liquidity, governance rights, cyber security and investor understanding, making regulatory scrutiny central to its credibility.

VARA’s licensing process examines governance, ownership, financial resilience, technology, cyber controls, risk management, compliance and anti-money laundering systems. Licensed firms remain subject to continuing supervision, which is critical in a sector still affected globally by exchange failures, fraud cases, unstable tokens and uneven investor-protection standards.

Dubai has also tightened its wider virtual-asset regime in 2026. Updated rulebooks have clarified the treatment of virtual-asset derivatives and token issuance, while new anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing guidance has placed greater emphasis on business risk assessment. The direction of travel is toward more granular supervision, especially as firms move from simple spot trading into asset management, structured products and tokenised securities-like offerings.

Arabian Post – Crypto News Network

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Tyler is an AI Diagnostic Agent that perceives, reasons, acts, and learns with every session. It runs a full diagnostic workflow — from fault capture to repair plan — and predicts future failures before warning lights turn on. The technician keeps working. Tyler handles the rest. Related Tyler videos:

Video 1:Tyler: The AI Diagnostic Agent That Listens, Thinks, and Fixes

Video 2:I Am Tyler — An AI Diagnostic Agent Tells Its Own Story

Built on THINKCAR’s proprietary ThinkLLM, Tyler delivers answers in seconds, backed by 2.4M users, 400K+ daily sessions, and 140+ AI patents.

“Empowering every vehicle, that is the promise of a whole life. The independent repair shop deserves the best tools in the world,” said Ben Tan, Chairman of THINKCAR.

“Tyler does not replace your technicians. It replaces the tools that waste their time,” said Peter, VP of THINKCAR’s Diagnosis Business Center.

Tyler Ships Today. More Products Announced.

The THINKTOOL 394 AI ships with Tyler onboard. Dedicated AI Agent series will follow.

Alongside Tyler, THINKCAR announced:

T394 IMMO — Immobilizer diagnostics

T391 & T391 EV — Next-gen platform with EV capabilities

TPMS Tools — Tire pressure monitoring

Garage Equipment — Expanded maintenance line

Partnership with Solera AutoData
THINKCAR integrated 375,000+ Solera AutoData repair procedures covering 99% of models into Tyler’s workflow.

Conference by the Numbers
Hundreds of distributors from 30+ countries
30 awards across 4 categories: Diamond, Excellent, Outstanding, THINKCAR Star

1. day program (June 24-27)

Availability
Tyler is available today on THINKTOOL 394 AI. 10-inch series (399, 394 IMMO, T391, T391 EV) expands late 2026. You wrench. Tyler handles the rest. Diagnostics. Assessment. Parts. Prediction. The End-to-end Expert.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About THINKCAR

THINKCAR is a leading AI-powered automotive diagnostic provider serving 2.4 million users across 215 countries, with products spanning 8 categories including diagnostic tools, TPMS, ADAS calibration, EV diagnostics, and remote service platforms.

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Singapore-based companies have committed more than S$5.5 billion in Johor since the JS-SEZ memorandum of understanding, while IMFC-J reported 1,000 enquiries linked to RM73 billion in potential investment in March 2026.

JOHOR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 July 2026 – Forest City Special Financial Zone (Forest City SFZ) today issued a progress update on the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), pointing to early implementation milestones in investment facilitation, financial-services incentives and cross-border connectivity.

The JS-SEZ agreement, signed on 7 January 2025, covers approximately 3,588 square kilometres across southern Johor. It comprises nine flagship areas and targets investment in 11 sectors, including manufacturing, logistics, financial services, the digital economy, tourism, education, healthcare and the green economy. Forest City is the designated financial-services flagship within the framework.

“The JS-SEZ has moved beyond framework design and into early-stage execution. Forest City has a defined role in financial services and family-office activity, while the wider zone is building a pipeline across multiple industries,” a Forest City SFZ spokesperson said.

Investment pipeline builds across the JS-SEZ

Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry said Singapore-based companies had committed more than S$5.5 billion in investments into Johor since the JS-SEZ memorandum of understanding was signed in January 2024. The figure was highlighted at the second JS-SEZ Joint Investment Forum in Singapore in October 2025.

On the Malaysian side, the Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre Johor (IMFC-J) reported in March 2026 that it had received 1,000 investor enquiries and was facilitating RM73 billion in potential investment.

IMFC-J is a joint federal-state one-stop centre led by the Iskandar Regional Development Authority, Invest Johor and the Malaysian Investment Development Authority.

The figures represent investment commitments and potential project value rather than fully realised capital expenditure, but provide an early measure of the commercial pipeline forming around the economic corridor.

Forest City builds financial-services proposition

Malaysia announced the Forest City SFZ incentive package in September 2024, followed by the gazettement of the Single Family Office (SFO) tax rules in October 2025. Under the scheme, a qualifying SFO vehicle may receive a 0% tax rate on eligible investment income for an initial 10-year period, with a possible extension for a further 10 years, subject to asset, local investment, staffing and operating-expenditure requirements.

The initial phase requires at least RM30 million in assets under management. The wider Forest City incentive framework also includes a 5% corporate tax rate for qualifying global-services and selected relocation activities, while eligible knowledge workers in the JS-SEZ may qualify for a 15% personal income tax rate, subject to prevailing rules and approvals.

According to Forest City data, nine family offices had received approvals under the scheme by June 2026. The Securities Commission Malaysia had previously reported more than 30 expressions of interest and has set a target of RM2 billion in SFO assets under management by the end of 2026.

Separately, Forest City said 593 applicants were approved for the SFZ category of the Malaysia My Second Home programme between 1 October 2024 and 31 March 2026, indicating demand from investors, professionals and long-stay residents alongside the financial-services push.

Cross-border measures support the dual-market model

The JS-SEZ framework is intended to combine Johor’s land, industrial capacity and cost base with Singapore’s capital, connectivity and business ecosystem. Measures under the bilateral framework include investor facilitation, automated immigration channels, paperless goods clearance and improved transport links.

Singapore has rolled out QR-code immigration clearance across travel modes at the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints. Travellers should continue to carry their passports, which may still be required for verification and for clearance at the Malaysian border.

The Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link is targeted to begin passenger service by the end of 2026. The four-kilometre line will connect Bukit Chagar and Woodlands North in about five minutes and is designed to carry up to 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction during peak periods.

Execution and conversion remain the next test

The World Bank projects Malaysia’s economy to expand by 4.4% in 2026, supported by domestic demand, while warning that trade restrictions, global policy uncertainty and weaker external demand remain downside risks.

For the JS-SEZ, the next phase will be measured by the conversion of enquiries and commitments into approved projects, realised investment, skilled employment and operating businesses. Delivery of transport, utilities, talent development and regulatory coordination will also determine the pace at which companies adopt a cross-border operating model.

“The early indicators are encouraging, but the economic impact should be assessed over a multi-year horizon. The priority now is to convert the pipeline into sustainable business activity, jobs and a deeper professional-services ecosystem,” the spokesperson said.

Forest City SFZ said it will continue working with public agencies, financial institutions and professional-service providers to support family offices, international investors and companies evaluating Johor as part of their regional growth strategy.

Key figures

Indicator	Latest stated figure
JS-SEZ coverage	Approximately 3,588 km²; nine flagship areas; 11 priority sectors
Singapore-linked commitments	More than S$5.5 billion committed into Johor since January 2024
IMFC-J pipeline	1,000 enquiries; RM73 billion in potential investment as at March 2026
SFO incentive	0% on eligible investment income for 10 years, with a possible further 10 years
RTS Link	Targeted passenger service by end-2026; up to 10,000 passengers per hour per direction
Malaysia 2026 GDP outlook	4.4% growth forecast by the World Bank

Hashtag: #ForestCity

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Forest City Special Financial Zone

Located in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, Forest City Special Financial Zone (FCSFZ) is Malaysia’s pioneering special financial zone and the financial-services flagship within the Johor–Singapore Special Economic Zone. It is positioned to attract financial institutions, multinational corporations, high-net-worth individuals and businesses operating in wealth management, financial technology and global business services.

Its incentive framework includes a 0% income tax rate for qualifying Single Family Office Vehicles for up to 20 years, a preferential 5% corporate tax rate for approved qualifying activities, and a special 15% personal income tax rate for eligible knowledge workers, subject to the applicable conditions, regulatory approvals and prevailing legislation. Forest City also holds duty-free island status, further strengthening its appeal as a regional investment, business and wealth-management destination near Singapore.

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By Satyaki Chakraborty

The U.S.-China high tech battle for supremacy has reached a new peak after the China manufactured Supercomputer LineShine was adjudged the best among the Top 500 supercomputers made by various nations including the USA, at the International Supercomputing Conference in Hamburg, Germany held on June 23.China got this top slot recognition after 2017- a gap of nine years.

The announcement by the international body has sent tremors to the U.S. high tech companies and the Pentagon. They have been mobilizing huge financial resources for manufacturing more and more technologically developed Supercomputer. US is still ahead of China in high tech war, but this latest feat of China has bridged the gap between the two super powers making Trump’s bargaining power on high tech vis a vis China more problematic. The top computer experts of USA have been assessing the arrival of Chinese LineShine and its impact on the high-tech industries.

The LineShine supercomputer has two technical features. First, LineShine was researched and developed entirely domestically and independently. Faced with years of export controls on high-end GPUs and advanced chip equipment targeting China, Chinese research teams have established a complete closed-loop process – from chip design to system integration – truly achieving self-reliance and control. That means LineShine took first place despite facing layer upon layer of restrictions.

Second, while most of today’s leading supercomputers rely heavily on GPUs, LineShine is the first supercomputer to achieve exascale performance using only CPUs, and it is approximately 20 percent faster than El Capitan, the US supercomputer that previously held the top spot. The even greater significance of LineShine reaching the top lies in the fact that it has validated the feasibility of a complete domestic technology stack, including domestically made chips, storage, interconnects, and cooling systems. Prior to this, no country had ever built the world’s top supercomputer without relying entirely on products from AMD, Intel, or NVIDIA.

According to Chinese experts, Chinese supercomputer’s return to the global top not only demonstrates the country’s increasingly robust self-reliance and control in the high-tech sector, but also offers new options and greater opportunities for global industrial development. Today, fields such as atmospheric and oceanic sciences, engineering simulation, materials science, drug discovery, brain science, scientific AI, and large language model inference all rely on powerful supercomputing support.

According to Chinese experts, for a long time, high-end computing resources have been highly concentrated in a few Western countries. Many developing nations lack the capacity to build their own supercomputing systems and can only passively accept a single source of technology and stringent access restrictions. The path China has taken in computing power provides a model for countries in the Global South – one that is free from external control and allows for autonomous innovation.

Chinese official media mentions in recent years, China’s technological innovation has advanced rapidly, with many sectors accelerating the transition from quantitative growth to qualitative breakthroughs, from the low and mid-range to the mid- and high-end, and from being followers to leaders. China’s ranking in the Global Innovation Index rose from 34th place in 2012 to 10th in 2025. China will not close the door to international cooperation because it has achieved technological leadership, nor will it abandon its commitment to independent innovation because of external restrictions.

As far as U.S. experts are concerned, they hold the view that US-China tech war has intensified dramatically since 2017, employing a full spectrum of measures from tariffs and export controls to restrictions on market access in a race for technological dominance that is reshaping the global electronics landscape. While our calculations indicate a substantial shift in US imports away from China that has cost the latter close to USD150 billion in lost exports since 2017, they also suggest that underlying, mutual interdependence remains deeply rooted in the very structure of the industry: 29% of US semiconductor manufacturing machinery exports flow to China, and US electronics imports from Mexico, Taiwan and Vietnam incorporate a great deal of Chinese value-added.

I As they see it, if the ties connecting the US and Chinese electronics industries have proven more resilient than what headline bilateral trade figures might suggest, it is largely because the US administration’s long-term drive to cut ties with China contradicts the short-term interests of corporate America and the world’s most dominant electronics companies. We estimate that over the last decade US companies alone accounted for 54% of global electronics profits, a share that balloons to 88% when including their Japanese, South Korean, and Taiwanese peers.

Meanwhile, despite surging sales and remarkable technological progress, Chinese companies only secured 7% of global industry profits and are still lagging far behind leaders in the all-strategic semiconductor segment (Chart 3). A major supplier of critical inputs, an unmatched manufacturing hub and one of the world’s largest consumer markets for electronics, China resembles more a condition for, rather than a threat to, the profitability of dominant US electronics companies.

A study released in June by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found that industrial firms in China had received three to eight times as much government support over the past two decades as companies in the 38 mostly wealthy nations that belong to the O.E.C.D. In a report last month, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Rhodium Group argued that Chinese industrial policy was becoming more pervasive and systemic, calling the strategy an “industrial policy of everything.”

The U.S. experts argue that China’s advances are fuelled by investments in research, education and talent, policies that the United States should do more to emulate. Albert Bourla, the chief executive of Pfizer, said in March that one of Pfizer’s biggest challenges was how to tap into the “meteoric rise” of China’s scientific abilities in the midst of geopolitical tensions.

Mr. Bourla predicted that China would surpass the United States in biopharmaceutical innovation within this decade, saying the country had carried out a strategic plan over decades to reform regulations, file patents, fund research and cultivate talent. “They built their science. So this is where we need to become better,” Mr. Bourla said.

That way, the Chinese attack on U.S. supremacy in high tech areas covers not just supercomputers and electronics but also biopharmaceuticals. The U.S. multinationals are worried. The low cost production base of the Chinese companies has posed a big threat to the big U.S. firms. They have to compete on an equal footing. After the latest Supercomputer announcement, a frenzy has gripped the U.S. companies as also the Trump administration. The battle for supremacy in high tech has entered more intense and decisive phase. (IPA Service)

The article China-US Tech War Reaches Its Peak As Chinese Supercomputer Gets Top Slot In 2026 appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

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HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 July 2026 – Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking (Natixis CIB) is pleased to announce the appointment of Luc Bernard as Chief Executive Officer, Natixis Services in India.

Luc reports to Cécile de Sousa, Chief Operating Officer, Asia Pacific & Middle East, Natixis CIB and Etienne Huret, Head of Portugal and India Hubs, Natixis.

He brings to the role nearly two decades of experience in Global Capability Center management and offshoring strategies, entrepreneurship, delivery, software engineering, financial markets, architecture, data, digital transformation and innovation.

Luc was instrumental in establishing Natixis Services in India, Natixis CIB’s technology and innovation hub in Bangalore. He previously held the position of Executive Director and Head of CIB Operations and IT and served on the Board of Directors at Natixis Services in India from 2021 until 2025. He then transitioned to Natixis Investment Managers in Paris, where he has been serving as Head of IT Production until his current appointment. Prior to joining the IT team at Natixis CIB in 2014, Luc gained experience as a Software Developer at Société Générale and Partners Advisers SA. He holds a Master’s degree in Electronic Engineering from Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Brest and an Executive MBA from HEC Paris.

In his new role as Chief Executive Officer, Luc will support the growth of Natixis Services in India and strengthen its integration within Natixis’s global processes.

Cécile de Sousa said, “It is with great pleasure that we welcome Luc back to Bangalore to lead our India center of expertise as it celebrates its five-year anniversary. He has been pivotal in setting up this crucial operation, and spearheading technology-driven transformation and process optimization. Luc’s extensive knowledge of our internal processes, coupled with his proven track record in India, positions him perfectly to assume the leadership responsibilities of Natixis Services in India.”

Etienne Huret said, “Luc’s appointment is a key milestone in our commitment to further developing Bangalore as a critical hub for the Groupe BPCE and Natixis businesses. I look forward to working with him closely as we continue to grow synergies between our Portugal and India hubs and collaborate closely with the Group on strategic initiatives.”

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking

Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking is a leading global financial institution that provides advisory, investment banking, financing, corporate banking and capital markets services to corporations, financial institutions, financial sponsors and sovereign and supranational organizations worldwide.

Our teams of experts in close to 30 countries advise clients on their strategic development, helping them to grow and transform their businesses, and maximize their positive impact. Natixis CIB is committed to aligning its financing portfolio with a carbon neutrality path by 2050 while helping its clients reduce the environmental impact of their business.

As part of Groupe BPCE, the second largest banking group in France through the Banque Populaire and Caisse d’Epargne retail networks, Natixis CIB benefits from the Group’s financial strength and solid financial ratings (Standard & Poor’s: A+, Moody’s: A2, Fitch Ratings: A+, R&I: A+).

About Natixis Services in India

Natixis Services in India is a Center of Expertise for Groupe BPCE, a banking group of French origin, and its subsidiary, Natixis. Natixis Services in India delivers operational excellence and agile solutions by leveraging advanced technologies to address challenges in the banking industry. Natixis Services in India’s focus is on enhancing the client experience, mitigating risks, and strengthening competitive positioning. The team is committed to enriching career development opportunities within an inclusive and dynamic work environment.

The article Natixis CIB bolsters technology and innovation hub in India with strategic leadership appointment appeared first on Arabian Post.

The Tokyo-listed company’s latest acquisition is valued at about $170 million at current market prices, while its total Bitcoin reserve is worth roughly $2.58 billion. The purchase extends a rapid accumulation strategy that has transformed the former hotel and investment business into one of Asia’s most closely watched Bitcoin treasury companies.

The company bought the additional coins at an average price of around 12.71 million yen per Bitcoin, with the quarter’s purchase costing about 35.89 billion yen. Its cumulative Bitcoin investment now stands at about 659.26 billion yen, implying an average acquisition cost of roughly 15.33 million yen per coin across the full holding.

Metaplanet’s disclosure comes as Bitcoin trades near $60,000, with the asset still drawing institutional demand despite wide price swings and continuing regulatory scrutiny across major markets. The company’s 43,000 BTC balance places it close to Twenty One Capital, which holds just over 43,500 BTC, and ahead of several miners and financial companies that have built sizeable reserves. Strategy remains the dominant corporate holder by a wide margin, with a balance several times larger than the rest of the listed market combined.

Metaplanet began shifting decisively towards Bitcoin in 2024, presenting the asset as a treasury reserve intended to protect shareholder value against currency depreciation and balance-sheet erosion. The move mirrored a strategy pioneered in the United States, where companies have used equity, debt, convertible instruments and cash flows to accumulate Bitcoin as a long-term reserve asset.

The pace of Metaplanet’s buying has accelerated sharply. The company ended 2025 with 35,102 BTC, lifted the total to 40,177 BTC by the end of the first quarter of 2026, and has now reached 43,000 BTC. That represents an increase of nearly 7,900 BTC since the start of the year, even as its stock has faced pressure from volatility in crypto-linked equities and investor concern over balance-sheet leverage.

The company has set an ambitious long-term target of building a reserve equal to about 1 per cent of Bitcoin’s fixed 21 million supply. That would require holdings of about 210,000 BTC, far above its current position. Management has framed the target as part of a broader plan to make Metaplanet a leading Bitcoin-focused capital markets vehicle in Japan and a proxy for investors seeking exposure through regulated equity markets rather than direct token ownership.

The strategy carries both potential upside and material risk. A rising Bitcoin price increases the value of the company’s treasury and may strengthen its ability to raise capital on favourable terms. A prolonged fall in Bitcoin, however, can widen losses, pressure net asset value and dilute shareholders if fresh equity is issued at depressed prices.

Metaplanet has also sought to generate income from its Bitcoin-related activities, including options-linked strategies. That business has become an important part of its operating narrative, but it is sensitive to market volatility, liquidity and counterparty conditions. Softer option premiums can reduce revenue even when the company’s Bitcoin balance continues to expand.

The company’s growing reserve also reflects a wider trend among listed firms using Bitcoin as a balance-sheet asset. Miners, investment vehicles and operating companies have adopted treasury models that treat Bitcoin not just as a speculative holding but as a core capital allocation decision. Supporters argue that the fixed supply and global liquidity of Bitcoin make it attractive during periods of currency weakness and fiscal uncertainty. Critics warn that corporate treasuries built around a volatile asset can expose ordinary shareholders to risks that are difficult to price.

Japan’s market gives Metaplanet’s strategy added significance. The country has a mature financial system, a history of low interest rates, and a regulatory framework for digital assets that has developed after earlier exchange failures forced tighter oversight. A listed company using Tokyo’s capital markets to accumulate Bitcoin at scale adds a new dimension to Asia’s crypto-investment landscape.

Arabian Post – Crypto News Network

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The forum, held on June 30 at Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur, marked BitAuto Malaysia’s first large-scale industry showcase. Hosted by BitAuto Tengyi Malaysia Sdn Bhd, the event brought together GWM Malaysia, Chery Corporate Malaysia, Proton New Energy, SGMW, JoyStar Dealer Group, TQ Wuling Manufacturing, Beritarian and representatives from Zeekr, Leapmotor, BMW, Toyota and 212 Motors.

The central theme, integration and symbiosis, reflected a market in transition. Malaysia’s automotive sector is moving from a phase led largely by model launches and pricing competition towards a broader contest over digital visibility, dealer conversion, charging access, after-sales confidence and community-led trust.

Li Wei, vice-president of Tengyi Technology and director of BitAuto Malaysia, said the company had chosen Malaysia as its flagship overseas hub because of the country’s steady vehicle demand, faster electrification, low but expanding EV penetration and policy support. BitAuto has built a 26-year presence in China’s automotive internet market through vertical auto media, mobility advertising, new media operations and AI technology.

BitAuto Malaysia is promoting Bitauto. my as a full-funnel automotive platform covering awareness, content nurturing and conversion. The platform lists more than 85 marques, 550 vehicle models and 1,300 variants, offering high-definition galleries, 360-degree VR viewing, multi-model comparison tools, pricing information and promotional data from authorised dealers.

The company is also building a trilingual content operation in Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin and English, supported by more than 30 creators across automotive, technology, lifestyle and travel segments. Its dealer tools include membership services, livestream customer acquisition, WhatsApp lead distribution, merchant back-end management and performance advertising workflows.

The forum’s commercial importance is underscored by Malaysia’s shifting vehicle market. Total industry volume reached a record 820,752 units in 2025, the second straight year above 800,000 units, but 2026 sales are expected to soften to around 790,000 units as affordability pressures, higher operating costs and the end of tax exemptions for fully imported EVs weigh on demand.

Electrification remains the clearest growth pocket. Battery electric vehicle registrations more than doubled to 30,848 units in 2025, while combined EV and hybrid sales rose to 69,363 units. Fully imported EVs have been subject to import duty, excise duty and sales tax from January 2026, though locally assembled EV incentives remain in place until the end of 2027.

Proton’s EV assembly plant in Perak has added weight to Malaysia’s ambitions as a regional electric mobility hub. The facility has an initial annual capacity of 20,000 cars, with scope to rise to 45,000 units. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has urged Geely to use the auto hub not only for vehicle production but also as a centre for training and education.

Chinese automakers are also deepening their regional strategies. Xpeng has been in negotiations with EP Manufacturing Bhd to begin EV production in Malaysia in 2026, while BYD has announced plans for an assembly plant in Perak and Leapmotor is preparing local assembly at Stellantis’ plant in Gurun, Kedah. These moves point to Malaysia’s growing role in right-hand-drive markets across ASEAN.

Panel discussions at the forum focused heavily on localisation. Michael Chew of Chery Malaysia said long-term market presence required a full local ecosystem covering manufacturing, supply chains and talent, rather than a reliance on imported vehicles. Oscar Wang of JoyStar Dealer Group described Malaysia as a mature replacement market where trade-in buyers increasingly seek differentiated driving experiences.

Fuel subsidy changes and concerns over petrol costs were cited as factors lifting interest in plug-in hybrids and hybrids. Speakers also said charging infrastructure remained a “chicken-and-egg” issue requiring coordination among automakers, dealers and public authorities.

The second major discussion turned to content and community. Speakers said buyers were responding less to technical claims alone and more to authenticity, ownership experience and creator credibility. Short videos were described as useful for initial discovery, while long-form reviews and offline car communities were seen as stronger tools for building brand loyalty.

The article BitAuto forum highlights Malaysia auto digital push appeared first on Arabian Post.

Transaction data for flat sales from 2016 to 24 June 2026 shows the scale of the shift. Sales of Dhs10m-plus apartments rose from 71 deals worth Dhs1.22bn in 2016 to 2,003 deals worth Dhs44.04bn in 2025. The segment has recorded 726 transactions worth Dhs17.81bn so far this year, indicating that demand remains substantial even as the pace of deals has eased from last year’s peak.

The figures underline a structural change in Dubai’s residential market. Flats above Dhs10m accounted for only 1.21 per cent of all apartment transactions in 2025, but they generated 13.66 per cent of total flat sales value. This year, the share by number of deals stands at 1.16 per cent, while the value share has risen to 14.45 per cent. That points to a thinner but more valuable market, where fewer buyers are contributing a larger share of overall apartment spending.

The first-half comparison shows a more selective cycle rather than a retreat from luxury property. Dhs10m-plus flat sales declined from 868 transactions in the first half of 2025 to 726 transactions up to 24 June this year. Total value slipped from Dhs18.88bn to Dhs17.81bn over the same comparison. Yet average pricing has strengthened, helped by a concentration of premium launches and continued demand for trophy assets.

Off-plan sales remain the main driver. In 2016, off-plan Dhs10m-plus flat sales were worth Dhs968.6m, equal to 79.11 per cent of the segment’s value. By 2025, the figure had risen to Dhs35.79bn, or 81.25 per cent of the category. This year, off-plan sales account for 83.94 per cent of high-end apartment value, showing how developers have increasingly shaped the luxury market through branded residences, serviced schemes and landmark towers.

The ready market has not disappeared. Completed Dhs10m-plus flat sales increased from Dhs255.8m in 2016 to Dhs8.26bn in 2025. But the larger growth has come from project-led sales, where buyers commit to future delivery in exchange for location, architecture, hotel branding, services and scarcity. The trend has also shifted risk towards delivery schedules, build quality and resale liquidity once large numbers of premium units reach completion.

The geography of luxury apartment demand has widened. Burj Khalifa and Palm Jumeirah dominated the market in 2016, when Burj Khalifa accounted for 53.08 per cent of Dhs10m-plus flat value and Palm Jumeirah for 25.72 per cent. Palm Jumeirah later became the main centre of activity, contributing 66.75 per cent in 2022. Since 2023, the market has become more distributed, with Business Bay, Dubai Marina, Dubai Water Canal, Jumeirah First and Jumeirah Second gaining ground.

Palm Jumeirah remains a core address, but its share has narrowed as new projects elsewhere have attracted ultra-high-net-worth buyers. Its share of Dhs10m-plus flat value fell to 37.33 per cent in 2023, 19.49 per cent in 2024 and 16.91 per cent in 2025, before rising to 21.06 per cent this year. The change reflects a broader luxury map rather than a decline in the island’s prestige.

The market has also deepened above the Dhs10m threshold. The Dhs10m-Dhs20m band remains the largest by transaction count, but higher bands have become more significant. In 2025, Dhs20m-Dhs50m flats accounted for Dhs16.36bn in sales, while Dhs50m-plus transactions reached Dhs10.11bn. This year, Dhs50m-plus flat sales have already reached Dhs5.70bn.

Pricing data shows that buyers are paying more for less space. The average size of Dhs10m-plus flats declined from 5,517 sq ft in 2016 to 4,202 sq ft this year. Median size dropped from 5,253 sq ft to 3,230 sq ft. During the same period, the weighted average price per square foot rose from Dhs3,126 to Dhs5,839.

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The rally has been led by export-heavy names such as Gokaldas Exports, KPR Mill, Welspun Living, Trident, Indo Count Industries and Pearl Global Industries, whose earnings prospects have brightened after tariff relief in key overseas markets. The sector has drawn renewed attention at a time when broader equities have faced bouts of volatility linked to global rates, trade uncertainty and uneven consumption trends.

The immediate trigger has been a series of trade developments that have altered expectations for the industry. A trade understanding with the US reduced tariffs on a range of goods, easing pressure on apparel exporters that had been absorbing costs to protect long-standing customer relationships. The India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, due to take effect on July 15, is expected to remove tariffs of up to 12 per cent on textiles and clothing shipped to Britain.

That change is significant for companies competing against Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia and China in price-sensitive categories. Apparel and home textile exports operate on thin margins, and even a modest tariff difference can influence sourcing decisions by large retailers. Zero-duty access to the UK strengthens the case for shifting more orders to factories with scale, compliance records and established relationships with global buyers.

Gokaldas Exports has become a focal point for the trade. The Bengaluru-based apparel exporter manufactures about 90 million garments a year and earns a large share of revenue from the US, while also serving markets such as Canada, the UK and France. Its customer base includes major retailers, making it one of the more direct beneficiaries of improved tariff conditions. The company’s fiscal 2025 revenue stood at about ₹38.64 billion, and management has indicated scope for margins to move into double digits as the benefit of lower duties flows through.

Welspun Living, one of the world’s largest home textile manufacturers, is another major beneficiary of the shift. Its presence in towels, sheets, rugs and other home products gives it exposure to large-format retail demand in North America and Europe. The company has also invested in traceability, sustainable cotton sourcing and branded offerings, areas increasingly monitored by overseas buyers under stricter compliance and environmental standards.

KPR Mill, with its integrated operations across yarn, fabric, garments and sugar, has attracted investor interest because of its operating scale and relatively strong balance sheet. Pearl Global Industries and Indo Count Industries have also gained attention as investors look beyond the most visible exporters to companies with capacity expansion plans, customer diversification and scope to improve utilisation.

The rally has not been confined to a single trade event. Textile counters moved sharply in February after the US tariff relief, again after clarity on the UK agreement, and then attracted further institutional interest as brokerages initiated coverage on several sector names. Some reports have projected potential upside of more than 40 per cent in select stocks, though the bullish view is not uniform. More conservative calls on parts of the sector reflect concerns over valuations, cotton prices, wage inflation and execution risks.

The optimism also comes after a difficult period. Higher US tariffs had squeezed exporters, forcing some companies to absorb costs or offer discounts. Global retailers delayed shipments in parts of fiscal 2025 as tariff uncertainty disrupted ordering cycles. Demand in discretionary categories such as home textiles has been uneven, especially in the US, where retailers worked through excess inventory after the pandemic-era surge.

That makes the latest rally a test of whether tariff gains can translate into sustained earnings growth. Investors are looking for evidence of higher order books, improved realisations and better plant utilisation over the next two to four quarters. Margin expansion will depend not only on lower duties but also on raw material prices, currency movement, freight costs and the ability of exporters to negotiate better terms with buyers.

The rupee’s movement will also be important. A weaker rupee generally supports exporters, but higher imported input costs can dilute the advantage. Cotton price volatility remains another risk, particularly for companies that cannot pass on cost increases quickly. Compliance spending, labour availability and delivery timelines will influence whether larger buyers shift orders at scale.

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The company, led by co-founder and chief executive Ankush Sachdeva, is expected to seek public market capital after tightening costs, narrowing operating losses and pushing harder into advertising, live-streaming and subscription-driven entertainment. The proposed listing would test investor appetite for a local-language social media business that has repositioned itself from a high-burn growth platform into a more disciplined digital entertainment group.

Mohalla Tech’s IPO plans come at a point when technology companies are being judged less on user growth alone and more on cash flow, margins and the durability of revenue. ShareChat was valued at about $5 billion during the venture funding boom of 2022, when large investors including Google, Temasek, Lightspeed and Times Group backed the company. Its valuation came under pressure as the start-up funding environment tightened, forcing the firm to raise convertible debt and cut costs.

ShareChat operates as a social network focused on users in non-English language markets, while Moj competes in the short-video segment. QuickTV, a subscription-led micro-drama app, is part of the company’s attempt to build paid entertainment formats alongside advertising-led services. The group is seeking to show that a platform built around regional content can generate more predictable income from a mix of brands, creators and paying users.

The company’s turnaround has been built around a sharp reduction in losses. Its adjusted Ebitda loss for FY25 fell to about ₹219 crore from ₹793 crore a year earlier, helped by lower marketing spend, headcount reductions and tighter control over creator and technology costs. Revenue is expected to rise further in FY26, with management targeting stronger contributions from advertising, live services and short-form drama subscriptions.

Mohalla Tech’s challenge is that scale has not yet translated into the kind of profitability public investors typically demand. Social media and short-video businesses need sustained spending on content moderation, creator incentives, product development and cloud infrastructure. Advertising demand can also shift quickly, especially when large platforms such as Meta, Google and YouTube continue to dominate brand budgets.

The company has sought to distinguish itself by focusing on language diversity and community-led engagement. ShareChat is available across more than 15 languages and has built a large audience outside the metro-focused English internet market. Its Google Play listing shows more than 500 million downloads for the ShareChat app, while Moj has emerged as a major short-video platform after the 2020 ban on TikTok created room for local alternatives.

That opportunity also brought intense competition. Moj, Josh, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels all chased the same creator and viewer base, triggering high spending on influencers, content discovery and user acquisition. Mohalla Tech expanded through acquisition, including the purchase of MX TakaTak, but later shifted to consolidation as the funding environment changed and investors pressed for cleaner unit economics.

The company’s management has already gone through a period of transition. Sachdeva remains the public face of the business, while co-founders Bhanu Pratap Singh and Farid Ahsan stepped back from operating roles in 2023. The firm also implemented multiple rounds of layoffs, including deep reductions in 2023, as it moved away from expansion at any cost.

An IPO would give early backers a potential path to liquidity, though the final size, timing and valuation will depend on market conditions, revenue momentum and profitability milestones. A $400 million issue would be significant for a consumer internet company whose fortunes have mirrored the wider cycle in start-up funding: rapid capital inflows, aggressive expansion, a valuation reset and a pivot towards financial discipline.

The listing plan also comes as equity markets have shown selective support for digital businesses that can demonstrate clear paths to profit. Investors have rewarded companies that cut burn and improved governance, while punishing firms with weak disclosure, unclear revenue models or stretched valuations. Mohalla Tech will have to convince public shareholders that its audience base can support sustainable revenue without a return to heavy promotional spending.

The article ShareChat readies market test appeared first on Arabian Post.

The Saudi Venture Capital Company said foreign inflows accounted for about 60 per cent of total private investments last year, putting the overall market near SR33 billion. The figure marks a significant step in the Kingdom’s push to convert its economic transformation programme into a wider investment ecosystem spanning venture capital, private equity and private debt.

The latest data places Saudi Arabia among the most active private capital destinations in the Middle East and North Africa, with investor participation no longer limited to opportunistic exposure to the Gulf’s largest economy. Almost 150 investment firms from the United States, Europe and Asia now have exposure to the market, compared with 28 in 2019. Over the same period, foreign private investment inflows have exceeded SR40 billion.

SVC chief executive Noura Al-Sorhan said international investors increasingly view the Kingdom as a standalone investment destination, supported by clearer entry channels, stronger market infrastructure and trusted local partners. Her remarks point to a shift in the way global funds assess Saudi risk, moving from a state-led diversification story to a more structured private-markets opportunity.

Venture capital remains the main gateway for international private capital. Saudi Arabia retained its position as the largest venture capital market in MENA for the third consecutive year in 2025, with startup funding reaching $1.72 billion across 257 transactions. That represented the highest annual level for both capital raised and deal count in the Kingdom’s venture ecosystem.

The Kingdom accounted for 45 per cent of all venture capital deployed across MENA last year, up from 32 per cent in 2024. Deal activity also overtook the UAE for the first time, giving Saudi Arabia 37 per cent of the region’s venture transactions. The expansion reflects years of policy support, accelerator development, sovereign-backed fund commitments and regulatory changes aimed at increasing company formation.

Fintech remained the strongest magnet for capital, securing $506 million in 2025 and accounting for 29 per cent of venture funding. It was also the most active sector by deal count, with 55 investments. Enterprise software followed with 40 deals, reflecting growing demand for digital infrastructure, business automation and cloud-based services across the Kingdom’s corporate sector.

Private equity is also broadening beyond large strategic deals. Mid-market transactions have increased as family businesses, healthcare groups, consumer companies and technology-enabled services seek growth capital, operational support and potential listing routes. The market is still smaller and less liquid than more established global centres, but the direction of travel has become clearer as Saudi companies scale and governance standards improve.

Private debt has emerged as a complementary channel for companies that need expansion finance without immediate equity dilution. That asset class is gaining relevance as more businesses prepare for public listings, acquisitions or regional expansion. For foreign investors, private debt offers exposure to Saudi corporate growth while spreading risk across the capital structure.

A wider reform agenda is reinforcing the private capital story. The capital market was opened to all categories of foreign investors for direct investment from February 2026, removing the old qualified foreign investor framework and simplifying access to listed securities. Although ownership limits still apply in some areas, the change has improved the link between private investment, public markets and exit planning.

The Public Investment Fund remains a central player in shaping investor confidence. The sovereign fund reported net profit of SR65.1 billion for 2025, while total assets rose to SR4.54 trillion. Its role has increasingly shifted towards sector-building in areas such as artificial intelligence, logistics, minerals, tourism and digital infrastructure, creating deal flow for both domestic and foreign capital.

Macroeconomic conditions have also supported the investment narrative. Net foreign direct investment into the Kingdom reached SR22.2 billion in the first quarter of 2025, while inward flows stood at SR24 billion. By the fourth quarter, inward FDI flows had climbed to SR50.6 billion, highlighting stronger capital formation even as quarterly flows remained uneven.

The labour market has added another supportive signal. Saudi unemployment fell to 6.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2026, while the overall unemployment rate, including non-Saudi workers, declined to 3.1 per cent. Lower joblessness strengthens the domestic-demand case for investors targeting consumer, financial, healthcare and technology sectors.

The article Foreign funds deepen Saudi private market shift appeared first on Arabian Post.

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The breach, announced on June 30 and updated on July 1, involved systems including Aflac Yorisou Net, a policyholder website used for checking contract details and carrying out account changes. The company said the intrusion was detected on June 25 after abnormal system activity and that related systems were shut down to prevent further access.

The exposed customer data includes names, dates of birth, gender, addresses, telephone numbers, policy numbers, coverage details and premium transfer account information. About 230,000 customers had premium payment account details compromised, including financial institution names, branch names, account types, account numbers and account holder names. National identification numbers and credit card information were not included in the affected data set.

Aflac Japan also said information linked to about 40,000 agencies was exposed, including representative names, agency addresses and telephone numbers. The count includes some former agencies that previously had outsourcing contracts with the insurer. No confirmed misuse of the leaked information has been identified so far, though customers have been urged to report suspicious contact or unusual account activity.

The incident has drawn a formal regulatory response. Japan’s Financial Services Agency issued a report collection order on July 1 under the Insurance Business Act and the personal information protection law, requiring the insurer to report the facts of the incident, customer response measures, root-cause analysis and steps to prevent recurrence. Police have also been notified.

The company’s initial investigation found that the first unauthorised access occurred on June 15 and that multiple attempts followed until June 25. Aflac Japan said it blocked the unauthorised access on the day it was discovered and suspended some systems as a precaution. Claims, benefit requests and customer procedures are still being accepted through call centres and other channels.

Aflac Incorporated, the US-listed parent company based in Columbus, Georgia, said the incident was limited to systems in Japan and that systems linked to its US business were not accessed. The company has engaged external cyber security specialists and said the full scope and financial impact remain under investigation.

The breach is significant because Japan is a core market for Aflac, which built much of its international franchise on cancer and medical insurance products. The company has long held a strong position in Japan’s supplemental health insurance market, supported by agency networks, financial institution partnerships and its policyholder base. Any prolonged disruption to digital policy servicing could test customer confidence at a time when insurers are pushing more account management and claims activity online.

The case also highlights the concentration of sensitive information held by life insurers. Policy records can contain identity data, family details, health-related coverage information, payment instructions and long-term contact histories. Even when credit card numbers and national identification numbers are not exposed, the combination of names, addresses, dates of birth, policy details and bank account data can support targeted phishing, impersonation attempts and social engineering.

Cyber attacks on insurers have become a sharper concern for regulators because the sector sits at the intersection of finance, healthcare and personal identity. Insurers store data that may remain useful to criminals for years, unlike passwords or card numbers that can be changed quickly. Breaches can therefore create risks that extend beyond the immediate theft of files, including fraudulent calls, fake premium requests, bogus claims assistance and attempts to trick customers into disclosing additional information.

Aflac has faced cyber scrutiny before. Its US business disclosed a separate cyber security incident in June 2025 involving unauthorised access through social engineering tactics. That incident involved potentially exposed claims, health and personal information. The company later notified affected individuals after completing a review of impacted files. The Japan breach is being treated as a separate incident, with the company stating that US systems were not accessed.

The latest case places pressure on Aflac Japan to restore affected systems without widening exposure, identify precisely which files were accessed and provide timely notices to customers and agencies. The insurer has said it will send apology and notification letters to affected customers in sequence and will issue further updates if the number of affected people or data categories changes.

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The malware, known as Ousaban or Javali, has long been associated with attacks on financial users in Brazil. Its latest campaign shows a more selective and evasive operation aimed at Windows users in the Iberian Peninsula, where the attackers use phishing documents that pretend to be corrupted files and direct victims towards a malicious web page. The campaign was identified in May 2026 and has since drawn attention because of the layered delivery method and the attempt to restrict access to people in the target countries.

The attack begins with a PDF that displays a deceptive error-style message and urges the user to press an “Update” button. The file also contains hidden JavaScript that can open the same malicious page without relying only on the visible button. The use of hex-escaped code makes the PDF harder to assess through simple inspection and allows the phishing lure to perform as both a social-engineering document and a technical trigger.

Once the victim reaches the web page, the operation becomes more selective. The site checks language, time zone and IP-related information to determine whether the visitor appears to be in Spain or Portugal. Earlier versions of the campaign also looked for signs of automated analysis, including screen resolution, browser rendering details and installed fonts. Traffic associated with VPNs was blocked by checking organisation details for terms linked to anonymisation services.

The newer version moves much of that screening to the server side. Visitors who fail the check receive a Spanish-language access-denied PDF stating that the service is not available from their country. This tactic reduces the number of visible indicators available to researchers, because security sandboxes and crawlers may receive only a harmless-looking denial message instead of the malware chain.

Victims who pass the check receive a VBS file that begins the next stage. The script contains numerous benign calls to make the file appear less suspicious, while the active code downloads an image resembling a PDF icon. The attackers use steganography by appending a ZIP archive to that image. The script extracts the archive, retrieves the Ousaban payload and drops it onto the machine, before deleting the temporary files used during the installation.

The payload is placed under a system-style folder path and establishes persistence through a registry value named “Financeiro”, Portuguese for finance, under the Windows Run key. It also creates an empty file used as an installation timestamp. Once active, Ousaban decrypts bank-related strings and watches for access to banking services. The targeted institutions include major lenders and financial brands in Spain and Portugal, covering names such as Santander, BBVA, CaixaBank, Bankinter and Caixa Geral de Depósitos.

Ousaban’s capabilities are typical of credential-focused banking malware but remain dangerous because they are deployed only when the victim is likely to be useful. The trojan can collect system information, capture screenshots, log keystrokes, alter clipboard contents, display fake messages and give attackers remote control over the machine. These functions are designed to support account takeover, payment manipulation and further fraud once the user interacts with online banking services.

The command-and-control system has also been designed to frustrate tracking. The malware carries a Pastebin link that points to configuration data containing a private IP address, but that appears to be a decoy. The active command server is reached through a hostname that changes daily. The hostname is generated using a hard-coded string and the current date, with the malware obtaining date information by accessing a Google automated-queries page. If the hostname resolves, the malware connects to the server and waits for commands.

Most traffic between Ousaban and its controller is encrypted through a custom algorithm used by Latin American banking trojans. The method introduces random values so that the same plaintext can produce different encrypted strings, complicating static analysis and signature-based detection. Similar encryption has been observed in families such as Casbaneiro, underscoring the shared techniques among malware groups that grew out of Latin America’s banking-fraud ecosystem.

The campaign reflects a wider trend in which mature regional banking trojans are being adapted for European markets. Spain has been a frequent test ground for this expansion because of language overlap, large retail banking networks and digital-banking adoption. Portugal offers a similar opportunity for Portuguese-language lures and Brazil-linked social-engineering themes.

The article Ousaban widens banking threat across Iberia appeared first on Arabian Post.

The campaign, tracked as Veil#Drop, begins with a JavaScript file disguised as a document, such as “transcript. pdf. js”. Once opened on a Windows system, the file runs through Windows Script Host and launches PowerShell with execution-policy bypasses enabled. The command then retrieves further payloads from attacker-controlled Blogspot pages, allowing the malicious traffic to blend with ordinary access to Google-owned infrastructure.

Security researchers said the framework loads PureLog Stealer through a chain of PowerShell download cradles, XOR-obfuscated code and. NET reflection, avoiding the need to write a conventional executable file to disk. The final payload is designed to harvest browser credentials, cookies, autofill data, browsing history, cryptocurrency wallet details and system information.

The use of Blogspot marks a notable escalation in the misuse of mainstream cloud and publishing platforms. By staging payloads on a familiar domain, attackers can reduce suspicion and weaken reputation-based blocking. The technique also complicates incident response because defenders may be reluctant to block an entire trusted service without disrupting legitimate users.

Veil#Drop relies heavily on native Windows tools. The initial JavaScript launcher spawns PowerShell, which retrieves and executes code in memory. Later stages reconstruct encrypted. NET assemblies at runtime and load them through reflection. The framework also includes fallback execution through Microsoft-signed utilities such as RegSvcs, InstallUtil, MSBuild, CSC, VBC and AspNet_Compiler, a tactic often described as “living off the land” because it uses legitimate binaries already present on the system.

The campaign’s social-engineering component remains central to its success. Attackers use double extensions and document-themed names to exploit the way many Windows systems hide known file extensions by default. A victim may see what appears to be a PDF, while the operating system executes a JavaScript file. The approach does not require a software vulnerability; it relies on trust, routine office behaviour and poor visibility into file types.

PureLog Stealer has become a persistent presence in credential-theft campaigns over the past year. Earlier operations used copyright complaint lures, invoice themes, purchase-order messages and malicious archives to push PureLogs variants at organisations and individuals. Other delivery chains have used encrypted payloads hidden inside image files, process hollowing and PowerShell-based loaders to evade static inspection.

The malware family is valued by criminals because stolen browser cookies and session tokens can bypass some multi-factor authentication protections. Once a session token is taken from an infected device, attackers may be able to access cloud email, business applications or cryptocurrency accounts without needing the victim’s password again. That risk is especially acute for finance teams, media organisations, government offices and small businesses that rely heavily on browser-based services.

The campaign also reflects a broader shift away from noisy malware droppers towards modular infection chains. Rather than placing a full malicious executable on the endpoint, attackers use small launchers, trusted services, encrypted blobs and memory-only execution. Each stage performs a narrow task, making detection harder and giving operators room to update infrastructure quickly if a domain or payload is blocked.

For defenders, the case highlights the limits of signature-based antivirus tools. Useful warning signs include unusual parent-child process chains such as wscript. exe launching powershell. exe, PowerShell using Invoke-RestMethod or Invoke-Expression to fetch remote content, encoded command execution, unexplained access to Blogspot URLs from endpoints, and. NET assemblies being loaded directly into memory. Monitoring trusted Microsoft utilities for abnormal execution is also becoming more important as attackers increasingly use them as fallback launch paths.

The practical response is less about blocking one platform and more about tightening execution controls. Organisations can reduce exposure by showing file extensions by default, restricting Windows Script Host where it is not required, applying PowerShell logging and constrained language mode, monitoring command-line activity, limiting outbound traffic from user endpoints, and using behavioural detection capable of flagging memory-only malware chains.

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Arabian Post Staff -Dubai

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SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 July 2026 – JustCo Holdings Limited (“JustCo“), a Singapore-grown flexible workspace operator with an extensive Asia Pacific network, announced pay-per-use access via the JustCo App, allowing professionals to find, book, and access hot desks and meeting rooms on demand across its network, without membership or upfront commitment.

Professionals increasingly need reliable workspaces that can be accessed as needed, whether for a few hours, a day, or specific meetings. JustCo App’s pay-per-use access caters to the demand for increased flexibility and short-term access.

New users can simply download the app, create an account, and immediately browse available JustCo workspaces. There are no upfront membership fees, making it ideal for freelancers, business travellers, remote workers, and visiting team members to access JustCo locations when and where they need it.

Users can purchase Hot Desk (Day) passes or make Meeting Room bookings directly in the app. Multiple passes can be purchased and shared with colleagues or partners. This supports common scenarios such as hosting meetings, working between locations, or enabling visiting teammates to use a workspace immediately.

Pay-per-use features are currently available in Australia, Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia, and will subsequently roll out across other locations.

This builds on JustCo’s broader strategy to integrate workspace discovery, access, and usage into a unified digital platform across markets. The JustCo Store, available on web and powering the app, provides real-time visibility of workspace availability across locations.

Concurrently, since the start of the year, JustCo has successfully opened new locations across Bengaluru, Gurugram, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Singapore and Taipei, reflecting a steady pipeline growth. Additional openings have also been confirmed across Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, Seoul, Tokyo and Yokohama, providing clear visibility for the second half of the year.

Together, these openings underscore JustCo’s commitment to executing the expansion strategy presented to investors at the time of its IPO and further strengthening its footprint across Asia Pacific’s leading commercial hubs.

Visit the JustCo Store at www.justcoglobal.com to browse available offices and membership plans, with selected spaces available for move-in as early as the next business day. Or download the JustCo App on iOS and Android.
Hashtag: #JUSTCO

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About JustCo Holdings Limited

JustCo is a platform building the future of work across Asia Pacific. Our vision is to be the global benchmark for flexible workspace by creating connected ecosystems where people, businesses and communities can thrive.

Through our portfolio of brands, including The Collective, JustCo and the boring office, we support organisations of all sizes, from startups and SMEs to multinational corporations, with flexible workspace solutions across multiple cities and markets.

Beyond workspace, JustCo helps businesses scale faster through flexibility, operational simplicity and access to a regional network. For landlords, we transform buildings into vibrant business destinations that attract demand, enhance asset performance and create long-term value.

Together with our members, partners and landlords, we are building an ecosystem that connects work, business, learning, wellness and community, enabling people and organisations to grow and succeed.

For more information, visit: justcoglobal.com

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SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 1 July 2026 – Global beauty brand LUX, in collaboration with VML Singapore, has launched #LUXMyWill — an initiative that transforms one of social media’s most talked-about beauty trends into a formal, lasting declaration of personal style.

Over the past year, women across TikTok and Instagram have embraced hashtags such as #BuryMeInThis – a viral expression of ultimate obsession, where users name the look they would want to be remembered in. What began as playful, dramatic content quickly evolved into a cultural signal: a new generation of women declaring that they are not dressing for occasions – they are the occasion.

LUX recognised the deeper meaning behind the trend and partnered with legal experts to give it permanence. #LUXMyWill enables women to turn a fleeting social post into a formally recognised personal style wish – one that can be witnessed, documented and preserved.

The initiative invites women to declare their chosen look on camera and tag someone they trust to honour it. Legal specialists worked alongside the brand to define what gives such a declaration standing, and to create simple, accessible content explaining the process. Selected participants also received a LUX My Will box, designed to preserve their chosen outfit alongside their recorded declaration.

“Beauty has always been a powerful form of self-expression. Today, women are taking that further – not waiting for occasions, but becoming them,” said Judy Zu, Global Brand Director, LUX. “This trend showed us that when a woman chooses how she wants to be remembered, it’s not frivolous – it’s a statement of identity. We wanted to give that statement the recognition it deserves.”

The movement built organically. Creators who had previously posted under #BuryMeInThis revisited their content to make it official, tagging friends who, in turn, created declarations of their own. Each tag became a new participant. Each declaration, a witnessed moment. Each video, a permanent expression of personal style.

Through this chain of participation, #LUXMyWill expanded rapidly – creator by creator, tag by tag – turning individual expressions of glamour into a collective cultural movement.

At its core, #LUXMyWill reinforces LUX’s enduring belief: beauty is not just something you wear for a moment. It is something you embody, define, and leave behind – because you are the occasion.

Hashtag: #LUXMyWill ##BuryMeInThis

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About LUX

LUX has been celebrating beauty and femininity since 1925. We stand for beauty that does not blend in: bold, sassy and maximalist. We will continue to support efforts that help women express their Main Character Beauty.

About VML

VML is a leading creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce, to create connected brands that drive growth. The agency is a leading global marketing and systems integration partner, specializing in creating innovative solutions for business transformation. VML is celebrated for its award-winning work with blue chip client partners including AstraZeneca, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Ford, Intel, Microsoft, Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, and Wendy’s. The agency is recognized by the Forrester Wave™ Reports, which name WPP a “Leader” in Commerce Services, Global Digital Experience Services, Global Marketing Services and, most recently, Marketing Measurement & Optimization. VML’s global network is powered by 28,000 talented people across 60-plus markets, with principal offices in Kansas City, New York, Detroit, London, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, and Sydney.

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ZHONGSHAN, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 1 July 2026 – As 2026 marks the 160th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the 6th Cross-Strait Sun Yat-sen Forum was held in Zhongshan, Guangdong Province—the hometown of the great pioneer—from June 27 to 29 under the theme “Carrying Forward Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Spirit of Endeavor and Working Together for the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation”. This year’s forum was the largest in its history, attracting the broadest participation from Taiwan compatriots and the highest proportion of young participants to date. Around 2,000 representatives from across the Chinese mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao attended the event. Centered on cultural heritage and driven by economic and trade cooperation, the forum established a multi-level platform for cross-strait exchanges and collaboration while fostering broader consensus on integrated cross-strait development.

Distinguished guests from both sides of the Taiwan Strait attended the opening ceremony and noted in their remarks that Dr. Sun Yat-sen is a revered national pioneer shared by compatriots on both sides of the Strait. His vision of rejuvenating China remains a common spiritual legacy, and people across the Strait should carry forward his ideals and work hand in hand toward national rejuvenation. During the opening ceremony, Zhongshan Municipal People’s Government and the Association of Taiwan Investment Enterprises on the Mainland signed the Strategic Framework Agreement on Deepening Zhongshan–Taiwan Economic and Trade Cooperation to Promote Integrated Development, laying a solid institutional foundation for long-term industrial cooperation across the Strait.

A series of cultural exchange activities also took place throughout the forum. Participants enjoyed an evening tour of the century-old Sunwen West Road Arcade Pedestrian Street, immersing themselves in Zhongshan’s rich historical heritage and the vibrant cultural and tourism scene of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. They also visited the Museum of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, where they studied revolutionary historical archives, bowed before Dr. Sun’s bronze statue to pay homage, and gained a deeper appreciation of his enduring ideals of “All Under Heaven Belong to the People” and “Revitalize China”. Many participants remarked that these activities provided an excellent platform for sustained exchanges among young people across the Strait and that their shared cultural roots and common heritage form a solid foundation for advancing cross-strait spiritual integration.

To further strengthen cross-strait economic cooperation and advance industrial integration between Shenzhen and Zhongshan, the forum also featured the “Taiwan Businesses Gather in Zhongshan, Industries Glow in the Greater Bay Area” 2026 Guangdong-Taiwan Economic and Trade Exchange Conference and Investment Promotion Event Celebrating the Second Anniversary of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link. A total of 19 industrial projects were signed during the event. The first group comprised seven Taiwan-invested projects spanning semiconductor supporting industries, electronic components, smart home products, high-end fitness equipment, and medical devices. The second and third groups included 12 Shenzhen-Zhongshan collaborative projects covering new energy vehicle components, industrial robotics, memory chip packaging, advanced specialty materials, and integrated cultural, tourism, and commercial developments.

During the investment promotion event, Taiwan business representatives spoke highly of Zhongshan’s business environment. Zhang Congyuan, Chairman of Huali Industrial Group, which has operated in Zhongshan for more than two decades, praised the city’s enterprise service philosophy of “staying out of businesses’ way when everything runs smoothly while providing prompt support whenever needed”. He noted that this business-friendly environment has helped the company grow into one of the world’s leading manufacturers of athletic footwear.

Guo Wenhai, secretary of the CPC Zhongshan Municipal Committee, extended a sincere invitation to Taiwan businesses and entrepreneurs to invest and establish operations in Zhongshan. He emphasized that the city offers not only strong industrial infrastructure but also high-quality government services. Zhongshan will continue to provide proactive, efficient, and dedicated support for businesses while continuously improving both its hard and soft investment environment. Leveraging the opportunities created by the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, the city aims to create broader prospects for cooperation and shared growth for enterprises from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Participants and Taiwan business representatives agreed that, taking the 160th anniversary of Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s birth as an important milestone, this year’s forum created new channels for both cultural exchanges and industrial cooperation across the Strait. Looking ahead, Zhongshan will continue to organize regular initiatives, including entrepreneurship support programs for young people from Taiwan, youth exchange activities, and Guangdong-Taiwan industrial matchmaking events. By carrying forward Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s spirit, embracing the opportunities of the Greater Bay Area, and strengthening both economic cooperation and people-to-people ties, the city will continue to contribute to a new chapter of integrated cross-strait development.

Hashtag: #CrossStraitSunYatSenForum #Zhongshan #Guangdong

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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By K Raveendran

The arithmetic of India’s fuel market has long been sold as market-driven, but the latest price movements expose a more selective discipline. When crude oil rises, the pass-through to consumers and businesses is quick, stern and explained as unavoidable. When the same crude oil retreats, the adjustment becomes cautious, partial and wrapped in administrative silence.

The cut in commercial LPG prices from July 1 is being presented as relief for restaurants, hotels, caterers and small food businesses. A 19-kg commercial cylinder has been reduced by ₹183.50, taking the Delhi price to ₹2,930. The figure looks substantial in isolation, but it comes after a period in which oil and gas prices had hardened sharply on fears of supply disruption in West Asia. The same international conditions that were invoked to justify the rise have now eased materially, yet the scale of the reduction does not fully reflect the reversal in global petroleum prices. That asymmetry is the real story.

The price cycle has once again followed a familiar pattern. Consumers are asked to accept increases as the natural consequence of a volatile global market, but reductions arrive as if they were concessions. This is not a technical quibble. Fuel pricing has a direct bearing on transport costs, food inflation, household budgets, restaurant margins, small vendors, and the cost structure of almost every traded good. A slow or incomplete fall in petroleum prices keeps inflationary pressure embedded even after the original shock has faded.

The latest global context makes the hesitation harder to defend. Crude prices surged during the West Asia crisis as markets priced in the possibility of supply disruption around the Strait of Hormuz. Once the immediate danger receded and tanker movement normalised, oil prices fell back towards pre-war levels. Brent crude, which had climbed during the crisis, dropped sharply as the geopolitical premium unwound. The market did what markets do: it repriced risk. Indian fuel pricing, however, has not shown the same elasticity on the way down.

The contrast with Nayara Energy is revealing. The private refiner and fuel retailer moved to reduce petrol and diesel prices at its pumps, cutting petrol by ₹5 a litre and diesel by ₹3 a litre as global crude softened. Nayara operates a smaller retail network than the public sector oil marketing companies, but the significance of its move lies less in its market share than in the signal it sends. If a private company can restore prices closer to pre-war levels, it becomes difficult to argue that public sector companies are powerless before international volatility.

The public sector oil marketing companies remain the dominant players in India’s fuel retail market, and their pricing behaviour matters far beyond their balance sheets. They shape the benchmark for the entire economy. When they hold petrol and diesel prices steady after crude falls, the benefit of lower import costs is retained within the system rather than transmitted to households and businesses. This may improve margins, repair past losses or create fiscal comfort, but it weakens the claim that retail fuel prices are a clean reflection of market forces.

There is, of course, a legitimate argument that public sector oil companies must avoid abrupt swings and manage inventory costs, refinery economics, currency movements and tax structures. India imports most of its crude oil, and the rupee-dollar exchange rate can dilute the effect of a fall in headline crude prices. Oil companies also argue that they often absorb losses during politically sensitive periods or when global prices rise too quickly. These are not frivolous points. A country of India’s size cannot run fuel pricing as a daily emotional reaction to every market tick.

But that argument cuts both ways. If consumers are made to bear increases swiftly in the name of market discipline, they are entitled to expect similar discipline when prices decline. A smoothing mechanism that only smooths reductions while accelerating increases is not market pricing. It is administered pricing with market language. That distinction matters because public trust erodes when the rules appear to change depending on who benefits.

Commercial LPG illustrates the problem in miniature. The monthly revision system creates an impression of regular price discovery, but the pass-through remains selective. Businesses that rely on LPG rarely have the pricing power to adjust menus, service rates or supply contracts every time fuel inputs rise. Many absorb the increase, some pass it on, and others cut corners. When prices fall only partially, the earlier inflation does not fully reverse. The consumer may not see the relief in restaurant bills, street food prices or small service costs because the upstream reduction is too modest relative to the earlier shock.

Domestic LPG is an even more politically sensitive area, and here the silence is more pronounced. Household cylinder prices are typically managed with greater caution because of their direct link to voter sentiment and welfare commitments. But commercial LPG is not outside the inflation chain. A commercial cylinder used by eateries, small manufacturers, bakeries and service providers affects the final price of goods consumed by ordinary households. Treating the commercial cut as a sectoral adjustment misses its wider economic meaning.

Petrol and diesel are even more important because they are the arteries of the economy. Diesel powers freight, agriculture, public transport and logistics. Petrol affects personal mobility and urban consumption. When diesel prices remain sticky despite a fall in crude, the cost of moving vegetables, grains, milk, construction material and manufactured goods remains elevated. This stickiness has a multiplier effect. It allows an energy shock to linger in the economy long after the original international trigger has weakened.

The government’s own actions show that it recognises the changed global situation. Restrictions on the sale of petrol and diesel imposed during the Middle East disruption have been lifted from July 1. Export duty adjustments have also been made in response to easing global prices and changing supply conditions. These moves show that the state is reading the global oil market actively. The question, then, is why the retail consumer does not receive a fuller benefit when the same market turns favourable.

The deeper issue is political economy, not petroleum chemistry. Fuel pricing involves consideration of several factors such as company margins, government revenue, inflation management and electoral calculation. Excise duties, value-added taxes, dealer commissions and company margins all sit inside the final retail price. When crude falls, governments and companies face a temptation: let consumers benefit, or retain the cushion. Too often, the cushion wins.

This is why the phrase “market forces” rings hollow. If public sector oil companies are commercial entities, they must respond commercially both ways. If they are instruments of public policy, then the government should say so clearly and explain the formula by which consumers are protected or burdened. What cannot be sustained indefinitely is the fiction that consumers are paying a market price when downward market movement is filtered through opaque discretion. For the hospitality and small business sector, the LPG cut will help, but only at the margin. Commercial users have faced a sequence of cost pressures: rent, wages, electricity, transport, food inputs and borrowing costs. A sharper fuel correction would have supported margins without requiring government subsidies. Instead, a partial cut keeps businesses in a holding pattern. They receive enough relief for a headline, but not enough to reset operating costs meaningfully. (IPA Service)

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Investors heading into the second half of 2026 face an uncomfortable reality: the global economy is changing faster than many portfolios are adapting to it.

The forces reshaping markets today are structural. AI is triggering one of the largest capital investment booms in modern history. Digital assets have crossed into mainstream finance. Meanwhile, geopolitical conflict, sovereign debt and valuation risk continue to create significant uncertainty.

As the third quarter begins, investors are confronting one of the most consequential periods for capital allocation in decades.

Here are the three biggest headwinds and the three most powerful tailwinds that I believe will define investing through the remainder of 2026.

Headwind 1: Iran, oil and the return of geopolitical energy risk

The biggest geopolitical lesson of 2026 is that investors dramatically underestimated energy vulnerability.

The conflict involving Iran and the temporary disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz reminded markets that roughly one-fifth of the world’s traded oil and a substantial proportion of LNG exports pass through a single strategic chokepoint.

During the height of the crisis, Brent crude surged to around $126 a barrel before retreating sharply after the US-Iran ceasefire and the reopening of shipping routes.

But investors should not mistake the recovery in oil prices for the disappearance of risk.

The UN has warned that the disruption will continue to affect vulnerable economies through higher transportation, food, and energy costs long after the immediate military crisis subsides.

Shipping volumes through Hormuz have recovered unevenly, while negotiations over future transit arrangements remain ongoing.

The lesson for investors is that energy security is no longer simply about oil and gas.

It is about inflation, monetary policy and, ultimately, portfolio construction.

Headwind 2: Sovereign debt and the end of cheap money

Markets spent much of the last decade benefiting from one extraordinary assumption: governments could borrow virtually without consequence.

This era is ending.

Global debt reached a record $353 trillion in the first quarter of 2026, while investors have increasingly begun diversifying away from US Treasuries and towards alternative sovereign markets.

Meanwhile, US government debt has climbed to approximately $39 trillion, while interest payments alone continue to rise at record rates.

The consequences go way beyond bond markets.

Higher debt servicing costs place upward pressure on interest rates, constrain fiscal flexibility, and increase the likelihood of future tax rises, spending reductions or monetary accommodation.

To my mind, the biggest long-term macroeconomic risk may not be inflation itself. It may be the fiscal arithmetic that governments increasingly appear unable to escape.

Headwind 3: AI valuation risk

AI will transform the global economy. In fact, it already is, as we can all already see.

But history teaches us that transformational technologies also create periods of extraordinary market exuberance.

Major technology companies are expected to spend approximately $765 billion on artificial intelligence infrastructure this year alone, with projections suggesting annual spending could rise to $1.6 trillion by 2031 and total investment could exceed $7.5 trillion over the next five years.

This level of investment is unprecedented outside of wartime mobilisation.

At the same time, investors have become increasingly concerned that parts of the AI ecosystem have moved ahead of commercial reality. Recent market volatility in semiconductor and technology shares has highlighted growing questions around valuation, monetisation and execution risk.

The question is not whether AI will change the world. It will. It’s whether every company currently benefiting from AI enthusiasm deserves the valuation investors have assigned to it.

Tailwind 1: The AI infrastructure supercycle

At the same time, AI represents one of the greatest investment opportunities of the modern era.

It’s an industrial revolution.

The same investment forecasts that raise questions about valuation also point to one of the largest capital expenditure cycles in modern history.

Investment is no longer concentrated in software or semiconductors. It is spreading across electricity generation, nuclear energy, transmission networks, data centres, industrial automation, advanced manufacturing and physical infrastructure.

Major investment banks have raised their forecasts for equity markets largely because they believe AI-driven productivity gains and infrastructure investment will continue to support economic growth and corporate earnings.

The opportunities created by this investment cycle are unlikely to be measured not in quarters but in decades.

Tailwind 2: Economic resilience

If there’s one investment lesson investors have repeatedly failed to learn over the past two years, it is never to underestimate the resilience of the global economy.

Despite wars, inflation shocks, higher interest rates, and repeated recession forecasts, major financial markets continue to perform remarkably well.

For instance, the S&P 500 has gained almost 10% this year, the Nasdaq has advanced more than 12%, and both indexes recently recorded their strongest quarterly performances since 2020. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has repeatedly reached record highs.

Corporate earnings have remained resilient, labour markets have remained stronger than expected, and consumer spending has continued to support growth.

Indeed, the most expensive trade of the past two years has, arguably, been betting against economic resilience.

Tailwind 3: The institutionalisation of digital assets

The debate over whether digital assets belong in mainstream finance is effectively over.

Institutional adoption continues to accelerate. Public companies have expanded digital asset treasury strategies. Governments are developing regulatory frameworks. Institutional investors have increased exposure through regulated investment products. Even the US President and Vice President now openly disclose significant involvement with digital assets.

Importantly, investors must distinguish between speculative digital assets and established cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.

Not all digital assets are equal and, as such, not all cryptocurrencies represent investment opportunities. And not all market enthusiasm is justified.

But the broader trend is undeniable.

Digital assets are increasingly becoming embedded within the global financial architecture, much as the internet itself became embedded within the global economy.

The greatest investment risk in the second half of 2026 may not be inflation, geopolitical conflict or market volatility.

It may be failing to seek professional advice and failing to recognise that some of the most important structural transformations in modern financial history are no longer approaching. They’ve already arrived.

Nigel Green is deVere CEO and Founder

The article Top 3 investment headwinds, tailwinds that will define rest of 2026 appeared first on Arabian Post.

The facility has moved into general syndication after a group of major international banks was appointed to lead the deal. Mizuho Bank, HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation are acting as mandated lead arrangers and bookrunners, while Mizuho is also coordinating the financing.

The loan adds another layer to Kuwait’s funding activity after the country rebuilt its borrowing framework following years of political deadlock over public debt. The financing is expected to draw strong attention from regional and international lenders because of Kuwait’s sovereign profile, its large overseas reserves and the role played by KIA, one of the world’s oldest and largest sovereign wealth funds.

KIA manages the country’s financial reserves, including the Future Generations Fund, which was designed to convert oil wealth into long-term global assets. Its mandate gives Kuwait an unusually deep financial buffer compared with many energy exporters, even as the state budget remains heavily exposed to oil revenue, wage costs and subsidies.

The planned borrowing comes against a changing fiscal backdrop. Kuwait approved a new public debt framework in 2025, allowing the government to issue up to 30 billion Kuwaiti dinars in debt instruments over maturities of as long as 50 years. The move ended a long period in which the country had limited access to debt markets despite having strong sovereign credit metrics and one of the lowest debt burdens among major oil producers.

Kuwait had been absent from international bond markets after its 2017 debut eurobond, when it raised $8 billion. Successive attempts to secure a permanent debt law were held up by parliamentary resistance, leaving the government reliant on reserves and domestic liquidity tools to manage deficits. The new framework has given policymakers more flexibility to fund spending, smooth cash flows and avoid drawing too heavily on long-term savings.

The $4.25 billion loan is smaller than a benchmark global bond issue but carries strategic significance. A syndicated loan allows Kuwait to broaden banking relationships, test international appetite and secure term funding without immediately relying on public capital markets. For banks, the transaction offers exposure to a high-quality sovereign-linked borrower at a time when Gulf public-sector and sovereign wealth fund financing remains a competitive segment.

The three-year tenor suggests a liquidity-management instrument rather than long-term structural borrowing. Such facilities are often used by governments and sovereign entities to bridge financing needs, support budget execution or establish pricing references before larger market transactions. The participation of Japanese, British and Asia-focused lenders also reflects Kuwait’s ability to tap a diversified pool of relationship banks.

The financing arrives as Gulf sovereign investors are becoming more active users of both sides of the balance sheet. Large funds in the region have increasingly borrowed from banks and capital markets while continuing to invest in infrastructure, technology, private credit, energy transition assets and strategic global partnerships. Borrowing can help preserve investment portfolios during periods of fiscal pressure, reducing the need to liquidate assets when markets are volatile.

Kuwait’s position differs from some of its neighbours. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has used borrowing as part of a rapid domestic and global expansion strategy, while Abu Dhabi and Qatar have deployed sovereign capital across a wide range of strategic sectors. Kuwait’s model has traditionally been more conservative, with a heavier focus on intergenerational savings and global portfolio management.

That cautious profile has not insulated the country from fiscal strain. Budget projections have pointed to deficits linked to weaker oil price assumptions, high current expenditure and limited non-oil revenue. Public-sector salaries and subsidies remain major spending items, while economic diversification has moved more slowly than in other Gulf economies. The government has sought to balance reform with social expectations in a political system where fiscal measures have often faced resistance.

The use of KIA as the borrowing vehicle is likely to be closely watched because of its institutional importance. The authority is legally separate and has its own governance structure, but it operates within the broader state financial architecture. Its involvement gives lenders comfort while also highlighting the connection between Kuwait’s reserves, public finance strategy and sovereign funding plans.

The article Kuwait taps banks for new sovereign loan appeared first on Arabian Post.

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 1 July 2026 – An iconic Swiss chocolate brand meets one of the world’s most celebrated names in crystal artistry to bring ‘Never Square’ to life. Creating something unexpected, something beautiful, and something that gives back: Toblerone today announces The Ultimate Gift.

The centrepiece is the Toblerone Crystal Bar crafted by Swarovski: an exceptionally rare series of hand-made crystal replicas of the original Toblerone chocolate bar – the gift many associate with travel. Familiar in form. Remarkable in execution. Individually numbered, certified, and utterly one-of-a-kind.

The Ultimate Gift: A Global Auction for Good

From 1st July to 31st July 2026, travellers passing through some of the world’s most iconic airports (Athens, Delhi, Doha, Dubai, Frankfurt, Madrid, New York JFK, Singapore and Zurich) will encounter a mesmerising pop-up experience celebrating both brands and, above all, will have the chance to bid in person on the Toblerone Crystal Bar crafted by Swarovski.

Each auction is linked to the airport’s own established charity partner – organisations already embedded in their local communities and chosen by the airports themselves. 100% of winning bids will be donated to the designated charity at each location.

However, the auction is open to everyone globally. No need to be travelling to take part. Bidding is available online (terms and conditions apply), click here to visit the auction site and here for more information on the charities.

The Story Behind the Crystal Bar

Toblerone was born in Switzerland in 1908. Its triangular shape has made it one of the most recognised silhouettes in the world. For generations of travellers, it has been the gift you bring home: a small but indulgent, reliable piece of Switzerland.

To bring the Toblerone Crystal Bar to life, Toblerone turned to Swarovski. Swarovski delivers a diverse portfolio of unmatched quality, craftsmanship, and creativity. Founded in 1895 in Austria, the company designs, manufactures and markets high-quality crystals and created stones as well as finished products such as jewelry.

The two share more than Alpine geography. They share a belief that quality is not a detail but it is the point. That the things worth making are worth making properly. And that some of the most enduring objects in the world are the ones that manage to be both beautiful and, somehow, completely unpretentious about it.

The result is the Toblerone Crystal Bar crafted by Swarovski: Toblerone’s unmistakable triangular form, unapologetically rich on the inside, reimagined as a luxury artefact through Swarovski’s crystal craftsmanship.

Iain Livingston, President Toblerone & World Travel Retail, says: “Toblerone has always been more than a chocolate bar. It’s a ritual, a symbol of travel, and one of the world’s most recognised gifts. Creating the Toblerone Crystal Bar crafted by Swarovski feels like a natural expression of who we are: a brand that takes quality seriously but never takes itself too seriously. The Ultimate Gift is exactly that and will raise funds to support brilliant causes that help make the world a better place.”

The Craft Behind the Crystal

Each Toblerone Crystal Bar crafted by Swarovski is exclusively designed and developed using Swarovski’s rich savoir-faire:

• Modelled on the original Toblerone chocolate bar & manufactured in Austria
• Each weighs 851g and measures 305mm in length
• 546 individually cut facets per bar
• 140 hours of development and 65 hours of production – 100% handmade
• Crafted with high-precision cutting technology, characterised by unmatched brilliance

The Ultimate Gift Box: Available to All

For those who prefer to take something home immediately, Toblerone is also launching a limited-edition Ultimate Gift Box adorned with Swarovski crystals, available exclusively in World Travel Retail throughout the campaign period across airports globally.

Inside: a Milk Toblerone bar.

Crystals on the outside. Unapologetically rich on the inside. The answer, as ever, to the question every traveller eventually asks themselves at the airport: “Where is my Toblerone?”

Hashtag: #Toblerone #Neversquare #CrystalBar #UltimateGift #SwarovskiCrystals

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Toblerone

In 1908, Theodor Tobler and Emil Baumann invented a unique chocolate: Toblerone. “Toblerone” is a portmanteau of “Tobler” and “Torrone,” the Italian term for honey-almond nougat. Its distinctive triangular shape has been recognised around the world ever since. Today, production remains based in Bern Brünnen, where employees work with great passion every day — producing up to 4 million Toblerone products daily, with around 90 percent of all Toblerone sold worldwide manufactured right there in Bern.

Toblerone has never been square. Not in shape. Not in spirit. And not in ambition. Never Square is the belief that the best things in life refuse to conform — and that the most interesting gifts are rarely the obvious ones.

About Swarovski

Masters of Light Since 1895.

Swarovski creates beautiful products of impeccable quality and craftsmanship, celebrating joyful extravagance and self-expression.

Founded in 1895 in Austria by Daniel Swarovski, Swarovski creates the world’s finest crystals, Swarovski Created Diamonds, Swarovski Crystal Pearls and Swarovski Zirconia, jewelry, and accessories, as well as home décor and crystals for the automotive industry.

Swarovski Crystal Business operates in more than 140 countries worldwide, with 2,200 boutiques complemented by a network of selected multibrand partners and employs approximately 18,300 people globally. Together with its sister companies, Swarovski Optik and Tyrolit, it forms the Swarovski Group. Rooted in the company’s heritage, Swarovski strives to make a positive impact on people, society, and the planet. Today, sustainability measures are implemented throughout the value chain, with a focus on circular innovation, championing diversity and inclusion, and encouraging self-expression. This includes the philanthropic work of the Swarovski Foundation, which supports charitable organizations bringing positive environmental and social impact.

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The Shenzhen-listed electronics manufacturer opened the Hong Kong public offer on Tuesday, seeking to sell 383.5 million H shares at a maximum price of HK$63.28 each. At the top of the range, the deal would raise up to HK$24.27 billion, or about $3.15 billion, making it Hong Kong’s largest listing so far this year. Dealings are expected to begin on July 9, with the final offer price due before then.

ADIA is among a broad group of cornerstone investors that have agreed to subscribe for about $1.5 billion worth of shares. The group includes Temasek, GIC, Oaktree, HK Greenwoods, UBS Asset Management, Tencent-linked investment vehicles and other state-backed or institutional funds. Based on the maximum offer price, cornerstone investors would take about 185.7 million shares, representing roughly 48.4 per cent of the global offering before any over-allotment option.

The Abu Dhabi fund’s participation underlines the Gulf’s growing role in major Asian capital-market transactions, particularly in technology, advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence-linked supply chains. ADIA, established in 1976, has long pursued global diversification across public and private markets, while Gulf sovereign investors have increased their exposure to Asia as economic links between the region and China deepen.

Luxshare’s listing comes during a burst of new Hong Kong offerings by technology and advanced manufacturing companies. Five companies launched share sales this week seeking to raise a combined HK$44.1 billion. Alongside Luxshare, the line-up includes Chaozhou Three-Circle, Nexchip Semiconductor, Guangdong Dtech Technology and Rokae Robotics Group. Their sectors span electronic components, ceramics, semiconductors and robotics, reflecting investor demand for companies tied to supply-chain localisation, AI hardware and industrial automation.

Hong Kong listings raised about $22.45 billion in the first half of 2026, nearly 57 per cent higher than a year earlier. The city has benefited from a return of mainland issuers, stronger liquidity in technology names and policy support for domestic champions to list closer to home. The revival has followed a prolonged slowdown in global IPO markets caused by higher interest rates, geopolitical tensions and weak post-listing performance in several sectors.

Luxshare is best known as a key supplier and assembler for Apple products, including AirPods, iPhones and the Vision Pro headset. Founded in 2004 by Wang Laichun, a former Foxconn worker, the company has grown from a connector manufacturer into one of the most important players in China’s electronics supply chain. Its rise has coincided with a shift in Apple’s vendor base, with mainland manufacturers taking a larger share of assembly and component work once dominated by Taiwanese contractors.

The company reported revenue of about 332.34 billion yuan in 2025, up nearly 24 per cent from the previous year. Net profit attributable to shareholders rose to about 16.6 billion yuan. Consumer electronics remains its largest business, contributing close to 80 per cent of revenue, but Luxshare has been trying to reduce dependence on smartphones and wearables by expanding into automotive electronics, communications infrastructure and AI-related manufacturing.

That diversification is a central theme of the Hong Kong offering. Luxshare plans to use roughly 35 per cent of the net proceeds to expand production capacity and upgrade existing manufacturing facilities. About 30 per cent is earmarked for technology research and development, manufacturing-process refinement and intelligent manufacturing capabilities. A further 15 per cent is intended for investments in upstream and downstream targets, while 10 per cent will be used to repay interest-bearing bank borrowings and another 10 per cent for working capital.

The automotive electronics business has become a faster-growing part of Luxshare’s portfolio, rising from less than 4 per cent of revenue two years earlier to around 12 per cent in 2025. The company is targeting precision interconnect systems, electronic modules and components used in increasingly digital vehicles, as carmakers expand spending on sensors, electric platforms and connected-cabin technology.

Investor interest is also being shaped by the AI infrastructure cycle. Component makers supplying high-density servers, optical communications and advanced manufacturing equipment have attracted stronger valuations as global technology companies expand data-centre spending. Luxshare’s pitch to investors positions it not only as an Apple supply-chain company, but as a broader platform for precision manufacturing across consumer electronics, vehicles and high-performance computing.

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The 927-page annual financial disclosure, released by the US Office of Government Ethics, details a sharp expansion of income from family-linked crypto businesses, licensing deals, token sales and related partnerships. The scale of the earnings places crypto ahead of hotels, golf resorts, real estate licensing and merchandising as the dominant source of Trump’s declared income for the year.

The largest sums were tied to World Liberty Financial, a crypto venture involving Trump, members of his family and business associates. The filing lists hundreds of millions of dollars from token sales and business interests connected to the venture, including income streams linked to stablecoin and decentralised finance activity. Trump’s role in World Liberty has been described through company material as that of a leading promoter rather than an operational executive, while his sons have been more directly associated with the project’s public branding.

A separate memecoin-linked business generated about $635 million in reported income, largely through licensing arrangements tied to Trump-branded digital tokens and coin ventures. The products drew strong trading interest after launch, though their market value has fluctuated sharply, underlining the volatile nature of political-branded digital assets.

The disclosure also lists crypto wallets, bitcoin holdings and Ethereum-linked rewards among Trump’s assets. Financial disclosure forms give broad ranges for many holdings and income categories, meaning the true value of some assets may be higher than the minimum figures stated. They also report gross income in several categories and do not necessarily show net profit after costs, taxes or distributions.

Trump’s traditional businesses continued to generate substantial revenue, but they were eclipsed by the crypto surge. Mar-a-Lago reported more than $77 million in resort-related revenue, while the Trump National Golf Club in Northern Virginia produced about $25 million. Other golf properties, hotels, branded real estate ventures and licensing arrangements in the US, Gulf, Europe and Asia added tens of millions more.

The filing points to a broader shift in the Trump business model. During his first term, the former real estate developer’s income was largely associated with hospitality, golf, branding and property partnerships. During his second term, digital assets have become the most lucrative segment of his disclosed financial empire, helped by intense retail interest in political tokens and a favourable policy environment for the crypto sector.

The development has intensified scrutiny from ethics specialists and Democratic lawmakers, who argue that a sitting president’s private exposure to crypto creates conflicts between public policy and personal enrichment. The concern is heightened because digital-asset markets can react quickly to regulatory decisions, enforcement changes, public remarks and legislation.

Trump has made crypto a central theme of his economic agenda, pledging to make the US a global hub for digital assets. His administration has backed friendlier rules for stablecoins, eased the tone of federal enforcement and courted industry executives who had complained of hostile treatment under the previous administration. Supporters say the shift encourages innovation, investment and financial competition. Critics say the president’s personal financial stake makes the policy turn unusually sensitive.

The White House has rejected conflict-of-interest allegations, saying Trump’s decisions are made in the national interest and that his assets are publicly disclosed. The Trump Organization has also maintained that the family business operates with internal safeguards and that the president is not involved in day-to-day management.

Presidents and vice-presidents are not covered by some federal conflict-of-interest restrictions that apply to other executive branch officials, but modern presidents have generally taken steps to reduce financial exposure while in office. Trump’s approach has differed, with his businesses continuing to operate across property, licensing, merchandise and digital assets.

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The claim, filed on Monday, marks one of the largest private actions brought in Britain against a global crypto exchange. The investors allege that Binance entities promoted and sold leveraged products, including futures, options and leveraged tokens, from late 2019, exposing retail users to losses that were magnified by the structure of the products. Some claimants say they lost tens of thousands of pounds, while others allege far larger personal losses.

The case is being brought under the Financial Services and Markets Act, with the claimants arguing that Binance was not authorised to offer the products to consumers in Britain. They contend that the platform’s marketing and availability of the products breached rules designed to protect retail investors from complex and speculative financial instruments.

Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange by trading volume, has said it intends to defend the action. The company declined to comment in detail while the case is before the court. Zhao, widely known in the crypto industry as CZ, stepped down as Binance’s chief executive in 2023 after the company reached a major settlement with US authorities over anti-money-laundering and sanctions-related failures.

The London claim names several Binance-linked entities, including Binance Holdings, incorporated in the Cayman Islands, and Nest Exchange, a UAE-based entity, along with Zhao and other parties associated with the platform. The claimants allege that Binance’s corporate structure made it harder for consumers and regulators to identify which entity was responsible for services offered through the trading platform.

The lawsuit comes at a sensitive point for crypto regulation in Britain. The Financial Conduct Authority banned the sale, marketing and distribution of crypto derivatives and exchange-traded notes to retail consumers from January 2021, after concluding that such products were unsuitable for ordinary investors because of volatility, valuation difficulties, market abuse risks and limited consumer understanding. The watchdog estimated at the time that the ban would save retail consumers about £53 million a year in losses.

The investors’ case focuses partly on the period before that ban took effect, when crypto derivatives were still available to retail users but regulated activities still required permission. The claimants argue that Binance’s products were not simple spot crypto trades but complex financial instruments that could rapidly wipe out invested funds when markets moved against users. Leveraged trading allows traders to control a position larger than their cash stake, raising the prospect of amplified gains but also sharper losses.

Binance’s regulatory position in Britain has long been under scrutiny. In June 2021, the FCA said Binance Markets Limited was not permitted to undertake regulated activity in the UK. The firm later cancelled its FCA permissions, a process completed in May 2023. The regulator has stated that no Binance Group entity holds UK authorisation or registration to conduct regulated business in the country.

The claim also lands as Britain prepares to bring cryptoasset businesses more fully inside its financial regulatory perimeter. New rules are expected to require firms serving UK customers to meet stronger standards on capital, custody, governance, disclosure, market abuse controls and consumer protection. An authorisation gateway is due to open on 30 September 2026, with the broader regime expected to take effect in 2027.

For Binance, the London action adds to a series of regulatory and legal pressures across major markets. The exchange has faced scrutiny in the United States, Europe and Australia over compliance systems, customer classification and its handling of higher-risk products. In 2023, Binance agreed to pay more than $4 billion in penalties in the United States, while Zhao personally pleaded guilty to failing to maintain an effective anti-money-laundering programme and later served a prison sentence.

The company has since sought to present itself as a more compliance-focused business under new leadership, with expanded regulatory, legal and financial crime teams. It says it serves hundreds of millions of users globally and continues to seek licences in major jurisdictions. But regulators remain cautious about its past compliance record, its global structure and the role of Zhao, who remains a significant shareholder.

Arabian Post – Crypto News Network

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SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 1 July 2026 – The “Taiwan International Plant-Based Festival” officially launched in Singapore. Led by Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) Deputy Minister Hu Jong-I, the delegation introduced Taiwan’s premium produce and elite Phalaenopsis orchids into Singapore’s luxury dining and international sectors. The initiative leverages high-end restaurant marketing and immersive thematic exhibitions to showcase the quality, safety, and sustainability of Taiwanese agriculture, actively expanding its reach into premium consumer and international procurement markets.

The culinary campaign features a high-profile partnership between “Yang Ming Spring”—a prominent Taiwanese pure vegan culinary group honored with the Michelin Green Star—and Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant at PARKROYAL on Beach Road under the Pan Pacific Hotels Group. From July 1 to September 30, this exclusive plant-based menu highlights premium fresh ingredients sourced directly from Taiwan, including water snowflake, green bamboo shoots, cabbage, tea leaves, and the rising export star, the “Mango Pineapple,” elevating Taiwanese produce onto international five-star tables.

The launch was attended by MOA Deputy Minister Hu Jong-I, Ministry counselor Wu Wen-ling, Pan Pacific Hotels Group Executive Director Ms. Wee Wei Ling, and Yang Ming Spring Founder Mr. Chen Chien-Hung. Deputy Minister Hu noted that this festival marks a critical milestone for Taiwanese agriculture as it integrates with green gastronomy globally. The MOA aims to connect Singaporean consumers with Taiwan’s top-tier produce, establishing a premium brand image rooted in food safety and trust to unlock future export channels.

The launch elegantly incorporated Taiwan’s Phalaenopsis orchid floral aesthetics to create a “five-sensory feast” that harmonized taste, vision, and cultural narrative, solidifying Taiwan’s premium brand image. The event successfully drew over 80 distinguished guests, including mainstream Singaporean media, food critics, business chamber representatives, and executive chefs.

Concurrently, the official residence of the Taipei Representative Office in Singapore hosted the festival’s thematic opening reception, serving as a premier venue for cultural diplomacy and showcasing the narrative of Taiwan’s agricultural excellence. The exhibition focused on three themes: Taiwanese orchid aesthetics, Mango Pineapple innovation, and sustainable agriculture tourism. This space demonstrated Taiwan’s agricultural evolution from precision R&D to green sustainability, highlighting its export potential to foreign diplomats and Singaporean trade buyers.

The MOA emphasized that the initiative’s core strategy is to “drive tangible procurement through engaging and immersive experiences in our target markets.” By bridging high-end dining with diplomatic prestige, the three-month campaign will maximize the visibility of Taiwanese agri-products across Southeast Asian markets. Aligning with global net-zero sustainability trends, the festival establishes a safe, premium brand image, paving the way for Taiwanese agriculture to integrate into global high-end supply chains and broader Asia-Pacific channels.

Hashtag: #YMSpring

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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Dubai, UAE: As Dubai continues to attract property buyers from overseas markets, DSQ Real Estate is highlighting the growing importance of post-purchase advisory for international investors who own property in the emirate but may not be physically present to manage every stage of the ownership journey.

For many overseas buyers, purchasing a property in Dubai is only the beginning. Once the transaction is completed, owners often need support with handover preparation, snagging, furnishing, leasing, tenant coordination, maintenance, rental renewals, market updates and long-term asset planning. DSQ Real Estate says this post-purchase phase is becoming one of the most important parts of the Dubai property investment experience.

The company believes that international buyers are increasingly looking beyond the initial purchase decision. Instead of asking only which property to buy, many are now asking how the property will be managed, rented, maintained and protected after completion.

This shift reflects a more mature approach to Dubai real estate investment. Overseas owners may live in the UK, Europe, South Asia, Africa, the GCC or other international markets, making it difficult for them to personally handle handover inspections, tenant issues, maintenance coordination or rental market decisions. Without reliable support on the ground, even a strong property investment can become stressful or under-managed.

“Buying a property is not the final step in the investment journey; it is the start of ownership responsibility,” said Danish Salim Qureshi, CEO of DSQ Real Estate, British entrepreneur and property consultant in Dubai. “Overseas buyers need more than a transaction. They need a trusted advisory partner who can help them understand what happens after purchase, how to protect the asset, and how to make the property perform over time.”

According to DSQ Real Estate, post-purchase advisory is especially important for buyers of off-plan properties. After booking a unit, investors must follow payment milestones, monitor construction progress, prepare for handover, review snagging reports, understand final charges, and decide whether to rent, resell or hold the property. Each stage requires clear communication and practical guidance.

For ready properties, the need is slightly different but equally important. Owners may require support with tenant placement, rental valuation, Ejari guidance, maintenance planning, renewal negotiations, property inspections and ongoing market advice. For overseas landlords, these services can make the difference between passive ownership and active asset management.

DSQ Real Estate says one of the common mistakes overseas buyers make is focusing heavily on the purchase stage while underestimating the responsibilities that follow. A property may be well selected, but without proper handover planning, tenant strategy and maintenance oversight, the owner may face delays, vacancy risk or unexpected costs.

The company’s advisory approach is designed to support clients beyond the sale by helping them understand the full ownership cycle. This includes project selection, documentation guidance, handover preparation, rental positioning, tenant demand assessment and future exit planning. DSQ Real Estate says this end-to-end support is becoming increasingly important as Dubai attracts more international buyers who expect professional communication and long-term accountability.

“Responsible advisory means being present after the deal is done,” added Danish Salim Qureshi. “A buyer should not feel abandoned after making a purchase. Our role is to help clients make informed decisions before buying and continue guiding them as owners, landlords and long-term investors.”

The growing demand for post-purchase support also reflects changing expectations in Dubai’s real estate market. Buyers are becoming more informed, more cautious and more focused on real investment outcomes. They want to understand not only the price of a property, but also the income potential, tenant profile, service charges, maintenance requirements, resale timing and long-term community performance.

For overseas investors, this advisory-led approach can provide greater confidence. A client purchasing from abroad needs clear updates, transparent communication and someone who understands both the property market and the practical realities of ownership in Dubai. DSQ Real Estate says this is where a professional consultancy must add value beyond basic property sourcing.

The company believes Dubai’s continued appeal as a global property destination will increase the need for reliable post-purchase advisory. As more international owners enter the market, the firms that build long-term trust will be those that support clients through the full property lifecycle, not only at the point of sale.

For DSQ Real Estate, the message is clear: Dubai property investment should not end with a booking form, a title deed or a handover notice. The real value of advisory is measured by how well the owner is guided after the purchase.

As overseas interest in Dubai real estate continues, post-purchase advisory is expected to become a defining factor in how investors choose their property consultants. In a competitive market, trust will be built not only by helping buyers enter Dubai, but by helping them own, manage and grow their property assets with confidence.

DSQ Real Estate is a Dubai-based real estate consultancy supporting local and international clients across the emirate’s property market. The company provides advisory support for property investment, off-plan and ready property selection, documentation guidance, handover preparation, rental strategy and post-purchase ownership support for buyers from the UAE and overseas markets.

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Between 70% and 95% of digital transformation efforts fail. That’s not a technology problem. Boston Consulting Group research reveals roughly 70% of challenges in AI projects stem from people and process issues, not technical ones.

Yet most organisations continue to treat transformation as a deployment challenge, not a communications one.

My Executive Master’s in Digital Transformation and Innovation Leadership from IE Business School gave me a front-row seat to how transformations are architected. Studying Strategic Communications at LSE showed me why so many of them still fail. The two disciplines together changed how I advise approaching this problem”

Here’s what I see happening on the ground: leadership makes a decision, a transformation team is assembled, a roadmap is built, and technology is procured. Then the announcement goes out — a town hall, a slide deck, an all-hands email. And employees, who were never part of the story, are expected to become part of the solution.

It doesn’t work. 54% of employees feel unprepared to handle changes brought by new technologies, and their lack of readiness is a leading cause of resistance and failure.

The real issue is that organisations confuse informing with communicating.

How does strategic communications help CEOs to drive change?

Some leaders think that communication is just a message sent from an organisation to its audience. In reality, it is rather a negotiation of meaning, during which audiences can define, resist, or co-create that meaning.

In the context of AI transformation, your employees are not passive recipients of change. They are an audience with high power and high interest — the group that, according to the power/interest mapping framework, would be placed at the centre of your engagement strategy. These are the people who control daily workflows, institutional knowledge, and — ultimately — adoption. If they don’t understand the WHY, no amount of training budget or change management process will compensate.

The narrative failure at the heart of most transformations

Organisations that fail at transformation typically commit one of two communications errors:

Telling instead of listening — broadcasting the rationale for transformation without fostering genuine dialogue. The dialogic approach is built on mutual respect, genuine listening, and openness to change. It is demanding precisely because it requires organisations to be vulnerable. To hear what employees are actually afraid of. To acknowledge that the transformation may not yet have all the answers.

Leading with logic and skipping emotion. Behavioural change doesn’t happen through information alone. People shift when they are moved. It’s when they can imagine a different future for themselves within the story you are telling, not just for the company. A narrative that explains what AI will do to the business, without showing what it means for the individual, will consistently fail to land.

So, what works: audience-centric transformation communications

Microsoft’s AI transformation offers a useful contrast. Rather than announcing change, Microsoft used structured change management to first build awareness of the problem being solved, then close the communication gaps between leaders, consulting teams, and end users before asking anyone to adopt. They used the ADKAR model to create awareness, gather feedback on communication gaps, and get all layers of the organisation on the same page — ultimately succeeding in shifting the narrative around their product and increasing adoption of complex cloud-based technology.

ADKAR is a change management model developed by Prosci. It stands for five sequential stages an individual must move through for change to succeed:

• Awareness — of the need for change. Why is this happening at all?

• Desire — to support and participate in the change. Awareness alone doesn’t create buy-in; people need a personal reason to engage.

• Knowledge — of how to change. Training, processes, tools.

• Ability — to implement the required skills and behaviours in practice. The gap between knowing and doing.

• Reinforcement — to sustain the change. Without it, people revert.

The model’s core insight is that organisations typically invest almost entirely in Knowledge (training) and Ability (tools), while skipping Awareness and Desire entirely. That’s precisely the communications failure: you can’t train people into wanting something they don’t understand or trust.

The approach maps directly onto what strategic communications frameworks prescribe: start with context, not solution. Define your most important internal audiences. Understand what they stand to lose and gain. Then build a narrative that transports them — emotionally and rationally — into the future state you are asking them to help build.

A practical checklist for CEOs and Chief Transformation Officers:

• What is the master plot of your transformation story? (Survival? Growth? Relevance? All three read differently to different audiences.)

• How does your narrative balance rational case (efficiency, competitiveness) with emotional resonance (career security, purpose, pride)?

• Are employees participants in shaping the narrative, or recipients of a finished story?

• Have you mapped internal stakeholders by power and interest — and invested your deepest dialogue where it matters most?

• What does success look like beyond adoption metrics? How will you track attitude and behavioural change over time?

What is the business case here?

Change management investments yield 5.3x success rates over technology-only approaches, per McKinsey’s meta-analysis of 1,200 initiatives.  The cost of communications is a multiplier on everything else your transformation budget is trying to achieve.

The organisations that will lead in the AI era are the ones that can take their people with them — honestly, inclusively, and strategically.

That starts with treating internal communication as a discipline, not an afterthought.

The writer is Head of Global Corporate Affairs, Sigma Software Group,  Ambassador of IT Ukraine Association in the UK and UAE, winner of Gulf News & Being She Awards as the best in Technology, category – Digital Transformation

The article Why your AI transformation can fail — and it’s not the technology appeared first on Arabian Post.

The initiative brings together more than 140 companies, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, BlackRock, Coinbase, Stripe, BNY, Standard Chartered, Google, Shopify, Coinbase, Ripple, Fireblocks, Gemini, MetaMask, Emirates NBD and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank. Open USD, trading under the ticker OUSD, is expected to go live later this year and will be governed by Open Standard, an independent company structured around partner participation.

The project marks one of the largest coordinated moves by established financial and technology groups into stablecoin infrastructure. Unlike stablecoins controlled by a single issuer, Open USD is being positioned as shared infrastructure for businesses that move money across borders, platforms and blockchains. Its backers say the model will allow companies to mint and redeem the token without fees, avoid artificial limits on volume, and share in most of the earnings generated from reserves after a management fee.

The launch comes as stablecoins move deeper into mainstream finance. The sector is dominated by dollar-linked tokens such as Tether’s USDT and Circle’s USDC, which together account for the bulk of global stablecoin supply and trading activity. The entry of card networks, asset managers, fintech platforms and exchanges into a jointly governed model signals a shift from experimental crypto use towards payment infrastructure built for merchants, banks, issuers and global platforms.

Open Standard said Open USD will be designed for payments, trading, treasury flows, remittances, platform payouts, merchant settlement and agentic commerce. Reserves are to be maintained at major financial institutions under US regulatory requirements, a structure intended to reassure banks and payment companies that remain cautious about digital-asset risk.

Visa has framed the project as part of a wider push to bring stablecoins into existing payment rails. The company has already expanded stablecoin settlement pilots across multiple blockchains and has said Open USD gives businesses the governance and reliability needed to move money at scale. Mastercard has also broadened its settlement capabilities to include regulated stablecoins, intraday settlement and weekend options for issuers and acquirers, reinforcing the industry’s move towards always-on settlement.

Stripe’s participation is significant because of its growing stablecoin strategy. The company has been building crypto payment infrastructure after acquiring Bridge, a stablecoin orchestration platform, and is expected to make Open USD a default stablecoin option for businesses running on its systems. That gives the initiative a direct route into online merchants, software platforms and marketplaces.

Coinbase’s involvement adds a notable competitive angle. The exchange has long been closely associated with USDC through its commercial relationship with Circle. Its participation in Open USD suggests that large crypto platforms may now support multiple stablecoin rails rather than relying on one dominant asset. Coinbase’s business chief Shan Aggarwal said stablecoins are the most important development in payments and that customers should have access to the best infrastructure available.

BlackRock’s backing adds institutional weight. Samara Cohen, its global head of market development, said stablecoins could play an important role in digital markets when supported by trusted infrastructure and practical utility. BNY has also pointed to the prospect of stablecoins growing into a much larger market by 2030, reflecting rising interest from custodians and asset-servicing groups in tokenised money.

The project also has a Gulf dimension. Emirates NBD, Mashreq, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and RAK Bank are listed among participating institutions, placing regional lenders inside a global stablecoin initiative at a time when Gulf financial centres are competing to attract digital-asset infrastructure. For banks, the opportunity lies in faster settlement, cross-border flows and programmable treasury use cases, but adoption will depend on regulation, risk controls and reserve transparency.

Open USD will face strong competition from USDT and USDC, both of which benefit from liquidity, exchange integration and market familiarity. It will also have to prove that collaborative governance can work across companies with different regulatory obligations, commercial interests and technology priorities. The promise of shared reserve economics may help attract distribution partners, but regulators will scrutinise how reserves are held, how redemptions are handled and how operational control is exercised.

Arabian Post – Crypto News Network

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By Nitya Chakraborty

The joint statement of the Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman issued in Beijing on June 26 following the visit of Tarique to China has drawn the attention of the global diplomatic circles due to the sweep of the nature of collaboration between the two countries mentioned in the statement.

For India, the most important part is the detailed outline of the cooperation for the development of Teesta river project and the defence cooperation. New Delhi officially has not reacted to the statement but some non-official sources have expressed their anxiety at the massive Chinese participation in Teesta river project in some areas which have relevance for India. Teesta flows in India and then goes to Bangladesh. India have long relationship with Bangladesh on the handling of Teesta waters. So India has a stake in any development concerning this project.

Perhaps, China is aware of such apprehensions in India. So the Chinese spokesperson said in Beijing on Friday in the press briefing that Teesta Cooperation agreement was not targeted against any third country, meaning India. But the more important reaction was in Dhaka on Monday from the Prime Minister Tarique Rahman when he said that the implementation of Teesta Barrage Master Plan is a national priority and it would be implemented at any cost. It is apparent that the comment was meant for India.

It is quite likely that the Indian officials have been assessing the in depth implications of the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project (TRCMRP). Since this involves lot of areas including dredging, river training, flood control, building of embankments and advanced technologies of water management, Indian experts have been analyzing whether Indian side of Teesta river has any consequences due to the implementation of this project on their side. India is expected to take up with Bangladesh some issues if those are of common interest.

Let us be frank about the Indian dilemma. India have lost the opportunity of being a partner of Teesta project due to the myopic view which the Narendra Modi government too in 2024 and 2025 during the interim Yunus regime in Bangladesh. PM could have met Dr. Muhammad Yunus to take forward this partnership as it had already got the consent of the earlier PM Sheikh Hasina and lot of discussions were held. This was the most important bilateral project. So India should have shown more interest to talk on this issue of common interest despite sharp political differences.

Even after the installation of Tarique government in February 2026, Indian government could have shown special interest as Tarique government was going ahead with some priority programmes. If India had shown more friendly attitude to Tarique government in the initial period Tarique Rahman might have chosen India for his first visit as PM. In diplomacy, time matters and optics also. China offered red carpet to the Bangladesh Prime Minister. Bangladesh badly needed funds as also industrial programmes to create new job opportunities. China offered that. The relationship was catapulted to a new strategic level.

It is true that after the China visit, the foreign office in Dhaka is upbeat saying that China has agreed to be by the side of Bangladesh, come what may. But at the same time, the foreign policy planners are saying that Bangladesh have not put all eggs in Chinese basket. For the Tarique government-Bangladesh is first priority. Who is helpful to Bangladesh prosperity will be welcomed, it can be India or the United States.

India have to approach Prime Minister Tarique Rahman with open mind. Tarique has every right to sign agreement with any country based on the country’s interests just like India. Indian side should renew the invitation to the Bangladesh PM to visit India soon and follow up this so that PM accepts. Just requesting the PM to visit India after taking oath, is not enough. It has to be pursued. Chinese ambassador in Dhaka did that. China was constantly in touch with Bangladesh PM and then he agreed.

Bangladesh sources say that China is among Bangladesh’s most important partners in the sphere of economic development. It has invested heavily in infrastructure construction in Bangladesh and plays an important role as a source of investment and manufacturing capacity. As Bangladesh prepares to graduate from the Least Developed Country (LDC) status, China will be an important partner in industrial relocation, renewable energy, digitalisation, and logistics. Bangladesh government need to generate new jobs for the youth. China’s proposal for setting up industrial clusters in districts, is suitable for Bangladesh in generating jobs at a faster pace.

But at the same time, the official position is that Bangladesh is ready to equally welcome India and its offer for assistance in the industrialization of Bangladesh. India-Bangladesh partnership should be helpful to Bangladesh for creating strategic opportunities. India should treat Bangladesh on equal footing. Bangladesh is assertive about its strategic autonomy. This is true in case of China also.

Bangladesh experts also feel that India will remain Bangladesh’s indispensable neighbour whose cooperation is strongly needed for connectivity, water, energy and regional security requirements. India can also help Bangladesh in digital development. That’s the call to India and New Delhi has to respond in an appropriate manner. (IPA Service)

The article Bangladesh-China Joint Statement On Teesta Cooperation Poses A Big Challenge To India appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

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HANGZHOU, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 June 2026 – The inaugural AI+OPC Innovation and Development Conference was held from June 29 to 30 in Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, capital city of east China’s Zhejiang Province. Centered on one-person company (OPC), a new form of smart economy in the AI era, the conference program comprised one opening ceremony and two parallel breakout sessions.

It gathered around 400 delegates from government departments, industry associations, financial institutions, AI enterprises and OPC startup operators across the country. Participants exchanged insights on AI innovation pathways and cross-industry integration strategies, injecting strong impetus into Hangzhou’s ambition to develop a national benchmark hub for AI+OPC entrepreneurship.

A series of key launches and milestone ceremonies took place during the opening segment. Official releases included the 2026 national OPC development observation report, Hangzhou’s 2026–2028 action plan and supporting policies to build a national AI+OPC entrepreneurship hub, and a catalog of actionable AI+OPC application scenarios. Attendees also received an in-depth interpretation of the specifications for AI-enabled OPC community services and evaluation.

The ceremony featured multiple landmark initiatives: plaque awarding for Hangzhou’s priority AI+OPC incubation communities and dedicated observation sites, the official launch of the AI+OPC Community Alliance initiative, and a kickoff marking the official construction of the national AI+OPC entrepreneurship hub.

The open forum session featured keynote speeches from distinguished industry and academic leaders. Speakers included Pan Yunhe, former executive vice president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and professor at Zhejiang University; Liang Gui, former executive vice governor of Jiangxi Province and ex-director of the Torch High Technology Industry Development Center under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology; and Zou Ling, head of Hong Hub, Shangcheng District’s single-member unicorn startup acceleration community, who shared cutting-edge insights from varied perspectives.

A panel dialogue followed, bringing together representatives from Moshu OPC Community (Beijing E-Town), the School of Future Science and Engineering at Soochow University, Qingju Hub · Future Digital Intelligence Port (Shangcheng District), and Puhua Capital for in-depth industry exchanges.

Complementary concurrent events held throughout the conference included an OPC capital-industry matchmaking salon, a symposium on industry-education integration for AI-powered OPC sectors, and a national exchange forum for AI+OPC community practitioners.

OPC has emerged as a vibrant new engine driving economic vitality and underpinning high-quality development. Against the backdrop of a new development era, the inaugural Hangzhou AI+OPC Innovation and Development Conference unites OPC innovators nationwide.

Drawing on the creative energy of millions of independent super-individual operators, the event delivers sustained digital momentum to fuel Hangzhou’s super-individual economy, while rolling out replicable local practices and actionable Hangzhou solutions to advance high-quality growth of smart economies nationwide.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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World Cup Fever Returns: Learning Emotional Management on the Pitch

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 June 2026 – The four-yearly World Cup is in full swing, and the football fever once again sweeps the globe. The pitch has long been known as a “proving ground” for heroes; even for world-class players with years of experience, the joy of scoring a goal is often balanced by the sight of others in tears, frustrated by a defeat. The prowess of these players will be etched into the hearts of countless children, inspiring a lifelong love for the sport.

Save the Children Hong Kong firmly believes that the football pitch is more than just a venue for competition—it is an ideal classroom for Social-emotional Learning. For eight-year-old Kai-long, the setbacks and failures experienced on the pitch have proven far more vital to his personal growth than mastering technical skills or perfecting “step-overs”.

The Play to Thrive programme empowers children to master emotional management and communication skills while staying active in sports. Compared to a “Zidane turn”, these are the skills that will truly serve them for a lifetime.

On the training ground, eight-year-old Kai-long’s skills are clearly “a cut above the rest”. From the way he carries the ball to the power of his strikes, he already carries himself like a mini professional. During internal matches, he frequently finds the back of the net, scoring multiple goals for his side.

However, the moments that truly bring a smile of approval to the coaches and teachers are not Kai-long’s technical displays, but his small yet heart-warming gestures. For instance, he is seen helping teammates by steadying the inflatable goalposts during shooting drills. Even when knocked down during a match, if the coach does not blow for a foul, Kai-long doesn’t complain; he simply brushes it off with a smile and gets straight back to chasing the ball.

When Excellence Becomes a Burden: Children Trapped by the Need to Win

“He has a personality that tends to be quite fixated on winning and losing. Because of his own performance, or because his classmates’ performance didn’t meet his expectations, he would sometimes experience emotional ups and downs,” explains Mr. Lui, the PE teacher. He admits that while Kai-long’s football skills are outstanding, his stubborn nature previously caused friction with teammates and classmates. Mr. Lui noted that since Kai-long was already a member of the school’s reserve team, he recommended him for the Play to Thrive programme not to “learn football”, but in the hope that he would learn how to get along with others.

Consequently, what moved Mr. Lui the most was not Kai-long’s “goal-scoring show”, but his reaction during a match when other students deliberately moved the inflatable goalposts. Instead of complaining or losing his temper as he might have done in the past, Kai-long continued to play with a smile on his face. “Previously, he might have called it unfair or had an emotional outburst, but today he didn’t complain; he even found it quite funny. He is no longer fixated on winning or losing.”

In the eyes of his father, Chung, Kai-long has been a child with extremely high expectations of himself and a drive for perfection since he was young. “Whether it is schoolwork or his behaviour, he hopes to be a good role model and be very well-behaved.” However, Chung also mentioned that this perfectionist streak serves as a source of pressure for Kai-long.

Interpersonal Skills Are More Important Than Footballing Ability

Chung admits that Kai-long used to be very fixated on winning and losing: “In the past, if he lost a game of football against his elder brother, he would be resentful; when he was younger, he even tried to hit him.” While it is natural to crave goals and seek victory on the pitch, Chung also believes that how one treats others and interacts with peers is a vital part of growing up, which is why he enrolled Kai-long in Play to Thrive.

“Football is a natural educational tool,” says Ms. Wong Shek Hung, Director of Hong Kong Programmes at Save the Children Hong Kong. She explains that experiencing victory, defeat, and frustration is inevitable in sports, providing the perfect opportunity for children to learn emotional management. She adds that Play to Thrive originated from a community football programme developed by Save the Children UK for children in Jordan and Indonesia.

The core of the programme lies in integrating Social-emotional Learning into football training to help children build five core competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Furthermore, the programme is open to all children regardless of gender, ethnicity, or background, allowing them to master self-awareness, emotional regulation, and team communication skills within a diverse and inclusive environment.

No Ordinary Football Training

As this is unlike conventional football training, every coach is required to undergo professional training covering “Child Safeguarding” and emotional support knowledge. Ms. Wong Shek Hung notes that during the “debriefing” session at the end of each practice, coaches guide the children to reflect on their experiences on the pitch, attempting to translate these moments into emotional literacy. The ultimate goal is “to let children learn how to become ‘masters of their own emotions’.”

Demonstrating Personal Growth and Cultivating Leadership Skills

Mr. Lui noticed that after joining the programme, Kai-long not only showed progress in his personal emotional management but also learned how to consider things from others’ perspectives. During PE lessons, Kai-long has become more willing to take the initiative to help his classmates and has learned to accept teammates with different abilities, even proactively coaching others. “He gets along with his classmates much more harmoniously now; the barriers that existed before have disappeared,” Mr. Lui remarked. He further revealed that Kai-long’s form teacher, having observed this growth, officially appointed him as a class monitor for the second term.

His father, Chung, observed that since joining the programme, Kai-long has demonstrated a level of resilience rarely seen before. He recalled a match where Kai-long served as both captain and goalkeeper; even when facing conceded goals and falling behind, “his first instinct wasn’t to feel discouraged, but rather to keep encouraging his teammates from the back to keep running and keep attacking.”

Ms. Wong Shek Hung reaffirmed that this is precisely the philosophy of Play to Thrive: “We emphasise ‘Football Second, Growth First’, ensuring that even if children lose a match, they learn to handle their emotions, communicate, and cooperate throughout the process.”

Building Resilience: Transforming Lives Through Football

Ms. Kalina Tsang, CEO of Save the Children Hong Kong, stated that she has always believed football is a powerful tool for building resilience in children: “We have always been concerned about children’s physical and mental well-being. Football is more than just a sport; beyond honing technical skills, it can be used to build a child’s resilience. By combining football training with Social-emotional Learning, and under the guidance of professionally trained coaches, Play to Thrive ensures that the sweat shed by children on the pitch is transformed into self-awareness and emotional management skills.” Ms. Tsang also noted that Kai-long’s growth perfectly embodies the programme’s success. She said, “We are deeply gratified to see Kai-long progress from initial emotional fluctuations to confidently cooperating with teammates and facing victory or defeat positively—improving both on a personal level and in his interactions with peers.”

As for Kai-long himself, it is difficult for an eight-year-old to describe his transformation in detail. But when asked what was different about him, he said with an innocent smile, “I used to blame my teammates for not passing the ball, but now I’ve learned not to. I tell them: ‘It’s okay, pass it again next time. We’ll win the ball back together.'”

Launched in Hong Kong in 2023, the Play to Thrive programme is a service that integrates Social-emotional Learning with football training. It aims to create a safe and supportive space for schoolchildren, promoting their physical, social, and mental health through sport. The programme currently operates across various districts in Hong Kong, including community teams in areas such as Sham Shui Po and Tin Shui Wai. The school-based project collaborates with over 30 primary schools across the territory, integrating football training into school life to help students recognise and manage their emotions, build healthy interpersonal relationships, and enhance their confidence and resilience. In response to the current situation where up to 39% of primary and secondary students in Hong Kong face mental health challenges, the programme places special emphasis on SEL to help children master effective communication and emotional management both on and off the pitch.

In 2025 alone, the community and school projects of Play to Thrive held a total of 744 training sessions, with total service hours exceeding 1,000 hours. The programme reached 1,120 children and their families across Hong Kong, establishing close partnerships with 32 schools and 4 non-profit organisations. In terms of impact assessment, participant satisfaction was high, with satisfaction rates for the community and school projects reaching 80% and 75%, respectively.

Interview Video: https://savethechildren.click/PTT-KaiLong-Video-2026
Hashtag: #SavetheChildrenHongKong #香港救助兒童會 #mentalhealth #精神健康 #football #足球 #WorldCup #世界盃

https://savethechildren.org.hk/en/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/save-the-children-hong-kong
https://www.facebook.com/savethechildrenhk
https://www.instagram.com/savethechildrenhk/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/savehk

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Save the Children Hong Kong

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In Hong Kong and around the world, we do whatever it takes – every day and in times of crisis – so children can fulfil their rights to a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. With over 100 years of expertise, we are the world’s first and leading independent children’s organisation – transforming lives and future.

Established in 2009, Save the Children Hong Kong is part of the global movement which operates in around 100 countries. We work with children, families, schools, communities and our supporters to deliver lasting change for children in Hong Kong and around the world.

The article Save the Children Hong Kong’s Play to Thrive: Prioritising Personal Growth Over Competitive Success appeared first on Arabian Post.

5 minutes after a run in 45°C heat: Here’s how to cool down the right way.

Around 15–20% of wellness enthusiasts in the UAE keep training through summer. Whether it’s a 30‑minute Pilates class, a poolside yoga session, or a 5K run at sunset – the heat is real. And so is the need for smart recovery.

For reference only – this is not medical advice. Consult a physician for health concerns.

The luxury fitness scene doesn’t hibernate

The Middle East wellness hype is stronger than ever. Infrared‑heated Pilates studios, freezing ice‑bath recovery chambers, A/C‑cooled domes for outdoor events, even floating yacht wellness sessions. But what about that moment after you step off your mat or finish your last sprint?

That’s when your body needs targeted cooling the most.

The pain point: overheating after the workout

You’ve just finished a 45°C outdoor run or an intense heated studio class. Your core temperature is high. Sweat is evaporating – but slowly, because the air is dry or stagnant. Fatigue sets in. Recovery slows down.

Many rely on blasting the AC, but that sudden thermal shock can stress your system. Others use nothing at all – and end up feeling drained for hours.

The solution: Targeted cooling with a high‑velocity pedestal fan

Enter the Levoit Smart Pedestal Fan – designed not just for home comfort, but for post‑workout recovery.

Here’s why it works:

• High‑velocity airflow (7.5 m/s) lowers your core temperature gradually – no thermal shock.
• 120° + 90° oscillation covers your entire body, from head to toe.
• Whisper‑quiet operation (as low as 20 dB) – perfect for cooling down without noise stress.
• 12 speed settings + Turbo mode – dial in exactly the breeze you need, from gentle to powerful.

Place it beside your yoga mat, near your treadmill, or by your poolside recovery chair. Within minutes, your heart rate settles, your skin cools, and fatigue begins to fade.

Pair it with clean air for faster recovery

Combine your pedestal fan with a Levoit Air Purifier (3‑stage filtration, removes 99.97% of dust and allergens). Moving clean air = your lungs recover faster, and you breathe easier between sets.

Recovery setups we love

• Home gym / studio: Levoit Core 600s purifier + Smart Pedestal Fan
• Poolside or balcony: Levoit Plasma 400s + 42” Tower Fan
• Compact apartment workout corner: Levoit Core Mini + Standard Pedestal Fan

Don’t let summer stop you – just cool smarter

Summer isn’t a stopper. UV won’t keep you indoors. But protecting your recovery is just as important as protecting your workout.

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The article This summer will never stop us from our wellness routine appeared first on Arabian Post.

The position emerged during Sultan Haitham bin Tarik’s official visit to Paris, where he held talks with President Emmanuel Macron on maritime security, mine-clearance operations and diplomatic efforts to stabilise the Gulf after months of disruption to commercial shipping. The two sides said freedom of navigation must be restored without delay, while any future management arrangements for the waterway should respect international law and the sovereignty of littoral states.

The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage between Oman and Iran, carries about a fifth of global oil flows and a significant share of liquefied natural gas exports from the Gulf. Its partial closure and the threat of mines have slowed cargo traffic, raised insurance costs and forced shipping companies to reassess routes through the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi has said Muscat remains committed to keeping the strait open, safe and free for international navigation and does not support imposing fees on ships using the waterway. That assurance has become central to diplomatic efforts as Iran and Oman discuss a working mechanism for navigation, maritime services and safety arrangements.

France has backed Oman’s role as a mediator and coastal state, while pushing for demining and secure maritime routes. Paris sees the issue as both a Gulf security matter and a direct concern for Europe’s energy and trade flows. French officials have also stressed that freedom of passage through Hormuz cannot be made subject to unilateral charges or political leverage.

The Paris talks followed Oman-Iran discussions in Muscat, where the two neighbouring states agreed to form a joint working group involving their foreign ministries. That group is expected to consult other coastal states and stakeholders on future navigation procedures. The initiative reflects Oman’s attempt to maintain dialogue with Tehran while reassuring shipowners, energy exporters and Western governments that Hormuz will not become a toll-controlled passage.

The timing is delicate. The International Maritime Organization has begun a scheme to move stranded vessels through temporary tracks after hundreds of ships and thousands of seafarers were caught inside the Gulf. The operation allows vessels to use a northern route through Iranian waters and a southern route coordinated through Omani and US-linked channels, although shipmasters have been told to wait for instructions to avoid congestion and collision risks.

Traffic has improved from the lowest point of the crisis but remains far below normal levels. Before the conflict began in February, the strait handled about 125 vessel movements a day. By late June, daily sailings were still only a fraction of that volume, with many operators keeping transponders off or delaying voyages until clearer security guarantees are available.

The danger from mines remains a major obstacle. Maritime security specialists have warned that clearance operations could take several weeks, using conventional minesweepers and underwater drones. Even unconfirmed mine risks are enough to deter tankers, as a supertanker and its cargo can be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Shipping executives have said insurance underwriters will need credible assurances before allowing vessels to resume normal transit patterns.

Energy producers have nevertheless continued oil and LNG loadings where possible. Crude tankers have departed Ras Tanura and ports in the UAE, while LNG shipments from Qatar and Abu Dhabi have continued towards destinations including Kuwait, China and the Dahej terminal on India’s west coast. Several vessels have operated with reduced visibility on public tracking systems, reflecting the balance between keeping exports moving and limiting exposure to attack.

The issue of fees has sharpened diplomatic sensitivities. Iran has sought a greater role in regulating the strait, while Western governments have opposed any arrangement that could resemble a toll. Oman’s public stance gives France and other partners a regional anchor for a legal framework based on navigation support and safety coordination rather than compulsory payment.

The article France and Oman press toll-free Hormuz passage appeared first on Arabian Post.

The Image-Makers Look in the Mirror, and Like What They See (Mostly)

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 June 2026 – The Hong Kong public relations industry has a renewed sense of optimism, driven by the revival of the IPO market and expanding opportunities in technology and travel, according to the results of the 2026 PRHK Benchmark Survey. While agency leaders rated the 2025 business environment as a muted 2.50 out of 5, sentiment for 2026 climbed significantly to 3.08 out of 5.

Some key findings:

• The “GBA Paradox”: While there is a lot of talk about the Greater Bay Area’s promise, an overwhelming 73.3% of Hong Kong PR agencies currently generate no revenue at all from the GBA. The Hong Kong government’s recent launch of the GoGlobal connect platform, which can also connect agencies to Chinese companies, is one example of an opportunity to redress the situation.
• AI Adoption Gap: The PR sector has moved quickly to adopt AI: 81.3% of agencies now use ChatGPT, but 75% of agency leaders still flag AI as a top industry issue, struggling to bridge the gap between experimenting with tools and building disciplined, enterprise-wide operational workflows.
• Culture Trumps Cash: Defying the “revolving door” stereotype of agency life, the industry boasts a remarkably healthy median retention rate of 84.5%. When asked what keeps talent from leaving, 87.5% of leaders cited company culture as their number-one retention driver, completely eclipsing base compensation (43.8%).

Produced by Public Relations Hong Kong (PRHK) in collaboration with the Centre for Communication and Public Opinion Survey at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, the report captures an industry successfully navigating structural challenges while keeping a firm eye on renewed growth.

Financial Services, Tech, and Tourism Lead Growth
When forecasting growth for the next 12 months, 75.0% of agency leaders identified financial services, specifically banking, insurance, and fintech, as the sector with the most potential. This optimism is largely fueled by the anticipated revival of Hong Kong’s IPO market, which is expected to generate significant communications mandates. Technology and travel/tourism tied for second, each cited by 56.3% of respondents as key growth drivers for the year ahead.

Penn Leung, Chairperson of PRHK, noted: “The Hong Kong PR industry is demonstrating remarkable resilience. While budget pressures and talent challenges remain, our agencies are adapting and showing a renewed sense of cautious optimism for 2026. The expected return of financial market activity and the structural expansion of tech and tourism prove that strategic communications counsel is more relevant than ever.”

Budget Pressures and the Threat of Fee Discounting
Pricing and client budgets remain the industry’s most pressing vulnerabilities. An overwhelming 81.3% of agency leaders cited shrinking client budgets as their number-one challenge for the coming year. Consequently, 68.8% of Hong Kong PR agencies admitted to discounting their professional fees in the last financial year to win assignments. The report warns that discounting at this scale carries compounding consequences, pushing down market fees and threatening the perceived value of strategic PR as a premium service.

David Ketchum, Research Chair of PRHK, commented: “The data reveals critical insights that agency leaders must address head-on. The disparity between ambitions in the Greater Bay Area and actual revenue generation is stark. Furthermore, the prevalence of fee discounting poses a structural threat to our industry. Agencies that will thrive in 2026 are those that firmly defend their value and operationalize new technologies to enhance their consulting-led strategies.”

Download the full 2026 PRHK Benchmark Report HERE
Download the Summary Infographic HERE

Hashtag: #PRHK

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About PRHK

Public Relations Hong Kong (PRHK) is the city’s premier network for PR and communications professionals, dedicated to driving industry standards and representing the voice of the local market.

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Reaffirming Thailand’s status as a world destination for the luxury residences market

BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 June 2026 – CG Capital Advisory Limited (CG Capital), Thailand’s leading investment manager from Central Group specializing in real estate and hospitality investment, today announced a major strategic investment milestone under the leadership of Mr. Phoom Chirathivat, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of CG Capital. The company unveiled its forward-looking vision for the luxury residential and hospitality markets in Thailand, alongside the official launch of the sales gallery for InterContinental Residences Bangkok Asoke. The project carries a total development value of THB 5.5 billion, with two-bedroom units starting from THB 44.8 million. Reservations have already surpassed 60% ahead of the project’s official public launch, a clear sign of confidence in CG Capital’s strategy and its world-class standards.CG Capital’s Vision: Reading Global Volatility, Positioning Thailand as a World Destination.

Mr. Phoom Chirathivat, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of CG Capital, said that despite a difficult global economic backdrop, marked by slowing markets, geopolitical conflict, and volatility in traditional capital markets, CG Capital sees Thailand’s luxury real estate market moving in the opposite direction. Driving this is a major shift in the behaviour of the world’s wealthiest individuals: a wave of global wealth migration. Data from Henley & Partners shows the number of high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) relocating globally has surged from 51,000 in 2013 to 142,000 in 2025, a 178% increase over 12 years.

“Global markets are slowing down, but Thailand is holding its position as a world destination. Demand from HNWI buyers, both Thai and international, hasn’t dropped off. If anything, these buyers have become more selective about the assets they choose. That tracks with what we’re seeing from Thailand’s Board of Investment, which has approved Long-Term Resident visas for more than 6,000 wealthy global citizens since 2022. Thailand isn’t just a tourism destination anymore. It’s become a place HNWIs choose for long-term residence and investment,” said Mr. Phoom.

Claiming the Asian Crown: The “Right Brand, Right Partners, Right Product” Strategy

Rising demand for high-end residences has pushed CG Capital’s investment strategy toward branded residences, the fastest-growing segment of the market. Thailand currently holds the largest market share of branded residences in Asia at 23.3% of the region’s USD 26.6 billion total market value, ahead of the Philippines (17.3%) and South Korea (11.6%). CBRE’s Global Branded Residences report ranks Thailand 4th in the world by number of projects, with Bangkok and Phuket sitting among the world’s top 10.

Mr. Phoom Chirathivat added:”The success of InterContinental Residences Bangkok Asoke comes down to understanding global trends. What sets us apart is ‘Right Brand, Right Partners, Right Product,’ paired with Bangkok’s best location, Sukhumvit. We’re not chasing a trend. We’re reading the market and building on the long-term confidence we have in this country.”

From Private Equity DNA to World-Class Product Development

What sets CG Capital apart, as the largest private equity fund manager in Thailand’s real estate and hospitality sector, is the way it applies institutional investment thinking to every part of development. Long-term asset value gets weighed through two lenses at once: capital appreciation and living experience.

CG Capital’s Next Steps and the Official Sales Gallery Launch

Looking ahead, Mr. Phoom said CG Capital will keep pursuing new investment opportunities in the hospitality segment, setting new standards for Thailand’s real estate industry. “Reservations above 60% so far are a clear vote of confidence in CG Capital. Now that the sales gallery is open to the public, we’re confident the design and craftsmanship on display will help the project move quickly toward its sales target, further cementing CG Capital’s position as Thailand’s leading branded residences developer,” he said.

InterContinental Residences Bangkok Asoke welcomes visitors to view show units at the sales gallery from 4–5 July onward. Interested parties may schedule an exclusive private appointment via https://residencesasoke.com/
or Tel: 092-989-2616

Expanding the Reach: Bringing the Project to International Buyers

Alongside the sales gallery opening in Bangkok, CG Capital continues to take InterContinental Residences Bangkok Asoke directly to international buyers. The project will next be featured at “Thailand: A New Chapter Begins,” an exclusive showcase hosted by CBRE Thailand in collaboration with Taiwan Sotheby’s International Realty in Taipei on 3 – 4 July 2026, from 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at W Taipei (Strategy Room 1).

Taiwan is a market CG Capital sees as a promising source of long-term residence demand. According to CBRE Thailand and Real Estate Information Center (REIC), Taiwanese buyers now rank as the fourth-largest group of foreign buyers in Thai property market, with transaction value growing an average of 27% a year between 2023 and 2025. Thailand’s appeal to this group comes down to geographic proximity, competitive entry pricing, and a lifestyle suited to long-stay living.

For CG Capital, the event is also a chance to read first-hand how Taiwanese HNWIs are thinking about long-term residence and investment in Thailand. Interested parties in Taiwan may get in touch, please contact Taiwan Sotheby’s International Realty 0800.887.288 (Taiwan) or CBRE Thailand +66(0) 81 742 6624 (Thailand).

Hashtag: #CGCapital #InterContinentalResidencesBangkokAsoke

https://centralgroupcapital.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Centralgroupcapital/

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About CG Capital

CG Capital Advisory Limited manages private equity investments for blue-chip domestic and international institutional and UHNW investors with an inaugural fund size of THB 10 billion, investing primarily in Thailand’s hospitality, tourism, and real estate sectors through greenfield, brownfield, and turnaround strategies. Its diversified portfolio includes hotels, branded residences, condominiums, amusement and water parks, and mixed-use developments, focusing on Thailand’s leading travel destinations such as Bangkok, Phuket, Koh Samui, and Pattaya.

Led by Mr. Phoom Chirathivat, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of CG Capital, the firm combines deep expertise in investment and hospitality with a strong conviction in Thailand’s tourism potential—particularly within the luxury and lifestyle segments.

Legal disclaimer
Sixteen Residences Limited, being the current owner and developer of InterContinental Residences Bangkok Asoke, is solely responsible for the development, marketing, and sale of the Units. The Units are not owned, developed or sold by InterContinental Hotels Group PLC or its affiliates (collectively “IHG”). There exists no joint venture, partnership, ownership or similar relationship between Sixteen Residences Limited and IHG. IHG is not responsible for the content presented in this press release.

The article CG Capital, the Leader in Branded Residences in Thailand, Marks Milestone Success for InterContinental Residences Bangkok Asoke Amid Global Economic Uncertainty appeared first on Arabian Post.