Author: Business News Asia

Malaysia’s Securities Commission (SC) has appointed Kamal Azira Hassan and Adnan Zaylani Mohamad Zahid as new board members for a two-year term, effective Feb. 15, the regulator said on Monday. The appointments were made by the Minister of Finance. The SC board oversees the commission’s overall governance, including its regulatory and developmental mandates. Kamal Azira brings more than 25 years of experience spanning public, constitutional and administrative law, government litigation, international legal affairs, financial governance and regulatory advisory, the SC said. He has served across government agencies including the Attorney General’s Chambers and the Prime Minister’s Department, and holds law…

Saudi Arabia’s state-backed artificial intelligence firm HUMAIN has invested $3 billion in Elon Musk’s xAI as part of the company’s Series E financing round, expanding the kingdom’s push into advanced artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure. HUMAIN, backed by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), said the transaction makes it a significant minority shareholder in xAI and represents a large-scale capital deployment into what it described as a category-defining technology platform. The investment was made ahead of xAI’s acquisition by SpaceX in early February, with HUMAIN’s stake subsequently converted into shares in SpaceX, providing exposure to the combined entity’s long-term growth. The…

Only 5% of enterprises say they are fully prepared to execute major changes to their virtualization environment, even as more than two-thirds expect to make “material” shifts to their virtualization strategy within the next two years, according to a new Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) survey that points to rising pressure from artificial intelligence workloads, cloud spending volatility and performance demands. The survey, which polled nearly 400 global IT decision-makers between Dec. 15, 2025 and Jan. 4, 2026, portrays a market at an inflection point as companies reassess long-standing assumptions about where workloads should run and how to operate hybrid estates…

Singapore has named eight undergraduate winners of the 2026 Singapore Valley Awards, as policymakers and industry leaders step up efforts to build a pipeline of entrepreneurs capable of commercialising deep-technology innovations rather than leaving them at the research stage. The annual programme recognises students who demonstrated strong entrepreneurial thinking and the ability to translate emerging technologies into scalable business models across sectors such as biotechnology, clean energy, advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence. Winners will receive cash prizes and a fully sponsored internship in China, with placement matching currently under way with partner companies. The awards ceremony, held on Feb. 16…

As organisations accelerate the rollout of artificial intelligence tools, new workforce assessment data from Singapore-based Epitome Global suggests skills gaps could become the main constraint on AI-driven productivity in 2026. Based on aggregated skills assessments conducted across Singapore and Malaysia between 2023 and 2025, only about one in five professionals consistently demonstrate behavioural traits the company associates with “AI-ready” talent, including persistence, curiosity and reflective learning, Epitome said. The findings draw on assessment data involving more than 200 participants across workforce development, employability and organisational programmes, the company said. While more than 70% of participants reported advanced digital literacy, Epitome…

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has committed up to $125 million to Keppel Private Credit Fund III, boosting the fund’s total assets under management to more than $561 million as institutional investors step up allocations to Asia-Pacific infrastructure debt. Global asset manager Keppel Ltd said on Tuesday that AIIB will invest $75 million in the fund, along with a co-investment sleeve of up to $50 million. The investment marks AIIB’s first transaction under a strategic partnership signed with Keppel in June 2025, which aims to mobilise up to $1.5 billion of sustainable infrastructure financing opportunities across the region. The…

Singapore’s Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) and the National University of Singapore (NUS), working with MIT and Nanyang Technological University, said they have developed an AI control system that lets soft robotic arms learn motions once and adapt in real time without retraining. Soft robots, typically made from flexible materials such as soft rubber, can be safer for tasks that require compliant contact with people, but their changing shapes make them difficult to control in messy real-world settings where small disturbances like shifting payloads, airflow or hardware faults can disrupt motion. The researchers said existing approaches have often…

Singapore workers still believe they can be happy at work, but nearly half feel burnt out, according to a new survey by Jobstreet by SEEK, highlighting what the company called a growing disconnect between expectations and day-to-day experience in one of Asia’s costliest cities. The Workplace Happiness Index: Singapore, conducted with research agency Nature between October and November 2025, surveyed 1,000 people in Singapore’s employment market aged 18 to 64. It found 56% described themselves as happy at work, placing Singapore near the bottom among surveyed Asia-Pacific markets — above Hong Kong (47%) and behind Australia (57%), Malaysia (70%) and…

Shorooq, a tech-focused multi-strategy investment firm, launched a $200 million late-stage growth fund aimed at backing technology companies in the Gulf and beyond as they prepare for public listings, seeking to address what it sees as a persistent shortage of pre-IPO capital in the region. The fund was unveiled at Web Summit Qatar in Doha and will operate under Shorooq’s “Qatalyst Series,” the firm said. It will target companies with proven scale, strong fundamentals and clear pathways to exit, with a particular focus on initial public offerings. Shorooq said the fund is backed by Qatar Investment Authority alongside other sovereign…

Converge ICT Solutions Inc. has teamed up with volunteer groups to plant fruit-bearing trees and deliver basic health services to an Aeta community in Angeles City, part of what the company described as a broader sustainability push tied to grassroots outreach. Converge said volunteers from The Fraternal Order of Eagles – Kandili Chapter and Inner Wheel Club of Taguig joined the company in planting 300 fruit-bearing seedlings in the Sapangbato Watershed, supporting local government reforestation efforts while aiming to strengthen livelihood opportunities for farmers in the community. After the tree-planting, the groups held a medical mission to bring essential health…

MANILA — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is facing questions from some local officials and policy analysts over its renewed review of selected 2021 infrastructure projects while Congress weighs allocations in the 2025 national budget. According to people familiar with the matter, the agency has been re-examining flood-control and other works in Davao Occidental and La Union. Critics contend the focus on earlier projects risks diverting attention from concerns about alleged “insertions” in next year’s spending plan. “Why backtrack to the 2021 budget while questioning the insertions for the 2025 budget?” one local executive asked. “It looks…

Conflicting figures and inconsistent information attributed to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on alleged “ghost” and substandard projects in Davao Occidental and La Union have stirred public confusion and prompted questions about possible bias in how data are being handled and released. People familiar with internal discussions said the DPWH is preparing complaints for filing before the Office of the Ombudsman against contractors and officials linked to questioned flood-control and other infrastructure works. At the same time, discrepancies between internal tallies and numbers cited in print reports, including the Daily Tribune, have led to criticism and calls…

The real estate market in Cebu is poised for growth in the coming years as limited land supply in the city drives up property prices, said industry expert Ric Inting, Chairman & President of Land Asia Realty. Cebu, the second largest city in the Philippines, has only 7% flat land, with the remaining 93% being mountainous terrain. This geographic constraint has concentrated development in the city center, causing land and property prices to steadily rise. “If you try to look at Cebu, it’s only 7% of flat land. 93% are mountainous. Most of the investors are looking for flat land…

Globe Telecom, through its G-gantic Goals initiative, has expanded its efforts to promote digital literacy and responsible internet use by donating 20 tablets to Lahug Elementary School in Cebu City. The donation is part of the company’s Digital Thumbprint Program (DTP), which focuses on educating communities about the benefits and risks of digitization while fostering safe and responsible online behavior. The tablets were officially handed over to school principal Dr. Madelin Tinapay during a program held on Thursday. The event served as a platform to raise awareness among elementary students about critical issues related to internet use. Topics covered included…

The Philippine real estate market is grappling with a persistent mismatch between available properties and actual buyer needs, according to Anthony Leuterio, founder of property brokerage Filipino Homes. Leuterio said many developers have produced high-cost units in locations that do not align with the financial capacity or preferences of potential buyers, particularly in Metro Manila, leading to an oversupply of unsuitable inventory. “The market is huge in real estate, but what’s on offer often doesn’t match what people really want,” he said. A key factor driving the imbalance, Leuterio noted, is the industry’s reliance on skewed data and internal market…

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) is releasing the official 6/49 Super Lotto Result at 9PM today, January 9, 2025. Check your tickets now. 6/49 Super Lotto is one of the most popular jackpot-bearing lottery games in the Philippines. It is drawn every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. 6/49 Super Lotto Result Today, January 9, 2025 Jackpot can be won if you get the six winning numbers in any order. Please refresh this page after the 9PM draw for the latest result. Please double check with the official PCSO website for confirmation of result. How To Play 6/49 Super Lotto Mark…

Today is January 9, 2025, Thursday. Here is the official 6/42 Lotto Result by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). This lottery game is among the most popular 6-digit games in the Philippines, offering players the opportunity to win at least P5,940,000 as the initial jackpot prize, which continues to grow based on nationwide sales until there is a winner. 6/42 Lotto Result today, January 9, 2025: To participate in the game, you can purchase a Lotto 6/42 ticket for a cost of 20.00. You can either select your own 6-number combination between 1 and 42 on each board or…

Here are the 2D (Ez2) Lotto Result Today, January 9, 2025, based on the official 2PM, 5PM, and 9PM Draws of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). Check your tickets here! 2D Lotto is also known as Ez2 Lotto. It is one of the most popular digit games in the Philippines. The PCSO conducts live draws via social media for this game at 2PM, 5PM, and 9PM every day. 2D Lotto Result Today, January 9, 2025: Congratulations to all the winners. if you did not make it in today’s draws, don’t worry, there are still more draws to come. 2D…

3D Swertres Lotto Result Today January 9, 2025 – Here is the Swertres 3D Lotto Result for today based on the official 2PM, 5PM, and 9PM draws of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). 3D also known as Swertres is one of the most popular digit games in the Philippines. The PCSO releases official 3D result / Swertres result at 2pm, 5pm and 9pm. Refresh this page after the scheduled draw time to see the latest results. 3D Swertres Lotto Results today, January 9, 2025: Congratulations to all the winners. if you did not make it in today’s draws, don’t…

Here is the 3D Swertres Lotto Result Today, January 4, 2025, based on the official draw of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) for 2PM, 5PM, and 9PM. 3D also known as Swertres is one of the most popular digit games in the Philippines. The PCSO releases official 3D result / Swertres result at 2pm, 5pm and 9pm. Refresh this page after the scheduled draw time to see the latest results. 3D Swertres Lotto Results today, January 4, 2025: 2PM:  7-5-9   |  5PM:  9-1-1   | 9PM:  5-5-1 Congratulations to all the winners. if you did not make it in today’s…