Boards

• On July 22, Singapore's Cyber Security Agency overhauled cybersecurity rules for critical infrastructure, mandating that boards conduct annual resilience reviews to ensure executive accountability. • The agency also launched a first-ever cloud security code, with the mandatory Cybersecurity Code of Practice (CCoP) for Cloud Services scheduled for publication in the second half of 2026. • These measures follow a major security breach nine months ago where the China-linked group UNC3886 successfully compromised all four of Singapore's telecommunications providers.

• Global mergers and acquisitions reached a record $2.8 trillion in the first half of 2026, driven by mega-deals and a more permissive regulatory environment. • High-profile transactions involving NextEra Energy and SpaceX led the surge, while corporate separations—including Comcast's planned NBCUniversal spinoff and Honeywell's three-way split—further fueled activity. • The trend reflects a strategic shift as boards prioritize growth and synergies, with markets rewarding companies that execute these complex transitions effectively.

• Cohesity published a May 27, 2026 blog arguing that Asia-Pacific and Japan are becoming the center of gravity for applied AI, with implications for Western companies competing on infrastructure and data quality. • The post cites IDC projections of roughly US$110 billion in APJ digital infrastructure spending by 2028 and says gen-AI-related outlays are compounding at a mid-20% annual rate. • The relevance for U.S. tech buyers is that AI adoption is increasingly tied to recoverable, sovereign, and trustworthy data systems rather than model size alone.

Air France flight en route to Detroit, Michigan, landed in Montreal after virus-related travel restrictionsSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailAn Air France flight headed to Detroit, Michigan, was redirected to Canada on Wednesday after it was determined that a passenger from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) had boarded “in error” amid new Ebola-related travel restrictions, officials with the US Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP) said.“Due to entry restrictions put in place to reduce the risk of the Ebola virus, the passenger should not have boarded the plane,” a CBP spokesperson said in a statement. Continue reading...

• The Trump administration unveiled a new slate of nominees to lead several federal boards and trust funds, including one that will oversee a major cultural award ceremony this year, according to announcements from the White House. • The selections include close political allies and conservative commentators, reinforcing Trump’s pattern of placing loyalists in oversight roles that manage grants, endowments, and public‑facing institutions. • Democrats and some good‑government watchdogs have raised concerns that the appointments could inject partisan criteria into traditionally nonpartisan programs.

ACT independent David Pocock is calling for a 25% tax on gas exports to fund welfare and housing. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLabor should use the proceeds of limiting tax concessions for property investors and a crackdown on gas export profits to fund welfare increases and build housing, charities and social service groups say.Ahead of next month’s federal budget, the Albanese government is under pressure to wind back negative gearing rules and the 50% capital gains tax discount for property investments, and to tax more of the profits from soaring commodity exports, pushed up by the global energy shock.People on the lowest incomes are skipping meals, delaying medical care and rationing energy just to get by.Frontline services are operating at capacity, facing growing demand and increasingly complex needs. Current policy settings are not meeting the needs of our communities – it’s clear that significant and sustained public investment is essential. Continue reading...