Iman Rachman remained silent. When he stood down as President Director of the Indonesia Stock Exchange, he did so with a serenity that was remarkably effective at reducing noise but not at preventing conjecture. On January 30, 2026, he announced his resignation, a few days after the stock market had lost more than $84 billion due to a sharp selloff. In recent days, the aftershocks of that plunge have been traced back to a familiar source—MSCI. Indonesia might be demoted from “emerging” to “frontier” market category, the global index provider warned sharply. It was a category that would not only…
Author: errica
Standing near an Alaskan fjord where spruce trees formerly clung to rocks now stripped bare, it’s simple to understand how raw and immediate nature can be. The sea was hurled by falling rock, like a bowl toppling violently in a child’s hands, rather than rising from distant tectonics. In July 1958, a 7.8-magnitude quake created a large landslide into Alaska’s Lituya Bay. What followed wasn’t a ripple, but a wall of water taller than skyscrapers—524 meters high. The disaster didn’t only set records—it defined the phrase “megatsunami.” A name that still seems too gentle for a force that is so…
They weren’t using covert compartments to smuggle illegal goods. No convoluted routes or false-bottomed suitcases. It was just regular people traveling across Singapore’s borders with what appeared to be ordinary bags. Seventy travelers were reported for not declaring taxable or dutiable products during a recent one-week multi-agency enforcement exercise. On the surface, the figures may seem tiny. But the impact says eloquently about how Singapore continues to treat tax integrity as a non-negotiable national value. What’s particularly noteworthy is the nature of the goods involved—everything from packed smartwatches to multiple roller curtains. Customs inspectors paid close attention to the latter,…
You might easily miss it, walking through the green outskirts of Singapore’s Orchard neighborhood, where condos and business mix into quiet roadways. However, 38 Oxley Road, with its worn red bricks and modest building, subtly carries a heritage that influenced the course of a country. Constructed in 1898, the mansion originally served as a private residence for a Dutch trader, long before it became the cradle of Singapore’s political awakening. The house underwent a steady transformation when Lee Kuan Yew and his family moved in in the 1940s; there were no renovations or extravagance, only the quiet accumulation of memory…
The discussion surrounding Malaysia’s new RON95 petrol policy starts at a border station rather than with a headline. A automobile registered in Singapore is parked beside the pump. It clicks the nozzle. And with it, a subtle but purposeful change takes place. In April, Malaysia will enact a regulation that specifically prohibits foreign-registered automobiles from buying RON95 fuel. This move essentially imposes legal liability on both fuel station operators and vehicle owners. Previously, enforcement efforts were targeted nearly solely at sellers. If a foreign car managed to buy RON95, it was the station—not the driver—held liable. That’s about to change.…
A go-around is never the favored finish to a long-haul journey. The most experienced pilot is forced into a rapid recalibration mode, passengers are caught off guard, and the mental rhythm is disrupted. But for the flight crew of Singapore Airlines SQ917 on January 24, that’s precisely what had to happen—because wind doesn’t wait for convenience. The aircraft, an Airbus A350-900, was descending at Changi Airport following a regular voyage from Manila. Early that evening, it was supposed to land in Singapore after taking off at 2:54 PM local time. However, wind conditions worsened just minutes before it was caused…
Lovie Yancey didn’t believe in shortcuts. When she first opened her burger stand in 1947, it wasn’t very fancy. People went there to get burgers that were carefully constructed, made with quality beef, and grilled to order. Not only did you eat at Fatburger, but you also observed, waited, and were well aware of what was happening on the bun. Today, that modest goal finds itself entangled in a maelstrom of debt, corporate reorganization, and recalibration. The parent business of Fatburger, Johnny Rockets, and Round Table Pizza, FAT Brands, has declared bankruptcy under Chapter 11. High debt, erratic markets, and…
The headline was not dramatic. No breaking ticker on national television. Just a brief advisory from the health ministry: temperature screening will resume for planes arriving from India. The cause—two Nipah virus cases in West Bengal that have been confirmed. It was strangely familiar. The same virus had sneaked into Singapore back in 1999 by traveling with pigs that were imported from Malaysia. That outbreak—small, confined, but fatal—left one person dead and health officials rushing to contain what was then an uncommon term in virology. The lessons from that period were gradually absorbed into the city-state’s expanding playbook for infectious…
Usually, it begins with a neatly folded, straightforward letter from the Ministry. It notifies you that your child has been accepted into a nearby elementary school. It also subtly reminds you that, unless you have a pink NRIC, education is not totally free here. The monthly cost is a symbolic $25 for Singaporeans. For others, however, the numbers rise—sometimes sharply. The range starts at S$580 and goes up to S$700 for permanent residents. That’s already a considerable leap. However, the number increases even more if you are an overseas parent—for example, if you have a dependant or employment pass: S$991.80…
What makes a school genuinely appealing cannot be adequately measured by a single indicator. But in Singapore, few things reflect community confidence more plainly than the ballot oversubscription rate. That’s where this rating derives its cue – not from exam scores, but from decision. Rosyth School has quietly maintained its position close to the top for many years. Its progress as an institution that has remained notably inventive without becoming inaccessible is just as appealing as its historical reputation. It goes beyond legacy reputation and exceptional programs. Parents characterize the atmosphere as “structured but warm,” and grads recall CCAs that…