News published on Globe Banner in August 2025

News from August 2025


ANZ cuts variable home loan rates after Reserve Bank reduces cash rate

ANZ has announced it will lower variable interest rates for its Australian home loan customers, following the Reserve Bank of Australia’s recent decision to cut the official cash rate.


Yuanta Financial Holding Company wins HR Asia’s best workplace award for sixth time

Yuanta Financial Holding Company (FHC) has received the “Best Companies to Work for in Asia” award from HR Asia for the sixth time.


U.S. Ambassador extends birthday wishes to Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother

On August 12, 2025, U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Robert F. Godec issued a message marking the 93rd birthday of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother.


Heritage tourism drives job growth across southern Albania with World Bank support

Communities in southern Albania are seeing economic growth and job creation through heritage tourism, following years of slow development and population decline.


Cambridge researchers identify source of errors in common blood pressure measurements

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have identified why common cuff-based blood pressure measurements can be inaccurate and proposed ways to improve them.


U.S. Embassy seeks vendor for Manit Week 2025 cultural celebration support

The U.S. Embassy in Majuro, working with the Lutok Kobban Alele Committee, is seeking a vendor to provide event management services for Manit Week 2025.


U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo seeks bids for HVAC equipment purchase and installation

The U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo has announced the release of a Request for Quotations (RFQ) for the purchase and installation of HVAC equipment.


Samsung unveils micro-scale LED TV with enhanced color precision

Samsung Electronics has announced the launch of its Micro RGB display, which it describes as the world’s first large-screen TV with a micro-scale RGB LED backlight.


U.S. offers up to $5 million reward for information on Haitian gang leader Jimmy Cherizier

The U.S. Department of State announced on August 12, 2025, that it is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Haitian gang leader Jimmy Cherizier, also known as “Barbecue.” The announcement was...


Fulbright FLTA program opens applications for Lebanese Arabic instructors

The Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) Program is now open for applications for its 2026 cycle.


World Bank-backed project helps protect Can Tho City from chronic Mekong Delta flooding

Flooding has long disrupted life in Can Tho City, located in Viet Nam’s Mekong Delta.


Sun Life’s AI agent Iris wins CIO Award for boosting productivity

Sun Life Financial Inc. has been recognized as a 2025 CIO Awards Canada winner for its GenAI-powered virtual agent, Iris.


U.S. raises travel advisory for Democratic Republic of the Congo amid rising violence

The U.S. Department of State has updated its travel advisory for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), raising the alert to Level 3 and advising travelers to reconsider visiting due to crime and civil unrest.


Macquarie Bank cuts home loan and deposit rates with quick implementation

Macquarie Bank will lower its variable home loan reference rates by 0.25% per annum, effective from August 15, 2025.


U.S. congressional delegation visits PNG for talks on bilateral cooperation

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers visited Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, from August 10 to 12 to meet with government officials, business leaders, and civil society representatives.


Oxford-led study finds filtering data helps secure open-source AI against misuse

A new study led by researchers at the University of Oxford, in collaboration with EleutherAI and the UK AI Security Institute, has found that filtering training data can help prevent openly available artificial intelligence models from being used...


Hannover Re posts higher half-year profit and boosts reserves amid catastrophe claims

Hannover Re reported a 13.2% increase in group net income for the first half of 2025, reaching EUR 1.3 billion despite high catastrophe losses in the first quarter.


U.S. Embassy Tirana issues emergency alert as wildfires prompt evacuations across Albania

The U.S. Embassy in Tirana has issued an emergency message to American citizens in Albania as wildfires continue to affect multiple regions across the country.


U.S. Embassy in Colombia schedules federal benefits visits in four cities for late August

Representatives from the Regional Federal Benefits Unit will visit Medellín, Bogotá, Cali, and Pereira from August 25 to 28, 2025, to provide services related to U.S. Social Security and other federal benefits.


Alphabet’s Thomas Kurian to speak at Goldman Sachs technology conference

Alphabet Inc. announced that Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, will take part in the Goldman Sachs 2025 Communacopia + Technology Conference.