Sri Lanka will co‑host the 2026 Asian Regional Debt Management Conference, following Cabinet approval of a proposal presented by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his capacity as Minister of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development.

The annual conference, organized by the Asian Development Bank, brings together debt managers from member countries to share experiences, address challenges, and strengthen regional cooperation in public debt management.

Scheduled for late May 2026, the conference will run for four to five days and include surveys and technical workshops focusing on debt management operations, emerging challenges, and new approaches. 

Representatives from ministries of finance, central banks, debt management…

The following is a transcript of an interview that appeared on 2GB Radio between presenter, Ben Fordham and Vice-Chancellor and President, Distinguished Professor George Williams AO on Monday, 4 November 2024.

Ben Fordham:

Well, the Prime Minister has made an election pledge. Anthony Albanese says labor will erase around $16 billion from HECS debts if he wins the election. Under the plan, $5,500 will immediately be shaved off the average student debt and the average debt is around 27,000. Aussies with a larger HECS debt of around $50,000 will have $10,000 taken off their balance. There’ll also be major changes to…

Bill Johnson has witnessed the extent of US Magnesium’s pollution up close.

He’s seen the wastewater pond that was so acidic it bubbled like a cauldron. He noted where the corrosive liquid had eaten through the soil beneath, and where it burned through earthen barriers and spilled into the neighboring public lands near Utah’s Great Salt Lake.

When staff at the company’s facility gave him a safety lecture, Johnson said he was told to remove any…

David Sharaz has been declared bankrupt in the federal court just days after his wife, Brittany Higgins, was bankrupted in the same Perth court by her former boss Linda Reynolds.

The former Liberal senator launched bankruptcy proceedings in October against Higgins and Sharaz after successfully suing the couple for defamation.

On Tuesday registrar Camille Goucke ordered Sharaz’s estate be sequestrated under the Bankruptcy Act and that Reynolds’ costs be fixed in the sum of $5,690, according to documents filed in the Western Australian registry.

The court backdated the act of bankruptcy to 31 October.

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Bankruptcy means a trustee appointed by the court takes control of a bankrupt’s estate and assets. The…

Data from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) show that 206 transport companies were declared bankrupt between January and November 2025, compared with 278 in the same period of 2024. This suggests that fewer Dutch hauliers exited the market in 2025 despite continued cost pressures and uneven freight demand.

A national exception in a difficult European market

The improvement in the Netherlands stands out against a more challenging picture elsewhere in Europe. Throughout 2025, Trans.INFO has reported persistent financial pressure and rising insolvency risks in several major road transport markets.

In Germany, freight industry organisations warned this year that insolvencies among transport companies were increasing, describing the trend as an…

Eterna Mode GmbH has filed for insolvency under self-administration at Passau District Court.

The aim of the proceedings is to implement the final milestone in the transformation of the Passau-based shirt and blouse specialist. This includes the complete outsourcing of logistics as well as the sale and leaseback of the company premises, Eterna announced on Tuesday. The application was necessary because “some of the financial creditors secured against the property did not agree to the sale and leaseback of the premises”.

The implementation of the transformation through the proceedings is supported by Eterna’s key financiers, customers, suppliers and partners, according to the statement. Business operations will continue unchanged under…

The 35-year-old, publicly held company will be taken over by its Chinese supplier, Shenzhen Picea Robotics, and become a privately held business, according to the Delaware bankruptcy filing on Sunday.

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The Massachusetts-based company, whose robot vacuums cost up to $US1300 ($A1956), has been struggling since a deal for Amazon to acquire it for $US1.7 billion ($A2.56b) fell apart in 2024.

Founded by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, iRobot said it will continue to…