Business — 3,333 insights
Sheikh Hasina’s return bid threatens to upend Bangladeshi politics
Business

Sheikh Hasina’s return bid threatens to upend Bangladeshi politics

The ousted leader, who has been sentenced to death, plans a December homecoming in a high-stakes bid to resurrect her banned party Hasina, who has been living in India since her government was toppled by a student-led protest movement nearly two years ago, has said she plans to return home in December even if she is arrested or killed. Bangladesh’s current prime minister, Tarique Rahman, took power after his BNP won a landslide victory February’s general election. Jamaat-e-Islami, the country’s largest Islamist political party, secured the second-most seats.

July 16, 2026
Indonesian migrant fishers hooked by false promises, reeled into slavery on high seas
Business

Indonesian migrant fishers hooked by false promises, reeled into slavery on high seas

Abuse and mismanagement are ‘systemic’ across the Chinese distant-water fishing fleet operating off West Africa, an NGO says Indonesia is one of the top contributors of labour for the global fishing industry with several hundred thousand migrant workers, according to government figures. Many are recruited online and assigned to foreign-flagged ships without being properly informed about their rights, leaving them vulnerable to abuse, experts say. Akhmad, 25, who left Cirebon on Indonesia’s Java island in 2022, said he would get as little as four hours of rest a day while working on a Chinese-flagged tuna fishing vessel. “There was no rest. [We] must keep working,” said Akhmad, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. “It was very tiring. My eyes hurt … If I was slightly sleepy, I was ordered to wake up and work.” Crew members had little communication with the outside world and faced regular verbal and physical abuse on board, Akhmad said, recalling the captain once beating a colleague accused of stealing fish they had caught.

July 16, 2026
What if a supermarket sold satellites?
Business

What if a supermarket sold satellites?

By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. You can change your cookie settings through your browser. No snacks. No drinks. Just space tech. This Hangzhou supermarket has all you need to build a commercial satellite.

July 16, 2026
Inside China’s push to power AI with data
Business

Inside China’s push to power AI with data

By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. You can change your cookie settings through your browser. High-quality data is emerging as the foundation of artificial intelligence (AI). In north China's Xiongan New Area, companies are building data infrastructure that supports both embodied AI – where robots learn through real-world interactions – and large AI models trained for increasingly complex tasks.

July 16, 2026
China’s new action plan opens more opportunities for foreign investors
Business

China’s new action plan opens more opportunities for foreign investors

By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. You can change your cookie settings through your browser. According to China's Ministry of Commerce, nearly 4,000 companies increased their foreign investment in the first five months of this year. China is rolling out new measures to attract and stabilize foreign investment, with a focus on opening up more service sectors and improving conditions for overseas businesses. The move comes as foreign investment flows show signs of becoming increasingly innovation-driven.

July 16, 2026
Hongkongers’ new pet peeve over dogs at diners sparks calls for tougher vetting
Business

Hongkongers’ new pet peeve over dogs at diners sparks calls for tougher vetting

Viral clips showing dogs licking plates and sitting on tables and chairs have drawn widespread criticism Hong Kong’s introduction of pet-friendly dining in designated restaurants has drawn significant public criticism, leading some lawmakers to call for tighter vetting of licences. Since the scheme began on July 9, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has received about 20 complaints. The department earlier said most complaints involved minor issues such as leash length and seating arrangements. However, viral clips showing dogs licking plates and sitting on tables and chairs have drawn widespread criticism. On Monday, a Chinese restaurant in Kai Tak that holds a pet-friendly permit received a warning letter after the department found that food was repeatedly cooked or heated on the dining table over three days. In response, catering sector lawmaker Jonathan Leung Chun said the initial “chaos” would only happen once as the industry settled in.

July 16, 2026
Philippines’ iconic jeepneys face rocky road to go electric
Business

Philippines’ iconic jeepneys face rocky road to go electric

Observers point to the high costs of owning an e-jeepney and a lack of government support in enabling the electric shift Diesel prices spiked anew by nearly 5 pesos this week, as renewed tensions in the Gulf threatened to strain the country’s public transport sector, giving new urgency to the uneven shift towards e-jeepneys. Since the Iran conflict began in late February, diesel prices have soared, leading to an exodus of jeepney drivers from the road. Fuel costs in Metro Manila hit a high of 114 pesos (US$1.90) per litre in March – nearly one-sixth of the minimum daily wage rate for non-agricultural workers in the Philippine capital region. Inflation settled at 6.4 per cent in June, while diesel prices rose to 76 pesos this week from 72 pesos a week ago – well above pre-conflict figures of 60 pesos per litre. The latest increase has put the country’s public transport sector on edge while also highlighting a deeper dilemma: electric jeepneys promise lower running costs, but remain difficult for many small operators and drivers to afford. “We’re expecting diesel to climb again. The media has been saying that the stockpile will only last over 40 days … what about us?

July 16, 2026
Why the West has an uphill task challenging China in pharmaceutical ingredients
Business

Why the West has an uphill task challenging China in pharmaceutical ingredients

From rare earth elements to commercial drones, Washington has become all too familiar with the strongest weapons in Beijing’s manufacturing arsenal – the materials and products where China holds a strategic advantage in production, extraction or any other link in the supply chain. After those near-monopolies provided Chinese policymakers considerable leverage in last year’s trade dispute, US think tanks are asking whether pharmaceuticals represent the next critical dependency. Their concern is...

July 16, 2026
Everything you never wanted to know about hosting the World Cup
Business

Everything you never wanted to know about hosting the World Cup

Every four years, billions of football fans spend a month arguing about offside decisions, whether Ronaldo or Messi is a grass-grazing horned mammal, and whether football is finally “coming home”. For nations, however, the Fifa World Cup is far more than football. Beyond the national pride that comes with simply qualifying, the tournament offers an unparalleled opportunity to capture the world’s attention. Cabo Verde’s fairy-tale run to the round of 32 transformed the little-known island nation...

July 16, 2026
China’s consumption has a new, fast-growing driver: local tourists
Business

China’s consumption has a new, fast-growing driver: local tourists

After a blockbuster first half, all eyes will be on how domestic tourism sustains the momentum through the autumn and ‘golden week’ breaks In the first half of this year, leisure travel within China exploded. As the summer travel season builds towards the Mid-Autumn Festival and the “golden week” that follows National Day on October 1, domestic travel has emerged as one of China’s most important, if underappreciated, drivers of consumption and growth. Inbound tourism, by comparison, only approached pre-pandemic levels in 2024, when arrivals recovered to 97.2 per cent of the 2019 count and spending to 93.5 per cent. For investors tracking China’s consumer confidence, the domestic traveller is the one to watch.

July 16, 2026
HKIC reports double-digit investment return as ‘patient capital’ strategy bears fruit
Business

HKIC reports double-digit investment return as ‘patient capital’ strategy bears fruit

The government-owned investment firm generated nearly HK$6.5 billion in its second year, as Hong Kong’s economic vision begins to take shape The Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC) recorded a major jump in investment income during its second year of operation, as it expanded its role as the city’s “patient capital” engine driving local economic development. The wholly state-owned investment firm generated about HK$6.46 billion (US$824 million) in investment income in 2025, a stunning 175 per cent year-on-year increase, according to its latest financial report released on Thursday. The fund achieved a net internal rate of return of 14 per cent, an impressive return that indicates the vehicle has already defied the typical early-stage “J-curve” downturn typically seen in new venture capital funds, as HKIC’s CEO confirmed during a meeting of the Legislative Council’s Financial Affairs Panel last month. The firm’s robust performance reflects improving returns across its expanding portfolio of more than 200 projects, officials stated. Ten companies in HKIC’s portfolio had already listed in Hong Kong as of March, while more than 30 others were waiting for their listing applications to be approved.

July 16, 2026
Chinese family reunites with daughter decades after she vanished from market near home
Business

Chinese family reunites with daughter decades after she vanished from market near home

Netizens voice scepticism; users question why the dad let a toddler buy food alone, fuelling speculation of a regretted abandonment After vanishing from a market near her home 35 years ago, a woman in southern China has finally been reunited with her birth family. However, injuries found on her face and the failure of nearby broadcast appeals to reach her parents fuelled online speculation about how she disappeared. Zhong Fenglin, 37, once lived near a market in Nanning, Guangxi, where her parents sold ginger and garlic. In 1991, her father took the two-year-old to his vegetable stall. Unable to watch her while working, he gave her money to buy food. Zhong wandered through the crowd and crossed the street into another market, where she had gone missing. A clothing vendor found the crying toddler and took pity on her. She later recalled that the girl had scratch marks and a scar on her face.

July 16, 2026