THE HOT STORY

Thailand hires 10,000 Sri Lankan workers

Thailand's cabinet has approved the hiring of 10,000 Sri Lankan workers to address a local labour shortage caused by the return of Cambodian workers amid an ongoing border conflict. Labour Minister Pongkawin Jungrungruangkit said that over 30,000 Sri Lankans have registered for jobs, with plans to also allow workers from Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines to apply. The conflict has displaced over 300,000 people and led to the departure of about 400,000 Cambodians from Thailand. Before the conflict, Cambodians made up 12% of Thailand's foreign workforce.

Bangkok Post

South China Morning Post

Straits Times

WORKFORCE

Workers to walk off the job at Perth Airport

Hundreds of dnata ground workers at Perth Airport will strike from 5.30pm on Thursday until 10am on Friday (AWST). They are demanding better pay and job security. Tim Dawson, secretary of the Transport Workers Union (TWU) WA, said: "Western Australians need to fly just as much as people in Sydney, so why are Perth workers penalised with poverty wages?" The strike will disrupt flights to various international destinations and air freight services. Workers overwhelmingly rejected a pay agreement they deemed as substandard, voting 94.7% in favour of the strike.

West Australian

The Japanese city betting on immigrants to breathe life into its economy

The Japanese city of Hamamatsu, one of the country's most important industrial centres, is - unusually for Japan - recruiting immigrants to bolster its dwindling stock of residents and workers.

Financial Times

HIRING

Pan Pacific plans 250 new Don Quijote stores over next 10 years

Pan Pacific International Holdings, the parent company of discount store operator Don Quijote, intends to open 250 new outlets by 2035, in order to capitalise on an anticipated surge in foreign tourists to Japan. In addition to the Don Quijote stores, the company will also launch a new retail brand focusing on food products in 2026. "We will build a company that can earn ¥300bn in operating profit", commented Representative Director Hideki Moriya, who is set to become the new president of Pan Pacific International on September 26th.

The Japan Times

ECONOMY

China growth slows amid weak demand

China’s economy showed broad weakness in July, with retail sales rising just 3.7%, well below analysts’ 4.6% forecast, and industrial output climbing 5.7%, its slowest pace since November. Fixed-asset investment rose only 1.6% in the first seven months, missing expectations, while property investment dropped 12%. Goldman Sachs estimated a 5.2% year-on-year decline in July fixed asset investment alone, the steepest since March 2020. The slowdown is blamed on weak domestic demand, extreme weather, and Beijing's anti-overcapacity push. “The contractionary effect of anti-involution policies may have gradually kicked in,” said Goldman’s Lisheng Wang.

Chinadaily US Edition

CNBC

TECHNOLOGY

Internal Meta document reveals controversial AI rules

An internal document from Meta reveals that the company's chatbot policies previously allowed for inappropriate interactions, including "romantic or sensual" conversations with children and the generation of false medical information. The guidelines, which were confirmed by Meta, also permitted chatbots to make derogatory statements about racial intelligence. Following inquiries from Reuters, Meta says it has begun revising these policies, acknowledging that such content should never have been allowed and emphasizing that enforcement of existing rules has been inconsistent.

Reuters

CORPORATE

Explosion challenges Nippon Steel's plans

A fatal explosion at U.S. Steel’s Clairton, Pennsylvania plant - which killed two and injured 10 - threatens to derail Nippon Steel’s $14bn US investment plan. The blast disrupted coke production at Mon Valley Works, a key site in its acquisition deal. “It was chaos; we ran to help whoever and do whatever we could,” said 21-year employee Jim Borkowski. While upgrades at Mon Valley continue, the Clairton site will require costly unplanned repairs. U.S. Steel chief executive Dave Burritt affirmed Nippon’s commitment, saying: “We wouldn’t have done the deal . . . if we weren’t absolutely sure that we would have an enduring future.”

Wall Street Journal

INTERNATIONAL

Air Canada labour deal may reshape broader pay issues

Analysts say any gains made by Air Canada flight attendants after having reportedly reached a tentative deal that ends unpaid work could influence upcoming contract negotiations in North America. Their strike action, which grounded thousands of flights, is the latest blow to the airline industry's compensation system that does not fully pay cabin crews for their hours at work, Reuters reports. "The Air Canada strike helps negotiations everywhere. It defined the problem of ridiculous expectations for flight attendants to work without pay," observed Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents 55,000 flight attendants at 20 airlines. "The striking flight attendants are an inspiration to working people everywhere."

Reuters

Young chatterboxes may annoy - but they don't harass

A UK employment tribunal has ruled that older employees who are disturbed by younger, chatty colleagues are not victims of age harassment. The ruling by the tribunal in Watford, Hertfordshire, came in the case of a administrator in her 60s who took her bosses to an employment tribunal for grievances including the noisy fun her younger co-workers were having. The tribunal concluded: “The tribunal accepted that the claimant took her work seriously and wished to remain professional at all times, but they considered that her projection of this standard to all those with whom she worked was not reasonable and resulted in her having unreasonable feelings of indignation about their behaviour when she did not have justifiable reason to do so. The tribunal considered that the claimant’s perception of the noisy and disruptive behaviour as amounting to harassment was not reasonable.”

Irish Times

The Guardian

The UAE and Gulf job market is booming

The UAE and Gulf job market is thriving, with 94% of employers planning to hire in the next six months, according to the NaukriGulf Hiring Outlook Report. Arab, Indian, and Filipino professionals are the most sought-after, with 29%, 28%, and 20% of employers respectively looking to recruit them. The report indicates that 58% of employers are hiring for new and replacement positions, while 67% expect to offer in-office or hybrid roles. Sharad Sindhwani, business and product head at NaukriGulf, said: "Hiring in the Gulf is moving forward with intent."

Khaleej Times Online

OTHER

Online shopping complaints surge in Hong Kong

Hong Kong's Consumer Council reported 17,000 complaints related to online shopping in the past year, representing 40% of all cases. Issues included difficulties returning products, delays causing fines, and lost packages. Complaints about logistics services nearly doubled from 148 to 279 in the first half of this year. One case involved a defective monitor that could not be returned despite a local return policy. The complainant received a refund only after two and a half months, following intervention from the council. The council noted that timely communication is crucial to avoid additional fees.

South China Morning Post

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