Human Times

APAC Edition

21st September 2025

THE HOT STORY

LG Energy Solution admits using ESTA to bypass visa rules for US workers

Documents reveal that LG Energy Solution was employing workarounds for US visa restrictions long before President Donald Trump's administration intensified immigration enforcement, which led to the detention of hundreds of its workers. The company advised employees to utilise the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) to bypass the high rejection rates of B-1 business visas, underscoring ongoing challenges faced by South Korean firms in securing necessary visas for skilled workers. Following the immigration raid at a battery plant in Georgia, LG has called for clearer visa guidelines to facilitate smoother business operations in the US.

Reuters

Straits Times

HR TECHNOLOGY

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LEGAL

Pressure mounts on Super Retail chair

Super Retail chair Judith Swales is under pressure to settle a lawsuit from former employees Rebecca Farrell and Amelia Berczelly. The lawyers are meeting to negotiate a payout after the abrupt termination of chief executive Anthony Heraghty, who was dismissed following unsatisfactory explanations regarding his relationship with a former HR head. The two whistleblowers allege bullying and harassment, claiming Super Retail violated workplace laws. If negotiations fail, the case is set for trial in February. An Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) investigation into the company is also ongoing, as confirmed by an ASIC spokesperson.

The Australian Financial Review

The Australian

HIRING

Call to tighten Hong Kong's labour import rules

Hong Kong authorities are being urged to establish a mechanism to suspend labour importation for specific jobs when unemployment rates exceed a certain threshold. The call comes from a construction workers' union and lawmaker Edward Leung Hei, following chief executive John Lee Ka-chiu's announcement of stricter import rules for waiters and junior cooks. Starting last Thursday, employers must now hire at least two local workers before applying for foreign labour and extend the local recruitment period to six weeks. Lee said that the government would monitor the situation and adapt as necessary.

South China Morning Post

STRATEGY

SoftBank to trim Vision Fund team to focus on Son's AI projects

SoftBank is to cut nearly 20% of Vision Fund staff worldwide as the Japanese investment conglomerate shifts focus to AI projects including the $500bn Stargate plan, investing heavily in semiconductors, data centres and OpenAI. Vision Fund currently has over 300 employees globally. A Vision Fund spokesperson confirmed the layoffs without commenting on the details, and said: “We continually adjust the organisation to best execute our long-term strategy - making bold, high-conviction investments in AI and breakthrough technologies, and creating long-term value for our stakeholders.”

Reuters

Business Standard

Bristol Myers Squibb to offload 60% stake in Chinese JV

Bristol Myers Squibb has announced its decision to sell a 60% stake in its pharmaceutical joint venture in China, known as Sino-American Shanghai Squibb Pharmaceuticals Limited, as part of a strategy to realign resources. The company expressed its commitment to supporting affected employees while refraining from disclosing specific transaction details. The move aligns with a trend among foreign drugmakers to divest from Chinese assets due to challenges such as supply chain disruptions and economic slowdowns.

Reuters

TECHNOLOGY

Chinese firm establishes major new data centre

China Unicom has established a significant data centre in Xining, powered by domestically produced AI chips from companies including Alibaba, as part of China's strategy to reduce reliance on foreign technology. The $390m facility aims to achieve a computing capacity of 20,000 petaflops, with 3,579 petaflops already operational using nearly 23,000 domestic AI chips. The initiative comes amid rising tensions with the US, which has raised national security concerns regarding technology exports, prompting China to encourage local firms to adopt homegrown alternatives to US products.

Reuters

DeepMind and OpenAI achieve gold at ‘coding Olympics’ in AI milestone

Google DeepMind and OpenAI’s artificial intelligence models achieved “gold-medal level” against the best human competitors at the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) World Finals - the “coding Olympics” - in early September.

Financial Times

INTERNATIONAL

UK bosses admit they avoid employing pregnant women

Research from Bath University in the UK has found that many employers in England, Scotland, and Wales admit to avoiding hiring pregnant women, despite this being illegal under the Equality Act 2010. The study involved interviews with 37 managers, in which 23 expressed views indicating direct or indirect discrimination against pregnant women. Researchers also analysed data on workplace pregnancy and maternity discrimination. Rachel Grocott, chief executive of the campaign group Pregnant then Screwed, said the findings were "deeply shocking," observing: "These managers are making performance and hiring decisions based on conscious bias due to motherhood. It is also illegal."

The Times

Gap CEO urges staff to 'share opinions' following Kirk killing

Gap chief executive Richard Dickson is encouraging employees to share opinions about matters such as the killing of Charlie Kirk "in constructive, not divisive, ways." Bloomberg reports that, in an email to staff on Monday, Dickson wrote: “We have always stood for bridging gaps. It’s in our name. It’s in our DNA." He also said that the retailer plans to expand an internal forum where “teams come together to explore complex topics” to an external audience to create a “space for broader dialogue". The memo comes at a time when companies and universities have fired employees for cheering Mr Kirk’s killing on social media.

Bloomberg

Workers across France strike over budget cut plans

Hundreds of thousands of workers took part in strike action across France on Thursday, after trade unions called for a day of protests against budget cuts. Organisers said 1m people turned out, although the interior ministry put that number at 500,000, with 80,000 police officers deployed. Unions have called for more spending on public services, higher taxes on the wealthy, and for the budget cuts outlined by the short-lived Bayrou government to be axed.

BBC News

Euronews

France 24

OTHER

Norwegian salmon demand skyrockets in China

Norwegian salmon exports to China have surged, with a 120% increase in volume to 61,303 metric tonnes in the first eight months of this year. The export value reached 5.4 bn Norwegian kroner ($549 m), up 66% year-on-year. China has become Norway's third-largest seafood market, driven by the growing middle class and e-commerce. Sigmund Bjorgo, director of the Norwegian Seafood Council in China, noted that demand is rising as sushi and sashimi gain popularity. The council plans to boost online marketing efforts and expand partnerships with local sashimi chains.

China Daily

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