Human Times

APAC Edition

23rd September 2025

THE HOT STORY

H-1B workers overseas race to US following Trump order

Workers on H-1B visas from India and China were forced to abandon their travel plans and race back to the US at the weekend after President Donald Trump imposed new visa fees. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Friday that companies would have to pay $100,000 per year for H-1B worker visas. Urgent memos to employees were sent by tech companies and banks, advising them to return before a deadline of 12:01 a.m. EDT on Sunday (0401 GMT), and instructing them not to leave the country. Reuters reports that Trump's proclamation on Friday had set off alarm bells among employers even though a White House official on Saturday, addressing some of the confusion over who would be affected, sought to clarify that the order applied only to new applicants and not to holders of existing visas or those seeking renewals.

Reuters

Straits Times

RISK

Australian telecoms firm resolves outage

Optus, Australia's second-largest telecom provider, has attributed a 13-hour outage of emergency call services to a deviation from established processes during a network upgrade. The outage has been linked to four fatalities. The incident, which affected around 600 customers, prompted the Australian government to announce an investigation into what it deemed an "unacceptable" failure. Optus chief executive Stephen Rue expressed his deep regret over the loss of life. The outage follows a series of previous issues for Optus, including a significant fine for a similar failure last year and a cyberattack in 2022, leading to increased scrutiny of the company's operational practices.

Reuters

WORKFORCE

Fresh graduates enter Singapore's workforce faster

As of June 2025, 9,300 fresh resident graduates in Singapore secured employment, marking a 51.9% employment rate, up from 47.9% the previous year. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) reported the news alongside its second-quarter labour market findings. Demand for entry-level roles remains strong, with 4,300 job openings, particularly for research and development managers. However, the report noted a decline in the proportion of retrenched residents finding jobs within six months, dropping from 60.6% to 56.3%. MOM observed: "More eventually managed to find work after a longer job search." Overall, the unemployment rate remained steady at 2%.

Straits Times

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

Building a global network for fostering AI workers

Thirty-four Korean artificial intelligence researchers recently presented their achievements at the 2025 Korea Day @ Microsoft Research Asia (MSRA) in Beijing. Organised by the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Institute of Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation (IITP), and MSRA, the event showcased projects on agentic and multimodal AI. IITP President Hong Jin-bae said: "Through Korea Day @ MSRA, young Korean researchers were able to gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge topics." The IITP's internship programme has produced over 170 graduates since 2011, with many securing positions in leading IT firms and universities.

The Korea Times

HEALTH & WELLBEING

A quarter of Singapore adults experience mild symptoms of depression and anxiety

The National Council of Social Service (NCSS) study reveals that 26% of Singapore adults experience mild depressive or anxiety symptoms, with 19% facing moderate symptoms. In response, CapitaLand and Touch Community Services will establish a workplace mental wellness centre in Singapore's CBD by 2026. The Beyond the Label Collective has also launched workshops to support employees returning from mental health-related absences.

Straits Times

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

L'Oréal Thailand champions sustainability and inclusion

L'Oréal Thailand says it is reinforcing its commitment to sustainability and social impact by prioritising people. The company promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) while empowering women and youth. L'Oréal's initiatives include fair recruitment practices and updated benefits for same-sex couples. The “L'Oréal for Youth” initiative creates over 25,000 job opportunities annually for those under 30. Additionally, the “L'Oréal for All Generations” programme fosters collaboration among employees of all ages.

Bangkok Post

TECHNOLOGY

DeepSeek's AI code flaws exposed

Research by CrowdStrike reveals that DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence engine, often produces flawed code when asked to assist with programming for sensitive topics such as the religious movement Falun Gong. The study also found that requests related to the Islamic State resulted in 42.1% of unsafe responses. DeepSeek rejected 61% of requests for Islamic State projects and 45% for Falun Gong. The results suggest political influences may compromise the quality of AI-generated code.

Washington Post

Why ‘human agency’ is the new AI buzzword

Stanford University’s human agency research measures the level of automation that workers want from AI, versus the human agency they want to preserve. It's "fascinating," writes the Financial Times' Isabel Berwick.

Stanford HAI

Financial Times

ECONOMY

Hong Kong weighs tax rebates for overseas, mainland firms in Northern Metropolis

Hong Kong is considering offering tax rebates to mainland Chinese and overseas companies that it wants to attract to the Northern Metropolis. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said: “Our tax rates are low and very competitive. There is also an international trend that opposes the use of [low] taxation to compete for investment and considers that unfair and may not be accepted by the international community . . . When attracting industries, even when we have levied the tax, we could rebate it in different ways. It’s an option, and we must be flexible and creative.”

South China Morning Post

INTERNATIONAL

PwC culls jobs of 60 partners and 1,500 staff in Middle East after Saudi clash

PwC has cut the jobs of about 60 partners and 1,500 staff from its Middle East business as part of its efforts to deal with a year-long ban on new advisory contracts imposed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF). PwC had been working on PIF projects including the $500bn Neom development. However, an unwillingness to take on audit work that would conflict with more lucrative consulting contracts, along with an attempt to hire Neom's chief internal audit officer, created "friction and angst," according to the Financial Times.

Bloomberg

Financial Times

German pilots admit to in-flight naps

The German pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) has reported that 93% of pilots admitted to falling asleep during flights, with 44% napping regularly. The survey, which included over 900 pilots, highlighted growing concerns about cockpit fatigue amid staffing shortages and tight schedules. VC spokesperson Katharina Dieseldorff said: "A short nap is not critical in itself. But a cabin crew that is permanently exhausted poses a significant risk." The union has called for regulatory reforms to address chronic overwork and improve flight duty oversight, especially during peak travel seasons.

The Jerusalem Post

Albania appoints world's first AI-generated 'minister'

Albania has appointed an artificial intelligence-generated "minister" named Diella to oversee public procurement and combat corruption in public tenders. Diella, previously a virtual assistant, has already assisted over 1m applications on the e-Albania platform. Prime Minister Edi Rama said: "We're working with a brilliant team . . . to wipe out every potential influence on public biddings." However, legal experts say more work may be needed to establish Diella's official status.

OTHER

Nappy crisis: beetles bug Australia

Australia has discovered khapra beetle larvae in imported nappies sold nationwide, raising alarms about potential infestations that could disrupt the agricultural sector. The agriculture ministry is collaborating with the importer and retailer Woolworths to address the issue, which was first reported in New South Wales on September 7th. Xavier Martin, president of NSW Farmers, warned: "This is a pest that would have the same impact as a foot and mouth animal disease outbreak in Australia." The affected nappies, Little One's Ultra Dry Nappy Pants Walker Size 5, are exclusively sold by Woolworths, which has since removed them from shelves. The ministry advises consumers to seal any purchased nappies and contact authorities.

Reuters

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