Human Times

APAC Edition

9th December 2025

THE HOT STORY

Internet platforms warned not to shift tax burden onto China's gig workers

China’s State Taxation Administration has told internet platforms to avoid passing tax obligations onto gig workers, as it increases regulation and further seeks to crackdown on tax-dodging internet influencers. “Platforms should not disguise additional fees during tax withholding and remittance processes, nor should they use such processes to shift tax obligations and increase gig workers’ burdens,” officials from the tax authority said. As oversight increases, the administration said gig workers, including food-delivery riders and ride-hailing drivers, would be exempt from tax reporting requirements, which are typically handled by platforms.

South China Morning Post

REGULATION

Australia's world first social media ban takes effect

Australia has become the first country to implement a minimum age for social media use. Platforms including Instagram, TikTok and YouTube will have to block more than a million accounts. Other governments around the world - and some US states - say they plan similar steps. "[The ban] could become a proof of concept that gains traction around the world," observed Nate Fast, a professor at the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business. Big Tech is unhappy with the legislation. "Australia is engaged in blanket censorship that will make its youth less informed, less connected, and less equipped to navigate the spaces they will be expected to understand as adults," said Paul Taske from NetChoice, a trade group representing several big tech companies.

BBC News

Reuters

HIRING

Singapore hiring outlook at a four-year low

Hiring sentiment in Singapore is expected to decline significantly in Q1 2026, reaching its lowest level since 2022, according to the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey. The net employment outlook stands at 15%, down five percentage points from the previous quarter and 11 points from last year. While hiring remains positive, it is subdued compared to the global average of 24%. Linda Teo, country manager of ManpowerGroup Singapore, described this period as one of "recalibration," with many employers opting for stability amid economic uncertainty.

Business Times SG

REMOTE WORKING

OECD to tackle global mobility and remote-work tax challenges

The OECD is preparing to make global mobility and remote-work taxation its next major policy focus, according to Manal Corwin, director of the Center for Tax Policy and Administration. Speaking virtually at the Foundation for International Tax conference in Mumbai, she said tax systems must adapt to shifting geopolitical and economic realities as cross-border remote work becomes more common. The OECD has begun a diagnostic and scoping process to gather input from governments, businesses and advisers, and will launch a public consultation in January. The initiative aims to clarify how countries should address emerging tax, compliance and residence issues linked to mobile workforces.

Bloomberg Tax

CYBERSECURITY

Apple and Google issue global spyware alerts to users

Apple and Google have alerted users across at least 80 countries about potential spyware threats, following a recent notification on December 2 regarding surveillance targeting. Both companies have cited the use of Intellexa spyware linked to several hundred accounts in countries including Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The notifications aim to impose costs on cyber spies by alerting victims, and may lead to further investigations into spyware abuses.

Reuters

STRATEGY

Amazon India to open two new dark stores daily

Amazon India plans to open two new dark stores every day, taking its total count to over 300 by the end of the year. The facilities will be launched across Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai, according to country manager Samir Kumar. "This rapid scale-up reflects our commitment to serving more neighbourhoods with the speed and selection customers expect from Amazon - from essentials in minutes through Amazon Now and a broader selection with deliveries in a few hours, the same day or next day", he added.

Economic Times

TECHNOLOGY

7-Eleven Japan to test autonomous delivery truck

Seven-Eleven Japan Co. has partnered with T2 Inc. and Mitsui & Co. Retail Group to develop an autonomous truck for long-haul product transportation. The tests are scheduled to take place three times by April next year on some sections of the Tomei Expressway and the Meishin Expressway, on a route between Niiza, Saitama Prefecture, and Amagasaki in western Japan.

Nikkei Asia

Nippon

ECONOMY

Thailand's consumer confidence hits six-month high

A measure of Thailand’s consumer confidence rose for a third consecutive month in November to 53.2, its highest level in six months, driven by government stimulus policies and support for domestic tourism, according to the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce. However, optimism is tempered by concerns over slow economic recovery, high living costs, southern flooding, and geopolitical tensions with Cambodia.

Reuters

INTERNATIONAL

Louvre Museum workers confirm strike action

Workers at the Louvre Museum in Paris have voted to strike, citing deteriorating working conditions, a controversial ticket price increase for non-European visitors, and significant security vulnerabilities. In a letter addressed to France's culture minister, Rachida Dati, the CGT, CFDT and Sud labour unions described the museum as being in "crisis" and plagued by insufficient resources. Industrial action will commence next Monday.

France 24

Temperature increase is accelerating in Arab Region

The Arab region had its hottest year on record in 2024, and the rate of warming has accelerated in recent decades, accompanied by more intense heatwaves and droughts as well as extreme rainfall and storms, according to the inaugural World Meteorological Organization (WMO) report on the State of the Climate in the Arab Region. “2024 was the hottest year on record for the Arab region – a continuation of a long-term trend. Temperatures are rising at twice the global average, with intense heatwaves that are pushing society to the limits. Human health, ecosystems and economies can’t cope with extended spells of more than 50 °Celsius – it is simply too hot to handle,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.

World Meteorological Organization

Financial Times

Italian fashion houses face labour abuse probe

Multiple Italian fashion houses, including Gucci, Prada, and Versace, have been asked to provide governance and supply chain documents in a police probe into labour abuses at subcontractors. Authorities are investigating potential links to worker exploitation uncovered in Chinese-owned workshops, though none of the 13 brands involved is currently under investigation. The move is part of a broader effort by Italian prosecutors to clean up the luxury supply chain and support government plans for legal certification of "Made in Italy" goods.

Reuters

South China Morning Post

OTHER

Global billionaire population hits record 2,900 in 2025

The number of billionaires worldwide has risen to 2,900, collectively controlling $15.8tn in wealth, according to a new report from UBS. This marks an increase from 2,700 billionaires with $14tn in 2024, driven by tech sector valuations, rising share prices, and investment gains. UBS recorded 287 new billionaires, the second-highest annual increase since tracking began in 2015, split between entrepreneurs and heirs, including Colossal Biosciences founder Ben Lamm and 15 members of two German pharmaceutical dynasties. The rise reflects a broader generational transfer of wealth, with inheritance playing a growing role. The US remains the dominant region, though billionaire clients surveyed by UBS reported declining short-term investment appeal in North America (63%, down from 81%), with growing interest in Western Europe and Asia.

Wall Street Journal

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