THE HOT STORY

Russia taps India for labour

Russia plans to recruit at least 40,000 Indian workers by 2026. The hiring initiative follows a labour mobility agreement signed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in December. Around 70,000 to 80,000 Indians are already employed in Russia. An Indian diplomat observed: "Russia needs workers, India needs to export unemployment." Russian economist Igor Lipsits has said that a big challenge for most Indian citizens in Russia is overcoming the language barrier. "You bring people into the country with whom you cannot communicate. This means that they can only be employed for the simplest jobs such as hauling, cleaning and shoveling snow," he said.

The Times of India

Deutsche Welle (EN)

LEGAL

Korea moves to stamp out wage theft

Korean labour officials are intensifying efforts against employers who withhold wages, labelling it a “grave social crime” affecting vulnerable migrant workers. The Ministry of Employment and Labor reported 1,350 investigations in 2025, with 14 serious cases leading to arrests. One notable case involved a pig farm owner accused of withholding 260m won ($180,000) from 62 foreign workers. Labour Minister Kim Young-hoon said: "We will move quickly to protect [migrant workers] through the substitute wage payment system and hold employers criminally liable." The government is also revising rules to protect noncitizen victims from deportation.

The Korea Times

TECHNOLOGY

IMF director issues unregulated AI warning

Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, has warned that unregulated AI could lead to job losses and societal issues. She suggested that the technology "is transforming our world faster than we are getting ahead of it." Georgieva warned of a "tsunami" that will see jobs transformed or eliminated, suggesting that "the stakes go beyond economics. Work brings dignity and purpose to people's lives. That's what makes the AI transformation so consequential." Meanwhile, Erik Brynjolfsson, director of Stanford's digital economy lab, says analysis shows that US workers aged 22-25 are already experiencing AI-related job losses, especially in sectors where AI "automates rather than augments labour."

The Guardian

REGULATION

NZ retail crime advisory group faces shake-up

Carolyn Young, chief executive of Retail NZ, has resigned from a ministerial advisory group on retail crime due to an untenable relationship with chair Sunny Kaushal. Her departure follows the resignations of two other members, leaving only two remaining. She described the group's environment as "very unpleasant" and noted that ongoing communication issues affected its effectiveness. Kaushal defended the group's work and spending, which has faced criticism. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith acknowledged the resignations and highlighted the group's ongoing efforts to address retail crime, which costs NZ$2.7bn ($1.61bn) annually.

The New Zealand Herald

STRATEGY

Micron to invest $24bn in new chip manufacturing plant in Singapore

Micron Technology has announced plans to establish a $24bn memory chip manufacturing plant in Singapore to address the ongoing global shortage of memory chips, particularly as demand surges due to advances in artificial intelligence. The facility will span 700,000 square feet and is expected to begin wafer output in the latter half of 2028, further enhancing Micron's existing operations in the country, where it currently produces 98% of its flash memory. As part of the initiative, Micron is also building a $7bn advanced packaging plant for high bandwidth memory chips, with production set to start in 2027.

Reuters

ECONOMY

Japanese C-store sales hit record high in 2025

Convenience store sales in Japan hit a record high for the fourth consecutive year in 2025, with total sales rising 2.2% to ¥12.05tn ($75.8 bn) and same-store sales up 1.9% to ¥11.58tn, the Japan Franchise Association has reported. Strong demand for ice cream and beverages during a hot June contributed to growth, while the number of stores increased by over 300 to 56,054. Although customer numbers dipped slightly, the average spend per person rose by 2.5% to ¥737.9 due to higher prices and promotions. Sales momentum continued in December, with same‑store sales up 1.1% supported by promotional tie‑ins. Increased tourism - there were over 40m visitors in 2025 - also helped boost overall sales.

Japan Times

POLITICAL

Top China general accused of leaking nuclear secrets to US

China’s senior-most general is suspected of passing secret information about the country's nuclear weapons program to the US, the Wall Street Journal reports. Zhang Youxia is also accused of accepting bribes for official acts and allegedly forming political cliques and abusing his authority on military decisions. Authorities' investigations into Zhang are part of Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s campaign to root out corruption and disloyalty in the armed forces, which some analysts say marks the most aggressive dismantling of China’s military leadership since the Mao Zedong era.

Wall Street Journal

INTERNATIONAL

US guidance that expanded workplace protections for LGBTQ workers is scrapped

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s newly-established Republican majority has rescinded legal guidance that had strengthened protections against unlawful harassment for LGBTQ workers and women who have abortions. EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas emphasized that the commission’s decision “will not leave a void where employers are free to harass wherever they see fit, leaving a trail of victims in their wake.” Recently-installed Commissioner Brittany Panuccio added that private sector resources on anti-harassment law would fill any gaps. But critics said the move could discourage employers from preventing harassment and leave workers without recourse when they face it. "This action is likely to increase the amount of harassment that occurs in workplaces across the country," a dozen former EEOC and U.S. Department of Labor officials said in a joint statement.

AP News

Yahoo News Australia

Reuters

AI-related disputes 'are biggest emerging litigation risk'

According to the Shoosmiths Litigation Risk 2026 report, AI-related litigation risks have overtaken traditional concerns such as intellectual property and breach of contract as the most threatening emerging risk over the next three years. The report, based on feedback from 360 UK-based general counsel and senior in-house lawyers, reveals that over half expect an increase in AI litigation. Notably, 87% of respondents expressed concern over AI-related employment disputes and discrimination claims. Geopolitical factors also play a role, with 73% of firms believing state-sponsored cyber-attacks have heightened litigation risks. Alex Bishop, partner at Shoosmiths, said: “We’re in an era of global instability, and that is having a real impact across boardrooms.”

The Global Legal Post

BNP Paribas plans ‌to cut around 1,200 asset management jobs

French lender BNP Paribas plans ‌to cut around 1,200 jobs at its asset management unit by the end of 2027. About ‌600 positions in France will be affected, said a union source, who added that about 230 ‌new local jobs would also ‍be ⁠created as part of the plan to cut costs following the bank's €5.1bn acquisition of AXA Investment Managers. The merger created Europe’s third-largest asset manager.

U.S. News & World Report

Egypt signs agreement to develop integrated textile industrial complex

Egypt's Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development, Kamel Al-Wazir, has announced a new integrated spinning and textile industrial complex in New October City, backed by $350m in investments. The project, developed under the private free zones system, spans 800,000 square metres and aims to enhance local manufacturing and reduce import reliance. Al-Wazir said: "The project aligns with the state's strategy to revive the textile industry." Once operational, it is expected to create around 20,000 direct jobs, reinforcing Egypt's position as a regional textile hub.

Zawya EN

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