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APAC Edition
24th March 2026
 
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THE HOT STORY

World Bank targets AI-resilient sectors to boost jobs

The World Bank has identified tourism, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, agriculture, and renewable energy as the most AI-resilient sources of employment, as the lender adjusts its approach to account for the potential impact of the technology on workers as it seeks to boost job creation amid a deepening global jobs crisis. The Washington-headquartered bank said it is working with the private sector to create jobs, as research shows that 80% of employment needs to come from the private sector. World Bank chief knowledge officer Paschal Donohoe said in an interview: “We are now looking at how we can engage with governments in projects in those areas . . . We believe on balance actually that in those kind of sectors, AI will not be the challenge to job creation that it could be in the economy overall.” An estimated 800 million people worldwide lack adequate employment, Donohue said.
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WORKFORCE

Japanese firms agree to raise wages by more than 5% for a third consecutive year

Japanese companies have agreed to raise wages by more than 5% for a third consecutive year, ​according to Rengo, Japan's largest labour union umbrella group. The 7m-member union said its preliminary tally early results from annual labour talks showed an average wage hike of 5.26% for this ​year. "The ​first round of results shows we have got off to a strong start," Rengo chief Tomoko Yoshino said. Reuters notes that this year's figure compares with last year's initial reading of 5.46%, which was later revised ​down in stages to a final 5.25%, but which was still the biggest pay rise ⁠in 34 years.

ABC staff to walk off the job

Thousands of ABC staff are set to strike on Wednesday after pay negotiations failed. Deena Amorelli, ABC's chief people officer, informed staff that only 40% supported the new pay agreement in a vote. The walkout is scheduled for 11am, which will disrupt live broadcasts and delay TV show recordings. The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) and the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) represent the Australian broadcaster's staff. The strike marks the first significant action since a 24-hour walkout in 2006.
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HEALTH & WELLBEING

Employees try ‘microshifting’ to reclaim their personal lives

So-called "microshifting" is seeking to transform traditional work schedules by enabling employees to manage their time in short, productive bursts. This flexible scheduling method is gaining traction because it prioritises work-life balance, while experts such as Kevin Rockmann, a professor of management at George Mason University's Costello College of Business, also observe that such autonomy in scheduling can enhance motivation and productivity. However, while microshifting can improve personal relationships, it is feared that it could strain professional ones, because it prioritises individual needs over team collaboration. Effective teams are committed to working together collaboratively, but "the whole idea of microshifting is taking care of yourself,” Rockmann says. “It's not that taking care of yourself is bad. It places the emphasis on the individual, not the relationships.”
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HIRING

OpenAI to nearly double workforce to 8,000 by end- of 2026

Artificial intelligence start-up OpenAI plans to nearly ​double its workforce to 8,000 ‌from 4,500 by the end of 2026, the Financial Times has reported, ​citing two people with knowledge of ​the matter. The maker of ChatGPT is ​also increasing recruitment of specialists focused on "technical ambassadorship," ‌to help businesses make better use of its tools, the report added. The hiring plans come amid a race with competitors including Anthropic and Microsoft to woo corporate customers using AI as coding assistants.
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TECHNOLOGY

Australian legal tech firm raises A$7m to beat ‘fact chaos'

Mary Technology, an Australian legal tech startup, has raised A$7m to address "fact chaos" in litigation. Their Fact Management System allows users to upload various documents, enabling AI to extract key facts, tag themes, and create searchable chronologies. Lawyers have reported time savings of 50%-90% on document review, with one associate calling it “a game-changer for massive clinical record loads.” The company is experiencing significant growth, with over 2,000 lawyers using the system across 100+ Australian firms. Chief executive Daniel Lord-Doyle emphasizes the importance of managing facts effectively, observing: “Facts determine whether a legal case is won or lost.” Fresh funding will support the firm's global expansion, including a new office in San Francisco and a self-serve model for smaller firms.
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LEGAL

Beijing financial court targets internet finance and AI legal risks

The Beijing Financial Court has pledged to address emerging internet finance challenges, particularly in curbing virtual currency speculation and enhancing legal risk assessments for artificial intelligence. The court's new guideline aims to improve financial adjudication quality and support Beijing's high-quality development during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30). The guideline emphasises the need for stronger judicial safeguards for the Belt and Road Initiative and the protection of Chinese enterprises' overseas rights. Additionally, the court plans to enhance financial services for senior citizens and improve access to financing for the silver economy. Since its establishment on March 18, 2021, the court has handled 39,000 cases, concluding 37,000 with a total value of 1.4tn yuan ($204bn), significantly contributing to a robust rule of law environment for market entities.
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TAX

Takaichi denies future consumption tax hike

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has said that there will be no future increases to the consumption tax rate, currently set at 10%. During a House of Councillors Budget Committee meeting, she said: "I'm not considering a further consumption tax hike." Following the planned two-year consumption tax rate cut to zero for food products, the prime minister said: "We'll shift to a refundable tax credit system as we fully understand the necessity of the consumption tax. "
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INTERNATIONAL

ICE to be at airports starting Monday

White House border czar Tom Homan has said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will be deployed to airports across the country Monday to assist TSA officers with security at entrances and exits where lines have been particularly long in recent weeks. Hundreds of thousands of homeland security workers, including from the TSA, U.S. Secret Service and Coast Guard, have worked without pay since Congress failed to renew DHS funding last month. In an interview with CNN’s “State of the Union,” Homan said that he is devising a plan with Tedd Lyons, acting director of ICE, and Ha Nguyen McNeill, acting administrator for TSA, to determine where agents would best fit at airports across the nation. Everett Kelley, the national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents TSA agents and other federal workers, said the agents' deployment presented security concerns for passengers. “Our members at TSA have been showing up every day, without a paycheck, because they believe in the mission of keeping the flying public safe . . . They deserve to be paid, not replaced by untrained, armed agents who have shown how dangerous they can be.”

Accor denies involvement in child trafficking following report

French hotel operator Accor - whose brands include Sofitel, Novotel, and Ibis - has launched an investigation following a report by short-seller Grizzly Research that questioned the group’s human rights practices. The short-seller said it is betting against Accor, alleging some of its hotels ignored red flags strongly suggestive of child trafficking when making bookings in “an obvious sexual context.” Accor said it denies “involvement in the alleged systemic exploitation of human or child trafficking,” adding that it will take “all appropriate measures” and could prosecute parties involved if the allegations are confirmed. Employees and partners working under its various brands are trained to detect and combat sexual trafficking and the exploitation of children, Accor said.
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OTHER

Singapore launches cash-for-bottles scheme to boost recycling

Singapore is introducing a nationwide deposit return scheme offering cash refunds for empty plastic and metal beverage containers, aiming to tackle low recycling rates and reduce waste. From April 1st, over 1,000 return machines will be deployed, rising to 2,000 within a year, with consumers receiving 10 Singapore cents per container. The initiative is expected to recover more than 16,000 tonnes of material annually. The move comes as Singapore’s recycling rate has fallen to 50%, with plastic recycling at just 5%, and growing pressure to cut landfill use as the country’s only landfill is projected to reach capacity by 2035.
 
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