Human Times

APAC Edition

24th April 2026

THE HOT STORY

Samsung workers protest over SK Hynix pay gap

An estimated 40,000 workers at Samsung Electronics' massive factory complex south of Seoul protested on Thursday over compensation levels. Workers are aggrieved by what they say is a massive gap in bonus pay with rival SK Hynix. "Many employees are leaving for SK Hynix . . . At the end of the day, more than 90% of employees work for pay, and the compensation gap has become so wide that it's driving these moves," said Song Yong-gi, who handles logistics tasks for an assembly line in Samsung's chip division. Reuters notes that SK Hynix beat Samsung in delivering high bandwidth memory for artificial intelligence chip units to Nvidia and other clients following the release of ChatGPT in late 2022.

Reuters

Straits Times

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HIRING

Unemployment spikes for key Chinese age group

China's labour market is facing significant challenges, particularly for early-career workers aged 25 to 29, with unemployment for this group increasing to 7.7% in March. The increase has been attributed to factors including the ongoing conflict in Iran and the growing impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on job displacement. “The uncertainties on costs brought by the Iran war might have disturbed hiring plans and led to a worsening of labour market indicators in March, after they showed some improvements in earlier months,” observed Ernan Cui, a consumer analyst at the research firm Gavekal Dragonomics.

Business Times SG

LEADERSHIP

Dan Shapero is LinkedIn's new CEO

LinkedIn has named Daniel Shapero as its new chief executive. Shapero, who joined LinkedIn in 2008 ⁠as a general manager for the LinkedIn Research Network, will replace Ryan Roslansky. “Dan has led sales, marketing, and product across the most important parts of this business,” Roslansky wrote in a LinkedIn post on Wednesday. “He knows our members, our customers, and carries the mission in a way that’s genuinely rare.” Roslansky will retain his position as executive vice president at LinkedIn parent Microsoft.

CNBC

CYBERSECURITY

North Korea's Lazarus suspected of stealing $290m in KelpDAO cyberattack

North Korean hacking group Lazarus is believed to be behind the theft of nearly $300m in cryptocurrency last weekend. A cryptocurrency token linked to the major Ethereum currency was “drained” from KelpDAO. The South China Morning Post notes that North Korea's sophisticated cybercrime programme uses stolen cryptocurrency to help fund its nuclear weapons development, according to a United Nations panel.

South China Morning Post

STRATEGY

Strategic firms consider Hong Kong expansion

Pfizer and Amgen are among 22 strategic enterprises planning to expand in Hong Kong as part of the government's investment-attraction initiative. This marks the sixth cohort since the initiative's launch. Pfizer, the leading pharmaceutical company which is valued at HK$1.2tn, and Amgen, a biotech that focuses on human therapeutics for serious illnesses and has a market capitalisation of approximately HK$1.5tn, along with others from the fintech and aerial transport sectors, will sign agreements with the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises.

South China Morning Post

RISK

Regulators monitor Anthropic's Mythos for banking risks

Reuters reports that global regulators are monitoring the development of Anthropic's frontier AI model Mythos, which experts say could have the capability to be used ‌to destabilise banking systems. "ASIC is closely monitoring these developments along ⁠with peer regulators to assess possible implications for the Australian market," a spokesperson for the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) said. Meanwhile, South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) said on Monday it had recently held a meeting ⁠with information security officials from financial firms to review Mythos-related risks.

Reuters

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

HK firms face new auditor rules

New regulations require Hong Kong listed companies to obtain shareholder approval for auditor changes. The move aims to enhance corporate governance and transparency in the $7.5trn market. Firms must now only appoint or remove auditors during general meetings. Additionally, companies are mandated to disclose specific audit fees to prevent disputes over fees being used as a reason for dismissal. The new rules close a loophole that allowed boards to pressure auditors into resigning without shareholder oversight.

Bloomberg Tax

LEGAL

Settlement initiative for faster justice in India

India's Supreme Court has announced “Supreme Court Action for Mediated Adjudication and Disputes Harmonization Across Nation” - a nationwide initiative to accelerate consensual dispute resolution. The initiative, which is being launched under the leadership of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, aims to progress what the court described as a vision of “participative justice” and “doorstep delivery of justice.” It encourages litigants, lawyers and stakeholders to opt for amicable settlement of pending cases before the top court through consent-based mechanisms. “Mediation creates a win-win situation,” CJI Kant has previously said, observing that the process enables both parties to leave “with smiling faces,” preserving relationships and strengthening the social fabric. He said mediation is a strategy with “immense immediate potential.”

Hindustan Times

TAX

Japan to collect more from outbound travellers

Japan will increase its international departure tax from ¥1,000 to ¥3,000 per person starting July 1, 2026. The tax, often dubbed the "Sayonara Tax," applies to all departing travellers, including foreign tourists and Japanese nationals. Infants under two and eligible transit passengers are exempt. The revenue aims to enhance tourism infrastructure and visitor services.

The Nation

INTERNATIONAL

Trump's Labor Secretary resigns amid probe into misconduct

Donald Trump’s Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer has resigned. She is the third member of Trump’s cabinet to leave their post in less than two months. In January, the New York Post reported that the Labor Department's inspector general was looking into complaints that Chavez-DeRemer was having an affair with a member of her security detail, drinking alcohol on the job, and using taxpayer-funded travel to visit with friends and family members. Deputy Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling is to take on the role of Acting Secretary of Labor.

Financial Times

NPR / National Public Radio

U.S. News

Russian publisher's staff quizzed over 'LGBT propaganda'

Moscow's Eksmo publishing house faces scrutiny as authorities question staff over alleged "LGBT propaganda" in its catalogue. Raids by the Investigative Committee targeted Eksmo's offices, leading to the questioning of general director Evgeniy Kapiev and three employees. The investigation relates to titles published by Popcorn Books, which was acquired by Eksmo in 2023, and whose titles feature LGBT themes. Eksmo said that no books were seized and that the questioning is linked to testimony from former Popcorn employees. The Kremlin has not commented on the situation.

U.S. News

OTHER

Pakistan reviews Hajj preparations

Pakistan's Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf last week reviewed preparations for Hajj 2026. The country will send over 179,000 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. The first flight departed on April 18, with operations continuing until May 21. Yousaf urged pilgrims to follow the Khuddam-ul-Hujjaj's instructions and comply with Saudi laws. He directed officials to ensure hospitals and dispensaries in Makkah and Madinah are operational before pilgrims arrive. The ministry also encourages the use of the “Pak Hajj 2026” mobile app for flight information.

Arab News

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