SoftBank Corp and mobile payments operator PayPay are in preliminary talks to invest several hundred billion yen into retail giant Seven & i Holdings, according to a report by Bloomberg News. The potential deal may also include a stake from Sumitomo Mitsui Card, a subsidiary of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, though none of the involved … Read more
Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek is developing its own custom inference chips to decrease its reliance on Nvidia and Huawei hardware. According to three people familiar with the matter, the company has ramped up its recruitment of chip-design engineers and is currently in discussions with foundry and memory partners to support its semiconductor ambitions. Why … Read more
Foxconn, the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer, reported a 39.8% year-on-year revenue increase for the second quarter, reaching T$2.513 trillion ($78.71 billion). According to the company’s official statement, the surge was driven primarily by strong demand for artificial intelligence hardware, cementing its position as Nvidia’s biggest server maker. Why AI demand is driving Foxconn’s growth … Read more
Indonesia is preparing to scale back President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship free meals programme, with officials weighing a budget cut of more than $2 billion and reductions in both kitchens and beneficiaries. According to two sources and an internal presentation, the National Nutrition Agency (NNA) is targeting a reduction of at least 15% to address mounting … Read more
Oil prices for Brent and WTI crude reached their lowest levels since February 27 as Middle Eastern supply returns to the global market. According to Reuters, rising expectations of increased oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz are outweighing record-low U.S. crude stocks, pushing Brent to $72.52 and WTI to $69.32 per barrel. Why are … Read more
More than 5,300 people remain trapped in forced-labor online scam hubs near the Myanmar-Thai border, according to the Civil Society Network for Human Trafficking Victim Assistance (CSNHTV). The organization, which monitors human rights abuses in the region, reports that these victims are being held in four distinct compounds controlled by the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army … Read more
China’s decision to eliminate tariffs for 53 African nations, combined with a 18% surge in annual China-Africa trade, is accelerating the use of the yuan across the continent. By bypassing the U.S. dollar in bilateral settlements, Beijing is building alternative financial infrastructure, such as the Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS), to reduce reliance on Western-dominated … Read more
The Pakistani government proposed an 18.77 trillion rupee ($67.49 billion) national budget on June 12, 2026, prioritizing an 18% increase in defense spending while tightening federal development expenditure to 1 trillion rupees. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb stated the budget aims to secure the nation’s defense amid regional uncertainty while maintaining a $7 billion International Monetary … Read more
Crude Oil Markets at a Crossroads: Why Chinese Demand is Redefining Global Trade The global energy landscape is currently undergoing a significant shift. In the world’s largest oil-importing market, China, a combination of sluggish domestic demand and thinning refining margins is forcing a major recalibration. Independent refiners—the so-called “teapots” of Shandong—are pulling back, and the … Read more
The Geopolitical Risk Premium: Why the Dollar Dominates in Times of Crisis In the world of global finance, uncertainty is the ultimate catalyst. When headlines shift from economic data to military maneuvers, the market’s “flight to quality” instinct kicks in almost instantly. We are currently witnessing a classic manifestation of this: the strengthening of the … Read more