U.S. job growth slowed dramatically from 2 million in 2024 to 584,000 in 2025, with losses outside health care. At a recent CEO dinner in New York, executives debated linking job cuts explicitly to AI adoption. CEOs are deploying layoffs tied to AI as a lever to accelerate

Hong Kong’s residential property market is defying global urban trends with an 8% home price forecast hike from Citi, up from just 3% last October. Citi and Bank of America attribute this to lower mortgage rates and robust leasing demand reshaping buyer behaviour in 2026. But this rebound isn’

EV sales declines have reshaped global markets, with Tesla facing stiff competition especially in China where BYD has surpassed it by focusing on affordability. Despite this, Tesla is doubling down on autonomy, promising mass scale for its robotaxi fleet and launching production of the fully autonomous Cybercab this April. But

Flying car ventures face massive capital and regulatory hurdles globally, yet Hong Kong is emerging as the preferred listing venue for these futuristic players. Xpeng’s affiliate Ariage (formerly AeroHT) recently confidentially filed for an IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, backed by underwriters JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley.

China's solar industry once thrived on fierce price wars, driving costs so low they set global market standards. China's government recently stepped in to tame this brutal competition, aiming to protect domestic firms from collapsing margins. But what emerged was an unintended tilt toward monopolistic practices,

Chinese currency moves rarely make global headlines with direct stock impact. Yet the yuan’s breach of the 7 per US dollar level — a first in over two years — has propelled the CSI 300 Index and Hang Seng to over 3% gains in early 2026. This shift isn’t just

Hong Kong’s Central district office rents have rebounded sharply, contrasting flat global commercial real estate trends. Ares Management, one of Asia’s largest alternative investment firms, is doubling its footprint in Gloucester Tower with an additional 12,500 sq ft leased starting this year. This expansion is not just

Nasdaq 100 futures dropped 0.8% overnight as markets reeled from news that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is under investigation over testimony tied to Federal Reserve building renovations. The probe, reported by New York Times, revived fears that political pressure—long exerted by former President Donald Trump—is now

The threat of criminal charges against Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell marks an unprecedented political pressure on the Fed’s policy decisions. This probe, launched by the Department of Justice in January 2026, targets Powell’s refusal to cut interest rates despite Donald Trump’s demands, exposing tension between monetary

Drone warfare has transformed combat, slashing reconnaissance costs and multiplying battlefield visibility. Ukraine's frontline deployment of reconnaissance drones in Pokrovsk during 2025 revealed both astounding successes and hard systemic limits. Dimko Zhluktenko, leader of a Ukrainian drone squad, shows how opaque weather and finite drone supply block continuous

Foreign and Hong Kong retailers are shuttering stores across mainland China, a market once viewed as a growth goldmine. According to Shanghai-based LeadLeo Research Institute, outdated business models and a shifting macroeconomic landscape are behind this wave of closures. But these exits reveal more than failure—they expose a deeper

Hong Kong’s banking sector is about to absorb a staggering HK$106.16 billion (US$13.6 billion) cash influx from the Hang Seng Bank privatisation. By early February, around 15,000 Hang Seng Bank shareholders will receive payouts, unlocking massive liquidity primed for redeployment. Analysts predict that a

Online shopping increasingly depends on AI recommendations, but the key lever is data integration, not just chatbot wow-factor. Google’s Gemini just partnered with Walmart to tap years of purchase history from Walmart and Sam’s Club for tailored ASAI-powered suggestions and lightning-fast delivery options. This deal isn’t about

Hong Kong’s IPO market is surging with artificial intelligence at the forefront, led by Chinese chipmaker Biren Technology going public in early 2026. This resurgence isn’t just a market event—it signals China’s methodical use of Hong Kong as a strategic offshore funding hub. The move showcases

Layoffs are usually about cutting costs, but IgniteTech rewrote the rules by replacing nearly 80% of its staff to force an AI revolution. Eric Vaughan, the CEO, took this drastic step in 2023, declaring AI adoption an existential threat for every company. Yet, this wasn’t just a brutal purge—

About 30,000 to 35,000 barrels of oil per day flow from Venezuela to Cuba, effectively subsidizing its fragile economy. President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that this oil lifeline would be cut off, telling Cuba to "make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE." This