Daily News Update

Investors piled into EM rallies in early October [2025-10-05] (ft, bloomberg, bloomberg) and late September [2025-09-30] (ft), but rising political risks [2025-09-25] (bloomberg) and dwindling risk appetite [2025-10-08] (bloomberg, bloomberg) set the stage for corporate blowups [2025-10-12] (bloomberg, bloomberg).

A fire at an Indonesian nickel hub injuring three [2025-10-12] (reuters) layers onto a pattern of industrial accidents, including a major plant restart after a deadly landslide in May [2025-05-08] (bloomberg) and warnings of supply risk following another fatal landslide in April [2025-04-14] (bloomberg). Operational vulnerabilities are further highlighted by the Chinese-backed smelter's shutdown risk due to its parent company's collapse [2025-02-20] (bloomberg).

The boss of a company tied to the Post Office scandal has just been awarded a 50% pay rise [2025-10-12] (ft) despite Fujitsu’s UK goodwill being wiped out earlier in the year [2025-01-07] (ft, ft) and its shares slumping as the government pressed for a compensation plan [2025-07-09] (bloomberg). This rise comes while victims await expanded payouts under a revamped scheme [2025-10-09] (ft).

With the US tightening H-1B visa conditions, Germany stepped in to recruit Indian IT professionals, launching targeted campaigns in late 2025 [2025-09-24] (bloomberg, ft, nyt, bloomberg, ft) and earlier sounding the call to skilled workers during Scholz’s India visit [2023-02-26] (bloomberg). Despite this outreach, many Indians still struggle with language proficiency as they take up these new opportunities [2025-10-12] (nikkei).

As China’s rare earth dominance has undercut key projects in the US and Japan [2024-09-16] (bloomberg), shortages have emerged—from US supply gaps in critical magnet production [2025-06-02] (nikkei, bloomberg, reuters, nyt, nyt) to Japan’s steep drop in Chinese imports [2025-07-08] (bloomberg, nikkei). Against this backdrop, Taiwan now asserts it can meet most of its rare earth needs without relying on China [2025-10-12] (reuters).

After Kim Jong Un’s visit to Beijing [2025-09-01] (nikkei, bloomberg, reuters, reuters, nikkei) and Xi Jinping’s commitment to deepen ties [2025-09-04] (reuters, nikkei, bloomberg), Chinese Premier Li Qiang announced his own visit to Pyongyang [2025-10-07] (caixin, reuters), following North Korea’s foreign minister meeting with Chinese officials [2025-09-28] (reuters). These successive high-level engagements set the stage for the October announcement of strengthened strategic cooperation [2025-10-12] (reuters).

Several major employers have recently terminated staff over social media commentary on conservative influencer Charlie Kirk’s shooting, with Nasdaq firing an employee on 2025-09-12 (reuters, bloomberg) [2025-09-12] (reuters, bloomberg) and other US workers dismissed by 2025-09-17 (nyt, nyt, reuters, ft) [2025-09-17] (nyt, nyt, reuters, ft). These high-profile cases mirror the criticism in Target News of “knee-jerk” corporate reactions to staff posts [2025-10-12] (ft), highlighting a trend of zero-tolerance policies toward controversial online speech.

After early-year curb speculation drove a 2.3% price jump [2025-01-24] (bloomberg) and prices rose again before restrictions [2025-07-25] (bloomberg, marketwatch), home sales hit a nine-month high [2025-09-15] (bloomberg) even as prices accelerated [2025-10-01] (bloomberg), spurring warnings of harsh measures [2024-12-02] (bloomberg) and tighter cooling rules in July [2025-07-03] (bloomberg), before the latest project nearly sold out [2025-10-12] (bloomberg).

Australia's new threat from 'superweeds' emerges just days after reports of a dry spell trimming the nation's bumper wheat harvest [2025-10-07] (bloomberg). Historical patterns show that even beneficial rain failed to boost yields significantly [2025-07-24] (bloomberg), leaving fields vulnerable. Farmers have been juggling alternating floods and droughts this season [2025-07-06] (ft), and the rise of herbicide-resistant weeds now threatens to tip the balance and imperil export volumes [2025-10-12] (ft).

Since early May, Starmer and Macron held talks on Gaza alongside broader security issues [2025-05-05] (ft, bloomberg, reuters), building on phone diplomacy evident on [2025-05-16] (ft, bloomberg, bloomberg) that united European leaders. Macron’s July proposal to recognise a Palestinian state [2025-07-24] (ft, ft) shaped the UK’s stance, culminating in a joint UN strategy with Trump in September [2025-09-21] (ft, bloomberg, bloomberg, ft). This partnership now leads their attendance at the Middle East Peace Summit in Egypt [2025-10-11] (nyt, reuters, bloomberg).

Migrant crossings from North Africa have repeatedly ended in tragedy, including a boat sinking off Libya leaving seven survivors [2024-09-04] (nyt), Tunisia retrieving bodies and rescuing dozens [2024-05-18] (reuters), and 41 bodies recovered in Tunisian waters over 10 days [2023-04-28] (reuters), building on earlier incidents where over 100 migrants drowned off Libya [2019-07-26] (wsj). The latest recovery of 61 bodies west of Tripoli highlights the ongoing deadly risks of Mediterranean migration [2025-10-11] (reuters).

Opposition protests began as nationwide calls for fair elections [2025-08-09] (bloomberg) and quickly grew into mass rallies against Ouattara’s fourth-term bid [2025-08-16] (bloomberg). Security forces later detained hundreds of demonstrators in Abidjan ahead of the vote [2025-10-11] (bloomberg).

On 2025-10-11 (nyt, ft, reuters, bloomberg), President Trump announced he would ensure troops are paid even if the government remains shut down [2025-10-11] (nyt, ft, reuters, bloomberg). He indicated his administration has “identified funds” to cover military salaries during the funding lapse [2025-10-11] (nyt, ft, reuters, bloomberg) and confirmed payments would be made by Oct. 15 despite the impasse [2025-10-11] (nyt, ft, reuters, bloomberg).

Magnitude 5.7 earthquakes have recurred in diverse regions this year, with two separate shocks in northern Chile [2025-04-18] (reuters)[2025-05-26] (reuters), a GFZ-reported 5.7 in Seram, Indonesia [2025-06-04] (reuters), and the latest event in Ethiopia [2025-10-11] (reuters). A similar intensity was recorded off Italy’s Adriatic coast in late 2022 [2022-11-09] (reuters).