Finance news

Thai ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra granted royal pardon to mark queen’s birthday

Thailand’s former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has met the conditions for a royal pardon as part of clemency measure marking the queen’s birthday, the justice minister said on Wednesday. Thaksin, 76, served eight months of a one-year sentence for corruption and abuse of power before he was released on parole last month due to his age. The Department of Corrections said the ex-leader was required to wear an electronic monitoring device as a condition of his release. Justice Minister...

Is the company pension scheme worth it if the employer only contributes the legal minimum but does not specify a contract?

Just for fun, I recently asked the human resources department whether my employer offers a statutory pension plan. In fact, it seems so unusual here in the house that the first colleague I asked answered straight away: “We don’t have anything like that.” Since that can't be the case, I sent the request again in writing to the head of the human resources department. The answer is essentially: deferred compensation is offered, but the employer says so

IPO: SpaceX is apparently targeting $135 per share for its IPO

SpaceX plans to raise up to $75 billion from its IPO. However, it is unusual to name a clear target price for shares so early on.

War: Zelensky praises drone troops after attack on Petersburg

In St. Petersburg, Kremlin leader Putin wants to show international guests how well Russia is doing four years after the start of the war. Ukraine is now disrupting the impression of idyll with a drone attack.

More Hong Kong airlines cancel flights as Typhoon Jangmi bears down on Tokyo

More Hong Kong carriers including Cathay Pacific Airways and Hong Kong Airlines cancelled or rescheduled flights to Japan on Wednesday as Typhoon Jangmi headed towards Tokyo. Cathay, the city’s flag carrier, cancelled six scheduled flights between Hong Kong and Japan, affecting routes to and from Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya on Wednesday. The airline said it had notified all affected customers and rebooked them onto alternative flights, waiving all rebooking and re-routing fees. “We are closely...

Chip prodigy returns to China, coal waste used for critical minerals: 7 science highlights

We have put together stories from our coverage on science from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Chinese archaeologist who discovered 5,000-year-old city pleads guilty to corruption Liu Bin, a Chinese archaeologist credited with discovering a vast 5,000-year-old prehistoric city that rewrote the history of Chinese civilisation, has pleaded guilty to taking bribes and embezzlement. 2. Chip prodigy Da Bo...

Australian LNG Strike Begins to Disrupt Cargo Loadings at Ichthys

Industrial action at the Ichthys LNG project offshore Australia has started to affect loadings, with Reuters reporting that one tanker has been delayed as a result of the limited strike. The strike, limited to two hours in the mornings and two hours in the evenings, began earlier this week, after trade unions representing workers at Ichthys and the operator of the project, Japan’s Inpex, failed to reach an agreement on wages and working conditions. The Pacific Breeze LNG carrier docked at Ichthy

Traffic: BGH ruling: rental cars must be returned to the company headquarters after the journey

Unlike taxis, rental cars from Uber and Co. have to return to the company headquarters after each trip. This regulation is not illegal. How the BGH justifies its decision.

Economy: OECD lowers growth forecast for Germany again - and calls for reforms

Unlike in previous years, Germany is no longer at the bottom of the table. However, the forecast is lower than expected. This is not only due to the Iran war, but also to China.

Petition: Self-support for child support to €2000

Currently, the self-support of fathers who pay maintenance is close to the poverty line. Child support increases from year to year, but self-support remains unaffected. This means that fathers who actually pay maintenance are extremely at risk of poverty. The petition calls for self-support of €2000 and other things. It must also be in the interests of the children that the parent who pays maintenance does not have to live under the bridge. Text of the petition The petition supports the reform

Ukraine drones target St Petersburg as ‘Russia’s Davos’ opens

Ukrainian drones hit energy and military sites in St Petersburg early Wednesday morning as officials gathered for a flagship economic forum in the city, Russian and Ukrainian authorities said. Some 20,000 guests from 130 countries are set to attend the three-day annual St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) – an event once dubbed “Russia’s Davos” – which starts Wednesday. The strikes come a day after a barrage of Russian missiles and drones killed 23 people across Ukraine. St...

UK Sikhs defend right to carry sacred dagger after student murder backlash

Britain’s Sikh community has rejected calls to strip them of the rights to carry a ceremonial knife – known as the kirpan – as outrage snowballs over the murder of an 18-year-old student by a Sikh man. Vickrum Singh Digwa, 23, was handed a life sentence by a judge on Tuesday for stabbing to death Henry Nowak, an accountancy student, in Southampton in December 2025. The murder case has reopened a debate over race, religion and identity in the UK. Far-right figureheads, populist political leaders.

Tensions Broil Again as Iran Hits US Mideast Allies

U.S. forces intercepted Iranian ballistic missiles and drones aimed at neighboring Middle East countries and struck a command center in the Islamic Republic in response - the latest flare-up to test a fragile ceasefire.

Warning over home births, vaccine refusal after unregistered baby case in Hong Kong

Unassisted home births and vaccine refusal put mothers and newborns at life-threatening risks, a Hong Kong doctor and a children’s rights group have said, stressing that parental choice must not come at the expense of an infant’s well-being. Their warnings followed the arrest of a Hong Kong couple on suspicion of child neglect. The pair claimed to have given birth to their third child, Danny, at home and had not registered his birth, citing privacy concerns in refusing to submit to a DNA...

Neobroker: This graphic shows how radically Trade Republic dominates the German broker market

Trade Republic dwarfs other competitors with its growth. But in Germany, of all places, a competitor is catching up enormously.

OECD warns of global slowdown as U.S.-Iran war stymies economic growth prospects

The OECD has cut its global growth outlook, warning of lasting damage caused by the Middle East conflict.

Auto industry: The mood in the German auto industry is improving

Car manufacturers see a reason for hope in the tariff agreement with the USA. Nevertheless, US trade remains a source of uncertainty.

Rising seas: Japan makes pitch to Pacific Island nations caught in US-China rivalry

Japan is positioning itself as a partner for Pacific Island nations struggling with rising seas and caught between the US-China rivalry, with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi pledging on Wednesday to help fight climate change and boost maritime cooperation. Speaking at the inaugural Island States Ocean Summit in Tokyo, Takaichi made a direct pitch to Pacific leaders, presenting Japan as a reliable partner that upholds the rule of law at sea and delivers consistent support. “Japan will continue to..

Tears in North Korea as Kim meets footballers after historic title win

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un personally received the country’s AFC Women’s Champions League winners in Pyongyang earlier this week, embracing the players and posing for photographs with them as they wept with joy and leapt in celebration. Naegohyang Women’s FC clinched Asia’s top club title with a 1-0 defeat of Tokyo Verdy Beleza of Japan in the final in Suwon on May 23, becoming the first North Korean side to win the AFC Women’s Champions League. Kim congratulated the players on their...

Defense: Bundeswehr defines a new relationship between humans and AI in weapon systems

The Bundeswehr's long-awaited concept for the use of AI in weapon systems describes human control in a new way. It also contains important information for the industry.

New research results: New solar cells and finally more energy – this is what the future of photovoltaics looks like

Tandem solar cells with perovskites can convert up to 50 percent more energy. But they are not yet on the market. Researchers have now managed to overcome a major obstacle.

Health care reform: Many countries object to austerity packages for health care costs

The countries want to overturn many planned austerity measures. In pension policy, a research institute shows a way to save billions.

Labor law: What happens to the company car after termination

Anyone who is terminated often asks themselves whether they also have to give up their company car. But this question is not easy to answer. These contract details are what matter.

Skillfully loaded: Storing your load safely: 3 car tips

Whether it's weekend shopping or luggage for a summer vacation: even small mistakes when loading can turn not only heavy loads but also small objects into sources of danger. Here's how to defuse them.

I wonder how you all have your accounts organized

So, I'm learning the basics and I like compartmentalisation. I have my main bank account (ING) where I get my paycheck, pay the bills, day to day expenses, etc, then a second bank account (Trade Republic, 2% interest) where I keep my emergency fund, then a third bank account (Renault Bank, 2,02% interest) for my vacation money, and a fourth account (Bank Norwegian, 2,35% interest) for home renovations + future car. Every month I automatically send some money to the vacations and the home renovat

Customs policy: USA is planning new tariffs on imports from almost all over the world

The Supreme Court actually stopped Trump's tariff plans in February. Now he is trying again – with a different legal basis. But there should be exceptions.

As crises balloon, so do EU nations’ deficits

Under EU rules, the public deficit must not be above 3% of GDP

Goldman Sachs CEO Warns Oil Shock Could Alter Consumer Behavior

Tightening crude oil supply will lead to consumer behavior changes in the second half of the year as the imbalance with demand pushes inflation higher, the chief executive of Goldman Sachs has warned. Speaking at an industry event in New York, David Solomon suggested consumers are already changing their behavior in response to higher energy prices, and those changes could become more pronounced after July. He added, as quoted by Reuters, that the Fed will likely keep interest rates unchanged bec

‘King Sir’ Chung King-fai, titan of Hong Kong theatre, dies aged 89

Veteran Hong Kong theatre figure “King Sir” Chung King-fai has died at the age of 89. Chung’s nephew confirmed the actor’s death on Wednesday, saying he had died peacefully in his sleep at home in the morning. “My uncle dedicated his entire life to the theatre, leaving behind a lasting legacy through the generations of students he inspired,” the nephew said through the social media page of free-to-air broadcaster TVB. “We are deeply aware of the profound respect and affection everyone holds for.

Pudu Robotics eyes Hong Kong listing amid geopolitical risks