Hong Kong reclaimed its position as Asia’s top fundraising hub in 2025, with share sales surging to over $73 billion, driven largely by major Chinese listings and placements. India also posted a record year for IPOs, raising more than $20 billion as strong domestic investor participation fueled blockbuster deals. While Asia now dominates global share-sale markets, investors are becoming more valuation-conscious amid market volatility and geopolitical risks.

New Zealand’s exports surged to NZ$25.0 billion in the September 2025 quarter, driven by strong global demand for key agricultural products. At the same time, the Māori economy recorded rapid growth, with GDP contributions nearly doubling between 2018 and 2023 and Māori-owned businesses expanding into diverse sectors. Rising business confidence and resilient export performance make 2025 a milestone year for both New Zealand’s trade sector and Māori enterprise.

China has a high number of young, self-made billionaires, reflecting strong wealth creation driven largely by technological innovation. However, analysts warn that increased state control and the lack of protections for failed entrepreneurs are holding back innovation and risk-taking. Experts say a more supportive environment is needed to sustain China’s entrepreneurial momentum.

Nuwara Eliya District Secretary Thushari Tennakoon has urged motorists to avoid nighttime travel to Nuwara Eliya due to heightened landslide risks following recent adverse weather. A fresh earth mound collapse on the Gampola–Nuwara Eliya main road in Katukithula underscores ongoing road instability. She confirmed that all necessary relief measures have been provided to affected residents and dismissed claims questioning the government’s response as unfounded.

ISRO has rescheduled the launch of the BlueBird-6 satellite, the heaviest US commercial satellite, to December 21, 2025, to allow additional pre-launch integration and testing. Developed with AST SpaceMobile, the 6.5-tonne satellite will use a massive phased array antenna to provide direct-to-device broadband connectivity, especially in remote regions. The mission, using ISRO’s LVM3 rocket, highlights a major step forward in global communication technology and strengthens Ind

The Prime Minister visited the University of Peradeniya to assess severe flood damage estimated at over Rs. 6 billion, which affected major faculties, IT facilities, laboratories, and student infrastructure. She praised the successful evacuation of students and the support from the Army, Disaster Management Centre, and local donors during the crisis. The Government pledged full assistance, directing authorities to restore essential services, repair buildings, strengthen early

Talks between Putin and envoy Witkoff ended without progress, with both sides holding firm on ceasefire terms, humanitarian access, and security guarantees. The stalemate is reinforced by ongoing battlefield attrition, severe humanitarian strain, and deep mutual distrust. Diplomacy remains active but largely limited to managing risks rather than resolving core political disputes.

Norwich Castle has attracted over 110,000 visitors in just three months after reopening following a £27.5m refurbishment. The project, which faced delays due to Covid and supply issues, introduced new features such as a glass atrium, café and recreated Norman interiors. Officials say the strong visitor turnout highlights the castle’s renewed status as a world-class heritage attraction.

Amazon announced a $35 billion investment in India by 2030 to expand infrastructure, enhance AI innovation, and boost digital inclusion. The company aims to support 3.8 million jobs and help 15 million small businesses adopt AI while empowering students through AI education. With this commitment, Amazon plans to help India increase e-commerce exports to $80 billion and strengthen its digital economy.

Meta has agreed to offer Facebook and Instagram users in the EU a new choice on how much of their data is shared for personalised advertising, following pressure from the European Commission. Starting January 2026, users can choose between fully personalised ads or a version with less data sharing and limited ad personalisation. This move resolves concerns over Meta’s previous “pay or consent” model, which was found to violate the EU’s Digital Markets Act.

Amazon launched its faster Trainium 3 AI chip, helping companies cut training costs by up to 50% and strengthening AWS’s competitiveness against Microsoft and Google. The company also revealed plans for a future Trainium4 chip that will integrate Nvidia’s NVLink Fusion technology, signaling deeper collaboration between the two firms. Amazon’s stock gained slightly, supported by strong recent performance and growing AI investments.

The OECD forecasts the global economy to grow 3.2% this year, showing resilience despite U.S. trade tensions. U.S. growth is upgraded to 2%, supported partly by strong AI-related investments, even as new tariffs pose future risks. China is expected to grow 5%, while India remains the fastest-growing major economy at 6.7%.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the largest ever, featuring 48 teams across 12 groups and hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The draw produced major headline matchups—such as Brazil vs Morocco and France vs Senegal—while also welcoming several debutant nations like Curaçao, Cape Verde, Jordan, and Uzbekistan. With an expanded format, 104 matches, and global representation, the 2026 edition marks a historic evolution of football’s biggest tournament.

The IT industry is set for one of its strongest years since the mid-1990s, with AI driving a projected 10% global IT spending increase in 2026, surpassing $6 trillion. AI-focused data centers, generative AI systems, and AI-enabled software, cloud, and devices are fueling this growth, with major tech companies leading investments. While analysts caution the surge may not be indefinitely sustainable, integrating AI is increasingly essential for business competitiveness and prod

Japan is preparing to host a Japan–Central Asia Summit in Tokyo on December 19–20, with plans for bilateral talks between Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Central Asian leaders. LDP Vice President Taro Aso highlighted the summit’s importance, noting that other major powers have recently strengthened their ties with the region. A similar summit planned for last year was canceled due to emergency megaquake warnings in Japan.

SpaceX is preparing a secondary share sale that could raise its valuation to around $800 billion, potentially surpassing OpenAI as the most valuable private company in the U.S. The surge in value is driven by SpaceX’s strong launch business and the rapid global expansion of its Starlink internet service. However, analysts caution that the valuation is not guaranteed until the sale is completed, and shifts in market demand could alter the outcome.

Sri Lanka’s stock market fell 3.04% as Cyclone Ditwah triggered heavy selling, though construction stocks rose on expectations of rebuilding demand. Analysts say investors are cautious and the downward trend is likely to continue. Across Asia, markets moved mixed, with Japan declining, Pakistan rising, and India slipping due to cyclone impacts and trade uncertainties.

Putin arrived in New Delhi to strengthen Russia-India ties, with Modi hosting him for talks on defense, energy and skilled-labor cooperation. The visit comes amid U.S. pressure over India’s Russian oil purchases and ongoing Ukraine war tensions, testing New Delhi’s diplomatic balance. Both sides aim to boost trade, address defense delivery delays and reaffirm strategic partnership despite global geopolitical challenges.

The German President’s historic state visit to London underscored the strength of Anglo-German relations through both grand ceremony and meaningful political dialogue. Beyond symbolic pageantry, leaders focused on cooperation in trade, climate policy, security, and cultural exchange amid evolving global challenges. Despite complexities such as Brexit, the visit highlighted major opportunities for deeper partnership and shared responsibility for Europe’s future.

Fujitsu has developed a new spatial world model technology that helps AI understand real-time environments and predict human and robot behaviors for safer, smoother collaboration. The system uses 3D scene graphs to overcome camera distortion issues and accurately model dynamic spaces. Benchmark tests show it can estimate behavioral intentions three times more accurately, supporting advanced human–robot coordination in real-world settings.