PM Edition: Top 10 Business Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for October 25, 2026 – Full Text

Agoda has received investment promotion from the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) for International Business Center activity. Agoda’s Bangkok base underscores Thailand’s potential to become a tech talent hub.

Mr. Narit Therdsteerasukdi, Secretary General of the BOI, visited the office at the One Bangkok complex and met Agoda Chief Executive Omri Morgenshtern and senior management. The Bangkok site serves as Agoda’s Global Tech & Operations Hub, with systems developed in Thailand deployed across a platform that lists more than 6 million properties in 39 languages. The company employs more than 8,000 people in 25 markets.

More than half of the Bangkok staff are Thai, while about 2,000 foreign specialists come from more than 80 countries. Roles range from software engineering, data science and AI to product management, marketing and international business management.

“Thailand has a deep pool of skilled people in data analytics, IT and communications, engineering and business management, and an open work culture where people of many nationalities collaborate well,” Mr. Narit said. “Combining Thai and foreign expertise allows the company to place complex, high value-added activities in Thailand while creating opportunities to transfer knowledge, upgrade skills, and build the country’s tech ecosystem over the long term.”

Agoda’s foreign experts get help with visas and work permits in one place. The BOI, the Immigration Bureau, and the Department of Employment facilitate both through the Thailand Investment and Expat Service Center, a one-stop service at One Bangkok, where Agoda’s office is also based. That helps experts from around the world join Thai teams quickly and conveniently. It suits a business that constantly trains, coordinates, and travels internationally.

Agoda also runs a talent pipeline with Thai universities. Its Tech Camp Day, held three times a year, brings in more than 100 students per session, and its internship program takes more than 500 students a year from over 10 universities. More than 20 percent of interns have gone on to join the company.

“Working at a global technology company gives Thai professionals exposure to the standards, tools, and working methods of international teams,” Morgenshtern said. “That experience can be carried into new businesses, startups, and the upgrading of companies across industries, spreading knowledge and supporting Thailand’s long-term economic growth.”

“A global company like Agoda choosing Thailand as its main base for high-skilled technology work is an example of success in attracting investment driven by people and knowledge,” Mr. Narit said. “These investments create high-value jobs and give Thais the chance to work with experts from around the world. The skills they gain today will help them build new businesses and develop the country in the years ahead.”

https://www.boi.go.th/en/index/

Hashtag: #Thailandboardofinvestment #BOI #FDI #Investment

Thailand Board of Investment (BOI)

Source: deVere Group – Opinion.

October 23 2026

Next week’s Budget could push the UK even closer to the punishing 1970s regime that once taxed investment income at 98%, warns the CEO of deVere Group, one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory organisations.

The comments from Nigel Green come as speculation gathers pace that Chancellor John Healey could raise dividend tax again in his first Budget on Wednesday 28 October, with a sharp rise in the bank profits surcharge already widely tipped.

He says: “Everyone’s bracing for a Budget day crash. I don’t think that’s where the damage lands. Markets look to have already priced in the bank surcharge.

“What they can’t price is the slow squeeze on every pound people earn from owning shares, holding savings, or letting property.

“Dividend tax is fatally flawed, and we expect it could get worse still following the Budget.”

Britain already taxes dividends. Since 6 April, those held outside ISAs and pensions have been taxed at 10.75% for basic rate taxpayers and 35.75% at the higher rate, with the additional rate held at 39.35%.

The tax-free dividend allowance has shrunk to £500, from £5,000 a decade ago.

Nigel Green continues: “A dividend comes out of profit that’s already been taxed. The company pays 25% corporation tax, then the shareholder pays again on what’s left. For a higher rate investor, almost 52p of every pound of profit ends up with the Treasury.

“Then Westminster wonders why Britain struggles to keep companies and capital at home.

“Punishing the people who own British businesses is a strange way to grow them.”

Landlords and savers face higher bills too. From 6 April 2027, rental profits move onto separate property rates of 22%, 42% and 47%, with savings interest rising to the same levels. Both sit two percentage points above the rates charged on wages.

The deVere CEO says: “Dividends, savings, and rents will all be taxed more heavily than a salary.

“We’ve quietly rebuilt the old divide between earned and unearned income, and Britain has been here before.”

From 1973 to 1984, the UK levied a 15% investment income surcharge on dividends, interest and rents above roughly £2,000.

After Denis Healey’s 1974 Budget lifted the top rate to 83%, the highest slice of investment income was taxed at 98%. Geoffrey Howe cut that ceiling to 75% in 1979, and Nigel Lawson scrapped the surcharge entirely in 1984.

“It’s quite something that another Chancellor called Healey now holds the pen,” notes Nigel Green.

“The last one presided over a 98% top rate on investment income, and wealthy families, entrepreneurs and their capital left in droves.

“Nobody’s predicting a return to 98%. But the direction of travel looks the same, and money moves far faster today.

“In the 1970s, getting capital out of Britain meant exchange controls and paperwork. Now it takes an afternoon.”

The Chancellor has reportedly ruled out raising capital gains tax, which deVere believes could leave investment income as an obvious target for a Treasury short of room. Nothing on dividends has been confirmed, and the Treasury says it won’t comment on speculation.

“We expect another turn of the screw on dividends and investment income could come, possibly as soon as Wednesday, because it’s politically easy,” he says.

“Few voters march for shareholders. Yet those shareholders are retirees living off income portfolios, business owners paying themselves dividends and families saving for a deposit.

“Every rise means a taxable investor needs a bigger yield just to stand still. When enough investors demand that, prices of income shares can come under pressure even while the businesses behind them are performing well.”

Income inside ISAs and pensions remains outside dividend tax, which Nigel Green says makes structure more important than ever.

“Wrappers, how a company balances dividends against buybacks, and whether a yield is genuinely covered by cash all matter more now than at any point in 40 years,” he says. “Good planning keeps more of every pound working.

“But there’s a far better path, and the Chancellor could take it on Wednesday. Put income from capital and income from work back on a level footing, as Lawson did. Restore a meaningful dividend allowance. Recognise the corporation tax already paid.

“Lawson proved in 1984 that when you stop punishing investment income, investment comes back.

“Britain has every ingredient to be the most attractive place in Europe to own a business and build wealth. It just needs a Chancellor willing to stop taxing success like a vice.”

deVere Group is one of the world’s largest independent advisors of specialist global financial solutions to international, local mass affluent, and high-net-worth clients. It has a network of offices around the world, more than 80,000 clients, and $14bn under advisement.

Inspired by a personal rehabilitation experience, the initiative builds on a long-standing vision to connect rehabilitation with workplace exposure and potential employment opportunities for persons with disabilities and individuals undergoing rehabilitation.

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 21 October 2026 – 7-Eleven Malaysia today officially opened CAFé by 7-Eleven at Universiti Malaya (UM), marking the realisation of a vision first proposed by the Chairman of 7-Eleven Malaysia, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Mohd Annuar bin Zaini, two decades ago.

<figure data-width="100%" data-caption="From left to right: Professor Ir. Dr. Ramesh Singh Kuldip Singh, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Malaya (Development), Professor Dato’ Seri Ir. Dr. Noor Azuan Abu Osman, Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Malaya (UM), Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Zarinah Anwar, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Universiti Malaya (UM), Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Mohd Annuar bin Zaini, Chairman of 7-Eleven Malaysia Holdings Bhd, Mr. Steve Hayes Dacus, Representative Director, President & CEO of Seven & i Holdings, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Vincent Tan, Founder and Advisor of Berjaya Corporation Bhd, Mr. Wong Wai Keong​, Co-Chief Executive Officer at 7-Eleven Malaysia, and Mr. Ken Wakabayashi​, President & CEO of 7-Eleven International.
” data-caption-display=”block” data-image-width=”0″ data-image-height=”0″ class=”c8″ readability=”10.5″>

Under the agreement, PLI will supply a range of PETRONAS Sprinta motorcycle lubricants to UM Motorcycles’ extensive global network of distributors and aftersales dealers in selected markets across Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa and Latin America. The initial phase of the collaboration will focus on introducing selected products from the PETRONAS Sprinta range, engineered with UltraFlex technology to deliver enhanced performance and protection while ensuring engine reliability and longevity, is designed to deliver instant response and protection across the bike’s engine, clutch and gears, all at once helping motorcycles perform responsively from cold starts and stop-start traffic through to demanding open-road riding so the riders can focus on what matters most: finding their own way and enjoying every journey.

Through a broad international distribution footprint, UM Motorcycles provides PLI with a strong platform for collaboration and future growth opportunities, while the UM Motorcycles’ participating distributors and dealer networks benefit from PLI’s recognised reputation in performance lubricants to raise the quality of customer engagement across multiple touchpoints. Along with bringing advanced lubricant expertise to drive greater customer value and aftersales reliability, PLI will also support dealer development initiatives, technical training programmes and coordinated marketing activities.

The range of PETRONAS Sprinta lubricants will be made available at UM Motorcycle distributors and dealer networks on a progressive basis, with the first batch of products set to reach shelves in October 2026, starting in Asia, followed by launches across EMEA and the Americas.

Hashtag: #PLI

About PETRONAS Lubricants International (PLI)

PETRONAS Lubricants International (PLI) is the global lubricants manufacturing and marketing arm of PETRONAS, Malaysia’s dynamic global energy group. Established in 2008, PLI manufactures and markets a full range of high-quality automotive and industrial lubricant products in over 100 markets internationally. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, PLI also has offices around the world including Turin, Belo Horizonte, Beijing, and Chicago. PLI is the technical resource behind PETRONAS’ partnership with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team, responsible for the design, development and delivery of the Fluid Technology Solutions, which includes customised lubricants, fuels and transmission fluids to power the Silver Arrows.

We are a progressive energy and solutions partner, enriching lives for a sustainable future. Our commitment remains to conduct and grow our business in ways that contribute positively to society and the environment.

PLI is driving an aggressive business growth agenda as one of the leading global lubricants companies at the forefront of the industry, providing custom-made solutions for every need. For more information, please visit www.pli-petronas.com.

About UM Motorcycles

Source: Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF)

Bujumbura, 22 October 2026 – More than ten months after tens of thousands of Congolese refugees arrived at the Busuma camp in eastern Burundi, living conditions remain extremely precarious, and many refugees say they would rather return to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) than remain in the camp. Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is extremely concerned that conditions could deteriorate further, as several humanitarian organisations operating in the camp risk running out of funding in the coming weeks.

“It feels as though we are goats tied to a stake and left there to graze,” says Ibonge Alinoti, who arrived in Busuma in December 2025 after fleeing clashes near Uvira, in the DRC. “I thought I would be able to go home in April, but we are still in this camp where everything is in short supply. We are suffering so much.”

Since April, more than 20,000 refugees have returned to the DRC under a United Nations-run voluntary return programme to areas considered safe. However, around 35,000 people still live in Busuma, where the lack of available humanitarian funds is exacerbating an already critical situation.

“Due to insufficient funding, food and cash distributions have been repeatedly scaled back, and shelter needs remain enormous. The shelters built at the beginning of the crisis have a lifespan of just six months and are deteriorating as the rainy season started,” warns Ouo-ouo Sakouvogui, MSF’s emergency response coordinator at the camp. “If nothing changes, the situation could once again become extremely critical.”

The future of the humanitarian response is also a major cause for concern. Several organisations operating in Busuma have funding commitments only until the end of 2026, while some have no funding secured beyond October 2026.

“Despite efforts by the authorities and the United Nations to mobilise donors, widespread funding cuts are a reality. There is a real risk that several humanitarian organisations will be forced to withdraw as early as the beginning of 2027, despite massive needs,” warns Adélaïde Ouabo, MSF’s programmes coordinator in Burundi.

Living conditions put refugees’ health at risk

Although emergency interventions in early 2026 helped improve sanitary conditions and bring cholera and measles outbreaks under control, refugees’ living conditions remain extremely precarious. In September, there was just one latrine for every 119 people and one shower for every 242 people in the camp.

“Cases of waterborne diseases declined during the dry season, but the rainy season, against a backdrop of El Niño-related forecasts, could change that,” says Ouo-ouo Sakouvogui.

Medical needs also remain extremely high. Between July and September, MSF teams conducted more than 12,000 outpatient consultations in the camp and the surrounding host community, particularly for respiratory and intestinal infections. More than 300 people also received more specialised medical care.

Psychological distress is particularly concerning. MSF teams are seeing a high demand for mental health support, driven by the violence people experienced in the DRC, their flight from home, their losses and the deteriorating living conditions in Busuma.

“Many people are deeply desperate. Aid is dwindling, while some people do not even have a tarpaulin or a blanket to protect themselves. We are seeing depression, anxiety, psychosis and post-traumatic stress disorder,” explains Vanessa Niyonizigiye, an MSF clinical psychologist working in the camp. “The needs are truly enormous.”

Asiya Bipemaju arrived in Busuma after fleeing the DRC in mid-December 2025. She now shares a shelter with 14 other refugees.

“We fled, leaving everything behind, only to arrive here and face cholera, infections and people dying around us. Now we are struggling to sleep and feed our children. All these problems are weighing heavily on me. Honestly, I am overwhelmed. I want to go home.”

Returning to the DRC despite the risks

Like Asiya, many refugees say they want to return to the DRC, despite the volatile security situation. For some, conditions in Busuma have become so difficult that returning home seems preferable to remaining indefinitely in the camp.

“We simply do not want to stay here. There is too much suffering and not enough aid. We do not want money; we just want to leave,” says Ibonge Alinoti. “I have already fled violence three or four times in the Congo. If it happens again, we will flee again.”

“The people of Busuma cannot go on living in such conditions,” stresses Adélaïde Ouabo. “It is unacceptable that refugees should feel they would rather risk their lives than remain in a camp that is supposed to protect and support them. This situation is a wake-up call that demands urgent action.”

MSF is an international, medical, humanitarian organisation that delivers medical care to people in need, regardless of their origin, religion, or political affiliation. MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. Every year more than 120 Australians and New Zealanders go on assignment with Médecins Sans Frontières working as: doctors, midwives, psychologists, laboratory technicians, human resource/finance coordinators, pharmacists, mental health specialists and logisticians. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit https://msf.org.au

The annual flagship program builds on the success of its first two editions, bringing global experts together around an agenda shaped by the green transition’s most urgent challenges and opportunities.

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 21 October 2026 – GoImpact will convene the 3rd Green Tech Summit on October 21-22 at Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel, Hong Kong, bringing together over 50 world-class experts and leaders from across sectors to exchange ideas and showcase solutions under the theme of “turning climate risks into opportunities”.

Now in its third year, the Summit builds on the success of its first two editions and its role as a signature annual convening for cross-sector expertise. This year’s agenda is designed to move beyond discussion—creating space for participants to examine shared challenges, connect perspectives and identify opportunities for meaningful progress. With continuous strong support from Corporate Partners like HSBC, Swiss Reinsurance, Stephenson Harwood, and Sino Group, with City University of Hong Kong as Academic Partner, US Green Building Council as Learning Partner, and many trade associations as Community Partners, the Summit is a focal point gathering over 400 participants.

“To achieve a green and sustainable future, we need green capital at an unprecedented scale. Hong Kong will continue to leverage our robust financial structures and technological innovation to connect green projects with international capital, and work with our partners to build a greener future.,” said Joseph Chan, Under Secretary of Financial Services and Treasury Bureau of the HKSAR Government who is the guest-of-honour opening the Summit.

“The intersection of Green and Tech continues to be the important nexus driving actions and results in a world that faces increasingly harsh consequences of climate change-related risks,” “The Summit is a collective call to action for us to come together and focus on such priorities,” said Helene Li, CEO & Co-Founder of GoImpact.

The programme will feature over 20 sessions and workshops, with contributions from leading players such as the Bank for International Settlements, Henderson Land Development, National University Health System of Singapore and more.. The Summit will bring different perspectives into the conversation to support practical collaboration.

Hashtag: #GoImpact #GreenTechSummit2026

About GoImpact

NAF 2026 is designed as an action-oriented platform connecting global investors, industry leaders, and policymakers to advance investment opportunities across strategic sectors. Moving beyond conventional economic dialogue, the forum seeks to translate investment interest into concrete commitments, financing structures, and measurable outcomes.

Pahala Nugraha Mansury, Managing Director of Global Relations & Communications at Danantara Indonesia, emphasized Asia’s growing potential to attract long-term global capital amid shifting economic and geopolitical dynamics.

“Our focus is on encouraging long-term capital to recognize the many investment opportunities across Asian countries, because this is precisely where the center of gravity for growth lies. This will enable growth at scale, anchored by ASEAN and driven by Indonesia as the largest country in ASEAN,” said Pahala.

The Asia-Pacific region currently accounts for nearly 60% of global economic growth. However, long-term international capital allocation to the region remains below its potential, presenting significant opportunities for greater investment collaboration.

NAF 2026 expects to convene more than 1,000 global leaders, feature over 100 speakers, and host more than 40 sessions involving sovereign wealth funds, institutional investors, development finance institutions, multinational corporations, and government representatives. Notable speakers include President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia; Masayoshi Son, Chairman and CEO of SoftBank Group; Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of Bhutan; Kathleen Quirk, Chief Executive Officer of Freeport-McMoRan; Matteo Renzi, former Prime Minister of Italy; and Israfil Mammadov, Chief Executive Officer of the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The forum will follow a two-day structure: Discovery & Diligence on 3 December, focusing on investment opportunities, feasibility, and transaction structures; and Action & Execution on 4 December, advancing capital commitments, strategic partnerships, and implementation milestones.

Eight priority sectors will anchor the discussions: strategic resources and downstreaming; energy and power; advanced mobility and manufacturing; digital infrastructure and AI; food and agribusiness; trade and connectivity; tourism and creative economy; and education and human capital.

As a founding partner, Danantara Indonesia will participate as a co-investor alongside global partners, supporting investment in strategic sectors and reinforcing Indonesia’s role in regional economic transformation.

Through its transaction-focused approach, NAF 2026 aims to deliver preliminary investment agreements, bankable financing structures, and clearly defined implementation milestones. Investment commitments and progress will be tracked across subsequent editions to promote accountability, continuity, and tangible economic impact for Indonesia and the wider region.

Hashtag: #NewAsiaForum2026

The report, “The Governance Performance of the Fifty States: The U.S. Berggruen Governance Index”, applies the research team’s “governance triangle” from past global country rankings to the 50 US states. The report has now been presented to the public at Columbia University in New York.

“Unlike in the Berggruen Governance Index’s cross-national comparisons, where the three dimensions are broadly correlated, in the 50 U.S. states they often run counter to each other,” the authors conclude. “This may seem counterintuitive, as one might expect a well-governed state to finish high on all three and a poorly governed one to place low across all three.”

The report concluded that state capacity and public goods provision are “essentially uncorrelated.” Massachusetts, which has among the highest per capita incomes, was third in public goods but 49th in state capacity. Mining and agriculture-dependent Wyoming was 36th in public goods provision but No. 1 in state capacity.

• Public goods provision, which combines quality-of-life metrics such as health and educational outcomes with infrastructure and quasi-public goods that are often delivered by the private sector, saw four of the top five from the Northeast, while the bottom seven were in the South. All but one of the top 16 states were won by Democratic nominee Kamala Harris in the 2024 US presidential election. Nineteen of the bottom 20 went to Donald Trump.
• Democratic accountability measures election procedures, which vary widely among states, along with scores for civil society activity and government openness. These include among others lobbying disclosures and state auditor independence. The top 12 states were a geographical mix of the West, Northeast and Midwest. Nine of that dozen voted for Harris, though the state with the highest score was reliably Republican Montana. The 10 lowest-ranked states were all Southern, and the bottom 20 were all won by Trump in 2024.
• State capacity foremost indicates debt levels, along with budget processes and effective welfare-state delivery such as unemployment insurance. The top-ranked states were geographically diversified, but no Northeastern state was among the top 12. All major regions were represented in the bottom 10, including notoriously debt-laden Rhode Island, Illinois, Connecticut and New Jersey.

The three components produce four state groupings identified by the authors:

• 14 fiscally sound and delivering states, which are half Republican and half Democratic and swing states, based on the 2024 presidential race.
• 16 strained but delivering states, which are mostly Democratic.
• Nine fiscally strong but poorly served states, almost entirely Republican.
• 11 low performing states, including only one Democratic state.

The report was written by principal investigator Helmut K. Anheier with co-authors Joseph C. Saraceno and Edward L. Knudsen, all of the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, and produced as a collaboration of the Luskin School with the Berlin-based Hertie School, supported by the Berggruen Institute, a Los Angeles think tank.

During a panel discussion held with the release of the report at Columbia University, economic historian Adam Tooze focused on the states with poor scores for provision of public goods. He pointed out that for many public goods that in Europe are assumed to be state-led, such as health care, education and utilities, in the US the private sector has a greater role.

“If you look at all of the states which are underperforming, it’s the South, and the variable that’s operating here is race,” said Tooze, a Columbia professor. “The reason why these states don’t have large-scale public services is that white people who are richer don’t want to pay taxes to redistribute income to black people. And it’s not a secret; it’s the logic of American politics.”

Among the 11 low performing states, the very worst performers are in the South: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Kentucky.

Joseph C. Saraceno said that the 14 states classified in the report as fiscally sound and delivering “provide a moderate level of public goods while also having state capacity, or this measure of fiscal room that they find to be comfortable, or have a rainy day fund as needed.”

The group of fiscally strong, poorly served states have strong balance sheets but little to show for it in quality of life. Arkansas, for example, ranks seventh in state capacity but 46th in public goods provision. Tooze said those states have better fiscal resilience and “rank high on their capacity score because basically they’ve never done anything. So unsurprisingly, when push comes to shove, they could do something if one supposed they had politics that would allow them to.”

Edward Knudsen, another researcher who worked on the previous global versions of the Berggruen Governance Index, pointed out that the strained but delivering states are heavily traditionally Democratic Party states that also score higher for democratic accountability. “In a lot of the Democratic leaning states, you have more ability for the population to demand public goods. They in turn are able to receive them. That places this fiscal stress,” Knudsen said.

The full report “The Governance Performance of the Fifty States: The U.S. Berggruen Governance Index” can be downloaded here: https://ucla.app.box.com/s/hcruhr43fyhfw0uondid2e6fviqopmww

Frank Fuhrig, DNA

————————-

This text and the accompanying material (photos and graphics) are an offer from the Democracy News Alliance, a close co-operation between Agence France-Presse (AFP, France), Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (ANSA, Italy), The Canadian Press (CP, Canada), Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa, Germany) and Press Association (PA, United Kingdom). All recipients can use this material without the need for a separate subscription agreement with one or more of the participating agencies. This includes the recipient’s right to publish the material in own products.

The DNA content is an independent journalistic service that operates separately from the other services of the participating agencies. It is produced by editorial units that are not involved in the production of the agencies’ main news services. Nevertheless, the editorial standards of the agencies and their assurance of completely independent, impartial and unbiased reporting also apply here.