1,000s: Thousands of Indonesians attempted to storm the Parliament building in Jakarta on Thursday, clashing with police, tearing down fences, and ultimately forcing legislators to delay a vote that would overhaul election laws. The proposed changes would enable current President Joko Widodo’s son to take a regional governorship despite being too young and make it easier for Widodo to influence politics through his political party. Protests were also reported in other major cities across the vast archipelago.
6: Consulting powerhouse PwC’s Chinese branch told its clients it expects to be hit with a six-month ban on doing business in China as punishment for auditing the collapsed property developer Evergrande. PwC said in March that Evergrand had inflated its assets in China by $80 billion before defaulting on debts in 2021.
30 million: Bad news for the roughly 30 million American workers who thought their binding noncompetes had been rendered void by the Federal Trade Commission: A court has overturned the FTC’s regulation. District Judge Ada Brown of Texas wrote the ban was “arbitrary and capricious because it is unreasonably overbroad without a reasonable explanation.” The FTC says it may appeal.
2,531: The price of gold reached $2,531 per troy ounce on Tuesday, a record high, as the continuing bull market in the metal has begun to attract investors in Western economies. Chinese consumers have been driving the price up by investing in gold as a stable alternative to their topsy-turvy property and securities markets, but with the US Federal Reserve eyeing a rate cut in September, prices may be buoyed further as money flows out of US bonds seeking higher returns.
15: Indian officials plan to conduct a long-postponed census next month and aim to publish the results in 2026, resulting in a 15-year gap between polls rather than the customary 10. The census – likely the world’s largest ever – was meant to be done in 2021 but was delayed by the pandemic. New Delhi has faced ardent criticism from the civil sector for the delay, as the country’s rapidly growing population and economy need to be accurately accounted for to ensure the government’s programs are fit to task.
It's been a busy year for SCOTUS, and some major Court rulings are still looming. Yale legal scholar Emily Bazelon previews the cases that could reshape presidential power.
South Korea's President Lee Jae-myung's Democratic Party is poised to win 11 of 16 municipal races, a reversal from four years ago when the now-disgraced PPP dominated. But Lee’s surging popularity has foreign policy ramifications.
As America approaches its 250th anniversary, Bank of America is investing in the legacy of leadership — committing $5M to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library and conserving 110 presidential portraits at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, so the history of leaders who defined our nation is preserved for generations to come. Learn more here.
Chris, an Army veteran, started his Walmart journey over 25 years ago as an hourly associate. Today, he manages a Distribution Center and serves as a mentor, helping others navigate their own paths to success. At Walmart, associates have the opportunity to take advantage of the pathways, perks, and pay that come with the job — with or without a college degree. In fact, more than 75% of Walmart management started as hourly associates. Learn more about how over 130,000 associates were promoted into roles of greater responsibility and higher pay in FY25.