Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister announced the completion of negotiations for the ASEAN–Hong Kong Investment Agreement, enhancing market access and opportunities for investment in key industries and promoting stronger business ties.

Key Points

• Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun announced the conclusion of negotiations for expanded investment market access under the ASEAN–Hong Kong, China Investment Agreement (AHKIA), with the First Protocol signed on September 20 in Manila.
• The protocol aims to enhance market-access commitments, increasing investment opportunities, particularly in industries like automobiles, while fostering stronger supply-chain connections between Hong Kong investors and Thai companies.
• Thai businesses will gain wider opportunities to invest in Hong Kong, potentially accessing the Chinese market via the Belt and Road Initiative, while maintaining compliance with domestic laws and government regulatory authority.

Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun has announced the conclusion of negotiations on expanded investment market access under the ASEAN–Hong Kong, China Investment Agreement (AHKIA). Thailand coordinated the negotiations, leading to the signing of the agreement’s First Protocol during the 10th ASEAN Economic Ministers–Hong Kong, China Consultation in Manila on September 20.

The protocol adds market-access commitments intended to create more investment opportunities and provide clearer conditions for businesses. Thailand expects greater investment in industries such as automobiles, automotive components, and printed circuit boards, while developing closer supply-chain connections between Hong Kong investors and Thai companies.

Thai businesses will also gain broader opportunities to invest in Hong Kong, with potential access to the Chinese market through the Belt and Road Initiative. Thailand’s commitments are consistent with existing domestic laws and preserve the government’s authority to regulate and determine public policy.

AHKIA originally covered investment protection, promotion, and facilitation, while negotiations on market access began in 2021. Following legal review and verification completed in March 2026, the protocol expands the framework to provide greater transparency and predictability for investors while supporting technology, advanced industries, and regional supply chains.

Source : Thailand Leads Talks to Expand ASEAN-Hong Kong Investment

On hot afternoons, when demand for power peaks, solar is now regularly supplying around a third of the electricity used across Texas, says Mark Stover, executive director of the Texas Solar and Storage Association.

He says that the solar boom is being driven by two main things. Firstly, it is cheap and quick to connect solar farms to Texas’ power grid, which is separate to the rest of the US. Secondly, Texas has a huge and growing appetite for electricity, driven by a burgeoning population.

Between 2015 and 2025, Texas’s population increased by 15.8%,, external making it one of the fastest-growing states in the nation.

“We need a whole lot of power in Texas, and we need it quickly,” Stover says.

Solar has also become inexpensive. James Scott, vice president of project development at OCI, says the technology has had years of small manufacturing gains that brought the price down to the point where it is now the cheapest way to generate power in the state.

“No one would have believed that 20 years ago,” Scott says.

Once a project is built, he says, the price of the electricity it produces can be fixed for decades, since the fuel, sunlight, is free.

“We’ll charge you $40 a megawatt hour for the next 25 years,” Scott says, adding that large buyers such as Amazon and Apple value being able to lock in a price for that long.

By contrast, new coal plants in the US produce power at nearly $90 megawatts per hour, says the Energy Information Administration.

Farmers have become central to that growth because solar developers need large stretches of flat land.

Stover says the industry is now paying out multigenerational income to families through leases that typically run 25 to 30 years and rise in value each year, letting some retire, set up family trusts, or simply keep a farm solvent.

Stover argues solar’s footprint is smaller than critics assume. “The industry is utilizing less than 0.15% of Texas land,” he says.

As the Unrivaled women’s basketball league continues to grow, Adidas is jumping on board with a multiyear partnership to become its official uniform and performance apparel partner. 

The fast-growing women’s 3-on-3 league, founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, will now be outfitted with Adidas’ gear, while introducing a broader assortment of officially licensed merchandise, including authentic jerseys and lifestyle collections, to fans. 

Adidas will also become the apparel provider for Unrivaled’s youth camps, clinics and related community basketball programming. 

The partnership will debut on the Unrivaled court at the start of the 2027 season. 

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Breanna Stewart of the Mist celebrates after defeating the Phantom during the Unrivaled 2026 Championship game at Sephora Arena March 4, 2026, in Medley, Fla. (Leonardo Fernandez/Getty Images / Getty Images)

“We continue our journey to be the next generation brand of basketball,” Max Staiger, global general manager of Adidas Basketball, said in an official statement. “Unrivaled shares our belief for what’s possible in women’s basketball, and investing in athletes is the best way to grow the game. We’re excited to partner with the league to advance that vision through innovation, athlete empowerment and new opportunities that grow the game at every level.”

This partnership aims to strengthen women’s basketball by enhancing the athlete and fan experience, while opening new doors for the next generation of young players. 

BREANNA STEWART REFLECTS ON UNRIVALED BREAKING WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ATTENDANCE RECORD: ‘MORE THAN JUST HYPE’

“Our partnership with Adidas represents an important next step in Unrivaled’s growth and evolution,” Alex Bazzell, Unrivaled co-founder and CEO said. 

“Adidas shares in our vision and commitment to investing in the future of women’s basketball, and together we’ll elevate the athlete experience, create new opportunities for our players and service our fans even better.”

Since the league’s debut in 2025, Unrivaled has quickly emerged as one of the fastest-growing properties in sports, putting together some of the world’s best women’s basketball players across eight different clubs, and most players have equity in the league. 

A Unrivaled Wilson basketball during the first half of an Unrivaled 2026 game between the Hive and the Phantom at Sephora Arena Jan. 18, 2026, in Medley, Fla. (Tomas Diniz Santos/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Because Unrivaled is so focused on athlete empowerment and expanding the sport, it was only natural to bring in Adidas, a global leader with a similar mission. 

“Adidas has a long history of investing in the athletes and moments that define this game,” women’s basketball legend Candace Parker, who serves as president of Adidas Women’s Basketball, said in a statement. 

“Through this partnership, Adidas will bring elite performance innovation to Unrivaled athletes while continuing to invest in the future of women’s basketball at every level.”

Allisha Gray, Li Yueru, Arike Ogunbowale, Alanna Smith and Veronica Burton of the Mist celebrate after defeating the Phantom during the Unrivaled 2026 Championship game at Sephora Arena March 4, 2026, in Medley, Fla. (Leonardo Fernandez/Getty Images / Getty Images)

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In August, Unrivaled announced that its Series C fundraiser, led by Ten Pillars Sports Fund, surpassed an initial $100 million target and was oversubscribed at a league valuation of $650 million. 

The evidence of the past decade has made this assumption untenable. The question for modern security leadership is not whether a serious incident will occur, but whether the organization has built the capability to absorb it, contain it, and recover from it without catastrophic operational or financial consequences.

“Prevention alone is a strategy that assumes you will always win,” says Guerassim Nikolov, entrepreneur and enterprise security advisor with more than twenty years in cybersecurity strategy. “Resilience is what you build for the assumption that eventually, you won’t. The organizations that recover well aren’t the ones with the most sophisticated defenses – they’re the ones that have practiced what happens when those defenses fail.”

The Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack of May 2021 illustrated what inadequate resilience looks like in practice. DarkSide ransomware – introduced through a compromised VPN account that lacked multi-factor authentication – encrypted critical billing and operational systems. Colonial Pipeline halted all pipeline operations as a precautionary measure, cutting off approximately 45% of the East Coast’s fuel supply for several days. The company paid a ransom of $4.4 million in Bitcoin within hours. Even after receiving the decryption key, restoring full operations took additional days, and the disruption triggered emergency declarations across seventeen states.

Maersk’s experience with the NotPetya wiper malware in June 2017 is the more instructive case study on resilience execution. When NotPetya propagated through Maersk’s global network, the company was forced to rebuild its entire IT infrastructure from scratch: 45,000 PCs, 4,000 servers, and 2,500 applications reinstalled across every global location within ten days. That recovery was only possible because Maersk’s staff improvised manual processes to keep approximately 80% of shipping volume moving without any operational IT systems. The financial cost was estimated at $250–$300 million.

Nikolov cites the Maersk case as the clearest demonstration of why resilience thinking must be built in before a crisis hits. “They rebuilt an entire global IT infrastructure in ten days because they had no choice. Most organizations haven’t thought through what their version of that looks like. The time to design and rehearse that response is before you’re in it – not while your systems are down and your stakeholders are waiting for answers.”

The regulatory environment has added another layer of urgency. The SEC’s cybersecurity disclosure rules, which took effect for most large public companies in December 2023, require that material cybersecurity incidents be reported within four business days of the company determining materiality. Boards and executive teams must now be prepared to make materiality determinations quickly – often while the incident is still active – and to communicate simultaneously with regulators, investors, and the public.

Building genuine resilience requires treating it as an operational capability, not a technology configuration. The components are: tested and rehearsed incident response plans, not documents that sit in a folder; backup systems isolated from production networks so ransomware cannot encrypt them simultaneously; clearly defined decision authority for who can authorize payments, shut down systems, or invoke business continuity plans; and pre-prepared stakeholder communication templates for regulators, customers, and the media.

The organizations that recover fastest from significant incidents are not those with the most sophisticated prevention technology. They are the ones that have practiced recovery so many times that it becomes a repeatable operational process rather than a crisis improvisation. Resilience, like any capability, is built through rehearsal.

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THE GIST

Our analysts just identified a stock with the potential to be the next Nvidia. Tell us how you invest and we’ll show you why it’s our #1 pick. Tap here.

Kingfisher’s broader DIY markets are hardly booming, but Screwfix is doing enough heavy lifting to make the group look considerably healthier. Strong trade demand, better margins and tighter cost control pushed first-half profits higher and gave management the confidence to raise guidance despite a still-mixed consumer backdrop.

WHAT HAPPENED

Kingfisher shares jumped around 9% after the home-improvement retailer upgraded its full-year outlook following a stronger-than-expected first half.

Adjusted pretax profit rose 9.9% to £404 million (about $539 million) in the six months to July, while statutory sales increased 0.8% to £6.86 billion and underlying like-for-like sales edged 0.3% higher.

The standout performer was Screwfix, where like-for-like sales climbed 5.6% as stronger volumes, higher spending from trade customers and continued market-share gains offset softer consumer demand elsewhere in the group.

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Trade customers now account for 74% of Screwfix sales, giving the chain greater exposure to professional builders, plumbers and electricians whose purchasing tends to be more frequent and less discretionary than that of ordinary DIY shoppers.

Digital engagement is also becoming increasingly important. E-commerce penetration at Screwfix reached 60%, while app sales increased 18%, helped by stronger loyalty-program usage and a broader range of branded products.

Kingfisher’s wider digital strategy continued gaining ground too. Group e-commerce sales excluding Screwfix rose 16%, while marketplace gross merchandise value jumped 42% to £372 million and contributed £13.4 million of profit.

Profitability improved faster than sales, with gross margin expanding 70 basis points due to sourcing gains, marketplace growth and disciplined cost management. A £14 million UK business-rates refund also helped the first-half result.

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Management now expects adjusted pretax profit of £595 million to £635 million for the full year, up from its previous £565 million to £625 million range. Free-cash-flow guidance was also increased to £480 million to £520 million from £450 million to £510 million.

The stronger outlook comes even though trading remains uneven across the portfolio, particularly in France, where weak consumer confidence and softer demand for larger renovation projects continue to weigh on performance.

WHY IT MATTERS

Kingfisher’s results show why exposure to professional tradespeople can be particularly useful when ordinary consumers are nervous about spending.

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CARSON CITY, NEV. — Aloha Medicinals, a supplier of mushroom ingredients, has launched FungiFuse, a portfolio of functional mushroom solutions.

The company said its portfolio offers manufacturers soluble, neutral-flavored mushroom ingredients for ready-to-drink beverages, functional shots, powdered beverage mixes, bars and dietary supplement applications.

“The mushroom category has grown rapidly over the past few years, but there have been challenges with taste, texture and processing limitation of traditional mushroom ingredients,” said Tony Nguyen, vice president of sales at Aloha. “FungiFuse solves those challenges and provides brands with solutions that are easy to formulate with and enjoyable to consume.” 

Fresh off ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday, first lady Melania Trump discussed the growing role of artificial intelligence during a wide-ranging interview on “The Big Money Show,” sharing advice for Americans and revealing how she has used the technology herself.

“I know, now a big topic. It’s AI, and everybody’s scared about it. I feel that they need to be vigilant. We need to use it wisely,” Trump told the “The Big Money Show” hosts Wednesday

The first lady stressed that AI users should also not “believe everything” and should educate themselves on platforms to see what’s real or not. 

TRUMP REBRANDS AI, REJECTS ‘GLOBALIST SCHEME’ TO CONTROL TECH

Artificial intelligence has become a focal point for Americans as the U.S. seeks to press forward with the technology while addressing regulation and the concerns over its “threat” to humanity. 

President Donald Trump advocated for the push for American AI dominance during his speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.

“Whoever wins AI, you have to remember this, and now I say whoever wins SI, whoever wins ‘superintelligence,’ wins. That’s the group that wins,” Trump said. “We’re leading now over China by a lot and everyone else. We’re going to keep it that way. We’re going to keep it very straight and very strong.”

TECH GIANT CEO ANNOUNCES SHE WILL ATTEND TRUMP-XI STATE DINNER

As the U.S. presses on in its AI adoption, the first lady was asked how it should be incorporated into schooling and family life. 

“I think it should be incorporated,” she said. 

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet this week for a state visit.  (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Mrs. Trump hinted at the AI race with China as President Xi Jinping is in the U.S. for a state visit. 

“You know, for example, China, they’re coming to visit, right? But they will not stop. We need to move ahead, and we need to be educated,” she stressed. 

The first lady continued touching on its educational use for children.  

“For the children as well, I was just in North Carolina and I brought Nvidia and they donated a subscription to North Carolina schools,” she said. “So they know what they’re doing, and it’s very important that you know to be vigilant and also have, you know, a time when you could be on, because AI can be very educational as well.”

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“But you need to be very careful how you use it,” she reiterated. 

Turning towards her own application of AI, the first lady revealed to “The Big Money Show” co-hosts how she uses it. 

“I use it more for research,” Trump explained. “I research and it’s easy. When you don’t know something, I like to know everything. So for me, I research it, and you type it in, and you have information right away.” 

Trump highlighted how she verifies the AI responses. 

“Of course, if something is saying, oh, is that true or not? You need to check it somewhere else, right? But that’s how I use that, for search and for knowledge.”

FOX Business’ Eric Revell contributed to this report. 

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Wednesday that an OpenAI agent gained unauthorized access to an Australian government website earlier this year, though the company said its review found no evidence that patient records were accessed.

Albanese told reporters in New York that the activity occurred in June and involved an OpenAI agent accessing the public-facing Medicare Statistics Reporting Service portal, which is administered by Services Australia.

“I spoke with the CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, to express Australia’s extreme concern about this incident,” Albanese said. 

“And I also expressed my disappointment that it took the company way too long to inform the government what had occurred, and the nature of the way that that notification occurred as well was unacceptable.”

ANTHROPIC, OPENAI CEOS WARN AI COULD THREATEN HUMANITY WITHOUT SAFEGUARDS

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Wednesday that an OpenAI agent gained unauthorized access to an Australian government website earlier this year. (Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

Albanese said no personal information is believed to have been accessed and that investigations remain ongoing.

“Nonetheless, this situation is obviously unacceptable,” Albanese said.

In a statement provided to FOX Business, OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri said the company identified activity involving several Australian government websites during an internal evaluation.

Pusateri said OpenAI is conducting an extensive review of “misaligned model activity” during training and evaluation and is notifying third parties when it “identifies potential impacts to their systems.”

SAM ALTMAN IDENTIFIES TWO BIGGEST RISKS FACING AI’S FUTURE

An OpenAI spokesperson said the company identified activity involving several Australian government websites during an internal evaluation. (Omar Marques/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

“During this review, we identified activity involving several Australian government websites and services as our models attempted to look up answers and available statistics for questions about Australia during an internal evaluation,” Pusateri said. “In the course of that, our models took actions we did not intend.”

Pusateri said OpenAI’s review found no evidence that patient records were accessed.

“The information accessed included aggregate health statistics and internal file names,” Pusateri said. “We notified the organizations and are providing technical information to support their investigations and help address potential security vulnerabilities.

“Our overall review is ongoing, and we remain committed to transparency about these issues and to sharing what we learn as that work continues.” 

The company said it notified Services Australia Sept. 10 after validating what information had been accessed.

TRUMP ADMIN PARTNERS WITH OPENAI TO EQUIP FEDERAL EMPLOYEES WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOLS

The prime minister also said he spoke with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to express Australia’s “extreme concern” about the incident. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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The incident comes amid growing scrutiny of AI models and their capabilities.

Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warned the United Nations Security Council Wednesday that rapidly advancing AI could threaten humanity if governments and industry fail to keep it under human control.

“We could lose control of the future to AI,” Altman said. “The risk is that it moves so fast that people can no longer follow what’s happening or intervene when needed. This would obviously be terrible.”

Reuters and FOX Business’ Isabel McKean contributed to this report.