As the price of gold soared, Julie Li thought her investment in the precious metal was the smartest decision she had ever made. Across China, many like her have poured their savings into gold, lured by companies promising hefty returns far into the future, according to a New York Times analysis. About a year ago, Ms. Li invested about $35,000 in gold bars through Yongkun Gold, a company that runs an online platform and dozens of jewelry shops in eastern China. The investments performed so well that she used a credit card to put in $20,000 more. Last month, Ms.

Indonesia’s central bank held interest rates steady on Wednesday, pausing again as policymakers remain cautious amid external uncertainties, the Wall Street Journal reported. Bank Indonesia maintained its benchmark seven-day reverse repo rate at 5.50%, citing heightened geopolitical tensions, particularly the conflict in the Middle East. The decision also comes just hours ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s policy announcement, reinforcing expectations that the central bank will adopt a wait-and-see approach.

Just three years ago, Bowling Green, Ky., was celebrating the largest industrial investment ever made in the city, a new sprawling electric-vehicle battery factory that would create 2,000 jobs. Today, the building is there. The jobs aren’t, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis. The Chinese-owned company behind the factory quietly stopped working on the $2 billion plant last September, according to current and former employees. Now there is just a massive metal shell of a building with no interior equipment.

Two decades ago, China shocked the United States with its ability to make and ship things fast and inexpensively on a scale never before seen, the New York Times reported. The resulting surge of exports reshaped America’s economy and its politics. Today, a new China shock is cascading across the globe from Indonesia to Germany to Brazil. As President Trump’s tariffs start to shut China out of the U.S., its biggest market, Chinese factories are sending their toys, cars and shoes to other countries at a pace that is reshaping economies and geopolitics.

The Bank of Japan on Tuesday left its policy settings unchanged amid ongoing trade uncertainty and announced that it would slow the pace of its bond-buying reduction after April 2026, the Wall Street Journal reported. The Japanese central bank held its policy rate steady at 0.5%, where it has remained since its last hike in January. BOJ Gov. Kazuo Ueda has said the bank will continue to consider further interest rate increases, depending on economic conditions.

The consumer landscape in China was very different in the 1990s, when Häagen-Dazs and Starbucks ventured in with premium products that were alien to most people, Bloomberg reported. They made huge inroads nonetheless, opening outlets at breakneck pace and raking in revenue. But times are changing, and they, like many other Western brands, are reassessing their approach to the world’s second-biggest economy, including possibly selling their businesses. General Mills, which owns Häagen-Dazs, is working on a potential sale of its more than 250 stores in China. Starbucks Corp.

A record share of the world’s central banks plans to accumulate more gold over the next 12 months, drawn by bullion’s performance during times of crisis and protection against inflation, Bloomberg reported. In a survey of 72 monetary authorities, 43% said they expected their gold reserves to increase, up from 29% a year earlier and the highest figure in eight years of data collected by the World Gold Council and YouGov. None anticipated a decline. Central banks have been one of the most important drivers of a long-running gold rally that has seen prices double since late-2022.

U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Robert J. Faris has ordered Imperial Pacific International to show cause why its chapter 11 bankruptcy case should not be dismissed or converted to chapter 7, Marianas Variety reported. Judge Faris wants IPI to provide proof that it has renewed or replaced its recently expired liability insurance policy by June 19. If not, he said the court will enter an order dismissing IPI’s case without further notice or hearing. IPI operated a casino on Saipan for four years until the COVID-19 pandemic forced its closure in March 2020.

Thailand has reached a major aviation milestone as Thai Airways International triumphantly exits its court-supervised debt restructuring program after four challenging years, following official approval from the Central Bankruptcy Court in Bangkok, Travel and Tour News reported. This crucial court decision not only restores the national carrier’s financial stability but also paves the way for the resumption of trading on the stock market, renewed investor confidence, and Thailand’s strengthened position in the global aviation industry.