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Gazette

• New manpower law to tilt balance to laborThe Jakarta Post
• Speculation swirls over possible TNI chief changeThe Jakarta Post
• Diplomacy, rules still command trust in hawkish world: studyThe Jakarta Post
• BGN tests buffet-style free school meals, citing Japan modelThe Jakarta Post
• Plaintiffs criticize government's no-show at forest-fire class-action hearing in...The Jakarta Post
• El Nino will peak in December: UNThe Jakarta Post
• Malaysia to work towards Myanmar's full reintegration into ASEAN, PM saysThe Jakarta Post

Smoke Over Singapore, and a Lawsuit in Pontianak

As haze chokes the region, residents are suing over Indonesia's forest fires while volunteers fight them with little support.

Smoke from Indonesia's forest fires has shrouded Singapore for weeks, with air quality in the "unhealthy" range a day before the Singapore Grand Prix, where entertainment may be curbed if the haze worsens. In Indonesia, four plaintiffs, including a local chapter of the Indigenous NGO AMAN, filed a class-action lawsuit last month at a court in Pontianak, West Kalimantan. They have criticized the government for not showing up at the hearing.

On the ground, local volunteers are eager to help put out the fires, but some have received little to no support or resources. The outlook adds weight: the UN's WMO says El Niño will peak in December, with a near-100% likelihood it persists through February 2027, potentially among the strongest since at least 1950.

• Rhea Seehorn’s First Fashion Show Was Louis Vuitton at the LouvreWWD
• Red Hot: Aritzia Posts Huge Q2 GainsWWD
• Cambodia’s Workers Want More Than a ‘Survival Wage’WWD
• Pacsun’s Vintage Store Is Entering Fall SeasonWWD
• Dice Kayek Spring 2027: Cherries on TopWWD
• Mikey Madison Opts for Refined Ferragamo, Aquazzura and Louboutin Heels for ‘The Social Reckoning’ Press TourWWD
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Levi's Leans on Wholesale and Tariff Refunds

The denim maker's rough third quarter was cushioned by trade reimbursements, while Aritzia posted huge gains.

Levi's third quarter was a rough one, and the numbers show how it was held together. The denim maker's direct-to-consumer sales were unexpectedly weak, so wholesale did the heavy lifting, while profits and margins were propped up by trade reimbursements, which Retail Dive ties to tariff refunds.

Elsewhere the picture looks brighter. Aritzia, the Vancouver-based fashion chain, posted huge second-quarter gains and is among the industry's fastest-growing brands, widely resonating with shoppers. Set side by side, the two reports show how uneven the business is right now: one brand relying on refunds and wholesale, another clearly connecting with the people walking through its doors.

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A quiet day in fashion culture, with nothing in today's feeds worth a full feature.

• Inside Elon Musk’s Midterm Spending SpreeWIRED
• She Designed Meta’s New AI Logo. Then Came the HateWIRED
• Trump Administration Cuts Off Access to a Major Immigration Program for Workers at Microsoft and AdobeWIRED
• The New Alexa Tablets Feel Like a Blueprint for an Amazon PhoneWIRED
• Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro, Alexa Tablet 11, Alexa Tablet 8: Specs, Features, PriceWIRED
• Spend Elon Musk’s MoneyWIRED
• How Massive Is Elon Musk’s Trillion-Dollar Fortune? Spend It YourselfWIRED

Amazon's New Alexa Tablets Hint at a Phone

Three aluminum tablets now run Android with the full Google Play Store, and WIRED sees a smartphone blueprint.

Amazon has announced three new Alexa Tablets: the Alexa Tablet 12 Pro, the Alexa Tablet 11 and the Alexa Tablet 8. All three are built from aluminum, and all three now run Android with full access to the Google Play Store. There are versions for kids too.

WIRED's take is that the tablets feel like a blueprint for an Amazon phone. Amazon is rumored to be making a smartphone, and the Alexa-powered experiences on these devices offer a taste of what might come if that happens. For now it is only a rumor, but the combination of Alexa and a full Android app store is the detail worth watching.