☕️ Good morning, friends,

🌪 Shitstorm of the Week: The branding team of Canadian outdoor apparel brand Arc’teryx had an idea:

“Let’s stage an art installation in the fragile ecosystem of the Himalayas with fireworks, colorful smoke, and lots of noise. People will love it.”

The exact opposite happened. Neither the local wildlife and plants nor people online were impressed by the stunt of this self-proclaimed “conservation” brand.

@Arc’teryx: For half the budget, we’ll create you a shitstorm-proof marketing plan. Reach out at [email protected]

P.S. Tomorrow we’re sending out the first issue of asiabits AI. You can already join the waitlist.

MARKETS

Highlights

Wall Street drew strength from Asia, with Japan’s chip stocks adding fuel to the S&P 500 rally. Nikkei futures rose 0.4%. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng was flat as typhoon Ragasa slowed trading activity. In China, PBOC Governor Pan Gongsheng stressed that rate moves will be guided by domestic factors rather than the Fed.

TOP BIT

💵 That’ll be $100,000, please

The U.S. government has drastically raised the cost of new H-1B work visas. Companies must now pay $100,000 per application. The announcement sparked panic among tech firms and foreign professionals — especially talent from India and China, who make up the bulk of visa holders.

The Details

📊 From Bangalore to boardroom: India accounts for a hefty …