BMW recalls more than 720,000 vehicles in U.S. over fire risk, urges owners to park outside
BMW is recalling more than 720,000 vehicles in the U.S. over a fire risk, warning owners to park outside and away from buildings until repairs are ...
Pop Mart has posted stunning interim results for the first half of 2025, riding on the explosive popularity of its breakout character Labubu.
The Chinese toymaker reported revenue of US $1.93 billion , a staggering 204% year-on-year increase, while net profit surged almost 400% to US $636 million. Much of this growth was driven by Labubu and the “Monsters” series, which alone brought in about US $670 million - 668% jump compared with the previous year.
Labubu has quickly evolved from a niche collectible into a global sensation, now accounting for more than a third of Pop Mart’s sales. Celebrities such as Rihanna, Lisa of Blackpink, and David Beckham have been spotted carrying Labubu dolls, boosting its profile as both a toy and fashion accessory. This surge has helped Pop Mart’s market value climb past US $46 billion, surpassing industry giants like Mattel and Sanrio.
The company is aggressively expanding its global footprint to meet soaring demand. International sales now make up nearly 40% of total revenue, with North America and Asia-Pacific expected to rival China’s sales by year’s end. Pop Mart currently operates 571 retail stores and almost 2,600 automated “roboshops” worldwide, and it plans to open at least 100 more outlets overseas in 2025. To broaden its reach beyond blind-box collectors, the firm has also launched new products such as mini Labubu phone charms.
Looking ahead, CEO Wang Ning has forecast that full-year revenue could hit RMB US $2.78 billion, and possibly as high as US $4.18 billion if the craze continues. Yet analysts caution that the company’s fortunes are heavily tied to a single character, and long-term growth will depend on whether Pop Mart can replicate Labubu’s success with fresh intellectual property.
For now, the Labubu phenomenon shows no sign of slowing, cementing the quirky character as both a cultural icon and a business powerhouse driving one of China’s most remarkable consumer success stories in recent years.
European leaders gathered in Dublin on Thursday, 12 November, for the ninth European Political Community (EPC) summit, with security, defence and energy high on the agenda. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held talks focused on peace, trade and regional cooperation.
Iran will not let a single particle of its enriched nuclear material leave the country, and any new U.S. attack would be met with strikes on distant American bases, Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei has said.
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang is stepping down amid reports linking him to a woman suspected by U.S. authorities of spying for China, throwing the future of the $4 trillion chipmaker into uncertainty.
Kazakhstan’s security service has arrested Nurlan Zhakupov, CEO of Samruk-Kazyna, the country’s sovereign wealth fund, on suspicion of corruption. Yelzhas Otynshiyev, Chairman of KTZ, Kazakhstan’s national railway firm has also been detained.
Eight people have been killed and at least 17 injured after an apartment building collapsed into a neighbouring construction site in Brooklyn, New York, as rescuers continued searching the rubble for possible survivors.
Jensen Huang’s abrupt resignation as Nvidia’s chief executive has rattled global technology markets, sent Chinese AI stocks tumbling and fuelled concerns over tighter U.S. chip export restrictions.
Azerbaijan's non-oil and gas exports, excluding non-monetary gold, rose 20.8 per cent year-on-year to $3.6 billion in the first 10 months of 2026, according to preliminary figures released by the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC) on Thursday.
Nvidia's board is scheduled to meet to decide whether to remove CEO Jensen Huang following reports of extramarital affairs, including one involving a woman suspected of links to Chinese intelligence, as U.S. lawmakers intensify scrutiny of the chipmaker's exports to China.
Calls for Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to resign are growing amid national security concerns, raising questions about the future of the AI chip giant. With billions in quarterly revenue, no announced successor and investors already reacting to the controversy, what happens if its co-founder steps down?
Azerbaijan is seeking international investment to develop more than four gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind power in the Caspian Sea, as part of plans to expand renewable energy and establish electricity export routes to Türkiye and Europe.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment