Devastating floods and landslides have killed 1,003 people in Indonesia, rescuers said on Saturday as the Southeast Asian nation grapples with relief efforts.
The disaster, which has hit the northwestern island of Sumatra over the past fortnight, has also injured more than 5,400, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said in its latest toll.
The deadly torrential rains are one of the worst recent disasters to strike Sumatra, where a tsunami wreaked havoc in 2004 in Aceh province, which lies at…
US schools embrace Asian-American history in new curriculum
When high school students in the West Hartford Public Schools district study World War II in the coming year, they will learn about more than just the typical hallmarks like Japanese-American detention camps.
They will also hear about Sadao Munemori, a soldier who died protecting comrades from a grenade. The 22-year-old posthumously became the first Japanese-American awarded the Medal of Honour.
Lessons like this that delve beyond places have left teachers “humbled”, said Jessica Blitzer, the…
Ex-NBA player with deadly brain cancer in Singapore for new treatment. Here’s how it works
Former National Basketball Association (NBA) centre Jason Collins, who has a deadly form of brain cancer, is undergoing an experimental treatment in Singapore, with those involved in the trial hailing the city state’s reputation as a medical innovation hub.
Collins, the first openly gay man to play in a major US professional sports league, said on Thursday in an ESPN interview that he had stage 4 glioblastoma and was pursuing innovative treatment in a clinic in Singapore, where he got approval…
What a decade of tech tells us about future regulation
Lessons from the past 10 years shows that businesses can expect new regulation to emerge in response to the next generation of technologies and innovation sure to follow between now and 2030.
‘Baseline’ protection to be maintained in EU pharma law revamp
Pharmaceutical companies will be able to plan their research and development programmes with greater certainty after EU law makers agreed a deal on legislative reforms, an expert has said.
FCA revamps UK insurance market rules with more reform to come
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a new set of rules aimed at simplifying regulations and reducing costs for firms operating across the UK insurance and funeral plan sectors, together with a package of further rule-simplifying proposals.
Japan’s English skills crash to record low, behind Laos and Vietnam
Japan’s ability to communicate effectively in English has dropped to its lowest level in more than a decade, according to a global ranking that paints a worrying picture for a nation that prides itself on being an economic and educational powerhouse.
The latest survey by Swiss education company EF Education First places Japan 96th out of 123 nations, relegating it to the lowest of five proficiency tiers – “very low” – and behind Laos, Bhutan, Turkmenistan and Vietnam. China ranks 86th, while the…
Thai PM sets stage for election, saying he will return ‘power to the people’
Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has moved to dissolve parliament, setting the stage for an early election after reports of a key political party backing his minority government moving to withdraw its support.
Anutin said in a social media post on Thursday that he was taking steps to “return power to the people”.
The premier has already submitted a recommendation for the dissolution of the House of Representatives for royal endorsement, according to several Thai media outlets.
The…
FCA publishes near-final rules on targeted support
A new service to be launched by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) aims to bridge the ‘advice gap’ for consumers of investments and pensions
South Korea’s threat to dissolve corrupt religious groups risks political blowback
South Korea is bracing for a showdown between political power and religious influence, as a widening bribery scandal linked to the Unification Church has thrust President Lee Jae-myung into a battle over how far the state should go in policing faith-based organisations.
With allegations of illicit lobbying spreading across the country’s two major political parties, Lee has ordered a review of whether religious groups accused of systematic election interference and covert funding networks could…