Japanese prosecutors on Wednesday charged a man with murder over the 2019 arson attack on Kyoto Animation that killed 36 people in the country’s deadliest violent crime in decades.Shinji Aoba, 42, was detained in the aftermath of the July attack, but has been hospitalised since then with severe burns sustained in the incident.There were no immediate details on the full extent of the charges against Aoba, who was only formally placed under arrest in May.The Kyoto prosecutor’s office did not…
Singapore human rights lawyer M Ravi charged with defaming law minister K Shanmugam
Singapore human rights lawyer M Ravi was charged on Wednesday with criminally defaming Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam in a Facebook post last month.Ravi had claimed in the November 6 post that fellow lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam, who briefly employed Ravi when he was suspended from practising law in 2015, had said Shanmugam “wields influence over Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon”.He further alleged that Thuraisingam had also said Shanmugam “calls the shot and controls (sic) Sundaresh…
Tax issues for UK holding companies
This guide considers the tax implications of using a UK holding company to hold shares in other UK or overseas companies. The general principle is that a UK resident company is subject to UK corporation tax on its worldwide profits and gains. The main rate of UK corporation tax is currently 20% and is due to be reduced further to 19% from April 2017 and then to 17% from April 2020.
New Zealand willing to arbitrate in Australia-China dispute: Nanaia Mahuta
New Zealand’s new foreign minister said on Tuesday the country would be willing to help negotiate a truce between neighbouring Australia and regional heavyweight China, who are caught in an escalating trade and diplomatic spat.Nanaia Mahuta, 50, said hosting the high profile Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit next year presented an opportunity for New Zealand to bring both parties to the table.“Do I believe that there might an opportunity for New Zealand to create a different…
Coronavirus: Singapore to open business travel bubble; half of its migrant workers were infected
Singapore will start a new travel lane for “business, official and high economic value travellers” that will allow people to come to the city state without quarantine for short-term visits and stay in a dedicated “bubble” facility near the airport.The segregated travel lane, announced by Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing on Tuesday, builds on Singapore’s efforts to reopen its borders in a controlled manner. The Southeast Asian nation, which has largely beaten back the coronavirus,…
Mastercard ruling: ‘new era’ for UK collective actions
The Supreme Court’s judgment in favour of the claimants in an opt-out mass action against payments provider Mastercard “heralds a new era” for the UK’s fledgling collective redress regime, according to a competition law expert at Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.
Malaysian women, children bear brunt of coronavirus lockdown
Women and children have been hardest-hit by coronavirus restrictions in Malaysia, experts say, with domestic violence and calls to abortion helplines both increasing during lockdown.Women’s groups reported a threefold increase in distress calls over the past year, while a reproductive rights group said calls from women seeking access to safe abortions increased nearly 50 per cent over 2020 compared to 2019.The Women’s Aid Organisation reported a 150 per cent increase in calls to its hotline and…
Coronavirus Malaysia: Top Glove put profits before people, say migrant workers
Bangladeshi migrant worker Sheikh Kibria recalls with horror the filthy, overcrowded dormitory where he was housed by the world’s biggest rubber glove manufacturer when a coronavirus outbreak erupted and infected thousands.Malaysia’s Top Glove saw profits soar, and its stock price jump as much as 400 per cent this year as countries worldwide rushed to buy protective gear as the pandemic intensified.But the South Asian migrants working flat out to make the gloves – who typically earn around US…
Young South Korean women are turning to suicide in ever greater numbers. Covid-19 is just the start of their problems
When Jin-ah quit her job as a hotel cook she had hoped for relief from the bullying and sexual discrimination that was making her life a misery. But having nothing to do only made her inner demons louder, so she tried to hang herself with the cord of her hair dryer. Jin-ah, 31, did not succeed. Deep within, a survival instinct stirred and she stopped herself before it was too late. Since that day a few months ago the Jeju Island resident has been trying to understand her motivations for…
Can Thailand save its rice bowl, or will China, India and Vietnam eat it for lunch?
Thailand’s famous jasmine rice claimed yet another top prize on the world stage this month, marking the sixth such honour the World Rice Conference has bestowed on the fluffy, fragrant and full-bodied grain since 2009. The “Khao Dawk Mali 105” – a code name for the most renowned Thai jasmine rice variety – defeated rivals from Cambodia, China, the United States and Vietnam with “its combination of aroma, texture, and flavour”, said the judging panel at the annual forum for rice suppliers and…