Tackling sexual harassment within the financial services industry will require cultural change from firms, from senior leadership down, an expert has said.
Hancock seeks reforms to genetic data use and commercial genomic testing
Rules on access to and use of genetic data need updating to support the growth of genomics medicine, the health secretary in England has said.
Vietnam protests over China’s sinking of vessel in contested South China Sea
Vietnam has lodged an official protest with China following the sinking of a Vietnamese fishing vessel in the contested South China Sea, the foreign ministry said late on Thursday.The two countries have long been embroiled in a dispute over the potentially energy-rich stretch of waters, called the East Sea by Vietnam.The fishing vessel was moored near Da Loi island in the Paracel archipelago on March 6 when a China Maritime Surveillance Vessel chased it and fired a water cannon at it, the…
Malaysian carmaker Proton announces joint venture to build new assembly plant in Pakistan
Proton, Malaysia’s national carmaker, is set to build an assembly plant near Karachi in Pakistan with local partner Alhaj Automotive, in a move that economists believe will bring positives for both nations.The carmaker, which was struggling before Chinese company Geely bought a 49.9 per cent stake in 2017, recently launched a premium SUV believed to be signalling its recovery. Now, its regional ambitions are coming to fruition sooner than expected, even as Geely’s sales within China stutter…
Government backs first UK collective DC pension scheme
Plans to introduce the UK’s first collective defined contribution (CDC) pension scheme, proposed by Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union (CWU), have been backed by the UK government.
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch severs business ties with Mokhzani Mahathir over anti-Semitic comments made by his father
British actor Benedict Cumberbatch’s company has cut business ties with Mokhzani Mahathir over anti-Semitic remarks made by his father, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, local media reported.In an interview with BBC last October, Mahathir described Jews as “hook-nosed” and blamed them for troubles in the Middle East.“If you are going to be truthful, the problem in the Middle East began with the creation of Israel. That is an old truth. But I cannot say that,” on BBC’s Hard Talk.The 93…
Lion Air, the carrier behind Indonesia’s second-worst aviation disaster, starts work on a US$1 billion initial public offer
Lion Air has started preparations for a domestic initial public offering, people with knowledge of the matter said, as Indonesia’s biggest private carrier seeks to move past an October crash that triggered the crisis surrounding Boeing’s 737 MAX plane.The company is working with advisers on the planned share sale, which could take place as soon as this year, the people said.Lion Air has been discussing a fundraising target of around US$1 billion, though it hasn’t set precise terms for the deal,…
Injunctions against foreign rulings allowed in ‘exceptional circumstances’: Singapore court
The use of anti-suit injunctions to stop foreign court rulings from interfering with arbitrations should be made early in the process, Singapore’s Court of Appeal (CoA) has said. But even if a foreign court case has run its course anti-enforcement injunctions can be made “in exceptional circumstances”, it said.
Sri Lanka to get US$3.9 billion oil refinery next to Chinese-run port in Colombo
A Singapore-based company and the government of Oman have pledged to build a US$3.9 billion oil refinery next to a Chinese-controlled port in what will be the largest foreign investment ever for Sri Lanka, officials said on Tuesday.The refinery will be a joint venture for the Singapore-based Silver Park International Private Limited firm and the Sultanate of Oman’s Ministry of Oil and Gas, said Nalin Bandara, Sri Lanka’s deputy minister of international trade. Construction will begin next week…
Coco Martin is one of the Philippines’ biggest stars – because he’s an everyman
Coco Martin is a Filipino everyman. In person, he’s shorter than you’d expect. Disarming; he’s also trim, handsome (but not too handsome) with an empathetic smile and warm eyes. When you meet him, he’s immediately familiar. He could be the mechanic from down the road, the kindly hospital orderly or the overseas foreign worker. Nondescript. Ordinary, but trustworthy.Meanwhile, the Philippines is three years into President Rodrigo Duterte’s term in office and is fast approaching the all-important…