The racist abuse directed at footballers following the England team’s defeat in the final of the UEFA European Championship last weekend should spur employers to review whether they have appropriate policies in place to sanction any employees responsible for such behaviour, an expert has said.
Malaysian MP Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor cleared of corruption after appeal court overturns conviction
Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, a former top lieutenant of ex-Malaysian leader Najib Razak, on Friday became the latest political figure in the country to be absolved of corruption charges after an appellate court quashed an earlier conviction.The former secretary general of the powerful United Malays National Organisation (Umno) was among the handful of top leaders – including Najib – who were put on trial following the party’s shock defeat in the 2018 general election.The party returned to power…
Coronavirus: Southeast Asia’s deaths skyrocket as Delta variant engulfs region
Southeast Asia is emerging as a battlefield for one of the world’s worst Covid-19 outbreaks, fuelled by the fast-spreading Delta variant amid a slow roll-out of vaccines.The momentum of the region’s outbreak has now eclipsed previously hard-hit places like Latin America and India, with cases jumping 41 per cent over the past week to more than half a million, according to Bloomberg analysis of Johns Hopkins University data. Deaths rose 39 per cent in the seven days through to Wednesday, the…
FCA business plan targets ‘innovative, assertive, adaptive’ future
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published its business plan for 2021-22, setting out its priorities for the coming year as the regulator seeks to keep up with changes in technology and adjust to economic challenges.
South Korea poised to expand space programme with new satellites for 6G communications and national security
South Korea’s space programme is set for a major boost with new satellites to keep it at the forefront of the 6G communications competition and more eyes in the sky for national security purposes, the science minister said.Lim Hye-sook said this means launching multitasking satellites on home-grown rockets, and eventually a mission to the moon.“Space exploration will be the platform for new businesses,” said Lim, who received her doctorate in electrical engineering and computer science from the…
Asian air travel could take 3 years to recover from coronavirus pandemic, lagging behind rest of the world
Asian air travel may take another three years to recover fully from the devastation wrought by the pandemic, lagging behind rebounds in other regions and offering a stern headwind for refiners making jet fuel.It will take until 2024 for international air travel across the region to reach pre-virus levels, a year after global traffic hits that milestone, according to the International Air Transport Association. Similarly, consultancy Energy Aspects says jet fuel consumption will reach pre…
Harnessing neurodiverse potential can help with digital talent shortage
The battle for talent in technology and digital markets has intensified as a shortage of digital skills is exacerbated by increased demand as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic.
Tokyo Olympics: will activist athletes test the rules by protesting on podiums?
Fifty-three years after Tommie Smith and John Carlos’s medal podium protest in Mexico City, a new generation of activist athletes is poised to take centre stage at the Tokyo Olympics.US sprinters Smith and Carlos faced the ultimate sanction for their black-gloved salute of defiance in 1968, expelled from the Games in disgrace and returning home to be greeted by widespread opprobrium.But while attitudes to Smith and Carlos have shifted over time – the duo are now celebrated as civil rights…
Coronavirus: Thai doctors want Pfizer vaccines amid doubts over Sinovac’s efficacy against Delta variant
For the past five years, Wipa, a doctor in her 20s, has had to adjust to a gruelling shift pattern of 36 hours on, eight hours off, for three to five days a week.The long hours are necessary as she oversees the inpatient wards, outpatient services and emergency room operations of a busy public hospital in Pathum Thani province, on the edge of Bangkok, Thailand.But in recent weeks, the shifts have felt even longer and heavier than usual. The hospital has only 20 doctors, who between them treat…
Do the UK’s VAT and property rules need to be simplified?
The UK government has launched a call for evidence seeking views on whether the current VAT rules for land and property need to be simplified.