“Cut and cut cleanly. The time has come.”Donald Trump, the outgoing president of the United States, might do well to heed the terse advice given in February 1986 by then-senator Paul Laxalt to the autocratic Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos.Like Trump, Marcos had just been beaten at the polls by his opponent Corazon Aquino, the widow drafted by the opposition after her husband and long-time Marcos rival, Benigno Aquino, was assassinated upon his return from exile in 1983.Also like Trump,…
Singapore funeral director charged over ex-boyfriend’s death at car park
The 38-year-old director of City Funeral Singapore was charged in court on Thursday over the death of her ex-boyfriend in May during the circuit breaker period imposed to limit the spread of Covid-19.Alverna Cher Sheue Pin faces a charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.She is accused of causing the death of Wee Jun Xiang, 32, on May 16 at Deck 4B of the multistorey car park at Block 145A Bedok Reservoir Road between 1.44pm and 5.15pm. Court documents did not provide more details of…
Indonesia teacher turned tailor cashes in on cat fashion craze
It may not be haute couture, but Indonesian tailor Fredi Lugina Priadi has found a lucrative market for his cat fashions, creating unique costumes and cosplay outfits for cats.After quitting his job as a schoolteacher, he tried his hand at a number of businesses – including running a motorbike repair shop – before stumbling upon feline fashions, an idea from one of his cat-loving cousins.The 39-year-old now supplies outfits to picky pet owners looking to dress their cats in everything from…
ICC Rules 2021: a focus on increased efficiency
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has launched its 2021 Rules, which will apply to all ICC arbitrations registered after 1 January 2021.
The future of mobility: meeting the infrastructure challenge
Connected, autonomous, shared and electric (CASE) vehicles rely on a diverse and complex range of infrastructure, both physical and digital, to support their operation. Delivering this infrastructure will depend on meeting commercial and security challenges, and establishing effective models of collaboration.
Coronavirus: South Korean students face double dread in Suneung college entrance exam and pandemic
Seoul student Lee Yeo-jin, 20, has spent the past weeks worrying about the annual college entrance exam on Thursday.The Covid-19 pandemic and multiple waves of infections in South Korea meant she was unable to go to cram school before the infamous Suneung – the Korean abbreviation for the College Scholastic Ability Test, which is also known as CSAT and is similar to the American Scholastic Aptitude Test, or SAT.About 490,000 Koreans – including high school seniors and adults – will sit for the…
As Thai king’s consort Sineenat returns, so do rumours of a plot to oust her
When Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn last month greeted thousands of supporters at a pro-monarchy rally in Bangkok, the cameras zoomed in on him and Queen Suthida beaming and waving at devotees holding flags and the royal couple’s portraits.Also in the crowd was royal consort Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi, marking her return to the spotlight after almost a year in banishment for disloyalty.But since her reinstatement in September, she’s been touring Thailand’s provinces in a public relations…
Insights Guidance Diversity and Inclusion – Part 2
Diversity & Inclusion Sector Focus – Manufacturing, Technology & Financial Services Sectors
Coronavirus: Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan infected; cases spike in Japan among US military
Anies Baswedan, governor of Indonesia’s capital Jakarta, has tested positive for Covid-19 and is undergoing self-isolation but has so far showed no symptoms, according to his office in a statement on Tuesday.He had dismissed the mayor of Central Jakarta earlier for failing to enforce social-distancing measures.Indonesia on alert after Isis-linked group beheads farmer to ‘sow terror’Jakarta remains the epicentre of the local outbreak, accounting for one-third of Indonesia’s more than half a…
Coronavirus: Asia’s grounded pilots spark airline safety fears over lack of flying practice
On September 15, an Indonesian flight carrying 307 passengers and 11 crew to the northern city of Medan momentarily veered off the runway after landing, sparking an investigation by the country’s transport safety regulator. It found the pilot had flown less than three hours in the previous 90 days. The first officer had not flown at all since February 1.The incident underlines an emerging risk from the coronavirus pandemic: pilots are not getting enough opportunity to fly because airlines have…