Extending civil partnerships to heterosexual couples could create new liabilities for pension schemes which pay out survivor benefits, according to pensions experts at Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ‘to visit North Korea next week’
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo plans to travel to North Korea next week to discuss the country’s denuclearisation plans, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing four people familiar with his plans.
A State Department official said Pompeo had postponed a meeting with his Indian counterpart in Washington on July 6 but would not confirm that he did so in order to fly to Pyongyang, saying there were “no travels plans to announce at this time”.
Donald Trump and Vladimir…
Murky floodwaters, narrow passages and limited tech: here’s why rescuing 12 Thai boys trapped in a cave is so tricky
A team of Thai soccer players – 12 boys aged 11 to 16 and their coach – have been missing inside a flooded cave in the country’s far north since June 23. Rescuers led by elite navy divers have found signs of the boys inside but have been unable to locate them. Here’s a look at what’s complicating the search.
Huge cave complex
Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Chiang Rai province has an impressive entrance area that is easily walkable and has become a tourist attraction….
Satellite imagery suggests ‘rapid’ upgrades at North Korea nuclear site and uranium enrichment, says monitoring group
North Korea appears to be enriching uranium at its nuclear research site, where improvements have progressed at a “rapid pace” in recent months, a monitoring group said in a report on Wednesday, but the level of current operations at the facility remains unclear.
Analysis of satellite images by the group 38 North, which closely follows North Korea affairs, offered a snapshot of the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Centre on June 21 – nine days after North Korean leader Kim…
FCA consults on complaints rights of payment fraud victims
More victims of authorised push payment (APP) fraud would be able to refer unresolved complaints to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) under plans put forward for consultation by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Thailand seeks Foxconn investment as trade tensions rise between US and China
A group of senior Thai politicians and businessmen are meeting in China with Foxconn, the world’s largest contract electronics maker, and other companies to seek investment in Thailand, as Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy moves to speed up digital transformation and upgrade its technology sector.
“Yes, I heard he (the deputy prime minister) is in Shenzhen, China. He will visit three companies in that area (Guangdong province) including Foxconn,” said a Thai…
Naked Japanese hermit, 82, forced to leave the remote island where he had hoped he might die
An 82-year-old hermit who has lived naked on a remote Japanese island for almost 30 years has been taken from his home because of concerns that his health might be failing. Masafumi Nagasaki had lived in Sotobanari, in a chain of islands near Taiwan, since 1989 and stuck to a strict daily regimen, according to news.com.au, a website for several Australian newspapers. His morning routine included exercises, followed by several hours of beach cleaning with a pair of white gloves and a rake…
Flooding complicates search for 12 Thai boys and their soccer coach trapped in cave for three days
Efforts to rescue 12 boys and their soccer coach who have been missing inside a flooded cave in northern Thailand for three days hinge on pumping out water so that navy divers have room to operate, the first high-level Thai official to visit the site said on Tuesday.
Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda told reporters that navy SEAL divers leading the search were handicapped by muddy water that has filled some chambers of the large cave to the ceilings.
He said the divers can proceed only when…
IUA Brexit insurance continuity clause available for use
A model ‘continuity clause’, designed to clarify how insurers will pay claims in the event of Brexit-related disruption to contracts, has been published by the International Underwriting Association (IUA).
Japanese networking site Wantedly looks to expand in Southeast Asia, help companies ‘date’ millennials
Wantedly Inc., the Tokyo-listed job recruitment networking company, is considering expanding into Malaysia and Vietnam after setting up in Singapore as it steps up its presence in Southeast Asia.
“Finding a good country manager is key” to expansion, Akiko Naka, CEO of Wantedly, said in an interview at the Techsauce Global Summit in Bangkok. “We have made so many mistakes in the past,” she said, without elaborating.
Wantedly differs from other job recruitment sites by…