Asia Pacific
Headlines
SANNE appoints new business development director in Tokyo
Makoto Nagao, has been appointed to the newly created role of Director, Business Development adding further strength to SANNE’s Asia-Pacific business. With more than 35 years of experience, Nagao-san brings a wealth of knowledge, following a lengthy career with Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, SMFG. While he was at SMFG, Nagao-san was General Manager...
Crayfish.io launches UK’s first funded initiative to get businesses China-ready
A ground-breaking initiative with a £500k investment fund dedicated to helping UK businesses get ‘China-ready’ has been launched in Cambridge by global online platform, Crayfish.io. Starting in September, the Crayfish China Accelerator programme - which has secured UK-China Enterprise Ltd (UKCE), a Chinese-capital-backed VC fund, as its...
SANNE opens new office in Mumbai, India
SANNE, a leading global provider of alternative asset and corporate services has further extended its global reach with the opening of a new office in Mumbai, India. With existing offices in 18 leading international finance centres, SANNE now has a local presence in one of the world’s fastest growing alternative markets and is also pleased to announce...
SANNE secures new bookkeeping licence in China
SANNE, a leading global provider of alternative asset and corporate administration services obtains new bookkeeping licence in China boosting its already strong proposition. The new licence expands SANNE’s existing product offering in China, adding bookkeeping, accounting and tax preparation services for Chinese registered entities. Jing Jing...
SANNE appoints Country Head to lead its Singapore business
Adding further expertise and knowledge to its APAC business As a leading global provider of alternative asset and corporate business services, SANNE is pleased to announce the appointment of David Fowler to the role of Country Head − Singapore with immediate effect. Based in SANNE’s Singapore office, David will be taking over the role from Valérie...
Finance
Violent protests rack the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua
WHITE AND RED were the colours of the day. It was August 17th, the anniversary of Indonesia’s liberation from the Dutch, and TV screens showed the national flag, with its red and white stripes, billowing across the country. But in Surabaya, a city in eastern Java, one flag lay in the gutter. Responding to allegations that someone had torn down an...
Karaoke with colleagues is no longer compulsory in South Korea
AFTER-WORK gatherings in South Korea used to follow a pattern. After a boozy dinner and several rounds of beer and soju, a local spirit, the party would decamp to a dingy basement and squeeze onto faded upholstery in an airless room with a karaoke machine. There, employees would be pressed into accompanying the boss on the tambourine as he howled his...
When India’s government abuses power, the media cheer
IT IS NEARLY three weeks since the government of Narendra Modi, in one swoop, scrapped Jammu & Kashmir’s constitutional autonomy, ended its status as a state and divided it into two parts, both to be ruled from Delhi. It carried this out not by consulting the region’s 12m-odd inhabitants on whose behalf it claims to be acting, nor after a national...
India’s justice system does far too little to protect witnesses
THE TEENAGER riding down National Highway 31 was already living a nightmare. Two years earlier she had been raped, she claimed, by a group of men starting with Kuldeep Singh Sengar, a powerful politician in her home district of Unnao, in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state. Her family tried to file a complaint with the local police, who brushed...
Violent protests rack the Indonesian part of New Guinea
WHITE AND RED were the colours of the day. It was August 17th, the anniversary of Indonesia’s liberation from the Dutch, and TV screens showed the national flag, with its red and white stripes, billowing across the country. But in Surabaya, a city in eastern Java, one flag lay in the gutter. Responding to allegations that someone had torn down an...
Legal
After Fintech, Singapore eyes Legaltech status
Singapore, a haven for disruptive fintech firms, is aiming to shake up Asia's legal sector next The Lion City will host Southeast Asia's first legaltech accelerator from April. The city-state's initiative aims to groom legaltech startups as well as incubate new business models or services conceived by law firms. Singapore's law academy has launched...
China updates New Industry Catalogue
PRC reduces regulatory procedures for foreign investments following its 2016 reforms. China creates a nationally applicable “negative list” for foreign investment, which opens up more industries for multi-national companies.Foreign Investments Filing Administrative Rules will be updated and published soon by the Ministry of Commerce to clarify...
Proposals to make free movement of data a principle of EU law expected this autumn
Ansip said proposed new EU legislation to tackle unnecessary restrictions on where data can be stored are likely to be published this autumn.The proposals will also look to make it easier for businesses to move their data between rival cloud providers and ensure that public sector bodies can access data held by authorities in another EU country to help...
New advertising standards in the UK to take tougher stance on gender stereotypes
The new standards will be drawn up by the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), according to a new report on gender stereotypes in advertising (64-page / 5.4MB PDF) published by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the watchdog that oversees compliance with UK advertising rules.The CAP will also look to "clarify standards that reflect the ASA‘s...
UK government urged to avoid data transfers 'cliff edge' at point of Brexit
In a new report, a House of Lords committee warned that trade and security could be impacted if the flow of data is disrupted at the point of Brexit.To enable data to flow between the UK and EU post-Brexit, the EU Home Affairs Sub-Committee urged the UK government to seek a so-called 'adequacy' decision from the European Commission, which would recognise...
Deals
Lyreco Group announces the acquisition of DeskRight
Lyreco Group today announced the acquisition of DeskRight, a leading office supplies business on the Singapore market. The move puts Lyreco, European leader and number three worldwide in the distribution of workplace supplies solutions to businesses, in a leadership position on the Singapore market and represents the first step in its new development...
HSA Advocates advised a consortium of four ports in relation to strategic sale of Dredging Corporation of India by Government of India
HSA Advocates represented a consortium of four ports Vishakapatnam Port Trust, Paradeep Port Trust, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and Deendayal Port Trust in relation to strategic sale of Dredging Corporation of India concluded by Government of India (GoI). The four ports have acquired 100% of GoI's shares in Dredging Corporation of India (i.e. 73.47%...
Duff & Phelps enhances restructuring and dispute offering with acquisition of Zolfo Cooper Asia
Expands Footprint in Greater China Region Duff & Phelps, the global advisor that protects, restores and maximizes value for clients, today announced the acquisition of Zolfo Cooper Asia, a leading independent provider of restructuring, insolvency, litigation support and forensic accounting services. The combination of Duff & Phelps and Zolfo...
Investcorp launches in India with acquisition of IDFC Alternative’s Private Equity and Realty Businesses
Entry in to India expands footprint of direct investments into Asia Investcorp a leading global provider and manager of alternative investment products, today announced the launch of its operations in India with the imminent completion of its first deal, the acquisition of the Private Equity and Real Estate investment management businesses of IDFC...
China, Japan overseas M&A push to extend in 2019
China’s economic growth slowdown to drive dealmaking abroadJapanese companies may continue to seek large foreign dealsCompanies in China and Japan will continue their pursuit of overseas acquisitions this year amid the economic growth slowdown and geopolitical uncertainty, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co. Ready availability of capital will...
Acq Lite
Destiny's Child alum Kelly Rowland talks new music, 'The Voice'
Aug. 26 (UPI) -- R&B star Kelly Rowland, fresh off judging the latest season of The Voice Australia, promised an update on her eagerly awaited fifth studio album is coming "definitely soon." Rowland, 38, best known as one-third of R&B girl group Destiny's Child, said more new material is on the way after the release of singles "Kelly" in November...
New animated Marvel cartoons heading to Disney Junior, Disney Channel
Aug. 25 (UPI) -- A new original animated series called Marvel's Spidey and His Amazing Friends is set to debut on Disney Junior in 2021. The first, full-length Marvel series for the Disney Junior audience is expected to follow the adventures of Peter Parker, Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy. "Preschool kids already love Spidey, so they'll be delighted...
'Frozen 2' adds Evan Rachel Wood, Sterling K. Brown to voice cast
Aug. 25 (UPI) -- Westworld star Evan Rachel Wood and This is Us actor Sterling K. Brown have joined the voice cast of Frozen 2. The latest casting for the sequel to 2013's Frozen was announced this weekend at Disney's D23 Expo in Anaheim, Calif. "FINALLY!! I can announce I will be voicing Anna & Elsa's mother 'Queen Iduna' in #disney's #frozen2...
Cassandra Steele, Awkwafina to lead 'Raya and the Last Dragon' voice cast
Aug. 25 (UPI) -- Disney announced this weekend that its animated movie Raya and the Last Dragon is slated to open in theaters in November 2020. Cassandra Steele will play Raya and Awkwafina will lend her voice to Sisu, the titular beast. They were in attendance when the project was announced at Disney's D23 Expo in Anaheim, Calif. on Saturday. Steele...
'Angel Has Fallen' tops the North American box office with $21.3M
Aug. 25 (UPI) -- The Gerard Butler thriller Angel Has Fallen is the No. 1 movie in North America, earning $21.3 million in receipts this weekend, BoxOfficeMojo.com announced Sunday. Coming in at No. 2 is Good Boys with $11.8 million, followed by Overcomer at No. 3 with $8.2 million, The Lion King at No. 4 with $8.15 million and Fast & Furious Presents:...