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
Asia’s trade negotiators decide they can no longer wait for India
STUFF TOO many sheaves of paper into a stapler and it will struggle to fasten them together, however thin each page may be. The same is true of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a long-delayed trade deal involving 16 Asian countries. RCEP was intended to bind together all of the existing trade agreements between the Association...
Religious protesters have put Pakistan’s government on the defensive
RIZWAN AHMAD says he has everything he needs for the long haul. The 20-year-old has swapped his austere madrasa in Sukkur, a city in Sindh province, for a makeshift camp beside a motorway outside Islamabad, the capital, nearly 1,000km (620 miles) to the north. He has bedding, warm clothes, food and shelter. Anything else, God will provide. Tents, tarpaulins,...
Was shutting Japan’s reactors deadlier than the Fukushima disaster?
SNUGGLED AMID lush fields and forests, Namie was doomed by its proximity to the local power plant. In 2011 the town’s 21,000 residents were ordered to evacuate after a tsunami overwhelmed the Fukushima nuclear facility 4km away. Soon after, all 54 reactors in Japan were shut down amid safety fears, winking out nearly 50 gigawatts of generating capacity....
China tries to deepen economic ties with Taiwan yet more
EARLY THIS year China’s leader, Xi Jinping, grandly repeated his country’s longstanding vow to bring the democratic island of Taiwan back into the Chinese fold, if necessary by force. But force has never been China’s preferred option: it has long sought to integrate the Taiwanese economy with its own, in part in the hope that independence might...
Bangladesh’s biggest city plans to ban cycle rickshaws
FOR MANY Westerners, the cycle rickshaw (also known as the cyclo or pedicab) is an iconically Asian form of transport. In fact, most Asian cities have long since abandoned them (and a few European and North American cities have taken them up). But in Bangladesh the cycle rickshaw is as popular as ever. In the capital, Dhaka, rickshaws can be seen creaking...
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
NBC announces contestants for Season 2 of Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman's 'Making It'
Nov. 13 (UPI) -- NBC announced the 10 contestants for season 2 of Making It. Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman executive produce the competition for crafters, returning Dec. 2 at 10 p.m. on NBC. Woodworkers, balloon artists, calligraphists, fine artists, interior designers and costume makers will compete with two crafts per episode and hope judges Dayna...
Watch: Harry Styles rolls around with Kenan Thompson in 'SNL' promo
Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Saturday Night Live released a promo for this week's episode on Wednesday. Harry Styles will host and perform music on Saturday's show. The behind-the-scenes promo shows Styles returning to Studio 8H where he's previously guest starred and performed music with One Direction. Kenan Thompson gives Styles a welcome back tour. "I'm going...
Watch: Stray Kids are 'young and free' in 'Astronaut' video
Nov. 13 (UPI) -- South Korean boy band Stray Kids is back with a new music video. The K-pop group shared a video Wednesday for the upbeat single "Astronaut." The "Astronaut" video shows Stray Kids members Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin and I.N on a futuristic playground. The group sings about being "young and free" as...
Elton John adds 24 North American dates to farewell tour
Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Elton John added on Wednesday 24 concert dates to the 2020 North American leg of his farewell tour. The new dates start on March 28 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto and wrap up on July 8 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. Tickets go on sale for the general public on Nov. 22 at 10 a.m. local time through Ticketmaster. John previously...
Karine Martins, Paul Staehle split after 2 years of marriage
Nov. 13 (UPI) -- 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way couple Karine Martins and Paul Staehle are headed for divorce. Martins, 23, confirmed her split from Staehle, 30, Tuesday after two years of marriage. Martins said in a statement to Us Weekly that she plans to file for divorce from Staehle. "I am looking for a lawyer now," she said. Staehle had shared...