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
India’s economy is growing at its slowest pace since 2013
GLOBAL INVESTORS once fell in love with India’s growth “story” because of people like Shanmuga Subramanian. Educated in mechanical engineering, he became a computer programmer, working with Cognizant, an outsourcing firm, and Lennox, which makes heaters and air-conditioners. But that was not enough to exhaust his technological enthusiasms. He...
A vast smuggling ring is exposed in Kyrgyzstan, to popular outrage
THE VICTIM was a Chinese citizen. He was shot in a gangland-style killing in Istanbul, the biggest city in Turkey. But the smuggling racket on which he had just blown the whistle was centred on Kyrgyzstan, a poor Central Asian country of 6m which has been a transit point between China and Europe for centuries. Aierken Saimaiti said his part in the racket...
Singapore strikes its first official blows against fake news
“FACEBOOK IS LEGALLY required to tell you that the Singapore government says this post has false information,” reads the message, which links to a government website. It appeared on November 30th on a post published by the States Times Review, a blog which delights in hectoring the Singaporean authorities. The post alleged that the country’s elections...
Food is a fulcrum in Indian politics
IN SOUTH ASIA the ruling classes ignore the quotidian at their peril. Just ask them about onions. This autumn the humble bulb has challenged titans. The trouble began when unseasonably heavy rains followed drought across the onion-growing belt of north and central India. That not only all but destroyed the crop; the wet caused more than a third of onions...
The anti-vax movement causes an epidemic in Samoa
SAMOA’S STREETS are silent. The only busy spots are the country’s hospitals, where fearful families queue for vaccinations. An epidemic of the measles has so far produced 4,000 infections and 60 deaths, in a country of 200,000 people. The government has announced a state of emergency, closed all schools and banned private vehicles from the roads....
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
'Frozen II' tops North American box office for third weekend
Dec. 8 (UPI) -- The animated adventure Frozen II is the No. 1 movie in North America this weekend, earning an additional $34.7 million in receipts, BoxOfficeMojo.com announced Sunday. This is the third weekend in a row the Disney picture has won the box-office race. Its total gross is $337.6 million in North America and $919.7 million worldwide. [embedded...
Rapper Juice Wrld dead at 21 following seizure
Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Jarad Anthony Higgins -- the rapper known professionally as Juice Wrld -- has died after suffering a seizure at Chicago's Midway Airport early Sunday. He was 21. TMZ was the first to report the news. The Cook County medical examiner's office told The Chicago Tribune Higgins was transported from the airport to Christ Medical Center...
Watch: Ryan Reynolds plays video-game background character in 'Free Guy' trailer
Dec. 8 (UPI) -- [embedded content] Deadpool and Detective Pikachu star Ryan Reynolds plays a background character in a violent video game in the trailer for the upcoming action comedy, Free Guy. The 3-minute preview has gotten more than 4 million views since it was posted on YouTube on Saturday. It shows Reynolds as a nice-guy bank teller who yearns...
Gary Sinise Foundation treats more than 1,000 Gold Star families to Disney trip
Dec. 8 (UPI) -- More than 1,750 people headed to Disney World in Florida this weekend as part of the Gary Sinise Foundation's program for Gold Star families -- the survivors of dead U.S. service members. "Around the nation today, families of fallen service members are departing for Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL, as part of Gary Sinise Foundation...
Watch: Jimmy Fallon, Paul Rudd, James Corden drop by for 'SNL' NATO cafeteria sketch
Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Jimmy Fallon, Paul Rudd, James Corden and Alec Baldwin guest starred as world leaders in the Saturday Night Live cold open this weekend. The 8 1/2-minute sketch was set in a cafeteria at the NATO summit in London, and featured Fallon and Rudd as cool-kid, bullying versions of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President...