World

SEOUL: South Korean officials are considering creating a domestic fund to compensate Koreans who were enslaved by Japanese companies before the end of World War II, as they desperately try to repair relations with Tokyo that have deteriorated in recent years over historical grievances. The plan, revealed during a public hearing organized by Seoul’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday (Jan 12), was met with fierce criticism by victims and their legal representatives, who have demanded that the reparations come from Japan. Relations between Seoul and Tokyo have been strained since South Korea’s Supreme Court in 2018 upheld lower court verdicts and ordered Nippon Steel and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to compensate Korean forced labourers. The companies have refused to carry out the orders and the...

After a couple of years of spectacular growth, tech start-ups and tech giants alike are now facing a less optimistic outlook. During the third quarter of 2022, venture capital (VC) investments and deals globally fell to levels not seen since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. This slowdown in investment is hitting North America and Europe particularly hard — but Asia is being affected too. During 2022, the slowdown in investments hit both high-income and emerging Asia, with Asia’s largest economies, India and China, being heavily affected. Layoffs of tech workers are becoming increasingly common. The negative outlook is the result of a complex combination of factors: the largely hawkish policies of central banks, developed economies attempting to curb post-Covid-19 inflation (prima...

SINGAPORE: A former senior vice-president at Singapore Post went on trial on Monday (Jan 9) for charges of cheating the company into paying him a salary of S$8,000, and for attempting to seek a bribe of S$1 million. Liang An Wey, 47, is contesting a charge each of cheating and attempting to get the bribe from the chief operating officer of a subcontractor for SingPost. According to a set of documents containing facts agreed on by both the prosecution and the defence, a recruiter submitted Liang's curriculum vitae (CV) to SingPost in June 2013 for the position of VP, Project Execution. In his CV, Liang said he had been employed as head of project management at GSM Holdings since August 2012. He claimed that his salary was S$12,500 with another S$2,000 in fixed transport allowance. SingP...

LOS ANGELES : After enjoying a Hollywood ending with their dramatic Super Bowl triumph in Los Angeles last year, the Rams sequel bombed spectacularly this season and the franchise is now left waiting and see whether head coach Sean McVay will return. The Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 at their home stadium on Feb. 13 to claim their first title since returning to Los Angeles but whether it was a championship hangover or the inevitable result of injuries, they never threatened to repeat. The Rams' ended the season 5-12, the worst ever record for a defending Super Bowl champion. One year after McVay implored the team to "Run it back!" at their boozy championship parade it now looks like the mediagenic 36-year-old might next run to a job in the broadcasting booth. "I'm going to tak...

NEW YORK :Oil prices rose around 1 per cent on Thursday after posting the biggest two-day loss for the start of a year in three decades with U.S. data showing lower fuel inventories providing support and economic concerns capping gains. Big declines in the previous two days were driven by worries about a global recession, especially following weak short-term economic signs in the world's two biggest oil consumers, the United States and China. U.S. distillate inventories fell more than expected as a winter storm gripped the United States at the end of December, data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration showed on Thursday. U.S. gasoline stocks fell 346,000 barrels last week, the Energy Information Administration said, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a...

NEW DELHI :India cricketer Rishabh Pant suffered multiple injuries but is in a stable condition after his car hit a central divider, flipped over and caught fire in the early hours of Friday morning. Police said the wicketkeeper-batsman, who was alone in the car when it crashed in the northern state of Uttarakhand, had lost control of the vehicle when he "dozed off". The car flipped over twice, police added. Photographs of the crash showed extensive impact and fire damage to the car. Multiple reports in Indian media said that after Pant's car collided with the traffic divider the player had to break open a window to escape the vehicle, which was engulfed in flames. India's cricket board (BCCI) said in a statement the 25-year-old had suffered cuts to his forehead, torn a ligament in hi...

A Kennon Robotics robot delivers food at a Haidilao hotpot restaurant in Shanghai on April 7, 2021. Qilai Shen | Bloomberg | Getty Images BEIJING — In a year of Covid lockdowns and travel restrictions, some Chinese startups that survived found growth online and overseas. China's economy likely grew by just 3% in 2022, economists estimate. Lockdowns stifled business and kept investors from vetting deals. The path to an IPO in the United States — an important route to reaping investment returns — essentially froze. related investing news Morgan Stanley says China's market will be the biggest winner in 2023 and these stocks stand out The next year or two will remain soft in terms of venture capital backing for startups in China and elsewhere, according to an assessment from Preqin, a VC data...

DHAKA :Ravichandran Ashwin and Shreyas Iyer combined to help India prevail in a low-scoring thriller against Bangladesh and complete a 2-0 series sweep following a nervy three-wicket victory in the second test on Sunday. Chasing 145 on a turning track where the ball often kept low, India were already on the back foot after a top order meltdown had left them reeling at 37-4 on Saturday. Resuming on 45-4 on day four of the contest, the touring side needed 100 runs to sweep the series and boost their chances of making the final of the World Test Championship. Their crisis only deepened, and they slumped to 74-7 after Shakib Al Hasan sent back Jaydev Unadkat and after Mehidy Hasan removed Rishabh Pant and Axar Patel (34). Ashwin could have been back in the hut too but Mominul Haque spilled...

The "microfinance" industry — long touted as a way to help poor, rural communities in developing countries — is pushing tens of thousands of farming families into debt traps as they attempt to adapt to a changing climate, according to a report. The study, conducted by researchers at a group of U.K. universities, looked at a range of case studies in Cambodia, where it found easy-access loans had caused an "overindebtedness emergency" that was undermining borrowers' long-term ability to cope with their new environment. Modern microfinance institutions (MFIs), which are generally small, locally run organizations with a variety of funding sources such as international investors, banks and development agencies, emerged in the 1970s and grew rapidly in the early 2000s. They were promoted as a wa...

While these ingredients are controversial, there’s no conclusive evidence that they are certain to negatively impact our skin and health. But if your current products have not been working well for you, it doesn’t hurt to try products that are free of these and see if they actually improve your skin. Parabens and phenoxyethanol: These have long been widely used as preservatives in skincare products and have been proven to be safe for use, provided they are utilised in low concentrations approved by regulating bodies. Still there are reasons for not wanting them in our skincare products. According to Thomas, these ingredients behave like large-spectrum antibiotics. “They’re supposed to kill bacteria in the formula – that’s their job. Unfortunately, they will also kill a few things in your ...