Business Archives - Page 28 of 40

26May

By Desk TeamNo Comments

Big Pharma, Big Heart

Recognised as a “HR Asia’s Best Companies to Work for 2020” by HR Asia, biopharmaceutical company Takeda Thailand has garnered a respected reputation for its company culture and management style, complemented with Takeda’s global standing as one of the top 10 biopharmaceutical companies in the world. Keen to find out more about how this 240-year-old pharma company transformed from a traditional Japanese and Chinese medicine merchant to a global biopharmaceutical leader, I spoke to Peter Streibl, General Manager of Takeda Thailand, to speak about the company’s management style and philosophy, its contribution to the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic and more. How did Takeda get started and how has it changed? Takeda is a company that was founded over two centuries ago in Japan, and we

What Iceland can teach us about making democracy more inclusive

25May

By Desk TeamNo Comments

What Iceland can teach us about making democracy more inclusive

The Democracy Agenda is a joint TVO/Toronto Star initiative exploring Western society’s commitment to the democratic process. Half a century ago, Ontarians held an election and sent 117 of their fellow citizens to Queen’s Park to represent them. Yes, being the premier or a cabinet minister was very much a full-time job. But for the other 90-plus MPPs, being a politician was only a part-time gig. For most of the year, farmers farmed, lawyers lawyered, and businesspeople ran their businesses. But for part of the year, they also went to the legislature to do the people’s business. They didn’t have teams of assistants. Heck, back then — believe it or not — most of them didn’t even have offices or phones. I’d argue that, as a result, these politicians were grounded in the everyday concerns o

New Delhi extends lockdown as India Covid cases hit new record

18May

By Desk TeamNo Comments

New Delhi extends lockdown as India Covid cases hit new record

New Delhi extends lockdown as India Covid cases hit new record People cremate the bodies of victims of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), at a crematorium ground in New Delhi, India, on Saturday. (Reuters photo) India's capital New Delhi on Sunday extended its lockdown as the country's Covid-19 crisis grew with infections and deaths hitting record highs. The announcement came as the healthcare system struggled to cope with the huge surge, with reports of severe oxygen and medicine shortages and patients' families pleading for help on social media. The vast nation of 1.3 billion people recorded 349,691 fresh cases and 2,767 deaths in the last 24 hours -- the highest since the start of the pandemic. The northern megacity -- home to 20 million people and the worst-hit in India -- had im...

Beijing developing second-strike capability.

17May

By Nectar GanNo Comments

Beijing developing second-strike capability.

Beijing, China: After the report that China may be capable of second nuclear stick capability, the US and China arms have raced up.Francesco Sisci, writing in Asia Times said that the US commentariat is ringing alarms about China's nuclear rearmament and apparent new second-strike reaction capability.In recent days, two American journalistic heavyweights, David Ignatius and Fred Kaplan pointed to the ongoing nuclear and missile rearmament process in China. The fundamental point is that according to opinion-makers China has acquired second-strike nuclear reaction capability.This is a fundamental point in the balance of nuclear terror. The ability to react after a first nuclear strike means that even if an enemy were to attack first with a nuclear offensive, the attacked country would retai...

17May

By Desk TeamNo Comments

CREATING ASEAN’S FULLY CHARGED EV HUB

CREATING ASEAN’S FULLY CHARGED EV HUB BOI incentives get set to propel Thailand’s EV vision Imagine busy urban streets alive with battery-powered motorcycles, cars and buses but without the haze of exhaust fumes and the noise of whirring engines. Imagine e-ferries docking quietly at piers and traveling along waterways without emitting hot black smoke into the air or oil into the water. Imagine cities that are more liveable with healthier air and cleaner water. Imagine ASEAN’s fully-charged EV hub. Thailand is committed to playing a leading role in the global electric transportation revolution and fulfilling its international commitment to greenhouse gas reduction. Indeed, the use of Electric Vehicles (EVs) has quickly become a practicality in Thailand where multiple models of EVs from g

China and many other countries are suppressing religious freedom: US

16May

By Nectar GanNo Comments

China and many other countries are suppressing religious freedom: US

Washington, US: US blamed China and other countries that they are supressing freedom of religion in their countries. They also said that for America human rights are first and foremost which could be seen in US’s foreign policy.The condemnation was similar to that lodged by the Trump administration, which had been criticized for prioritizing religious freedom over other rights, and reflected continuity in the U.S. position that China´s crackdown on Muslims and other religious minorities in western Xinjiang constitutes "genocide." Yet, a senior official said religious freedom is just one element in the administration's broader human rights strategy.Much as his predecessor did, Secretary of State Antony Blinken used the release of the State Department´s annual International Religious Freedo

Council approves repairs for lighthouse road

15May

By Desk TeamNo Comments

Council approves repairs for lighthouse road

ST. MARY’S – The route to one of St. Mary’s most popular tourist attractions will get the repairs community activists say it desperately needs. At its committee of the whole meeting on April 21, Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s council approved calling for tenders to rebuild the municipal road that leads to the Port Bickerton Lighthouse and Interpretive Centre, concurring with Deputy Warden James Fuller that because the site is a major public attraction, “easy access and egress [to it] is essential.” Donald Dodge, president of the Port Bickerton and Area Planning Association, raised the issue most recently at the April 7 committee of the whole meeting. “The association has undertaken general maintenance with provincial help over the past couple of years, but major repairs have

These 12 films are good bets at the online Hot Docs documentary festival

14May

By Desk TeamNo Comments

These 12 films are good bets at the online Hot Docs documentary festival

The pandemic has made us all take stock of who we are as individuals and where we fit in a world increasingly rocked by change. This existential concern is on the minds of many filmmakers, from Canada and 65 other countries, who will take part in Toronto’s annual Hot Docs festival of documentary cinema, running online from April 29 to May 9. (Full program and details are at hotdocs.ca). As the opening night film “A.rtificial I.mmortality” shows, even the very notion of whether humanity is limited to humans is up for debate. Will sentient robots eventually demand their own version of “I” and “we”? Here are my picks for a dozen good bets at Hot Docs 2021, in alphabetical order: A.rtificial I.mmortality Toronto filmmaker Ann Shin’s fest-opening doc challenges viewers to engage with a fas

Asean is failing its ‘ultimate test’ in Myanmar

12May

By Desk TeamNo Comments

Asean is failing its ‘ultimate test’ in Myanmar

Asean is failing its 'ultimate test' in Myanmar Leaders attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit on the Myanmar crisis in Jakarta in late April. The regional bloc must act more decisively to rein in the junta. (Photo: AFP) It was just a few weeks ago, on 24 April, that Southeast Asian leaders emerged from a special summit on Myanmar hailing a "breakthrough". The military junta had signed up to a "consensus" plan, vowing to end violence against protesters and allowing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to facilitate dialogue. Cautious hopes were raised for an end to the crisis triggered by the Tatmadaw's (Myanmar military) coup. Since then, security forces have instead continued launching crackdowns, resulting in the deaths of many people, arrested...

7May

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

India undergo 5G trial.

The Indian telecom ministry has granted many telecom companies trial permission of 6 months for the application of 5G technology.Among the telecom operators that have received the grant include Jio Platforms, Airtel, Vodafone Idea and MTNL. These firms, the ministry said, will work with original equipment manufacturers and tech providers Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung and C-Dot. Jio Platforms, additionally, has been granted permission to conduct trials using its own homegrown technology.In a press note, the Department of Telecommunications didn’t specify anything about China, but a person familiar with the matter confirmed that Chinese giants Huawei and ZTE aren’t among those who have received the approval.Last year, Airtel (India’s second-largest telecom operator) had said that it was open to