- A + A KUALA LUMPUR (May 18): MPHB Capital Bhd’s wholly-owned subsidiary Multi-Purpose Capital Holdings Bhd (MPCHB) has agreed to sell its 51% equity interest in MPI Generali Insurans Bhd for RM485 milllion to Generali Asia. “MPHB and its subsidiaries are currently involved in the underwriting of general insurance business, provision of general loan financing services and property investment and management. “The proposed disposal entails the disposal of MPHB Group’s entire general insurance business via the disposal of MPCHB’s remaining 51% equity interest in MPI Generali,” it said in a stock exchange filing. Generali Asia and MPCHB have agreed that the purchase price will be adjusted if completion of the deal occurred during the extended completion period (being the period commencing on Jan 1, 2022 and expiring on June 30, 2022, and subject to a further extension of up to Aug 31, 2022). MPHB Capital said it believes that the proposed disposal provides an … [Read more...] about MPHB Capital unit to sell remaining 51% stake in MPI Generali for RM485 mil
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CFPB Orders Debt-Relief Payment Processors to Pay Over $11 Total Million Penalty
On Wednesday, May 11, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a federal watchdog agency responsible for consumer protection in the financial services industry, finalized an enforcement action against debt-relief payment processors RAM Payment and Account Management Systems (AMS) as well as AMS’s co-founders, Gregory Winters and Stephen Chaya. The respondents have been accused of illegally collecting debt-relief fees, misleading borrowers about when said fees would be paid to debt-relief companies, sending illegal advance fees to debt-relief companies, and failing to return funds to consumers who cancelled their student loan debt-relief agreements. The CFPB has ordered RAM Payment, AMS, Winters, and Chaya to pay over $11 million in consumer redress and civil money penalties, in addition to banning AMS, Winters, and Chaya from the debt-relief payment processing and account maintenance industry. Key Takeaways The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has … [Read more...] about CFPB Orders Debt-Relief Payment Processors to Pay Over $11 Total Million Penalty
China says senior Central Bank official under investigation
- A + A (May 18): A former senior official from the Chinese Central Bank is under investigation for “suspected serious violation of laws and discipline,” the Communist Party’s anti-graft watchdog said. Sun Guofeng, who was removed from his post as head of the monetary policy department in May, is under disciplinary investigation, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said in a statement Wednesday. At least 40 financial sector officials have been probed or penalized since the latest corruption crackdown on the sector was launched in October. The top disciplinary watchdog sharply criticized the People’s Bank of China among more than two dozen financial regulators, state banks, insurers and bad debt managers in February, saying the agencies had gaps in their work to implement the Party’s major strategy. Born in 1972, Sun joined the PBOC in 1996 and has spent most of his career in the monetary policy department. He’s been at the forefront of the PBOC’s … [Read more...] about China says senior Central Bank official under investigation
HSBC’s mass of Hong Kong retail investors warms to breakup
- A + A HONG KONG (May 18): Smarting from HSBC Holdings Plc’s move to scrap its dividend during the height of the pandemic, the bank’s largely silent mass of retail shareholders in Hong Kong is warming up to the idea of a breakup. Splitting up Europe’s biggest bank to separate out its Asian operations is being pushed by its largest investor, Ping An Insurance Group Co, based just across the border in Shenzhen. The call is winning support in Hong Kong’s retail base, which owns about a third of the bank, with some seeing it as a surefire way of preventing the steady stream of payouts from being cut off again. Their loyalty has been tested as numerous pivots in strategy fail to impress the market, leaving dividends at half of what they were in 2018 and the stock down more than 40%. The former British colony is the beating heart of the bank’s global operations, accounting for about 30% of the group’s 2021 adjusted profits. Yet decisions such as the halting of dividends … [Read more...] about HSBC’s mass of Hong Kong retail investors warms to breakup
Disney+ releases new trailer for Marvel’s ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’
(CNN) Disney+ has released a new trailer for Marvel's "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law." The new series stars Tatiana Maslany as She-Hulk/Jennifer Walters, a lawyer who specializes in superhuman-oriented legal cases. The show's executive producer Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios and chief creative officer of Marvel, welcomed Maslany to The Walt Disney Company's 2022 Upfront presentation in New York on Tuesday, where he announced an Aug. 17 launch date and debuted the new trailer. "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" follows Walters as she "navigates the complicated life of a single, 30-something attorney who also happens to be a green 6-foot-7-inch superpowered hulk." The series will have nine episodes and stars Mark Ruffalo as Smart Hulk, Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky/the Abomination, and Benedict Wong as Wong. The cast also includes Ginger Gonzaga, Josh Segarra, Jameela Jamil, Jon Bass and Renée Elise Goldsberry. Read More The show will … [Read more...] about Disney+ releases new trailer for Marvel’s ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’
We knew it was coming. ‘This Is Us’ airs most emotional episode yet
The following story contains spoilers about Tuesday's episode of "This Is Us." (CNN) Six seasons, more than a hundred episodes and plenty of anticipatory grief led to an emotional hour of "This Is Us" on Tuesday. The penultimate episode of the series titled, "The Train," culminated in the death of the Pearson family matriarch, Rebecca Pearson [Mandy Moore] of Alzheimer's. The creator of the Emmy-winning series, Dan Fogelman, took viewers on a literal train ride in which Pearson encounters the loves of her life, both living and dead, before crossing over into the afterlife. At one point she's greeted by her former physician, Dr. Nathan Katowski [Gerald McRaney] who delivered her triplets in the first episode of the series, but this time he was her bartender, pouring her a well-deserved Vesper. "You're as tough as they come, Rebecca Pearson," he said. "And you, my dear, have earned a rest." Read More The Pearson children, … [Read more...] about We knew it was coming. ‘This Is Us’ airs most emotional episode yet
South Korean hip-hop artiste Jessi zooms back into action
One of the busiest TV personalities in the Korean entertainment scene right now, singer and rapper Jessi has finally returned as a musician with her new single Zoom . Recently, Jessi conducted an online media showcase in Seoul to give a peek into how the song came out. Returning after six months with a new song, Jessi said: “I feel like it’s been much longer, but in terms of promoting my songs, it’s been around a year since What Type Of X .” The Korean American rapper’s first release of 2022, Zoom is a trap hip-hop tune that draws on the reality of people obsessing over capturing every moment on camera. “The producing was done in no time. It took around two days to finish producing it,” she said, adding, “It’s a feel-good song, just as with all my other songs, and this one also comes with several parts that will make you hum along.” She took part in writing the lyrics of Zoom , collaborating with Psy – her label chief and the singer of the 2013 global megahit Gangnam … [Read more...] about South Korean hip-hop artiste Jessi zooms back into action
IndiGo CEO Ronojoy Dutta to retire in September, Pieter Elbers named successor
Ronojoy Dutta (left) will step down by Sept 30; Pieter Elbers (right) will succeed him Ronojoy Dutta, the chief executive officer of IndiGo, will retire in September, the private carrier announced on May 18, further stating that Pieter Elbers has been finalised as his successor. Dutta, 71, was appointed at the helm of IndiGo in January 2019. He has "decided to retire on September 30, 2022", after guiding IndiGo "through the turbulent Covid period", said a statement issued by the airline. The board of directors of InterGlobe Aviation Limited, the carrier's parent firm, have "appointed Pieter Elbers as the next chief executive officer, subject to regulatory approvals", it added. Elbers, who has served as the chief executive of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, will join IndiGo "on or before October 1, 2022", the statement noted. Dutta, while commenting on his decision to step down, said IndiGo is in the "good custody of Mr Elbers" and that the future for IndiGo employees is … [Read more...] about IndiGo CEO Ronojoy Dutta to retire in September, Pieter Elbers named successor
For four from trans community, drone pilot jobs give the wind beneath their wings
Maya Sree operating a drone Maya Sree, who goes by only one name, left her hometown in 2018, when she decided to live her life as a transwoman. Her parents did not accept her the way she was, or the jobs that she had taken up earlier to support herself. “But when my parents came to know that I was working for Dhaksha in Anna University campus, I received a call from my family, and they spoke to me, and told me that they were very proud of me. Personally, it’s not just a job for me but a new life,” Maya Sree, a Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)-certified drone pilot of the Chennai-based Dhaksha Unmanned Systems (DUMS) told Moneycontrol. Maya Sree, along with course mates Pragya, Sai and Rahmatullah, are the first from the transgender community in India to be appointed as drone pilots. They underwent intensive training before being absorbed by the company which operates drones with applications in surveillance, agriculture and defence. For them, this job at DUMS gives … [Read more...] about For four from trans community, drone pilot jobs give the wind beneath their wings
A lone bear, black magic and a $235 billion stock market crash
What does it take to trigger a crash in the stock market? A once-in-a-century pandemic? The biggest war in Europe in 70 years? The US Federal Reserve instantaneously cutting off the supply of the opium of record liquidity and low interest rates? Multi-year high inflation? How about black magic? The Oxford Dictionary defines black magic as a type of magic that is believed to use the power of the devil in order to do evil. In a world where boring financial data, profit and loss statements, and complex macroeconomic events sway the everyday movement of stock prices and stock indices, one Rajkot-based stockbroker claimed last week that he spent more than Rs 8 crore to engineer a multi-day crash in the stock market with the help of esoteric black magic. Close “We are responsible to a great extent for today’s fall and the fall of the past few days in the market. You won’t believe it, but we have spent over Rs 8.5 crore today in kala jadu (black magic) to create … [Read more...] about A lone bear, black magic and a $235 billion stock market crash