We Vouch For

France’s lower house will start debating a proposal Wednesday to introduce more courses in English at universities, amid a storm of controversy in a nation fiercely protective of its identity.

About 300 Borneo tribespeople staged a protest at a world hydroelectric industry meeting in Malaysia on Wednesday to denounce dams they say are destroying forests and native ways.

Japan’s trade deficit expanded a worse-than-expected 70 percent on year to $8.6 billion in April, government data showed Wednesday, as a weaker yen made imports costlier.

Indonesia on Tuesday approved the purchase by Singapore’s DBS of a 40 percent stake in Bank Danamon, but demanded the city-state open up its financial sector before any full takeover.

French group GDF Suez led an attack by eight leading European power companies on EU energy policy on Tuesday, saying it had “failed” and was destroying parts of the sector.

Japanese mobile operator Softbank said Tuesday it planned to raise $3.9 billion through a record bond issuance in June to finance its proposed takeover of US firm Sprint Nextel.

British high street retailer Marks & Spencer said Tuesday that full year net profits fell nine percent amid “challenging” trading conditions.

United Airlines resumed Boeing 787 Dreamliner flights Monday after the advanced plane was globally grounded four months ago due to overheated battery incidents.

Goldman Sachs is selling the rest of its Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) stake, worth around US$1.1 billion, in a move to exit an investment it made into the bank seven years ago.

Asia’s mobile revolution is set to transform the region’s financial services industry, offering a cheap way for millions of migrant workers to send money home to their families, a report said on Monday.