Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s cabinet reshuffle is a “tactical” step to restore public trust in the government, according to analysts, but they argue it will not be enough to quell the unrest among protesters if it does not lead to more systemic reform.
The shake-up on Monday saw the departure of high-profile officials such as Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Budi Gunawan, alongside the creation of a stand-alone…
Is Duterte’s ex-police ally set to give ICC drug war’s ‘smoking gun’ proof?
A former police ally of ex-Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte is a step closer to giving what lawyers have described as “smoking gun” testimony to the International Criminal Court linking Duterte to extrajudicial killings during his war on drugs.
At the same time, Duterte’s defence team is seeking to delay the ICC case against him and secure his interim release on health grounds.
Royina Garma, an ex-police colonel who served Duterte while he was mayor of Davao City, was reportedly scheduled to…
Has Philippine Senate turned anti-Duterte with his camp ‘caught flat-footed’?
Allies of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte lost their grip in the Senate on Monday after 15 lawmakers backed a leadership change that could alter the balance of power over corruption probes and Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s scuttled impeachment trial.
The process took just 24 minutes – from a motion to declare the post of Senate president vacant to the swearing-in of Vicente Sotto III, a veteran lawmaker who is allied with President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, for the role. Sotto’s…
Final push for renters’ rights law before party conference season
Landlords, property investors and other stakeholders in the private rented property sector in England will be watching closely to see whether there are any late amendments to long-awaited legislation intended to deliver, amongst other things, the repeal of ‘no fault’ evictions.
Are ‘unscrupulous’ insurers causing richer Malaysians to seek public hospitals?
Malaysians from the highest income group are increasingly turning to public hospitals for treatment as surging private healthcare costs drive up insurance premiums, with lawmakers and industry professionals warning of more pressure on the national healthcare system.
The cost of private healthcare in Malaysia rose by nearly 12 per cent in 2024, well above the global average of about 6 per cent, according to a report on medical trends around the world by professional services firm Aon.
A separate…
Singapore retailers should factor wage increases into their budgets
Why it makes sense for green-tech exporter China to ramp up coal power
China switched on 21 gigawatts of new coal power capacity in the first half of this year, the highest since 2016, according to a recent energy report. This came after electricity demand hit a historic high in July, driven by extreme heatwaves. Hydropower faltered, and coal plants were fired up to meet the load.
At first glance, this looks like a step backwards for climate policy. But China’s clean-energy engine is still accelerating, adding 212GW of solar power capacity in the first six months,…
Why Cambodia is ‘highly important’ to the Philippines
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr is set to begin a state visit to Cambodia on Sunday in a bid to revitalise bilateral relations and address shared challenges such as transnational crime, in what analysts say is a platform for both countries to realise their untapped trade opportunities.
Marcos and first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos are scheduled to be in Cambodia until Tuesday for a three-day visit, following an invitation from King Norodom Sihamoni.
The visit is seen as a reciprocal…
‘Deeply concerned’: South Korea vows to support citizens arrested in US raid
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on Saturday ordered all-out efforts to swiftly respond to the arrests of hundreds of the nation’s citizens in a US immigration raid on a Hyundai Motor car battery factory.
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said the government had set up a team to respond to Thursday’s arrest of more than 300 Koreans at the facility in the southern state of Georgia, and that he could go to Washington to meet officials if needed.
“I am deeply concerned. I feel heavy responsibility for…
Thailand’s next PM Anutin reaffirms promise to hold fresh election
Thailand’s next prime minister on Saturday pledged to make good on his promise to lead the fractured interim government to new polls.
Conservative tycoon Anutin Charnvirakul was confirmed by parliament on Friday, ending a week-long power vacuum following the ousting of his predecessor Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
The construction magnate cobbled together a coalition of opposition blocs to shut out Pheu Thai, the electoral vehicle of the once-dominant Shinawatra dynasty’s patriarch Thaksin.
Anutin…