Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s pledge to stamp out corruption is facing its first major test after a deputy minister was arrested, as speculation mounts over a possible reshuffle of his 110-member “jumbo” cabinet.
Immanuel Ebenezer was swiftly fired by Prabowo following his arrest by the Corruption Eradication Commission on suspicion of receiving kickbacks and extortion. He is the first member of Prabowo’s cabinet to be named a suspect in a corruption investigation.
The arrest…
Philippine police chief sacked after just 84 days in record-short tenure
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has dismissed national police chief Nicolas Torre III after just 84 days in the role, following a dispute over authority within the force stemming from his defiance of the National Police Commission.
The move ends the brief, high-profile tenure of a police chief who had led headline-grabbing arrests and become a public figure in his own right.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin announced Torre’s removal in a brief two-paragraph order on Monday evening…
‘Good news’ for pharma companies as UPC provides clarity on imminent infringement
An appeal ruling overturning a decision to allow rival medical treatments to be sold early will be welcomed by pharmaceutical firms for providing clarity as to activities that may constitute imminent infringement of a patent, experts have said.
UK employers must get ahead of Employment Rights Bill ‘fire and rehire’ changes
Companies should act now to build flexibility into their employment contracts ahead of new laws to stop ‘fire and rehire’ which come into force next year, an expert has warned.
End of payment tokens regulation transition period signals ‘new phase’ for UAE digital asset regulation
The implementation of the CBUAE’s regulatory framework for stablecoin issuance in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is establishing the country as a fintech hub and regional leader in digital assets.
Protests erupt in Jakarta over Indonesian lawmakers’ ‘excessive pay’
Police fired tear gas and used a water cannon to push back hundreds of demonstrators trying to break into Indonesia’s parliament building on Monday to protest against what they called excessive pay and perks for legislators, witnesses said.
Some protesters, clad in dark clothing, threw rocks and set off fireworks at riot police in the capital Jakarta. At least one motorcycle was set ablaze by protesters, but officials did not provide details of damage, any casualties or arrests.
Protesters…
‘Terrifying’ Typhoon Kajiki batters Vietnam, blowing roofs off homes
Typhoon Kajiki brought torrential rains to Vietnam’s north central coast on Monday, felling trees and flooding homes, despite wind speeds tapering off from earlier in the day.
Typhoon Kajiki’s wind speeds eased from 166km/h (103 mph) to 118-133km/h (73-83mph) as the storm hit the coast of Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces, according to the country’s weather agency.
“It’s terrifying,” said Dang Xuan Phuong, a 48-year-old resident of Cua Lo, a tourism town in Nghe An province directly hit by the…
New plan charts path forward for Victoria’s renewable energy transition
The release of a long-term plan for renewable energy zones and transmission provides a pathway to support an orderly transition to renewables and to achieve Victoria’s renewable energy goals.
China’s trade charm offensive falls on deaf ears among US security allies
Geopolitical tremors from Washington’s trade wars against its closest allies – the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Canada and Australia – might have convinced Beijing of an impending realignment. China has seized the moment with a charm offensive, urging pragmatic cooperation amid tariff spats.
Beijing rightly condemns Washington for shredding the very World Trade Organization rules and post-war liberal order it crafted, calling for collective action against US coercion. Yet despite the…
Straight outta Brickfields: how Malaysia gave the world Tamil rap
In a pink-lit car park outside a Colombo club, young Tamils cluster in loose groups. Laughter, the clink of glass bottles and the low throb of bass from the decks inside spill out into the warm night air.
Sri Lanka’s capital is home to hundreds of thousands of Tamils. But a Tamil nightclub is still rare – the sound of so many Tamil voices gathered together can still feel provocative in a country where memories of a long, bloody inter-ethnic civil war remain raw.
Inside the club, as British-Tamil…