A Vietnamese pro-democracy organisation has alleged that two of its members, who hold Norwegian and Australian citizenship, were abducted in Cambodia and taken to the border with Vietnam, where Hanoi authorities later accused them of illegally entering the country.
Vietnam has charged the two men, along with a third alleged member of the organisation, with terrorism and document forgery, saying they were caught crossing the border from Cambodia with forged identity documents.
The organisation,…
In Japan, anti-foreigner fake news drives far-right gains
Japan risks being pulled into a spiral of online disinformation about foreign crime that is stoking xenophobia and playing into the hands of the far-right, researchers warn.
The trend is reportedly deepening divisions within Japanese society and creating a feedback loop that experts say will be difficult to break.
In August, Constella Security Japan, a Tokyo-based cybersecurity firm commissioned by the government to counter online disinformation, hosted a webinar for officials and media on fake…
Ruling offers employers lessons on constructive dismissal in the QFC
A recent judgment has reinforced the robustness of the employment law framework in the Qatar Financial Centre and offered important guidance for employers operating within the centre, experts have said.
Thai man’s jet ski stunt fuels anger in ‘unequal’ Bangkok as poor hit hardest by floods
A Thai man who zipped a jet ski across flooded Bangkok streets received a suspended jail sentence on Monday for causing a public nuisance after he used the capital – where tens of thousands of households remain submerged – as a backdrop for social media content.
The stunt, widely shared on social media on Sunday evening, became a conduit for public anger over both the handling of the flood response and how climate calamities are experienced unevenly in the capital of one of Asia’s least equal…
Indonesia’s 3% deficit cap: guardrail or growth barrier?
Indonesia is considering lifting a statutory cap on government spending that has been in place for more than two decades, as President Prabowo Subianto pushes for faster economic growth.
Supporters argue that greater room to borrow and spend would let Southeast Asia’s largest economy invest its way towards Prabowo’s target of 8 per cent annual growth by 2029. Economists counter that weakening the rule could push up borrowing costs and dent investor confidence.
At issue is the mandatory ceiling…
Bangkok flood warnings ‘came too late’ Thais say, worst flood in 15 years
Deep floodwaters in Bangkok drove thousands of residents into shelters as others scrambled to buy groceries or dry out their homes on Sunday after days of heavy rain inundated markets, roads, and residences.
Pedestrians in plastic rain ponchos waded through murky knee-deep water in the Thai capital, some venturing into a supermarket while others floated their belongings in plastic tubs.
“People cannot get out of their homes. We are running out of food, so I came out to purchase some,” Aduenan…
After EU-Philippines trade breakthrough, is Asean-wide deal next?
After a decade of start-stop negotiations, the European Union and the Philippines have found their way to a “substantial agreement” on free trade – one that analysts say could pave the way for Brussels to lock in an Asean-wide pact.
The breakthrough, announced on Tuesday, capped talks that began in 2016 and stalled a year later, only to resume again in 2024.
“I am proud to say we have delivered a substantial agreement that reflects the ambition both sides brought to the table,” EU trade chief…
Thailand’s Bangkok declares flood disaster across city as thousands flee from homes
Entire Bangkok neighbourhoods were inundated on Saturday as the city government declared a flood disaster after the worst rains in years overwhelmed the Thai capital, submerging roads, cars and forcing thousands to leave their homes.
Bangkok is flood-prone, especially during the monsoon season, but waters rarely linger for long. Nonetheless, the city’s drainage is notoriously ill-equipped to handle storm bursts as it struggles to cope with waters that have reached at least two feet (60cm) and…
Thailand has had enough of foreign tourists behaving badly
At a zoo a short drive south of Bangkok, Charoon Youngprapakorn has spent a lifetime taking the pulse of Thailand’s tourism industry from an unlikely vantage point: the open jaws of crocodiles.
Handlers at his Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm & Zoo have long thrilled onlookers by coaxing tips from the audience and carefully placing the money into the mouths of animals capable of taking off an entire hand.
The crocodiles at this open-air, fan-cooled throwback to 1980s showmanship still take their tips…
Extensions of time ‘can operate as a shield’ against arbitrary state termination
Contractors facing termination by states or state-owned entities over alleged project delays should consider potential investment treaty protections at an early stage, according to experts.