Asian Legal Review

For days, the piercing whistle of Cambodian rockets sent 69-year-old Kantapong Prakaew scrambling for cover in his makeshift bunker – a frail fortification against the conflict in Thailand’s Surin province.
He is one of the few elderly residents who refused to flee, holding out as artillery fire ravaged the fields and wrecked the livelihoods of a long underdeveloped region.
Across the borderlands, the recent flare-up of violence between Thailand and Cambodia has claimed dozens of lives and…

Chinese authorities have tightened oversight of imported Vietnamese durians this year after finding “excessive levels” of two potentially harmful substances in the popular, high-value fruit.
The General Administration of Customs of China now requires enhanced pre-export safety checks and compliance testing before shipments leave the source country, with “qualified” test reports to be attached to durians, a customs official told the Post, requesting anonymity due to internal rules.
She said the…

The enactment of new planning and development legislation in Ireland is “very significant” and could prove pivotal in tackling long-standing and urgent issues in the country’s planning system, particularly those that have hindered housing development, an expert has said.

A recent Pensions Ombudsman (PO) determination highlights the importance of planned measures on ‘targeted support’ by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which aim to fill the ‘advice gap’ for pension scheme members who find it difficult to access fully regulated advice.

Collisions and groundings of merchant vessels show no sign of waning, raising questions about the future role of human watchkeepers following a series of tragic collisions, an expert says.

A US$3.2 billion plan by Indonesia’s flag carrier to buy 50 Boeing aircraft has drawn scrutiny over whether the order is a genuine business decision or a political trade-off linked to Washington’s recent tariff cuts on Indonesian imports.
The deal was unveiled by the White House on July 22 alongside news that US President Donald Trump had agreed to reduce his so-called reciprocal tariff on Indonesian imports to the US to 19 per cent from the initial 32 per cent he imposed in April.
The joint…

Singaporean financial adviser Winnie Koh faced a dilemma when selecting her family’s next car – she appreciated the value for money offered by Chinese electric vehicle (EV) brands, but still had lingering concerns about their quality.
But the 30-year-old said her experience driving a Tesla in the US raised doubts about the brand’s battery life and durability, leading her to consider Chinese rival BYD, which was offering incentives such as a 20 per cent discount on charging for three years and…

A recent ruling by the UK Supreme Court has clarified that a cumulative or holistic approach should be applied to the public interest test relating to qualified exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA), dismissing an appeal by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

A new trade agreement between Indonesia and the United States has triggered heated debate in Jakarta, with critics zeroing in on controversial provisions allowing the transfer of personal data abroad and relaxing local content requirements for US companies.
While officials say the deal is not yet final, observers are split over whether the concessions mark a pragmatic step towards attracting investment or a risky erosion of digital sovereignty and economic self-reliance.
The proposed framework,…

Malaysia unveiled its latest economic road map to climb the global value chain on Thursday as it aims to produce premium tech products such as semiconductors and tap into artificial intelligence (AI) in its push for developed nation status by 2030.
The “Made by Malaysia” aspiration is central to the 13th Malaysia Plan, the country’s five-year development blueprint for 2026 to 2030, and marks a strategic shift from its traditional role as a low-cost manufacturing hub.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim…