Two Malaysian state assemblymen and the businessman who accused them of corruption pleaded not guilty in court on Monday to charges linked to alleged bribes for a mining licence, in a high-profile case that has gripped the public since covert videos of the transactions surfaced online last year.
The case has piled pressure on Sabah’s ruling coalition months before an expected December election, fuelling concerns over the state’s persistent corruption problems and raising questions about…
Hong Kong’s IPO dominance leaves Singapore grasping for lost allure
Hong Kong’s vast lead over Singapore as a listing venue appears unassailable, with even the Southeast Asian city’s home-grown companies heading north to raise funds, but the city state remains determined to improve its allure, according to bankers and analysts.
IFBH, a Singapore-incorporated Thai firm that is the world’s second-largest bottler of coconut water, started trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange on Monday after completing a HK$1.16 billion (US$147 million) initial public offering…
After the crash, can Air India’s leadership shake-up rebuild trust?
When nearly 300 lives were lost in a fiery crash outside Ahmedabad earlier this month, the future of Air India – and faith in Indian aviation itself – was thrown into turmoil.
Now, Tata Group’s chairman has assumed direct command of the embattled airline’s day-to-day operations, determined to chart a path out of the crisis following one of modern aviation’s deadliest disasters.
On June 17, just five days after the crash, Natarajan Chandrasekaran stood before 700 sombre Air India employees in New…
Claims of police complicity in mystery of missing Filipino cock fighters
A chilling new claim that police officers and a female celebrity were involved in the disappearance of dozens of missing cockfighting workers in the Philippines has reignited a long-dormant case that once shocked the country and raised questions about a possible cover-up.
A suspect in the 2021-22 disappearances of 34 Filipino cock fighters has claimed that at least 30 people, including police officers, were involved in the case.
“My estimate is about 10 are civilians, maybe more, while about 20…
The rat in the room: understanding Indonesia’s hantavirus cases
A string of hantavirus-linked cases reported in Indonesia has sparked fears that the potentially lethal virus could be spreading undetected, with health experts citing widespread rodent exposure and poor sanitation as major risks that could lead to a further spike.
Eight cases of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), one of the diseases caused by the hantavirus, have been confirmed across four provinces – Yogyakarta, West Java, East Nusa Tenggara and North Sulawesi – as of June 19,…
Competition probe aims to boost UK civil engineering industry
A recently launched competition market study into the UK’s civil engineering sector will likely have significant implications by seeking to improve how the market operates to enhance productivity, cut costs for businesses, and support growth across the wider economy, according to experts at Pinsent Masons.
FSA report raises red flags over local authority resourcing
A recent report by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) highlights the pressures facing local authority resourcing and the impact on food standards, particularly in Scotland, experts say.
Climate ruling offers lessons for Northern Irish infrastructure projects
A new ruling highlights how important it is for all developers to factor climate law obligations into infrastructure project planning, experts have said.
‘It’s a human issue’: will NTU case prompt rethink on AI use for students?
A case at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU) involving three students accused of academic misconduct over the use of generative AI (Gen AI) has prompted observers to question if tertiary institutions need clearer processes to deal with disputes.
The students were told by their teacher in a briefing for a module on health, disease outbreaks and politics at the School of Social Sciences that the use of ChatGPT and AI tools was not allowed in the “development or generation” of their…
‘Heinous’: police in Japan uncover ‘online paedophile group’ of teachers
Two primary school teachers in Japan have been charged with taking photos of little girls in their underwear and then sharing the images with at least 10 more colleagues, in a case which has roused public outcry.
On Tuesday, police arrested Yuji Moriyama, 42, a teacher at Kosaka Elementary School in Nagoya, and Fumiya Kosemura, 37, a teacher at Hongodai Elementary School in Yokohama.
Around 70 indecent photographs and video clips were found on Moriyama’s computer, along with up-skirt images and…