Asian Legal Review

Indonesia is reviving plans to extend its Chinese-backed high-speed rail network, with ambitions to connect Jakarta with Surabaya, the nation’s second-largest city. But analysts say familiar complications could stall the project, from regulatory hurdles to the mounting debt owed to China.
The proposed extension would build on Whoosh – Southeast Asia’s first high speed rail line – a US$7.3 billion project connecting capital Jakarta to Bandung in West Java province. The 142km (88-mile) railway,…

In early May, as Roman Catholic cardinals convened for their conclave, US President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself as the pope. Shortly afterwards, he declared that he would like to become a pontiff. Reactions from around the globe were swift, though not everyone was shocked. After all, this was American crassness at its finest – a spectacle the world has grown accustomed to. Trump is neither the first nor the only US figure to inure the world to such behaviour; there is a…

As the dust settles from the shock of the Philippines’ midterm election, it is clear that President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr and his dynastic rivals, the Dutertes, have fought to a stalemate, with both camps securing an equal number of Senate seats.
This political deadlock ensures that the immediate focus of national politics will revolve around the rivalry between the two powerful clans. For Marcos’ administration, pressing economic and foreign-policy issues are likely to take a back seat to two…

Costs cap orders under the Aarhus Convention only apply if the legal challenge concerns “national law relating to the environment”, according to a recent judgment by the Court of Appeal – potentially limiting the scope for future UK environmental challenges against public bodies’ decisions

Recent actions by Ireland’s Competition and Consumer Protection Commission’s (CCPC) against Boots Ireland and Shein highlight growing regulatory focus on pressure selling tactics both offline and online, experts say.

The UK Supreme Court’s recent decision to refuse Dyson permission to appeal a Court of Appeal ruling marks a significant moment in the evolving legal landscape surrounding corporate accountability for overseas operations, experts have said.

We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
1. US’ 500 military personnel in Taiwan an ‘open test’ of Beijing’s red lines
Washington’s disclosure that around 500 US military personnel are stationed in Taiwan signals more open and substantial defence support for the island – a…

The launch of artificial intelligence-powered Islamic preachers has raised questions in Malaysia over the technology’s potential to distort local Islamic teachings and undermine the role of qualified scholars.
In Malaysia, where Islam is the state religion, religious discourse is tightly regulated and preachers must obtain official credentials and strictly adhere to state-sanctioned interpretations of the faith – or risk infringing sharia court rulings of “deviant teachings”.
But AI avatars are…

The UK government has confirmed it will proceed with introducing legislation aimed at removing online content related to illegal knives and other offensive weapons.

Members of the Asean bloc have laid out an ambitious plan to become the world’s fourth-largest economy by 2045, but analysts warn the region must first overcome deep-rooted trade barriers, domestic implementation woes and a shifting global trade order.
Released on Tuesday during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Kuala Lumpur, the five-year strategy to achieve the economic goal aims to boost regional integration and better address complex issues.
“Carrying on with business as…