Asian Legal Review

‘This Kim Jong-un, a fool’: Duterte on N Korea’s nuclear ambitions
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has rebuked North Korean leader Kim Jong-un over his nuclear programmes after a recent missile test showed Pyongyang may be able to strike anywhere in the US. “This Kim Jong-un, a fool … he is playing with dangerous toys, that fool,” Duterte told officials in a speech. “That chubby face that looks kind. That son of a b****. If he commits a mistake, the…

Researchers have demonstrated that “mutations in human embryos” can be “corrected” using gene editing technology.

Forest City, the sprawling US$100 billion property development being built on artificial islands in Malaysia’s version of Shenzhen bordering Singapore, is already slated to have seafront high-tech office complexes, schools and hotels.
Now, its Chinese developer, Country Garden Holdings, has unveiled plans to launch a traditional Chinese medicine hub to serve its future population of 700,000 people, many of whom will be from China.
Country Garden Pacificview, the joint venture holding…

A warranty provided by construction company MT Hojgaard (MTH) that the underlying works would have a service life of 20 years took precedence over conflicting terms in the contract, including adherence to industry standards, the UK’s highest court has ruled.

The 17-year old Indonesian girl made a persuasive case to her family: lured by what she had read online, she told her parents, sisters, aunts, uncles and cousins they should all move to Syria to join the Islamic State group. Each of her two dozen relatives found something in it for them. Free education and health care for the girls. Paying outstanding debts for her father and uncle, finding work for the youngest men. And the biggest bonus: a chance to live in what was depicted as an ideal…

Cambodia has arrested more than 200 Chinese men and women suspected of running an online scam that persuaded victims to send nude photographs and then extorted them for cash, police said Thursday.
The sweeping arrests come as the Southeast Asian country cracks down on Chinese cybercrime gangs who use web technology to target their fellow citizens from abroad.
The gang allegedly used internet voice calls to contact victims in China, building up relationships with their targets over time before…

The European Commission will now consider bids from 23 cities wishing to host the European Banking Authority (EBA) and European Medicines Agency.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday described North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as a “fool” and a “son of a bitch”, just days before Manila hosts an international meeting certain to address Pyongyang’s long-range missile tests.
Duterte held nothing back in rebuking Kim for “playing with dangerous toys”, setting the stage for next week’s rare get-together, to be attended by foreign ministers of all the countries involved in the standoff…

An Indonesian court on Borneo island on Wednesday jailed a man for eight months after he grew medicinal marijuana to help ease the pain being suffered by his cancer-stricken wife, who died shortly after his arrest, his lawyer said.
Indonesia has amongst the strictest drug laws in the world and has been jailing a record number of users and dealers because of what the government says is a drugs emergency facing the country.
The hardline approach to drugs is broadly popular in the Southeast Asian…

Pakistani lawmakers on Tuesday elected former petroleum minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, an ally of ousted leader Nawaz Sharif, to replace him and the new premier immediately sought to project an image of stability.
Lawmakers of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) party banged on benches and chanted “Lion, lion Nawaz Sharif” after the vote, standing defiant in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to cut short his third stint in power.
A quick transition may ease fears…