Asian Legal Review

The detention of a Chinese national accused of posing as a Filipino for more than two decades has sharpened concerns in the Philippines that identity fraud could be used to gain access to sectors vital to national security.
Immigration authorities arrested Lawrence Ke Sy, president, largest incorporator and majority shareholder of Maxipro Development Corp., on June 27, although the arrest was only disclosed to the public on Monday.
Maxipro is a contractor involved in projects for the National…

When Fifa president Gianni Infantino pushed a plan to bring private investors into a new commercial entity tied to the World Cup, critics warned it risked selling part of football’s most valuable asset.
Erick Thohir, chairman of the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI), disagreed. He backed the now-scrapped scheme – despite opposition from regional bodies including the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), PSSI’s own parent body – as he felt Indonesia owed Fifa a debt of gratitude for standing…

UK courts asked to deviate from judgments issued in group litigation order (GLO) test cases must consider current law, not the law in place at the time of the test case ruling, when determining whether to do so – even if that means similar claims within the scope of a GLO are decided differently, according to the UK Supreme Court.

The Philippines’ latest push for seabed rights in the South China Sea could complicate its efforts as this year’s Asean chair to build regional consensus, analysts say, adding another layer of complexity to already slow-moving talks on a code of conduct for the disputed waterway.
On July 28, Manila delivered an official presentation of its partial submission on its extended continental shelf in waters the Philippines considered its territory to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental…

Indonesian rescuers searched for possible missing passengers on Monday after rescuing 231 people from a ferry that caught fire the previous day off the main island of Java, leaving at least five people dead. Passengers described leaping overboard and staying afloat for hours before rescue.
The Mutiara Sentosa 2 ferry was travelling from Indonesia’s second-largest city of Surabaya in East Java to the city of Makassar in South Sulawesi. Initial reports said it was carrying 271 people, including 39…

A suicide bomber targeted protesters at an anti-militant rally in northwestern Pakistan on Sunday, killing at least 14 people, including police officers, and wounding more than two dozen others, officials said.
The attack happened in Kabal, a town in Swat Valley in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where demonstrators had gathered near a police station, chanting anti-militant slogans and demanding peace, district police chief Omar Khan said.
Bilal Faizi, a spokesman for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa…

An Indonesian ferry caught fire at sea on Sunday, killing five people and leaving another 41 missing after some jumped overboard, search and rescue officials said.
A total of 225 people on the vessel were rescued, said the regional Surabaya Search and Rescue Agency, which provided the latest figures in an afternoon update.
Some passengers jumped into the sea and were picked up by a nearby ship, according to Basarnas, Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency.
Four other vessels were on…

Celebrated Nepali climber Nirmal Purja, who set a record for the fastest ascent of the world’s 14 highest mountains, died in an ‌avalanche during an expedition in Pakistan, his company said on Saturday.
“Today it is with profound sadness and immense heartbreak that we confirm that Nirmal ‘Nimsdai’ Purja tragically lost his life following the avalanche on Broad ⁠Peak,” his expedition organising company Elite Exped said on social media.
“We have also received confirmation that other members of the…

British trip-hop band Massive Attack has been barred from performing in Singapore after an investigation found two members unfurled a Palestinian flag during a concert, police said.
Two band members who held the flag on stage during a concert on Wednesday were also banned from re-entering Singapore and issued with warnings, police said in a statement late on Friday, without naming the pair.
Singapore, known for its tough laws on public speech and assembly, bans the open display of all foreign…

Recent rulings by Europe’s top court on issues for sports governing organisations around competition law highlight the balancing act between sporting autonomy and complying with international laws, experts have warned.