Asian Legal Review

Draft legislation aimed at preventing the development of “artificial superintelligence systems” within the UK and beyond has been introduced into the UK parliament.

Indonesia is facing ⁠a surge in emissions from wildfires burning through parched stretches of forest and peatland on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, with carbon dioxide readings currently the highest in the world, data has shown.
Fire emissions from Indonesia from September 1 to September 7 reached 19.7 million metric tons, overtaking Russia this week and making up more than a third of the global total, according to Fire Emissions Watch, a portal developed by the European Union’s Copernicus…

Singapore’s DBS Bank is being sued for an estimated S$1.298 billion (US$1.03 billion) in damages linked to the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal, Southeast Asia’s largest lender DBS Group has said.
The claimants include the liquidators of four companies: BlackRock Commodities (Global), Platinum Global ‌Luxury Services, Affinity Equity International Partners and TKIL Global Investments. The liquidators did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for ‌comment.
DBS on ⁠Wednesday rejected the…

Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has proposed a sweeping reform that would allow existing licensed digital asset operators to apply directly for derivatives licenses under their current corporate structures, eliminating the need to establish separate entities for cryptocurrency derivatives activity.

The proposal builds on Cabinet approval reached in February 2026, which formally recognized cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin as eligible underlying assets for futures and options under Thailand’s Derivatives Act. The SEC opened a public consultation window to gather industry feedback on the rule changes before the consultation closes on May 20, 2026.

Under current regulations, digital asset firms must set up geographically and structurally separate corporate entities dedicated solely to derivatives trading — a requirement that has been cited by market participants as a significant barrier to product innovation and market entry. The proposal would consolidate licensing under a single regulatory umbrella, allowing licensed crypto exchanges to offer spot and derivatives products through their existing structures while maintaining strict oversight through mandatory internal controls, risk management protocols, and conflict-of-interest safeguards.

The move positions Thailand as the first jurisdiction in Southeast Asia to offer integrated crypto spot and derivatives licensing in a single framework. It comes as the country already benefits from a five-year capital gains tax exemption on cryptocurrency trading (2025-2029) and is preparing for the launch of cryptocurrency ETFs. Deputy Secretary-General Jomkwan Kongsakul has previously highlighted ease of access as a key advantage of opening Thailand’s derivatives market to digital asset participants.

Industry players are actively positioning themselves ahead of the new rules several licensed digital asset operators have recently acquired regulated trading …

A 22-year-old man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to teaming up with friends to steal nearly a quarter-billion dollars in bitcoin from a Washington resident – one of the largest cryptocurrency thefts in US history – and then embarking on a wild spending spree with the laundered proceeds.
Malone Lam, an eighth-grade dropout who came to the US from Singapore, faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years after pleading guilty to a federal racketeering conspiracy charge. US District Judge Colleen…

Singapore remains open to considering chemical castration as a measure to tackle sex crimes if there is clear evidence that it is effective in reducing crime, Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam has said.
However, the evidence so far was inconclusive, he said in a written parliamentary reply on Tuesday.
“We remain open to considering measures including pharmacological anti-androgen treatments, also known as chemical castrations, if it is clear that such measures are effective in bringing down…

New government data reveals that curiously the number of businesses registered for plastic packaging tax (PPT) increased last year despite revenues from the tax continuing to fall.

Japan will substantially raise its fees for residence permits next month. Depending on the period of stay applied for, renewing or changing one’s residency status could cost as much as ¥75,000 (US$480). The application fee for permanent residency will rise to ¥200,000 from ¥10,000.
The government is also tightening the requirements for permanent residency. Applicants are already expected to be able to support themselves. New criteria proposed include an above-average household income, sufficient…

Businesses that source goods or materials from around the world can learn from how some companies have responded to the Middle East crisis, to ensure their supply chains are resilient against the risk of extreme weather events, an expert has said

Malaysian police have contacted Islamist opposition leader Abdul Hadi Awang over his explosive claim that the United States once offered to help his party topple the government – an allegation Washington has flatly dismissed as false.
The controversy erupted after Hadi told thousands of delegates at the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) congress in Kelantan on Saturday that American representatives had approached party leaders when Barack Obama visited Malaysia in 2014.
Hadi’s political…