Jetstar’s plan to charge passengers for overhead locker space is set to test how far budget airlines in the Asia-Pacific region can go in making travellers pay separately for what was once part of a basic fare.
The Australian carrier’s move comes as rising costs and competition push airlines to find new revenue beyond the ticket price, potentially giving regional rivals cover to study similar fees.
Aviation analysts described the plan by Qantas’ low-cost arm as an “extreme” form of unbundling –…
Pilot’s arrest spotlights Malaysia’s growing status as regional drug transit hub
A pilot allegedly caught with tens of thousands of Ecstasy pills in Jakarta is the most high-profile case in a recent string of arrests that police and criminologists say points to a growing problem: transnational syndicates are using Malaysia to move drugs and recruit couriers.
The case was followed within days by other arrests involving Malaysians in Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore, suggesting a pattern of criminal organisations exploiting the country’s transport links, porous borders and…
How Australia’s data centre reforms could reshape workforce obligations
A new national AI framework aims to spur next-generation data centre job creation, but it will also require operators and employers to re-examine their enterprise-level agreements, workforce planning frameworks, skills shortages and training obligations.
Zuckerberg apologises to India over child sexual abuse content on Facebook, Meta: reports
Meta Platforms’ CEO Mark Zuckerberg has apologised to the Indian government over child sexual abuse material on the company’s platforms and for operational errors, local television channels reported on Wednesday.
Zuckerberg apologised for the presence of the material, as well as deepfake content and operational lapses on Meta’s platforms, financial news publication Moneycontrol reported, citing sources.
The publication added the apology was conveyed during a meeting between Meta executives…
Malaysia vows to tighten airport security after pilot’s drug arrest in Indonesia
Malaysian authorities vowed to identify and close security loopholes in its airports after a pilot allegedly transported drugs from the country before being arrested in Indonesia last week.
Malaysia’s home and transport ministries would implement steps to improve aviation security, and would place police officers at certain checkpoints, the government’s spokesman Fahmi Fadzil said in a briefing on Wednesday after a cabinet meeting.
“Malaysia Airlines will also revise their protocols for…
NSW appeal ruling on WA Security of Payment Act shines light on need for contract provision over sending online link
The New South Wales Court of Appeal has provided recent guidance as to service of adjudication applications in Western Australia under the state’s security of payment legislation.
Arrest of ‘fake Filipino’ sharpens concerns over security risks in key sectors
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…
Offside move? Why Indonesia’s football chief backed Fifa privatisation plan
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…
Changes in law can justify deviation from GLO test case judgments
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.
Will Philippines’ push for seabed rights derail South China Sea code talks?
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…