Asian Legal Review

North Korea’s apparent use of different launch methods to fire two types of cruise missiles from a tactical nuclear-capable submarine could complicate regional defence, while raising fresh questions about the operational readiness of its growing undersea arsenal, observers have said.
The North’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said on Thursday it had “test-fired two types of submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles” off its eastern coast.
The tests “contributed to inspecting the…

Talk of global decoupling from China has persisted for years, as has speculation that emerging economies such as India and Vietnam could soon replace it as the “world’s factory”.
But for Indian hardware engineer Neeraj Arora, the growth of India’s electronics manufacturing industry has not eliminated the need to source components from China. Instead, it has changed the nature of those imports.
A decade ago, Arora imported finished phone chargers from the world’s second-largest economy. Today,…

Since AI use became widespread the number and complexity of claims against employers has soared. How should companies cope?

A stabbing rampage by a repeat violent offender wearing an electronic ankle monitor has raised questions about whether South Korea’s system can adequately supervise those deemed high-risk and prevent attacks before they happen.
The 59-year-old suspect told investigators he had become frustrated over what he perceived as mistreatment at a hospital, police said on Wednesday.
Three criminal profilers were helping investigators establish the motive for Tuesday’s attack at a shopping centre in…

Singapore will “keep its options open” on taking legal action against errant companies as air quality in the city state deteriorates to very unhealthy levels.
Singapore is collecting data on the haze as it weighs possible action under its Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, the Straits Times reported on Wednesday, citing Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu.
The law, enacted in 2014, targets those responsible for causing or condoning fires if the resulting haze causes the…

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand (SEC) has proposed a significant overhaul of the regulatory framework governing digital asset derivatives trading, introducing what amounts to the most market-expanding reform to date for the country’s crypto ecosystem.

The most consequential change in the proposed revisions is the introduction of a direct licensing pathway, permitting existing digital asset operators to apply for derivatives business licenses without the administrative burden of establishing separate corporate entities. Under the current framework, operators wishing to offer derivatives products were required to spin up entirely new companies, a costly and time-consuming requirement that effectively slowed market maturation.

The SEC’s stated objectives are twofold: accelerating the formal recognition of digital assets as a legitimate asset class within Thailand’s traditional financial regulatory taxonomy, and providing market participants with advanced risk management tools. The commission notes that the revision aims to promote the recognition of digital assets as an asset class and provide investors with additional hedging tools.

However, the liberalized access is accompanied by heightened compliance demands. The proposed rules require operators to implement robust conflict-of-interest prevention mechanisms, and introduce elevated financial standards for both derivatives trading centers and clearing institutions. The public consultation window runs until May 20, 2026, with the SEC inviting stakeholder feedback on the revised licensing requirements.

Strategically, this development positions Thailand ahead of several regional peers in the derivatives space. Singapore has yet to fully liberalize derivatives access for existing Digital Payment Token Service Providers, while Malaysia’s derivatives framework for digital assets remains narrower in scope. If enacted, Thailand’s approach would lower barriers for established platforms such as Bitkub and Zipmex to diversify into regulated derivatives products, potentially driving significant institutional liquidity to the Bangkok market as neighboring jurisdictions including Hong Kong and South Korea develop their own digital asset derivatives infrastructure.

The move comes at a pivotal moment for Thailand’s digital asset sector, which has been pursuing a strategy of regulatory proactivity since the country first approved cryptocurrency ETF frameworks earlier this year. The derivatives reform, paired with the crypto ETF sandbox and the TouristDigiPay regulatory sandbox, signals a deliberate multi-track approach to positioning Thailand as the region’s most crypto-friendly capital market.

A growing number of Japanese regard the United States as the greatest threat to world peace ahead of traditional rival China, according to a new survey.
The annual poll, released by the Japan Press Research Institute on Saturday, found 26.8 per cent of respondents named the US as the biggest threat to global peace. That was up 9.3 percentage points on last year and far above the 6.6 per cent recorded in 2024.
Russia came top of the list in 2025 but slipped to third place this year, with 18.3 per…

It is encouraging to see the English judiciary taking such a positive approach to the adoption of artificial intelligence following a recently published position statement, an expert has said.

A new consultation has been launched on proposed amendments to draft rules on regulating the activities of Saudi Arabian capital markets institutions when dealing with clients in other financial markets.

The Philippine military has rejected calls to restore direct communication channels with its Chinese counterpart, despite warnings from Beijing that their absence risks “miscalculation” during confrontations and could further escalate tensions in the South China Sea.
On Tuesday, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said it would not communicate with its Chinese counterpart in advance of its maritime operations, arguing that such channels were ineffective without mutual respect for international…