New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Thursday welcomed Facebook’s move to curb support for white nationalism on its platforms but said more needed to be done in the wake of the Christchurch mosque attacks.The social media giant has unveiled tougher guidelines on hate speech for Facebook and Instagram, ruling that white nationalism and white separatism are both linked to organised hate groups and will be banned.When making the announcement, the California-based company did not…
Garuda Indonesia comes under state pressure to cut airfares, as Joko Widodo seeks re-election
Garuda Indonesia is facing continued pressure from its majority shareholder, the Indonesian government, to lower ticket prices and stimulate tourism as the economy flags, a move analysts described as political meddling that will hurt investor confidence.After the transport minister’s appeal last month to Garuda and other domestic airlines, Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s most trusted minister Luhut Panjaitan this week chided the country’s flagship carrier and ordered it to lower ticket…
Brexit and dispute resolution
ANALYSIS: Brexit will have an impact on how cross-border disputes with a European dimension are conducted, affecting applicable law; jurisdiction, and enforcement of judgments. But the scale of these issues should not be overstated. They will not arise in every case and there are strategies for tackling them.
Why Indonesia is right to seek a low-carbon future for the sake of its economy, and people
Change is the defining characteristic of our time. Some change is tangible and measurable, like technological advances, shifting employment and labour patterns, and the impacts of climate change. Other change, like shifting social and power structures, less so. Geopolitics is also changing. Some developed countries that once took responsibilities and shaped the agenda have been turned inwards by retroactive forces. While others, particularly emerging economies, are writing new development…
Thailand election: can seven-party ‘democratic front’ block path to power for junta proxies and Prayuth Chan-ocha?
Seven Thai parties forming a “democratic front” opposed to military rule have secured a combined majority of the 500 seats contested in the weekend’s election and say they are ready to form a coalition despite proxies of junta chief Prayuth Chan-ocha insisting they are entitled to govern.The pro-democrat camp’s announcement on Wednesday added a further twist to the confusion following Sunday’s voting.Explained: Thailand’s politics and monarchySeven parties led by Pheu Thai, the party projected…
Court of Appeal clarifies claims to VAT repayments
The representative member of a VAT group remains entitled to recover overpaid VAT, even if the company whose activities gave rise to the supplies – the ‘real world supplier’ – has left the VAT group by the time the repayment is claimed, the Court of Appeal has determined.
How Indonesian election propels government spending and strengthens Joko Widodo’s bid for another term as president
Indonesia’s economy, the biggest in Southeast Asia, has received a timely boost from an election campaign that’s kicking into high gear.With the first ever simultaneous presidential and legislative elections drawing closer on April 17, spending by the government and political parties is already in overdrive. From the printing of pamphlets to mass gatherings, election activity has intensified in the past two weeks and is set to pick up in coming days.“Indonesian people mostly have a short memory…
UK businesses urged to register for extended simplified customs procedures
The UK government has announced that it is extending arrangements for simplified customs procedures to all UK ports, if Brexit takes place without a withdrawal agreement in place.
Brunei ‘rushing through’ new anti-LGBT laws that could see gay people being stoned to death: rights groups
Brunei is set to fast-track changes to its penal code that could see people from the LGBTQ community whipped or stoned to death for same-sex activity, human rights groups said on Monday, as they condemned the move.Brunei introduced Islamic criminal law in 2014 when it announced the first of three stages of legal changes that included fines or jail for offences like pregnancy outside marriage or failing to pray on Friday.Previously homosexuality was illegal in Brunei and punishable by up to 10…
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will visit Beijing this weekend amid tensions over Huawei ban
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Monday that a long-awaited trip to China will take place next week, but had been shortened in the wake of the Christchurch mosque killings.Ardern said she would travel to Beijing on Sunday then hold a full day of meetings on Monday with the leaders of New Zealand’s largest trading partner, including President Xi Jinping, before returning home the next day.She said she did not want to spend too long away from New Zealand as it continues to…