Month: November 2021

The case of a recruitment agency alleged to have falsely claimed furlough money from the government shows the importance of robust internal whistleblowing policies and procedures, an expert has said.

Radical change in policy, regulation and finance, as well as in the actions demanded of businesses, can be anticipated in the real estate sector following COP26.

The outcomes from COP26 will accelerate the flow of money away from businesses and projects that cannot demonstrate sustainability, increase investment in climate adaption initiatives in the developing world, and enhance transparency over the commitments businesses make to curb emissions.

In what seemed to be a thinly veiled attack on an erstwhile ally, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday claimed one of the candidates vying to succeed him was a drug user.In a rambling speech before an anti-insurgency task force, Duterte began criticising rich people who took drugs, saying there was “even a presidential candidate who takes cocaine”.While he did not go so far as to name the candidate – though he has promised to do so when the presidential campaign starts in February –…

Washington on Friday accused China of an escalation against the Philippines and warned that an armed attack would invite a US response after an incident in disputed waters.“The United States stands with our ally, the Philippines, in the face of this escalation that directly threatens regional peace and stability,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in Abuja, where Secretary of State Antony Blinken was travelling.The action “escalates regional tensions, infringes upon freedom of…

The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Court has confirmed it has jurisdiction to hear a $600 million professional negligence claim.

The trial of two dozen humanitarian activists who helped migrants reach Greece three years ago was adjourned on Thursday shortly after opening and moved to an appeals court.The activists, who are accused of espionage, forgery and assisting a criminal organisation, helped migrants reach the island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Greek authorities of “criminalising rescuers”.“The court ruled that it was not competent to judge this case,” defence lawyer…

Huawei Technologies Co is doubling down on its cloud services in Southeast Asia, launching a new “availability zone” in Thailand as the Chinese telecoms giant pivots to businesses less dependent on semiconductors.Senior executives have expressed optimism about Huawei’s business prospects in the region as major economies there accelerate digital transformation, driving demand for cloud services. An availability zone consists of one or more data centers that can be treated as a single entity,…

Police in Vietnam have summoned a beef noodle seller who filmed himself imitating Nusret Gokce, or “Salt Bae”, days after a top Vietnamese official was caught on camera eating gold-encrusted steak at the Turkish celebrity chef’s London restaurant.Bui Tuan Lam, 38, from the central city of Da Nang, said his intention in making the video, which shows him ceremoniously slicing boiled beef and flamboyantly sprinkling spring onions into a bowl of noodle soup, was not to mock any particular…

Sporting neon hair and flawless skin, Bangkok Naughty Boo is one of a new generation of influencers in Asia promising to stay forever young, on-trend, and scandal-free – because they are computer generated.Blurring the lines between fantasy and reality, these stars are hugely popular with teenagers in the region and will yield increasing power as interest grows in the ‘metaverse’, industry experts say.“I’m 17 forever, non-binary, with a dream of becoming a pop star,” Bangkok Naughty Boo – who…