A Vietnamese court sentenced an activist to 10 years in prison for spreading information against the state on social media, lawyers said Thursday, the fourth dissident jailed by the communist regime in three days.Do Nam Trung, 40, is well known for taking part in environmental and anti-China protests and opposing government corruption.He previously spent 14 months in prison after publicly advocating for democracy and human rights in the early 2010s.Vietnam’s hardline administration often moves…
Singapore’s additional stamp duty hike for foreigners ‘earth shattering’ for luxury market but unlikely to dampen demand from ultra rich
Singapore has raised additional stamp duties on private property purchases by foreigners and citizens buying their second home for the first time since 2018, seeking to cool a surge in housing prices and debt driven by housing loans.In a late night announcement on Wednesday, a joint statement by two ministries and the central bank said foreigners buying their first home would face a 10 percentage point increase in additional buyers’ stamp duty (ABSD), bringing the tax from 20 per cent to 30 per…
Belgium trial starts over death of 39 Vietnamese migrants in UK truck
Two years after 39 Vietnamese migrants died aboard a truck that travelled to Britain, Belgium on Wednesday opened the trial of 23 people suspected of involvement in the human-smuggling ring responsible.The proceedings, in a courtroom in the city of Bruges, follow convictions handed down in the UK in January to seven men, several for manslaughter. They were given prison sentences ranging from three years to 27 years.In Vietnam, in September last year, four men were sent to prison in connection…
Can Singapore’s opposition Workers’ Party ride out scandal of its lying lawmaker Raeesah Khan?
A snowballing controversy involving a lawmaker who resigned after lying in parliament is threatening the Singaporean opposition leader, Pritam Singh, less than 18 months after his party made historic electoral gains with the backing of the city state’s younger generation.The saga initially seemed to only involve Raeesah Khan – a darling among Gen Z and millennial voters – but an ongoing parliamentary inquiry into the case has dragged Singh and other high-ranking leaders of the Workers’ Party …
UK government launches fourth CfD allocation round worth £285m
The UK government has launched the fourth Contracts for Difference (CfD) allocation round, as it aims to boost investment in renewable energy and secure an additional 12GW of electricity capacity in the coming years.
OFSI issues updated guidance for UK charity sector advocating wider good practice
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has updated its guidance for UK charities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that operate in areas of the world that are subject to financial sanctions.
South Korea’s rare earths, defence deals with Australia ‘not aimed at China’, analysts say
A billion-dollar defence deal and an agreement for Australia to boost exports of rare earth minerals to South Korea are aimed at improving bilateral relations and are not “political statements” aimed at China.That was the view of analysts as the Australian rare earth producer ASM agreed to increase exports to South Korea in the latest eye-catching deal to have emerged from South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s visit.Rare earth minerals are vital to the production of high technology devices,…
Singapore warns of ‘potentially big’ wave of Omicron infections as it tightens rules for unvaccinated
Singapore on Tuesday said it would tighten its rules governing unvaccinated residents, with officials describing the measure as a pre-emptive step to guard against a “potentially big” wave of infections.As of Tuesday, the city state had 16 cases linked to the Omicron variant that was first documented in South Africa and is believed to be more transmissible. All of these cases are imported except for two, both of whom are airport staff.While there was no sign of community transmission, trade…
Dutch tax authority handed record fine for discriminatory data processing
The Dutch Data Protection Authority (DDPA) has imposed a record €2.75 million fine on the nation’s Tax and Customs Administration (TCA, in Dutch: Belastingdienst), for its use of discriminatory data processing practices.
US seeks closer ties with ‘key player’ Indonesia as Blinken set to make Indo-Pacific speech
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday arrived in Indonesia as part of his first Southeast Asia tour, meeting President Joko Widodo in Jakarta, where he pledged to increase economic ties with Indonesia, particularly in investments and infrastructure development.Summarising the meeting with Jokowi, as the president is known, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said Blinken showed a keen interest in partnering with their country, especially in infrastructure.“The U.S. commitment was…