Month: September 2025

At first glance, Gita Sjahrir is often mistaken for just another secretary or typist. It’s only when her surname is mentioned that colleagues realise she is, in fact, a managing director of one of Indonesia’s leading power companies.
Earlier this year, the 43-year-old assumed responsibility for investor relations at TBS Energi, which was founded by her uncle, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, chairman of Indonesia’s National Economic Council and a former coordinating minister.
Her entry into the firm was…

A ruling by a court in Germany highlights how businesses that act as intermediaries in the supply of goods or services can be held liable for trade mark infringement in the EU, a brand protection expert has said.

Green hydrogen developers and investors should welcome long-awaited clarity over the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions methodology for low-carbon hydrogen and fuels in the EU through a delegated act adopted by the European Commission in the summer, experts have said.

Businesses, entrepreneurs and investors have been given the chance to shape legislative proposals that will aim to make it simpler for “innovative” companies to set up, operate and expand within the EU.

Southeast Asian countries should not be judged harshly on their shifting positions amid the heightened US-China rivalry, Singapore’s top diplomat has said, while emphasising unique “vulnerabilities and opportunities” across the region.
Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan told the FutureChina Global Forum on Friday to avoid binary thinking, stressing that the city state was open for business to all, with China as its biggest trading partner and the United States its largest foreign…

The Philippines’ new acting transport secretary has likened his ride in an overcrowded bus in Manila recently to “going to war”, prompting him to order his officials to commute weekly on the country’s public transport system so they can experience the daily ordeal of Filipinos.
The highly publicised move has drawn praise from some advocacy groups, but also brickbats from critics who argue it amounts to political theatre that sidesteps deeper transport and infrastructure failures.
Giovanni Lopez,…

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has launched a consultation aimed at improving employees’ rights in maritime and agricultural roles.

The eldest son of Samsung Group chairman Lee Jae-yong, heir to one of South Korea’s richest families, has enlisted to become a naval officer, one of the most demanding military roles in the country.
In doing so, Lee Jee-ho joins a growing cohort of scions of family-run conglomerates who are opting for longer, more demanding military service than the average conscripts in South Korea.
Some observers see the trend as a calculated effort by the chaebol heirs to counter opinions of their privilege…

India and the United States are exploring ways to tap Myanmar’s rare earth reserves, with New Delhi reportedly in talks with a powerful rebel group and Washington considering working with either opposing side of the country’s civil war, as they seek to diversify their sources for the crucial minerals.
But analysts say their plans face formidable challenges, including risks from the ongoing conflict, treacherous terrain, and potential resistance from China, the dominant global supplier of rare…

Singaporean employers should be aware of a recent High Court decision that offers guidance regarding their obligations in a workplace investigation dispute, particularly in the case of implied contractual duties.