The rate of Chinese wealth entering Singapore through family offices is reportedly slowing, but observers say the financial hub is not expected to lose out substantially as long as it can continue to attract the right kind of money.
Last week, American business news outlet CNBC reported that Singapore’s attractiveness as a wealth hub was weakening, with applications from Chinese clients to set up family offices or relocate wealth to the city state currently dropping by 50 per cent compared with…
Duterte’s son files ‘kidnapping’ charges – in a bid to save Philippine VP Sara?
The youngest son of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has filed criminal charges against four cabinet secretaries and several senior officials, accusing them of “kidnapping” his father and spiriting him to The Hague to face crimes against humanity charges before the International Criminal Court.
But legal scholars and political insiders contend the case is a thinly veiled attempt by the Duterte camp to derail the appointment of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla as the…
NSW safety regulator halts redundancy process because of psychosocial safety
The NSW safety regulator’s decision to force the pause of a redundancy consultation process, on the basis that it created a risk of psychological harm to workers, could have implications for employers in future redundancy processes
‘What does the future hold?’ Floods devastate India’s breadbasket of Punjab
The fields are full but the paddy rice is brown and wilted, and the air thick with the stench of rotting crops and livestock – the aftermath of record monsoon rains that have devastated India’s breadbasket.
In Punjab, often dubbed the country’s granary, the damage is unprecedented: floods have swallowed farmlands almost the size of London and New York City combined.
India’s agriculture minister said in a recent visit to the state that “the crops have been destroyed and ruined”, and Punjab’s…
No special privileges for Thailand’s Thaksin in jail, lawyer says
Thaksin Shinawatra is being held under the same conditions as other inmates and has not received any special privileges during his first week back in prison, his lawyer has said, amid speculation over whether Thailand’s former prime minister may request to serve his sentence outside jail.
Attorney Winyat Chartmontree on Monday said Thaksin’s family had not sought any special treatment and that his client had only requested rights afforded to other inmates.
“People can say what they like, but…
Warning for companies as Supreme Court rules on VAT groups
A ruling by the UK Supreme Court on VAT payments means organisations must carefully plan when drawing up intra-group contracts, an expert has said.
‘Red alert’: Philippines gripped by coup rumours before anti-corruption protests
Coup rumours swirled in the Philippine capital over the weekend, with the military placed on “red alert” and all leave for its personnel cancelled, ahead of planned protests against corruption in state-funded flood control projects.
Sources close to and within the military confirmed to This Week in Asia that certain private individuals, former generals and groups were trying to persuade active-duty officers to withdraw their support for Commander-in-Chief and President Ferdinand Marcos…
Landslides in Malaysia’s Sabah cut power to almost 250,000 people, kill 1
Nearly a quarter of a million people were left without electricity over the weekend in Malaysia’s Sabah state after torrential rain triggered landslides that killed at least one person and took out a transmission tower that cut power across a large area.
Footage shared widely on social media showed the tower leaning precariously after it was hit by a landslide in the district of Penampang on the state’s west coast on Saturday evening.
The incident cut power supply to six districts in Sabah’s…
Recent decision ‘reinforces UAE’s position as an arbitration-friendly jurisdiction’
A recent decision has established a precedent that arbitration awards do not require signatures on every page to be enforceable under United Arab Emirates (UAE) law, which experts say will reinforce “the UAE’s position as an arbitration-friendly jurisdiction”.
Roblox agrees to anti-child grooming measures in Australia, watchdog says
Gaming giant Roblox Corp has agreed to curb the risk of adults grooming children on its platform in Australia, the country’s online watchdog said on Monday.
The popular site, which lets players build their own games, has committed to bringing in new measures by the end of 2025, said eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant.
Australia has been a leader in global efforts to prevent internet harm, introducing a ban on social media access to children under 16 and other measures focused on child…