Malaysia’s Economic Affairs Minister Azmin Ali rejected claims he was in a gay sex video that went viral earlier this week, and vowed to expose those behind the “abominable” allegations.“I categorically deny this vicious libel upon me,” he said in a statement on Wednesday evening.“This is nothing but a nefarious plot to assassinate my reputation and character in an attempt to destroy my political career.”Azmin claimed the video and accompanying accusations of corruption were the latest in a…
Over 150 CFOs and senior finance executives personally fined last year by HMRC
The UK’s HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is increasingly targeting the most senior executives as part of its efforts to hold individuals at large businesses to account, with 152 chief financial officers (CFOs) and senior finance executives personally fined for tax accounting failures in the year-end 31 March 2018, says Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-law.com.
National minimum wage naming scheme suspended
A scheme for the naming of employers found to be in breach of the UK’s national minimum wage (NMW) has been suspended while the government reviews the scheme.
Arrests of six Islamists with Abu Sayyaf in Philippines fuel fears over spread of militancy
Philippine authorities have arrested six suspected militants from the Islamic State-linked Abu Sayyaf group, in a sign of how the terrorist network continues to trouble Southeast Asia even as its influence wanes in the Middle East.Police on Tuesday said they had raided Islamist hideouts days after the killing of Dutch wildlife photographer Ewold Horn on May 31, when insurgents holding the 59-year-old hostage clashed with government security forces in the restive southern Philippines.Horn was…
Row over China flags sold in Philippine park: Chinese embassy in Manila speaks out
Staged photographs showing vendors selling Chinese flags in a Philippine park ahead of the country’s Independence Day should be condemned if they were an attempt to undermine bilateral relations, the Chinese embassy has said.The embassy’s intervention comes after the photos, which purportedly show four people selling the flags at Luneta Park in Manila, sparked fury online at the weekend and reignited a debate about Chinese influence in the country.Under Philippine law, it is illegal for foreign…
Occasional licence regime overhaul should be considered in context
ANALYSIS: Proposed changes to the rules for granting occasional licences in Scotland should be viewed in the context of the alcohol licensing regime as a whole.
Fingerprint case highlights importance of biometric policies and consent
ANALYSIS: An unfair dismissal case has highlighted the need for companies to update policies and procedures and to obtain full consent before using biometric data in the workplace.
Tax scheme SPVs were not UK resident, says Upper Tribunal
Three special purpose vehicles (SPVs) incorporated in Jersey as part of a tax planning arrangement were not tax resident in the UK for tax purposes, the UK’s Upper Tribunal (UT) has decided, overturning a previous First-tier Tribunal (FTT) decision.
Report flags GDPR’s impact on data breach notification
Organisations operating in the UK are reporting data breaches in greater number than in many other parts of the EU, according to international law firm Pinsent Masons.
CMA produces new requirements on investment consultants and pension trustees
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has completed its changes to the investment consultancy and fiduciary management sectors with new rules covering the appointment of service providers by pension scheme trustees, and information provided to them.