The Philippines has warned China that any attempt to board or tow away its grounded warship at the Second Thomas Shoal would be crossing a “red line” after Manila detected a sharp rise in Chinese maritime activity around the disputed feature in the South China Sea.
Philippine Navy Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, spokesman for West Philippine Sea operations, told reporters on Tuesday that the military was closely monitoring a surge in Chinese maritime activity near the shoal, including the…
Foreigners in Bali told to carry passports at all times amid visa crackdown
Foreign visitors to Bali are being reminded to carry their passports whenever they go out, with videos posted by local immigration authorities showing officers telling tourists to keep travel documents on them during intensified spot checks across the Indonesian resort island.
The reminders come amid a broader crackdown on visa violations after authorities reported a rise in offences earlier this year, with Indonesia introducing new measures to monitor foreigners more closely and ensure…
Indonesian minister’s arrest tests Prabowo’s anti-corruption pledge
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s pledge to stamp out corruption is facing its first major test after a deputy minister was arrested, as speculation mounts over a possible reshuffle of his 110-member “jumbo” cabinet.
Immanuel Ebenezer was swiftly fired by Prabowo following his arrest by the Corruption Eradication Commission on suspicion of receiving kickbacks and extortion. He is the first member of Prabowo’s cabinet to be named a suspect in a corruption investigation.
The arrest…
Philippine police chief sacked after just 84 days in record-short tenure
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has dismissed national police chief Nicolas Torre III after just 84 days in the role, following a dispute over authority within the force stemming from his defiance of the National Police Commission.
The move ends the brief, high-profile tenure of a police chief who had led headline-grabbing arrests and become a public figure in his own right.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin announced Torre’s removal in a brief two-paragraph order on Monday evening…
‘Good news’ for pharma companies as UPC provides clarity on imminent infringement
An appeal ruling overturning a decision to allow rival medical treatments to be sold early will be welcomed by pharmaceutical firms for providing clarity as to activities that may constitute imminent infringement of a patent, experts have said.
UK employers must get ahead of Employment Rights Bill ‘fire and rehire’ changes
Companies should act now to build flexibility into their employment contracts ahead of new laws to stop ‘fire and rehire’ which come into force next year, an expert has warned.
End of payment tokens regulation transition period signals ‘new phase’ for UAE digital asset regulation
The implementation of the CBUAE’s regulatory framework for stablecoin issuance in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is establishing the country as a fintech hub and regional leader in digital assets.
Protests erupt in Jakarta over Indonesian lawmakers’ ‘excessive pay’
Police fired tear gas and used a water cannon to push back hundreds of demonstrators trying to break into Indonesia’s parliament building on Monday to protest against what they called excessive pay and perks for legislators, witnesses said.
Some protesters, clad in dark clothing, threw rocks and set off fireworks at riot police in the capital Jakarta. At least one motorcycle was set ablaze by protesters, but officials did not provide details of damage, any casualties or arrests.
Protesters…
‘Terrifying’ Typhoon Kajiki batters Vietnam, blowing roofs off homes
Typhoon Kajiki brought torrential rains to Vietnam’s north central coast on Monday, felling trees and flooding homes, despite wind speeds tapering off from earlier in the day.
Typhoon Kajiki’s wind speeds eased from 166km/h (103 mph) to 118-133km/h (73-83mph) as the storm hit the coast of Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces, according to the country’s weather agency.
“It’s terrifying,” said Dang Xuan Phuong, a 48-year-old resident of Cua Lo, a tourism town in Nghe An province directly hit by the…
New plan charts path forward for Victoria’s renewable energy transition
The release of a long-term plan for renewable energy zones and transmission provides a pathway to support an orderly transition to renewables and to achieve Victoria’s renewable energy goals.