The killing of at least 65 protesters in Myanmar’s biggest city on March 14 this year was planned and premeditated, and the perpetrators must be brought to justice, a rights watchdog said in a report released on Thursday.Human Rights Watch accused security forces of deliberately encircling and using lethal force against crowds in Yangon’s working class neighbourhood of Hlaing Tharyar that were demonstrating against the military’s February 1 seizure of power from the democratically elected…
With appeal court verdict looming, Malaysia’s Najib seeks entry of new 1MDB evidence ‘for justice to be done’
Malaysia’s former leader Najib Razak has sought to introduce fresh evidence in one of the criminal cases linking him to the 1MDB financial scandal, days before an appellate court was to rule on whether to uphold a guilty verdict that sentenced him to a 12-year jail term.The development ahead of the December 8 Court of Appeal ruling has raised questions among observers on whether Najib is seeking to delay the judgment amid a resurgence in his once-faded political clout.The former prime minister…
Meta considers appeal after CMA blocks Giphy purchase
Facebook parent company Meta is considering an appeal after the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ordered it to sell the animated images platform Giphy.
Philippine election: Bongbong Marcos slams ‘nuisance candidate’ who called him an impostor
Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jnr, the 64-year-old son of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, faces several petitions seeking to stop him from running to become the Philippines’ next president. One says he’s a convicted tax cheat, another that he’s morally unfit. But surely the most unusual charge is that he’s dead.That allegation was filed by a man who also has presidential aspirations. Tiburcio Villamor Marcos, who refers to himself as TVM, claims that Bongbong Marcos is an “impostor” and that…
Latest on R&D tax changes ‘reassuring’ to UK life sciences
Further details on new territoriality restrictions on the availability of research and development (R&D) tax reliefs provide some reassurance for the life sciences sector, a tax expert has said.
South China Sea: Beijing demanded Indonesia stop oil and natural gas drilling during stand-off
China told Indonesia to stop drilling for oil and natural gas in maritime territory that both countries regard as their own during a months-long stand-off in the South China Sea earlier this year, four people familiar with the matter told Reuters.The unprecedented demand, which has not previously been reported, elevated tensions over natural resources between the two countries in a volatile area of global strategic and economic importance.One letter from Chinese diplomats to Indonesia’s foreign…
Former Maldives president Abdulla Yameen walks free after corruption conviction overturned
The former president of the Maldives, Abdulla Yameen, was freed from house arrest on Tuesday after a top court overturned a money-laundering and embezzlement conviction, allowing him to potentially make a return to politics.Yameen was sentenced to five years in jail and fined US$5 million in 2019 for embezzling US$1 million in state funds, allegedly acquired through the lease of resort development rights, and laundering the proceeds. Because of Covid-19, his jail term was shifted to house…
Is Philippine senator’s sudden exit from presidential race all part of ‘wily’ Duterte’s plan?
A deal struck between Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and the Marcos family could be behind the sudden withdrawal of his loyal ally Senator Christopher “Bong” Go from the presidential race, politicians and analysts said on Tuesday.Go on Tuesday told reporters that he was exiting the race just 17 days after filing his candidacy for president, accompanied by Duterte himself.“I am withdrawing from the race,” Go said. “In the past few days, I realised my heart and my mind are contradicting my…
European scrutiny of non-compete and no-poach clauses grows
HR professionals across Europe should closely track developments in employment and competition law that could restrict their ability to enforce non-compete clauses in employment contracts and implement no-poach agreements with competitors in future.
HSE employers safe home working obligations
The British Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued updated guidance on working from home, underlining employers’ responsibilities to their staff outside the office.