Asian Legal Review

The regulatory remit of the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) could change once a new regulatory regime for UK investment firms takes effect, an expert has said.

A tantalising aroma of sizzling kebabs and freshly baked bread wafts from the hot clay ovens of the dozen or so eateries in what has been dubbed Little Afghanistan, a cluster of around 100 Afghan refugee families in the Lajpat Nagar neighbourhood of southern Delhi. Mutton simmers away in large vats while the local naanwais, or street bakers, do a brisk business selling doughy Afghan naans. In recent years, Little Afghanistan – also known as “Little Kabul”, has seen a proliferation of…

A 10-minute leaked video showing a group of Thai police officers allegedly manhandling a drug suspect by putting a plastic bag over his head to extort money from him has gone viral, sparking outrage on social media.Thailand’s police chief Pol Gen Suwat Jangyodsuk told reporters on Tuesday the force will build the case and press charges once ready.Suwat said a dozen officers were linked to the case and he had ordered all units to monitor border crossings to prevent the suspects from fleeing…

More than 160 banks and insurers in the Netherlands have been granted a licence to exchange details of individuals’ fraudulent behavior by the country’s data protection authority.

Asia’s robust economic recovery from last year’s coronavirus low is losing momentum as a surge in Covid-19 cases sees shops empty again and factories close, dimming prospects for corporate profit growth after a blockbuster half year.The rapid spread of the highly infectious Delta variant of the coronavirus and low vaccination rates have caught much of the region off guard, especially in emerging markets, even as economies in Europe and North America reopen.“It’s clear that economies across the…

Thailand on Tuesday decriminalised kratom, a tropical leaf long used as a herbal remedy but which some health regulators around the world have criticised as potentially unsafe.Kratom – scientific name Mitragyna speciosa – is part of the coffee family, used for centuries in Southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea for its pain-relieving and mildly stimulating effects.It has become increasingly popular in the United States, where the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned against its use,…

Mastercard is set to face class action proceedings in a UK trial where billions of pounds of damages are at stake after a tribunal said it is willing to grant a collective proceedings order (CPO) against it.

The US plan to use overseas military bases to accommodate evacuees from Afghanistan has divided opinion among South Korean politicians and prompted discussion about the strength and scale of the security ties between the two countries.South Korea hosts 28,500 US troops but Washington’s withdrawal from Afghanistan has led to calls for Seoul to regain operational control over its troops. The debate coincides with the visit of Washington’s special envoy for North Korea, who arrived in Seoul on…

Every week, Singapore health care worker Toh Lixin offers about 4,000 of her neighbours the chance to get discounts on items such as fruit tarts, bottled coffee and baby lobsters.Toh, 26, is the organiser of an informal network of consumers who use Telegram, WhatsApp and Instagram to organise group purchases. She started the group last October and usually gets around 50 weekly orders.Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Singaporeans like her have launched at least 20 group-buying…

Driving through South India, it is common to come across small eateries with boards outside saying ‘Tiffin ready’. In the region, tiffin means any light snack or finger foods eaten between breakfast and dinner. These include cutlets, idlis (rice dumplings), vadas, bajjis (vegetable fritters) dosas (crisp lentil crepes) or upma (a snack made from cream of wheat). The name tiffin has a complex history. It was derived from “tiffing”, an English term for having a little swig of diluted liquor. The…