Asian Legal Review

Japan has effectively refused to issue visas for two Myanmar military-appointed diplomats the junta seeks to send to Tokyo in place of two it fired in March, according to Japanese government sources.Japan allowing the two replacements to be posted to the Myanmar embassy in Tokyo would be tantamount to recognising the February 1 military coup that ousted the country’s elected government under civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.Myanmar’s military has requested that Japan issue diplomatic visas for…

An Islamic State-linked woman arrived in New Zealand with her children on Saturday, local media reported, in a repatriation that was forced upon the country after Australia stripped her of her citizenship.Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced last month that Suhayra Aden, 26, and her two children would return to New Zealand from Turkey, where they were held by authorities after crossing the border from Syria.Suhayra, who previously had dual Australian and New Zealand passports, became the…

United States Vice-President Kamala Harris’ upcoming visits to Vietnam and Singapore will offer clues on how Washington plans to “get its game up” to match China’s dominant economic and trade status in Southeast Asia, analysts say.The choice of Singapore and Vietnam, both non-allies but key trading and strategic partners, speaks to the major role the Biden administration hopes the two countries will play in its Asia policy, according to the observers.Harris’ trip, her first to Southeast Asia…

The problems of food poverty, emissions from food waste and food price inflation, and compliance with food standards, could all be addressed through a new trust framework for sharing data from across the food system, a legal expert has said.

Germany’s Financial Supervisory Authority wants to prevent German fund products from being advertised as ‘sustainable’ or ‘ecological’ when they are not.

The High Court in London has sanctioned its first restructuring plan for both a mid-market business and a company in administration.

The Japanese government and organisers of the Tokyo Paralympics have cleared 140,000 students from the host city and three surrounding prefectures to attend events, leading to a wave of safety concerns in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.The number of new infections has shown little signs of slowing in Tokyo or nationwide. The increased strain on health care systems this week led to the death of a baby born prematurely to a woman who was isolating at home not far from Tokyo due to a…

The progress by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in Myanmar has not been as effective as hoped, Singapore’s foreign minister said in an interview.The United Nations and many countries have urged Asean, whose 10 members include Myanmar, to restore stability through diplomacy.“(The bloc is) not as effective or as quick as we would have hoped for. But this is a difficult situation,” Vivian Balakrishnan said.As Myanmar battles Covid-19, calls arise for aid without legitimising…

The publication of new sentencing guidelines for modern slavery offences should bring home to UK businesses the continued focus on modern slavery by law enforcement bodies, a legal expert has said.

A British man was sentenced to six weeks’ jail in Singapore for not wearing a mask and harassing police, officials confirmed Thursday.The city state, which has had comparatively mild Covid-19 outbreaks, has taken a tough line against people breaking virus rules, and there have been several cases of foreigners being punished.Benjamin Glynn was arrested after footage of him not wearing a mask on a train in May went viral.The 40-year-old subsequently harassed police sent to arrest him, and refused…