Asian Legal Review

Even as many in the region hail a free-trade deal between the European Union and Hanoi for opening up new economic possibilities, analysts say it is unlikely to be a silver bullet for Vietnam’s post-Covid-19 recovery.Chinese analysts also think it is unlikely the European Union Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), which was ratified on Tuesday, will result in a substantial number of foreign investors and manufacturers relocating from China to Vietnam.The deal will cut or eliminate 99 per cent…

When Metro Manila went into lockdown in mid-March, Rhea Muyargas, a medical technologist at one of the largest private hospitals in the Philippine capital, had to start walking to work.Public transport was halted and hundreds of frontline health care workers like Muyargas had no other option but to walk for hours in many cases, as few employers provided shuttle buses.But as the coronavirus pandemic has shown, the worst of times can sometimes bring out the best in people.When the plight of these…

Malaysian elder statesman Mahathir Mohamad, known for his own iconoclasm and strongman leadership during two stints as prime minister, believes the re-election of United States President Donald Trump in November would spell “disaster”.During a wide-ranging interview with This Week In Asia focused on his own country’s political turmoil, the 94-year-old former premier also dismissed the Trump administration’s claim that China should take responsibility for the coronavirus pandemic.Mahathir, who…

Malaysia’s economy has been battered by the coronavirus recession but according to former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad it is not all doom and gloom, provided the current government is willing to act.On the contrary, Mahathir told This Week In Asia he believed the country had a “good opportunity” to rebound sooner than its regional competitors because of its steady handling of the public health crisis and signs consumer demand is already stirring.“Recovery becomes very difficult because lots…

This year’s Azerbaijan, Singapore and Japanese Formula One Grands Prix have been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, organisers said on Friday.Formula One had already cancelled four other races, including the showcase Monaco Grand Prix in May, and published a revised and shortened provisional schedule due to start in Austria on July 5.“As a result of the ongoing challenges presented by Covid-19, we and our promoters in Azerbaijan, Singapore and Japan have taken the decision to cancel their…

Singapore is on track to lift more restrictions on companies and residents by the end of June, and expects practically the entire economy to reopen in that phase, according to a top minister.“With the start of phase two, we expect virtually the entire economy to be reopened – shops, F&B, dining, social interactions – but there will be limits on the number of people who can get together,” Lawrence Wong, minister for national development, told Bloomberg TV’s Haslinda Amin on Friday.Singapore is…

A Malaysian property developer that sold £20 million (US$25 million) worth of London property to Hong Kong buyers in May expects sales to rise further, citing a weak pound and the UK’s offer to grant up to 3 million Hongkongers the right to live and work in Britain.“It has been very encouraging for us in Hong Kong,” said Teow Leong Seng, President & CEO of Eco World International Berhad (EWI). “The present low sterling makes property prices in the UK very much more affordable for international…

Two suspected kidnappers who were allegedly involved in the abduction of Chinese workers in the northern Philippines were killed on Thursday in a shoot-out with police, officials said.A police officer was also wounded in the exchange of fire in Angeles City in Pampanga province, about 70 kilometres north of Manila, said Jonnel Estomo, director of the national police’s anti-kidnapping group.The shoot-out came when police came across a van that was reportedly involved in the kidnapping of three…

Naomi Osaka, the world’s highest-paid sportswoman, is adamant the voices of prominent athletes can be more influential than those of politicians and is determined that hers will be heard on the subject of racial injustice.The two-time Grand Slam champion faced a backlash on social media after throwing her support behind the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests in the wake of the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in police custody on May 25.The 22-year-old Osaka, who has Japanese…

High-profile Philippine journalist Maria Ressa says the libel charge that could see her jailed next week is a government ploy to intimidate all critical voices, but she refuses to be silenced and still holds out hope of winning.Ressa admitted being scared ahead of Monday’s verdict that could see her sentenced for up to 12 years, but also continued to speak defiantly.“I’ve been the cautionary tale: be quiet or you’re next … that’s part of the reason why I have been targeted,” said Ressa, 56, the…