Asian Legal Review

Vietnam may soon become one of the first Southeast Asian countries to go 5G, with local telecoms firms racing to develop the country’s first nationwide network. But the cutting edge advancement is likely to come with one notable absentee: Chinese tech giant Huawei.The country’s biggest carrier, Viettel, announced on April 25 it had successfully tried out a 5G broadcast station in Hanoi with a speed of 600 to 700Mbps, reportedly on par with Verizon in the US. A full 5G network test is expected…

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has laid out its priorities for the coming year, with Brexit named as its most immediate focus.

A US$1.7 million diamond jewellery set, allegedly bought for the mother of fugitive Malaysian financier Low Jho, will be handed over to the US government, US prosecutors said in a court filing.Low, known as Jho Low, has been charged in Malaysia and the United States for his role in the suspected theft of about US$4.5 billion from state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).Low, whose whereabouts are unknown, has consistently denied wrongdoing.Explained: Malaysia’s 1MDB scandalIn 2017, the US…

As mysteries go, this was in a class of its own.One day in March 2009, Singapore’s most prominent women’s organisation held its annual general meeting, and everyone expected it to be uneventful. Not many members were expected to turn up, and a team had already agreed to form its new committee. It would be over quickly.Except that it did not go that way, that day. Just before the meeting began, a stream of strangers appeared and soon outnumbered the surprised Aware members present. The new faces…

An Australian court on Wednesday found a man guilty of plotting to blow up an Etihad Airways flight out of Sydney at the behest of the Islamic State militant group, by hiding a bomb in his brother’s luggage.Police had accused the man, Khaled Khayat, and another brother, Mahmoud Khayat, of planning two terrorist attacks that also included a chemical gas attack on the flight to Abu Dhabi in July 2017, police said.The third brother was unaware that he was carrying a bomb, disguised as a meat…

“Let me tell you something. In this society, there is no f*****g right or wrong. There are only the weak and the strong. That’s it. And you guys beat my brother, so I’m gonna beat you,” Kha Banh shouts at his opponents in one of his viral videos.As soon as the tirade finishes, he puts up a hand – signalling a bunch of his bat-wielding henchmen to launch forward and attack.The scene ends with Kha Banh triumphantly walking away from the fight with his rescued “brother” under his arm – a gambler…

The UK parliament took a step towards the establishment of a mandatory levy on gambling firms’ revenues when it supported the introduction of a bill put forward by a Conservative MP to review the case for a levy on the gross revenues of gambling firms.

The billionaire leader of the newest and most dynamic force in Thai politics says he is “prepared” for jail as legal cases besiege his youth-focused party just weeks after it scooped up millions of votes in a general election.Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the charismatic political newcomer whose radical agenda of social and economic reform captured millennial hearts and rattled the ruling junta, was expected to appear at the Election Commission on Tuesday to explain a disputed share transfer…

Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi made her first diplomatic visit to Cambodia this week, underscoring the similarities between two countries that find themselves increasingly isolated from the international community.According to the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Suu Kyi arrived in Cambodia on April 29, flying from Beijing where she and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen attended the second Belt and Road Forum.While the statement claimed the visit would strengthen cooperation…

The European Parliament has adopted an agreement which will remove the barriers to the cross-border distribution of investment funds sold under European directives.