Hong Kong, Indonesia move towards direct transactions in yuan, rupiah

The People’s Bank of China, Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and Bank Indonesia signed an agreement on Thursday to create a framework for bilateral transactions between Indonesia and Hong Kong.
The parties aimed to implement a currency transaction framework for the direct exchange and settlement of Indonesian rupiah and Chinese yuan in cross-border trade and investment activities among companies and institutions in Indonesia and Hong Kong, according to an HKMA statement.
This initiative was…

Thai woman detained after US diplomat found dead in Myanmar hotel

An American diplomat was found dead in Myanmar’s largest city, the US State Department said, and members of the diplomatic community in Yangon say a Thai woman has been detained by police in connection with the investigation.
American officials in Thailand and the US embassy in Myanmar referred questions on the case to the State Department, which confirmed the “death of a US government employee” assigned to the embassy in Yangon but gave no other details.
“Out of respect for the privacy of the…

South Africa Supreme Court reinforces strict time limits on arbitral award challenges

A recent ruling by the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa (SCA) has highlighted the importance of acting within the strict time limits for set aside relief after arbitration[AF1.1][TM1.2] by relying on the UNCITRAL [TM2.1]Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration, which has been incorporated into South African domestic law and given force of law by the International Arbitration Act 15 of 2017.