A Malaysian artist and prominent opposition activist was jailed for a month on Tuesday for publishing a caricature of Prime Minister Najib Razak looking like a clown, a ruling likely to exacerbate concern about free speech.Southeast Asia’s third-largest economy recently announced plans to amend a law to stamp out fake news, the latest step to broaden enforcement powers and penalties against online posts or content deemed detrimental to public order and security.Artist Fahmi Reza was found guilty under a communications law for spreading online content deemed “obscene, indecent, false, menacing or offensive in character with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass another person”.Fahmi was also fined 30,000 ringgit ($7,700). His lawyer, Syahredzan Johan, said the judge did not give any grounds for the ruling.“We are appealing the decision,” Syahredzan said, adding that they will post a 10,000 ringgit bond to release Fahmi from custody pending the … [Read more...] about Malaysian court jails, fines artist RM30,000 for clown caricature of PM
Courts
Court rules against S$17.5m collective sale of Beauty World Food Centre
[SINGAPORE] A potential S$17.5 million collective sale of the Beauty World Food Centre has been stalled, after the High Court on Tuesday declined to give three of its trustees the power to go ahead with the deal.In a decision delivered in chambers, the court said the price may not be the best available because the option to purchase was granted to the interested buyer before a valuation was made.However, this does not preclude the trustees from going back to court to ask for the power for another collective sale, their lawyer, Mr Jimmy Yap, told The Straits Times on Tuesday.Mr Yap said he will be discussing the options with his clients.The food centre, which occupies the fourth floor of the strata-titled Beauty World Centre in Bukit Timah, comprises 41 food stalls but the title of the property is contained in a single strata certificate.In 2016, a potential buyer expressed interest to purchase the centre, built in the 1980s, for S$17.5 million.The potential buyer paid an option fee of … [Read more...] about Court rules against S$17.5m collective sale of Beauty World Food Centre
German court could open way to bans on diesel cars
[FRANKFURT] One of Germany's top courts will decide Thursday whether some diesel vehicles can be banned from parts of cities like Stuttgart and Duesseldorf to reduce air pollution, a possible landmark judgement for the "car nation".Eyes have turned to the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig after years of failure by federal, state and local governments to slash harmful emissions.Fine particle pollution and nitrogen oxides (NOx) contribute to as many as 400,000 premature deaths from respiratory and cardiovascular disease per year in the European Union.That has brought Germany and other air quality sinners like France or Italy into the European Commission's sights for possible legal action.Some 70 cities in Europe's most populous nation suffered from average annual nitrogen dioxide levels above EU thresholds last year, with Munich, Stuttgart and Cologne the worst offenders."The air is bad here, you cough and you get a scratchy throat, especially in winter," clean air campaigner Peter … [Read more...] about German court could open way to bans on diesel cars
Head bowed, Florida shooting suspect returns to court for hearing
FORT LAUDERDALE – A former student accused of last week’s deadly shooting at a Florida high school returned to court for a hearing on Monday (Feb 19) in a case that has galvanized advocates of stricter gun control, including many of the rampage survivors.Nikolas Cruz, his head bowed, hands shackled at his waist and wearing a red, jail-issued jumpsuit, showed no emotion during the procedural session in Fort Lauderdale.The hearing ended with Broward Circuit Court Judge Elizabeth Scherer ruling that a defense motion filed last week remain sealed from public view. The content of the motion, sealed by another judge, was not described in the hearing.In a second hearing, Broward Circuit Court Judge Charles Greene ordered the release of parts of a mental health assessment of Cruz by the Florida Department of Children and Families in November 2016. The report has already been leaked to South Florida’s Sun Sentinel newspaper.Cruz, who did not attend the second hearing, is … [Read more...] about Head bowed, Florida shooting suspect returns to court for hearing
Emas, subsidiaries obtain High Court’s approval to convene creditors’ meeting
EMAS Offshore, together with its wholly owned subsidiaries Emas Offshore Pte Ltd and Emas Offshores Services, successfully obtained on Feb 15 the High Court's leave to convene their respective creditors' meeting to consider the scheme of arrangement being proposed to their creditors.This is with the support of the group's principal bank lenders for the group's restructuring plan based on the BTI Term Sheet, Emas said. In addition, the court has extended the moratoriums restraining proceedings or enforcement by creditors against the companies until June 30 this year or further.Emas had entered into a revised term sheet in December with BT Investment (BTI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Baker Technology. In September, BTI was named as one of two investors to have pledged a combined US$50 million equity injection.In a filing to the Singapore Exchange on Thursday night, Emas said: "The restructuring group is hopeful that having obtained the court's leave to convene the creditors' meeting … [Read more...] about Emas, subsidiaries obtain High Court’s approval to convene creditors’ meeting