Scotus ruling yesterday

Aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, 51, has agreed to examine a new rule on generating boarding passes. Aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has promised to look into the matter of airlines charging extra to provide a hard copy of boarding pass to passengers. Scindia agreed that airlines charging extra for generating a boarding pass was “ridiculous” when tagged in a complaint about low-cost airline SpiceJet. On Friday, a Twitter user complained about SpiceJet charging their customers for generating a boarding pass at the check-in counter. “New rule of SpiceJet. If you wish to get a boarding card at the check in counter, you need to pay extra. This is like telling a customer in a restaurant that if you want eat in a plate, you will be charged,” the user tweeted. This issue was brought to the aviation minister’s attention by a journalist who branded the rule “ridiculous.” "Agreed, will examine this asap!" Jyotiraditya Scindia promised. Agreed, will examine this … [Read more...] about Aviation minister Scindia to examine ‘ridiculous’ new airline rule

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline Michigan’s 1931 abortion ban cannot start being enforced again if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade in the coming weeks, a state judge ruled Tuesday, blocking one of nine state abortion bans from before Roe was decided that could soon take effect if the court overturns the landmark ruling as expected. Key Facts The Michigan Court of Claims issued a preliminary injunction that bars the state government from enforcing the ban as the litigation plays out, after Planned Parenthood sued the state in an effort to block the decades-old legislation. The law bans all abortions except to save the life of the mother, and classifies any abortions that are performed in violation of the ban as manslaughter. Judge Elizabeth L. Gleicher ruled there’s a “strong likelihood” Planned Parenthood would win the case as it moves forward, and the preliminary injunction should be granted to avoid the “irreparable … [Read more...] about Michigan Can’t Enforce Pre-Roe Abortion Ban If Roe V. Wade Is Overturned, Judge Rules

Sen. Bongbong Marcos Jr.NESTOR CORRALES/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO HISTORIANS, not politicians, should be the ones to make an objective assessment of the rule of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, according to his son, Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. The younger Marcos was commenting on President Aquino’s call for Filipinos to oppose his bid for the vice presidency and Mr. Aquino’s criticism of his father’s martial law regime. Mr. Aquino had scoffed at claims that the elder Marcos’ rule represented a “golden age” for the Philippines, pointing out that it was actually a “painful chapter” in the nation’s history, marked by human rights violations and the plunder of the country’s resources. “Let us leave history to the professors, to those who study the history of the Philippines. It is not our job. Our job is to look at what the people need at present,” Marcos said. But he also said he would not want martial law to be declared again. “Oh, God, no! Because if there’s … [Read more...] about Bongbong: Let historians, not politicians, judge Marcos rule

There's plenty of hustle and bustle a minute before 8am in Lumphini Park, the greenest area of Bangkok in Thailand. Hundreds of people go jogging beneath the fragrant frangipani trees, elderly ladies work on their Tai Chi, while another group is practising Zumba. But all stand still when the clock strikes the hour. People stop dead in their tracks as the national anthem sounds through the park. Joggers slow down, old men rise from their benches, in line with the rule. People in public places are meant to stand at attention when the Phleng Chat Thai anthem plays – twice a day, at 8am and 6pm. Only the large lizards who prowl the pavements and dart through the undergrowth can be seen scurrying about. This is their home too and they are unimpressed by the tradition that governs activity in the lakes and gardens of Lumphini Park. Locals are expected to stop whatever they are doing and stand still whenever the Thai national anthem is played. Newcomers to Thailand have much … [Read more...] about Rules, traditions and quirks in Thailand that Malaysians should know

The General Insurance Fund (GIF) has revised regulations to allow it to borrow more to increase liquidity in case the Office of the Insurance Commission (OIC) shuts down more insurance companies in the future, says permanent finance secretary Krisada Chinavicharana. He said the GIF has adequate funds now of 5 billion baht and can still service insurance claims for companies shuttered by the OIC following their failure to reimburse Covid-19 policy claims for their customers. A Finance Ministry source who requested anonymity said it is uncertain how much the GIF will borrow, but is expected to be around 10 billion baht. The OIC has vowed to tighten its supervision to restore public confidence in the industry, which has been hit by cash crunches during the prolonged pandemic. The non-life insurance industry has been heavily tested by a surge in lump-sum claims for Covid-19 pandemic insurance, threatening to bankrupt many local insurers. In 2021, two non-life insurance companies … [Read more...] about GIF rejigs borrowing rules for major liquidity boost

The Public Prosecutors Commission yesterday announced the outcome of a disciplinary probe against Nate Naksuk, former director-general of the Office of the Attorney General (OAG). Mr Nate was probed for his decision not to indict Red Bull energy drink scion, Vorayuth "Boss" Yoovidhya. Mr Vorayuth, who hit and killed a police officer while driving a Ferrari in 2012, fled the country and remains at large. The committee yesterday announced it would dismiss Mr Nate with his pension intact. The probe team originally ruled that Mr Nate deserved the harshest penalty of being dismissed without a pension. The investigation concluded Mr Nate was a highly experienced prosecutor, but made decisions and handled the case with gross negligence, severely damaging the authority. The decision involves the car speed in the case. Police investigators initially said Mr Vorayuth had driven his Ferrari at 177 kilometres per hour, but later reduced the estimated speed below 80kph. Mr Nate in 2020 … [Read more...] about Nate probe a let-down

On Wednesday, May 11, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a federal watchdog agency responsible for consumer protection in the financial services industry, finalized an enforcement action against debt-relief payment processors RAM Payment and Account Management Systems (AMS) as well as AMS’s co-founders, Gregory Winters and Stephen Chaya. The respondents have been accused of illegally collecting debt-relief fees, misleading borrowers about when said fees would be paid to debt-relief companies, sending illegal advance fees to debt-relief companies, and failing to return funds to consumers who cancelled their student loan debt-relief agreements. The CFPB has ordered RAM Payment, AMS, Winters, and Chaya to pay over $11 million in consumer redress and civil money penalties, in addition to banning AMS, Winters, and Chaya from the debt-relief payment processing and account maintenance industry. Key Takeaways The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has … [Read more...] about CFPB Orders Debt-Relief Payment Processors to Pay Over $11 Total Million Penalty

- A + A (May 18): Asian sponsors of blank-check firms are facing a tough market for initial public offerings wherever they turn, as a combination of increasing regulatory scrutiny and fading investor demand shutters the window for new listings from the US to Asia. In the past three months, at least six Asia-related special purpose acquisition companies seeking a combined $1.3 billion from US IPOs have been scrapped, according to data provider SPAC Research. Of 12 blank-check firms that have filed to go public in Hong Kong, only one has actually started trading. It’s a similar pattern in Singapore, where SPACs have stalled after three inaugural IPOs in January. “The global IPO market has obviously been very quiet so far this year,” Paul Uren, JPMorgan Chase and Co.’s Asia Pacific head of investment banking, said in an interview with Bloomberg TV. “What we need to see for that to change is lower volatility and investors with more of a risk-on mentality.” Asia was … [Read more...] about Asia’s SPAC Hopefuls Have Nowhere to Turn As IPO Market Shuts

Reuters filepix for illustration purpose only - A + A NEW YORK (May 18): The US is forcing Wall Street banks to embark on a systematic search through more than 100 personal mobile phones carried by top traders and dealmakers in the largest-ever probe into clandestine messaging on platforms such as WhatsApp. The Securities and Exchange Commission has been sending firms lists of key positions — in some cases pointing to around 30 people including heads of certain investment banking teams or trading desks — that are subject to the review, according to people with direct knowledge of the requests. Personnel in those roles are being ordered to hand over phones so devices can be examined by lawyers. The aim is to gauge how pervasively Wall Street professionals use unauthorized messaging platforms to chat with each other or clients as regulators decide which firms to punish, and how hard, for failing to preserve business-related messages sent via unapproved platforms. … [Read more...] about US pries into over 100 trader and banker phones in texting probe

- A + A (May 18): Asian sponsors of blank-check firms are facing a tough market for initial public offerings wherever they turn, as a combination of increasing regulatory scrutiny and fading investor demand shutters the window for new listings from the US to Asia. In the past three months, at least six Asia-related special purpose acquisition companies seeking a combined US$1.3 billion from US IPOs have been scrapped, according to data provider SPAC Research. Of 12 blank-check firms that have filed to go public in Hong Kong, only one has actually started trading. It’s a similar pattern in Singapore, where SPACs have stalled after three inaugural IPOs in January. “The global IPO market has obviously been very quiet so far this year,” Paul Uren, JPMorgan Chase and Co’s Asia Pacific head of investment banking, said in an interview with Bloomberg TV. “What we need to see for that to change is lower volatility and investors with more of a risk-on mentality.” Asia was … [Read more...] about Asia’s SPAC hopefuls have nowhere to turn as IPO market shuts