2025-03-28: Financial Infrastructure Failure in India
23 Categories of Risk Issues and Events From Across Asia
Accidents
▪️ Singapore: Workplace deaths in Singapore rose from 36 in 2023 to 43 in 2024, a 19 percent increase, with nearly half occurring in the construction sector.
▪️ South Korea: Three elderly residents died during the evacuation of a nursing home in Yeongdeok County, North Gyeongsang, on March 26, 2025, when their vehicle ignited amid wildfires raging through southeastern Korea.
▪️ South Korea: A firefighting helicopter crashed during wildfire containment operations in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province, killing the pilot.
▪️ Japan: The National Police Agency reported that from 2020 to 2024, the highest number of pedestrian deaths and injuries occurred among 7-year-olds, totaling 3,436 incidents.
▪️ India: At least two individuals are feared dead after the top four floors of a six-storey building under construction in Bhadrachalam, Telangana, collapsed on Wednesday.
▪️ Vietnam: On March 27, 2025, three students drowned in two separate incidents in Quang Tri province.
▪️ South Korea: Four people died in a car crash on the Seohaean Expressway in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, early Thursday.
▪️ China: An AirAsia flight, AK128, returning from Kuala Lumpur to China, was forced to turn back shortly after takeoff due to an engine fire caused by a burst pneumatic duct.
Climate Change
▪️ China: China has expanded its national carbon emissions trading market to include the steel, cement, and aluminum smelting industries, targeting three major pollution sources.
▪️ China: The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2025 will be held from March 25 to 28 in Hainan Province, China, with a focus on climate change and the green transition.
Communal and Religious Strife
▪️ India: An Indian rights group, the Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG), has urged the United Nations to take action against Mohammed Yunus, the Chief Advisor of Bangladesh, for downplaying attacks on religious minorities.
▪️ Japan: The dissolution order against the Unification Church has raised hopes for victims, but experts warn it may not lead to adequate compensation.
▪️ India: Rajya Sabha MP Ramji Lal Suman's residence in Agra was attacked by Karni Sena members following his controversial remarks about Rana Sanga in Parliament.
Corporate Corruption or Fraud
▪️ Vietnam: Thang Long Thermal Power Joint Stock Company corrected its 2023 financial report to the Hanoi Stock Exchange, revealing a loss of over 528 billion VND instead of a previously reported profit of over 500 billion VND.
▪️ Japan: Former judge Soichiro Sato was found guilty of insider trading by the Tokyo District Court after accessing confidential information during his tenure at the Financial Services Agency.
▪️ China: China's Supreme People's Procuratorate has arrested Sun Yuning, the former deputy head of the General Administration of Customs, on bribery charges.
▪️ India: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached properties worth 557.49 crore in the Amtek Auto Limited case, also involving companies like ARG Limited and ACIL Limited, along with promoter Arvind Dham.
▪️ India: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is investigating insider trading allegations involving senior officials at IndusInd Bank.
Crime
▪️ India: Chennai police captured a three-member gang from Uttar Pradesh linked to multiple chain snatching incidents in Besant Nagar and Adyar.
▪️ Indonesia: A member of the Indonesian Navy is implicated in the murder of journalist Juwita in Banjarbaru City, South Kalimantan.
▪️ Thailand: A British executive, Nicholas Weir, died after a confrontation with bouncers at a Bangkok karaoke bar early Monday.
▪️ Vietnam: The Drug Crime Investigation Department (C04) of Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security has dismantled a major illegal drug production ring, seizing 1.4 tons of high-purity ketamine and nearly 80 tons of chemicals.
▪️ Indonesia: Police in Central Jakarta have arrested a woman named SR for mixing narcotics with an e-cigarette method, while also pursuing CAI, the suspected mastermind of the drug operation.
Critical Infrastructure Failure
▪️ India: The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in India faced a nationwide outage on Wednesday morning due to technical issues, leading to a decline in transactions and user frustrations expressed on social media, especially on platform X.
▪️ Japan: Forest fires in Minami-ku, Okayama City, and Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture, remain out of control as of the night of March 26, 2025, with flames approaching power lines in Imabari City and threatening outages for up to 76,000 homes.
Cyber Attacks and Data Loss
▪️ India: The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDA) has mandated all insurers to implement procedures for onboarding forensic auditors, aiming to improve readiness for potential cyber incidents that threaten digital operations.
▪️ Malaysia: A cyberattack on Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on 23 March disrupted operations for 10 hours, affecting thousands of passengers.
Epidemics and Pandemics
▪️ Taiwan: As of March 26, 2025, Taiwan's CDC has confirmed 9 cases of scrub typhus, primarily in Taitung and Hualien, with 3 cases reported in each area.
▪️ Vietnam: Quang Ngai province is ramping up vaccination efforts for children in response to a measles outbreak.
▪️ Japan: Infectious gastroenteritis cases in Japan have surged to a decade-high mid-March, with 34,609 cases reported in the week ending March 16, according to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.
Extreme Weather Events
▪️ South Korea: A massive wildfire in Uiseong-gun, North Gyeongsang Province, has left 26 people dead and caused widespread destruction across South Korea's southeastern region, burning over 36,000 hectares.
▪️ South Korea: Wind-driven wildfires in southern South Korea have caused extensive damage, resulting in 24 fatalities and the evacuation of about 27,000 residents.
▪️ Japan: Wildfires in Okayama have reached their fifth day, burning 559 hectares and becoming the largest in the region's history, with at least 15 buildings destroyed.
▪️ India: The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted that Northwest India will experience 10-12 heatwave days this summer, double the usual count.
Geopolitical Conflict and Disputes
▪️ China: The US intelligence community has released its 31-page Annual Threat Assessment, highlighting China as the primary military and cyber threat to the US.
▪️ India: India and China are working to restore their relationship after the 2020 Galwan valley clashes, though several issues remain unresolved.
▪️ South Korea: North Korea has reportedly sent around 3,000 additional troops to Russia in January and February 2025 to support its military campaign in Ukraine.
▪️ Taiwan: Taiwan's government has implemented a food distribution strategy featuring 143 stations nationwide to prepare for emergencies, particularly a potential invasion by China.
▪️ China: Pakistani and Chinese officials are discussing enhanced security measures for Chinese nationals working in Pakistan, emphasized by Islamabad's ambassador to Beijing, Khalil Hashmi.
▪️ India: Diplomatic talks between India and China underscored the need for effective border management and potential resumption of cross-border cooperation, particularly regarding the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra.
▪️ China: A spokesperson from the Chinese Embassy in Japan responded to Japanese media reports about a potential visit by Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen.
▪️ India: The United States is confronting heightened security challenges as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea strengthen their alliances, shifting global power dynamics.
▪️ China: A spokesperson for the Chinese mainland, Chen Binhua, warned that efforts to decouple Taiwan's economy from that of the mainland would harm Taiwan's industries.
IP Protection
▪️ South Korea: The Korea Musical Production Association, led by Chairman Shin Chun-soo, has partnered with Deoksu Law Firm, headed by CEO Kim Hyung-tae, to enhance copyright protection in the Korean musical industry.
Man-made Environmental Disasters
▪️ Indonesia: One person has died and two are missing after a collapse at a nickel waste disposal site in Morowali Regency, Central Sulawesi.
North Korea
▪️ South Korea: The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has adopted the final report on North Korea's fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR), released on March 26, 2025.
▪️ South Korea: Chairman Kim Jong-un inspectedunmanned reconnaissance and suicide attack drones under development on March 25 and 26, as reported on March 27, 2025.
▪️ South Korea: North Korea is likely gearing up for another nuclear test to bolster its negotiating position, as indicated by US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
▪️ South Korea: North Korea unveiled its airborne early warning and control aircraft, featuring Kim Jong-un on board.
Political Scandal or Corruption
▪️ South Korea: The Seoul High Court has acquitted Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung of all charges related to misleading statements made during his 2021 presidential campaign, overturning a previous one-year suspended prison sentence for breaching the Public Official Election Act.
▪️ Japan: Hyogo Governor Saito Motohiko held a press conference on March 26, 2025, acknowledging ten instances of power harassment but rejecting the allegations as "highly defamatory."
▪️ India: Jairam Ramesh, the Congress chief whip in the Rajya Sabha, has filed a notice for breach of privilegeagainst Union Home Minister Amit Shah over derogatory remarks made during a discussion on the Disaster Management Bill.
▪️ India: Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has criticized recent CBI raids at his Raipur residence as illegal and politically motivated by the BJP.
Pollution
▪️ Japan: Yellow dust from mainland Asia is forecasted to affect large areas of Japan until March 26, 2025, raising health concerns for conditions like hay fever and asthma.
▪️ Vietnam: On March 26, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha convened with Hanoi officials to tackle the city's worsening air pollution.
▪️ Vietnam: Can Tho City is facing a severe waste management crisis due to inadequate treatment facilities, leading to a backlog of rubbish.
Privacy
▪️ Vietnam: To detect if your personal information has been misused for a ghost company, watch for warning signs such as unexpected letters from tax authorities or banks, unusual transactions in your accounts, and unexplained loan rejections.
▪️ India: Private data of key security advisors to former US President Donald Trump, including cell phone numbers, email addresses, and passwords, is reportedly accessible online.
Protest, Demonstration, Dissent
▪️ Japan: On March 26, 2025, high school students from Tokyo and Hiroshima submitted 22,465 signatures to Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, urging the government to ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
▪️ Taiwan: A group of 75 Taiwanese academics has protested the government's revocation of residency for Liu Zhenya, a China-born influencer known as Yaya, arguing it violates civil liberties.
▪️ Indonesia: Jakarta saw a major demonstration on March 27, 2025, protesting the TNI Law.
▪️ India: Lalu Prasad, chief of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and his son Tejashwi Yadav led a protest in Patna against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, organized by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB).
▪️ South Korea: Police allowed anti-Yoon protesters to advance with a tractor in downtown Seoul after an 18‑hour standoff.
▪️ Malaysia: The Resource Centre for Community Development and Housing (REACH) opposes the Urban Renewal Act (URA) set for parliamentary discussion, arguing that urban renewal can be achieved without it.
Regulation
▪️ Japan: Hokkaido Electric Power Company President Susumu Saito announced on March 26 that the restart of Tomari Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 is expected as early as 2027, coinciding with the nearing completion of the Nuclear Regulation Authority's review.
▪️ Vietnam: A new 25% import tax on foreign-made cars and light trucks will take effect on April 2, with collections beginning the following day.
▪️ Indonesia: Deputy Chairman of the MPR, Eddy Soeparno, met with Iman Rachman, President Director of PT Bursa Efek Indonesia (BEI) and the Indonesian Carbon Exchange on March 25, 2025, to enhance carbon trading regulations in Indonesia.
▪️ Taiwan: Financial Supervisory Commission Chairman Peng Jinlong announced the implementation of the Financial Consumer Protection Act to regulate financial leasing companies in three stages, set for rollout by the end of August.
▪️ China: The Party Central Committee has launched a comprehensive campaign to implement the eight central regulations aimed at strengthening Party building.
▪️ China: The State Administration for Market Regulation has launched the "Food Labeling Supervision and Management Measures" to enhance food labeling standards and address consumer complaints about unclear production dates and shelf life information.
Regulatory Enforcement Actions
▪️ Taiwan: The Ministry of Economic Affairs' Investment Review Bureau is investigating Digital Cloud, a subsidiary of China Inspur Group, due to its recent listing on the US trade blacklist.
▪️ India: The Telangana government is forming a special investigation team (SIT) to tackle the growing issues surrounding mobile betting apps, online rummy, and digital betting games.
▪️ South Korea: The Financial Services Commission (FSC) of South Korea is reviewing private equity fund (PEF) regulations due to concerns over MBK Partners and its management of Homeplus.
▪️ India: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has fined HDFC Bank Rs 75 lakh for non‑compliance with its Know Your Customer (KYC) master direction.
Shifting Geopolitical Alliances
▪️ China: The United States has maintained a strong military presence in the South China Sea throughout 2024, intensifying its operations against China.
▪️ China: The United States has added six subsidiaries of Inspur Group to its export restriction list due to their involvement in developing supercomputers for the Chinese military.
▪️ Not Assigned: Commercial flights over the Tasman Sea were recently diverted due to a warning from the Chinese navy regarding live‑fire exercises.
Strikes and Work Stoppages
▪️ South Korea: Hyundai Steel's labor union initiated a full‑scale strike on March 26 after failing to reach an agreement in ongoing wage negotiations since September.
Supply Chain Issues
▪️ South Korea: Chinese companies brace for US reciprocal tariffs set to take effect on April 2, following recent tariffs on steel and aluminum.
▪️ China: The United States has added approximately 80 Chinese entities, including the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence and subsidiaries of Inspur Co Ltd, to its export control Entity List, raising concerns about disruptions in global industrial and supply chains.
Terrorism
▪️ South Korea: The National Intelligence Service (NIS) of South Korea has warned of potential terrorist threats during the Asia‑Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, set for late October to early November.
▪️ India: The Delhi High Court has permitted Jammu and Kashmir MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh, also known as Engineer Rashid, to attend Parliament proceedings under police escort while in custody from March 26 to April 4.
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