The trial of ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi will hear its first testimony in a junta court on Monday, more than four months after a military coup.Near daily protests have rocked Myanmar since the generals’ putsch removed her government in February, ending a 10-year experiment with democracy.The mass uprising has been met with a brutal military crackdown that has killed more than 850 people, according to a local monitoring group.The junta has brought an eclectic raft of charges against…
From cheap biryani to free beer, Indian stores offer Covid-19 deals for vaccinated customers
At a time Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy has emerged as a major stumbling block for India’s government, businesses hoping to give the country a boost are unveiling eclectic freebies ranging from free alcohol and food to gold nose pins and hand blenders.Facebook’s Covid-19 Symptom Survey puts the rate of India’s vaccine hesitancy – defined by the World Health Organization as a “delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccines despite availability of vaccination services” – as high as 28.7 per cent,…
Has the Filipino diaspora fuelled Jollibee’s international growth?
When Ireland-based Philippine migrant Ramon Borje and his daughter were on holiday in Italy in 2018, they broke away from their tour group in Rome to make a side trip to Milan, three hours away.The draw? A meal at Jollibee, a giant Philippine fast food chain known for its burgers, fried chicken and spaghetti. So beloved is the brand, time and distance are minor inconveniences to homesick overseas Filipinos.How the Philippines’ finest brands took over the world, from fast food to beerCalifornia…
Tombs from South Korea’s lost kingdoms of Gaya stand as a monument to human sacrifice
The clusters of cone-shaped burial mounds dotting the hills of Goryeong in South Korea have endured since the era of Gaya, the loosely knit federation of six or seven small kingdoms that prospered between the first and sixth centuries. They are also grisly reminders of the practice of human sacrifice. The South Korean government has lobbied for the mounds – or tumuli – which contain the remains of royalty and nobility, to be recognised as a World Heritage Site. “The designation of Gaya tombs…
MPs call for rethink of English planning law reform
Government plans to speed up and modernise the planning system in England require further thought, a cross-party committee of MPs has warned.
Land clearing for palm oil plantations jeopardises Indonesia’s climate commitments, harms rural communities: report
The clearing of natural forests for the expansion of palm oil plantations in Indonesia is putting its commitment to reducing emissions at risk, according to a new report, while also causing the loss of land and livelihoods among the country’s rural communities.While the Southeast Asian nation has made much progress in reducing forest fires since the great blazes of 1997-98, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) report points out that land grabs and the destruction of peatlands are continuing,…
Ireland to establish statutory sick pay scheme from 2022
The Irish government has approved plans to establish a statutory sick pay (SSP) scheme for employees, following consultation last year.
Damages ruling could undermine data breach class actions in the Netherlands
The conservative approach taken by the Dutch courts to awarding damages to individuals impacted when businesses experience a personal data breach could have a bearing on the prevalence of data breach class action claims brought in the Netherlands, an expert has said.
Hey TikTok, it’s been a year. Now it’s time to come back to Hong Kong
It’s been almost a year since I was on TikTok, the world’s most downloaded app, which has become the place to be seen and heard on the internet. The short-form video app, as those of you on it will know, is deeply addictive with its supply of choreographed dances, animal videos, and the occasionally clairvoyant, straight-to-camera wisdom offered by its mostly Gen Z and millennial users. Go deeper, and you will find yourself inundated with all sorts of viral challenges and trends. Perhaps you…
Data centres: Ireland moves to address electricity supply risk
An Irish regulator has warned that “rolling blackouts” could result if steps are not taken to address the rapid rise in demand for electricity arising from growth in the country’s data centres sector.