ANALYSIS: The eye-watering increase in claims recorded by the latest employment tribunal statistics provides confirmation that the now-abolished fee regime deterred the bringing of thousands of cases.
Six men sentenced to death for family massacre in Thailand
Six men were sentenced to death on Wednesday for the massacre of a Thai village headman and seven members of his family, including three children, over a land dispute.
The execution-style murders, which caused widespread public horror, saw the masked gunmen storm into the local leader’s compound in the southern province of Krabi in July 2017 and take his family hostage with handcuffs and blindfolds.
They held the group for several hours while waiting for village chief Worayuth Sanlang to…
‘Biggest ever seizure’: Bangladesh reports meth boom during Rohingya crisis
Bangladesh security forces have seized nearly 9 million methamphetamine pills in less than three months as a massive influx of Rohingya refugees brings increased smuggling from Myanmar, officials said on Tuesday.
Increased raids on fishing boats on the Naf river, which divides the neighbours, have reaped the massive haul of yaba pills which are snapped up by Bangladesh youth.
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) troops in the border town of Teknaf have seized some 5.16 million of the caffeine-laced…
UK information commissioner advocates new FOI audit powers
The UK’s information commissioner has said she would welcome new powers to select public bodies to audit for compliance with freedom of information (FOI) laws.
‘No negotiation with traitors’: Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen refuses to talk to opposition leaders to resolve stalemate
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen reiterated on Tuesday he will not negotiate with opposition leaders such as Sam Rainsy, former leader of the now-defunct Cambodia National Rescue Party.
Speaking at a graduation ceremony in the capital Phnom Penh, Hun Sen said: “There will be no negotiation with traitors and neither will there be a pardon for the traitors.”
He added that despite the forced dissolution last year of the CNRP, the general election set to be held on July 29 will go ahead…
Post-Brexit licensing options in Ireland for UK asset managers
Ireland is an attractive location for UK asset managers seeking to retain EU passporting rights post-Brexit given ease of access and communication, time zone and workforce considerations.
Rights groups have become ‘unwitting tools of drug lords’ seeking to undermine Rodrigo Duterte’s crackdown, according to his spokesman
Some rights groups may have become “unwitting tools” of drug lords in the Philippines to undermine the president, his spokesman said on Monday, a statement that Human Rights Watch said was “shameful” and risked provoking violence.
Rights groups have denounced President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs in which thousands of people have been killed, either by police or by shadowy, unidentified gunmen.
Duterte, who says he must be tough to protect the people from…
Media on notice as Malaysia proposes 10 years jail for publishers of ‘fake news’
Malaysia’s government on Monday proposed new legislation to outlaw fake news with a 10-year jail term for offenders, a move slammed by critics as a draconian bid to crack down on dissent ahead of a general election.
Prime Minister Najib Razak has been dogged by a multibillion-dollar corruption scandal involving an indebted state fund, and rights activists fear the new law could be used to criminalise reports on government misconduct and critical opinions.
A general election must be held…
Why Marcos the dictator still inspires pride in the Philippines
“Here in Ilocos, there’s nothing more important than ensuring your children receive a good education.”
Giving children a better future has become a lifelong vocation for Joy Fernandez, a 35-year-old elementary teacher from Laoag in Ilocos Norte, the Philippines.
When she’s not teaching during school hours, the lively educator is either tutoring kids or coaching them for mathematics competitions. The rest of her spare time is dedicated to taking care of her four children…
Crackdown on Bangkok party scene sparks concerns for ‘a boring city’ as military seeks to salvage legacy
Thailand’s military government is crushing the spirit of Bangkok’s nightlife amid an intensifying crackdown that is forcing many bars and clubs to close early or indefinitely. With an election tentatively set for February 2019, the campaign appears to be a last-ditch attempt by the embattled government to impose social order and salvage its legacy.
Since the army swept to power in a bloodless coup in 2014, it has intermittently enforced curfews and arcane regulations to rein in the…