More than two people were killed every week on average this year defending their right to land and resources, with the Philippines recording the highest number of casualties amid a government crackdown on rural communities, a rights group said.
In the fight for land and the environment, communities around the world are locked in deadly struggles against governments, companies and criminal gangs exploiting land for products including timber, minerals and palm oil.
At least 116 people were killed…
Tillerson urges China, Russia to do more to halt North Korean nuclear threat
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called on China and Russia to take more measures aimed at halting North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme and said the US will not negotiate with the country until Pyongyang stops “threatening behaviours”. “A sustained cessation of North Korea’s threatening behaviours must occur before talks can begin,” Tillerson said at a United Nations Security Council meeting to discuss the country’s nuclear weapons programme…
UK Electronic Communications Code to become law on 28 December
A new Electronic Communications Code setting out rights and obligations regarding the deployment and maintenance of mobile phone masts and other telecoms infrastructure will become law in the UK on 28 December.
Bet365 wins trade mark ruling before EU court
The EU’s Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) made errors in law when it determined that Bet365’s name did not qualify for trade mark protection, the EU’s General Court has ruled.
Jail terms handed to Myanmar family whose abuse of teenage servants shone spotlight on scourge of child labour
The owners of a Myanmar tailor shop were sentenced to more than a decade in prison on Friday for the horrific abuse of two young domestic workers, a case that gripped the nation and fixed a spotlight on its dismal record on child labour.
The court heard how San Kay Khine and Thazin, now 18 and 17 respectively, were regularly beaten, cut with knives and deprived of sleep and food by their employers in the Yangon tailor shop.
Judges sentenced the store’s owner Tin Thu Zar, 58, and her…
Court of Appeal dismisses challenges to accelerated payment notices
The Court of Appeal has dismissed two challenges to the issue by the UK’s HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) of notices requiring the payment of disputed tax upfront. The Court dismissed the taxpayers’ appeals against two High Court decisions rejecting judicial review challenges to the issue of accelerated payment notices (APNs) and partner payment notices (PPNs).
Law reform body seeks to update defamation laws in Scotland
Defamation laws in Scotland would become more closely aligned with those in England and Wales under proposals from the Scottish Law Commission.
No Weinsteins allowed: Bollywood puts mogul on notice over sexual harassment of women
India has issued a rare diktat to its powerful movie moguls, reminding Bollywood to keep women safe from the sort of sex abuse allegations poisoning the US film industry.
India’s minister for women and child welfare Maneka Gandhi wrote to major production houses on Wednesday, asking them to comply with the Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act, which stipulates a series of processes to protect women at work.
“Bollywood filmmakers are ethically and legally accountable for the safety of…
US pressing Thailand to downgrade its ties with North Korea as part of regional push to isolate Kim regime
The US has urged Thailand to downgrade diplomatic and trade ties with North Korea, a senior Thai official said on Thursday after meeting with an American envoy, as the Trump administration pushes ahead with a global campaign to further isolate the nuclear-armed pariah state.
General Wanlop Rugsanoah, secretary general of Thailand’s National Security Council, said the request was made during his meeting with US special envoy for North Korea Joseph Yun, who arrived in Bangkok on Wednesday…
PSD2: new security guidelines for businesses in the payments market finalised
Businesses involved in the payment services market will be required to have the security measures they put in place audited, under new guidelines set out by the European Banking Authority (EBA).