A Sri Lanka court sentenced former police chief Pujith Jayasundara to death on Friday for failing to prevent the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, which killed 279 people including 45 foreigners.
In a majority decision, a three-judge bench ruled that the former inspector general had failed in his duties to stop the deadly attacks, blamed on a home-grown Islamist extremist group.
Jayasundara, 66, can appeal against his sentence in the Supreme Court.
Sri Lanka has not carried out the death sentence…
Cambodian jobseekers fear debt trap over Thailand’s border reinforcement
Vin Lors used to earn about US$20 a day working on construction sites in Bangkok, nearly twice what he now makes in Cambodia.
After the border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia broke out last July, the 37-year-old and his wife decided to return home to Siem Reap province, worried about their safety and concerned about workplace discrimination.
When he heard the government was helping returning migrant workers find jobs, Lors registered through his village chief.
“They registered my…
Ofgem targets ‘speculative’ data centre projects in bid to cut grid connection queue
Britain’s energy regulator plans to introduce a new fee and milestones to weed “non-viable” data centre projects” out of the queue for connection to the country’s electricity grid.
Hongkong Land acquires Singapore’s Wheelock Place in US$900m deal
Hongkong Land will acquire Singapore’s Wheelock Place for about S$1.1 billion (US$900 million) through its Singapore Central Private Real Estate Fund (SCPREF), marking the fund’s first acquisition since its launch in February.
The mixed-use commercial property on Orchard Road is being acquired from an entity owned by Hong Kong-listed Wharf Real Estate Investment Company, according to a statement released by Hongkong Land on Thursday. The transaction is expected to conclude by the end of…
Malaysia’s Anwar seizes on haj fund report ahead of Negeri Sembilan election
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has seized on the release of a long-delayed inquiry into the country’s Islamic pilgrimage fund to revive his anti-corruption message just days before the state of Negeri Sembilan holds an election.
The move is seen as a calculated bid by Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition to turn a governance issue against state rival Umno, although observers are divided on whether it would be damaging enough to hurt Malaysia’s oldest Malay nationalist party.
Anwar’s…
German employers should review preparedness for mass litigation
An increase in workforce restructuring, factory closures and collective redundancies across Germany is creating a new category of employment risk – large-scale and coordinated employment litigation, an expert has said.
India seeks new anti-AI deepfake law to counter ‘weapons of mass distortion’
India is planning a new law to combat AI deepfakes and impersonation scams amid a surge in cyber fraud and fake videos targeting top military officers.
The cases have deepened concerns over the potential for misinformation to sow discord in India during a geopolitical crisis, such as in the war against Pakistan last year.
The proposal aims to close a gap in India’s laws by clearly defining punishments concerning deepfakes and other related offences.
The changes would also cover “digital arrest”…
Malaysia clamps down on social media-fuelled hiking risks
Malaysia is tightening controls on high-risk hiking routes after officials linked a growing rescue burden to poor preparation, unauthorised trails and social media-driven summit attempts.
The push is aimed partly at curbing gruelling “compressed hikes”, in which climbers try to complete long or technically demanding routes within a single day, often combining an ascent and descent that would usually be spread over a longer period.
The Fire and Rescue Department recorded 52 cases involving 114…
French social media ban for under-15s faces constitutional test
Plans to prohibit social media companies from offering their services to under-15s in France have been challenged on constitutional grounds.