A group of Thai rappers has touched a nerve with an impassioned and now-viral music video in which they drop fiery rhymes about the ruling junta. Police are considering filing charges against the lyricists.
The generals that toppled Thailand’s government in 2014 have kept a tight lid on dissent but creative criticism through music and arts has been harder to control, although its effect has been minimal. The song Prathet Ku Mee (Which is My Country), uploaded to YouTube on October 22,…
One month on, Indonesia’s quake and tsunami struck city faces major health crisis
Indonesia’s quake and tsunami battered city of Palu is facing a public health crisis a month after the disaster, aid agencies have warned.
On September 28, a magnitude 7.5 quake and followed by a tsunami razed parts of Palu on Sulawesi island, killing some 2,200 people and making more than 220,000 homeless.
Thousands more are missing, presumed dead, after entire neighbourhoods were destroyed. Desperate to stave off disease, authorities last week dropped disinfectant from helicopters on…
Businesses less prepared for Brexit than in early 2018
Business leaders have lost confidence in their company’s preparedness for Brexit, according to the results of a new survey conducted on behalf of international law firm Pinsent Masons.
Pensions trustees must address GMP inequality, court rules
Pension trustees have a legal obligation to address gender-based guaranteed minimum pensions (GMPs) inequalities for contracted-out workers, the High Court has ruled.
Japan rejects UN call to stop women, children from returning to Fukushima
Japan’s government on Friday rejected calls from a United Nations rights expert to halt the return of women and children to areas affected by the Fukushima nuclear disaster over radiation fears.
UN special rapporteur Baskut Tuncak on Thursday warned that people felt they were “being forced to return to areas that are unsafe, including those with radiation levels above what the government previously considered safe”.
In the wake of the Fukushima disaster, Japan’s…
Philippines reopens Boracay to tourists, with a focus on China, but closes door on casino
The Philippines is considering halving the time for Chinese tourists to get visas to five days, as it set a 10.8 per cent growth target for foreign visitors next year following the reopening of Boracay after a massive six-month clean-up.
But even as the island banks on tourism, tourism secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat made it clear Macau-based Galaxy Entertainment Group would not be allowed to build a casino on the island to woo visitors.
“No casino in Boracay. It’s not going to…
UK minister confirms pensions dashboard project still live
The UK government remains committed to delivering a pensions dashboard and has not scrapped the project, the pensions minister has confirmed.
NEC4 Alliance Contract: the basics
The NEC4 Alliance Contract was published in June 2018. The much-anticipated new standard form contract allows parties to construction projects to more closely collaborate and equally share in that project’s risks and rewards.
Saudi truth on Khashoggi killing the key to stability
The silencing of a critic of a Middle Eastern government would not usually grab international attention. But Jamal Khashoggi was a prominent journalist from Saudi Arabia and his murder at his country’s consulate in the Turkish city of Istanbul was repugnant and raises questions about regional stability and promised Saudi reforms. Pressure on Riyadh to provide an account of what happened have not been convincing in the face of alleged evidence presented and leaked by Turkey. Despite all…
Draft IFC guidelines target ‘impactful’ institutional investment
ANALYSIS: World Bank subsidiary the International Finance Corporation (IFC) has published a set of draft principles for impact investment, designed to make it easier for international investors to contribute to sustainable development.