India has dominated the rankings of a new report on air pollution, with 22 out of the top 30 most polluted cities in the world located in the South Asian nation.The readings from 3,000 cities, analysed by Greenpeace and AirVisual, were measured against the World Health Organisation’s annual exposure guideline for PM2.5 fine particulate matter – tiny airborne particles, measuring about a 40th of the width of a strand of human hair, that are linked to a wide range of health problems.All the…
Explained: fake news in Asia
The term “fake news” became widespread after the 2016 US elections but it resonates widely in Asia.In several instances, social media rumours and hoaxes have contributed to the spread of ethnic tensions, violence and political confrontation.Some regional governments have started enacting “fake news laws” to tackle the problem but critics worry such legislation will be used to stifle freedom of speech.What is fake news and how does it affect Asia?According to PolitiFact, fake news is “made-up…
Brexit a factor in patents court reference to CJEU
The UK’s impending exit from the EU was a leading factor in a High Court judge’s recent decision to seek immediate clarity from the EU’s highest court on how to interpret EU intellectual property (IP) laws concerning supplementary protection certificates (SPCs).
Fed up with India’s high tariffs, Donald Trump says he plans to end its preferential trade treatment
US President Donald Trump said on Monday he intends to end India’s preferential trade treatment under a programme that allows US$5.6 billion worth of Indian exports to enter the United States duty free.Trump, who has vowed to reduce US trade deficits, has repeatedly called out India for its high tariffs.“After intensive engagement between the United States and the Government of India, I have determined that India has not assured the United States that it will provide equitable and reasonable…
For Christians in Indonesia, retail and religion are intertwined
The joyous congregation falls into a quiet hush as the music fades away. With an outstretched arm, the sharply suited pastor strides across the stage holding a microphone, giving thanks to God and calling for his presence to fill the hall.Almost in unison, the congregation around me, a significant portion of whom are young ethnic-Chinese Indonesians, raise their hands in fervent concentration to echo their pastor’s call. It is hard to tell if the waft of cold air descending upon our skins is…
Backing for GDPR-style penalties for consumer law breaches
EU law makers have endorsed plans to give regulators scope to issue GDPR-style fines against businesses that breach consumer law.
Duterte is the Putin of Asia. Maria Ressa is the proof
Every disruptive world leader fancies himself as a singularly authentic, historic figure without precedent. And Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is arguably one of the defining figures of our time, the ultimate face of populism in Asia.Yet even Duterte is not unique. If anything, his unvarnished style of governance draws heavily from a man he once described as his “favourite hero”: Vladimir Putin.The Russian president is arguably the forefather of 21st century authoritarian populism, where…
Indonesia’s online P2P loan sharks are driving people to suicide
INdonesia’S President Joko Widodo could not resist spouting jargon as he talked up the Southeast Asian country’s technological prowess during a recent election campaign debate, while his opponent Prabowo Subianto appeared startled by the tech-heavy question tossed at them.Widodo was optimistic that Indonesia would embrace the digital revolution sweeping across all industries and said even farmers were benefiting from technological change.In particular, more farmers were receiving micro…
China tries to forget, but its war with Vietnam ended with a US victory. Just look at Trump
The 40th anniversary of the Sino-Vietnamese War went unnoticed in China, as no commemorative activities were allowed in the country – not even any Vietnam-related posts on social media.But this was not the case in Vietnam, as state-run media and newspapers published in-depth features and critical commentaries recalling the fierce fight from February 17 to March 16, 1979. An editorial in The Voice of Vietnam, a Communist Party mouthpiece, called the war a “righteous … struggle to defend the…
Domestic worker in Hong Kong fired after employer found out she has cervical cancer
Less than a month after Baby Jane Allas, 38, was diagnosed with cervical cancer, she received more bad news.On February 17, while she was on paid medical leave prescribed by a government doctor, Allas was given a dismissal letter. Her employers were terminating her contract because of her illness.Still shaken by the diagnosis and her unemployment, Allas said: “I feel so upset … My main concern is: how am I going to get medical care and the meds I need?”Foreign domestic workers who are fired…