USA

Asia’s garment workers say COVID-19 used as cover to smash unions
3Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments
Asia, USA, World

Asia’s garment workers say COVID-19 used as cover to smash unions

BANGKOK: From factory floors in India to the warehouses of Cambodia, garment workers for global brands say the collapse in demand triggered by COVID-19 is being used as a cover to break their unions. The crippling effect of the pandemic has seen orders worth billions of dollars cancelled across manufacturing hubs in China, Bangladesh, India, Cambodia and Myanmar. That has left hundreds of thousands out of work in some of Asia's poorest countries. But workers allege the financial turmoil has also provided an opportunity for bosses to target troublesome shop floors where unions have pressed for higher wages and better conditions. In southern India's Karnataka state - home to 20 per cent of India's massive garment manufacturing sector - union leader Padma has sat every day cross-legge...
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Frenchman facing death in Indonesia for molesting hundreds of kids
1Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments
USA, World

Frenchman facing death in Indonesia for molesting hundreds of kids

JAKARTA: A French retiree could face the death penalty in Indonesia on charges that he molested over 300 children and beat those who refused to have sex with him, authorities said on Thursday (Jul 9). Police said they nabbed Francois Camille Abello, 65, last month at a hotel in Indonesia's capital Jakarta, where they found two underaged girls in his room. Abello could face life in prison or even execution by firing squad if he is convicted on a raft of charges under Indonesia's child protection laws, including accusations that he filmed the illicit encounters. Police said they had found videos on Abello's laptop computer that showed him engaging in illegal sex acts with hundreds of children aged between 10 and 17. The pensioner had entered the Southeast Asian nation on a tourist vi...
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5G is accelerating factory automation that could add trillions to the global economy
30Jul By Desk TeamNo Comments
USA, World

5G is accelerating factory automation that could add trillions to the global economy

Stanley Black & Decker's "Manufactory" in Hartford, Connecticut, is the epicenter for its "smart factory" and workforce upskilling initiatives. Stanley Black & Decker Imagine a manufacturing plant in which all the production equipment is continually changing in response to market needs. Robots churning out widgets, for instance, would reconfigure themselves based on data coming in from all points of the widget supply chain, as well as sensors monitoring the factory itself. The result is a smart factory that's more agile and autonomous than previous generations of automation. Also known as Industry 4.0, the smart factory runs on data and artificial intelligence, but connectivity forms the backbone of operations. The new fifth generation of mobile networks (5G) is a catalyst for this new in...
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Tennis: Djokovic donates US$45,000 to Serbian town hit hard by coronavirus
29Jul By Desk TeamNo Comments
USA, World

Tennis: Djokovic donates US$45,000 to Serbian town hit hard by coronavirus

BELGRE: Tennis world number one Novak Djokovic, who last week tested positive for coronavirus, donated more than 40,000 euros (US$45,000) to a Serbian town badly affected by the pandemic, local media reported on Wednesday (Jul 1). The 33-year-old Djokovic donated the money to Novi Pazar, in Serbia's southwest, to help it fight a growing outbreak of the disease, the SportKlub TV sports channel reported. The town declared a state of emergency in late June due to the spread of the respiratory disease. After restricting the first outbreak of COVID-19 in early May, Serbia is now reporting a fresh surge, logging more than 200 cases daily recently compared to around 50 a month ago. The Balkan nation was recently in the spotlight for allowing Djokovic to host a regional tournament that sta...
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Indonesia, Australia come into ‘Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement’
28Jul mmBy Michael SmithNo Comments
USA

Indonesia, Australia come into ‘Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement’

In order to reduce trade barriers and boost economic growth, Australia and Indonesia came into the “Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement” (IA-CEPA) on July 5.The agreement will open up new opportunities for Australian and Indonesian businesses, primary producers, service providers and investors.“The mutual benefits from this Agreement are critical. Australia wants not only a stronger Australia but also a stronger Indonesia. By reducing trade barriers, we can grow both of our economies and by encouraging trade and investment in areas of high potential for Indonesia, we can build greater capacity for its continued successful development,” the Australian government said in a statement.A key component of the IA-CEPA is a sweeping free-trade agreement (FTA) that will...
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Indonesian rescuers hunt for dozens missing after floods kill 36
27Jul By Desk TeamNo Comments
USA, World

Indonesian rescuers hunt for dozens missing after floods kill 36

MAKASSAR, Indonesia: Rescuers pulled bodies from under mud and debris Friday (Jul 17) as they raced to find dozens still missing after flash floods killed at least 36 people on Indonesia's Sulawesi island. More than 14,000 people left homeless by the disaster have taken refuge at temporary shelters in hard-hit North Luwu regency, with the country's search and rescue agency hunting for 66 people still unaccounted for. Several rivers burst their banks after torrential rains pounded the region on Monday, sparking the deadly flash floods. On Friday, officials said at least 36 people had died in the disaster, following the retrieval of more bodies. They also raised previous missing victim figures from a dozen to more than 60, citing new reports from concerned relatives. "The chances of...
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Thousands of Thai protesters take to street, calling for government to resign
26Jul By Desk TeamNo Comments
USA, World

Thousands of Thai protesters take to street, calling for government to resign

BANGKOK: Thousands of mainly young and black-clad Thai protesters converged on Saturday (Jul 18) at Bangkok's Democracy Monument as the city's largest and rowdiest protest in years stretched deep into the night. Thailand, a kingdom whose rambunctious politics is defined by coups and often deadly street protests, is facing an unprecedented economic shock due to the coronavirus pandemic. With the economy in freefall, anger is boiling against a government stacked with elderly former generals and supporters of the royalist establishment. The crowd of students sang vitriolic rap songs and waved placards denouncing the administration of former army chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha - and calling for the abolition of the Thailand's strict royal defamation law. "The government doesn't care about us,...
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Google bans ads for products and services that secretly track or monitor people
25Jul By Desk TeamNo Comments
USA, World

Google bans ads for products and services that secretly track or monitor people

Google says it will no longer allow ads for products or services marketed for tracking or monitoring another person without their authorization. In an ad policy update, Google said this will apply to spyware and technology used for intimate partner surveillance, including tech used to monitor texts, phone calls or browsing history. It also applies to GPS trackers marketed to spy on someone without their consent, along with surveillance equipment such as cameras, audio recorders, dash cams and nanny cams marketed for the purpose of spying. Google said private investigation services and products and services for parents to track or monitor their underage children will not apply. The "Enabling Dishonest Behavior" policy update will be enforced beginning Aug. 11. In 2018, a group of researc...
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Trump signs Hong Kong Autonomy Act, ends city’s preferential trade status
24Jul mmBy Michael SmithNo Comments
USA

Trump signs Hong Kong Autonomy Act, ends city’s preferential trade status

In response to Beijing’s moves against Hong Kong, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order ending the city’s preferential trade treatment, and gave way to a bill that would require sanctions against foreign individuals and banks for contributing to the erosion of Hong Kong’s autonomy."Today, I signed legislation and an Executive Order to hold China accountable for its oppressive actions against the people of Hong Kong," Trump said while addressing the media.Trump said he signed Hong Kong Autonomy Act which will give powerful new tools to hold China responsible. The Act will allow the Trump administration to levy sanctions against foreign individuals and banks for contributing to the erosion of Hong Kong's autonomyThe signing of the Act comes two weeks after imposition of the Hon...
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Patchy demand at stores spells more pain for garment suppliers
24Jul By Desk TeamNo Comments
USA, World

Patchy demand at stores spells more pain for garment suppliers

MRID/DHAKA: Fashion brands and retailers re-opening around the world to patchy demand, and carrying unsold stock from spring have cut fall orders by as much as two-thirds in moves spelling more pain for Asian suppliers. With shoppers still wary of catching the coronavirus at stores, retailers are leaving buying decisions to the last minute and planning on selling all-season basics such as men's chinos and t-shirts leftover from spring through into fall. "We don't think orders for clothing will pick up anytime soon. Shipments could look up ahead of the Christmas but there is no guarantee," said Siddiqur Rahman, a Bangladeshi garment supplier to H&M and GAP Inc among others. The destructive weight of the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to contract the US$2.5 trillion global fashion indu...
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