Human Times

APAC Edition

27th November 2025

THE HOT STORY

Indian trade unions unite against new labour codes

On Wednesday, a coalition of 10 major Indian trade unions staged nationwide protests against the government's new labour codes, which they labelled a "deceptive fraud" against workers. Demonstrators expressed concerns that the reforms erode job security and favour employers. Tapan Sen, general secretary of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, said: "Workers' rights are being bulldozed." The new codes replace 29 existing laws and aim to modernise labour regulations, but unions argue they disproportionately benefit employers and restrict workers' rights.

Yahoo News Australia

Straits Times

CYBERSECURITY

Asahi: 1.5m sets of customer data compromised in cyber-attack

Japanese beverage giant Asahi Group has reported that 1.91m sets of personal information were compromised in the recent cyberattack that saw it suspend shipments to distributors and retailers, with 1.52m sets belonging to the company's customers. In a statement on its investigation into the ransomware attack, which the hacker group Qilin has claimed responsibility for, Asahi said that it has not confirmed any evidence of the data being released and that the impact of the attack is limited to systems managed in Japan. President and chief executive Atshushi Katsuki said the company plans to resume placing and taking orders through its system in early December, aiming to fully restore its logistics operations by February 2026. The company will take recurrence prevention measures such as tightening access restrictions and improving the accuracy of its cyberattack detection.

BBC News

Nippon.com

Reuters

South China Morning Post

LEGAL

Theborn Korea referred to prosecutors over alleged worker 'blacklist'

Food and beverage company Theborn Korea has been referred to prosecutors for allegedly blocking workers from finding new jobs. The Ministry of Employment and Labor's Seoul Gangnam District Office recommended indictment after discovering a message on an online forum that violated the Labour Standards Act. Theborn Korea claimed the bulletin board was inactive and created at franchise owners' requests. However, the ministry found it constituted an illegal attempt to hinder employment. The company has also faced other violations, including unpaid allowances, which have since been resolved.

Korea Joongang Daily

HEALTH & SAFETY

Toxic mines threaten Southeast Asia's rivers

Research from the Stimson Centre reveals that over 2,400 mines in Southeast Asia, many illegal, are contaminating rivers with toxic chemicals including cyanide and mercury. Farmers, such as 59-year-old Tip Kamlue, have been forced to abandon traditional water sources like the Kok River due to contamination fears. "It's like half of me has died," Tip said, reflecting the impact on her livelihood. Brian Eyler, a senior fellow at Stimson, noted the alarming scale of contamination affecting major rivers, including the Mekong, Salween, and Irrawaddy.

South China Morning Post

REGULATION

Australia's compliance costs surge

Australia's regulatory compliance costs have surged to A$160bn, accounting for 5.8% of GDP, according to a report by the Australian Institute of Company Directors. The report highlights that the volume of federal regulations has tripled since 2000, with boards spending over half their time on compliance and 52,000 workers dedicated to compliance in 2024. The report urges the Australian government to reduce the regulatory burden by 25% by 2030.

Daily Mail

TECHNOLOGY

OpenAI forecasts 220m paying ChatGPT users by 2030

OpenAI has forecast that at least 220m of ChatGPT's weekly users will pay for a subscription by 2030. The artificial intelligence firm said that by 2030, 8.5% of an estimated 2.6bn weekly users, or around 220m people, will subscribe to its chatbot. OpenAI also said it expects to generate about 20% of its revenue from new products such as shopping- and advertising-driven features, and has this week introduced a personal shopping assistant for ChatGPT.

The Information

ECONOMY

Optimism increases among Japan's consumers

Japan's government reported Wednesday that consumer sentiment on the economy is recovering, despite persistent inflation. In its monthly economic assessment, it also kept its view on private consumption, which accounts for more than half of the economy, saying it showed signs of "picking up" for a third consecutive month.

Reuters

INTERNATIONAL

Attorneys general urge Congress to reject ban on state AI laws

Republican and Democratic attorneys general from 35 states and the District of Columbia have sent a letter to congressional leaders calling on them to reject a ban on states’ ability to enact artificial intelligence laws. “While AI promises to be a transformative technology in numerous fields, it also poses significant risks - notably to the most vulnerable among us, our children. States must be empowered to apply existing laws and formulate new approaches to meet the range of challenges associated with AI,” the group wrote, adding “We are also deeply troubled by sycophantic and delusional generative AI outputs plunging individuals into spirals of mental illness, suicide, self-harm, and violence.” ChatGPT maker OpenAI, Google, Meta and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz have called for national AI standards instead of a 50-state patchwork, Reuters notes.

The Hill

Reuters

Data-driven HR is the new frontier

Writing for Oman Observer, Mythili Kolluruhe takes a look at how the human resources sector is shifting from intuition-based practices to data-driven strategies. Companies including IBM and Unilever are using people analytics to enhance hiring and retention, predictive models identify employees at risk of leaving, and automated systems streamline recruitment. However, Kolluruhe says this reliance on data raises ethical concerns, such as algorithmic bias and invasive monitoring, which can erode employee trust, observing. The author writes: "At this crucial juncture, a vital question arises for leaders: Are companies inadvertently prioritising metrics over people in their pursuit of workforce optimisation?"

Oman Observer

Telefónica proposes laying off more than 5,000 workers in Spain

Telefónica has presented unions with a plan to cut just over 5,000 jobs in Spain as the telecoms group looks to consolidate its operations in its four core markets of Spain, Germany, the UK and Brazil. If carried out, the layoffs would affect 41% of employees in the Telefónica de Espana unit, 31% at Telefónica Moviles and 24% in Telefónica Soluciones, adding up to around 20% of Telefónica's staff in Spain of roughly 25,000. Telefónica employs about 80,000 people globally, according to a spokesperson.

Bloomberg

Financial Times

Reuters

OTHER

Australian shoppers regret Black Friday purchases

Research by consumer advocacy group Choice reveals that 53% of Australians regretted a purchase or had a negative experience during Black Friday sales. Liam Kennedy, a journalist at Choice, said: "Retailers are doing every trick in the book to get people to make a purchase". The survey found that 52% of shoppers spent more than intended, while 48% bought unnecessary items. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is investigating misleading sales tactics. Consumers are advised to research products and check return policies to avoid impulse buys and scams during the sales period.

The Guardian

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