Starbucks illegally fired six workers in New York state in a pushback against unions, a US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) judge has ruled. The judge says the firm committed “egregious and widespread” violations of federal labour law at its stores in cities of Buffalo and Rochester. The coffee chain has been ordered to rehire the ex-workers and compensate others who were affected. In response, Starbucks said its actions were lawful and in line with policies. “We believe the decision and the remedies ordered are inappropriate given the record in this matter and are considering all options to obtain further legal review,” Starbucks told the BBC. In a more than 200 page decision, Michael A Rosas, who is a federal administrative law judge, also ordered Starbucks to rehire another worker that he ruled had been illegally forced out of their job. Mr Rosas said Starbucks had showed “a general disregard for the employees’ fundamental rights” in response to union campaigns. The judge added that the company interrogated and threatened workers and restricted discussion of pay.(BBC)…[+]

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been criticised for saying the country’s ban on same-sex marriage is not discriminatory. Weeks ago, he apologised to the LGBTQ community over homophobic comments made by an aide who has since been sacked. Mr Kishida’s party is under growing pressure to improve LGBTQ rights, as more Japanese support same-sex marriage. Japan remains the only G7 country that doesn’t recognise such unions. When asked by an opposition lawmaker if the country’s existing law constituted discrimination, the PM said on Tuesday: “I don’t think disallowing same-sex couples to marry is unjust discrimination by the state.” The prime minister also reiterated his position on Wednesday that a ban on same-sex marriage is “not unconstitutional” but said his stand should not be seen as a form of discrimination. Local LGBTQ groups have accused Mr Kishida of backpedalling on commitments made in recent weeks – saying his words contradicted his actions.(BBC)…[+]

Journalists have been forced to temporarily take down articles critical of powerful oil lobbyists due to the exploitation of US copyright law, according to a new report. At least five such articles have been subject to fake copyright claims, including one by the respected South African newspaper Mail & Guardian, according to the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP). The claims – which falsely assert ownership of the stories – have been made by mystery individuals under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), a law meant to protect copyright holders. Just last month, three separate false copyright claims were made against Diario Rombe, an investigative news outlet that focusses on Equatorial Guinea. The articles under attack are about the president of Equatorial Guinea’s son, Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima, and his close associate, Cameroonian businessman and lawyer NJ Ayuk. The OCCRP claimed in a report published on Wednesday that the DMCA process was often abused by “unknown parties” who create backdated fake articles to target critical news reports.(BBC)…[+]