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THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Monday 10 February 2025
to continue: Thailand Live Tuesday 11 February 2025 https://aseannow.com/topic/1351389-thailand-live-tuesday-11-february-2025/ -
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Controversy Erupts as US Chain Hooters Expands to Newcastle
The arrival of American sports bar chain Hooters in Newcastle upon Tyne has sparked backlash among locals, with critics accusing the company of promoting the objectification of women. Known for its signature hot wings and female servers dressed in revealing uniforms, the franchise is attempting to further establish itself in the UK, despite past failures in other British cities. Founded in Florida in 1983 as a joke by six men with no restaurant experience, Hooters has since grown to over 400 locations worldwide. While the chain already operates in Nottingham and Liverpool, the Newcastle location is expected to be a major test of its long-term viability in the UK. The new restaurant is set to occupy the ground floor of the former TJ Hughes store in the city’s Bigg Market area, with doors expected to open in late February. Signs announcing the arrival of Hooters have already appeared in Newcastle’s city center, and job postings have been advertised, offering a base pay of £11.44 per hour. Reports suggest that 45 of the 50 female staff members required for the new venue have already been hired, some as young as 17. Opposition to Hooters’ expansion is not new. Many previous attempts to open branches across the UK have failed due to strong pushback from residents and local authorities. Newcastle’s own residents have voiced concerns, with one local telling *The Guardian*, “It’s horrible. We can do better than this.” Critics argue that the brand is outdated and reinforces harmful stereotypes, with Kruti Walsh, policy director at feminist charity FiLiA, stating that the business “treats women as objects to be served up alongside chicken wings and fries.” Despite the backlash, Canadian businessman Johnny Goard, who is leading the Newcastle launch alongside Julian Mills, has defended the brand. “Hooters isn’t what you think it is,” he told *The Guardian*. “It’s a restaurant. We don’t want to be here as a bar. We do kids eat for free on Sundays. Hooters isn’t what you think it is, what you perceive it to be, until you come in the door.” This is not the first time Hooters has struggled to gain a foothold in the UK. The chain’s first attempt in Birmingham in 1998 was met with enthusiasm but shut down just 18 months later amid accusations of sexism and controversy over its proximity to the Hall of Memory memorial. A branch in Bristol, which opened in 2010, closed just two years later following an incident in which staff allegedly gave a cake shaped like naked breasts to a 12-year-old boy. Even Liverpool’s Hooters, which opened in 2022, faced resistance from local residents and then-mayor Joanne Anderson, who described the franchise as having an “infamously sexually objectifying and misogynistic environment.” Newcastle previously rejected a Hooters application over concerns regarding crime, public nuisance, and the potential for social disorder linked to stag and hen parties. However, Mills and Goard, the duo behind Nottingham’s long-standing Hooters location, are determined to succeed where past efforts have failed. Goard, dismissing concerns, pointed to nightlife culture in the city, saying, “Have you looked outside on a Friday night? What else can I say about that? We raise millions and millions of dollars for [breast cancer] charities.” As Hooters prepares to open its doors in Newcastle, the controversy surrounding the brand remains as heated as ever. Whether the franchise can overcome its critics and thrive in the UK remains to be seen. Based on a report by The Independent 2025-02-11 -
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UK Charity Leader Wins Legal Battle After ‘Islamophobia’ Allegations
A charity trustee who was disqualified for alleged "Islamophobic" social media posts has won a significant legal victory, marking a milestone for free speech. Gary Mond, a longtime trustee of the Jewish National Fund UK (JNF UK), successfully overturned a disqualification order imposed by the Charity Commission in 2023 after historical posts deemed "anti-Muslim" surfaced online. The ruling, delivered on Thursday, is the first time such an order has been overturned on appeal. Mond, who served JNF UK for 12 years, was barred from holding trustee or senior management roles for two and a half years after the Charity Commission determined that his online activity could harm the reputation of charities he was affiliated with. While the ban was the shortest disqualification issued by the commission, the tribunal found the decision neither proportionate nor necessary, leading to its reversal. The tribunal acknowledged that some of Mond’s posts could be "perceived as anti-Islam" but upheld his right to freedom of expression. It also ruled that his social media activity between 2014 and 2021 did not render him unfit to serve as a trustee. In one post, Mond had expressed concern that if a substantial number of Muslims were elected as Labour MPs, "the Britain that we knew will have gone forever." In another, he stated that "civilisation" was "at war with Islam," later clarifying that he had intended to refer to "Islamic fundamentalism" rather than the religion itself. Additionally, the commission cited Mond’s engagement with posts from figures like Pamela Geller, an American political commentator banned from the UK for her "extremist" views. His social media activity came under scrutiny after being highlighted by news outlets. Despite the allegations, Mond, who spent over £60,000 on his legal appeal, has consistently denied any accusations of Islamophobia. The tribunal ultimately found that disqualifying Mond was not necessary "to protect public trust and confidence in charities generally." Mond, a Cambridge-educated accountant, currently chairs the advisory board for the National Jewish Assembly and has previously been involved with the Conservative Friends of Israel. Reacting to the verdict, Mond told The Telegraph: "The outcome of this case, which was an appalling waste of both taxpayers’ money and my own, says infinitely more about the Charity Commission than it does about me. It shows that a government body is prepared to judge the suitability of individuals to be charity trustees on the basis of their political beliefs and not merely their behaviour in their charity work." He emphasized that as a trustee, he had acted with integrity and had never mismanaged funds or engaged in misconduct related to charity work. "It should not be any business of the Charity Commission what I choose to write on social media on matters totally unconnected to charities," he added. Calling for accountability, he urged an investigation into the commission’s actions, asserting that its reputation had suffered as a result of the case. A Charity Commission spokesperson responded to the ruling by stating: "The outcome of this case brings more clarity to trustees’ appropriate use of social media, underlining the need for all trustees to act in the best interests of their charity, including while posting in a personal capacity." Based on a report by The Daily Telegraph 2025-02-11 -
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To all you Trump fans - Do you wear your MAGA hats with pride in Thailand?
like the 59 million Musk found that was sent to NY hotels to house ILLEGAL migrants ? Go Trump ! Go Elon ! -
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