Americas
Starbucks union workers strike in more than 40 US cities
Unionized Starbucks workers in more than 40 US cities have launched an open-ended strike, escalating their push for a collective bargaining agreement on pay, hours and benefits. Starbucks Workers United says more than 1,000 baristas at 550 stores are taking part, with 65 outlets timing walkouts to hit the chain’s busy Red Cup Day promotion. The union has warned that the action could become the “largest and longest” strike in Starbucks’ history, accusing the company of stalling contract talks and engaging in unfair labor practices. Starbucks is already under pressure after announcing store closures and 900 job cuts as part of a wider turnaround plan.
DoorDash data breach handling prompts social media backlash
DoorDash has revealed a data breach caused by a social engineering scam targeting one of its employees, which exposed some customers’, couriers’ and merchants’ personal details, including names, phone numbers, email addresses and physical addresses. While the company says no sensitive data was accessed and there’s no evidence of misuse, users have criticised its handling on social media ‒ particularly the 19-day delay in notifying those affected. Cybersecurity experts and customers also accused DoorDash of downplaying the severity, with some saying the breach conflicted with the company’s claim that “no sensitive information” was accessed. DoorDash has since strengthened security and launched an external investigation.
Asia Pacific
Thailand scraps afternoon alcohol ban to boost tourism
In a move designed to boost tourism spending during the Festive season, Thailand’s National Alcohol Policy Committee has agreed to scrap the long-standing ban on the sale of alcoholic drinks between 2pm and 5pm, the Bangkok Post has reported. The law was originally introduced to prevent civil servants from drinking during office hours, according to Deputy Prime Minister Sophon Zarum. “But that era is over — government officials no longer drink in the afternoon… so the ban should be lifted,” he said.
Tourism operators have also proposed extending closing hours to 4am, but talks are still ongoing on that front.
Indonesia’s free meals program linked to nearly half of food poisoning cases in 2025
Indonesia’s flagship free meals program is under renewed scrutiny after the head of the National Nutrition agency, which oversees the program, revealed it was linked to nearly half of all food poisoning cases recorded this year, the South China Morning Post has reported. Since the billion-dollar scheme launched in January, more than 11,000 people have fallen ill and over 600 have been hospitalized, Dadan Hindayana told lawmakers last week.
Of 441 food poisoning incidents nationwide, 48% were tied to meals served under the program, with half of those traced to E. coli contamination. The government has tightened oversight of the 14,000 participating kitchens, requiring stricter hygiene and water filtration. Despite criticism, President Prabowo insists the scheme remains essential to tackling malnutrition among children.
Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA)
UKHospitality says government must fix tax measures from the last budget
In light of data released last week showing the scale of job losses since the UK’s last Budget, UKHospitality is calling on the government to lower business rates, fix NICs and cut VAT. The latest ONS data shows that 170,000 fewer people are on payroll compared to the period before the Budget, with 64,000 jobs lost in just the past two months alone. More than half of those job losses were in the hospitality sector, which was particularly affected by changes to employer NICs thresholds due to the high number of employees working part-time or flexibly.
Kate Nicholls, Chair of UKHospitality, said that the measures the body has proposed would help reverse some of the damage created by the last Budget, protect jobs and allow hospitality to grow and prosper again.
Can the Dubai chocolate creator strike twice?
Since TikTok discovered Dubai chocolate last year, the world ‘Can’t Get Knafeh’ the melt-in-your-mouth blend of milk chocolate, pistachio cream and kataifi pastry. Now Nouel Catis ‒ the Filipino pastry chef who first dreamed it up for Fix Dessert Chocolatier in 2021 ‒ is hoping to sweeten his winning streak.
His new creation, Abu Dhabi chocolate, mixes halawa, saffron, cardamom, dates and baklava all wrapped up in a salted-caramel chocolate coating and finished with gold flakes. A tribute to the UAE’s capital, it’s currently sold only at Rain Café in Abu Dhabi for around $30. Are we in line for another choc-buster?
Elly Earls
