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Shein’s IPO raises fresh questions on alleged forced labour in its supply chain

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  Shein’s IPO raises fresh questions on alleged forced labour in its supply chain A Shein logo is pictured at the company's office in Singapore, Oct 18, 2022. (File photo: REUTERS/Chen Lin) 29 Nov 2023 05:37AM (Updated: 29 Nov 2023 02:02PM) NEW YORK: As China-founded e-commerce behemoth Shein moves to list in New York, US lawmakers are again calling on it to pro

Sparkly and shiny, but is your natural make-up free of forced labor?

  Sparkly and shiny, but is your natural make-up free of forced labor? By Kieran Guilbert June 22, 2018   8:05 AM GMT+8   Updated 6 years ago   LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Soaring global demand for natural beauty products could be fuelling modern-day slavery as ingredients such as cocoa, vanilla and the mineral mica are linked to child labor while cosmetic supply chains lack oversight, analysts said on Friday.   Many key components - from shea nuts to wax used as a base for mascara - are produced by smallholder farmers where the risk of labor abuse is high as governments and businesses struggle to monitor conditions, said risk analysts Verisk Maplecroft. Cosmetics companies are benefiting from strong appetite for skincare products, after riding a make-up boom in recent years spurred by young consumers seeking to look good on social media. While buyers clamor for make-up made with various fruit, nuts, grains and minerals, companies that increase the amount of natu

France proposes EU ban on exports of used clothes

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  France proposes EU ban on exports of used clothes A dog lies atop a pile of used plastic bottles at a dumpsite where second-hand clothes are discarded in Accra, Ghana, on Dec 21, 2022. (Photo: REUTERS/Francis Kokoroko) 14 Mar 2024 09:58PM (Updated: 14 Mar 2024 10:38PM) LONDON: France is proposing a European Union ban on exports of used clothes, the environment ministry told Reuters on Thursday (Mar 14), as governments look for new ways to tackle the worsening problem of

Commentary: We’re drowning in a fast fashion ocean of clothes

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  Commentary: We’re drowning in a fast fashion ocean of clothes Resale platforms must contend with stigma, superstition and lack of trust to change the tides of sustainable fashion in Singapore, says Retykle founder Sarah Garner. Are you spring-cleaning and emptying closets full of old clothing? 28 Jan 2022 06:04AM SINGAPORE: The secondhand fashion space has seen a meteoric rise, with the market expected to grow more than 10 times faster than traditional retail by 2025. The world has seen the growth of secondhand platforms. Thredup and Dep

Commentary: We know sweatshop clothing is bad – and buy it anyway. Here’s how your brain makes excuses

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  Commentary: We know sweatshop clothing is bad – and buy it anyway. Here’s how your brain makes excuses Our brains are wired to arrive at conclusions we prefer, as long as we maintain an illusion of objectivity, say these experts. File photo. Women working in a garment factory. == 27 Nov 2022 06:00AM BRISBANE: You face a dilemma. You’ve found the perfect shirt, and it’s an absolute bargain, but you notice it’s “Made in Bangladesh”. You’re conscious it was probably made using cheap labour . Do you buy it, or walk away? On Nov 25, Oxfam r

Commentary: Do you want your clothes to shrink our forests?

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  Commentary: Do you want your clothes to shrink our forests? Popular fabrics such as viscose, lyocell and modal were once trees. More fashion brands need to make that connection, says Lara Williams for Bloomberg Opinion.   File photo. Clothing companies need to do more to educate their consumers about what their clothes are made of. (Photo: iStock/megaflopp) Lara Williams 05 Nov 2023 06:06AM (Updated: 05 Nov 2023 01:50PM)

Fast-fashion giant Shein wants to sell skincare, toothpaste and toys, too

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  Fast-fashion giant Shein wants to sell skincare, toothpaste and toys, too A person walks past an advertisement for Shein, in London, Britain on Mar 8, 2024. (File Photo: REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett) 30 Apr 2024 01:04PM (Updated: 30 Apr 2024 01:29PM) LONDON: Online fast-fashion retailer Shein is courting brands like toothpaste conglomerate Colgate-Palmolive and toymaker Hasbro as it tries to sell more household names on its platform. Known for cheap own-brand clothing and ac

CNA Explains: Why do criminals use Telegram?

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  CNA Explains: Why do criminals use Telegram? The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) has arrested more than 500 drug offenders who used Telegram for their illegal drug activities. The Telegram app logo is seen on a smartphone. (File photo: Reuters/Dado Ruvic) Lee Chong Ming 12 Oct 2023 06:00AM (Updated: 05 Feb 2024 06:29PM)

IN FOCUS: Why is there a rise in new young drug abusers in Singapore?

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  IN FOCUS: Why is there a rise in new young drug abusers in Singapore? A young drug abuser thought it would be "just one time" but it spiralled into addiction, then months in detention. What is behind the 20 per cent rise in new drug abusers aged under 30? Latest statistics from the Central Narcotics Bureau showed that the number of new drug offenders under 30 has risen by 20 per cent in 2023 from the previous year. (Photo: iStock) The number of new drug abusers aged under 30 rose to 480 in 2023, a 20 per cent increase from 2022 Parents should create a "safe, non-judgmental and unconditionally loving space" for their child to open up about drug abuse, says a therapist