Asia - South China Morning Post

Women in Australia’s defence forces (ADF) launched a class-action lawsuit on Friday alleging widespread and systematic sexual violence, harassment and discrimination.

The case was served against the Australian government on behalf of women subjected to abuse at any time in a 21-year period between November 2003 and May 2025.

“The threat of war often isn’t the biggest safety fear for female ADF personnel; it is the threat of sexual violence in their workplace,” said lawyer Josh Aylward of legal...

In East Timor’s presidential palace in the capital Dili, President Jose Ramos-Horta leans back in his chair, radiating a calm demeanour ahead of a momentous occasion in his country’s young history.

“We are in the last few hours before joining Asean,” he told This Week in Asia. “Looking back, it has been a 23-year journey since independence was proclaimed … and when I look at where we were then compared to now, it is like heaven and hell.”

On Sunday in Kuala Lumpur, East Timor is set to formally...

China’s passenger jet manufacturer will make its Dubai Airshow debut next month, when it is likely to scout for buyers of its small C909 and narrowbody C919 aircraft in the Middle East.

The air show’s website lists Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) among its 1,500 exhibitors, and analysts said the Shanghai-based, state-owned planemaker’s participation at the event from November 17 to 21 would mark a first for the company.

Comac has been looking for overseas buyers of its older,...

Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Friday that the country needs foreign workers to address labour shortages due to a declining population but some “rule breaches” had made the public feel “uneasy”.

“Some illegal activities and breaches of rules by certain foreigners have created situations where members of the public feel uneasy and perceive unfairness,” Takaichi said in her first policy speech.

“While we draw a clear line from xenophobia, the government will respond resolutely...

Manila’s long-time ally, the United States, has launched a training programme aimed at strengthening the Philippine Coast Guard’s (PCG) operational strategies and maritime law enforcement capabilities.

The move, however, could deepen dependence on Washington under the guise of civilian capacity-building, according to some observers, who point to a familiar “pattern” inherent in US partnerships.

Last week, coastguard commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan and outgoing US ambassador to the...

Malaysia’s scramble to tighten school rules after a disturbing wave of violent and sexual assaults among pupils is a short-term fix for deeper social and institutional decay, experts and teachers say, warning of a “systemic collapse” that has exposed students to grave dangers.

Several brutal incidents this month – including the alleged murder of a girl and two gang-rape cases inside schools – have prodded the government to introduce new measures like installing surveillance cameras in schools,...

Malaysia is set to host one of the most consequential Asean summits ever as US President Donald Trump and a coterie of world leaders converge on Kuala Lumpur this weekend, bringing fresh urgency to talks on trade, security and the shifting global order.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, this year’s chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is expected to use the three-day summit starting on Sunday to ease tensions with Trump over trade imbalances, while also pursuing deals with other...

The head of Japan’s largest umbrella group for labour unions on Thursday countered Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s wish to ease restrictions on overtime work, warning that it will go against the recent push for workstyle reforms.

“It is unacceptable,” Tomoko Yoshino told a press conference after Takaichi instructed her labour minister to consider relaxing the rules.

Before becoming prime minister on Tuesday, Takaichi caused a stir when she vowed to dispense with the phrase “work-life balance”...

Singapore’s Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli on Thursday apologised and acknowledged that agencies involved in the case of four-year-old Megan Khung’s fatal abuse could have done more when handling the matter.

“As the lead for the national child protection system, I would like to say that we are sorry for the outcome,” he said. “We cannot eradicate every risk of a child loss. But our resolve is absolute. We will do everything possible to prevent the recurrence of such...

Sanae Takaichi has made a strong debut as Japan’s first female prime minister, with early polls showing widespread public confidence in her leadership – despite her decision to appoint several politicians who have been embroiled in scandal.

A Yomiuri Shimbun survey released this week found 71 per cent of respondents backed her administration, climbing to 80 per cent among voters aged 18 to 39.

That places Takaichi’s debut as the fifth most popular of any new government since 1978 – surpassing...