https://www.scmp.com/rss/325675/feed Latest news and features on sexual harassment and assault, including accusations of misconduct and developments in the #MeToo movement. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Associated Press Associated Press US federal prosecutors have charged two men with using artificial intelligence to create nude videos and photos of female celebrities under a newly enacted law meant to halt the spread of deepfake pornography. Cornelius Shannon, 51, and Arturo Hernandez, 20, were both arrested on Tuesday for generating sexually explicit AI content that drew millions of views online, according to criminal complaints. The men – who do not appear to be connected – are among the earliest defendants to face charges... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3354432/2-men-charged-creating-ai-generated-porn-under-new-law-targeting-deepfakes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3354432/2-men-charged-creating-ai-generated-porn-under-new-law-targeting-deepfakes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 20:08:23 +0000 Reuters Reuters Queen Elizabeth pressed ⁠for her son Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor ⁠to be made a government trade envoy back in 2000, according to documents released on Thursday. Mountbatten-Windsor, brother of King Charles, served as the UK’s Special Representative for International Trade and Investment between 2001 and 2011 in an unpaid role that allowed him to travel the world meeting senior business and government figures. David Wright, the chief executive of British Trade International, said that before the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354396/queen-pushed-ex-prince-andrews-appointment-trade-envoy-documents-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354396/queen-pushed-ex-prince-andrews-appointment-trade-envoy-documents-show?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 11:35:36 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Allegations of sexual assault by an heir to a beer fortune against his own older brother have thrust one of Thailand’s richest families into an uncomfortable spotlight, stunning a public unaccustomed to seeing prominent households air their affairs in public. The scandal erupted last week when Siranudh Scott, better known as “Psi” – a fourth generation heir to the Bhirombhakdi family’s beer-to-real estate empire – shared allegations of historic sexual abuse by his older brother, Sunit, on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3354185/thailands-singha-beer-dynasty-rocked-sexual-abuse-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3354185/thailands-singha-beer-dynasty-rocked-sexual-abuse-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 05:01:59 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse One of Thailand’s richest men dismissed his cousin from the Singha beer business empire on Tuesday, the company said, after days of controversy over allegations the man had sexually abused his own brother. Environmental activist Siranudh Scott, a scion of the Bhirombhakdi family who control the beer brand ubiquitous in Thailand, posted an emotional video on his social media page this month accusing his elder brother of repeatedly abusing him in his teenage years. “Everyone in my family knows it... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3354139/thai-singha-beer-heir-dismissed-family-firm-amid-brothers-sexual-abuse-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3354139/thai-singha-beer-heir-dismissed-family-firm-amid-brothers-sexual-abuse-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 14:35:04 +0000 CNA CNA A boy began sexually abusing his younger sister from when she was five and he was 12, continuing the assault for seven years and raping her repeatedly. At times when she resisted, the boy punched her, slapped her and pinched her. The offender, now 26, was sentenced in Singapore on Monday to 18 years’ jail and 24 strokes of the cane. He pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated sexual assault and one count of statutory rape, with another eight charges taken into consideration. The offender... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3354035/singapore-sentences-man-18-years-jail-repeatedly-raping-younger-sister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3354035/singapore-sentences-man-18-years-jail-repeatedly-raping-younger-sister?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 01:49:59 +0000 Reuters Reuters British broadcaster Channel 4 removed all previous seasons of Married at First Sight – one of its flagship reality shows – on Monday after a BBC report detailing allegations of rape during the filming of the series. Channel ‌4, the publicly owned but commercially funded broadcaster established in the 1980s, said it had launched a review into contributor welfare on the show, which is made by independent production company CPL, in April. BBC News reported that two women had told the news service... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354022/uks-channel-4-removes-married-first-sight-show-after-bbc-rape-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354022/uks-channel-4-removes-married-first-sight-show-after-bbc-rape-report?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 19:06:52 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Around 10 “new” suspected victims have come forward in a French investigation into the network of the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a prosecutor said on Sunday. France opened a human trafficking investigation after the US Justice Department in January released the latest cache of files from the investigation into the disgraced financier, who died in prison in 2019 while facing charges of trafficking underage girls for sex. French magistrates are seeking to investigate possible offences... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353899/around-10-new-victims-frances-epstein-investigation-paris-prosecutor-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353899/around-10-new-victims-frances-epstein-investigation-paris-prosecutor-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 16:36:11 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa Ansel Elgort recently celebrated his partner on Mother’s Day in an Instagram post. In a carousel of photos, the new father shared snaps of himself and his family, as well as a couple of pictures of himself and his partner, whom he revealed to be called Miona. “Happy Mother’s Day, my Miona,” the Baby Driver (2017) actor captioned the photo. Elgort welcomed his firstborn in January this year and made headlines when he was spotted by paparazzi enjoying an outing in New York with his newborn, per... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3353686/who-ansel-elgorts-japanese-partner-miona-whom-he-just-welcomed-baby?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3353686/who-ansel-elgorts-japanese-partner-miona-whom-he-just-welcomed-baby?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2026 22:00:06 +0000 Reuters Reuters Harvey Weinstein’s third trial in New York over allegations he used his Hollywood clout to prey upon and sexually abuse women ended ‌in a mistrial on Friday, after a jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict on a charge he raped the aspiring actress Jessica Mann. Weinstein, 74, was a top film producer until sexual misconduct allegations led to his downfall and fuelled a wider social movement that encouraged women to come forward with accounts of sexual abuse by ⁠powerful men. The case, brought by... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3353776/harvey-weinsteins-third-new-york-rape-trial-ends-mistrial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3353776/harvey-weinsteins-third-new-york-rape-trial-ends-mistrial?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 17:47:01 +0000 dpa dpa A paediatrician at a hospital near Berlin has been charged with sex offences in 130 cases, many of which are said to have taken place at the hospital, prosecutors said on Wednesday. The extent of the offences, which include serious sexual abuse of children and rape, had previously been unknown. The paediatrician has been in pre-trial custody since November, with prosecutors citing a risk of reoffending as a reason for the man’s continued detention. In January, it became known that the doctor was... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353478/paediatrician-germany-charged-sex-offences-130-cases?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353478/paediatrician-germany-charged-sex-offences-130-cases?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 17:39:38 +0000 CNA CNA A man sent a woman an AI-generated photo of her face on a nude body and set up cameras under her work desk for a live “upskirt” feed. The woman was alarmed by his actions and became fearful whenever she was approached by men as a result. Desmond Han Jiancong, a 31-year-old Singaporean, pleaded guilty on Monday to one count each of installing equipment to enable voyeurism and insulting the modesty of the victim. Another three charges will be considered in sentencing. The court heard that Han and... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3353247/singaporean-pleads-guilty-setting-live-upskirt-camera-feed-colleague?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3353247/singaporean-pleads-guilty-setting-live-upskirt-camera-feed-colleague?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 07:29:28 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A Bolivian court on Monday reissued a warrant for the arrest of former president Evo Morales on charges of trafficking a minor after he failed to show up for the start of his trial. Bolivia’s first Indigenous president has been accused of fathering a child with a 15-year-old girl while in office. The parents of the teen were accused of consenting to the relationship in exchange for favours from Morales. The former socialist leader, who governed from 2006 to 2019, has rejected the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3353192/bolivias-evo-morales-held-contempt-after-missing-court-trafficking-trial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3353192/bolivias-evo-morales-held-contempt-after-missing-court-trafficking-trial?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 18:20:21 +0000 Reuters Reuters Keir Starmer ⁠came under renewed pressure on Monday when four ministerial aides stepped down and more than 70 Labour lawmakers publicly called for the British prime minister’s resignation after his appeal for another chance seemingly fell on deaf ears. At an address to the party faithful in London, Starmer had made an impassioned plea to both his party and voters to stick with him and avoid a leadership contest he said would only bring chaos, but his speech appeared to do little to stem the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353163/under-threat-uk-pm-starmer-vows-prove-doubters-wrong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353163/under-threat-uk-pm-starmer-vows-prove-doubters-wrong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 10:45:39 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A performer at a scenic spot in central China went viral for offering visitors “lollipop kisses”, raising controversy about the boundaries of interactive tourism. Ge’s Fairy Village, a resort in Jiangxi province, combines Taoist culture with forested landscapes and features martial arts-themed hotels. Adult tickets usually cost 130 yuan (US$20). One of its most popular entertainers, known online as “Little Yellow Fish”, has drawn nearly 400,000 followers on mainland social media. Dressed in... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3352581/china-scenic-spot-entertainer-sparks-debate-giving-lollipop-kiss-female-visitors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3352581/china-scenic-spot-entertainer-sparks-debate-giving-lollipop-kiss-female-visitors?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 06:00:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse UK police said on Thursday they had arrested a man wielding a weapon who “was behaving in an intimidating manner” close to the home of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in eastern England. Norfolk police confirmed they had been called to an incident late on Wednesday near the Sandringham Estate “and the man was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence and possession of an offensive weapon”. UK media reported that a man wearing a balaclava had allegedly threatened the former prince when he was... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352812/man-arrested-weapon-near-ex-prince-andrews-home-uk-police-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352812/man-arrested-weapon-near-ex-prince-andrews-home-uk-police-say?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 17:29:35 +0000 Danny Mok,Wynna Wong Danny Mok,Wynna Wong Hong Kong police are investigating an allegation that a four-year-old boy was indecently assaulted at an international school in Stanley, with the institution saying its security footage showed “no evidence of any wrongdoing” on the day of the suspected incident. A source said on Wednesday that the International Montessori School kindergarten pupil complained to his family that his buttocks were sore on April 17 after his mother picked him up from school. His father, who suspected that the child... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3352740/police-investigate-alleged-sexual-abuse-boy-4-international-school?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3352740/police-investigate-alleged-sexual-abuse-boy-4-international-school?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 08:58:47 +0000 Reuters Reuters A US federal judge on Wednesday released a document described as a suicide note ⁠purportedly written by the late Jeffrey ⁠Epstein and including the line: “It is a ⁠treat to be able to choose one’s time to say goodbye”. Epstein, the disgraced financier and accused sex trafficker, was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 in what was ruled a suicide. The handwritten note was said to have been found by his former jail cellmate, convicted murderer and ex-police officer Nicholas... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352679/note-linked-epsteins-first-suspected-suicide-bid-released-us-judge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352679/note-linked-epsteins-first-suspected-suicide-bid-released-us-judge?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 23:56:56 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump’s lawyer, hoping for an eventual Supreme Court victory, has asked a federal appeal court in New York to temporarily block a long-time columnist from collecting a US$83 million defamation award. The lawyer, Justin D. Smith, told the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in a filing on Tuesday to stay its decision supporting the award so that Trump will not have to pay writer E. Jean Carroll while he appeals to the high court. A Manhattan jury awarded Carroll the payout in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352678/trump-seeks-halt-payment-e-jean-carroll-hope-eventual-supreme-court-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352678/trump-seeks-halt-payment-e-jean-carroll-hope-eventual-supreme-court-win?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 23:46:21 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Global efforts to protect children from online harm are being stepped up, from the bans on social media use to the measures making platforms safer. But the scourge of child pornography and the threat to the young of being groomed for sexual abuse remain prevalent. Law enforcement agencies have a responsibility to ensure their efforts to investigate, track down and arrest the culprits are successful. This requires close collaboration among police forces in different countries. The latest... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3352133/recognise-need-protect-our-children-online-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3352133/recognise-need-protect-our-children-online-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 22:45:12 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall More than 15 per cent of hospitals and long-term medical care facilities across Japan have recorded cases of sexual assault or abuse of patients, according to a new government report, as concerns mount that the actual figures may be higher. The Children and Families Agency released the results of the survey – the first of its kind – on Tuesday, with 1,113 institutions of the 5,000 invited to take part providing responses. Many of the incidents involved medical staff in psychiatry and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3352003/japan-survey-finds-sexual-abuse-15-hospitals-true-scale-higher?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3352003/japan-survey-finds-sexual-abuse-15-hospitals-true-scale-higher?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:16 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s system for tracking repeat domestic abusers is under scrutiny after police said a man accused of assaulting his pregnant wife until she miscarried had been married nine times and was free on bail while appealing a 10-year jail sentence for attacking another spouse who was previously expecting. The 43-year-old suspect, named in local media as Rosmaini Abd Raof, was remanded for seven days in Kedah on Wednesday after police arrested him at a homestay in Alor Setar, the northern state’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3351970/malaysian-man-who-was-married-9-times-faces-wife-assault-case-again?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3351970/malaysian-man-who-was-married-9-times-faces-wife-assault-case-again?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 06:43:46 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong A Hong Kong cook has been jailed for 18 years for persistently sexually abusing the daughter he shares with his mistress, with the presiding judge also criticising the victim’s mother for trying to keep her silent. The High Court on Wednesday said a deterrent sentence was necessary for the 61-year-old to reflect society’s abhorrence of the “evil” crimes he committed against the girl when she was aged 11 to 18. The accused, identified only by his initials, TML, to protect his daughter’s identity,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3351813/hong-kong-cook-jailed-18-years-evil-sexual-abuse-daughter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3351813/hong-kong-cook-jailed-18-years-evil-sexual-abuse-daughter?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 06:39:42 +0000 Reuters Reuters Britain’s parliament will vote on Tuesday on a possible inquiry into Prime Minister Keir Starmer, looking at whether he misled the House of Commons ‌over the appointment of former US ambassador Peter Mandelson. Any such inquiry could have serious implications for Starmer’s future. He has so far resisted pressure to quit over his decision to hire Mandelson, but if found to have knowingly misled parliament his position would likely become untenable. House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle said he... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351611/uk-pm-starmer-faces-vote-possible-parliamentary-probe-over-mandelson?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351611/uk-pm-starmer-faces-vote-possible-parliamentary-probe-over-mandelson?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 14:41:24 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying Including clear, comprehensive definitions of consent in Hong Kong’s reform of sexual offence laws will provide greater clarity for all parties and better protect victims, experts and a survivor have said. Barrister Stephen Keung Pit-chun said on Saturday current interpretations of consent relied on “common sense”, creating legal loopholes. Establishing a statutory definition of consent would also be key to sentencing in future cases, he said. Keung was speaking at a forum at the University of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3351433/hong-kong-urged-clarify-consent-reforms-close-sexual-offence-loopholes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3351433/hong-kong-urged-clarify-consent-reforms-close-sexual-offence-loopholes?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 13:04:08 +0000 dpa dpa German prosecutors have charged a 46-year-old man on suspicion of serious sexual abuse of children via live streaming. The man, from the district of Heidenheim in southwestern Germany, is alleged to have paid female accomplices in the Philippines to carry out sexual abuse against girls aged between four and 13 in six instances, the Cybercrime Centre of the Karlsruhe Public Prosecutor’s Office said on Friday. Videos of the sexual abuse were reportedly streamed live to the man, while he directed... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351352/german-man-accused-live-streaming-child-abuse-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351352/german-man-accused-live-streaming-child-abuse-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:24:26 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times More than 80,000 people have signed a petition calling for a renewed investigation after a 19-year-old woman died by suicide in late February following a South Korean police decision to drop her sexual assault case. As of Thursday, the petition posted on the National Assembly site on April 16 has collected 80,900 signatures, surpassing the 50,000-signature threshold that requires the legislature to formally review it. The case centres on a woman who filed a criminal complaint in December 2025... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351125/how-dropped-sexual-assault-case-cost-aspiring-south-korean-police-officer-her-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351125/how-dropped-sexual-assault-case-cost-aspiring-south-korean-police-officer-her-life?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 07:49:28 +0000 Martin W H Wong Martin W H Wong The law of tort, from its Latin and Old French origin meaning “wrong”, saw a major development in Hong Kong at the beginning of this year. After years of debate in the lower courts, Hong Kong’s top court has made it clear that, with Sir Elly Kadoorie & Sons Limited v Samantha Jane Bradley [2026] HKCFA 2, harassment is now a recognised tort under common law. While it is described as a development, this was the last step of a recognition that was more than a decade in the making. The first High... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3351055/being-annoying-not-just-annoyance-its-harassment-under-tort-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3351055/being-annoying-not-just-annoyance-its-harassment-under-tort-law?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 01:30:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse British Prime Minister Keir Starmer insisted on Wednesday he would not resign, claiming allegations of misleading MPs over his appointment of a party loyalist as UK envoy to Washington had been “put to bed”. Starmer’s remarks in parliament came as the beleaguered premier faced fresh calls to step down over his admitted error of judgment in appointing veteran former politician Peter Mandelson to the coveted post. The premier spoke to lawmakers a day after the foreign ministry’s most senior... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351046/uk-pm-insists-he-wont-resign-over-mandelson-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351046/uk-pm-insists-he-wont-resign-over-mandelson-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 13:31:37 +0000 CNA CNA A Singaporean man who was seen in a viral video assaulting a Filipino woman at Lucky Plaza shopping centre was charged on Wednesday over the incident and a previous alleged attack on the same woman. Andrew Suresh Markandan, 47, was handed two charges of voluntarily causing hurt to Alibutdan Vilma Litgio and two charges of mischief by damaging her property. He is accused of first assaulting the victim at about 7.25pm on March 30 last year at Hotel 81 Bugis. He allegedly slapped her and punched... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350952/singaporean-man-charged-after-viral-lucky-plaza-assault-filipino-woman?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350952/singaporean-man-charged-after-viral-lucky-plaza-assault-filipino-woman?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 04:12:16 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Prosecutors in the rape retrial of disgraced US movie mogul Harvey Weinstein told Tuesday how he wielded his power to prey on then-aspiring actress Jessica Mann. Weinstein, a central figure of abuse allegations that spurred the #MeToo movement, appeared at the New York courtroom in a wheelchair due to ill health. He is being retried on a count of third-degree rape against Mann that allegedly happened in 2013 in a Manhattan hotel room. Last June, a judge declared a mistrial on the charge after... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350929/weinstein-preyed-aspiring-us-actress-court-told-rape-retrial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350929/weinstein-preyed-aspiring-us-actress-court-told-rape-retrial?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 18:44:15 +0000 Reuters Reuters A former top ⁠foreign ministry official said on Tuesday he had faced “constant pressure” from UK Prime Minister Keir ⁠Starmer’s office to speed up the appointment of his pick as the ambassador to the US, deepening a row that threatens the British leader. A war of words over who should ultimately take the blame for appointing Labour veteran Peter Mandelson to Britain’s highest diplomatic post despite his history and known ties to late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has piled pressure on Starmer,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350900/ex-uk-official-says-he-felt-pressure-over-mandelson-pms-office?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350900/ex-uk-official-says-he-felt-pressure-over-mandelson-pms-office?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 11:13:02 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Another Democrat is exiting the crowded contest for California governor. Betty Yee – a former state controller – announced on Monday she was suspending her campaign, just over a week after fellow Democrat and former US congressman Eric Swalwell left the race following sexual assault allegations that he denies. Yee, who was born in San Francisco to Chinese immigrant parents, was vying to be the first woman to hold the state’s highest office. But she lagged in fundraising and failed to break into... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350797/former-state-controller-betty-yee-drops-out-california-governors-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350797/former-state-controller-betty-yee-drops-out-california-governors-race?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 23:53:21 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press British Prime Minister Keir Starmer acknowledged on Monday that he made the wrong judgement when he picked Jeffrey Epstein’s friend Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to Washington, batting away a barrage of calls to resign over a scandal that has left his leadership teetering. Starmer said he would have withdrawn the appointment if he had known Mandelson had failed security checks, as he tried to explain why Mandelson was given the UK’s most important diplomatic post. Starmer placed blame... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350783/starmer-admits-mistake-appointing-mandelson-us-envoy-resists-calls-resign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350783/starmer-admits-mistake-appointing-mandelson-us-envoy-resists-calls-resign?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 16:46:21 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Senior Cabinet ministers on Sunday rallied around UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose leadership is teetering over his decision to give Britain’s most important diplomatic job to Peter Mandelson, a scandal-tarnished politician and friend of Jeffrey Epstein. Starmer will face restive lawmakers in Parliament on Monday to fight for his job after the explosive revelation that Mandelson was appointed ambassador to the United States despite failing security checks. Starmer says he is “furious” that... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350654/allies-back-starmer-mandelsons-epstein-links-leave-uk-leader-fighting-his-job?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350654/allies-back-starmer-mandelsons-epstein-links-leave-uk-leader-fighting-his-job?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 17:34:54 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The prevalence of sexual harassment in the workplace has long been recognised in Hong Kong but the problem has persisted. Figures revealed this month show that 207 such complaints were made to the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) last year, a 33 per cent increase on 2024. The rise does not necessarily mean more harassment is taking place. It might be an encouraging sign that victims are more willing to take action. But the statistics show that sexual misconduct at places of work continues to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3350417/employers-must-tackle-office-culture-harassment-complaints-spike?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3350417/employers-must-tackle-office-culture-harassment-complaints-spike?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 22:45:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced mounting pressure to quit on Friday over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as envoy to Washington, after it emerged the veteran politician had failed security vetting. The affair has haunted Starmer for months amid growing anger over Mandelson’s 2024 nomination to the top diplomatic post despite his close ties to late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Mandelson, a long-time insider with Starmer’s ruling Labour Party, has held multiple ministerial posts since... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350451/uks-starmer-faces-calls-resign-mandelson-scandal-reignites?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350451/uks-starmer-faces-calls-resign-mandelson-scandal-reignites?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 08:36:42 +0000 Reuters Reuters Britain’s top foreign ministry official will leave his post after Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper lost confidence in him, a source said on Thursday, following a row over the security vetting of Peter Mandelson. The disclosure of the vetting failure has intensified pressure on Starmer over his appointment of Mandelson, Britain’s former US ‌ambassador, who is under police investigation for allegedly leaking government documents to the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350376/epstein-row-uks-starmer-faces-calls-resign-over-report-mandelson-failed-vetting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350376/epstein-row-uks-starmer-faces-calls-resign-over-report-mandelson-failed-vetting?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 18:33:45 +0000 CNA CNA A man was charged in Australia on Tuesday with sexually assaulting a female passenger on board a Scoot flight from Singapore to Perth on Monday. The 52-year-old Indian national committed “non-consensual sexual acts” on a woman he was seated next to during the flight, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Western Australia Police Force said in a joint statement on Monday. The woman sought help from airline staff members and was later moved to another seat, the police said in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350324/indian-man-charged-sexual-assault-passenger-singapore-perth-scoot-flight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350324/indian-man-charged-sexual-assault-passenger-singapore-perth-scoot-flight?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:42:19 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A leading Indonesian university suspended 16 law students on Thursday after a sexually explicit group chat about their female peers went viral, sparking a debate about gender violence in the Muslim-majority country. Screenshots of a conversation among 16 male students at the University of Indonesia were posted on social media this week, eliciting shock and anger from female peers and a wider societal discussion. The university said in a statement on Thursday it had suspended the young men for... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350283/university-indonesia-suspends-16-law-students-sexually-explicit-group-chat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350283/university-indonesia-suspends-16-law-students-sexually-explicit-group-chat?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:08:26 +0000 CNA CNA A man raped a domestic worker in an open field in Singapore’s Rochor and stole money from her shortly after witnessing another man allegedly sexually assault the woman. Malaysian Harvin Velanggany, 24, was sentenced on Monday to eight years’ jail and six strokes of the cane after pleading guilty to one count of rape with a charge of theft taken into consideration. Court documents stated that the victim, a 32-year-old Filipino, was on her day off when she was sexually assaulted on May 26, 2024.... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350145/malaysian-man-jailed-singapore-raping-robbing-filipino-helper?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350145/malaysian-man-jailed-singapore-raping-robbing-filipino-helper?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 07:19:06 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The retrial of disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein on a rape charge on which a jury was previously deadlocked started on Tuesday, although he will remain imprisoned for other offences regardless of the verdict. Weinstein is accused of the third-degree rape of Jessica Mann, who starred in the 2015 romantic comedy This Isn’t Funny. The judge declared a mistrial last June after the jury foreman refused to return to deliberate the case amid a jury-room feud. Weinstein is being retried on that... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350100/harvey-weinstein-rape-retrial-begins-new-york?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350100/harvey-weinstein-rape-retrial-begins-new-york?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 20:34:19 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A German court on Tuesday sentenced a 28-year-old Chinese student to 11 years and three months in jail for repeatedly drugging and raping his girlfriend and filming the abuse. In a case reminiscent of that of France’s Gisele Pelicot, the Munich court said the defendant, named only as Zhongyi J., had assaulted his girlfriend while she was unconscious at least seven times. Zhongyi J. filmed the abuse each time and stored the videos on a hard drive, the court said. In one case, the assault lasted... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350093/germany-jails-chinese-student-pelicot-rape-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350093/germany-jails-chinese-student-pelicot-rape-case?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:46:59 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo A Japanese court on Tuesday sentenced a former teacher to two years in prison for taking indecent images of pupils and sharing them on social media, making him the first among members of an alleged teachers’ voyeurism ring to receive a prison sentence in a high-profile case that came to light last year. The Nagoya District Court handed down the sentence to Katsuya Ishikawa, 28, who was a teacher at a junior high school in Hayama, Kanagawa Prefecture, at the time of his arrest in September. Judge... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350058/japan-jails-ex-teacher-sharing-voyeuristic-student-images?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350058/japan-jails-ex-teacher-sharing-voyeuristic-student-images?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:14:01 +0000 Reuters Reuters US congressman Eric Swalwell said on Monday he will resign from the House of Representatives, bowing to pressure from both Democrats and Republicans to leave Congress or face expulsion following sexual misconduct allegations that upended his campaign for governor. The California Democrat vowed to fight the allegations but said ‌he must also “take responsibility and ownership” of his mistakes. “Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349966/swalwell-quit-congress-following-sexual-misconduct-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349966/swalwell-quit-congress-following-sexual-misconduct-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 23:03:14 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A federal judge dismissed US President Donald Trump’s US$10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch on Monday over a story on his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. US District Judge Darrin P. Gayles in Florida wrote in the order that Trump had failed to make the argument that the article was published with the intent to be malicious, but gave the president a chance to file an amended complaint. In a social media post several hours after the ruling, Trump said the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349958/judge-dismisses-trumps-us10-billion-wall-street-journal-lawsuit-over-epstein-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349958/judge-dismisses-trumps-us10-billion-wall-street-journal-lawsuit-over-epstein-report?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 18:35:09 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok Hong Kong police have arrested a man on suspicion of having underage sex and conning teen girls out of more than HK$30,000 (US$3,830) in a compensated dating scam. The force said on Monday the 36-year-old unemployed local man told the girls they could earn between HK$30,000 and HK$100,000. He told them he would collect the money from clients and transfer it to the girls, according to police. But he instead posed as a “customer” and had sex with one 15-year-old victim at a Yuen Long hotel and at... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3349955/hongkonger-arrested-suspicion-underage-sex-and-scamming-girls-hk33000?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3349955/hongkonger-arrested-suspicion-underage-sex-and-scamming-girls-hk33000?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:38:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters US congressman Eric Swalwell ⁠on Sunday said he was suspending his campaign for governor of California, as he faces calls from fellow Democratic lawmakers and dozens of his former staffers to leave Congress following accusations of sexual assault. “To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” Swalwell wrote in a post on X, without elaborating. “I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made - but that’s my fight,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349840/swalwell-suspends-california-governor-bid-amid-sexual-assault-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349840/swalwell-suspends-california-governor-bid-amid-sexual-assault-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 03:49:31 +0000 Reuters Reuters The Manhattan ⁠district attorney’s office confirmed ⁠on Saturday that it ⁠is investigating sexual assault allegations against US congressman Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat and a leading candidate for governor of the state. The San Francisco Chronicle on Friday reported ‌that a woman who previously worked in Swalwell’s district office accused him of two nonconsensual sexual encounters, one while she was employed by him in 2019 and another in 2024 after she had left his staff. She told CNN... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349764/sex-assault-claims-against-california-governor-hopeful-eric-swalwell-under-investigation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349764/sex-assault-claims-against-california-governor-hopeful-eric-swalwell-under-investigation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 21:06:34 +0000 Jennifer Lee Jennifer Lee https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3350381/threat-womens-safety-metas-smart-glasses-stir-privacy-worries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3350381/threat-womens-safety-metas-smart-glasses-stir-privacy-worries?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin US first lady Melania Trump on Thursday rejected what she called “lies” about her relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, in a rare White House address where she also called on Congress to hold public hearings for his victims. The first lady denied having ties to Epstein or knowledge of his crimes in a brief but strongly worded statement, saying the “lies” linking her to the disgraced financier “need to end today”. “I am not ‌Epstein’s victim,” said Melania Trump, while also... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349570/melania-trump-denies-any-ties-epstein-or-knowledge-his-crimes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349570/melania-trump-denies-any-ties-epstein-or-knowledge-his-crimes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 19:09:47 +0000