The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) commenced an informal review on Friday of a proposed network and spectrum sharing arrangement between telecommunication companies Optus Mobile Pty Ltd. (Optus) and TPG Telecom Limited (TPG). The commission cited the legal test under Section 50 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth), which prohibits acquisitions likely [...]

Japan’s Hiroshima High Court approved on Wednesday the gender change of a transgender woman who did not undergo the legally required gender confirmation surgery. While the transgender woman was registered as a male on the family registry, she identified herself as a female. She faced legal challenges as Japanese law required individuals to meet certain [...]

South Korea’s Busan District Court sentenced a man to 15 years in prison on Friday for attempting to murder Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung and for violating the Public Official Election Act, according to reports from local media. The court, presided over by Judge Kim Yong-gyun, highlighted the severity of the crime, describing it as [...]

Australia Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers approved ANZ’s $4.9 billion takeover of Suncorp’s banking division on Friday. The approval overturned the national consumer watchdog’s previous decision due to competition concerns. Introduced in 2022, the proposal sought to integrate Suncorp’s banking operations into ANZ’s portfolio, allowing Suncorp to focus on its insurance business. Approving the acquisition, Chalmers [...]

Indonesia’s antitrust agency announced Wednesday that e-commerce giant Shopee and its courier service, Shopee Express, will make adjustments to its courier service practices in Indonesia after admitting to violating Indonesian competition laws. The Komisi Pengawas Persaingan Usaha (KPPU), also known as the Indonesia Competition Commission, found that Shopee violated anti-competition rules by prioritizing its own [...]

The Philippines announced Friday that it does not intend to invoke its mutual defense treaty with the US following an incident captured on video where the Chinese coast guard allegedly boarded two Philippine navy boats, with a Philippine sailor sustaining serious injuries. The Chinese Coast Guard sailors were attempting to block a resupply mission at [...]

Victoria Coroner Simon McGregor found Wednesday that the Australian state’s Department of Fairness, Families and Housing (DFFH) breached the human rights of a 17-year-old Aboriginal teenager who took her own life in July 2021 by ignoring her repeated requests to reconnect with her Aboriginal culture. The teenager, known by the pseudonym XY, was a member [...]

The chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines stated on Friday that the military and other maritime law enforcement agencies are prepared to defend Filipino fishermen from China’s “anti-trespassing policy,” reinforcing the fishermen’s right to fish in the West Philippine Sea. General Romeo Brawner Jr. reaffirmed that Filipino fishermen should continue their [...]

South Korean prosecutors indicted Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung on Wednesday on bribery charges for allegedly facilitating a scheme with Ssangbangwool Group to illegally transfer US$8 million to North Korea, according to reports from local media. These transactions were purportedly to secure government support and guarantee for Ssangbangwool’s business ventures in North Korea and facilitate [...]

The Supreme Court of Korea dismissed an appeal on Thursday filed by doctors and medical professionals aiming to stop the South Korean government’s plan to increase the medical school admissions by up to 2,000 students next year, according to reports from local media. This initiative responds to the need to increase the number of medical [...]