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AdvertisementSouth KoreaThis Week in AsiaPeopleFate of South Korea’s Han Duck-soo to set tone for Yoon, others in martial law trialThe former prime minister will be the first of those linked to the decree to be sentenced. The prosecution has asked for 15 years’ jail
Reading Time:4 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPPark Chan-kyongPublished: 9:30am, 28 Nov 2025The sentencing of former South Korean prime minister Han Duck-soo in January next year will serve as a bellwether for others charged for their roles in impeached president Yoon Suk-yeol’s botched martial law decree, observers say.On Wednesday, a special counsel team investigating the insurrection charges related to Yoon’s December 3 decree demanded a 15-year jail term for the 77-year-old veteran administrator.Han is accused of helping “the mastermind of insurrection” and playing key roles in the failed self-coup.
AdvertisementSenior Judge Lee Jin-gwan of the Seoul Central District Court has set the date for Han’s sentencing for January ..

AdvertisementHong Kong economyOpinionHong Kong OpinionDoug WoodringandDavid KetchumOpinion | A vacancy tax could bring back Hong Kong’s commercial buzzThe city’s magic comes from its energy and speed, not empty units. A gentle policy nudge could boost vibrancy and long-term asset values
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPDoug WoodringandDavid KetchumPublished: 9:30am, 28 Nov 2025Take a walk through some of Hong Kong’s most iconic streets and you might notice a puzzling sight: prime retail spaces in Causeway Bay, Wan Chai, Tsim Sha Tsui and other areas are papered over with all types of rental advertisements where there used to be a buzz.
Out-of-reach rental prices are often a result of a simple human instinct: the desire to hold out for yesterday’s peak prices. For many property owners, accepting a lower rent can feel like a step back, potentially affecting bank valuations or reputations that have been built over the years. However, accepting a slightly lower rent today may no..

. Authorities have identified the suspect in the Washington DC shooting that critically injured two National Guard members near the White House. Law enforcement sources told CBS News that the accused is Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who entered the United States in 2021. Officials are still verifying all his details, and the motive remains unclear.Images shared online appeared to show the suspect being taken away in handcuffs after being shot and placed on a stretcher.“This is the man who opened fire on the National Guard just one day before Thanksgiving. He was taken away in handcuffs after being shot, stripped, and loaded onto a stretcher before being placed in an ambulance,” an X user wrote, sharing the picture.The shooting happened on Wednesday afternoon when National Guard members were on “high-visibility patrols” near 17th Street and I Street NW. Police said the gunman came around a corner, raised a handgun, and fired directly at the two soldiers. Other Guar..

Trump (AP file photo) A judge in Georgia has dismissed the last pending criminal case against president Donald Trump, ending efforts to charge him for trying to overturn the 2020 election. With this, all three criminal cases filed against him before his re-election have now been taken down. Charges against his co-accused, including Rudy Giuliani and Mark Meadows, were also dropped. The Georgia case was considered a major legal threat because a state conviction cannot be undone by a presidential pardon. But on Wednesday, Pete Skandalakis, who leads the state’s nonpartisan prosecutor council, asked the court to close the case. He said the earlier charges brought by Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis did not hold, arguing that challenging election results is not a crime.Georgia prosecutor kills 2020 election interference case against Trump and alliesSkandalakis also said the federal investigation led by special counsel Jack Smith was the proper venue to review Trump’s actions. He..

AdvertisementChina societyOpinionChina OpinionPhoebe ZhangOpinion | Elite success stories are cold comfort for disillusioned young workersThe backlash over a tycoon’s letter to overburdened staff during his trip to Antarctica reveals a fissure beyond a generational divide
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPPhoebe Zhangin ShenzhenPublished: 9:30am, 27 Nov 2025On the 32nd anniversary of New Oriental, a private Beijing-based education services provider, the company’s founder, Yu Minhong, wrote an internal letter to his staff about his trip to the South Pole.“I am standing in the icy world of Antarctica, surrounded by vast expanses of pure white, emerald-like icebergs and boundless tranquillity,” he wrote. “The glaciers shimmer with a captivating glow under the sunlight, as if to silently declare the power of time and the meaning of perseverance.”
He went on to reminisce about his difficult journey from the lecture halls of Peking University to launching his business. He then wrot..