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AdvertisementWomen and genderOpinionChina OpinionAudrey Jiajia LiBeing Chinese | Why Chinese women like me are done being quiet and ‘appropriate’Chinese women are praised for gentleness. Our tone must please; our anger must be graceful. But a new generation is speaking out
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPAudrey Jiajia LiPublished: 9:30am, 29 Nov 2025In China, girls are taught early to be “appropriate” – to listen, not lead; to speak gently, not loudly. We grow up believing that quietness is likeability, and likeability is safety. But something is shifting.
When Chinese writer Jiang Fangzhou said to me during a recent interview, “I can’t be waiting for some influential man to say, ‘I’ll give you an hour to talk about literature’. You can’t be waiting for a seat, for a microphone”, it struck a chord far beyond us. It was a generational declaration – for women who are done being echoes.
Jiang’s trajectory is familiar to many in China. She began writing at seven, published her ..

AdvertisementSingaporeThis Week in AsiaPeopleWhy new coach Gavin Lee could be key to Singapore football’s revival: ‘future is bright’Lee’s appointment, following the Lions’ qualification for the 2027 Asian Cup, is a ‘long-needed change’ in Singapore football, analysts say
Reading Time:4 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPJean IauPublished: 9:00am, 29 Nov 2025Singapore’s long-frustrated football fans are daring to hope again after a landmark Asian Cup qualification win and the appointment of a home-grown coach they believe can restore pride to a national side long eclipsed at home by English Premier League fandom.On Friday, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) announced that Gavin Lee, the interim coach that secured the Lions’ qualification for the Asian Cup on merit for the first time, has been given the head coach job on an 18-month contract.Singapore came from a goal down to beat Hong Kong 2-1 at Kai Tak Stadium on November 18, granting the city state a spot in Saudi Arabia in 2027 ..

. US president Donald Trump said on Thursday that Sarah Beckstrom, one of the two National Guard soldiers shot near the White House a day earlier, had died of her injuries. The second soldier, he said, was “fighting for his life”.Trump called Beckstrom a “highly respected, young, magnificent person” and said he learned of her death just before starting a Thanksgiving video call with US troops. He told them the other soldier remained in “very bad shape”.On Cam: FIRST Photos Of National Guardsmen Shot 24-Hours After Swearing In I DC Ambush“Seconds before I went on right now, I heard that Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia… highly respected, young magnificent person…” “She's just passed away. She's no longer with us. She's looking down at us right now. Her parents are with her. This just happened,” Trump said.The shooting took place on Wednesday afternoon a few blocks from the White House, near the intersection of 17th Street NW and I Street NW. The area includes the Eisenhow..

Russian President Vladimir Putin (AP) Russian president Vladimir Putin has said a revised US proposal “could form the basis” of a future Ukraine agreement, but only if Kyiv pulls its troops out of areas Moscow claims as its own. If Ukraine refuses, he warned, Russia will take the territory by force. The comments come as Washington tries to restart peace talks with a new plan it hopes to discuss with both Moscow and Kyiv. The war is now close to four years old, with Ukrainian forces outnumbered and under strain along the eastern front. Speaking during a visit to Kyrgyzstan, Putin said, “If Ukrainian forces leave the territories they hold, then we will stop combat operations,” Putin said during a visit to Kyrgyzstan. “If they don't, then we will achieve it by military means.”Russia currently controls around one-fifth of Ukraine. Kyiv has repeatedly said it will not give up any land. Washington’s first proposal, drafted without involving European allies, had suggested Kyiv withdraw f..

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..