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After decades of struggle, women in China are rewriting their future

AdvertisementChina societyOpinionChina OpinionRen YanOpinion | After decades of struggle, women in China are rewriting their futureThe quiet revolution towards upholding women’s rights in China isn’t just about slogans but involves the hard work of families, educators and policymakers
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPRen YanPublished: 5:30am, 15 Oct 2025Every Lunar New Year, the urban professional woman – let’s call her Tracy – returns to her rural hometown, where she quickly drops her city identity for her simple rural name Cuihua, helping her family prepare the holiday meal.
AdvertisementFunny before-and-after pictures emphasising the contrast between sleek blazers and comfortable pyjamas have captivated Chinese social media users. But these social media memes mask a deeper question. How does “Cuihua” become “Tracy”?
Her journey involves more than a change of name; it encompasses the dramatic rise of Chinese women’s social status driven by personal resilience, family suppo..

World

Bowen: Trump’s role in Gaza ceasefire was decisive, but not a roadmap to peace

Bowen: Trump's role in Gaza ceasefire was decisive, but not a roadmap to peace4 hours agoShareSaveJeremy BowenInternational editorShareSaveEPA/ShutterstockSpeaking to the Israeli parliament, Trump declared “the historic dawn of a new Middle East”Donald Trump's quick trip to Israel and Egypt was the victory lap he wanted.
Anyone watching the speeches he made in Jerusalem and Sharm el-Sheikh could see a man luxuriating in his power – enjoying the applause in Israel's parliament, and in Egypt, basking in the fact that so many heads of state and government had flown in.
One veteran diplomat in the room said it looked as if Trump saw the role of the world leaders there as extras on his film set.
Trump's message at Sharm was, in effect, that he had created a historical turning point.
“All I've done all my life is deals. The greatest deals just sort of happen… That's what happened right here. And maybe this is going to be the greatest deal of them all,” he said…

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My friend Bipin threw back Hamas grenade – and saved my life

My friend Bipin threw back Hamas grenade – and saved my life6 hours agoShareSavePhanindra DahalBBC Nepali in KathmanduShareSaveDhan Bahadur ChaudharyDhan Bahadur (left) and Bipin, seen here in their bachelor level college year at Far Western University in NepalBipin Joshi threw back a grenade from Hamas attackers before being taken hostage in the assault on Israel two years ago, says the fellow Nepalese student he saved.
“I may not have survived if both grenades had exploded. Bipin showed courage and threw the grenade out,” Dhan Bahadur Chaudhary told BBC Nepali.
He was speaking after the Israeli military identified his friend's body as being among four dead hostages returned by Hamas under the Gaza ceasefire accord.
Bipin was 23 and working on a kibbutz when he was taken by Hamas into captivity along with 250 others on 7 October 2023. It's unclear how or when he died.
His family and friends hoped right up to the release deadline that he might be among living hostages returne..

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GITEX 2025: Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed inaugurates world’s largest tech and AI event

GITEX Global 2025 hosts over 6,800 tech companies and 2,000 startups from 180 countries, making it the world’s largest tech event/ Image: WAM The 45th edition of GITEX Global opens with record-breaking participation, reinforcing the UAE’s rise as a global digital leader under the direction of its Presidency and the leadership of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
GITEX 2025 inaugurated by Sheikh Mohammed
GITEX Global 2025 officially opened its doors on October 13 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai. Now in its 45th edition, the event has reached new heights in scale and ambition, solidifying its reputation as the world’s largest technology and artificial intelligence showcase. Sheikh Mohammed’s inauguration was marked by a high-level delegation of key UAE leaders, including: H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum – Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy P..

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Even Newsmax rejects the Pentagon’s new press restrictions ahead of signing deadline

Amid a slew of mainstream news publications rejecting the Pentagon’s prohibitive new press restrictions ahead of a Tuesday signing deadline, right-wing cable channel Newsmax surprisingly declared that it would also refuse to sign the new agreement, calling the policy “unnecessary and onerous.”
In fact, amid the continued backlash against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s new rules – which the Pentagon Press Association called an “unprecedented message of intimidation” – only one media organization has agreed to sign the letter: Trump-boosting channel One America News.
Late last month, the Department of Defense – which the Trump administration recently rebranded as the War Department – announced that it was imposing severe restrictions on reporters covering the Pentagon, including requiring them to cease gathering any information that the department hadn’t already cleared. Hegseth declared that any journalist who didn’t sign the pledge would have their press credentials revoked.
Followin..

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Cuban dissident Jose Daniel Ferrer leaves island for US exile after imprisonment

AdvertisementUS-Cuba relationsWorldAmericasCuban dissident Jose Daniel Ferrer leaves island for US exile after imprisonmentUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Ferrer’s arrival on Monday ‘after suffering years of abuse, torture and threats to his life’
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPAssociated PressPublished: 5:27am, 14 Oct 2025Updated: 5:46am, 14 Oct 2025Prominent Cuban dissident Jose Daniel Ferrer left the island on Monday for exile in the US at the request of the US government, Cuban and American authorities confirmed.
AdvertisementThe director of bilateral relations for the Cuban Foreign Ministry, Alejandro Garcia, told Associated Press that Ferrer, 55, departed before noon from his hometown Santiago in eastern Cuba en route to Florida.
“He leaves the country due to a request made by the US government to the Cuban government, which [Ferrer] is in agreement with,” Garcia said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Ferrer’s arrival on Monday “after suffering..

World

Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees freed as Trump hails ‘historic dawn’ in Middle East

Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees freed as Trump hails 'historic dawn' in Middle East57 minutes agoShareSaveTom BennettJerusalemShareSave'Peace in the Middle East': Trump signs ceasefire deal in EgyptThere have been celebrations across Israel and the Palestinian territories as a major hostage and prisoner exchange on Monday marked a significant step towards ending two years of war in Gaza.
In a crucial first phase of the US-brokered plan to end the war, Hamas returned all living Israeli hostages, while Israel freed almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
There were emotional scenes as families of the Israeli hostages screamed and cried with happiness as they embraced their freed loved ones.
And for the Palestinians who were freed from Israeli jails, huge crowds waving flags and playing patriotic music greeted them as they arrived on buses in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
US President Donald Trump landed in Israel minutes after the first hostage..

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Madagascar president says in ‘safe place’ after attempt on life

AdvertisementMadagascarWorldAfricaIn address to nation, Madagascar president says in ‘safe place’ after attempt on lifeFollowing weeks of protests calling for his resignation, Andry Rajoelina fled the country on a French army aircraft on Sunday, officials said
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPAgence France-PressePublished: 4:55am, 14 Oct 2025Updated: 5:08am, 14 Oct 2025Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina said on Monday he was in a “safe place” after an attempt on his life, following weeks of youth protests calling for his resignation.
AdvertisementIn an address to the nation, Rajoelina did not disclose his whereabouts, which remain unknown, but a military source and other officials told Reuters he had fled the country on a French army aircraft on Sunday after Malagasy troops announced their support for the protesters.
“I was forced to find a safe place to protect my life today. In all this, I never stop looking for solutions,” the 51-year-old leader said in the live addre..

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‘Get your a** on-site or find another job’: One-legged employee sues company over unyielding return-to-office mandate

A Las Vegas man with a prosthetic leg is suing his former employer after being “forced back” to work under a strict return-to-office policy he claims violated his rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Even though John Waudby, 54, had requested an ADA accommodation, and could do his work sufficiently from home, he was instructed by a supervisor to “get his a** on-site or find another job,” according to a federal discrimination lawsuit obtained by The Independent.
“It was further communicated to [Waudby] by his training director, ‘[T]he company does not care about your ADA accommodation. Either come on-site or find another job,’” Waudby’s complaint states.
Waudby, an animal lover who has raised money for abused pets, says being made to show up physically each day caused him “to suffer severe pain,” according to the complaint. When he complained, however, it says he was soon fired.
Foundever, formerly known as Sitel, provides “customer experience” services to some 800 companie..

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‘You’re my life, my hero’: Hostages reunite with families after two years

'You're my life, my hero': Hostages reunite with families after two years5 hours agoShareSaveAlice CuddyTel AvivShareSaveWatch: Emotional reunions as freed hostages return to IsraelMatan Zangauker, 25, walks grinning into his mother's arms.
“You're my life,” she exclaims, hugging him tightly in footage filmed by the Israeli military. “My life. My hero. Come, come.”
Matan was one of 20 living hostages remaining in Gaza after being taken during the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023, who were freed on Monday after two years in captivity.
His mother, Einav, has campaigned fiercely for Matan's return. She became among the best-known faces of the movement, and demanded the Israeli government agree a hostage exchange with Hamas.
Last week, she and her daughter lit fireworks in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv to celebrate the ceasefire deal that had been agreed between Israel and Hamas as part of Donald Trump's peace plan.
On Monday, crowds gathered and cheered..