Software engineer Atul Subash’s suicide sparks gender-bias debate over India’s family courts
By Vasudevan Sridharan
A software engineer’s final message before ending his life this week has set off a national reckoning in India over family law and gender bias, with men’s rights advocates arguing male litigants are often pushed to despair by the country’s courts in familial disputes.
“If I win from the system, devote my mortal remains to the Ganga [Ganges River]; otherwise, in a gutter outside the court,” wrote 34-year-old Bengaluru-based software developer, Atul Subash, whose body was found on Monday at his home in India’s technology hub.
He left behind a 24-page suicide note and a YouTube video blaming his estranged wife, her family and the Indian judicial system for pushing him to take such a drastic step.
Subash’s family alleges he was a victim of extortion, saying his wife’s relatives demanded a one-time alimony settlement of up to 30 million rupees (US$350,000), a figure that had haunted the couple’s lengthy divorce case since 2021.
Subash also accused his wife of preventing him from seeing their son until he fulfilled her financial demands. In a part of the suicide note addressed to his son, he expressed deep sorrow and frustration: “When I first saw you, I thought that I could give my life for you any day. But, sadly, I am giving my life because of you. I don’t feel anything about you now except a tinge of pain sometimes. Now, you just feel like a blackmail using which I will be extorted more and more.”
Local police are investigating, while Subash’s wife, identified as Nikita Singhania, and her immediate family are in hiding.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Vasudevan Sridharan
A software engineer’s final message before ending his life this week has set off a national reckoning in India over family law and gender bias, with men’s rights advocates arguing male litigants are often pushed to despair by the country’s courts in familial disputes.
“If I win from the system, devote my mortal remains to the Ganga [Ganges River]; otherwise, in a gutter outside the court,” wrote 34-year-old Bengaluru-based software developer, Atul Subash, whose body was found on Monday at his home in India’s technology hub.
He left behind a 24-page suicide note and a YouTube video blaming his estranged wife, her family and the Indian judicial system for pushing him to take such a drastic step.
Subash’s family alleges he was a victim of extortion, saying his wife’s relatives demanded a one-time alimony settlement of up to 30 million rupees (US$350,000), a figure that had haunted the couple’s lengthy divorce case since 2021.
Subash also accused his wife of preventing him from seeing their son until he fulfilled her financial demands. In a part of the suicide note addressed to his son, he expressed deep sorrow and frustration: “When I first saw you, I thought that I could give my life for you any day. But, sadly, I am giving my life because of you. I don’t feel anything about you now except a tinge of pain sometimes. Now, you just feel like a blackmail using which I will be extorted more and more.”
Local police are investigating, while Subash’s wife, identified as Nikita Singhania, and her immediate family are in hiding.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Seminal US-China science pact renewed for 5 years with ‘guardrails’ for researchers, data
By Bochen HanKhushboo Razdan
Beijing and Washington have agreed to renew a 45-year-old science and technology agreement for five years, containing substantial revisions and marking a long-awaited breakthrough nod to cooperation amid tense ties, the Chinese Science and Technology Ministry announced on Friday.
Typically renewed every five years, the US-China Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement (STA) (
For decades, the STA fostered scientific collaboration by providing a legal and political framework for American and Chinese researchers to secure funding and pursue joint projects.
According to the Congressional Research Service, sub-agreements under the STA have encompassed such research areas as agriculture, energy, the environment, health, nuclear fusion and safety as well as earth, atmospheric and marine sciences and remote sensing.
But in recent years, the US has increasingly raised concern over research and personnel security, while calling for greater data reciprocity and a narrowing of permissible research areas.
Beijing, meanwhile, has also conveyed concerns about the safe and equal treatment of Chinese scientists in the US.
The agreement’s supporters say the deal shields American researchers working in China and fosters research in the US by granting access to crucial Chinese databases, especially in areas like health.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Bochen HanKhushboo Razdan
Beijing and Washington have agreed to renew a 45-year-old science and technology agreement for five years, containing substantial revisions and marking a long-awaited breakthrough nod to cooperation amid tense ties, the Chinese Science and Technology Ministry announced on Friday.
Typically renewed every five years, the US-China Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement (STA) (
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF12510) was last fully renewed under the first Donald Trump administration. It received a six-month extension instead of a full renewal in August 2023 and was extended again in February 2024 for another six months.For decades, the STA fostered scientific collaboration by providing a legal and political framework for American and Chinese researchers to secure funding and pursue joint projects.
According to the Congressional Research Service, sub-agreements under the STA have encompassed such research areas as agriculture, energy, the environment, health, nuclear fusion and safety as well as earth, atmospheric and marine sciences and remote sensing.
But in recent years, the US has increasingly raised concern over research and personnel security, while calling for greater data reciprocity and a narrowing of permissible research areas.
Beijing, meanwhile, has also conveyed concerns about the safe and equal treatment of Chinese scientists in the US.
The agreement’s supporters say the deal shields American researchers working in China and fosters research in the US by granting access to crucial Chinese databases, especially in areas like health.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Trump 2.0 could offer a reprieve from US hegemony, but only briefly
By Peter T. C. Chang
For all the anticipated unpredictability and chaos, Trump 2.0 may offer the world a reprieve from ideological entanglement and military intervention. However, this respite could be short-lived, as the United States may quickly revert to its familiar pattern of ideological and military overreach.
US president-elect Donald Trump has threatened Brics nations with tariffs if they attempt to undermine the dominance of the US dollar. He has also issued similar threats against China, Mexico and even Canada, linking tariffs to issues like immigration and fentanyl.
While US President Joe Biden has also used tariffs, his approach has largely focused on China. In contrast, Trump’s strategy involves imposing tariffs indiscriminately, targeting both adversaries and allies alike.
Beyond his mistrust of allies, Trump’s expansive tariff threats highlight his rejection of the US’ self-assigned role as defender of a rules-based international order. Unlike Biden, who frames the current great power rivalry as a struggle between democracy and authoritarianism, Trump seems to exhibit little interest in protecting or leading the free world.
Trump’s focus remains singularly nationalistic. He wants to “Make America Great Again” by prioritising and defending core US interests, particularly through rebuilding the country’s economic dominance.
This could signal a crucial turning point in the ongoing reconfiguration of the Western-centric world order. Trump’s approach may allow the Global South to advance its pursuit of a more balanced economic system without becoming entangled in ideological disputes over democracy and human rights.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Peter T. C. Chang
For all the anticipated unpredictability and chaos, Trump 2.0 may offer the world a reprieve from ideological entanglement and military intervention. However, this respite could be short-lived, as the United States may quickly revert to its familiar pattern of ideological and military overreach.
US president-elect Donald Trump has threatened Brics nations with tariffs if they attempt to undermine the dominance of the US dollar. He has also issued similar threats against China, Mexico and even Canada, linking tariffs to issues like immigration and fentanyl.
While US President Joe Biden has also used tariffs, his approach has largely focused on China. In contrast, Trump’s strategy involves imposing tariffs indiscriminately, targeting both adversaries and allies alike.
Beyond his mistrust of allies, Trump’s expansive tariff threats highlight his rejection of the US’ self-assigned role as defender of a rules-based international order. Unlike Biden, who frames the current great power rivalry as a struggle between democracy and authoritarianism, Trump seems to exhibit little interest in protecting or leading the free world.
Trump’s focus remains singularly nationalistic. He wants to “Make America Great Again” by prioritising and defending core US interests, particularly through rebuilding the country’s economic dominance.
This could signal a crucial turning point in the ongoing reconfiguration of the Western-centric world order. Trump’s approach may allow the Global South to advance its pursuit of a more balanced economic system without becoming entangled in ideological disputes over democracy and human rights.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
‘Bigger picture’: China’s PLA hosts young Japanese officers in renewed military exchange
By Vanessa Cai
In a rare sign of defence cooperation amid frayed bilateral ties, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has hosted a Japanese delegation of young military officers.
The nine-day trip, which wrapped up on December 4, included visits to the cities of Beijing, Chengdu and Guangzhou, Chinese defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian said on Friday.
During their trip, the Japanese officers visited the Beijing garrison’s guard division, a naval base and the air force’s aerobatic team. They also held talks with Chinese military officers at the PLA Academy of Military Sciences, Wu said.
The visit is the second time such communications have been held in person in China since they resumed in July last year, when a Japanese delegation visited China for the first time in four years, following the suspension of regular exchanges during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In May, China sent a delegation of 20 military officers to Japan for the first time since the pandemic.
The visits date back to 2001 when military officers from each country arranged an exchange programme that continued until it was suspended in 2012, and then resumed in 2018.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Vanessa Cai
In a rare sign of defence cooperation amid frayed bilateral ties, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has hosted a Japanese delegation of young military officers.
The nine-day trip, which wrapped up on December 4, included visits to the cities of Beijing, Chengdu and Guangzhou, Chinese defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian said on Friday.
During their trip, the Japanese officers visited the Beijing garrison’s guard division, a naval base and the air force’s aerobatic team. They also held talks with Chinese military officers at the PLA Academy of Military Sciences, Wu said.
The visit is the second time such communications have been held in person in China since they resumed in July last year, when a Japanese delegation visited China for the first time in four years, following the suspension of regular exchanges during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In May, China sent a delegation of 20 military officers to Japan for the first time since the pandemic.
The visits date back to 2001 when military officers from each country arranged an exchange programme that continued until it was suspended in 2012, and then resumed in 2018.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Hong Kong taxi drivers to face ban for failing to turn on surveillance cameras
By Ng Kang-chung
Hong Kong taxi drivers will be banned from plying their trade if they fail to turn on internal surveillance cameras and dashcams, according to proposed legislative amendments aimed at improving the industry’s service quality.
Newly appointed Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan on Friday also ruled out subsidising the cost of taxi operators installing the equipment, saying the potential price tag, about HK$3,500 (US$450) to HK$5,300 per cab, should be manageable.
She told the Legislative Council’s transport panel that the latest proposals would require all taxis to install in-car cameras, dashcams and global positioning systems (GPS), in addition to mandating that all drivers provide e-payment options.
“It is a three-win scheme. It is good for passengers, good for drivers and can also enhance the reputation of the taxi trade,” she said.
Lawmaker Chan Siu-hung asked Mable Chan what would happen if drivers failed to turn on their cameras.
The minister said: “It will be like the taximeter. It is illegal not to use the taximeter to calculate the fare. So, if your taximeter is not working, you simply cannot operate and have to get it repaired first.”
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Ng Kang-chung
Hong Kong taxi drivers will be banned from plying their trade if they fail to turn on internal surveillance cameras and dashcams, according to proposed legislative amendments aimed at improving the industry’s service quality.
Newly appointed Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan on Friday also ruled out subsidising the cost of taxi operators installing the equipment, saying the potential price tag, about HK$3,500 (US$450) to HK$5,300 per cab, should be manageable.
She told the Legislative Council’s transport panel that the latest proposals would require all taxis to install in-car cameras, dashcams and global positioning systems (GPS), in addition to mandating that all drivers provide e-payment options.
“It is a three-win scheme. It is good for passengers, good for drivers and can also enhance the reputation of the taxi trade,” she said.
Lawmaker Chan Siu-hung asked Mable Chan what would happen if drivers failed to turn on their cameras.
The minister said: “It will be like the taximeter. It is illegal not to use the taximeter to calculate the fare. So, if your taximeter is not working, you simply cannot operate and have to get it repaired first.”
via SCMP Full Text Feed
China urges efforts to curb Syria’s descent into further division and refugee crisis
By Zhao Ziwen
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged efforts to prevent Syria from descending into further division and a repeat of the refugee crisis, in his first response to the sudden collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s Beijing-friendly regime last week.
Wang also called for efforts to maintain the regional reconciliation brought by the resumption of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, whose peace deal brokered by Beijing last year was hailed by China as a major diplomatic win.
“The international community should … help the region to improve the humanitarian situation and alleviate the suffering of the people of the Middle East, in particular by preventing the resurgence of the refugee crisis in Syria,” Wang told his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdel Aaty in Beijing on Friday.
Wang also warned against sidelining the ongoing Palestinian issue, saying “the Middle East should not remain a victim of great power rivalries”, taking aim at the United States and its allies.
Wang’s response came as Assad’s regime suddenly collapsed on Sunday after a decade-long civil war.
Beijing, a long-term supporter of Assad, has closely monitored the ramifications of its overall Middle-East strategy and is expected to carefully manage relations with the new Syrian government, according to experts.
Syria had not been not a central pillar of China’s Middle East strategy, but Assad’s regime was risky for Beijing’s Middle East role, said Jesse Marks, a non-resident fellow with the Stimson Centre’s China programme and a former US defence adviser.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Zhao Ziwen
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged efforts to prevent Syria from descending into further division and a repeat of the refugee crisis, in his first response to the sudden collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s Beijing-friendly regime last week.
Wang also called for efforts to maintain the regional reconciliation brought by the resumption of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, whose peace deal brokered by Beijing last year was hailed by China as a major diplomatic win.
“The international community should … help the region to improve the humanitarian situation and alleviate the suffering of the people of the Middle East, in particular by preventing the resurgence of the refugee crisis in Syria,” Wang told his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdel Aaty in Beijing on Friday.
Wang also warned against sidelining the ongoing Palestinian issue, saying “the Middle East should not remain a victim of great power rivalries”, taking aim at the United States and its allies.
Wang’s response came as Assad’s regime suddenly collapsed on Sunday after a decade-long civil war.
Beijing, a long-term supporter of Assad, has closely monitored the ramifications of its overall Middle-East strategy and is expected to carefully manage relations with the new Syrian government, according to experts.
Syria had not been not a central pillar of China’s Middle East strategy, but Assad’s regime was risky for Beijing’s Middle East role, said Jesse Marks, a non-resident fellow with the Stimson Centre’s China programme and a former US defence adviser.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Chinese social media Xiaohongxu moves closer to IPO as profits surge in 2024, sources say
By Wency Chen
Social media platform Xiaohongshu, known as China’s Instagram, has the wind at its back in its pursuit of an initial public offering in Hong Kong, as its commercialisation efforts pay off, according to sources briefed on the matter.
The Shanghai-based company, which is influential among young Chinese women with its user-generated lifestyle content, has selected underwriters, including China International Capital Corporation, for the planned listing, according to several people familiar with the matter.
The company expects profits to double this year over 2023, exceeding US$1 billion, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, presenting favourable conditions for floating shares on the Hong Kong bourse.
One source, who declined to be named because the matter is private, told the Post that Xiaohongshu’s profits are mainly driven by advertising revenue, but its e-commerce segment still struggles to turn a profit amid sales growth.
Xiaohongshu did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.
The platform, whose name means “little red book”, has more than 300 million monthly active users and a list of big-name investors, including Alibaba Group Holding, Tencent Holdings, Temasek Holdings, GSR Ventures, ZhenFund, HongShan, and DST Global. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.
In July, DST Global invested in Xiaohongshu through a share transfer from early investors, valuing the company at US$17 billion.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Wency Chen
Social media platform Xiaohongshu, known as China’s Instagram, has the wind at its back in its pursuit of an initial public offering in Hong Kong, as its commercialisation efforts pay off, according to sources briefed on the matter.
The Shanghai-based company, which is influential among young Chinese women with its user-generated lifestyle content, has selected underwriters, including China International Capital Corporation, for the planned listing, according to several people familiar with the matter.
The company expects profits to double this year over 2023, exceeding US$1 billion, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, presenting favourable conditions for floating shares on the Hong Kong bourse.
One source, who declined to be named because the matter is private, told the Post that Xiaohongshu’s profits are mainly driven by advertising revenue, but its e-commerce segment still struggles to turn a profit amid sales growth.
Xiaohongshu did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.
The platform, whose name means “little red book”, has more than 300 million monthly active users and a list of big-name investors, including Alibaba Group Holding, Tencent Holdings, Temasek Holdings, GSR Ventures, ZhenFund, HongShan, and DST Global. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.
In July, DST Global invested in Xiaohongshu through a share transfer from early investors, valuing the company at US$17 billion.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
China needs incentives to power a lean, grass-roots-official machine, economic leaders say
By Xinlu LiangWilliam Zheng
China’s lower-level officials need incentives to take risks and spur growth but they also need to set a frugal example, according to a statement released on Friday after an annual top economic conference.
The balancing act was discussed at the central economic work conference, a gathering of the Communist Party elite in Beijing on Thursday to determine the overall tone for government action and the economic agenda for the coming year.
Chaired by President Xi Jinping, the conference reflected concerns that official inertia and red tape is hindering the country’s economic recovery.
China is facing slowing growth and rising debt levels amid wide-ranging competition with the United States.
To inject new life into the economy, Beijing plans to raise the fiscal deficit ceiling, issue more treasury bonds, cut interest rates and reduce the reserve requirement ratio.
But local government officials must be incentivised and unburdened to effectively execute the central government’s economic agenda and policy changes, according to the conference statement.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Xinlu LiangWilliam Zheng
China’s lower-level officials need incentives to take risks and spur growth but they also need to set a frugal example, according to a statement released on Friday after an annual top economic conference.
The balancing act was discussed at the central economic work conference, a gathering of the Communist Party elite in Beijing on Thursday to determine the overall tone for government action and the economic agenda for the coming year.
Chaired by President Xi Jinping, the conference reflected concerns that official inertia and red tape is hindering the country’s economic recovery.
China is facing slowing growth and rising debt levels amid wide-ranging competition with the United States.
To inject new life into the economy, Beijing plans to raise the fiscal deficit ceiling, issue more treasury bonds, cut interest rates and reduce the reserve requirement ratio.
But local government officials must be incentivised and unburdened to effectively execute the central government’s economic agenda and policy changes, according to the conference statement.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Thai teen, 14, stabs schoolmate to death in a fight
By Associated Press
A 14-year-old has been arrested on charges alleging that he stabbed a Thai-Australian schoolmate to death in a fight after having an ongoing feud, police in Thailand said on Friday.
The suspect told investigators he and the victim harboured a mutual dislike from school and they agreed via the Line messaging app to meet outside a grocery store near their homes on Tuesday in Sattahip in Chonburi province, said police colonel Tanapol Klinkesorn, director of the Sattahip police station.
The suspect appeared to have lost the fight because the other boy was bigger, but the suspect rushed to his car to grab a cooking knife and stabbed the victim in the back, Tanapol said.
The victim was also 14, but the suspect was an eighth-grader while the victim was a year behind him, police said. They did not release their names because of their age but said the Australian embassy confirmed the victim had dual nationality.
The boy was found lying at the entrance to the store with the knife in his back and its broken handle on the ground, according to Sawang Rojanatham Rescue Foundation, a charity organisation whose EMS workers rushed to the scene.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Associated Press
A 14-year-old has been arrested on charges alleging that he stabbed a Thai-Australian schoolmate to death in a fight after having an ongoing feud, police in Thailand said on Friday.
The suspect told investigators he and the victim harboured a mutual dislike from school and they agreed via the Line messaging app to meet outside a grocery store near their homes on Tuesday in Sattahip in Chonburi province, said police colonel Tanapol Klinkesorn, director of the Sattahip police station.
The suspect appeared to have lost the fight because the other boy was bigger, but the suspect rushed to his car to grab a cooking knife and stabbed the victim in the back, Tanapol said.
The victim was also 14, but the suspect was an eighth-grader while the victim was a year behind him, police said. They did not release their names because of their age but said the Australian embassy confirmed the victim had dual nationality.
The boy was found lying at the entrance to the store with the knife in his back and its broken handle on the ground, according to Sawang Rojanatham Rescue Foundation, a charity organisation whose EMS workers rushed to the scene.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Hong Kong’s Peak Tram to scrap regular fare, charge same price on all days
By Fiona Sun
Hong Kong’s famed Peak Tram will scrap its current fare for regular rides and charge up to HK$108 (US$14) for a ticket on all days, resulting in passengers having to pay about 23 per cent more per trip.
The Peak Tramways Company announced on Friday that ticket prices of the rides would be standardised on all days starting from December 30.
Under the price adjustment, a single ticket for adults will cost HK$76, while a return fare will be HK$108.
The regular fare for children and elderly will also be removed, and under the new pricing, a single highest-priced ticket for children aged three to 11 and the elderly aged 65 or above will cost HK$38, while a return fare will cost HK$54.
The new prices are the same as current fares for peak days, while those for regular days cost less – between HK$62 and HK$88 for adult tickets, and from HK$31 to HK$44 for tickets for children and seniors.
The company said the price adjustment was designed to reduce customer confusion arising from the current dynamic pricing structure.
“Through the implementation of a unified ticketing structure, we aim to make it easier for our customers to plan their visit schedules,” it said.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Fiona Sun
Hong Kong’s famed Peak Tram will scrap its current fare for regular rides and charge up to HK$108 (US$14) for a ticket on all days, resulting in passengers having to pay about 23 per cent more per trip.
The Peak Tramways Company announced on Friday that ticket prices of the rides would be standardised on all days starting from December 30.
Under the price adjustment, a single ticket for adults will cost HK$76, while a return fare will be HK$108.
The regular fare for children and elderly will also be removed, and under the new pricing, a single highest-priced ticket for children aged three to 11 and the elderly aged 65 or above will cost HK$38, while a return fare will cost HK$54.
The new prices are the same as current fares for peak days, while those for regular days cost less – between HK$62 and HK$88 for adult tickets, and from HK$31 to HK$44 for tickets for children and seniors.
The company said the price adjustment was designed to reduce customer confusion arising from the current dynamic pricing structure.
“Through the implementation of a unified ticketing structure, we aim to make it easier for our customers to plan their visit schedules,” it said.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Ice, snow economy eyed to heat up northeastern Chinese province with tourist influx
By Daisy Wu
Northeast China’s Jilin province is leveraging the snow season to enhance the ice and snow economy, with a plan to attract 230 million tourists and generate 420 billion yuan (US$57.7 billion) in revenue by 2027-28.
Authorities announced on Thursday an action plan aiming to establish the province as a globally hub for the ice and snow economy by supporting winter tourism, sports and related equipment manufacturing through targeted policies.
The plan includes applying for up to two additional national-level ski tourism resorts, and ensuring at least 100 snow parks operate annually.
Data from the local commerce department showed that nine major ski resorts in Jilin generated a combined revenue of 1.647 billion yuan during the last snow season, representing a 37.1 per cent year on year increase.
The number of operational snow parks also rose by 68 per cent, reaching 158.
The plan also focuses on growing leading brands and companies in the snow equipment sector, targeting a total output value of over 5 billion yuan by 2030.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Daisy Wu
Northeast China’s Jilin province is leveraging the snow season to enhance the ice and snow economy, with a plan to attract 230 million tourists and generate 420 billion yuan (US$57.7 billion) in revenue by 2027-28.
Authorities announced on Thursday an action plan aiming to establish the province as a globally hub for the ice and snow economy by supporting winter tourism, sports and related equipment manufacturing through targeted policies.
The plan includes applying for up to two additional national-level ski tourism resorts, and ensuring at least 100 snow parks operate annually.
Data from the local commerce department showed that nine major ski resorts in Jilin generated a combined revenue of 1.647 billion yuan during the last snow season, representing a 37.1 per cent year on year increase.
The number of operational snow parks also rose by 68 per cent, reaching 158.
The plan also focuses on growing leading brands and companies in the snow equipment sector, targeting a total output value of over 5 billion yuan by 2030.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Cafe in Indonesia’s most conservative province sets out to defy norms
By Yannis Tan
In the capital of Indonesia’s most conservative province, Aceh, lies a sole woman-run cafe owned by Qurrata Ayuni.
Morning Mama was opened in 2023 to create a space that caters to women in Banda Aceh, also known as the “city of 1,001 coffee shops”.
Owner Qurrata aims to provide an alternative to coffee shops that typically cater to men in the city.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Yannis Tan
In the capital of Indonesia’s most conservative province, Aceh, lies a sole woman-run cafe owned by Qurrata Ayuni.
Morning Mama was opened in 2023 to create a space that caters to women in Banda Aceh, also known as the “city of 1,001 coffee shops”.
Owner Qurrata aims to provide an alternative to coffee shops that typically cater to men in the city.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
