Francine is Senior Production Editor at SCMP's Asia desk and lead of the Lunar project. She has worked at newsrooms in New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore. She has won individual and team awards at the HK News Awards, Wan-Ifra Digital Media Asia Awards and the Canon/Voyager Media Awards.
Her empathy, self-awareness and deft handling of crises in the face of rampant sexism and hatred made New Zealand’s former prime minister an inspiration for the next generation of female leaders.
Although the incumbent prime minister leads in polls by double digits, her support is a paltry 26.5 per cent among Chinese Kiwis, who largely favour the National Party.
While there is caution and anxiety among the community, the people of Christchurch and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern have been commended for their sensitivity.
Want to know about the black sugar you probably ate over the festive period? Are you keeping an eye on elections in Thailand, Indonesia, or the Philippines? Or wondering where the US is taking on China next? Read on …