https://www.scmp.com/rss/266075/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com In 2001, a group of Japanese scientists made a startling discovery at a rubbish dump. In trenches packed with dirt and waste, they found a slimy film of bacteria that had been happily chewing through plastic bottles, toys and other bric-a-brac. As they broke down the trash, the bacteria harvested the carbon in the plastic for energy, which they used to grow, move and divide into even more plastic-hungry bacteria. Even if not in quite the hand-to-mouth-to-stomach way we normally understand it,... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3240042/recycling-revolution-beckons-using-plastic-eating-bacteria-found-trash-decades-ago?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3240042/recycling-revolution-beckons-using-plastic-eating-bacteria-found-trash-decades-ago?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Nov 2023 10:15:09 +0000 The Guardian The Guardian Lab-grown meat has been successfully cultured in space for the first time. The Israeli food technology startup Aleph Farms grew the meat on the International Space Station, 339km away from any natural resources. Bovine cells were harvested on Earth and taken to space where they were grown into small-scale muscle tissue using a 3D-bioprinter. The method relies on mimicking a natural process of muscle-tissue regeneration occurring inside a cow’s body. The experiment took place in 2019 on the... https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/lifestyle/features/article/3085374/meat-grown-space-first-time-international-space?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/lifestyle/features/article/3085374/meat-grown-space-first-time-international-space?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2020 03:07:46 +0000 Britannia Hotels has been rated the worst hotel chain in Britain for the seventh year in a row, with guests repeatedly describing its rooms as “filthy” and complaining about mouldy bathrooms and peeling paintwork. EasyHotel and Ibis Budget also performed badly in an annual satisfaction survey by the consumer group Which?. At the other end of the scale, Wetherspoon Hotels was rated best for the first time. It shared the top spot with Premier Inn, Britain’s biggest hotel chain, which has come... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3035750/britains-worst-hotel-chain-britannia-hotels-takes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3035750/britains-worst-hotel-chain-britannia-hotels-takes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Nov 2019 09:45:29 +0000 About a quarter of the global pig population is expected to die as a result of the African swine fever epidemic, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health. Global pork prices are rising spurred by growing demand from China, where as many as 100 million pigs have died since the disease broke out there last year. In recent months, China has been granting export approval to foreign meat plants and signing deals around the world at a dizzying rate. US pork sales to China have doubled,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3035820/african-swine-fever-set-claim-quarter-worlds-pig-population?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3035820/african-swine-fever-set-claim-quarter-worlds-pig-population?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Oct 2019 15:20:42 +0000 Mexican soldiers who detained a son of the jailed drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman forced him to telephone his brothers in a desperate effort to call off a rescue attempt by cartel gunmen. Instead, the call triggered a fresh onslaught in the northern city of Culiacan as the Sinaloa cartel mounted a terrifying show of strength that eventually prompted the outnumbered soldiers to free the capo’s son in exchange for their lives. The video of Ovidio Guzman Lopez’s call was released on Wednesday... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3035647/mexico-broadcasts-dramatic-video-el-chapos-son-ovidio-guzmans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3035647/mexico-broadcasts-dramatic-video-el-chapos-son-ovidio-guzmans?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Oct 2019 21:12:34 +0000 British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the government will fully accept the findings of a report on failings in the Grenfell Tower disaster, promising survivors and relatives that “the truth will out and justice will be done”. Responding to the report by the inquiry chairman, Martin Moore-Bick, on the causes of the blaze at the west London block in June 2017 that killed 72 people, the prime minister opened a Commons debate by promising a rapid official response. “I can confirm that where... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3035638/grenfell-tower-inquiry-boris-johnson-tells-families-justice-will?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3035638/grenfell-tower-inquiry-boris-johnson-tells-families-justice-will?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Oct 2019 18:12:20 +0000 Facebook has agreed to pay a £500,000 (US$644,600) fine, the highest possible, to the Information Commissioner’s Office over the Cambridge Analytica scandal, ending more than a year of litigation between the regulator and social network. The ICO announced its intention to fine Facebook in July 2018. Unusually, the office went public with its intention before giving Facebook a chance to respond, and ultimately issued the official penalty notice three months later, in October. Facebook appealed... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3035598/facebook-agrees-pay-fine-over-cambridge-analytica-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3035598/facebook-agrees-pay-fine-over-cambridge-analytica-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Oct 2019 11:57:27 +0000 A photo of a bride and groom wearing protective masks at their destination wedding in California’s wine country has gone viral after the giant Kincade fire forced guests to evacuate. The image of Katie and Curtis Ferland shows them standing outside their Chateau St Jean winery wedding in Sonoma county, not far from the wildfire that has burned more than 75,000 acres and destroyed 123 structures. The couple from Chicago had been planning the wedding for a year, and their 80 guests had mostly... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3035450/masked-couples-california-wildfire-wedding-photo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3035450/masked-couples-california-wildfire-wedding-photo?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Oct 2019 01:41:42 +0000 Scientists claim to have traced the ancestral home region of all living humans to a vast wetland that sprawled over much of modern day Botswana and served as an oasis in an otherwise parched expanse of Africa. The swathe of land south of the Zambezi River became a thriving home to Homo sapiens 200,000 years ago, the researchers suggest, and sustained an isolated, founder population of modern humans for at least 70,000 years. The group remained in the region until a shift in the climate, driven... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3035310/botswana-homeland-all-77-billion-people-earth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3035310/botswana-homeland-all-77-billion-people-earth?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Oct 2019 06:13:58 +0000 Syrian Kurds say they managed to place a spy in Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s inner circle who stole a pair of the Islamic State leader’s underpants to prove his identity and then helped guide US soldiers to his Syrian hideout. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) claim they played a key role in tracking down Baghdadi to a compound in northern Syria where he was reportedly planning his escape over the nearby border into Turkey. US President Donald Trump has thus played down the role of the SDF, who... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3035270/isis-chief-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-buried-sea-us-military?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3035270/isis-chief-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-buried-sea-us-military?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Oct 2019 23:35:45 +0000 Queen Elizabeth’s wardrobe is often interpreted as relaying coded messages from a monarch constitutionally bound to remain mute on political issues of the day. So when she wore a bold blue hat with yellow flowers bearing an uncanny resemblance to the EU flag during the state opening of parliament in 2017, many thought it carried serious import. Could it be, Twitter asked, that Her Majesty was a remainer? The image even prompted Guy Verhofstadt, the European parliament lead negotiator on Brexit,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3035263/did-queen-elizabeths-eu-hat-carry-coded-brexit-message-dresser?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3035263/did-queen-elizabeths-eu-hat-carry-coded-brexit-message-dresser?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Oct 2019 19:43:42 +0000 By Yomi Adegoke The music industry has a woman problem. It’s a long-standing fact. Looking at last year’s biggest hit singles in the UK, there were three times as many male as female pop stars. It is the same thing behind the scenes as well: women made up just 12 per cent of songwriters and 2 per cent of producers on the US Billboard Hot 100 between 2012 and 2018. Despite years of head scratching over the cause, one reason is hiding in plain sight. Or, perhaps it is intentionally overlooked. New... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3035203/misogyny-and-sex-abuse-why-metoo-movement-hasnt-made-much?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3035203/misogyny-and-sex-abuse-why-metoo-movement-hasnt-made-much?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Oct 2019 12:00:13 +0000 The European Union has agreed to a Brexit extension to January 31, with the option for the UK to leave earlier if a deal is ratified, clearing the way for opposition parties to back a general election. After a 30-minute meeting of European ambassadors, Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, said the EU’s 27 other members had agreed to the request made by Boris Johnson just over a week ago. The EU27 has agreed that it will accept the UK's request for a #Brexit flextension until 31... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3035216/european-union-agrees-brexit-extension-until-january-31?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3035216/european-union-agrees-brexit-extension-until-january-31?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Oct 2019 10:26:19 +0000 The former FBI director James Comey has joked – or not – that he will move to New Zealand if Donald Trump is re-elected in 2020. Comey was interviewed on C-Span and asked what he would do if Trump was returned to office. “From my new home in New Zealand, I still will believe in America,” Comey said, to laughter from the audience. The former FBI boss worked for the Obama administration and was fired by Trump in May 2017, fuelling concerns for the bureau’s investigation into links between the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3035147/ex-fbi-chief-james-comey-says-he-will-move-new-zealand-if?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3035147/ex-fbi-chief-james-comey-says-he-will-move-new-zealand-if?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Oct 2019 06:15:04 +0000 California congresswoman Katie Hill, a freshman Democrat and a rising star in the party, announced her resignation amid allegations that she had a sexual relationship with a member of her congressional staff. “It is with a broken heart that today I announce my resignation from Congress,” Hill, 32, wrote in a resignation letter on Sunday. “This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but I believe it is the best thing for my constituents, my community, and our country.” Last week the House... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3034959/rising-democratic-star-katie-hill-attacks-abusive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3034959/rising-democratic-star-katie-hill-attacks-abusive?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Oct 2019 02:42:49 +0000 Britain could be edging closer to December polls despite the main opposition Labour Party making clear it will not back Boris Johnson’s bid for an early election. Sources at No 10 say there is tentative support from Downing Street for a plan by the pro-EU Liberal Democrats and Scottish National Party to secure an election on December 9 – three days earlier than the date put forward by the prime minister – via a law requiring only a simple majority in parliament. Bringing forward the polls would... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3034790/brexit-gamble-boris-johnson-could-get-his-snap-election-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3034790/brexit-gamble-boris-johnson-could-get-his-snap-election-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Oct 2019 23:00:19 +0000 More than 140 people took part in the search for a British backpacker who went missing in Cambodia, as her parents arrived in the Southeast Asian country on Sunday. Local volunteers joined expats, tourists and nearly 200 members of the army, navy and police in searching for 21-year-old Amelia Bambridge, who was last seen at a beach party on the island of Koh Rong. Three government boats aided the sea search, while people scoured terrain on foot and motorcycles. “Divers are searching in the sea... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3034788/volunteers-search-cambodian-island-missing-british?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3034788/volunteers-search-cambodian-island-missing-british?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Oct 2019 19:23:28 +0000 Police have rescued a 12-year-old girl whose abuse was allegedly live-streamed by a Sydney man on social media following a joint investigation between Australian and Philippine authorities. The girl was freed on Friday by Philippine National Police and Australian federal police (AFP) officers at a property in the city of Rizal, about a two-hour drive from Manila. Police also arrested a 39-year-old woman as part of the raid. The investigation into the Sydney man and possible Philippines-based... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3034759/girl-12-rescued-philippines-after-sydney-man-arrested?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3034759/girl-12-rescued-philippines-after-sydney-man-arrested?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Oct 2019 10:09:31 +0000 Distraught Vietnamese families were seeking information about their missing loved ones last night amid growing fears that some of the 39 people who died in a refrigerated truck in Essex were from the country. Pham Thi Tra My, 26, sent a text message to her mother saying she could not breathe at about the time the truck was en route from Belgium to Britain, said Hoa Nghiem from Human Rights Space, a civic network based in Vietnam. “It was told on the news that all 39 people were Chinese but Tra... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3034667/vietnamese-woman-feared-be-among-uk-truck-victims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3034667/vietnamese-woman-feared-be-among-uk-truck-victims?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Oct 2019 15:52:17 +0000 The discovery of 39 people dead Chinese in the back of a truck in Essex has renewed focus on the risks taken by undocumented migrants to travel to the UK to seek safety and shelter. A lack of safe and legal routes into the UK is in part driving a dependence on life-threatening methods including squeezing into the back of refrigerated lorries or riding in vulnerable dinghies across wild seas. People fleeing the threat of torture, rape or death cannot claim asylum in the UK without physically... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3034334/essex-truck-horror-highlights-risks-desperate-migrants-take-reach?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3034334/essex-truck-horror-highlights-risks-desperate-migrants-take-reach?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Oct 2019 03:37:22 +0000 The spending habits of corrupt members of the global super-rich – including 421 luxury homes, three superyachts, seven private jets as well as elite private school fees and even hovercraft – have been revealed in a groundbreaking analysis of more than 400 money laundering and corruption cases. Research by Transparency International, an anti-corruption campaign group, found more than £300 billion (US$387,700) of suspect funds have been funnelled through the UK banks, law firms and accountants... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3034329/uk-private-schools-hovercraft-crocodile-handbags-eye-popping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3034329/uk-private-schools-hovercraft-crocodile-handbags-eye-popping?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Oct 2019 02:50:20 +0000 Chinese billionaire Huang Xiangmo has been ordered to declare all of his assets – everywhere in the world – to the federal court as the Australian tax office continues to pursue him over an alleged A$140m (US$96 million) tax bill. In court on Thursday, Justice Jayne Jagot ordered Huang – exiled from Australia after his permanent residency was torn up by the government last year – to disclose all of his assets, both in Australia and worldwide, by November 11. Chinese tycoon claims persecution by... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3034328/chinese-billionaire-huang-xiangmo-ordered-declare-worldwide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3034328/chinese-billionaire-huang-xiangmo-ordered-declare-worldwide?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Oct 2019 02:47:53 +0000 Chinese billionaire Huang Xiangmo has called the tax office a “despicable tool for political persecution” over its pursuit of an alleged unpaid A$140 million (US$104 million) tax bill, saying “unknown dark forces” and an Australian “deep state” were conspiring against him. The normally reclusive property developer – whose Australian permanent residency was cancelled on advice from the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (Asio) in December over fears of foreign political interference –... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3034127/chinese-billionaire-huang-xiangmo-claims-persecution-dark?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3034127/chinese-billionaire-huang-xiangmo-claims-persecution-dark?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Oct 2019 23:44:34 +0000 Swipe right for “would like to meet”, left for “wouldn’t”. Seven years after Tinder made choosing a date as simple as flicking your thumb across a smartphone screen, it is by far the most used dating app in the UK and the US. Downloaded 300 million times and with more than five million paying subscribers, it is the highest-grossing app of any kind in the world, according to the analysts App Annie. For Americans, apps and online dating are the most common way to meet a partner. “It’s an amazing... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3034006/tinder-ceo-elie-seidman-if-you-behave-badly-we-want?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3034006/tinder-ceo-elie-seidman-if-you-behave-badly-we-want?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Oct 2019 21:00:09 +0000 United States President Donald Trump referred to impeachment proceedings against him as a “lynching” in a Tuesday morning tweet, sparking condemnation for using such a racially charged word to describe his political predicament. “So some day if a Democrat becomes president and the Republicans win the House, even by a tiny margin, they can impeach the president, without due process or fairness or any legal rights,” he said. “All Republicans must remember what they are witnessing here – a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3034115/outrage-donald-trump-describes-impeachment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3034115/outrage-donald-trump-describes-impeachment?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Oct 2019 15:49:57 +0000 Facebook on Monday disclosed it had taken down four new foreign interference operations originating from Iran and Russia, including one targeting the US 2020 presidential elections that appears to be linked to the Russian troll agency, the internet Research Agency (IRA). The suspected IRA campaign “had the hallmarks of a well-resourced operation that took consistent operational security steps to conceal their identity and location”, Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook’s head of cybersecurity policy,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3033980/facebook-identifies-russia-and-iran-campaigns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3033980/facebook-identifies-russia-and-iran-campaigns?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Oct 2019 04:19:27 +0000 Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg is at it again – teasing a presidential run. At 77, he won’t even be the oldest in the field, and the billionaire is certainly not short of funding to be able to throw his hat in the ring. Over the past several weeks, he’s signalled renewed interest in the democratic nomination, telling friends and associates he’s “still looking at” running for president. But he has cautioned he’d only join the race if former vice-president Joe Biden’s faltering centrist... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3033870/white-house-race-shake-bloomberg-if-biden-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3033870/white-house-race-shake-bloomberg-if-biden-out?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Oct 2019 08:01:41 +0000 The Duchess of Sussex has revealed she was warned before her marriage to Prince Harry that the British tabloids would “destroy” her life, as she spoke of struggling to cope with the reality of being part of the royal family. In an interview for the ITV documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, she said the last year had been “hard” and that she had “no idea” of what she would face. “When I first met my now husband, my friends were really happy because I was so happy. But my British friends... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3033849/meghan-markle-was-warned-uk-tabloids-would-destroy-her-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3033849/meghan-markle-was-warned-uk-tabloids-would-destroy-her-life?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Oct 2019 05:43:32 +0000 Bosses at PricewaterhouseCoopers will be grilled by British MPs on Tuesday over a possible conflict of interest after it emerged that the accountancy firm advised Thomas Cook executives about their pay and bonuses while it was also the travel company’s external auditor. A parliamentary inquiry into the collapse of Thomas Cook is under way and is focusing on executive pay, accounting practices and the role of auditors. At a sometimes combative hearing on 15 October, the fallen tour operator’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3033799/british-mps-question-pwc-possible-conflict-interest-over-thomas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3033799/british-mps-question-pwc-possible-conflict-interest-over-thomas?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Oct 2019 20:19:17 +0000 Nathan Au began volunteering on the Swanage railway at the age of 17. Ten years on, he is a fully fledged driver and he loves being at the controls of the great steam and diesel engines that trundle through the Dorset countryside. “It’s lovely to work on these really elegant old heritage machines,” he said. “They’ve all got their quirks – even engines of the same class behave in different ways. You have to learn to know what they like and what they don’t want.” Heritage railways across Britain... https://www.scmp.com/better-life/career-education/article/3032864/your-career-plans-may-not-yet-include-driving-steam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/career-education/article/3032864/your-career-plans-may-not-yet-include-driving-steam?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Oct 2019 01:00:13 +0000 A Sydney man charged over allegations he was a sanctions-busting “economic agent” of the North Korean regime attempting to sell ballistic missiles overseas has been refused bail. Choi Han Chan, 60, is the first person ever charged under Australia’s Weapons of Mass Destruction (Prevention of Proliferation) Act. Police have alleged Choi attempted to broker the sale of North Korean missiles and missile components internationally, and to sell coal and other resources from North Korea to entities in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3033557/no-bail-australian-man-choi-han-chan-accused-selling-north?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3033557/no-bail-australian-man-choi-han-chan-accused-selling-north?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Oct 2019 07:41:15 +0000 Donald Trump instructed US diplomats to go through his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, to make the Ukrainian president’s access to the White House dependent on launching investigations into Trump’s political opponents, the US ambassador to the EU has testified. In his opening statement to Congress on Thursday, Gordon Sondland sought to distance himself from the president, saying he had been “disappointed” Trump had chosen to conduct an important strategic relationship through his lawyer. But... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3033457/trump-pushed-ukraine-probe-company-linked-hunter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3033457/trump-pushed-ukraine-probe-company-linked-hunter?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Oct 2019 16:05:34 +0000 British Prime Minister Boris Johnson appears to be on the brink of reaching a Brexit deal after making major concessions to European Union demands concerning the Irish border. A draft text of the agreement could now be published on Wednesday if No 10 Downing Street gives the final green light, according to senior EU and British sources. It is understood that the negotiating teams have agreed in principle that there will be a customs border down the Irish Sea. A similar arrangement was rejected... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3033106/boris-johnson-brink-brexit-deal-after-concessions-irish-border?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3033106/boris-johnson-brink-brexit-deal-after-concessions-irish-border?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Oct 2019 19:52:31 +0000 The former US national security adviser, John Bolton, was reportedly so alarmed at a backchannel effort to pressure Ukraine to investigate Donald Trump’s political rivals that he told a senior aide to report it to White House lawyers. The revelation of Bolton’s involvement in the effort to block a shadow foreign policy aimed at Trump’s political benefit emerged from congressional testimony given by his former aide, Fiona Hill, the former top Russia expert in the White House. Hill, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3032947/ukraine-probe-john-bolton-was-so-alarmed-rudy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3032947/ukraine-probe-john-bolton-was-so-alarmed-rudy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Oct 2019 04:48:03 +0000 The judges of this year’s Booker prize have “explicitly flouted” the rules of the august literary award to choose the first joint winners in almost 30 years: Margaret Atwood and Bernardine Evaristo. The chair of judges, Peter Florence, emerged after more than five hours with the jury to reveal that the group of five had been unable to pick a single winner from their shortlist of six. Instead, despite being told repeatedly by the prize’s literary director, Gaby Wood, that they were not allowed to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3032917/authors-margaret-atwood-and-bernardine-evaristo-share-2019-booker?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3032917/authors-margaret-atwood-and-bernardine-evaristo-share-2019-booker?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Oct 2019 21:59:25 +0000 A comedy that gets less funny as it goes along? Mmm, tell me more. One that takes us inside a wealthy media dynasty flouting every moral and judicial law to consolidate power? OK. Here’s the best bit – there are no likeable characters! Sounds about as much fun as eczema. So why do I, like so many others, currently love Succession more than any other show on TV? For a start, watching it feels like getting the gossip. Sons Roman and Kendall’s battle for dominance echoes that of James and Lachlan... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3032844/why-hbos-award-winning-succession-years-must-see-tv-series?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3032844/why-hbos-award-winning-succession-years-must-see-tv-series?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Oct 2019 14:00:08 +0000 Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s handling of foreign affairs and the country’s relationship with China was attacked in detail on Monday by a senior member of the opposition Labor Party. Penny Wong, the shadow minister for foreign affairs, accused Morrison of making decisions against the national interest for “short-term political gain” and for echoing Chinese propaganda by suggesting questions about the Liberal MP Gladys Liu’s links with Beijing were racist. When Labor pursued Liu in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3032789/australian-pm-scott-morrison-slammed-doing-beijings-work-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3032789/australian-pm-scott-morrison-slammed-doing-beijings-work-it?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Oct 2019 06:00:08 +0000 The next console war has a start date – or at least a start period. Sony has announced that its next console, PlayStation 5 (PS5), will be launched next autumn/winter, putting it in direct competition with Microsoft’s forthcoming Xbox Scarlett, also due in time for the 2020 Christmas holiday period. In a post on the PlayStation site, Sony revealed that PS5 will have a new controller that replaces the current joy pad’s rumble feature with more sensitive and contextual haptic feedback. “With... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3032575/playstation-5-vs-xbox-scarlett-video-game-console-war-resumes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3032575/playstation-5-vs-xbox-scarlett-video-game-console-war-resumes?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Oct 2019 21:00:17 +0000 It’s 8am at the Oxford Circus subway station in London and the Central line platforms are teeming with people. Stony-faced business types, rucksack-touting tourists and yawning schoolchildren jostle for space in the rush-hour crush. But among the crowds of commuters is another group waiting to board the train – a covert patrol of plain-clothed police officers looking to catch sexual predators in the act. New research has found that reports of sexual harassment on the London Underground have... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3032567/sexual-harassment-public-transport-worst-place-it-and-how?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3032567/sexual-harassment-public-transport-worst-place-it-and-how?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Oct 2019 14:45:07 +0000 British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has signalled that he will make a last-ditch U-turn on his plans for the Irish border, setting up 48 hours of intense negotiations that will make or break a Brexit deal. On a day of rapid movement in talks, European Union sources said Johnson had conceded there could not be a customs border on the island of Ireland – a critical step away from his previous position. That came after European ambassadors prompted tentative hope of a deal by giving the green... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3032635/brexit-deal-sight-negotiators-start-thrash-out-details?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3032635/brexit-deal-sight-negotiators-start-thrash-out-details?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Oct 2019 23:00:31 +0000 Indigenous protesters in Ecuador paraded a group of captured police officers on stage in a brazen show of defiance to the government of Lenin Moreno, as protests against austerity-measures dragged into a second week. Eight uniformed officers were brought onto a stage Thursday and forced to address a crowd of thousands of activists who have occupied the Casa de Cultura theatre in the capital Quito. A group of journalists was also temporarily prevented from leaving the theatre. The officers looked... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3032501/defiant-protesters-ecuador-parade-captured-police-amid-deadly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3032501/defiant-protesters-ecuador-parade-captured-police-amid-deadly?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Oct 2019 05:33:32 +0000 Britain’s security minister Brandon Lewis has threatened EU citizens with deportation from the UK if they do not apply for settled status after Brexit. Home Office figures show a million of the estimated three million EU citizens in the country have yet to apply for settled status, which will allow them to stay in Britain. In an interview with the German newspaper Die Welt, Lewis said these people risked being deported if they failed to apply by the end of 2020. “If EU citizens have not... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3032441/eu-nationals-could-be-deported-if-they-dont-apply-stay-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3032441/eu-nationals-could-be-deported-if-they-dont-apply-stay-after?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Oct 2019 20:54:28 +0000 Two associates of Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, have been charged with election finance violations for channelling foreign money into the president’s campaign. Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, both Soviet-born Americans who are under scrutiny in congressional impeachment proceedings, were arrested on Wednesday night at Dulles airport outside Washington, where prosecutors said they had one-way tickets to leave the country. They face four charges including conspiracy, making false... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3032437/us-charges-two-ukraine-linked-businessmen-who?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3032437/us-charges-two-ukraine-linked-businessmen-who?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Oct 2019 18:24:04 +0000 The wife of a US diplomat suspected of involvement in the death of a British teenage motorcyclist will not be returned to the UK for trial, according to briefing notes provided to US President Donald Trump. Briefing notes for a press conference on Wednesday, pictured by a Washington Post photographer, tell the president to say: “(If raised) note, as Secretary Pompeo told [foreign secretary] Raab, that the spouse of the US Government employee will not return to the United Kingdom”. Harry Dunn,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3032285/us-diplomats-wife-will-not-return-uk-crash-death-case-donald?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3032285/us-diplomats-wife-will-not-return-uk-crash-death-case-donald?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Oct 2019 04:01:54 +0000 The Guardian The Guardian The UN children’s agency, Unicef, has announced it is accepting and disbursing donations through cryptocurrencies bitcoin and ether. Unicef’s new Cryptocurrency Fund is the latest in a series of efforts by aid organisations to experiment with “blockchain” currencies, which have the potential to transform charitable giving and increase financial transparency. Cryptocurrencies are virtual currencies that can be cashed in for real money, and are not linked to any single country or central... https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3032215/unicef-now-accepting-donations-through-cryptocurrencies-bitcoin-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3032215/unicef-now-accepting-donations-through-cryptocurrencies-bitcoin-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Oct 2019 22:00:12 +0000 The suspected gunman in the Yom Kippur synagogue attack in Halle, Germany, broadcast his rampage on the live-streaming platform Twitch, in the latest instance of rightwing extremists using mass shootings to create and promote real-time propaganda. About 35 minutes of video was broadcast live on Twitch, an Amazon-owned platform that is primarily used by video game players, the company confirmed Wednesday. Twitch removed the video but copies had already been downloaded and shared elsewhere on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3032229/suspect-germany-arrested-after-two-shot-dead-near-synagogue-holy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3032229/suspect-germany-arrested-after-two-shot-dead-near-synagogue-holy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Oct 2019 13:44:55 +0000 Turkish troops have advanced into north-eastern Syria, following air strikes and artillery barrages aimed at US-backed Kurdish forces who control the region. Activists and observers said at least seven civilians had been killed so far. There were also early reports of civilian casualties in border towns hit by shelling. Turkey’s offensive was triggered by a call between Donald Trump and Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday, in which, the Turks claim, Trump handed over leadership of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3032226/turkeys-offensive-syria-will-bring-peace-and-stability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3032226/turkeys-offensive-syria-will-bring-peace-and-stability?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Oct 2019 12:54:42 +0000 Lab-grown meat has been successfully cultured in space for the first time. The Israeli food technology startup Aleph Farms grew the meat on the International Space Station, 339km (210 miles) away from any natural resources. Bovine cells were harvested on Earth and taken to space where they were grown into small-scale muscle tissue using a 3D bioprinter. The method relies on mimicking a natural process of muscle-tissue regeneration occurring inside a cow’s body. The experiment took place on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3031919/space-meat-grown-lab-first-time-339km-earth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3031919/space-meat-grown-lab-first-time-339km-earth?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Oct 2019 20:59:55 +0000 Environmental activists from around Britain are set to swoop on Westminster on Monday morning in an attempt to “shut down” the heart of government with two weeks of disruptive protests. Extinction Rebellion (XR) said its members are planning to blockade “every single road” into the central London district and plan to maintain the protests for at least 14 days, or until their demands are met. Each site will be taken by groups of activists from different regions of the UK or with different... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3031785/extinction-rebellion-climate-activists-vow-shut-down-londons?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3031785/extinction-rebellion-climate-activists-vow-shut-down-londons?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Oct 2019 19:14:58 +0000 The wife of a United States diplomat has left Britain after becoming a suspect in an investigation into the death of a motorcyclist involved in a road collision, police said. Harry Dunn, 19, died after his motorbike and a car collided near RAF Croughton, a US Air Force communications station, in Northamptonshire on August 27. Northamptonshire police said a 42-year-old US woman, who is being treated as a suspect in their investigation, had left Britain. Superintendent Sarah Johnson said the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3031704/wife-us-diplomat-leaves-britain-after-becoming-suspect-road?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3031704/wife-us-diplomat-leaves-britain-after-becoming-suspect-road?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Oct 2019 12:31:51 +0000