https://www.scmp.com/rss/307487/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Trains laden with containers of clothes and solar panels straight from China still trundle into the station here about five times a day, but other plans to forge links between this German city and Beijing have ground to a halt. Duisburg’s aspirations of using Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies to modernise its administration, schools and traffic systems are on ice. Construction of a Chinese business hub on the Rhine River has been abandoned, and embarrassment hangs in the air. Local... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3225919/germanys-china-city-no-more-how-failed-plans-duisburg-reflect-europes-changing-view-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3225919/germanys-china-city-no-more-how-failed-plans-duisburg-reflect-europes-changing-view-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Jul 2023 05:15:09 +0000 Saudi Arabia is not known for its space programme. Its space agency is barely four years old. It has never launched a rocket and claims a single astronaut: Sultan bin Salman Al Saud, a member of the Saudi royal family who flew on the space shuttle in 1985. But the kingdom has signed on to Nasa’s moon programme, a quest to explore the lunar surface, as well as a massive diplomatic effort led by the United States to create a broad international coalition in space, even with countries with little... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3215273/watch-chinese-stay-ahead-space-race-us-building-international-coalition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3215273/watch-chinese-stay-ahead-space-race-us-building-international-coalition?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Apr 2023 10:45:10 +0000 The Washington Post The Washington Post Every night before he sleeps, filmmaker and musician Bruce Sheridan writes one page in a lined Moleskin notebook with a black cover. He uses his journals as an aid to memory and creativity. He can go back into things written years earlier to encounter ideas for songs and other creative work, and finds that his Columbia College students who keep journals do better than those who don’t. “Almost all creativity, if you really dig into it, is novel ways of using what already exists, what you... https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/advice/personal-development/article/3060530/how-journaling-can-help-relieve-stress-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/advice/personal-development/article/3060530/how-journaling-can-help-relieve-stress-and?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2020 10:27:09 +0000 Welcome to 2019. If you’re still searching for an inspirational New Year’s resolution, you’re not alone. We’ll say, to be fair, that as we are between the standard New Year and the lunar New Year, you still have some time to think up something amazing. But if you need a little inspiration, staff at The Washington Post put their spin on food resolutions which are incredibly thoughtful and encourage mindfulness. Find togetherness at the table For most of human history, eating alone was not an... https://www.scmp.com/better-life/well-being/article/3044301/5-new-years-food-resolutions-have-nothing-do-dieting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/well-being/article/3044301/5-new-years-food-resolutions-have-nothing-do-dieting?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Jan 2020 01:00:21 +0000 For a long time, modern scholars believed that the Amazons were little more than a figment of ancient imaginations. These were the fierce warrior women of Ancient Greek lore who supposedly sparred with Hercules, lived in lesbian matriarchies, and hacked off their breasts so they could fire their arrows better. Homer immortalised them in The Iliad. Eons later, they played a central role in the Wonder Woman comics. Some historians argued they were probably a propaganda tool created to keep... https://www.scmp.com/better-life/good-reads/article/3044224/there-may-be-some-truth-existence-amazons-wonder-woman-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/good-reads/article/3044224/there-may-be-some-truth-existence-amazons-wonder-woman-after?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jan 2020 00:00:05 +0000 The new year is a time for fresh starts, or at least good intentions. Sometimes January 1 (and several of the days that follow) can be less productive than planned because of overindulgence leading to hangovers. Mankind all over the globe has grappled with the morning-after effects of booze since our ancestors first gobbled up that overripe fruit that made them feel so good – and then woke up feeling like prehistoric garbage. These days, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the number of high-tech... https://www.scmp.com/better-life/how/article/3044206/5-tried-and-tested-hangover-cures-around-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/how/article/3044206/5-tried-and-tested-hangover-cures-around-world?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Jan 2020 10:10:12 +0000 This dish is perfect, whether you’re just in the mood for a filling breakfast or you over-imbibed the night before and you’re wondering how to make it through the day. What’s more, there’s actual science behind the reputed power of eggs at taming the after-effects of a night of boozing. Specifically, an amino acid in eggs helps break down acetaldehyde, which is thought to be one of the causes of hangovers. Then again, it may be just the comforting hug of a breakfast of carbs, eggs and heat that... https://www.scmp.com/better-life/well-being/article/3044202/ultimate-hangover-breakfast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/well-being/article/3044202/ultimate-hangover-breakfast?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Jan 2020 09:00:03 +0000 On the way home from a weekend road trip to the Smoky Mountains in the southeastern United States, two friends, Lindsy Wolke and Megan Grant, found themselves browsing the relic room of Smoky Mountain Knife Works in eastern Tennessee. Among the fossils and old currency, they stumbled upon a few handwritten letters from the second world war. The love letters, written from 1944 to 1946, were so absorbing – and the two friends stood there reading them for so long – that an employee came by and... https://www.scmp.com/better-life/good-reads/article/3044120/bunch-second-hand-world-war-ii-love-letters-was-first-clue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/good-reads/article/3044120/bunch-second-hand-world-war-ii-love-letters-was-first-clue?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Jan 2020 03:00:17 +0000 As the sky turned dark and a thick haze choked the air below, bush fires closed in on a small coastal town in southeast Australia. Chad Staples and his staff at Mogo Wildlife Park were running out of options; the local zoo, home to the country’s largest private collection of exotic animals, resembled the fiery front lines in an end-of-times battle. With evacuation orders in place and flames burning everything in their path, zoo workers stayed behind, coaxing lions and orangutans into areas of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3044160/australia-fires-zoo-staff-take-monkeys-and-pandas-home-save?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3044160/australia-fires-zoo-staff-take-monkeys-and-pandas-home-save?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Jan 2020 01:54:25 +0000 Air miles are great – if you use them. It’s so easy to sign up for a loyalty programme, and then forget that you’ve done so, and never bother to check your status. Even if you remember (or are reminded by the airline that a bunch of your frequent flier miles are going to expire), often people just can’t be bothered to deal, and let those valuable loyalty points go. According to a report by Bankrate.com, almost half of American adults who participate in airline and hotel rewards programmes have... https://www.scmp.com/better-life/how/article/3044080/how-avoid-losing-expiring-airline-miles-no-flying-necessary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/how/article/3044080/how-avoid-losing-expiring-airline-miles-no-flying-necessary?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:19 +0000 The US Army has banned military personnel from using the popular video app TikTok on government-issued phones, following guidance from the Pentagon and highlighting growing tensions over the app’s Beijing-based parent firm. An Army spokeswoman told Military.com in an interview released this week that the app was “considered a cyber threat” and not allowed on government-issued devices. An Army spokeswoman told The Washington Post on Tuesday that the service branch was adhering to directions from... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3044159/us-army-bans-tiktok-military-devices-signalling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3044159/us-army-bans-tiktok-military-devices-signalling?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Dec 2019 23:30:27 +0000 The past year has been a heady time at the film box office. The first part of 2019 brought a massive interstellar action spectacle that broke records, while the summer yielded a computer-generated colossus that packed cinemas week after week. The movies in question? Not Avengers: Endgame and The Lion King, the twin blockbusters that anchored the Hollywood calendar. They’re The Wandering Earth and Nezha , Chinese-language films that, though little known in the West, became two of the biggest hits... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3044132/another-us-export-china-learning-do-without-hollywood-films?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3044132/another-us-export-china-learning-do-without-hollywood-films?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Dec 2019 23:15:07 +0000 Nervous about the new year? You’re not alone. Around the world, there are countless new-year traditions centred on one shared hope: make it a good year, please. Humanity’s tried-and-true superstitions come in all different forms, from house cleanings to warding off bad spirits, to eating certain foods or jumping around in a specific way. Here’s a look at some beloved new year’s traditions worldwide. Eat 12 grapes at midnight This tasty tradition originated in Spain and is now practiced across... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3044158/weird-wonderful-and-tasty-world-new-years-good-luck?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3044158/weird-wonderful-and-tasty-world-new-years-good-luck?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Dec 2019 23:06:40 +0000 Day and night, overfilled trucks rumble over Nanjiu Road in the saw-toothed hills that stretch to the Vietnam border. It’s a procession at the heart of one of China’s most hazardous industries. The trucks load up on metal ore in the valley below, where 13 miners died in October in underground shafts laden with tin, copper and zinc. Then the trucks motor up the mountain toward belching smelters - the culprit, researchers say, behind arsenic levels in Dachang’s dust reaching more than 100 times... https://www.scmp.com/culture/global-demand-gadgets-poisoning-chinas-poorest-regions/article/3043931?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/global-demand-gadgets-poisoning-chinas-poorest-regions/article/3043931?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Dec 2019 02:00:09 +0000 Above ground in the tiny but strategically located country of Djibouti, signs of China’s presence are everywhere. Chinese entities have financed and built Africa’s biggest port, a railway to Ethiopia and the country’s first overseas naval base here. Under the sea, they are building a cable that will send data across a region, from Kenya to Yemen. The cable will connect to an internet hub housing servers mostly run by China’s state-owned telecommunications companies. Beijing’s extensive... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3044010/china-has-grand-strategic-plan-we-dont-how-djibouti-became?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3044010/china-has-grand-strategic-plan-we-dont-how-djibouti-became?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Dec 2019 20:16:11 +0000 You might be the kind of hyper-organised traveller who gets home and immediately unpacks, does laundry and puts away your luggage. Or you might still have half-full bags sitting around the living room two months after getting home, just waiting for the next trip. Procrastinators are legion, and who can blame us? We’re wiped out from travelling. We’re bummed the trip is over. We have other clothes, and probably a spare toothbrush. Plus that suitcase looks fine in the corner, right? “It’s kind of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3043648/seven-tips-how-unpack-your-bags-after-holiday-and-if-its?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3043648/seven-tips-how-unpack-your-bags-after-holiday-and-if-its?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Dec 2019 14:00:09 +0000 US President Donald Trump retweeted a post naming the alleged whistle-blower who filed the complaint that became the catalyst for the congressional inquiry that resulted in his impeachment by the House of Representatives. On Friday night, Trump shared a Twitter post from @surfermom77, who describes herself as “100% Trump supporter,” with his 68 million followers. That tweet prominently named the alleged whistle-blower and suggested that he had committed perjury. By Saturday morning, Trump’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3043800/donald-trump-retweets-then-deletes-post-naming?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3043800/donald-trump-retweets-then-deletes-post-naming?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Dec 2019 21:37:11 +0000 Ben Levi Ross wakes up most mornings saddled with an “emotional hangover”, an affliction he typically shakes through meditation and a good stretch. Physically, he recuperates with the help of a personal steamer, plus a soothing ginger and manuka honey beverage of his own making. Then, after a few hours of resting in solitude, the 21-year-old steps back onstage as the title character in Dear Evan Hansen, taxing his mind and body with a 2½-hour binge of anxiety, panic, grief and guilt. “It has... https://www.scmp.com/better-life/career-education/article/3043037/dear-evan-hansen-star-ben-levi-ross-challenges-taking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/career-education/article/3043037/dear-evan-hansen-star-ben-levi-ross-challenges-taking?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Dec 2019 00:00:09 +0000 US President Donald Trump this week described Home Alone 2: Lost in New York City – a 1992 film in which he makes a cameo appearance – as a “big Christmas hit, one of the biggest” and an “honour to be involved in”. “A lot of people mention it every year, especially around Christmas,” Trump told US troops in a Christmas Eve teleconference call from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. “They say, ‘I just saw you,’ especially young kids. They say, ‘I just saw you on the movie.’” But north of the 49th... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3043600/donald-trump-cut-canadian-broadcast-home-alone-2?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3043600/donald-trump-cut-canadian-broadcast-home-alone-2?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Dec 2019 22:48:30 +0000 The head of China’s quantum technology programme has links to Chinese defence contractors, even as he and his team maintain research ties with Western universities, according to documents identified by a US security company. Pan Jianwei, a physicist known in China as the “father of quantum”, helps oversee the country’s efforts to harness quantum particles to build powerful computers and tools for processing information. Western countries are also hotly pursuing quantum research, which has... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3043596/chinas-father-quantum-pan-jianwei-has-ties-countrys-defence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3043596/chinas-father-quantum-pan-jianwei-has-ties-countrys-defence?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Dec 2019 19:45:35 +0000 US military cyber officials are developing information warfare tactics that could be deployed against senior Russian officials and oligarchs if Moscow tries to interfere in the 2020 US elections through hacking election systems or sowing widespread discord, according to current and former US officials. One option being explored by US Cyber Command would target senior leadership and Russian elites, though likely not President Vladimir Putin, which would be considered too provocative, said the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3043535/us-military-target-sensitive-data-russias-elite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3043535/us-military-target-sensitive-data-russias-elite?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Dec 2019 05:51:33 +0000 A forest fire consumed the outskirts of a coastal Chilean city on Tuesday, destroying dozens of homes. Firefighters struggled to control the rapidly spreading blaze, prompting an evacuation order in Valparaiso, a port city northwest of Santiago. Although the source of the Christmas Eve fire has not been determined, Valparaiso Mayor Jorge Sharp told local news outlets Wednesday that there was reason to believe it had been set intentionally. As of Wednesday, the fire, which was worsened by strong... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3043509/massive-fire-destroys-120-homes-chile-christmas-eve?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3043509/massive-fire-destroys-120-homes-chile-christmas-eve?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Dec 2019 19:48:18 +0000 He was not born in a manger, and there were no wise men, nor frankincense or myrrh. But the masses are still flocking to see him. Meet the Potter Park Zoo’s Christmas Eve miracle, a black rhino calf born at 5.40am on December 24 in Lansing, Michigan. “It’s a boy!” the zoo wrote in the calf’s birth announcement. The little guy does not yet have a name, but he has been collecting fans since before he was born. A video feed of his mother, 12-year-old Doppsee, broadcast his birth on the zoo’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3043508/meet-miracle-black-rhino-baby-born-christmas-eve?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3043508/meet-miracle-black-rhino-baby-born-christmas-eve?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Dec 2019 18:42:27 +0000 Laura Dern sashays in, dressed for success in form-fitting blue jeans, red heels and a cascade of perfectly situated blond hair. “Sorry I look so schleppy,” she says. “I had an event at my kid’s school.” Dern is Nora, the cutthroat divorce lawyer in Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story , out on Netflix. Beautiful but spiky, heartless but hilarious, the role is the culmination of a career full of fierce feminists and rebels. Midway through the film, she stops texting for a moment to rail against the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3043365/laura-dern-comes-age-roles-married-story-and-little-women?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3043365/laura-dern-comes-age-roles-married-story-and-little-women?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Dec 2019 13:00:06 +0000 Star Wars is a kind of fable, but it has also spawned a class of fables about its creation. From the idea that the sound of lightsabres came from the hum of a projector to the claim that George Lucas found inspiration for Chewbacca in his Alaskan malamute, there has been no shortage of tales connected to the film. Those stories are difficult to substantiate – or to disprove, for that matter. But as The Rise of Skywalker makes its own ascent at the box office, it’s worth interrogating some of the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3043351/five-star-wars-myths-it-being-template-blockbuster-movies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3043351/five-star-wars-myths-it-being-template-blockbuster-movies?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Dec 2019 21:00:08 +0000 For a medium that was supposed to be forged in artfulness and creativity, virtual reality’s last few years have been good enough but not astounding. It’s this past year, however, that the medium’s promise is finally being met. The numbers bear this out. Nielsen SuperData noted that sales of VR hardware will be up 31 per cent in 2019, from 1.6 billion last year to 2.1 billion this year. The newest Oculus hardware is generally a joy; Oculus Quest is even about to eschew using the controller on... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3043291/star-wars-stardust-odyssey-10-best-vr-games-2019-pc-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3043291/star-wars-stardust-odyssey-10-best-vr-games-2019-pc-and?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Dec 2019 14:00:12 +0000 On social media accounts of the followed and famous, the MDL Beast music festival was a rave true to form: fluorescent face paint, flashing lights and a star-studded line-up of DJs that spun dance music into the wee hours. Officially, the festival was “revolutionary,” “progressive” and “a remarkable first” – superlatives many of its influencer-attendees reiterated in posts seen by millions of followers on Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat during the three-day concert that concluded on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3043339/saudi-arabia-enlists-influencers-music-festival-human-rights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3043339/saudi-arabia-enlists-influencers-music-festival-human-rights?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Dec 2019 02:06:19 +0000 Gaming is now humanity’s favourite form of entertainment, and the medium’s legacy was cemented this past decade. While the early 2000s saw video game creators honing their ability to tell stories and build worlds in 3D, this past decade built off those nuts and bolts of game making and propelled the medium towards bigger ambitions such as open-world design, virtual and augmented reality and an influx of new genres such as battle-royale multiplayer. This past decade achieved several milestones... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3043217/minecraft-fortnite-five-most-important-video-games-last?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3043217/minecraft-fortnite-five-most-important-video-games-last?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Dec 2019 14:00:12 +0000 If you need to feel like you’re eating something super healthy, but don’t want to spend much time or money, we’ve got the perfect recipe. It’s got just a few ingredients, many of them pantry staples – warming spices balanced by the acidic pop of tomatoes make it interesting, despite its simplicity. It’s hearty enough for dinner, light enough for lunch, flexible enough for eaters of various dietary persuasions. (Just turn it into a side for carnivores or add an egg for the non-vegan... https://www.scmp.com/better-life/well-being/article/3042976/ultimate-feel-good-food-turmeric-ginger-chickpea-bowl?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/well-being/article/3042976/ultimate-feel-good-food-turmeric-ginger-chickpea-bowl?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Dec 2019 01:00:12 +0000 Late Friday night, minutes before deplaning in Florida for the holidays, President Donald Trump retweeted a link to an article in which Russian President Vladimir Putin defended him against impeachment. “A total Witch Hunt!” the president tweeted at 10.30pm, as he shared a 36-hour-old Associated Press tweet that read: “BREAKING: Russian President Vladimir Putin says US President Donald Trump’s impeachment is far-fetched and predicts the US Senate will reject it.” A total Witch Hunt!... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3043113/donald-trump-boasts-having-putins-support-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3043113/donald-trump-boasts-having-putins-support-after?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Dec 2019 19:07:17 +0000 He created a free-to-play video game with his college friend that has brought in billions of dollars over the past decade and which draws up to about eight million concurrent players every day. Yet, when he goes to high-profile drinks parties and business events, Marc Merrill says people often “walk away, turn their shoulder, or chuckle” when he tells them he makes video games for a living. Such is the life of the Riot Games co-founder whose game, League of Legends, is one of the most popular... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3042951/league-legends-creator-wants-break-tv-market-fight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3042951/league-legends-creator-wants-break-tv-market-fight?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Dec 2019 09:00:15 +0000 With cold weather and holiday-party make-up wreaking havoc on complexions, revellers might find themselves reaching for sheet masks to soothe their skin and provide a bit of relaxation. The face-shaped, serum-soaked sheets – which typically come one to a pouch and promise hydration, exfoliation or detoxification, among other benefits – have exploded in popularity, linked to a rising interest in Korean beauty products and appearances on Instagram. “A sheet mask has become an important element of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3042752/sheet-masks-used-celebs-lady-gaga-and-chrissy-teigen-are?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3042752/sheet-masks-used-celebs-lady-gaga-and-chrissy-teigen-are?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Dec 2019 07:30:06 +0000 The evangelical magazine founded by the late evangelist the Reverend Billy Graham published an editorial by its editor on Thursday calling for President Donald Trump’s removal. Christianity Today has been critical of Trump but not politically outspoken during his administration. The piece, which appeared to draw so many readers that the magazine’s website crashed briefly, was written by Mark Galli, who called Trump “a near perfect example of a human being who is morally lost and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3042925/evangelical-magazine-christianity-today-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3042925/evangelical-magazine-christianity-today-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Dec 2019 04:20:10 +0000 On days when you need something full of flavour, or full of cold-busting goodness, this better-than-Deliveroo soup is ideal. Takeout-style hot-and-sour soup Ingredients (4 to 6 servings) 15g dried shiitake mushrooms (about 6) 15g dried wood ear mushrooms (about 3) 2 cups warm water, plus 4 cups cool water 250g boneless pork loin, cut into thin strips 1 1/2 tsp Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine; may substitute dry sherry) 3 tbsp cornstarch combined with ¼ cup water, plus 1 1/2 teaspoons... https://www.scmp.com/better-life/well-being/article/3042836/easy-hot-and-sour-soup-days-when-cold-or-cold-gets-you-down?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/well-being/article/3042836/easy-hot-and-sour-soup-days-when-cold-or-cold-gets-you-down?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Dec 2019 00:00:13 +0000 Horoscopes can be harsh – but the ones that the Australian government wrote to deter Sri Lankan migrants and asylums seekers are really, really dark. A Cancer? “Family problems will occur,” the Australian government predicted. “Luck is not in the cards for you. Do not try to travel illegally to Australia by boat, as you will be stopped and returned. You will lose everything your family owes to debt, and face family problems.” A Sagittarius? “You will be in debt forever,” read the result. “If you... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3042789/australia-produced-fake-horoscopes-deter-sri-lankan-asylum?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3042789/australia-produced-fake-horoscopes-deter-sri-lankan-asylum?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Dec 2019 08:00:20 +0000 The holiday season is in full swing and, just like your neighbourhood stores, shopping malls and car dealerships, airlines are getting into the festive spirit. Beyond the in-flight entertainment systems featuring films like Elf, the good cheer is popping up on-board in the form of food and drink offerings. While no one appears to be serving figgy pudding, there is talk of snowmen cookies, Grittibänz, advent calendars, chestnuts and turkey. Here are the six airlines that are going above and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3042735/six-airlines-serving-best-christmas-flight-meals-think?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3042735/six-airlines-serving-best-christmas-flight-meals-think?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Dec 2019 04:15:14 +0000 Last December, US President Donald Trump mocked Nancy Pelosi’s leadership skills in an Oval Office meeting, suggesting she needed help to secure enough votes to become the House speaker. The California Democrat sent a warning shot that set the table for their relationship going forward. “Mr President,” Pelosi interjected. “Please don’t characterise the strength that I bring to this meeting.” Over the next year Pelosi firmly established herself as the president’s most powerful political... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3042721/nancy-pelosi-emerges-donald-trumps-most-powerful?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3042721/nancy-pelosi-emerges-donald-trumps-most-powerful?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Dec 2019 03:01:57 +0000 An illness resistant to multiple drugs that has hit 13 states and led to four hospitalisations is probably spread by the cutest of culprits, health officials say. The evidence points to puppies. Thirty people have reported infections as of Tuesday, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, which says the outbreak seems to stem mostly from dogs bought at pet shops. About 70 per cent of those sickened who were interviewed reported contact with a pet store puppy. No single... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3042700/puppies-could-be-behind-outbreak-drug-resistant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3042700/puppies-could-be-behind-outbreak-drug-resistant?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Dec 2019 20:16:47 +0000 An estimated 800,000 immigrants who are working legally in the United States are waiting for a green card, an unprecedented backlog in employment-based immigration that has fuelled a bitter policy debate but has been largely overshadowed by President Donald Trump’s border wall and the administration’s focus on migrant crossings from Mexico. Most of those waiting for employment-based green cards that would allow them to stay in the United States permanently are Indian nationals. And the backlog... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3042589/us-employment-green-card-backlog-tops-800000-most?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3042589/us-employment-green-card-backlog-tops-800000-most?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Dec 2019 05:56:25 +0000 The homeless man stood in a public bathroom, waiting to be handcuffed. But John Rabago, a Honolulu police officer, waved a get-out-of-jail-free card. He told Samuel Ingall, 37, that he could avoid arrest – but only if he was willing to humiliate himself and potentially expose himself to all kinds of alarming bacteria in the process. “If you lick the urinal,” Rabago told him, “you won’t get arrested.” The January 2018 confrontation sparked a federal investigation that concluded on Monday, when... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3042516/if-you-lick-urinal-you-wont-get-arrested-us-officer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3042516/if-you-lick-urinal-you-wont-get-arrested-us-officer?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Dec 2019 15:07:13 +0000 In a trailer for The Rise of Skywalker, the Star Wars film that opens on December 19, we see Rey racing across a desert landscape, light sabre in hand, trying to outrun a spacecraft. The landscape is familiar to me, and for good reason: I visited this dramatic desert on holiday in Jordan. Wadi Rum is just four hours south of Amman. After a long, flat and mostly unremarkable drive on the Desert Highway, you arrive at the crest of a hill to behold this remarkable site, also called the Valley of... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3042324/rise-skywalker-location-jordans-wadi-rum-home-many?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3042324/rise-skywalker-location-jordans-wadi-rum-home-many?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Dec 2019 03:30:05 +0000 Engine issues forced a United Airlines plane with 158 people on board to make an unscheduled landing in Albuquerque. Flight 366 was heading from San Diego to Chicago on Monday, but at some point during the flight, a passenger spotted what he thought were flames coming from the right engine of the Boeing 737-900. Thomas Chorny, who took video of the engine, wrote on Twitter that he showed it to airline representatives after landing. “Strange to sit there & think ‘What if this is it?’” he... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3042385/what-if-it-united-flight-diverted-after-passenger?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3042385/what-if-it-united-flight-diverted-after-passenger?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Dec 2019 03:05:43 +0000 The recent United Nations climate conference, COP25, ended without any solid plan to tackle the climate crisis. Big corporates and governments are just not committing enough time or resources to looking at this terrifying problem. Luckily, some organisations are trying to make a difference, particularly when it comes to trees. A recent study suggested we can fight climate change by planting a trillion trees – it received a viral response, including volunteers in India and Ethiopia putting... https://www.scmp.com/better-life/travel/article/3042314/combine-your-travel-tree-planting-and-help-tackle-climate-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/travel/article/3042314/combine-your-travel-tree-planting-and-help-tackle-climate-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Dec 2019 00:00:15 +0000 A Japanese comic book telling the powerful and tragic tale of a 29-year-old Uygur woman from China has become a surprise viral hit. What Has Happened to Me – A Testimony of a Uygur Woman recounts the story told by Mihrigul Tursun, a member of the Muslim minority in western China that has faced relentless crackdowns from authorities in Beijing. The manga – as all comic-style works are known in Japan – describes Tursun’s imprisonment and torture by the Chinese government, the death of one of her... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3042254/japanese-manga-uygur-womans-ordeal-china-viral-hit-despite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3042254/japanese-manga-uygur-womans-ordeal-china-viral-hit-despite?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Dec 2019 12:00:06 +0000 US President Donald Trump opened a new, dental front in his periodic feuding with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, suggesting on Twitter that her teeth were falling out as she answered a reporter’s question about why bribery was not made an article of impeachment. The jab comes days before the House is expected to impeach Trump. Late last week, the House Judiciary Committee approved two articles of impeachment charging the president with misconduct: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. That... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3042226/nancy-pelosis-teeth-have-caught-donald-trumps?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3042226/nancy-pelosis-teeth-have-caught-donald-trumps?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Dec 2019 03:22:05 +0000 The crowning of Miss World 2019 has closed out this year’s historic pageant circuit, marking the first time that the titles for all five top beauty contests were won by black women. On Saturday, Jamaica’s Toni-Ann Singh was named Miss World, joining a 2019 cohort of advocates for prison reform, women’s rights and music education who used their platform to address conventional beauty standards: Miss Universe 2019 Zozibini Tunzi, Miss America Nia Franklin, Miss USA Cheslie Kryst and Miss Teen USA... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3042215/historic-first-five-black-women-now-hold-worlds-top-beauty-pageant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3042215/historic-first-five-black-women-now-hold-worlds-top-beauty-pageant?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Dec 2019 02:36:27 +0000 The Georgia man who was captured on video swatting at the backside of a female reporter while she spoke on live TV has been arrested on a misdemeanour charge of sexual battery, according to police records. A week ago, Alex Bozarjian, a reporter for NBC affiliate WSAV-TV, was standing along the route for the Savannah Bridge Run and reporting on the race’s atmosphere when a man smacked her behind as he ran by. Bozarjian was visibly shaken and fell silent for a few moments, video of the incident... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3042138/man-who-hit-us-news-reporters-backside-live-tv?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3042138/man-who-hit-us-news-reporters-backside-live-tv?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Dec 2019 18:03:30 +0000 Hours after the president of the United States ridiculed a 16-year-old Swedish climate change activist who was chosen as Time magazine’s “Person of the Year,” a former first lady came to her defence. “@GretaThunberg, don’t let anyone dim your light,” Michelle Obama tweeted at her on Friday morning. “Ignore the doubters and know that millions of people are cheering you on.” Though Obama did not specify who the “doubters” were, the teenage climate activist has a very vocal one in the White... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3042077/michelle-obama-stands-greta-thunberg-after-donald?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3042077/michelle-obama-stands-greta-thunberg-after-donald?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Dec 2019 18:44:26 +0000 Viewers watching a scene mainly concerned with the dynamic between a film’s protagonist and his romantic rival might not expect the random guy in the corner to attract much attention. And yet, as Oscar Isaac and Justin Timberlake’s characters in 2013’s Inside Llewyn Davis record a song begging United States President John Kennedy not to send them into outer space, it’s not just their singing that makes the bizarre tune work. It’s the manner in which their screen-mate Adam Driver punctuates it... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3041884/marriage-storys-adam-driver-his-talent-was-obvious-hbos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3041884/marriage-storys-adam-driver-his-talent-was-obvious-hbos?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Dec 2019 14:00:07 +0000 Chinese tech giant Huawei will survive a US trade blockade, its chief executive said, but may need two or three years to overcome the damage the sanction has caused. In an interview at Huawei headquarters in southern China, Ren Zhengfei said the US ban has had a “pretty big impact” on the company, forcing it to scramble to redesign products to try to eliminate US parts. He said Huawei is now producing telecom network equipment without US chips or components, and has shipped such gear to more... https://www.scmp.com/tech/huawei-ceo-says-us-trade-ban-will-backfire-american-companies/article/3041996?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/huawei-ceo-says-us-trade-ban-will-backfire-american-companies/article/3041996?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Dec 2019 09:32:05 +0000