https://www.scmp.com/rss/316730/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Sheryl Crow says she’s done with Tesla. The “Soak Up the Sun” singer shared an Instagram video on Valentine’s Day showing her waving goodbye to her black saloon. “My parents always said … you are who you hang out with,” Crow wrote in the caption. “There comes a time when you have to decide who you are willing to align with. So long Tesla.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sheryl Crow (@sherylcrow) Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk is leading the new US... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3299166/sheryl-crows-dating-history-revealed-eric-clapton-owen-wilson-9-time-grammy-winner-has-also-been?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3299166/sheryl-crows-dating-history-revealed-eric-clapton-owen-wilson-9-time-grammy-winner-has-also-been?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Feb 2025 10:00:14 +0000 The Washington Post scrapped an ad calling for President Donald Trump to “fire Elon Musk” that was scheduled to run in some of its Tuesday print editions, according to one of the organisations that ordered the ad. Advocacy group Common Cause had agreed to pay US$115,000 to the Post to run an ad criticising billionaire Elon Musk wrapped around the newspapers and a similar ad inside the paper, the organisation said. The ads were part of a bigger campaign by Common Cause called “Fire Elon Musk,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3299171/bezos-washington-post-scraps-ad-calling-trump-fire-elon-musk-print-editions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3299171/bezos-washington-post-scraps-ad-calling-trump-fire-elon-musk-print-editions?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:47:07 +0000 New Zealand’s tourism sector needs a boost. But the country’s latest ad campaign is getting attention for the wrong reasons. “Everyone must go!” the government of New Zealand’s latest tourism campaign reads. The roughly NZ$500,000 (US$286,000) campaign, launched on Sunday, is aimed at Australians, who make up 44 per cent of the country’s annual international tourists. Australian tourism numbers to the island nation still haven’t recovered entirely after the pandemic, sitting at 88 per cent... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3299083/new-zealands-new-tourism-slogan-invites-toilet-comparisons?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3299083/new-zealands-new-tourism-slogan-invites-toilet-comparisons?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Feb 2025 04:31:08 +0000 Towering skyscrapers often create a city’s iconic skyline, yet sometimes its tallest buildings can fall into disrepair or remain unfinished. While abandoned structures can become symbolic of a location’s financial or social struggles, cities still have to decide what to do with them. Some are left to rust, others are demolished – and a few become revitalised. “A lot of these buildings can still have a lot of life left in them,” said Shawn Ursini, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3298966/thailands-ghost-tower-pyongyangs-hotel-doom-asias-abandoned-skyscrapers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3298966/thailands-ghost-tower-pyongyangs-hotel-doom-asias-abandoned-skyscrapers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Feb 2025 06:32:50 +0000 A private jet owned by the frontman of heavy metal band Mötley Crüe crashed into a parked plane in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Monday, killing one person. Vince Neil, the band’s lead vocalist, was not on the Learjet Aircraft 35A when it veered off the runway while attempting to land according to Worrick Robinson IV, Neil’s legal representative. However, a statement from the band confirmed that two pilots and two passengers were on board. During a press conference on Monday, Dave Folio, a public... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3298400/who-motley-crues-vince-neil-whose-private-jet-just-crashed-arizona-64-year-old-musician-wasnt-board?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3298400/who-motley-crues-vince-neil-whose-private-jet-just-crashed-arizona-64-year-old-musician-wasnt-board?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Feb 2025 09:56:13 +0000 A judge has ordered a refund for a billionaire couple who paid £32.5 million (US$40 million) for a mansion with a “severe moth infestation”. A UK High Court judge ruled that Iya Patarkatsishvili, daughter of the Georgian billionaire tycoon Badri Patarkatsishvili, and her husband Yevhen Hunyak, can hand the home back to the seller, the property developer William Woodward-Fisher. Patarkatsishvili and Hunyak bought Horbury Villa in Notting Hill, west London, in May 2019. However, the judgment... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3298275/billionaire-couple-win-refund-after-buying-us40-million-moth-infested-uk-mansion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3298275/billionaire-couple-win-refund-after-buying-us40-million-moth-infested-uk-mansion?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Feb 2025 14:15:18 +0000 Gracie Hunt just appeared at the Super Bowl for the third year in a row, alongside the Kansas City Chiefs. Gracie is the daughter of Chiefs co-owner and CEO Clark Hunt and the great-granddaughter of the late oil magnate H.L. Hunt. The Hunt family is one of the wealthiest families in America, with an estimated net worth of U$24.8 billion, Forbes reported in 2024. The 25-year-old is not only one of the Chiefs’ biggest supporters, but she’s also a blogger, a former pageant queen and a new friend of... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3298216/meet-gracie-hunt-taylor-swifts-pal-and-kansas-city-chiefs-billionaire-owner-clark-hunts-daughter-her?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3298216/meet-gracie-hunt-taylor-swifts-pal-and-kansas-city-chiefs-billionaire-owner-clark-hunts-daughter-her?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Feb 2025 10:00:15 +0000 Britain’s Princess Beatrice and husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi have welcomed their second child together, daughter Athena Elizabeth Rose Mapelli Mozzi, Buckingham Palace announced on January 29. The baby was born several weeks premature on January 22, weighing only four pounds and five ounces, but is said to be healthy, per BBC. The Buckingham Palace have said, “Their majesties the king and queen and other members of the royal family have all been informed and are delighted with the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3297410/meet-princess-beatrices-husband-italian-count-edoardo-mapelli-mozzi-royal-couple-married-2020-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3297410/meet-princess-beatrices-husband-italian-count-edoardo-mapelli-mozzi-royal-couple-married-2020-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Feb 2025 11:00:10 +0000 Business Insider Business Insider North Korea’s soldiers are relentless, almost fanatical, in the face of death. They’re determined and capable in battle, even in an unfamiliar fight, and their tactics are outdated but brutal. That is what the West has been learning from watching Kim Jong-un’s army in action after Russian President Vladimir Putin called on the North Korean leader to supply fighters for his war on Ukraine. Pyongyang deployed 11,000 men to Kursk in November disguised as Russian soldiers and carrying fake IDs.... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3297133/brutal-brave-and-unrelenting-north-korean-troops-fighting-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3297133/brutal-brave-and-unrelenting-north-korean-troops-fighting-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Feb 2025 05:01:16 +0000 President Donald Trump is mentioned alongside billionaires Elon Musk and Nelson Peltz in Ben & Jerry’s lawsuit against its parent company, Unilever. Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Inc. first took legal action against Unilever and its subsidiary, Conopco, filing a complaint in the US Southern District of New York in November. In the initial complaint, Ben & Jerry’s said Unilever blocked it from making statements supporting Palestinians, which the company said breached a settlement agreement and prevented... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3296471/trump-musk-highlighted-ben-jerrys-suit-against-unilever-over-social-mission-interference?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3296471/trump-musk-highlighted-ben-jerrys-suit-against-unilever-over-social-mission-interference?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Jan 2025 10:17:51 +0000 Children of US presidents are in the public eye almost as much as their famous parents. Some first kids have followed their parents into politics, while others have preferred to stay out of the limelight. As evidenced by Hunter Biden’s firearms trial, in which he was convicted of firearms charges and for which he was recently pardoned by his dad, Joe Biden, even adult children of presidents aren’t exempt from public scrutiny. Here’s what some other famous first kids are currently doing. Caroline... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3295616/where-are-these-16-former-us-first-kids-2025-barron-ivanka-and-tiffany-trump-george-w-bush-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3295616/where-are-these-16-former-us-first-kids-2025-barron-ivanka-and-tiffany-trump-george-w-bush-and?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jan 2025 10:00:10 +0000 Ex-Trump White House chief strategist Steve Bannon said Sunday during an ABC News interview that the attendance of high-profile tech moguls at Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday signals their “official surrender” to the president-elect. Bannon, while speaking with journalist Jonathan Karl on This Week, said he wasn’t surprised by the expected appearances of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg at Trump’s inauguration. “As soon as Zuckerberg said: ‘I’ve... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295440/steve-bannon-says-tech-oligarchs-have-surrendered-donald-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295440/steve-bannon-says-tech-oligarchs-have-surrendered-donald-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Jan 2025 05:20:26 +0000 Before Melania Trump became a fashion model and first lady of the United States, she was Melanija Knavs, the Slovenian daughter of a car salesman and a textile factory worker. Melania is the second first lady born outside the US. The first was John Quincy Adams’ wife, Louisa Catherine Adams, who was born in London. John Adams was president from 1825 to 1829. Melania’s hometown of Sevnica, Slovenia, has become a tourist destination since Donald Trump was first elected US president in November... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3295166/inside-melania-trumps-humble-slovenian-hometown-tourist-destination-donald-trump-was-first-elected?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3295166/inside-melania-trumps-humble-slovenian-hometown-tourist-destination-donald-trump-was-first-elected?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Jan 2025 22:00:18 +0000 A new documentary on Peacock examines the rise and fall of Sean “Diddy” Combs, largely through the lens of former members of his inner circle. Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy is the first major documentary to air since Combs was arrested last September and charged with three felonies, including sex trafficking. He’s since been hit with a fresh wave of civil lawsuits alleging sexual assault, rape and more. Combs has pleaded not guilty and publicly denied all allegations. His lawyers have said he... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3295133/what-did-we-find-out-diddy-making-bad-boy-new-peacock-docus-most-disturbing-details-revealed-former?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3295133/what-did-we-find-out-diddy-making-bad-boy-new-peacock-docus-most-disturbing-details-revealed-former?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Jan 2025 22:00:13 +0000 Business Insider Business Insider The threat of TikTok going dark in the US appears to have compelled some Americans to start learning Mandarin as they look to communicate on a rival Chinese app. Many Americans are joining RedNote, also known as Xiaohongshu, as a potential TikTok ban looms in the US. As they hop from TikTok to RedNote, some of the so-called TikTok refugees are learning Mandarin to bridge the language divide on the Chinese app. Language learning apps Duolingo and Drops said they had seen a jump in US users... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3295122/duolingo-sees-spike-tiktok-refugees-learning-mandarin-they-move-rednote?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3295122/duolingo-sees-spike-tiktok-refugees-learning-mandarin-they-move-rednote?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Jan 2025 03:22:09 +0000 Business Insider Business Insider Gen Z and millennials’ love of soft toys is bringing some cheer to the toy industry. Young adults adore their stuffed animals, whether they are hanging onto the battered old ones from their childhood, buying a viral 5ft (150cm) goose on TikTok Shop, or spending a premium to add to their collections of Squishmallows. A recent Jellycat pop-up in the London department store Selfridges was filled with patrons buying fuzzy US$25 – or more – versions of fish and chips, mimicking a British takeaway... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3294484/jellycat-and-squishmallows-purchases-millennials-gen-z-are-boosting-soft-toy-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3294484/jellycat-and-squishmallows-purchases-millennials-gen-z-are-boosting-soft-toy-market?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Jan 2025 08:15:08 +0000 Jason Oppenheim, star of Netflix’s Selling Sunset, has accused Los Angeles landlords of illegally price gouging rental rates amid the city’s devastating fires. In an interview with the BBC on Sunday, Oppenheim, who co-runs the Oppenheim Group with his twin brother, called for the exploitative practice to be exposed. “We’re having landlords taking advantage of the situation,” he said. The Los Angeles fires, which began nearly a week ago, have killed at least 24 people, left dozens missing, and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3294595/netflix-star-accuses-los-angeles-landlords-illegal-price-gouging-amid-devastating-fires?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3294595/netflix-star-accuses-los-angeles-landlords-illegal-price-gouging-amid-devastating-fires?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Jan 2025 13:17:50 +0000 A luxury Pacific Palisades mansion once featured in the television drama Succession has been destroyed by the wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area, the Daily Mail reported. Photos published by the Mail seemingly show the house reduced to charred beams and rubble. The mansion was bought by the founder and CEO of the lidar manufacturer Luminar Technologies, Austin Russell, for US$83 million in 2021, according to Realtor.com. The 20,000 sq ft (1,858 square metre) house, known as the San Onofre... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3294473/luxury-mansion-hbo-drama-succession-destroyed-palisades-fire-los-angeles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3294473/luxury-mansion-hbo-drama-succession-destroyed-palisades-fire-los-angeles?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Jan 2025 03:45:08 +0000 A United States passport is not as desirable as it used to be, according to the 2025 Henley Passport Index, first published 19 years ago. The index, which ranks 199 passports based on how many of 227 destinations they offer visa-free access to, has placed the US passport in ninth place, slipping from the top spot in 2014. This year, it allows American travellers to enter 186 countries and territories without a visa. Among the destinations not included are Nigeria, India and Russia. Stemming... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3294468/2014-us-passport-was-most-powerful-now-its-singapores?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3294468/2014-us-passport-was-most-powerful-now-its-singapores?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Jan 2025 00:56:33 +0000 A couple in Australia had their marriage annulled after the bride testified in court that she thought the ceremony was part of a “prank” video orchestrated by the groom for social media clout. In a family court judgment from October, which was made public this month, a judge declared the couple’s December 2023 marriage void. The bride, 24, filed for the annulment in May 2024, arguing that the marriage to the groom, in his 30s, was a sham because she did not offer real consent. She said she... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3294349/australian-court-nullifies-marriage-after-bride-says-she-thought-it-was-instagram-prank?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3294349/australian-court-nullifies-marriage-after-bride-says-she-thought-it-was-instagram-prank?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Jan 2025 04:27:15 +0000 A JetBlue passenger delayed his fellow travellers after opening one of the plane’s emergency exit doors. The incident occurred while Flight 161 was preparing to take off from Boston Logan International Airport on Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. It added that the Airbus A320, heading to Puerto Rico, was on a taxiway when the passenger opened an emergency exit. This also caused the slide to deploy. Fred Wynn, a passenger on the plane, told local CBS outlet WBZ-TV... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3293958/jetblue-passenger-opens-emergency-exit-door-bostons-logan-airport-delaying-flights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3293958/jetblue-passenger-opens-emergency-exit-door-bostons-logan-airport-delaying-flights?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jan 2025 14:22:08 +0000 Korean Air is among the last airlines still flying the iconic Boeing 747, but it is scheduled to pull the jet from a particularly long US route in 2025. Route scheduling data from the aviation analytics company Cirium shows Korean Air plans to stop flying the 747 on its 7,153-mile (11,511km) route from Seoul to Atlanta – the longest 747 passenger flight by distance – in March. It will replace the 747 with the smaller Boeing 777-300ER, which has fewer seats. Korean Air’s 777 carries up to 291... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3292704/longest-boeing-747-passenger-flight-end-2025-korean-air-phases-out-plane?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3292704/longest-boeing-747-passenger-flight-end-2025-korean-air-phases-out-plane?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Dec 2024 20:15:07 +0000 A plane crashed in South Korea, killing nearly all on board and surprising an industry that has come to view the nation as one of the world’s safest for air travel. Flight 7C2216, a 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 operated by the Korean budget airline Jeju Air, crashed while landing at Muan International Airport just after 9am local time on Sunday. Of the 181 people on board, there were just two survivors, both crew members. In recent years, South Korea has been considered among the safest for air... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3292694/jeju-air-crash-south-korea-had-gone-air-safety-pariah-global-gold-standard?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3292694/jeju-air-crash-south-korea-had-gone-air-safety-pariah-global-gold-standard?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Dec 2024 01:30:24 +0000 A Delta Air Lines passenger was caught trying to fly to Hawaii without a boarding pass on Christmas Eve, several media outlets reported. An unticketed passenger was discovered as Delta flight 487 was taxiing to the runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Delta said in a statement to CBS News. The Port of Seattle told CNN the plane then returned to the terminal, where the suspect departed. Police located them in an airport restroom using video surveillance, it added. The passenger went... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3292528/delta-air-lines-passenger-arrested-after-sneaking-christmas-eve-flight-without-ticket?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3292528/delta-air-lines-passenger-arrested-after-sneaking-christmas-eve-flight-without-ticket?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:59:00 +0000 The president of Azerbaijan Airlines praised the pilots of flight J2-8243 after the plane, carrying 67 people, crashed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday. Although both pilots were among the 38 fatalities reported by Kazakh authorities, nearly half the passengers – 29 people – survived. Samir Rzayev, who heads up the airline, also known as AZAL, told reporters on Wednesday that the two pilots’ “heroism will never be forgotten”. “While this tragic accident brought a significant loss to our nation, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3292428/azerbaijan-airlines-hails-heroism-dead-pilots-saving-29-lives-kazakhstan-jet-crash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3292428/azerbaijan-airlines-hails-heroism-dead-pilots-saving-29-lives-kazakhstan-jet-crash?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:13:57 +0000 One of Russia’s key trading channels with China is facing serious snags. That is a result of burdens stemming from Russia’s war-driven economy, which have fuelled a big slowdown in the nation’s rail industry – a vital means of trade between Moscow and Beijing. Russia’s rail industry is in its worst slowdown since the Great Financial Crisis, with the downtrend “still going strong”, according to an analysis from the Russian research firm MMI Research. Freight volume transported by Russian... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3292078/russias-overheated-economy-squeezing-one-moscows-key-trading-channels-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3292078/russias-overheated-economy-squeezing-one-moscows-key-trading-channels-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:12:21 +0000 Colon cancer is quickly becoming a young person’s disease in countries around the world, rich and poor. A study released recently in the medical journal Lancet Oncology documents rising rates of early-onset colorectal cancer across rich, highly industrialised parts of North America and Europe, and in middle-income areas worldwide. “We found this trend is not just about high-income, Western countries,” lead study author and cancer researcher Hyuna Sung says. “It reaches the parts we didn’t see... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3290983/why-rise-early-onset-colon-cancers-ringing-alarm-bells-about-ultra-processed-food?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3290983/why-rise-early-onset-colon-cancers-ringing-alarm-bells-about-ultra-processed-food?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:15:07 +0000 Florence Pugh has opened up about what it’s like to be a young woman in Hollywood, describing the experience as exhausting. In an interview with The Times of London published on Sunday, the 28-year-old British star reflected on her decade-long career as an actress and issues in the industry. “There are fine lines women have to stay within, otherwise they are called a diva, demanding, problematic. And I don’t want to fit into stereotypes made by others,” Pugh said. “It is really exhausting for a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3290980/hollywood-really-exhausting-young-women-florence-pugh-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3290980/hollywood-really-exhausting-young-women-florence-pugh-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Dec 2024 07:30:39 +0000 TikTok Shop has surpassed retail giants Shein and Sephora in the online battle for US shoppers. A 2025 consumer trends report by Coefficient Capital and The New Consumer’s Dan Frommer analysed how Americans’ spending habits could affect certain brands. The research included 11 surveys of over 3,000 US consumers. The company conducted its most recent survey this month. TikTok Shop launched in September 2023, making it a relatively new online retailer compared to its peers. However, the consumer... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3290916/tiktok-shop-outperforming-shein-and-sephora-among-us-shoppers-online?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3290916/tiktok-shop-outperforming-shein-and-sephora-among-us-shoppers-online?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Dec 2024 20:44:24 +0000 Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI researcher of four years, was found dead in his San Francisco flat on November 26, according to multiple reports. He was 26. Balaji had recently criticised OpenAI over how the start-up collects data from the internet to train its artificial intelligence (AI) models. One of his jobs at OpenAI was gather this information for the development of the company’s powerful GPT-4 AI model, and he’d become concerned about how this could undermine how content is created and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3290794/whistle-blower-chatgpt-owner-openai-found-dead-san-francisco-flat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3290794/whistle-blower-chatgpt-owner-openai-found-dead-san-francisco-flat?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Dec 2024 05:40:31 +0000 Boeing’s delivery delays are hurting president-elect Donald Trump’s dreams of flying on a new Air Force One jet. The project to build two new jets is so late that Boeing has told the US Air Force it expects to deliver the planes in 2029 or later, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. This means the planes may be ready only after the conclusion of Trump’s second term. In 2015, the Air Force chose Boeing to build two new planes to replace its ageing... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3290726/trump-unlikely-get-new-air-force-one-his-presidency-because-boeing-delays?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3290726/trump-unlikely-get-new-air-force-one-his-presidency-because-boeing-delays?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Dec 2024 10:42:09 +0000 Some flight crews have been advised not to check bags amid a system fault at Europe’s busiest airport, aviation news site Paddle Your Own Kanoo (PYOK) reported. London Heathrow is also the world’s second-busiest airport for international flights, behind Dubai, according to travel data provider OAG. On Wednesday, Heathrow announced that it is expecting its busiest-ever December after last month’s 6.5 million passengers broke records for November travel. Responding to customers who reported... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3290384/some-airline-crews-avoid-checking-bags-luggage-woes-hit-londons-heathrow-airport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3290384/some-airline-crews-avoid-checking-bags-luggage-woes-hit-londons-heathrow-airport?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Dec 2024 14:44:29 +0000 When Spotify dropped its viral year-end musical round-up Wrapped earlier this month, the disappointment online was palpable. “I’m not usually one to complain, but this was one of the most boring Spotify Wrapped recaps I’ve been a part of, and I’ve been a member since 2017,” a Reddit user said. “Spotify Wrapped flopped this year so bad like where are the music cities, the playlists, the top genres or the listening auras … all that wait for what,” a user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote. Spotify... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3290303/disappointed-your-2024-spotify-wrapped-blame-googles-ai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3290303/disappointed-your-2024-spotify-wrapped-blame-googles-ai?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Dec 2024 12:15:07 +0000 Japan Airlines (JAL) is offering to deliver luggage to your hotel or accommodation when you visit Tokyo. The same-day service costs 4,500 yen (US$29) per suitcase and is available from terminal three at Haneda Airport. JAL said the initiative will help “address social issues such as congestion in public transport and the shortage of storage lockers,” as well as making life easier for tourists. The “Baggage-Free” service, which is also available for Japanese residents, covers 14 districts in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3290214/japan-airlines-offers-luggage-delivery-service-your-hotel-when-you-visit-tokyo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3290214/japan-airlines-offers-luggage-delivery-service-your-hotel-when-you-visit-tokyo?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Dec 2024 22:00:22 +0000 Airline crew members are under investigation after a video of two passengers on a Swiss International Air Lines flight emerged on social media. The incident took place last Friday on a flight from Bangkok and Zurich, an airline spokesperson said. The spokesperson said two passengers were in the front galley of the Boeing 777 near the flight deck, where a camera is located that lets pilots carry out checks before opening the cockpit door. From a screen on the flight deck, the couple were... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3289799/swiss-air-crew-investigated-filming-passengers-intimate-acts-bangkok-zurich-flight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3289799/swiss-air-crew-investigated-filming-passengers-intimate-acts-bangkok-zurich-flight?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Dec 2024 03:38:58 +0000 Korean show Squid Game, which followed a group of civilians fighting for their lives in a deadly competition to win enough money to pay off their debts, quickly became a worldwide pop-culture sensation when it premiered in September 2021. Replica costumes from the show were worn at protests, YouTubers pledged to recreate the games in real life, and new memes and social media trends were inspired by its games. A month after its release, Squid Game became the most-watched series on Netflix. It... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/k-drama/article/3288954/whats-squid-game-season-2-new-cast-returning-characters-sneak-peeks-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/k-drama/article/3288954/whats-squid-game-season-2-new-cast-returning-characters-sneak-peeks-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Dec 2024 11:15:08 +0000 Seoul’s loneliness epidemic is eating the city from within. The city glitters, but there’s a reason the locals call South Korea “Hell Joseon”. Locals contend with crippling debt and pressure-cooker academic and work lives. Loneliness and isolation stem from and compound those problems. It’s a scourge that manifests in different ways across the metropolis’s sprawling cityscape, and a pressing issue the government is keen to address. According to a 2021 study from the Korea Institute for Health... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3288945/south-korea-lonely-deaths-are-rise-isolation-takes-its-toll?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3288945/south-korea-lonely-deaths-are-rise-isolation-takes-its-toll?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Dec 2024 05:53:31 +0000 India’s airlines have already received 999 hoax bomb threats this year, Murlidhar Mohol, India’s deputy civil aviation minister, said on Thursday. In written answers to India’s upper house, he said the number was almost 10 times more than in the whole of 2023, according to Reuters. Reuters reported that the false claims were mostly made via social media. Mohol said that 12 people had been arrested in connection with 256 police complaints filed over hoax bomb threats up until November 14, and... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3288788/indias-airlines-received-999-hoax-bomb-threats-year-straining-carriers-financially?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3288788/indias-airlines-received-999-hoax-bomb-threats-year-straining-carriers-financially?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Nov 2024 03:29:25 +0000 North Korean troops fighting alongside Russian forces will likely be sent to some of the most dangerous spots in the war, Kim Yong-hyun, South Korea’s defence minister, said on Thursday. Speaking during a parliamentary defence committee session, Kim said that “the war is led by Russia, and from the stance of unit heads of the Russian military, they are likely to send the North Korean platoons to the most dangerous and difficult areas”. He added that North Korean troops will likely be used as... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3288589/seoul-says-russia-could-use-north-korean-troops-cannon-fodder-dangerous-areas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3288589/seoul-says-russia-could-use-north-korean-troops-cannon-fodder-dangerous-areas?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Nov 2024 01:27:19 +0000 A group of Frontier Airlines passengers say they were kept on board a smoke-filled plane for nearly an hour in a lawsuit filed last week. The 19 plaintiffs were among the 197 people on board Flight 1326 from San Diego to Las Vegas on October 5. According to the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report into the incident, the Airbus A321 was arriving at Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport when it suffered a brake fire. Photos and video of the incident show smoke and flames... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3288561/frontier-airlines-passengers-sue-being-kept-smoke-filled-plane-nearly-hour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3288561/frontier-airlines-passengers-sue-being-kept-smoke-filled-plane-nearly-hour?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Nov 2024 12:31:19 +0000 TikTok’s obsession with matcha has appeared to create a shortage of the tea in Japan. TikTok’s most popular tea brands appear to be hit hard. The smooth, bright green powder plays a central role in Japanese tea ceremonies, and while it takes only a few seconds to dissolve in water, it can take an entire year to grow. Matcha production has remained consistent, but sharp increases in demand driven by social media have created a strain on the industry, The Guardian reported. Megumi Kanaike, manager... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3288425/tiktoks-matcha-mania-triggers-tea-shortage-price-hikes-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3288425/tiktoks-matcha-mania-triggers-tea-shortage-price-hikes-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Nov 2024 01:38:47 +0000 Sergei Ryabkov, one of Russia’s deputy foreign ministers, said on Monday that Moscow is considering deploying its short- to medium-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific. Speaking to Russian state media, Ryabkov described the option as a potential response to reports that the US may deploy its own systems in the region. “Of course, this is one of the options that has also been discussed many times,” Ryabkov said, according to the TASS state news agency. He had been asked by a reporter if Russia... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3288190/russia-may-deploy-missiles-asia-if-us-continues-anger-china-its-weapon-systems?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3288190/russia-may-deploy-missiles-asia-if-us-continues-anger-china-its-weapon-systems?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Nov 2024 09:17:07 +0000 A South Korean man was found guilty of evading military service by deliberately putting on weight. A court in Seoul sentenced the 26-year-old man, whose name was not publicly disclosed, to a year in prison, suspended for two years, according to The Korea Herald. He was convicted of violating the country’s Military Service Act, which requires all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 35 to serve at least 18 months. While most South Korean men are expected to serve for at least a year and a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3288107/south-korean-man-convicted-evading-military-service-binge-eating?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3288107/south-korean-man-convicted-evading-military-service-binge-eating?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Nov 2024 00:50:55 +0000 Business Insider Business Insider A flight in Portugal was grounded for several days to track down dozens of hamsters on board, Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manhã reported. The report said 132 hamsters escaped from their cages in the cargo hold of the plane, which was operated by Portuguese flag carrier TAP Air Portugal – leaving ground maintenance teams trying to track them down. After four days of effort, 16 hamsters were still loose on Saturday, it added. Last Wednesday night, the A321neo aeroplane flew from Lisbon to... https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/news/global/article/3287685/132-hamsters-escape-cages-plane-portugal-causing-chaos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/news/global/article/3287685/132-hamsters-escape-cages-plane-portugal-causing-chaos?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Nov 2024 07:05:39 +0000 This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ese Milan, a 25-year-old content creator in Las Vegas, in the state of Nevada in the US. It has been edited for length and clarity. My whole life, I have been a bigger person. I come from a Polynesian Samoan household, and my whole family is bigger, so I always thought it was normal. It was what I was used to. But in 2021, I got sick and needed to see a doctor for the first time in years. The doctor told me I weighed 412 pounds (187kg). I was... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3287151/weight-loss-surgery-and-exercise-help-187kg-young-woman-shed-68kg-she-feels-unstoppable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3287151/weight-loss-surgery-and-exercise-help-187kg-young-woman-shed-68kg-she-feels-unstoppable?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Nov 2024 20:15:09 +0000 While Michelle Yeoh’s “biggest sadness” in life is not being able to have kids, the actor has no regrets. In an interview with The Times published on Sunday, Yeoh, 62, opened up about her first marriage to Dickson Poon, a Hong Kong entrepreneur and CEO. After they married in 1988, Yeoh decided to retire from her acting career. “It was my choice. I felt that if I wanted this to work, I had to give it my all. I’d had a good career, a good run of what I was doing,” she said. “I was in a very good... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3287048/malaysias-michelle-yeoh-said-not-being-able-have-kids-biggest-sadness-her-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3287048/malaysias-michelle-yeoh-said-not-being-able-have-kids-biggest-sadness-her-life?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Nov 2024 09:00:16 +0000 A Qantas Airbus A380 flew for hundreds of hours before it was discovered a tool had been left inside one of its engines. The incident came to light on Thursday in an Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation report. It said that a nylon tool, 1.25 metres (4 feet) long, was discovered wedged inside the engine during a scheduled maintenance check in Los Angeles on January 1. The California city is one of four destinations served by the Australian flag carrier’s A380 jets. The ATSB... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3286846/qantas-airbus-a380-flew-294-hours-tool-left-inside-engine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3286846/qantas-airbus-a380-flew-294-hours-tool-left-inside-engine?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Nov 2024 03:24:09 +0000 The average McDonald’s customer is perhaps not thinking about the impact that cattle burps – or worse – can have on the environment as they chow down on a Big Mac. The company, however, is. McDonald’s is working with seed company Syngenta and Lopez Foods, one of the fast food giant’s meat suppliers, to feed cattle Syngenta’s Enogen corn, the firms said in a statement. Enogen is a feed that has been genetically modified with an enzyme “that quickly converts starch to usable sugars, delivering... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3286824/mcdonalds-wants-make-flatulent-cows-less-problem-environment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3286824/mcdonalds-wants-make-flatulent-cows-less-problem-environment?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Nov 2024 13:53:52 +0000 US President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of the controversial former congressman Matt Gaetz to be the next attorney general shocked Washington. In just under seven years in Washington, Gaetz has led the historic ouster of a House speaker and been the subject of a Justice Department investigation into whether he sex trafficked a minor. He has also been the subject of multiple House Ethics Committee probes. It remains an open question on if Gaetz will get confirmed as attorney general. If he... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3286703/matt-gaetz-polarising-figure-heres-some-his-most-controversial-moments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3286703/matt-gaetz-polarising-figure-heres-some-his-most-controversial-moments?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Nov 2024 06:03:19 +0000 Business Insider Business Insider TikTok did not shy away from hiring employees from China last year, even as US officials accused the app of being a national security risk because its owner ByteDance is headquartered in Beijing. Of the roughly 1,000 non-US employees that TikTok and ByteDance sought to hire for its US teams via H-1B visa applications between October 2022 and September 2023, most were from China. Companies use the H-1B programme to hire foreign workers who have business skills that they say they cannot otherwise... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3286325/tiktok-and-bytedance-hire-hundreds-chinese-workers-us-despite-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3286325/tiktok-and-bytedance-hire-hundreds-chinese-workers-us-despite-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Nov 2024 03:03:13 +0000