https://www.scmp.com/rss/322553/feed Exclusive content for SCMP readers from the world’s fastest-growing dedicated business news site. Our editors bring you the best of what’s on offer outside of Asia. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com 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 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 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 They’re determined and capable in battle, even in an unfamiliar fight, and their tactics are outdated but brutal.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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s former business partner is making a massive donation to the Singapore American School (SAS). Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin donated 20 million Singapore dollars, (US$15.5 million), to SAS, the school announced on Friday. It’s the biggest donation the school has ever received. SAS is a private school in Woodlands, an area in northern Singapore close to Malaysia. The school had 4,100 students enrolled in 2023. More than half were US citizens, per a US state... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3279623/facebook-co-founder-donates-us15-million-singapore-private-school-charges-us47000?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3279623/facebook-co-founder-donates-us15-million-singapore-private-school-charges-us47000?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Sep 2024 09:13:33 +0000 Billionaire investor Mark Cuban says he is working with Vice-President Kamala Harris’ campaign to find ways to protect American companies from Chinese knockoffs. In an X post on Wednesday, Cuban said he had an “interesting conversation with the @KamalaHarris team about protecting American companies from Chinese Knockoffs”. “Knock-offs are a plague on small businesses, that costs them time, money and may put them out of business. Right now all marketplace platforms do is help them play... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3279140/shark-tanks-mark-cuban-wants-take-out-chinese-knockoffs-says-kamala-harris-agrees?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3279140/shark-tanks-mark-cuban-wants-take-out-chinese-knockoffs-says-kamala-harris-agrees?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Sep 2024 08:51:13 +0000 South Korea’s military has been forced to remove more than 1,300 surveillance cameras from its bases after learning that they could be used to transmit signals to China, Yonhap news agency reported. The cameras, which were supplied by a South Korean company, “were found to be designed to be able to transmit recorded footage externally by connecting to a specific Chinese server”, the outlet reported an unnamed military official as saying. Korean intelligence agencies discovered the cameras’... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3278970/chinese-surveillance-fears-spur-south-korea-remove-1300-cameras-military-bases?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3278970/chinese-surveillance-fears-spur-south-korea-remove-1300-cameras-military-bases?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Sep 2024 05:37:33 +0000 Two German warships are visiting the Philippines for the first time in more than 20 years after making a notable transit through the Taiwan Strait. Germany said the port call is a reaffirmation of its commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region and the rules-based international order – rhetoric commonly used by the United States – as well as a testament to its defence cooperation with the Philippines. The vessels, the first-in-class frigate Baden-Württemberg and the Berlin-class supply... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3278849/german-warships-philippines-sign-things-come?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3278849/german-warships-philippines-sign-things-come?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Sep 2024 07:31:37 +0000 TikTok is under a lot of scrutiny right now. Lawmakers in the United States worry that the video-sharing platform, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, poses a danger to national security. President Joe Biden has signed a law requiring TikTok be sold to a US owner by mid-January or else risk being banned in the US. In September, a hearing on the potential TikTok ban began in federal appeal court, where lawyers for both sides will make their case. So who’s leading the company through this... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3278823/who-singapores-shou-zi-chew-closer-look-facebook-intern-turned-tiktok-ceo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3278823/who-singapores-shou-zi-chew-closer-look-facebook-intern-turned-tiktok-ceo?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Sep 2024 04:31:07 +0000 Elon Musk is facing backlash following a controversial comment he made on his social media platform, X, in the wake of an apparent second assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump. In a now-deleted post, Musk questioned why there have been no assassination attempts on President Joe Biden or Vice-President Kamala Harris. The remarks came after gunshots were fired near Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday. The FBI is now probing what it says appears to be a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3278761/musk-faces-backlash-after-trump-assassination-attempt-asks-why-harris-biden-not-targeted?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3278761/musk-faces-backlash-after-trump-assassination-attempt-asks-why-harris-biden-not-targeted?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Sep 2024 11:37:49 +0000 Elon Musk has some bad blood with China’s Swifties. It all started hours after the prime-time ABC debate between US Vice-President Kamala Harris and former US president Donald Trump. Taylor Swift, post-debate, issued a ringing endorsement of Harris on Instagram. The pop star also signed off with the label “Childless Cat Lady” – a direct jab at controversial comments Senator J.D. Vance, Trump’s running mate, made about childless people. That’s where Musk comes in. The Tesla and SpaceX chief took... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3278158/elon-musk-takes-jab-taylor-swift-kamala-harris-endorsement-riling-chinas-swifties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3278158/elon-musk-takes-jab-taylor-swift-kamala-harris-endorsement-riling-chinas-swifties?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Sep 2024 18:06:16 +0000 Elon Musk is on track to become the world’s first trillionaire, according to a new report from Informa Connect Academy. According to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index, the Tesla CEO is currently the world’s richest person, with a net worth of US$237 billion. The report’s predictions are based on an individual’s average annual wealth growth rate. If Musk’s wealth continues to grow at an annual rate of 110 per cent, the report predicts he will be the first person to achieve trillionaire status by... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3277827/tesla-and-spacexs-elon-musk-track-become-worlds-first-trillionaire-2027-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3277827/tesla-and-spacexs-elon-musk-track-become-worlds-first-trillionaire-2027-report?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Sep 2024 13:12:07 +0000 Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton has some advice for US Vice-President Kamala Harris ahead of the Democratic presidential nominee’s coming debate with former president Donald Trump. Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, jousted with Trump during three high-stakes debates that year. She recently told The New York Times that Harris should use her background as a prosecutor to make a case against Trump. “She just should not be baited. She should bait him,” Clinton told the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3277636/hillary-clinton-says-kamala-harris-should-bait-trump-during-debate-he-can-be-rattled?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3277636/hillary-clinton-says-kamala-harris-should-bait-trump-during-debate-he-can-be-rattled?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Sep 2024 21:41:14 +0000 Elon Musk shed light on why some users might be seeing “more toxic” content on their X feed of late. The X owner wrote in a post on Sunday night that the X algorithm “assumes” users want to see more of the same type of content they interact with. “One of the strongest signals is if you forward X posts to friends, it assumes you like that content a lot, because it takes effort to forward,” Musk wrote. He added: “Unfortunately, if the actual reason you forwarded the content to friends was because... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3276912/musk-suggests-sharing-posts-cute-puppies-so-your-x-feed-doesnt-become-more-toxic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3276912/musk-suggests-sharing-posts-cute-puppies-so-your-x-feed-doesnt-become-more-toxic?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Sep 2024 18:00:15 +0000 Russian President Vladimir Putin gifted North Korean leader Kim Jong-un two dozen purebred horses as payment for artillery shells, The Times reported. The outlet cited an announcement from veterinary authorities in Primorsky Krai, a Russian region connected to North Korea by train. The announcement noted that 24 horses were transported across the border on Sunday, The Times wrote. The horses – 19 stallions and five mares – are Orlov Trotters, a white-grey breed that is Kim’s favourite. The North... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3276851/russias-putin-gifts-kim-jong-un-24-horses-payment-north-korean-artillery-shells?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3276851/russias-putin-gifts-kim-jong-un-24-horses-payment-north-korean-artillery-shells?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Sep 2024 08:17:27 +0000 Australian airline Qantas has blamed a “coding error” for vastly reduced pricing on hundreds of first-class flights sold last week. Around 300 travellers grabbed the tickets, priced at discounts of up to 85 per cent on the usual fare rate for flights between Australia and the US. Currently, a first-class journey between Sydney to New York comes in at around A$15,000 (US$10,000). “Unfortunately, this is a case where the fare was actually too good to be true,” the company said in a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3275999/australias-qantas-blames-coding-error-85-discount-first-class-flights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3275999/australias-qantas-blames-coding-error-85-discount-first-class-flights?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Aug 2024 22:00:19 +0000 A flight expert shared his favourite – and least favourite – airports for early morning flights. Travel expert Gilbert Ott advises booking early flights to avoid delays. The best airports for early flights are well-located and have hotels and good food. The worst have limited hotel and food options – if any – and are far from tourist hotspots. No one wants to wake up before the sun comes up to get to the airport, but taking the first flight out has its perks, says Gilbert Ott, a travel expert... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3275743/singapore-airport-slays-says-travel-expert-rating-worlds-best-and-worst?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3275743/singapore-airport-slays-says-travel-expert-rating-worlds-best-and-worst?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Aug 2024 01:22:37 +0000 Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov sparked social media buzz this week after posting a video of himself driving a Tesla Cybertruck affixed with what appeared to be a machine gun on top. But while the decked-out electric vehicle might look like something out of Star Wars – and may boast some features that could be useful in rugged terrain – the futuristic EV is likely to prove effectively useless on the actual battlefield, a military expert said. “Where do you recharge this thing on the battlefield?... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3275395/warlords-machine-gun-cybertruck-cool-useless-battlefield-military-expert-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3275395/warlords-machine-gun-cybertruck-cool-useless-battlefield-military-expert-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Aug 2024 23:32:58 +0000 A New York-based trademark lawyer has made a hobby out of buying up domain names for various hypothetical political candidates. And now for the second time, it has led to a pretty big payday. Jeremy Green Eche bought the website HarrisWalz.com in 2020 for about US$10, thinking at the time that Harris might score the Democratic presidential nomination, he said. He had also bought a number of websites with the names of different running mates, including HarrisPritzker.com for the Illinois... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3273634/us-man-bought-harriswalzcom-2020-us10-it-just-sold-us15000?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3273634/us-man-bought-harriswalzcom-2020-us10-it-just-sold-us15000?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Aug 2024 19:51:33 +0000 Elon Musk is having another go at suing OpenAI and co-founders Sam Altman and Greg Brockman. In the new lawsuit filed on Monday, Musk’s lawyers argued that the OpenAI executives “deceived” Musk into confounding the company by playing on his concerns about the existential risks AI poses in what they describe as a “textbook tale of altruism versus greed.” Musk’s lawyers also claimed that the billionaire was “assiduously manipulated” by Altman and Brockman into confounding OpenAI, a non-profit that... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3273291/teslas-elon-musk-says-he-was-deceived-suing-chatgpt-maker-openai-ceo-sam-altman-again?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3273291/teslas-elon-musk-says-he-was-deceived-suing-chatgpt-maker-openai-ceo-sam-altman-again?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Aug 2024 12:24:35 +0000 The case of a US woman who was discovered chained to a tree in a rural part of the western Indian state of Maharashtra is puzzling investigators. Lalita Kayi, 50, was found last week in the state’s Sindhudurg district after her screams were heard by a local, according to Indian media reports. A cow herder who found Kayi told BBC Marathi that he had heard screams “coming from the forest on the side of the mountain” as he took his cattle to graze. “When I went there, I saw that one of her legs was... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3273115/us-woman-lalita-kayi-found-chained-tree-indian-forest-prompting-murder-investigation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3273115/us-woman-lalita-kayi-found-chained-tree-indian-forest-prompting-murder-investigation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Aug 2024 21:43:32 +0000 Delta Air Lines is gearing up to demand money following an outage that sent the world, including the airline, into chaos. The carrier hired star lawyer David Boies to seek damages from CrowdStrike and Microsoft for the July 19 computer outage that forced Delta to cancel about 6,000 flights, CNBC reported on Monday. Boies has represented Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election, and the US government in an antitrust case against Microsoft in 1998. His law firm,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3272520/delta-air-lines-hires-lawyer-seek-damages-crowdstrike-microsoft-over-software-outage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3272520/delta-air-lines-hires-lawyer-seek-damages-crowdstrike-microsoft-over-software-outage?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Jul 2024 13:12:09 +0000 An easyJet plane was met by paramedics after a pilot was taken unwell during the flight, an airline spokesperson confirmed. The Airbus A320 was travelling from London Luton Airport to Lisbon on Saturday. There were 193 people on board, according to the report. CNN Portugal reported that the co-pilot fainted before the plane landed safely. The report added that they were stabilised and then taken to the hospital. “EasyJet can confirm that the flight EZY2459 from Luton to Lisbon was met by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3272363/co-pilot-easyjet-flight-london-lisbon-faints-emergency-crews-called-airport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3272363/co-pilot-easyjet-flight-london-lisbon-faints-emergency-crews-called-airport?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Jul 2024 16:00:10 +0000 Nearly two weeks after former US president Donald Trump selected J.D. Vance to be his running mate, it is safe to say the Ohio senator is struggling. His polling is the worst of any non-incumbent vice presidential nominee in decades. His years-old comments about “childless cat ladies” have drawn widespread disgust. Some in Trump’s orbit worry they have made the wrong choice. In recent days, he has been the target of a baseless rumour that he once had sex with a couch. It was always clear that... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3272102/why-trump-vp-pick-jd-vance-dogged-couch-sex-memes-and-struggling-general?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3272102/why-trump-vp-pick-jd-vance-dogged-couch-sex-memes-and-struggling-general?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Jul 2024 23:30:31 +0000 In the aftermath of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump earlier this month, the US former president said in a post on his Truth Social platform that he was “shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear”. Now FBI Director Christopher Wray cast some doubt on this on Wednesday when he said before the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee that it was not clear whether Trump was struck by a bullet or shrapnel at Trump’s July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. “I think, with... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3271931/was-donald-trump-actually-hit-bullet-fbi-chief-isnt-sure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3271931/was-donald-trump-actually-hit-bullet-fbi-chief-isnt-sure?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Jul 2024 20:10:21 +0000 World leaders lined up to pay tribute to Joe Biden after he announced on Sunday he was dropping out of the US presidential race. Biden notified the public of his decision in a letter, a stunning move that upends the 2024 race for the White House. He endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s new nominee. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he respects Biden’s decision to drop out of the White House race and that Biden has made his decision based on what he believes is... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3271330/world-leaders-react-biden-dropping-out-white-house-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3271330/world-leaders-react-biden-dropping-out-white-house-race?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Jul 2024 20:54:47 +0000 After surviving an assassination attempt, former US President Donald Trump made his first public appearance two days later, on the first night of the Republican National Convention. He entered the convention centre wearing a massive bandage on his right ear, where the bullet wounded him. In the days that followed, some of his supporters started sporting bandages of their own. Like donning MAGA hats, “it facilitates a sense of belongingness and a sense of connection,” said Dr Catherine Nobile, a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3271259/psychological-phenomenon-behind-trump-supporters-fake-ear-bandages-together?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3271259/psychological-phenomenon-behind-trump-supporters-fake-ear-bandages-together?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Jul 2024 16:00:12 +0000 US Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio has come a long way since graduating from Yale Law School in 2013. The former venture capitalist-turned-politician’s career trajectory got a big boost on Monday when former US president Donald Trump named him running mate. “As vice-president, J.D. will continue to fight for our Constitution, stand with our troops, and will do everything he can to help me make America great again,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. Vance does have benefactors, like tech billionaire... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3270715/how-tiger-mum-amy-chua-helped-boost-trump-vp-pick-jd-vance-superstardom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3270715/how-tiger-mum-amy-chua-helped-boost-trump-vp-pick-jd-vance-superstardom?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jul 2024 17:07:13 +0000 US President Joe Biden may still be the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, but former president Donald Trump doesn’t seem to think he will be for long. Trump has been lasering in on Vice-President Kamala Harris in the weeks following Biden’s stumbling performance at their debate on June 27. Harris is widely seen as the most likely replacement for Biden if he were to step aside – as his second-in-command, who will also have access to his campaign war chest. Trump did address the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3269900/laffin-kamala-harris-trump-trialing-nicknames-bidens-vp?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3269900/laffin-kamala-harris-trump-trialing-nicknames-bidens-vp?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Jul 2024 07:39:33 +0000 US President Joe Biden is clear that he is not leaving the 2024 race. On Friday, Biden rallied with supporters in Wisconsin as he continued his effort to hold onto power amid a growing number of megadonors and Democratic officials questioning whether he is still the best candidate to beat former US president Donald Trump. “You voted for me to be your nominee, no one else,” Biden said at the rally. “You, the voters did that. And despite that some folks don’t seem to care who you voted for, well... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3269467/5-people-watch-joe-biden-weighs-leaving-white-house-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3269467/5-people-watch-joe-biden-weighs-leaving-white-house-race?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Jul 2024 19:56:53 +0000 Joe Biden has a new solution to calm concerns after his abysmal debate against Donald Trump last week: he just needs to get more rest. Biden – now facing increasing pressure to drop out of the race after his performance last Thursday featured a hoarse voice, meandering thoughts, verbal flubs and vacant expressions – met key Democratic governors on Wednesday to stamp out naysayers. He again brushed off criticism of the debate as a one-off mistake, according to CNN and The New York Times. And the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3269228/joe-bidens-new-plan-after-debate-catastrophe-stop-doing-events-night?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3269228/joe-bidens-new-plan-after-debate-catastrophe-stop-doing-events-night?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jul 2024 21:57:38 +0000 Malaysia’s US$100 billion China-backed ghost city was meant to house 700,000 people. After few people moved in, developers tried in vain to make it into a tourist hub. Now, the mega-development is serving as a set for a handful of reality shows and documentaries. The empty city, just over Singapore’s western border, was used for an episode on the second season of Netflix reality show The Mole, which debuted last week. The competition-style reality series follows 12 contestants completing... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3268852/forest-city-malaysias-china-backed-us100-billion-ghost-town-becomes-set-netflix-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3268852/forest-city-malaysias-china-backed-us100-billion-ghost-town-becomes-set-netflix-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jul 2024 08:31:25 +0000 Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s indefatigable work ethic has helped turn the chip giant into one of the most valuable companies in the world. So it’s perhaps no surprise that Huang’s client and fellow billionaire, Elon Musk, is a fan of his management style. “Absolutely the right attitude,” Musk said in an X post on Sunday. “During the toilet paper shortages of Covid, I was making sure that our factories and offices had toilet paper.” Musk was responding to a clip of an interview Huang gave in March... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3268747/musk-praises-nvidias-taiwan-born-ceo-jensen-huangs-work-ethic-cleaning-toilets-dennys?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3268747/musk-praises-nvidias-taiwan-born-ceo-jensen-huangs-work-ethic-cleaning-toilets-dennys?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jul 2024 10:41:21 +0000 Thinking of visiting China, India, or Venezuela with a US passport for your summer holiday? Not so fast – or at least not before securing a visa. Some of the best wonders of the world require US citizens to obtain a visa before take-off, an inconvenience in planning that long-awaited international getaway. US passport holders can access 188 countries globally without a visa, putting it in eighth place among world passports on the global mobility spectrum, according to the 2024 Henley Passport... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3268536/singapore-has-worlds-most-powerful-passport-ahead-japan-us-8th-henley-passport-index?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3268536/singapore-has-worlds-most-powerful-passport-ahead-japan-us-8th-henley-passport-index?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Jun 2024 22:00:22 +0000