https://www.scmp.com/rss/39942/feed Nelson Mandela is a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and politician who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid and fostering racial reconciliation. An African nationalist and democratic socialist, Mandela served as the President of the African National Congress (ANC) from 1991 to 1997.. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump’s pick for ambassador to South Africa has arrived in the country where he will seek to improve fraught ties between the two states. An embassy official told Reuters on Monday that ‌the envoy, conservative activist and writer Leo Brent Bozell III, had arrived. Bozell is expected to present his credentials to President Cyril Ramaphosa before officially taking up his post. Relations between Washington and Pretoria have deteriorated in the past year as Trump has accused... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3343771/trumps-new-ambassador-south-africa-arrives-country-amid-strained-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3343771/trumps-new-ambassador-south-africa-arrives-country-amid-strained-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 22:21:11 +0000 Annemarie Evans Annemarie Evans I WAS BORN in 1967 in Caloocan, just north of Manila, in the Philippines. I have three siblings. I’m the eldest. My father had a much bigger clan, 10 siblings. Imagine the reunions we have on my father’s side! My family went into different kinds of businesses: textiles, poultry, restaurants. At one time we were an egg distributor, so we gathered them from nearby provinces wholesale and retailed them in the city. Whenever my dad had a new venture, I’d be there observing and sometimes I’d be the... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3328771/noel-de-guzman-painting-fire-and-silent-power-smile?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3328771/noel-de-guzman-painting-fire-and-silent-power-smile?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Oct 2025 10:15:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Some of the activists detained while trying to reach Gaza by sea have returned to their home countries to describe mistreatment at the hands of Israeli guards, claims that Israel denies. Some 450 activists were arrested as Israeli forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla, a fleet of 42 boats seeking to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza and deliver a symbolic amount of aid to the famine-stricken territory. Those detained between Wednesday and Friday were brought to Israel, where many... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3327939/released-gaza-flotilla-activists-allege-mistreatment-while-being-detained-israel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3327939/released-gaza-flotilla-activists-allege-mistreatment-while-being-detained-israel?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Oct 2025 21:17:03 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israeli naval forces on Wednesday intercepted a flotilla carrying aid to Gaza, ending its latest bid to break an Israeli blockade of the war-battered Palestinian territory. The Global Sumud Flotilla - involving around 45 vessels carrying politicians and activists including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg - left Spain last month, aiming to break Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian territory, where the UN says famine has set in. Thunberg’s ship was among those the Israeli navy... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3327541/gaza-aid-flotilla-sails-amid-israeli-intimidation-ready-military-interception?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3327541/gaza-aid-flotilla-sails-amid-israeli-intimidation-ready-military-interception?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Oct 2025 12:40:00 +0000 Reuters Reuters British police arrested scores of supporters on Saturday of a pro-Palestinian protest group that was banned this month under anti-terrorism legislation. Police said they had arrested at least 41 people in London and 16 others in Manchester for showing support for the group Palestine Action. Campaign group Defend our Juries said 86 people had been arrested across the UK, with other protests held in Wales and Northern Ireland. British lawmakers proscribed the group under anti-terrorism legislation... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3318013/london-police-arrest-over-40-supporters-banned-group-palestine-action?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3318013/london-police-arrest-over-40-supporters-banned-group-palestine-action?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Jul 2025 18:11:40 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Americans on Sunday marked five years since George Floyd was killed by a US police officer, as US President Donald Trump backtracks on reforms designed to tackle racism. Floyd’s deadly arrest on May 25, 2020 helped launch the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement into a powerful force that sought to resolve America’s deeply rooted racial issues, from police violence to systemic inequality. But since Trump’s return to power in January – he was serving his first term when Floyd died – his... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3311756/george-floyds-uncertain-legacy-marked-us-5-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3311756/george-floyds-uncertain-legacy-marked-us-5-years?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 May 2025 19:46:16 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump ambushed South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday by playing him a video that he claimed proved genocide is being committed against white people, driving farmers to flee to the United States. The extraordinary stunt turned the usually staid diplomatic setting of the Oval Office into a stage for Trump’s contention that white South African farmers are being forced off their land and killed. With reporters present, Trump had staff put the four-minute video on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3311286/trump-ambushes-south-africas-ramaphosa-false-white-genocide-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3311286/trump-ambushes-south-africas-ramaphosa-false-white-genocide-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 May 2025 18:19:58 +0000 Wynna Wong,Elizabeth Cheung Wynna Wong,Elizabeth Cheung Former US president Joe Biden’s personal office announced on Sunday that the 82-year-old had recently been diagnosed with an “aggressive form” of prostate cancer, while in Hong Kong, corporate governance activist David Webb, 59, said this month he was preparing to transfer his online database, Webb-site, to other interested parties, as he did not have long to live after his 2020 diagnosis. From politicians such as Biden and the late South African president Nelson Mandela to business magnate... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3310951/how-common-prostate-cancer-hong-kong-and-what-can-you-do-treat-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3310951/how-common-prostate-cancer-hong-kong-and-what-can-you-do-treat-it?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 May 2025 11:39:02 +0000 Sam Nujoma, the fiery, white-bearded freedom fighter who led Namibia to independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990 and served as its first president for 15 years, coming to be known as the father of his nation, has died. He was 95. Nujoma’s death was announced on Sunday by current Namibian President Nangolo Mbumba, who said Nujoma died on Saturday night after being hospitalised in the capital, Windhoek. “The foundations of the Republic of Namibia have been shaken,” Mbumba said in a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3297990/sam-nujoma-namibias-fiery-freedom-fighter-and-first-president-dies-95?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3297990/sam-nujoma-namibias-fiery-freedom-fighter-and-first-president-dies-95?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Feb 2025 18:17:32 +0000 Mabel Lui Mabel Lui For South Africa, February 11, 1990 is a memorable date. On that day, anti-apartheid activist and future president Nelson Mandela was released from the Victor Verster Prison after spending 27 years behind bars. Exiting hand in hand with his wife Winnie, he was greeted by a euphoric crowd of supporters who had waited hours outside the gates to see him walk out as a free man. It was a historic moment that marked the beginning of the end of apartheid. News of Mandela’s release was circulated around... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3292480/why-beyonds-song-glorious-years-so-loved-hong-kong-and-became-instant-hit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3292480/why-beyonds-song-glorious-years-so-loved-hong-kong-and-became-instant-hit?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Dec 2024 10:15:10 +0000 South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced his new government on Sunday with the former opposition parties getting 12 out of 32 portfolios after the ruling ANC lost its outright parliamentary majority. The African National Congress (ANC), which has governed the country since the advent of democracy in 1994, kept 20 out of 32 cabinet positions. They included key ministries such as foreign affairs, finance, defence, justice and police. A statement from the party welcomed the president’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3268664/south-africa-announces-new-government-opposition-getting-12-ministries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3268664/south-africa-announces-new-government-opposition-getting-12-ministries?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Jun 2024 23:37:24 +0000 South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday that his African National Congress (ANC) would seek to form a government of national unity, after failing to win an outright majority in last week’s general election. After hours of deliberations, Ramaphosa said the ANC’s leadership had decided to try to band together with a broad group of opposition parties, ranging from the far right to the hard left. The ANC won 40 per cent of the vote – its lowest score ever – and for the first time... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3265750/south-africas-anc-seeks-national-unity-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3265750/south-africas-anc-seeks-national-unity-government?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Jun 2024 05:45:36 +0000 Thirty years after apartheid, Nelson Mandela’s political heirs are in for a rude awakening. The African National Congress (ANC) he led won barely 40 per cent in South Africa’s general election, a veritable collapse in support after garnering just 57.5 per cent of votes in 2019, a record low then. The ANC has mainly lost support among young people. An AtlasIntel poll just before the election showed the ANC had the support of over half of those surveyed who were over 60 years but just 27 per cent... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3265237/ancs-fall-divisive-politics-darkening-south-africas-rainbow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3265237/ancs-fall-divisive-politics-darkening-south-africas-rainbow?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Jun 2024 21:30:08 +0000 The African National Congress (ANC) was holding high-stakes internal talks on Tuesday about which parties it should approach to form South Africa’s next government, with diametrically opposed Marxists and free-marketeers on the menu of options. The ANC is open to talking to any party but will not entertain demands from some that President Cyril Ramaphosa step down as a precondition, Fikile Mbalula, the party’s secretary general, said at a press conference on Sunday. “We are talking to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3265375/south-africa-election-2024-anc-loses-majority-alliance-talks-marxists-free-marketeers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3265375/south-africa-election-2024-anc-loses-majority-alliance-talks-marxists-free-marketeers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Jun 2024 11:04:30 +0000 President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday called for South Africa’s political parties to overcome their differences and find “common ground” to form the first national coalition government in its young democracy. His comments came in a speech straight after final election results were announced confirming that no party won a majority in last week’s vote. Unprecedented coalition talks were set to start to find a way forward for Africa’s most industrialised economy. Ramaphosa’s African National Congress... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3265102/no-party-wins-majority-south-africas-election-official-results-confirm-coalition-talks-start?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3265102/no-party-wins-majority-south-africas-election-official-results-confirm-coalition-talks-start?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Jun 2024 17:37:31 +0000 South Africans angry at joblessness, inequality and power shortages have slashed support for the African National Congress (ANC) to 40 per cent in this week’s election, ending three decades of dominance by the party that freed the country from apartheid. A dramatically weakened mandate for the legacy party of Nelson Mandela, down from the 57.5 per cent it got in the previous 2019 parliamentary election, means the ANC must share power with a rival to keep it – an unprecedented prospect. “We can... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3265031/south-africa-election-ends-three-decades-anc-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3265031/south-africa-election-ends-three-decades-anc-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Jun 2024 17:00:17 +0000 The African National Congress looked set on Thursday to lose the parliamentary majority it has held for 30 years, as partial election results suggested it would need a partner to stay in power – a first in South Africa’s post-apartheid history. If the final results confirm the loss of its majority, the ANC will be forced to make a deal with one or more other parties to govern – a situation that could lead to political volatility in the coming weeks or months. With a fifth of votes tallied, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3264757/south-africa-election-2024-anc-course-lose-majority-landmark-vote-marking-post-apartheid-shift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3264757/south-africa-election-2024-anc-course-lose-majority-landmark-vote-marking-post-apartheid-shift?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 May 2024 13:17:42 +0000 Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump on Saturday compared himself to South African anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, sparking quick and virulent criticism from US President Joe Biden’s campaign team. The 77-year-old Trump has been indicted in four different criminal cases, all of which could end in jail time for the billionaire real estate mogul. In one of those cases, he stands accused of paying hush money to a one-time porn star before the 2016 presidential election, which he won over... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3258106/donald-trump-again-likens-himself-nelson-mandela?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3258106/donald-trump-again-likens-himself-nelson-mandela?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Apr 2024 23:39:11 +0000 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai said on Tuesday that Taliban rule in Afghanistan has made “girlhood illegal”, as she called for gender apartheid to be made a crime against humanity. In a speech marking the 10th anniversary of the death of South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, the Pakistani activist said: “The Taliban have made girlhood illegal, and it is taking a toll.” She highlighted how Afghan girls frozen out of school are “experiencing depression”, “turning to narcotics” and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3243982/taliban-rule-made-girlhood-illegal-afghanistan-malala-yousafzai-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3243982/taliban-rule-made-girlhood-illegal-afghanistan-malala-yousafzai-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Dec 2023 17:34:20 +0000 Former US president Donald Trump compared himself to anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela on Monday as he cast himself as the victim of federal and state prosecutors he alleges are targeting him and his businesses for political reasons. Returning to New Hampshire to register for its presidential primary, Trump held a rally where he railed against President Joe Biden’s response to the Hamas attack on Israel and vowed to build an Iron Dome-style missile defence shield over the US. But he focused... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3238945/donald-trump-compares-himself-nelson-mandela-promises-iron-dome-style-defence-shield-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3238945/donald-trump-compares-himself-nelson-mandela-promises-iron-dome-style-defence-shield-us?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Oct 2023 03:20:41 +0000 South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, embroiled in scandal and under threat of impeachment, has no intention of resigning and will fight both politically and judicially, his spokesman said on Saturday. Pressure mounted this week for Ramaphosa to quit or be forced from office over the burglary of more than half a million dollars in cash from his farm, which he allegedly covered up. On Wednesday, a three-member parliamentary panel, including a former chief justice of the country’s highest... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3201982/south-africas-scandal-hit-president-cyril-ramaphosa-not-resigning-spokesman?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3201982/south-africas-scandal-hit-president-cyril-ramaphosa-not-resigning-spokesman?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Dec 2022 02:10:10 +0000 King Charles hosted his first state visit since becoming British monarch on Tuesday, welcoming Cyril Ramaphosa to Buckingham Palace, where the South African president invoked Mandela as he paid tribute to the close ties between the two countries. Charles, 74, rolled out the traditional pomp and ceremony as Britain sought to bolster its relations with its biggest trading partner in Africa. Addressing lawmakers in parliament, Ramaphosa lauded the two nations’ close ties, forged in the wake of a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3200624/king-charles-welcomes-south-africas-cyril-ramaphosa-first-state-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3200624/king-charles-welcomes-south-africas-cyril-ramaphosa-first-state-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Nov 2022 19:47:14 +0000 Italian menswear label Stefano Ricci, founded and led by the entrepreneur of the same name, couldn’t be further removed from the modern fashion world as we know it. Eschewing conventional practices such as seasonal shows, celebrity endorsements and collaborations with influencers, the brand operates in a completely different realm to other fashion labels. At Stefano Ricci, the client is king. Instead of trying to be all things to all people, the company zeroes in on a niche of rich businessmen... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3198675/italian-luxury-menswear-brand-stefano-ricci-has-dressed-nelson-mandela-andrea-bocelli-and-various?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3198675/italian-luxury-menswear-brand-stefano-ricci-has-dressed-nelson-mandela-andrea-bocelli-and-various?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Nov 2022 08:15:09 +0000 Meghan Markle hardly does media interviews, but when she does decide to speak up, everything she says gets dissected. In her most recent interview with The Cut, she said a South African cast member from the live-action version of The Lion King had compared celebrations in South Africa after her marriage to Prince Harry to the same as when freedom fighter Nelson Mandela was released. Her recollection of the interaction and the comparison have drawn sharp criticism. Here’s what you need to... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3191141/inside-meghan-markle-and-nelson-mandela-fiasco-she?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3191141/inside-meghan-markle-and-nelson-mandela-fiasco-she?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Sep 2022 10:00:33 +0000 South Africa on Friday condemned the planned auction of the key to the prison cell that once held ex-president and national hero Nelson Mandela. The key to the cell on Robben Island, where Mandela was jailed for 27 years, is the headline item of a January 28 auction by British auction house Guernsey’s. Most of the items were provided by members of Mandela’s family to raise funds for a planned museum and garden around his grave. According to media reports, Mandela’s former prison guard Christo... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3161034/south-africa-slams-auction-nelson-mandelas-cell-key?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3161034/south-africa-slams-auction-nelson-mandelas-cell-key?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Dec 2021 00:58:40 +0000 November is National Adoption Month, and according to the last US Census, one in 25 American families with children has an adopted child. 10 celebrities who became BFFs with their exes’ new partners Though celebrities, like the Brangelina brood, are known to adopt children from all over the world, here are 16 celebrities we bet you didn’t know were adopted. Ray Liotta Ray Liotta and his sister were both adopted. The Goodfellas star told Larry King in September 2014 that, when he tracked down... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3156112/16-celebrities-you-didnt-know-were-adopted-hollywood-icon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3156112/16-celebrities-you-didnt-know-were-adopted-hollywood-icon?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Nov 2021 22:00:26 +0000 FW de Klerk, who shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Nelson Mandela, and as South Africa’s last apartheid president oversaw the end of the country’s white minority rule, has died at the age of 85. He passed away at his home in Cape Town after a battle against cancer, a spokesman for the FW de Klerk Foundation confirmed on Thursday. In a video released by his foundation on its website hours after his death, de Klerk apologised for the crimes committed against people of colour. In his message de... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3155727/fw-de-klerk-last-president-apartheid-south-africa-and-key-actor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3155727/fw-de-klerk-last-president-apartheid-south-africa-and-key-actor?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Nov 2021 11:19:14 +0000 Even if you’re not a fashion fan, you’ve probably heard the name Christian Louboutin, the Parisian designer at least partially responsible for the global obsession with stilettos. The phenomenon was perhaps most dashingly embodied in the famous HBO TV series Sex and the City, with fashionista Carrie Bradshaw memorably gushing “hello lover” at a sexy pair of heels in a Louboutin boutique window. The signature red-lacquered soles, now one of the most recognisable fashion emblems, has become a sign... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/leisure/article/3148021/christian-louboutin-why-fashion-can-still-make-difference?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/leisure/article/3148021/christian-louboutin-why-fashion-can-still-make-difference?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Sep 2021 21:00:19 +0000 South African President Cyril Ramaphosa joined post-riot clean-up efforts on Sunday as his government warned against vigilantism and sought to avert racial conflict following the unrest. The country was gripped by more than a week of chaos that claimed more than 200 lives as looters ransacked shopping centres and unidentified groups torched key industrial infrastructure and blocked trade routes. The violence was the worst in post-apartheid South Africa and erupted after former president Jacob... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3141595/south-africas-president-cyril-ramaphosa-joins-post-riot-clean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3141595/south-africas-president-cyril-ramaphosa-joins-post-riot-clean?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jul 2021 16:37:10 +0000 Zambia’s founding leader Kenneth Kaunda was laid to rest at the country’s presidential burial site on Wednesday despite an 11th-hour bid by some of his relatives to block the interment. Kaunda, who was also a hero of the struggle against white rule in southern Africa, died last month at the age of 97. Some of his relatives had wanted him buried at his farm next to his late wife Betty, with whom he had 10 children. But the burial proceeded on Wednesday without incident at Embassy Park, a special... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3140238/zambias-founding-leader-kenneth-kaunda-laid-rest-presidential?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3140238/zambias-founding-leader-kenneth-kaunda-laid-rest-presidential?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jul 2021 17:42:18 +0000 US Attorney General William Barr and the Justice Department are doing everything they can to prevent Michael Cohen from publishing a book that claims President Donald Trump made “virulently racist remarks” about Barack Obama and Nelson Mandela, according to a new lawsuit. Cohen, Trump’s former personal lawsuit, claims in the suit filed late Monday that Barr and the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) are violating his First Amendment rights. The lawsuit provides new details on the haphazard effort to take... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3094150/trump-made-virulently-racist-remarks-against-nelson?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3094150/trump-made-virulently-racist-remarks-against-nelson?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jul 2020 18:40:10 +0000 One of the most recognisable billionaires in the world, Sir Richard Branson rose to fame as the charismatic founder and leader of the multibillion-dollar Virgin Group. Known as a fun-loving daredevil and adventurer, many people look up to him for his accomplishments in and beyond the business world. As he turns 70 on July 18, we share some of his legendary tales from over the years. Which 10 cities in the world are homes to the most billionaires? His former headmaster told him he would end up in... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3093602/richard-branson-70-virgin-billionaires-brashest-moments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3093602/richard-branson-70-virgin-billionaires-brashest-moments?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Jul 2020 10:00:21 +0000 Zindziswa “Zindzi” Mandela, the daughter of Nelson Mandela, the late former president of South Africa, has died in Johannesburg. Minister of International Relations Naledi Pandor confirmed her death in a statement on Monday and offered her condolences. “Zindzi will not only be remembered as a daughter of our struggle heroes, Tata Nelson and Mama Winnie Mandela, but as a struggle heroine in her own right. She served South Africa well,” Pandor said. The 59-year-old, who was the younger daughter of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3092974/nelson-mandelas-daughter-zindzi-dies-59?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3092974/nelson-mandelas-daughter-zindzi-dies-59?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Jul 2020 09:01:32 +0000 For most of last year, as Hong Kong’s angst-ridden youth waged a traumatising street-level drama over our present and future relationship with mainland China, youngsters across the rest of the planet danced to a different tune, galvanised by climate change. Our local trauma distracted our community from what I believed – and still believe – is the world’s most pressing challenge. But all of a sudden, as the Covid-19 pandemic haunts the planet, agendas have morphed and in peculiar ways have... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3089585/protests-hong-kong-and-abroad-show-destructive-power-deep-divisions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3089585/protests-hong-kong-and-abroad-show-destructive-power-deep-divisions?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jun 2020 22:00:13 +0000 Dear Joshua, I come from the land of Mahatma Gandhi. My family has lived in Hong Kong for close to seven years; one of our two daughters was born here. These seven years, we have always felt that we belonged here. We believed that the people of Hong Kong were the most peaceloving. But the last few months have shattered that belief. History has shown us that lasting effects of democracy, free speech, liberty and human rights tend to be achieved through non-violent movements. Mahatma Gandhi’s... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3037758/can-joshua-wong-be-leader-who-inspires-hong-kong-protesters-give?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3037758/can-joshua-wong-be-leader-who-inspires-hong-kong-protesters-give?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Nov 2019 00:05:11 +0000 Winners Japan in bloom It’s no surprise that Japan excelled as host and had a team to build on their 2015 upsets. Some of the Brave Blossoms’ play, however, had to be seen to be believed. The likes of wings Kenki Fukuoka and Kotaro Matsushima made cases for inclusion in a tournament XV, while the showing against Scotland – stuck on fast-forward – was as thrilling as anything you’ll see in a sporting arena. Japan were made to wait for this after the last World Cup was awarded – again – to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3036184/kolisis-rainbow-boks-and-australians-except-eddie-jones-winners-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3036184/kolisis-rainbow-boks-and-australians-except-eddie-jones-winners-and?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Nov 2019 04:42:35 +0000 South Africa’s ruling African National Congress on Saturday marked its weakest victory in national elections in a quarter-century, while President Cyril Ramaphosa declared that the vote had given him and others “a firm mandate to build a better South Africa for all”. With all votes counted, the ANC had 57.5 per cent, the electoral commission said. It was the worst-ever showing at the polls for the party of the late Nelson Mandela that has ruled since the end of the apartheid system of racial... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3009870/south-africas-ruling-anc-party-wins-national-election-its?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3009870/south-africas-ruling-anc-party-wins-national-election-its?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 May 2019 19:27:43 +0000 The slow gestation of a moral hero is manifest in The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela, recently released for his birth centenary and five years after his death, which Keith B. Richburg doesn’t mention in his excellent appraisal of Madiba’s influence in Asia (“Mandela’s legacy lives strong in Asia, but can we say the same for its leaders?”, 21 July). It’s no surprise that Mandela’s moral courage remains a beacon for humanity, despite being a prescient threat for authoritarian leaders who fear... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2156820/nelson-mandelas-prison-letters-show-why-he-will-remain-moral-beacon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2156820/nelson-mandelas-prison-letters-show-why-he-will-remain-moral-beacon?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Jul 2018 15:00:51 +0000 This month’s centenary celebrations in South Africa, marking the birth of Nelson Mandela, sadly remind us of the death of any other public figure whose unquestionable moral standing similarly eschewed bitterness and division, and promoted unity, democracy and peace through reconciliation. That void extends to Asia, where Mandela was a beloved icon and an inspiration to a generation of human rights activists. And a current lack of similar leaders of stature is very much a testament to the unique... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2156225/mandelas-legacy-lives-strong-asia-can-we-say-same-its-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2156225/mandelas-legacy-lives-strong-asia-can-we-say-same-its-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Jul 2018 05:45:30 +0000 Millions of South Africans said an emotional goodbye to anti-apartheid icon Winnie Madikizela-Mandela on Saturday during her official funeral, with supporters fiercely defending her complex legacy. Thousands of mourners packed a 40,000-seat stadium to celebrate the powerful figure who will be buried as a national hero, after lively debate over how she should be remembered after her death on April 2 at the age of 81. Often called the “Mother of the Nation” and “Mama Winnie”, Madikizela-Mandela... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/2141734/mother-nation-south-africa-bids-farewell-winnie-madikizela-mandela?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/2141734/mother-nation-south-africa-bids-farewell-winnie-madikizela-mandela?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Apr 2018 10:34:24 +0000 Celebrated South African anti-apartheid activist Ahmed Kathrada, a Robben Island prisoner and one of Nelson Mandela’s closest colleagues in the struggle against white rule, died early Tuesday aged 87. Kathrada was among those tried and jailed alongside Mandela in the Rivonia trial in 1964, which drew worldwide attention and highlighted the brutal legal system under the apartheid regime. He died in hospital in Johannesburg after a short illness following brain surgery. Kathrada spent 26 years and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/2082739/ahmed-kathrada-south-african-anti-apartheid-icon-who-was-jailed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/2082739/ahmed-kathrada-south-african-anti-apartheid-icon-who-was-jailed?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Mar 2017 06:11:49 +0000 Most people would be reluctant to pick a fight with a revered Buddhist holy man and 14 other Nobel peace prize winners, but that's just what South African President Jacob Zuma has done. When the Dalai Lama sought a visa to attend next week's inaugural summit of Nobel laureates in Africa, Zuma's government hesitated, and the Tibetan cancelled his trip. It is the third time Zuma's government has dragged its feet on a visa. Zuma knew he would receive public condemnation, but a pat on the head from... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1613859/jacob-zuma-risks-nelson-mandelas-legacy-his-pro-beijing-stance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1613859/jacob-zuma-risks-nelson-mandelas-legacy-his-pro-beijing-stance?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Oct 2014 12:00:15 +0000 Nelson Mandela's widow was treated badly by members of his family as the peace icon was fighting for his life in hospital, excerpts from a memoir by his long-time aide have revealed. In a book likely to ruffle some feathers within the large Mandela family, Zelda la Grange, Mandela's personal assistant for 19 years, describes shabby treatment of Mandela's wife, Graca Machel, even in the aftermath of her husband's death. She wrote that Machel had to get accreditation to attend her own husband's... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1533647/nelson-mandelas-widow-treated-badly-his-family-book-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1533647/nelson-mandelas-widow-treated-badly-his-family-book-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Jun 2014 19:15:30 +0000 Nelson Mandela left his roughly US$4.1 million estate to his widow, Graca Machel, family members, staff, schools and the ANC, according to a summary of his will released yesterday. Lawyers said Graca was likely to waive her right to half the estate, opting instead to receive four properties in Mozambique and other assets. Royalties from his books and other projects, as well as his homes in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Qunu and Mthatha were left to a family trust. The home in Houghton, Johannesburg,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1419960/nelson-mandela-leaves-us4m-estate-family-staff-schools-and-anc?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1419960/nelson-mandela-leaves-us4m-estate-family-staff-schools-and-anc?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Feb 2014 09:00:30 +0000 Have you ever heard of Sheriff Rick Clark of Pickens County, South Carolina? No? I thought not, and only mention this nonentity because he is one of the very few officials in the world who managed to find an excuse not to honour the memory of the late and great Nelson Mandela. Clark refused to lower the US flag at his office despite a presidential executive order to do so. There is one other name to be added to this tiny roll call of shame - it is the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. The world... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1386792/hong-kongs-legco-shows-its-pettiness-not-honouring-mandela?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1386792/hong-kongs-legco-shows-its-pettiness-not-honouring-mandela?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Dec 2013 10:45:15 +0000 The bogus sign language interpreter at last week's Nelson Mandela memorial service was among a group of people who accosted two men found with a stolen television and burned them to death by setting fire to tyres placed around their necks, one of the interpreter's cousins and three of his friends said. But Thamsanqa Jantjie never went to trial for the 2003 killings, referred to as "necklacings", when other suspects did in 2006 because authorities determined he was not mentally fit to stand... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1382634/bogus-signer-mandela-memorial-was-group-necklaced-pair?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1382634/bogus-signer-mandela-memorial-was-group-necklaced-pair?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Dec 2013 14:15:30 +0000 Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first black president and most revered citizen, was laid to rest yesterday at his rural home next to the remains of three of his six children, ending a 10-day official mourning period. Mandela's casket was buried at his family plot in his rural boyhood home of Qunu, watched by his widow Graca Machel, ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, other family members and about 450 selected guests. Military jets and helicopters with South African flags flew over the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1381448/south-africas-great-son-nelson-mandela-buried-family-plot-his-boyhood?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1381448/south-africas-great-son-nelson-mandela-buried-family-plot-his-boyhood?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Dec 2013 21:00:45 +0000 Songs, speeches and the boom of artillery rang across Nelson Mandela's home village as a tribal chief draped in animal skin declared: "A great tree has fallen." The Nobel peace laureate was laid to rest at his ancestral home in Qunu after a send-off combining military pomp with the traditional rites of his Xhosa abaThembu clan. Before the burial, family, friends and dignitaries attended the state funeral service in a huge domed tent, its interior draped in black, in a field near Mandela's... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1381453/long-walks-final-destination-nelson-mandela-laid-rest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1381453/long-walks-final-destination-nelson-mandela-laid-rest?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Dec 2013 20:45:15 +0000 The funeral of Nelson Mandela is under way in the family compound of the anti-apartheid leader in Qunu, a rural village in Eastern Cape province. The send-off in the rolling hills of the Eastern Cape has drawn 4,500 guests, from relatives and South African leaders to Britain’s Prince Charles, American civil rights activist Reverend Jesse Jackson and talk show host Oprah Winfrey. Video: Nelson Mandela's funeral, live Fellow anti-apartheid veteran Archbishop Desmond Tutu was also among those... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1381180/south-africa-unites-state-funeral-nelson-mandela?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1381180/south-africa-unites-state-funeral-nelson-mandela?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Dec 2013 06:37:20 +0000 Retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu changed course on Saturday night and announced plans to attend the funeral of anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela after all. Spokesman Roger Friedman did not explain Tutu’s abrupt reversal but said Tutu would catch a flight early in the morning and be in attendance at Mandela’s funeral Sunday in the village of Qunu. He did not explain the reason for Tutu’s dramatic change of plans. Tutu had earlier in the day said he would not go because the government had not made... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1381099/desmond-tutu-says-he-will-attend-nelson-mandela-funeral?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1381099/desmond-tutu-says-he-will-attend-nelson-mandela-funeral?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Dec 2013 02:15:00 +0000