https://www.scmp.com/rss/518109/feed The latest news on Richard Branson, English business magnate and co-founder of Virgin, including celebrity news and updates. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jill Lander Jill Lander The first month of the 2026 Chinese calendar, from February 4 to March 4, is represented by the Metal Tiger or geng yin. We have now left the year of the Wood Snake to embrace the year of the Fire Horse. In Chinese astrology, the Horse is the spirit of untamed motion that explores, expands and expresses itself without restraint. The Horse is not simply fast: it is purposeful. It runs towards something, seeking meaning in movement. To understand the energy of 2026, we must first understand what... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/leisure/article/3343009/whats-your-luck-february-2026-metal-tiger-month-kicking-fire-horse-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/leisure/article/3343009/whats-your-luck-february-2026-metal-tiger-month-kicking-fire-horse-year?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 06:00:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A fresh cache of files released on Friday related to the investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein contains documents that refer to numerous high-profile figures. US President Donald Trump, tech billionaire Elon Musk and Britain’s former prince Andrew are among those making headlines after being named in the documents. Here are key details about some of the others mentioned, none of whom has been accused of wrongdoing: Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates In a draft email... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341970/who-else-epstein-files-billionaires-celebrities-and-norways-crown-princess?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341970/who-else-epstein-files-billionaires-celebrities-and-norways-crown-princess?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 20:30:50 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Eurostar said on Tuesday it was restarting services suspended earlier over a power supply problem in the Channel Tunnel, as passengers travelling in the busy run-up to New Year faced massive disruption. Travellers were left scrambling to find alternatives after the operator postponed all services between London, Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels. “As the Channel Tunnel has partially reopened we will start to resume services,” Eurostar said in a statement on its website midafternoon. A spokesperson... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3338201/eurostar-suspends-services-stranding-thousands-between-london-and-paris-during-holiday-rush?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3338201/eurostar-suspends-services-stranding-thousands-between-london-and-paris-during-holiday-rush?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 14:13:44 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Joan Branson, the wife of British billionaire Richard Branson, has died at age 80. Branson announced her death on Tuesday on social media. No other details were disclosed. “Heartbroken to share that Joan, my wife and partner for 50 years, has passed away,” he said. “She was the most wonderful mum and grandmum our kids and grandkids could have ever wished for. She was my best friend, my rock, my guiding light, my world.” Richard Branson is the founder of Virgin Atlantic airline, space tourism... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3334150/joan-branson-wife-british-billionaire-richard-branson-dies-80?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3334150/joan-branson-wife-british-billionaire-richard-branson-dies-80?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 22:45:32 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have joined prominent computer scientists, economists, artists, evangelical Christian leaders and American conservative commentators Steve Bannon and Glenn Beck to call for a ban on AI “superintelligence” that threatens humanity. The letter, released on Wednesday by a politically and geographically diverse group of public figures, is squarely aimed at tech giants like Google, OpenAI and Meta Platforms that are racing each other to build a form of artificial... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3329970/prince-harry-meghan-richard-branson-urge-halt-ai-superintelligence-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3329970/prince-harry-meghan-richard-branson-urge-halt-ai-superintelligence-race?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Oct 2025 11:55:52 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Virgin Galactic says it plans to charge more for its space tourism flights when it resumes sales in the first quarter of 2026. The Richard Branson-founded company had been selling tickets for suborbital joyrides on its forthcoming Delta spacecraft at about US$600,000 a seat. Company executives did not disclose a new price tag during a call with analysts after Virgin Galactic reported results for the first quarter last week. The company competes with Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin in selling short trips... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3310847/virgin-galactic-plans-raise-ticket-price-space-trips-current-us600000?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3310847/virgin-galactic-plans-raise-ticket-price-space-trips-current-us600000?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 May 2025 02:02:03 +0000 Scientist Albert Einstein, actresses Jennifer Aniston, Whoopi Goldberg and Keira Knightley, actor Tom Cruise, author Agatha Christie, businessmen Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, chef Jamie Oliver, artist Andy Warhol, singer Gwen Stefani, composer Wolfgang Mozart and dozens of other great thinkers and celebrities share a common learning disorder: dyslexia. Dyslexia is not due to problems with intelligence, hearing or vision. Individual differences in areas of the brain that process language make... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3281959/dyslexia-superpower-says-richard-branson-learn-how-use-it-become-successful?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3281959/dyslexia-superpower-says-richard-branson-learn-how-use-it-become-successful?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Oct 2024 10:15:08 +0000 Virgin Galactic is now discreetly soliciting interest in Asia, on the lookout for people with an out-of-this-world sense of adventure matched with an astronomically large bank account for trips on its space tourism flights. For anyone in Asia ready to boldly go where few have gone before, Hong Kong-based luxury travel agent Intriq Journey was recently appointed Virgin Galactic’s agent in the continent. “But this is not like purchasing luxury goods,” explains James Willoughby, the vice-president... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3277482/virgin-galactic-solicits-space-tourism-interest-asia-flights-priced-us600000?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3277482/virgin-galactic-solicits-space-tourism-interest-asia-flights-priced-us600000?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Sep 2024 23:15:10 +0000 A survey of Hong Kong firms has found that more than three-quarters have never employed young people with special needs. While that might come as little surprise, the silver lining was that about three-quarters of them expressed an interest in doing so in the future. The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups said 76.5 per cent of firms polled said they had never hired someone with special education needs. The survey’s list of special needs included attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3275846/those-special-needs-are-capable-adding-special-value?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3275846/those-special-needs-are-capable-adding-special-value?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Aug 2024 21:00:18 +0000 My dad’s side of the family is in the shipping industry. My grandfather was an engineer in the navy and my father got on a bulk carrier when he was 18 and went around the world. He moved to Hong Kong when he was 24 and built a career out of bulk carrier shipping. I was born in Hong Kong in 1992 and have an older sister and a younger brother. A couple of months ago my sister and I went back to the Matilda Hospital, where we were born, and put our handprints on the Matilda babies’ handprint... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3273338/filmmaker-thomas-overs-transnational-life-kuala-lumpur-durham-and-manila-and-driving-food-truck?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3273338/filmmaker-thomas-overs-transnational-life-kuala-lumpur-durham-and-manila-and-driving-food-truck?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Aug 2024 03:15:10 +0000 Music icon Paul McCartney has become the UK’s first billionaire musician, according to the Sunday Times Rich List published on Friday, despite the country recording its largest fall in the billionaire count in the guide’s 36-year history. The 81-year-old’s fortune was boosted by “strong touring, a valuable back catalogue and even a little help from Beyoncé”, who covered the Beatles’ song “Blackbird”, said the Rich List, considered the definitive guide of the UK’s wealthy. McCartney, whose net... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3263114/beatles-paul-mccartney-uks-first-billionaire-musician-thanks-beyonce-scrapping-non-dom-tax?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3263114/beatles-paul-mccartney-uks-first-billionaire-musician-thanks-beyonce-scrapping-non-dom-tax?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 May 2024 14:00:18 +0000 Singapore’s Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam on Wednesday cited local and regional surveys as proof of strong and growing support for using the death penalty on drug traffickers. He was delivering a ministerial statement in parliament on Singapore’s approach to drug control. “There is broad support from our population because we have been upfront and open about the rationale, circumstances and safeguards on the use of the death penalty,” Shanmugam said. Preliminary findings from a Home... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3261862/most-singaporeans-support-putting-drug-traffickers-death-law-minister-shanmugam-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3261862/most-singaporeans-support-putting-drug-traffickers-death-law-minister-shanmugam-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 May 2024 08:24:30 +0000 Billionaire Ankur Jain is officially off the market. The young tech guru tied the knot with former WWE wrestler Erika Hammond in a picturesque ceremony in front of the Great Sphinx this weekend, per People. “We’re New Yorkers and there’s something so special about being in a completely different world environment. So we decided, our wedding is about having a moment together to celebrate the new beginning, having a really special party with our friends somewhere where you’re in a different... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3260793/who-ankur-jain-billionaire-who-just-married-ex-wwe-wrestler-34-year-old-bilt-rewards-ceo-hangs-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3260793/who-ankur-jain-billionaire-who-just-married-ex-wwe-wrestler-34-year-old-bilt-rewards-ceo-hangs-out?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Apr 2024 10:30:20 +0000 Everyone is born with special stars in their birth chart – and they can be activated during certain years, months and days. Chinese astrology is based upon the following three theories and principles: a combination of yin-yang, the five elements – fire, earth, metal, water and wood – and the 12 animals of the zodiac. The astrological feng shui month follows the solar system, therefore it runs from the middle of the first week of one month to the next, usually between the fifth to eighth of each... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/leisure/article/3250514/chinese-horoscopes-february-2024-fire-tiger-month-your-health-money-work-and-luck-predictions-we?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/leisure/article/3250514/chinese-horoscopes-february-2024-fire-tiger-month-your-health-money-work-and-luck-predictions-we?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Feb 2024 06:00:27 +0000 Necker Island, better known as Richard Branson’s private paradise in the British Virgin Islands, is an unspoilt and carefully protected area in the Caribbean. It sits on 30 hectares (74 acres) of turquoise waters, and Branson has said the island is not only his favourite hideaway, but also his home, per Virgin’s website. Branson recently announced that, for the first time, Necker Island would be open to the public for the next two months, per People. The island has previously only been available... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/travel-hotels/article/3243495/inside-richard-bransons-private-island-paradise-now-open-public-virgin-billionaires-necker-island?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/travel-hotels/article/3243495/inside-richard-bransons-private-island-paradise-now-open-public-virgin-billionaires-necker-island?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Dec 2023 22:00:11 +0000 The first commercial airliner to cross the Atlantic on a purely high-fat, low-emissions fuel flew Tuesday from London to New York in a step toward achieving what supporters called “jet zero”. The Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787 flight was powered without using fossil fuels, relying on so-called sustainable aviation fuel made up largely of tallow and other waste fats. “The world will always assume something can’t be done, until you do it,” said Virgin founder Richard Branson, who was aboard the flight... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3243201/virgin-jetliner-makes-first-ever-transatlantic-flight-low-carbon-fuel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3243201/virgin-jetliner-makes-first-ever-transatlantic-flight-low-carbon-fuel?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Nov 2023 05:45:35 +0000 While uber-wealthy types like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson are trying to make their mark in space, another billionaire is focusing on Earth instead – more specifically, the most expensive and outrageous properties on the planet. Meet Ken Griffin, the businessman who founded and runs Citadel, a Miami-based hedge fund firm. Griffin manages over US$60 billion in assets through Citadel and Citadel Securities, which trades more stocks than any other company in the world. According to... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/entrepreneurs/article/3242573/outdoing-trumps-mar-lago-ken-griffins-real-estate-portfolio-billion-dollar-palm-beach-home-nycs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/entrepreneurs/article/3242573/outdoing-trumps-mar-lago-ken-griffins-real-estate-portfolio-billion-dollar-palm-beach-home-nycs?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Nov 2023 20:00:16 +0000 It’s a universally acknowledged truth that Princess Diana is a 20th century icon. From the moment she seemingly stole the heart of a young Prince – now King – Charles, everything she did was documented in newspapers around the world. From the clothes she wore to the cars she drove, people were enraptured by the life of the “people’s princess”, and her untimely death only amplified the obsession. Now, 26 years after her passing, her personal effects only seem to increase in value. Everything... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3236253/10-most-expensive-princess-diana-items-ever-sold-auction-attallah-cross-bought-kim-k-and-letters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3236253/10-most-expensive-princess-diana-items-ever-sold-auction-attallah-cross-bought-kim-k-and-letters?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Oct 2023 20:00:15 +0000 Virgin Galactic rocketed to the edge of space with its first tourists on Thursday, including a former British Olympian who bought his ticket 18 years ago and a mother-daughter duo from the Caribbean. The space plane glided back to a runway landing at Spaceport America in the New Mexico desert, after a brief flight that gave passengers a few minutes of weightlessness. Cheers erupted from families and friends watching from below when the craft’s rocket motor fired after it was released from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3230696/virgin-galactic-flies-its-first-tourists-edge-space?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3230696/virgin-galactic-flies-its-first-tourists-edge-space?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Aug 2023 17:47:49 +0000 From mirror-like reflections in the calm of early morning to waters crowded with kayaks and ferries, speedboats and pedalos, lakes evoke a sense of tranquillity and a space for recreational activities. They also serve as a resource for hydroelectricity generation, agricultural irrigation and wildlife habitats, as well as providing food and drinking water for humans. The following nine lakes are renowned for their beauty, status as a national treasure or as the fabled home of an elusive... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3228307/9-worlds-most-beautiful-lakes-george-clooney-favourite-lake-como-mythical-loch-ness-and-canadas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3228307/9-worlds-most-beautiful-lakes-george-clooney-favourite-lake-como-mythical-loch-ness-and-canadas?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Jul 2023 11:15:08 +0000 Clad in a blue jumpsuit and dangling from the side of a skyscraper 360 metres above New York, billionaire Richard Branson urged viewers on Twitter last week to live life to the fullest and try new things. As the founder of space tourism company Virgin Galactic, Branson is among a handful of ultra-wealthy entrepreneurs pushing the limits of exploration and experiences. Some billionaires, including Branson and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, have rocketed into space, while other rich travellers have... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3226083/blue-origin-offers-space-tourism-and-doomed-oceangate-titan-went-titanic-most-rich-travellers-want?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3226083/blue-origin-offers-space-tourism-and-doomed-oceangate-titan-went-titanic-most-rich-travellers-want?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Jul 2023 09:15:12 +0000 For years, British billionaire Richard Branson vowed that commercial space flights with his firm Virgin Galactic were just around the corner. On Thursday, that hype finally became reality when three Italian researchers boarded the VSS Unity space plane as Virgin Galactic’s first paying passengers and flew about four minutes in suborbital space. The researchers – Colonel Walter Villadei and Lieutenant Colonel Angelo Landolfi of the Italian Air Force and Pantaleone Carlucci, an engineer with the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3226000/virgin-galactic-takes-its-first-paying-customers-space?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3226000/virgin-galactic-takes-its-first-paying-customers-space?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jun 2023 17:11:40 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. Singapore last week hanged Tangaraju Suppiah, who was convicted in 2017 of “abetting by engaging in a conspiracy to traffic” 1,017.9 grams (35.9 ounces) of cannabis, which carries the death... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3219087/consensus-death-penalty-must-be-reached-through-dialogue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3219087/consensus-death-penalty-must-be-reached-through-dialogue?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 May 2023 03:30:08 +0000 Singapore on Wednesday hanged a local man convicted of conspiracy to smuggle one kilogram of cannabis, authorities said, as officials fiercely pushed back against criticism of the country’s continued use of the death penalty. The judicial execution was the first by Singapore in 2023, following 11 hangings in 2022. The city state did not execute anyone in 2020 and 2021. “Singaporean Tangaraju Suppiah, 46, had his capital sentence carried out today at Changi Prison Complex,” a spokesman for the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3218367/singapore-executes-citizen-conspiracy-smuggle-1kg-cannabis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3218367/singapore-executes-citizen-conspiracy-smuggle-1kg-cannabis?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Apr 2023 02:41:17 +0000 A United Nations human rights office spokesperson said on Tuesday that Singapore is poised to carry out a hanging for a drug offence, urging it to refrain from doing so. “The UN Human Rights Office has received information concerning the imminent hanging of Tangaraju Suppiah for allegedly using his phone to coordinate trafficking of cannabis,” said Ravina Shamdasani at a UN briefing. “We have concerns around due process and respect for fair trial guarantees,” she added. The UN comments come on... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3218280/singapore-slams-virgins-richard-branson-over-death-penalty-criticism-calling-his-statements-patently?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3218280/singapore-slams-virgins-richard-branson-over-death-penalty-criticism-calling-his-statements-patently?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Apr 2023 08:05:26 +0000 British tycoon Richard Branson on Monday urged Singapore to halt the imminent execution of a man sentenced to death over 1kg (2.2 pounds) of cannabis, saying it “may be about to kill an innocent man”. Singaporean Tangaraju Suppiah, 46, is expected to be hanged on Wednesday, the city state’s Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) has said. “Tangaraju was actually not anywhere near these drugs at the time of his arrest. This was largely a circumstantial case that relied on inferences,” Branson, who is a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3218185/virgins-richard-branson-joins-calls-urging-singapore-not-hang-man-over-1kg-cannabis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3218185/virgins-richard-branson-joins-calls-urging-singapore-not-hang-man-over-1kg-cannabis?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Apr 2023 11:45:09 +0000 The family of a Singaporean man due to be hanged over a kilogram of cannabis pleaded for clemency from the authorities on Sunday and urged a retrial. Tangaraju Suppiah, 46, was sentenced to death in 2018 for conspiring to smuggle the drug and the Court of Appeal has upheld his sentence, expected to be carried out on Wednesday. “We don’t think my brother’s had a fair trial … I have faith the president will read all our petitions,” his sister Leelavathy Suppiah told reporters in Tamil at a news... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3218053/family-singapore-man-due-be-hanged-over-cannabis-charge-pleads-mercy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3218053/family-singapore-man-due-be-hanged-over-cannabis-charge-pleads-mercy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Apr 2023 09:46:18 +0000 The bankruptcy filing by Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit Holdings has dealt a blow to Japan’s hopes of building a domestic space industry, with plans for a Kyushu-based spaceport designed to attract tourism on hold for lack of funding. Oita prefecture, home to Japan’s largest number of hot springs, partnered with Virgin Orbit in 2020 to create its first Asian spaceport at Oita Airport using a Boeing 747 for horizontal rocket launches. Founded by British billionaire Branson, Virgin Orbit had... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3216338/shadow-cast-over-japans-space-dreams-after-virgin-orbit-bankruptcy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3216338/shadow-cast-over-japans-space-dreams-after-virgin-orbit-bankruptcy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2023 10:42:50 +0000 Rizalni Mohamad, 46, missed his mother’s death – and has been unable to see his ailing father – while waiting out 17 long years on death row in Malaysia’s Perlis prison over a conviction for trafficking cannabis. Then on April 3, Malaysia’s parliament repealed the mandatory death penalty for crimes including murder, treason, kidnapping, acts of terror and drug trafficking – Rizalni’s offence, giving him a glimmer of hope of release after a third of his life spent awaiting the gallows. “Everyone... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3216240/death-penalty-easing-step-towards-new-malaysia-worry-over-free-pass-criminals-remains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3216240/death-penalty-easing-step-towards-new-malaysia-worry-over-free-pass-criminals-remains?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2023 01:30:12 +0000 Ernest Chang’s solo exhibition “Space Rich”, at The Stallery in Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island, transports the viewer to another world. But do not worry – on this barren Mars landscape you can still use your smartphone, check into a luxury hotel and buy a designer handbag, all while sipping that well-known brand of sugary cola. Showcasing five sculptures and 14 screen-prints on perspex, some with complicated moving parts and all presented in locally made silver frames, “Space Rich” takes a swipe... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3216134/mars-became-escape-hong-kong-artist-during-pandemic-now-his-work-uses-space-and-red-planet-mock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3216134/mars-became-escape-hong-kong-artist-during-pandemic-now-his-work-uses-space-and-red-planet-mock?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Apr 2023 09:15:16 +0000 A Singapore rights lawyer, one of a handful defending death-row convicts in the city state, was suspended for five years on Tuesday for making “baseless” allegations against the judicial system. M. Ravi had told an online publication outside the Supreme Court in 2020 that the public prosecutor had been “overzealous in his prosecution”, after he helped a Malaysian drug convict escape the death penalty on review. While Singapore is economically successful and ranks among the world’s least corrupt... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3214344/singapore-lawyer-m-ravi-slapped-5-year-suspension-baseless-attacks-against-judiciary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3214344/singapore-lawyer-m-ravi-slapped-5-year-suspension-baseless-attacks-against-judiciary?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Mar 2023 23:00:11 +0000 Former US president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama are a busy couple – and it shows through their net worth. Barack makes his money from a six-figure pension, public speaking and his bestselling books. His latest memoir A Promised Land sold nearly 890,000 copies within 24 hours of its release, according to the AP. From speaking at events around the world to writing memoirs and signing a massive production deal with Netflix, the Obamas’ life after the White House has been full and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3213916/how-barack-and-michelle-obama-make-and-spend-their-millions-their-netflix-public-speaking-and-book?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3213916/how-barack-and-michelle-obama-make-and-spend-their-millions-their-netflix-public-speaking-and-book?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Mar 2023 16:10:16 +0000 He’s taught at American universities Harvard and Caltech, published a New York Times bestseller, coached the likes of former United States president Bill Clinton and British entrepreneur Richard Branson, and addressed crowds at Google and the United Nations. Jim Kwik is the world’s most famous “brain coach”, helping people learn faster and better. We are in the green room of personal development conference Mindvalley Live Dubai for a short interview with him, and we race through topics ranging... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3213045/hes-worked-jim-carrey-bill-clinton-and-other-celebs-brain-coach-jim-kwik-how-fix-yours-and-combat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3213045/hes-worked-jim-carrey-bill-clinton-and-other-celebs-brain-coach-jim-kwik-how-fix-yours-and-combat?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Mar 2023 09:15:07 +0000 South Korea’s giant leap into space started with a small step on the internet. With treaties banning certain tech transfers, South Korea’s rocket scientists turned to a search service to find an engine they could mimic as the country embarked on an ambitious plan to build an indigenous space programme. The nation launched its first home-grown rocket called Nuri in October 2021. “What caught our eye was the Falcon’s Merlin engine. We developed Nuri looking at the pictures and using it as a point... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3212745/how-south-korea-cribbed-spacex-launch-its-space-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3212745/how-south-korea-cribbed-spacex-launch-its-space-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Mar 2023 03:01:08 +0000 Your celebrity-themed holiday is all booked. You’ve organised flights and a hotel, restaurant tables and visits to vineyards. You’ve even put some money aside for a flutter in the casino. In truth, a world tour of places owned by global superstars probably isn’t feasible, but it might be fun to try – especially if we’re allowed to use a time machine. Anyone strolling along Canton Road, Kowloon, on the evening on May 29, 1994, would have noticed the crowds and commotion, the gridlocked traffic... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3207514/lionel-messi-cristiano-ronaldo-rafael-nadal-bts-jin-and-donald-trump-celebrities-tourism-business?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3207514/lionel-messi-cristiano-ronaldo-rafael-nadal-bts-jin-and-donald-trump-celebrities-tourism-business?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Jan 2023 08:15:09 +0000 China’s lunar rover Yutu 2 is back on duty and ready for new endeavours as the probe embarks on its fifth year of exploring the far side of the moon. The unmanned vehicle woke up on January 15 after automatically switching into dormant mode for the frigid 14-day lunar night. The rover was “in great shape” and “ready to move on”, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said on its official WeChat account on Saturday. “Yutu 2 sends New Year’s greetings from the moon as Chinese people... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3207788/greetings-moon-chinas-lunar-rover-restarts-next-adventure-sends-photos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3207788/greetings-moon-chinas-lunar-rover-restarts-next-adventure-sends-photos?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Jan 2023 12:00:09 +0000 A Chinese research facility developing an ultra-fast hyperloop train has completed its first test runs using a full-sized passenger capsule, according to media reports. China Space News reported on Wednesday that three test runs were completed at a superconducting maglev test line in Datong, Shanxi province. The project aims to eventually carry passengers and cargo at a speed of 1,000km/h (621mph) or faster in a near-vacuum tube and, if successful, would be the world’s fastest ground-based... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3207355/chinas-hyperloop-completes-first-test-runs-pushing-ahead-race-ultra-fast-land-transport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3207355/chinas-hyperloop-completes-first-test-runs-pushing-ahead-race-ultra-fast-land-transport?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Jan 2023 07:00:12 +0000 Britain’s attempt to become the first European nation to launch satellites into space ended in bitter disappointment when Virgin Orbit said its rocket had suffered an anomaly that prevented it from reaching orbit. The “horizontal launch” mission had left from the coastal town of Newquay in southwest England, with Virgin’s LauncherOne rocket carried under the wing of a modified Boeing 747 called “Cosmic Girl”, and later released over the Atlantic Ocean. “We appear to have an anomaly that has... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3206191/uk-launches-historic-rocket-mission-bid-join-exclusive-space-club?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3206191/uk-launches-historic-rocket-mission-bid-join-exclusive-space-club?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Jan 2023 23:13:38 +0000 The small group of nations to have sent rockets into the sky from their own soil is about to gain a new member as Britain makes its first-ever launch from a seaside town better known for surfing and sandy beaches than space adventures. The mission will take off from Spaceport Cornwall in Newquay, southwest England, the first of a clutch of bases through which the UK aims to establish itself as a major player in the sector amid surging demand for launch capacity. The flight involves a so-called... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3206044/virgin-orbit-set-historic-satellite-launch-space-britain-monday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3206044/virgin-orbit-set-historic-satellite-launch-space-britain-monday?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Jan 2023 17:17:36 +0000 It was the year that Asia got scammed – hundreds of millions of dollars conned from innocents through ruses targeting a public glued to the internet. To make matters worse, it was the region’s youth who did the scamming, many tricked into cyber slavery with devastating consequences. But 2022 was also marked by assassinations, bomb attacks and mass shootings; the downfall of nefarious politicians – the admonishment of weed-smoking Olympians – the unspooling of massive Chinese crime gangs and the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/article/3204925/abe-killed-najib-jail-chinese-run-scams-crimes-gripped-asia-2022?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/article/3204925/abe-killed-najib-jail-chinese-run-scams-crimes-gripped-asia-2022?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Dec 2022 09:00:09 +0000 Richard Branson disrupted the UK’s aviation sector in the 1980s with transatlantic flights, now his company will soar higher, paving the way for the first ever space mission from European soil early in the new year. The UK’s space regulator approval for Virgin Orbit will turn Cornwall’s Newquay Airport in the southwest of England into Britain’s very own space hub. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said Richard Branson’s company demonstrated it has “taken all reasonable steps to ensure safety... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3204128/first-space-launch-britain-richard-bransons-virgin-orbit-secures-license?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3204128/first-space-launch-britain-richard-bransons-virgin-orbit-secures-license?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Dec 2022 09:42:26 +0000 Not all couples are meant to be … According to Time, about 40 per cent of marriages in the US end in divorce. For Hollywood romances, splitting up can be tough too as they’re often under the watchful eye of the media when going through the process. Some celebrities have tried their luck in love but ended in divorce – some more (and much more) than others. Here are 11 celebrities who got married over three times: 1. Elizabeth Taylor – eight weddings Elizabeth Taylor might be the most famous... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3202130/11-hollywood-celebrities-who-got-married-least-3-times-kim-kardashians-wedding-kanye-west-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3202130/11-hollywood-celebrities-who-got-married-least-3-times-kim-kardashians-wedding-kanye-west-and?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Dec 2022 16:30:10 +0000 Thirty-two. That was the number of years I lived before a doctor diagnosed me with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD). The unexpected surprise was followed by frustration, that I hadn’t sought help earlier, anger, that so little was understood about it, and sadness, as I considered how the past could have been different. ADHD is surprisingly poorly named, as it is not a deficit of attention but instead, an increase in focus on things one finds interesting. Mine is merely one condition... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3201409/neurodiverse-talent-untapped-resource-across-asia-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3201409/neurodiverse-talent-untapped-resource-across-asia-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Dec 2022 00:15:10 +0000 Contrary to the image, buying a private island isn’t just for the glitterati and titans of industry – although, along with jets and yachts, they surely rank among the world’s most exclusive trappings of wealth. From Scotland to the Bahamas and all points in between, private islands offer luxury and glamour, along with the privacy. They’re associated with ultra-luxury as well as carrying a whiff of aristocracy, and even though islands can be bought in various parts of the world for less than... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/leisure/article/3201853/why-owning-private-island-isnt-glamorous-it-looks-celebrities-johnny-depp-leonardo-dicaprio-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/leisure/article/3201853/why-owning-private-island-isnt-glamorous-it-looks-celebrities-johnny-depp-leonardo-dicaprio-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Dec 2022 00:00:09 +0000 Singapore on Saturday slammed British billionaire Richard Branson’s rejection of its offer of a live televised debate on the city state’s death penalty, saying that his “lame excuses” do not hold water, and that it can only surmise that he realises that his untruths about the island nation will be shown up. In a pointed rebuttal, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that Branson was “publicly peddling falsehoods” about Singapore and using his celebrity status to campaign to change Singapore’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3198549/singapore-hits-back-richard-branson-rejecting-offer-debate-death-penalty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3198549/singapore-hits-back-richard-branson-rejecting-offer-debate-death-penalty?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Nov 2022 03:50:35 +0000 Even a company with the reach and resources of Netflix probably wouldn’t have chosen to put a series up against a big-budget Hollywood star vehicle directed by Ron Howard. That was the challenge for the six-part Thai Cave Rescue – yet it holds its own in relating the tale of the 12 young footballers and their coach stranded in the flooded Tham Luang Nang Non cavern, in Chiang Rai province, in 2018. It’s also less than ideal to be telling a story whose climax is already widely known, requiring an... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/arts-music/article/3198285/netflix-version-thai-cave-rescue-story-told-care-and-compassion-perspective-rescued-children?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/arts-music/article/3198285/netflix-version-thai-cave-rescue-story-told-care-and-compassion-perspective-rescued-children?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Nov 2022 00:45:13 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. I refer to the opinion piece, “Singapore doesn’t need Richard Branson or China’s opium narrative in death penalty debate”(October 28). The writer refers to the Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs bringing up Britain’s role in the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3198078/richard-branson-debating-singapore-minister-would-have-been-worth-watching?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3198078/richard-branson-debating-singapore-minister-would-have-been-worth-watching?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Nov 2022 06:30:12 +0000 British billionaire Richard Branson has declined the Singapore government’s invitation for a live televised debate over its approach towards drugs and the death penalty, as he urged Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam to engage local activists instead. In a statement posted on his blog on Monday and addressed to Shanmugam, Branson said a televised debate “cannot do the complexity of the death penalty any service” as it “reduces nuanced discourse to sound bites” and “turns serious debate... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3197825/britains-branson-turns-down-singapores-offer-debate-death-penalty-it-reduces-nuanced-discourse-sound?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3197825/britains-branson-turns-down-singapores-offer-debate-death-penalty-it-reduces-nuanced-discourse-sound?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Oct 2022 05:01:09 +0000 A laid-back surfing destination along Portugal’s rugged coastline is getting a luxury upgrade. Once frequented mostly by Lisbon residents looking to escape the city, the historic village of Ericeira is the latest seaside village to be discovered by foreigners who have come to Portugal to live, work remotely or holiday. Before the Covid-19 pandemic began, tourism in Portugal was on a steady rise, with more than 27 million visitors in 2019, according to the country’s tourism board. Now, a wave of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3197153/sleepy-portuguese-surf-town-turned-luxury-travel-hotspot-could-it-attract-likes-barack-obama-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3197153/sleepy-portuguese-surf-town-turned-luxury-travel-hotspot-could-it-attract-likes-barack-obama-and?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Oct 2022 08:15:09 +0000 Singapore’s unrelenting stance on the death penalty has attracted strong criticism both domestically and abroad, yet the government has somehow curiously singled out British billionaire Richard Branson by suggesting he join its home affairs and law minister K Shanmugam in a live televised debate. It extended the invitation to the Virgin Atlantic founder last week after his blog post stated that “Singapore still finds itself on the wrong side of history” by executing criminals, especially drug... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3197404/singapore-doesnt-need-richard-branson-or-chinas-opium-narrative-death-penalty-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3197404/singapore-doesnt-need-richard-branson-or-chinas-opium-narrative-death-penalty-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Oct 2022 00:00:18 +0000