https://www.scmp.com/rss/519135/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Associated Press Associated Press The US military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and flew him out of the country early on Saturday also disrupted Caribbean travel at a busy travel time for the region. No airline flights were crossing over Venezuela that day, according to FlightRadar24.com. Major airlines cancelled hundreds of flights across the eastern Caribbean region and warned passengers that disruptions could continue for days after the Federal Aviation Administration imposed... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3338655/caribbean-holidaymakers-stranded-after-us-operation-seize-maduro-halts-flights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3338655/caribbean-holidaymakers-stranded-after-us-operation-seize-maduro-halts-flights?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jan 2026 05:16:25 +0000 She is Fulton County, Georgia’s first female district attorney, and as she stepped into her role in 2021, her life changed when Donald Trump asked then Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to help him “find 11,780 votes”, in an effort to overturn the US election results. The next day, the call was leaked to the media, and on her first day in office, Willis walked into a case that would dominate her life for the next few years. From taking on Trump to details about her private life being... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3257516/meet-fani-willis-prosecuting-trump-her-love-life-spotlight-fulton-county-georgias-first-female-da?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3257516/meet-fani-willis-prosecuting-trump-her-love-life-spotlight-fulton-county-georgias-first-female-da?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Apr 2024 10:00:27 +0000 Russian and Belarusian athletes who have qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics this summer will need to undergo a vetting process by the International Olympic Committee before being invited to compete at the Games. Why do athletes from Russia and Belarus need to be vetted? Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the IOC, after initially recommending a ban from international competitions of athletes from Russia and ally Belarus, allowed them to qualify for the Paris Olympics. But they... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3256902/how-will-international-olympic-committee-clear-russian-and-belarusian-athletes-compete-paris-2024?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3256902/how-will-international-olympic-committee-clear-russian-and-belarusian-athletes-compete-paris-2024?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Mar 2024 07:00:20 +0000 More Japanese companies are investing in insurance to cover legal fees and public relations campaigns to repair brand damage caused by unpleasant antics of customers and staff that have gone viral on social media – from stubbing out cigarettes in sushi to picking their noses and wiping fingers in pizza dough. Such misbehaviour has been coined baito tero, a combination of arubaito, the Japanese version of the German word for “work”, and an abbreviated form of the English term “terrorism”. While... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3253551/food-terrorism-why-japanese-companies-are-seeking-insurance-cover-legal-and-pr-fees?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3253551/food-terrorism-why-japanese-companies-are-seeking-insurance-cover-legal-and-pr-fees?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Feb 2024 04:00:23 +0000 Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis entered the witness box on Thursday and forcefully pushed back against what she described as “lies” about her romantic relationship with a special prosecutor during an extraordinary hearing over misconduct allegations that threaten to upend one of four criminal cases against Donald Trump. A visibly upset Willis, who originally fought not to testify, agreed to speak after a previous witness said her relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade began... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3252123/trump-prosecutor-fani-willis-testifies-relationship-she-fights-disqualification-bid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3252123/trump-prosecutor-fani-willis-testifies-relationship-she-fights-disqualification-bid?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Feb 2024 22:31:20 +0000 Joran van der Sloot, the prime suspect in the 2005 death of Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway, admitted to killing her on a beach on the Caribbean island of Aruba, a confession he made in pleading guilty on Wednesday to charges of extorting the victim’s mother. In June, van der Sloot, 36, was temporarily extradited to Alabama from a Peruvian prison to face two US charges of extortion and wire fraud. Since 2012, he has been serving a 28-year sentence for murdering another woman in Lima, Peru’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3238426/dutch-man-joran-van-der-sloot-confesses-2005-killing-us-teen-natalee-holloway-aruba?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3238426/dutch-man-joran-van-der-sloot-confesses-2005-killing-us-teen-natalee-holloway-aruba?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Oct 2023 20:07:05 +0000 Japanese airline All Nippon Airways will not honour the deeply discounted first and business class tickets mistakenly sold in a currency glitch last week, the airline announced. ANA, Japan’s largest carrier, was selling premium seats at rock-bottom fares on April 19, with many lucky travellers snagging US$10,000 round-trip tickets for just US$300. While the airline initially told Bloomberg it would honour the price, it has since decided to cancel the bookings. “For the flights which were... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3218361/japans-largest-airline-reneges-promise-honour-cut-price-tickets-sold-error?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3218361/japans-largest-airline-reneges-promise-honour-cut-price-tickets-sold-error?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Apr 2023 01:03:49 +0000 Rather than fixating on the impact of the world’s soaring population, the world should look at women’s reproductive rights to shore up “demographic resilience”, the UN has said. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) – the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency – acknowledged there was widespread anxiety over the size of the world’s population, which is expected to peak at around 10.4 billion during the 2080s. But the UNFPA said the focus should be on giving women more power to control... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3217586/asia-europe-reproductive-rights-not-birth-rate-should-be-focus-says-un?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3217586/asia-europe-reproductive-rights-not-birth-rate-should-be-focus-says-un?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Apr 2023 09:12:10 +0000 Master Siu Ping-keung takes a small block of camphor wood and begins carving. His implements lie in a long surgical row before him. He hardly lifts his eyes as he exchanges one blade for another. He knows the worn feel of each one in his hand. This demonstration is taking place at Crafts on Peel, a charitable organisation that focuses on reviving traditional craftsmanship. Although its name comes from the organisation’s location on Peel Street, it feels strangely appropriate as Siu pares the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3210929/masters-traditional-crafts-hong-kong-team-younger-artisans-create-beautiful-pieces-exhibition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3210929/masters-traditional-crafts-hong-kong-team-younger-artisans-create-beautiful-pieces-exhibition?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Feb 2023 08:15:09 +0000 Mahjong – the traditional tile-based Chinese table game that gathers four players around a square table – has long been a favourite pastime for Hongkongers. Popular during festivals such as Lunar New Year, it is considered a symbol of family bonds. But for Hong Kong father and daughter Ricky Cheung Sing-chung and Karen Aruba, it is more than a game - it is a way of life. Cheung is one of the few remaining masters of hand-carved mahjong tiles in the city. He started when he was 13 years old and... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3206390/she-designs-he-carves-hong-kong-father-and-daughter-generational-fight-save-dying-art-mahjong-tile?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3206390/she-designs-he-carves-hong-kong-father-and-daughter-generational-fight-save-dying-art-mahjong-tile?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Jan 2023 06:00:10 +0000 Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte apologised on Monday on behalf of his government for the Netherlands’ historical role in slavery and the slave trade, despite calls for him to delay the long-awaited statement. “Today I apologise,” Rutte said in a 20-minute speech that was greeted with silence by an invited audience at the National Archive. Rutte went ahead with the apology even though some activist groups urged him to wait until next year’s July 1 anniversary of the country’s abolition of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3203904/dutch-prime-minister-apologises-netherlands-role-slave-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3203904/dutch-prime-minister-apologises-netherlands-role-slave-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Dec 2022 15:15:10 +0000 A pair of metallic gold dragons peer down from the red wall of a bustling dining room, as families enjoy generous plates of crisp roast pork, wok-smoked fried rice and seafood chow mein. It appears to be a typical Chinese restaurant, but if you look closely at the menu you’ll find dishes such as grilled conch, tomato stewed shrimp and nasi goreng. At the Lam Yuen Restaurant, diners enjoy a Caribbean riff on Chinese food. One of the oldest Chinese restaurants on Curacao, Lam Yuen is in a shopping... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3202930/united-nations-seafood-four-seasons-chop-suey-chinese-food-curacao-fusion-dutch-and-caribbean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3202930/united-nations-seafood-four-seasons-chop-suey-chinese-food-curacao-fusion-dutch-and-caribbean?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Dec 2022 10:15:12 +0000 Not too long ago, the allure of the humble mahjong tile was thrown once again into sharp relief, as decades-old artisanal Hong Kong producer Biu Kee was served an eviction notice. Angered and indignant, fans flocked to the mahjong tile carver’s tiny Jordan space, eager to get their hands on a piece of history. At the eleventh hour, the store was given a reprieve and allowed to continue its operation. But the interest in mahjong has been reignited – and the timing couldn’t be more... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3199776/hong-kong-bars-new-cocktails-pay-homage-mahjong-local-cafes-and-barbecue-pork-love-letter-citys?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3199776/hong-kong-bars-new-cocktails-pay-homage-mahjong-local-cafes-and-barbecue-pork-love-letter-citys?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Nov 2022 04:45:08 +0000 Princess Catharina-Amalia Beatrix Carmen Victoria, 18, titled Princess of Orange, is the next in line to the throne after her father, King Willem-Alexander, the current ruler of the Netherlands. The young female royal had set off for university earlier this month. But things seemed to have taken a dangerous turn when news of a rumoured planned kidnapping by a mafia group arose, potentially putting the princess’s safety at risk. Here’s an insight into Princess Amalia, the future queen of the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3193319/dutch-royal-danger-meet-princess-amalia-queen-maximas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3193319/dutch-royal-danger-meet-princess-amalia-queen-maximas?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Sep 2022 11:53:56 +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. Stress is harming the planet. When corals get stressed, they become more vulnerable to the toxic effects of oxybenzone, a chemical widely used in sunscreen. While it is only recently that we... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3189330/worlds-coral-reefs-face-dire-threat-toxic-sunscreen-chemicals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3189330/worlds-coral-reefs-face-dire-threat-toxic-sunscreen-chemicals?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Aug 2022 06:30:17 +0000