https://www.scmp.com/rss/519395/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Associated Press Associated Press Lawmakers in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday rejected legislation that would have made Scotland the first part of the United Kingdom to allow terminally ill adults to end their lives. Members of the Edinburgh-based legislature voted 69 to 57 against a bill that would have let people in Scotland with six months or less to live seek help to end their life. There was one abstention. It came after an emotional debate that lasted around three hours and saw lawmakers tear up and applaud as they... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346944/scottish-lawmakers-reject-bill-let-terminally-ill-people-end-their-lives?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346944/scottish-lawmakers-reject-bill-let-terminally-ill-people-end-their-lives?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 23:03:42 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A second British island voted on Thursday to approve assisted dying, as a similar bill that would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales to choose to end their lives is bogged down in the British parliament. The bill, which requires the formality of approval by King Charles, would allow terminally ill residents who have lived in Jersey for more than a year and are expected to have less than six months to live – or less than 12 months if they have a neurodegenerative disease – to end... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344783/jersey-votes-approve-assisted-dying-similar-uk-bill-stalls-house-lords?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344783/jersey-votes-approve-assisted-dying-similar-uk-bill-stalls-house-lords?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 16:47:15 +0000 SCMP Reporter SCMP Reporter Laos’ ambition to become the “battery of Southeast Asia” has left the country awash with surplus electricity, but burdened by soaring debts from a decades-long dam-building spree. Now, in a bid to turn this excess into economic gain, the government is embracing the energy-intensive business of cryptocurrency mining – drawing both international intrigue and local controversy. The multibillion-dollar business of digital asset mining, which rewards participants with tokens such as bitcoin for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3325849/how-laos-plans-pay-its-dam-building-spree-cryptocurrency-mining?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3325849/how-laos-plans-pay-its-dam-building-spree-cryptocurrency-mining?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Sep 2025 09:30:08 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Kenya’s plan to convert its US dollar-denominated Chinese debt to yuan is a “win-win”, as it is expected to reduce interest payments for the African nation while advancing China’s goal of increasing the global use of its currency, according to analysts. The deal would be precedent-setting and could establish a new rule book for future debt restructuring and possibly cut reliance on the US dollar. In late August, Kenya’s Treasury announced that talks with the Export-Import Bank of China were at... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3324321/kenyas-plan-switch-debt-payments-china-us-dollars-yuan-win-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3324321/kenyas-plan-switch-debt-payments-china-us-dollars-yuan-win-win?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Sep 2025 08:00:09 +0000 The Tour de France starts in Florence next Saturday billed as a four-way struggle spearheaded by bitter rivals Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard on a route designed to take the world’s greatest bike race down to the wire. Team UAE’s Slovenian rider Pogacar goes into the 21-day race on red-hot form, while Visma’s Vingegaard, the two-time defending champion from Denmark, has not raced since suffering multiple fractures in a fall in March. Vingegaard’s fall offers Pogacar a chance at revenge for... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/article/3267641/tour-de-france-tension-builds-rivals-pogacar-and-vingegaard-brace-fresh-duel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/article/3267641/tour-de-france-tension-builds-rivals-pogacar-and-vingegaard-brace-fresh-duel?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Jun 2024 05:00:08 +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 Legislation to support and regulate assisted dying are set to come into effect in some European countries. For example, in France, the government has introduced a bill on assisted dying that will be... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3262116/if-well-regulated-assisted-dying-would-ease-unnecessary-suffering?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3262116/if-well-regulated-assisted-dying-would-ease-unnecessary-suffering?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 May 2024 03:30:11 +0000 Zac Purton reached his benchmark figure of 100 wins for an eighth consecutive season and the ninth time overall after a brilliant four-timer at Sha Tin on Sunday. Surging towards a seventh Hong Kong jockeys’ championship, the star Australian rider landed his best winning haul since his six victories on January 28. He booted home La Forza, Bottomuptogether and Aestheticism before notching his 100th triumph this term in a demolition job on emerging star Ka Ying Rising. “At the start of the season,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3261488/zac-purton-hits-100-wins-eighth-straight-season-four-timer-sha-tin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3261488/zac-purton-hits-100-wins-eighth-straight-season-four-timer-sha-tin?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 May 2024 10:53:46 +0000 Hidden Space, an independent artist-run space founded by three Hong Kong artists in 2017, lives up to its name. It is tucked away in an industrial building in Kwai Hing, Tsuen Wan, in the New Territories, and co-founder Kay Mei-ling Beadman warns that the entrance is tricky to find and gives me her number. But there is no need to call. Hidden it may be, but after seven years in the building, it is no secret. Without my even asking for directions, first a delivery worker and then a young clerk... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3258065/hidden-space-art-space-hong-kong-industrial-building-gives-emerging-artists-room-experiment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3258065/hidden-space-art-space-hong-kong-industrial-building-gives-emerging-artists-room-experiment?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Apr 2024 03:15:10 +0000 Chuck has found his Blair – IRL! Gossip Girl alum Ed Westwick – who played Chuck Bass in the iconic TV drama that ran from 2007 to 2012 – recently announced his engagement to fiancée Amy Jackson in a joint Instagram post. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Amy Jackson (@iamamyjackson) “Hell YES” Jackson wrote in the photo’s caption. Celeb pals including Princess Diana’s niece Lady Amelia Spencer, model Sara Sampaio, singer Pixie Lott and Westwick’s... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3251066/meet-ed-westwicks-bollywood-star-fiancee-amy-jackson-gossip-girl-alum-met-british-former-beauty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3251066/meet-ed-westwicks-bollywood-star-fiancee-amy-jackson-gossip-girl-alum-met-british-former-beauty?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Feb 2024 22:00:30 +0000 Is it a horse, a deer or some kind of skeletal monster? The United States Postal Service (USPS) has drawn ire from Chinese communities over its recently released 2024 Year of the Dragon commemorative stamp. Designed by artist Camille Chew and USPS’ art director, Antonio Alcalá, the stamp features a golden face with red eyes, a red nose and multicoloured accents as a nod to the masks worn during Lunar New Year parades and dances. But people have criticised the design for not looking like a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3250956/5-year-dragon-stamp-sets-hong-kong-mainland-china-japan-thailand-and-isle-man-are-they-better-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3250956/5-year-dragon-stamp-sets-hong-kong-mainland-china-japan-thailand-and-isle-man-are-they-better-us?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Feb 2024 04:45:09 +0000 Israel said on Sunday that Yemen’s Houthis had seized a British-owned and Japanese-operated cargo ship in the southern Red Sea, describing the incident as an “Iranian act of terrorism” with consequences for international maritime security. The Houthis said they had seized a ship in that area but described it as Israeli. “We are treating the ship’s crew in accordance with Islamic principles and values,” a spokesperson for the group said, making no reference to the Israeli account. The Houthis, an... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3242121/yemen-houthis-seize-ship-red-sea-link-israeli-company-take-crew-members-hostage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3242121/yemen-houthis-seize-ship-red-sea-link-israeli-company-take-crew-members-hostage?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Nov 2023 02:39:51 +0000 Brittany Pearce doesn’t wear her beloved Rolex Daytona any more. At least not in public. The UK-based YouTuber, whose watch-focused channel has over 45,000 subscribers, put away her US$14,000 timepiece after an incident in which she was followed around a shop by a customer who had clearly “clocked” her watch. Pearce feared she was about to become another victim of luxury watch theft. “It’s just turned me right off the Daytona,” said Pearce, who is also a youth minister for the Church of England.... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3203082/wearing-your-rolex-or-patek-philippe-europe-why-you-should-be-worried-about-london-and-paris-spikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3203082/wearing-your-rolex-or-patek-philippe-europe-why-you-should-be-worried-about-london-and-paris-spikes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Dec 2022 10:45:11 +0000 Two riders have been hospitalised and multiple spectators required medical treatment after a crash catapulted an Olympic gold medallist into the crowd during a Commonwealth Games qualifying race in London on Sunday. England’s Matt Walls was treated in the stands for almost 40 minutes after both he and his bike were flung off the track as spectators looked on in shock. The 24-year-old, who won the Omnium gold and Madison silver for Team GB at the Tokyo Olympics last year, and Isle of Man rider... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3187225/commonwealth-games-horrifying-crash-injures-cyclists-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3187225/commonwealth-games-horrifying-crash-injures-cyclists-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 Jul 2022 14:10:36 +0000 Four days of celebrations honouring Queen Elizabeth’s 70 years on the throne gets started on Thursday with a display of British military traditions stretching from the days of horse and cannon to the jet age. Formal celebrations for the Platinum Jubilee begin with Trooping the Colour in London, an annual military review that has marked the sovereign’s official birthday since 1760. The 96-year-old queen is expected to join the working members of her family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace at... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3180167/watch-uk-military-parade-kicks-queen-elizabeths-platinum-jubilee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3180167/watch-uk-military-parade-kicks-queen-elizabeths-platinum-jubilee?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jun 2022 08:52:34 +0000 Celebrations for Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee will be on a truly royal scale, featuring millions of participants around Britain and climaxing in a TV spectacle expected to be watched by a billion worldwide. Here is a rundown of the four days of festivities that start Thursday to commemorate the 70-year reign of Britain’s longest-ruling monarch: Around 1,500 soldiers, 400 army musicians and 250 horses will take part in the traditional “Trooping the Colour” parade Thursday, which returns... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3180094/queen-elizabeths-platinum-jubilee-rundown-four-days-festivities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3180094/queen-elizabeths-platinum-jubilee-rundown-four-days-festivities?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jun 2022 02:19:34 +0000 Fans can’t stop talking about the new Netflix teen LGBTQ+ drama TV series, which is already rated nine out of 10 on IMDB. Based on Alice Oseman’s graphic novel of the same name, Heartstopper is about two boys, Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson, who fall for each other at secondary school while dealing with homophobic abuse. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Netflix US (@netflix) “It’s a beautiful story of acceptance, love, friendship and happiness.... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3176370/meet-joe-locke-teen-star-netflixs-heartstopper-he-landed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3176370/meet-joe-locke-teen-star-netflixs-heartstopper-he-landed?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 May 2022 17:00:20 +0000 Hong Kong’s legal fraternity was left with much to reflect on when Britain withdrew its last two serving judges from the city’s highest court last month, citing concerns over the Beijing-imposed national security law and its implications for political freedom. The resignation of the UK Supreme Court’s president and vice-president from their concurrent positions on Hong Kong’s apex court closed the chapter on a long-standing arrangement often viewed as a strong endorsement of the city’s rule of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3175236/will-hong-kong-join-singapore-malaysia-ditching-foreign-judges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3175236/will-hong-kong-join-singapore-malaysia-ditching-foreign-judges?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Apr 2022 00:00:30 +0000 Mark Cavendish went from being “the best in the world to one of the worst overnight”, to one of the best again after years of struggling with illness and clinical depression. Just as the sport collectively prepared to raise a glass to his unparalleled road sprinting career, the 36-year-old miraculously equalled Eddy Merckx’s all-time record of 34 Tour de France stage wins last summer. The “Manx Missile” may even surpass the 46-year milestone should he earn a spot at Le Tour in July. But he wants... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3170093/mark-cavendish-reflects-remarkable-tour-de-france-comeback?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3170093/mark-cavendish-reflects-remarkable-tour-de-france-comeback?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Mar 2022 01:30:14 +0000 It will be 50 years next month since the Hong Kong 1,500m track record was set by Dave Gibson. The time of 3 minutes 55.6 seconds has stood for so long it is “ridiculous”, said the record holder. Gibson set the record in Manilla on April 21, 1972. The closest anyone has come to it yet is in 2012, when Steven Ing set the junior 1,500m record at 3:56.64. But the 79-year-old said he felt no sense of pride in still holding the record, rather his overwhelming emotion was one of sadness “for the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/article/3169357/hong-kong-1500m-running-record-stands-ridiculous-50-years-holder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/article/3169357/hong-kong-1500m-running-record-stands-ridiculous-50-years-holder?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Mar 2022 00:15:13 +0000