Bowen: Authoritarian regimes die gradually then suddenly, but Iran is not there yet

Bowen: Authoritarian regimes die gradually then suddenly, but Iran is not there yet13 hours agoShareSaveJeremy BowenInternational editorShareSaveMortuary videos shows violent government crackdown in IranHow does an authoritarian regime die? As Ernest Hemingway famously said about going broke – gradually then suddenly.
The protesters in Iran and their supporters abroad were hoping that the Islamic regime in Tehran was at the suddenly stage. The signs are, if it is dying, it is still at gradual.
The last two weeks of unrest add up to a big crisis for the regime. Iranian anger and frustration have exploded into the streets before, but the latest explosion comes on top of all the military blows inflicted on Iran in the last two years by the US and Israel.
But more significant for hard-pressed Iranians struggling to feed their families has been the impact of sanctions.
In the latest blow for the Iranian economy, all the UN sanctions lifted under the now dead 2015 nuclear deal were reimpos..

Continue Reading

Dubai International Airport introduces ticketless e-wallet parking across all terminals

Dubai Airports and Salik sign a 10-year deal to introduce seamless e-wallet parking / AI Image for Illustration Starting your next holiday from Dubai International (DXB) is about to get a lot smoother. In a major move to end the era of paper tickets and long queues at payment machines, Dubai Airports and Salik Company PJSC have officially signed a landmark 10-year agreement. This partnership brings the same “drive-through” convenience you enjoy on the highways directly to the airport parking lots. DXB and Salik unites for smart parkingDubai Airports has teamed up with Salik, Dubai’s road toll operator, in a new 10-year partnership to bring e-wallet parking payments to Dubai International Airport (DXB), one of the world’s busiest airports. The agreement, signed in a ceremony attended by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum of Dubai Airports and Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of Salik, marks a significant step towards smarter, more efficient parking management at the airport.Under this deal, dri..

Continue Reading

‘We’re losing our country’: Viral Dallas clip by TPUSA influencer fuels anti-Indian hate in America

‘This Isn’t America Anymore’: Viral Dallas Video Sparks Racism Against Indian Communities in US A seemingly off-hand social media video sparked a broader and highly charged conversation about race, immigration and identity after Turning Point USA affiliate and influencer Kambree (@KamVTV) shared a viral clip on X (formerly Twitter), claiming that parts of Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas, no longer feel like America and instead likened the area to “India” due to its visible Indian community and businesses. The video, originally tweeted by content creator Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes), shows a street lined with Indian grocery stores and eateries and includes the caption, “Americans in Dallas, Texas say they aren’t in Texas anymore, “We’re in India” This is actually wild, we are losing our country “Dallas Texas is the most Indian place in America” (sic).”In her repost, Kambree wrote “It's not just Dallas, it's the ENTIRE DFW area. This started 16 years ago.” amplifying a hostile n..

Continue Reading

China’s central bank sets onshore yuan fixing at strongest point in nearly 16 months

AdvertisementYuanEconomyChina EconomyChina’s central bank sets onshore yuan fixing at strongest point in nearly 16 monthsAnalysts note how Beijing’s policy goals, such as internationalising China’s currency and curbing overcapacity, are aligning with a firmer exchange rate
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPSylvia MaPublished: 2:00pm, 13 Jan 2026China’s central bank strengthened the yuan’s daily fixing for a third consecutive session to a nearly 16-month high, as the currency also held firm in offshore markets despite recent US dollar strength.
On Tuesday, the People’s Bank of China set the yuan’s midpoint rate, also known as the daily fixing rate, at 7.0103 to the US dollar – the strongest showing since the end of September 2024, when the rate was set at 7.0074.
That official midpoint rate, however, was still weaker than that of the offshore yuan, which was trading at around 6.97 to the US dollar as of midday Tuesday – in line with broad market expectations that, while the PB..

Continue Reading

China girl, 12, pens essay to thank ‘second dad’ for support, offers him US$140 after job loss

AdvertisementTrending in ChinaPeople & CultureTrending in ChinaChina girl, 12, pens essay to thank ‘second dad’ for support, offers him US$140 after job lossYoungster says she was left ‘shivering in the wind’ after death of father; love from uncle saved her from the darkness
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPFran Luin BeijingPublished: 2:00pm, 13 Jan 2026A heartfelt essay by a 12-year-old girl to the uncle who adopted her after her father died has moved many people online.
The essay, titled “My Second Father”, went viral after her uncle, Wei Yi, read it on his social media account.
Wei, 33, and his wife, surnamed Lu, adopted Lu’s niece Jia Jia after her father died from liver cancer in 2024.
Jia Jia’s uncle, Wei Yi, above, could not hold back his tears while reading her essay. Photo: QQ.comJia Jia’s mother is disabled and could not look after her well. Lu’s mother, Jia Jia’s grandmother, was also not in good health, prompting the couple to make the decision.
AdvertisementThey..

Continue Reading

Iran protests latest: Trump considers next steps after ordering sweeping sanctions on Tehran’s trade partners

CloseWhite House says Trump isn't ruling out miliary action against Iran over protestsDonald Trump says any country doing business with Iran will face 25 per cent US tariffs “effective immediately”.
The White House also reiterated its threat to use military action against Tehran over its violent crackdown against economic protesters.
At least 646 people have now died in clashes between demonstrators and security forces across Iran, according to a monitoring group.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has told reporters that airstrikes are among the “many, many options” that the US president is considering but that “diplomacy is always the first option for the president”.
“We are ready for war but also for dialogue,” Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi responded.
Mr Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran including cyber-attacks and direct strikes by the US or Israel, according to two people familiar with inter..

Continue Reading

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Four dead after Putin launches major assault on Ukraine’s two largest cities

CloseKyiv strikes oil rigs in Caspian Sea with dramatic drone footage releasedAt least four people have died in Russia's most intense aerial bombardment of Ukraine so far this year, with strikes targeting Kyiv and Kharkiv overnight.
Telegram channels monitoring the conflict suggested as many as 20 ballistic missiles were launched in the space of just an hour overnight, with Kyiv officials confirming the capital suffered a short but powerful onslaught.
In Kharkiv, the strikes claimed four lives and injured at least six others, with missiles striking targets on the outskirts of the northeastern city.
The attack came hours after Russia was roundly condemned at an emergency UN Security Council meeting for firing its Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile at Lviv, just 50 miles from the border with Nato member Poland.
US deputy ambassador to the UN Tammy Bruce accused Russia of a “dangerous and inexplicable escalation” of its nearly four-year war in Ukraine at a time when the Trump admi..

Continue Reading

Trump briefed on military and covert options for Iran, sources say

Trump briefed on military and covert options for Iran, sources say60 minutes agoShareSaveDanielle Kaye,Business reporterandClaire KeenanShareSaveMortuary videos shows violent government crackdown in IranPresident Donald Trump has been briefed on a wide range of covert and military tools for use in Iran, two Department of Defense officials told the BBC's US partner, CBS News.
Long-range missile strikes remain an option for a potential US intervention, but Pentagon officials have also presented cyber operations and psychological campaign responses, the sources said.
Trump announced a 25% tariff on goods from countries with commercial ties to Iran on Monday, as rights groups say more than 600 protesters have been killed in three weeks of anti-government protests.
Iran's foreign minister has said Tehran is open to talks with Washington, but remains “prepared for war”.
Trump's national security team is expected to hold a meeting at the White House on Tuesday to discuss opti..

Continue Reading

‘They just kept killing’: Eyewitnesses describe deadly crackdown in Iran

'They just kept killing': Eyewitnesses describe deadly crackdown in Iran10 hours agoShareSaveRoja AssadiandSarah Namjoo,BBC PersianShareSavePublic domainA protester holds up a picture of crown prince Reza Pahlavi in Kaj Square, north-western Tehran on Friday”I saw it with my own eyes – they fired directly into lines of protesters, and people fell where they stood.”
Omid's voice was shaking as he spoke, fearful of being traced. Breaking the wall of silence between Iran and the rest of the world takes immense courage, given the risk of reprisals by the authorities.
Omid, in his early 40s and whose name we have changed for his safety, has been protesting on the streets of a small city in southern Iran over the past few days against worsening economic hardship.
He said security forces had opened fire at unarmed protesters in his city with Kalashnikov-style assault rifles.
“We are fighting a brutal regime with empty hands,” he said.
The BBC has received similar accounts of ..

Continue Reading

Russia knew damaging secrets about Hillary Clinton under Barack Obama? Tulsi Gabbard’s clip goes viral on X

Tulsi Gabbard Remarks Fuel Viral X Tweet Claiming Russia Held Secrets About Hillary Clinton During Barack Obama Era A viral tweet shared on January 10, 2026 by X (formerly Twitter) user @Real_RobN reignited a stormy debate over US political history, alleging explosive intelligence claims about former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election. The post centered on a controversial clip featuring Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, in which she discussed declassified reports and intelligence interpretations about what Russia knew but didn’t release ahead of that campaign.The tweet repeated assertions claiming that Obama “knew Hillary Clinton was mentally unfit for office” and withheld that information from the public, linking this to an original Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA). According to the viral post, Russia possessed “high-level DNC emails” concerning Clinton’s health and behaviour but chose not to release them..

Continue Reading