Author: Verified News Online

AdvertisementChina-North Korea relationsChinaDiplomacyXi Jinping expresses hope China can open ‘new chapter’ in relations with North KoreaChinese leader sends message of ‘high trust and wholehearted support’ to Kim Jong-un after major party event
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPYuanyue Dangin BeijingPublished: 5:57pm, 23 Feb 2026Updated: 5:59pm, 23 Feb 2026Chinese President Xi Jinping has congratulated North Korean leader Kim Jong-un after he cemented his leadership at the latest congress of the country’s ruling party.Xi said Kim’s reselection as general secretary of the Workers Party of North Korea on Monday reflected the “high trust and wholehearted support” of the country’s “party, government and people”, according to state news agency Xinhua.Xi said he was ready to work with Kim to “open a new chapter in China-DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] friendship, serve the cause of socialist development in both countries, and enhance the well-being and friendship of ..

Oman Education Ministry announces new teaching vacancies/Image: X Oman’s Ministry of Education has announced a new round of teaching vacancies in coordination with the Ministry of Labour, opening the door for graduates and aspiring educators to join the national school system. The move is aimed at strengthening the teaching workforce and supporting the sustainable employment of Omani job seekers.Who can apply
The vacancies are open to candidates holding a university degree in Education or a general university degree supplemented by a Postgraduate Diploma in Education.Eligibility also extends to students expected to graduate during the 2025/2026 academic year, whether in the first, second or summer semester.In addition, the ministry has reopened the door for graduates from previous years who did not sit for the recruitment exam, as well as those who previously took the exam but did not achieve the required passing score.Application process and timeline
Applications must be submitted ele..

2,000 years ago, people in Vietnam used iron to permanently blacken their teeth (Image Source – Springer Nature) Archaeologists working in northern Vietnam have found chemical evidence that people were permanently blackening their teeth around 2,000 years ago. The study focused on human remains from the Dong Xa site, dated to the Iron Age and linked to the wider Dong Son cultural sphere. By analysing the surface of ancient enamel, researchers identified traces of iron compounds consistent with deliberate cosmetic treatment rather than natural staining. The results offer the first clear scientific confirmation that tooth blackening was already established in Vietnam two millennia ago. The findings also suggest that the technique relied on iron salts, likely mixed with plant materials rich in tannins, to create a deep, glossy black surface that altered the appearance of the teeth.
Study confirms tooth blackening was practiced in Vietnam 2,000 years agoThe research team used microscopic a..

AdvertisementHong Kong workers/labour rightsSilent suffering: how a domestic helper’s Hong Kong dream became a nightmareNepalese helper came to the city in search of a better life, only to find exploitation, exhaustion and abuse behind closed doors
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPEmily HungPublished: 6:04pm, 22 Feb 2026Sanju*, a foreign domestic helper of Nepalese ethnicity, never imagined her Hong Kong dream would turn into a nightmare.
The 34-year-old arrived in Hong Kong in 2023, driven by a simple wish to work in the city of her dreams. However, her first employer paid her 30 per cent below the statutory minimum wage, allowed her only two hours of sleep a day, and gave her just three rest days over six months, during which she was only paid two months’ salary.
After six months, she was dismissed and thrown out of the flat in the middle of the night because she could not speak English.
AdvertisementSanju found a new employer three months later, but that was only the star..

AdvertisementTaiwanChinaPoliticsHow Trump’s Beijing bargaining could derail Taiwan’s multibillion-dollar defence budgetUS leader’s talk of consulting Xi Jinping on arms sales could hand Taiwan’s opposition a ‘lifeline’ to reshape spending bill, experts say
Reading Time:4 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPLawrence Chungin TaipeiPublished: 6:00pm, 22 Feb 2026Taiwan’s parliament is set to prioritise review of a disputed NT$1.25 trillion (US$40 billion) special defence budget bill when its new session begins on Tuesday, as pressure mounts from Washington.But US President Donald Trump’s recent remarks about consulting Chinese President Xi Jinping on arms sales could complicate the debate, potentially giving Taipei’s opposition parties greater room to manoeuvre and reshape the final version of the bill, according to analysts.The renewed push follows an unusual bipartisan letter from 37 US lawmakers on February 12 urging Taiwan’s legislature to fully fund the eight-year package.
AdvertisementThe l..