Author: Verified News Online

Oman now charges OMR 600 for citizenship applications and OMR 200 for nationality withdrawal/Image: X Applying for Omani citizenship will now come with a clearly defined price tag. In a move aimed at tightening and standardising nationality services, Oman has approved a new fee structure covering both citizenship applications and requests to relinquish nationality, according to details published in the Sultanate’s Official Gazette.Under the revised framework, the fee for submitting an application to obtain Omani citizenship has been set at OMR 600. This charge applies to foreign women married to Omani nationals, as well as widows or divorced spouses of Omanis. The same fee also covers applications submitted on behalf of the minor children of Omani women, ensuring a uniform cost across these family-based eligibility categories.In addition to citizenship applications, the updated regulations introduce an OMR 200 fee for requests related to the withdrawal or relinquishment of Omani nation..

ANI image Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense detected eight sorties of PLA aircraft and seven PLAN vessels operating around its territorial waters as of 6 am (local time) on Tuesday.Of the eight, two crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's southwestern and eastern ADIZ.In a post on X, the MND said, “8 sorties of PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 2 out of 8 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's southwestern and eastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded.”Earlier on Monday, Taiwan's MND detected three sorties of PLA sorties, eight PLAN vessels, and one official ship around its territory.A post on X stated, “(U) 3 sorties of PLA aircraft, 8 PLAN vessels and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 3 out of 3 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and r..

AdvertisementMalaysiaThis Week in AsiaPeopleMalaysia’s ex-PM Mahathir in hospital after a fall at home – ‘he was conscious’Mahathir, 100, fell when he was walking from the balcony to his living room in his home in Kuala Lumpur
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPJoseph SipalanPublished: 1:15pm, 6 Jan 2026Two-time former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad was sent to hospital on Tuesday after a fall in his home in Kuala Lumpur.The centenarian fell while walking from the balcony to his living room and was rushed to the National Heart Institute for observation, according to an aide.
“Tun was taken in by ambulance and arrived at 9.30am. He was conscious,” Mahathir’s press secretary Sufi Yusoff told the media, using the former leader’s honorific.
AdvertisementSufi said he was not in a position to comment on Mahathir’s condition, pending updates from the medical team attending to him.
Mahathir, who turned 100 last July, has been a constant fixture in Malaysian politics.Adverti..

AdvertisementScienceChinaScienceChina’s sensitive technology at risk after Trump abducts Venezuela leader MaduroFrom oil infrastructure to telecommunications, Chinese investments in the country have been long-standing and extensive
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPLing Xinin OhioPublished: 1:06pm, 6 Jan 2026China risks losing access to satellite tracking stations and other sensitive technology infrastructure in Venezuela after the United States seized control of the country’s leadership and transferred its president Nicolas Maduro to New York for trial.Beijing’s embedded assets – from satellite ground stations to oilfield systems and telecommunications networks – could be compromised after US President Donald Trump said Washington would “run” Venezuela and “fix oil infrastructure” in the country with the world’s largest crude reserves.The El Sombrero tracking station at the Captain Manuel Rios airbase, along with its backup in Luepa, Bolivar state, supports Venezuela’s only ..

AP image Russia’s overnight strikes on Kyiv province killed two people on Monday after air raid alerts were issued across the country, Ukrainian authorities said. One person was killed in the capital Kyiv, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of the city’s military administration. Another victim, a man in his 70s, died in the neighbouring city of Fastiv, Kyiv regional governor Mykola Kalashnyk said. Russia Smashes U.S. Weapons As Putin Fires Back At Trump After Maduro Capture, Ukraine Warning “One person has been killed so far as a result of the attack. The attack is continuing,” Tkachenko said in a post on the Telegram messaging app, according to Reuters.The latest strikes come as Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukraine. Meanwhile, Kyiv and its allies are seeking to finalise a US-brokered plan aimed at ending Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.The violence follows a deadly weekend of cross-border attacks. On Sunday, two people were killed in Ukrainian drone strikes in Russi..