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Kuwait pardoned 539 inmates under Amiri Decree No. 21 of 2026/Representative Image In a move aimed at giving hundreds a second chance, Kuwait has pardoned 539 individuals following directives from His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The decision was issued under Amiri Decree No. (21) of 2026 and allows some inmates to be released immediately, while others will see their sentences reduced. The pardon reflects an effort to support rehabilitation and reintegration into society. Authorities said the objective goes beyond shortening prison terms. It is designed to help those affected rebuild their lives, reconnect with their families and commit to lawful conduct. The process was overseen by the Special Security Affairs and Correctional Institutions Sector, which coordinated with relevant government bodies to complete the necessary legal and administrative procedures. Officials ensured that those eligible for immediate release were freed without delay and that se..

Discover Eid Al Fitr 2026 dates across the Gulf — Oman’s likely 5-day break / Image: file As Ramadan 2026 progresses across the Gulf, attention is now turning to the expected dates for Eid Al Fitr. In Oman, early astronomical calculations indicate a strong likelihood that residents could enjoy a five-day public holiday in March. However, as always, the final confirmation will depend on the official crescent moon sighting.Eid Al-Fitr 2026 in Oman
Eid Al Fitr marks the beginning of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic Hijri calendar. Because the Islamic calendar follows lunar cycles, the exact date of Eid changes each year and can only be confirmed after the crescent moon is sighted.Astronomers in Oman have projected that the Shawwal crescent is likely to be visible on the evening of March 19, 2026. If confirmed, the first day of Eid Al Fitr in Oman will fall on Friday, March 20, 2026.If the crescent moon is not sighted on March 19, Ramadan will complete 30 days, and Eid would begin o..

AdvertisementHong Kong propertyBusinessSHKP, Hong Kong’s bellwether developer, posts 36% jump in first-half net profitThe company plans to launch many new residential projects over the next 10 months, including the second phase of Cullinan Harbour in Kai Tak
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPCheryl ArcibalPublished: 6:23pm, 26 Feb 2026Sun Hung Kai Properties’ (SHKP), Hong Kong’s largest developer by market capitalisation, reported a 36.2 per cent year-on-year jump in first-half net profit to HK$10.25 billion (US$1.3 billion).
Revenue rose 32 per cent to HK$52.7 billion for the six months ended December from a year earlier, while operating income increased 10.7 per cent to HK$13.4 billion, the developer said in a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange on Thursday. Underlying profit, which discounts property revaluations, gained 17 per cent to HK$12.2 billion.
The revenue, however, missed analysts’ estimates of HK$53.4 billion, while operating income beat forecasts of HK$12.82 ..

AdvertisementWomen and genderChinaPolitics‘Digital public shaming’: Chinese AI tools under fire for pornographic deepfakesGrass-roots group warns AI platforms have ‘sacrificed women’s right to safety’ as non-consensual sexualised images proliferate
Reading Time:4 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPMeredith ChenPublished: 6:00pm, 26 Feb 2026Chinese AI tools have come under fire for allowing deepfake images that critics say are a form of “digital public shaming” targeting women.Free Nora, a grass-roots feminist media collective in China, reported last week that many internet users had been exploiting the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Doubao to generate non-consensual pornographic images of real women.“In the shadowy corners of social media, a large-scale ‘digital public shaming’ campaign targeting ordinary women has quietly unfolded, fuelled by Doubao,” said a social media article published by the group, which focuses on women’s rights and policy advocacy.AdvertisementDoubao, owned by t..

Bill Gates apologises to foundation staff over Jeffrey Epstein ties

American tech entrepreneur Bill Gates has apologised to staff at the Gates Foundation over his past ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, while maintaining that he did “nothing illicit,” according to media reports.The Microsoft co-founder acknowledged in a town hall meeting that his association with Epstein was a “huge mistake” and said it had cast a cloud over the philanthropic organisation’s reputation.“I did nothing illicit,” Gates tells staffAccording to an exclusive report by The Wall Street Journal, Gates told employees during the town hall: “I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit.”“To be clear, I never spent any time with victims, the women around him,” he added, as per the Journal report.Gates said that images in the recently released “Epstein files” showing him with women whose faces are redacted were photographs that Epstein had asked him to take with his assistants after meetings.“I apolo..

Egyptian authorities arrested a tour guide after a viral video showed him drawing on the Pyramid of Unas in Saqqara/Image: Screenshot of X video A tour guide has been arrested in Egypt after a video showed him drawing on the exterior stones of the Pyramid of Unas while explaining details to tourists. The incident took place at the Saqqara necropolis south of Cairo and prompted an investigation by the Egyptian Ministry of Interior. The development was reported by Egypt Today.The Pyramid of Unas is one of Egypt’s most historically significant monuments. It dates back to the Old Kingdom and is around 4,400 to 4,500 years old. It is widely known as the earliest pyramid to contain pyramid texts and forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Saqqara site.What happened at the site
According to the ministry’s statement, the Saqqara Tourist Police Station received a report from a local antiquities inspector. The inspector stated that the guide had drawn markings on the outer casing stones o..

AdvertisementIranWorldMiddle EastIranians on edge as Trump’s US ‘armada’ closes in: ‘a war will start’‘Going to war with America, Israel and Nato will have very horrible and unpredictable consequences,’ a Tehran resident says
Reading Time:4 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPAssociated PressPublished: 5:52pm, 25 Feb 2026Updated: 6:08pm, 25 Feb 2026As the United States assembles its greatest military firepower in decades in the Middle East, Iranians are warily awaiting the next round of talks with the US in Geneva this week – negotiations that many see as a last chance for their ruling theocracy to strike a deal with US President Donald Trump.
Some say the situation feels hopeless. Battered by decades of sanctions, heightened by Trump’s 2018 decision to withdraw from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers, Iranians also just suffered through the bloodiest crackdown on dissent in the country’s modern history.
Still, Iran heads into the Thursday talks “with a determination to achieve a fair an..

AdvertisementHong Kong budget 2026-27Hong KongHong Kong EconomyHong Kong budget sweeteners for residents and businesses climb to HK$22 billionFinance chief estimates reduction in profit tax, salaries tax and tax under personal assessment will benefit about 2.12 million taxpayers
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPEdith LinPublished: 5:33pm, 25 Feb 2026Updated: 5:58pm, 25 Feb 2026Hong Kong authorities will offer sweeteners of about HK$22 billion (US$2.8 billion) to residents and businesses, up from HK$7.8 billion last year, as public coffers are set to pivot from a deficit to a surplus.
Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po on Wednesday announced a raft of tax concessions and allowances in his annual budget, almost three times what was offered last year.
“Hong Kong’s economy shows steady and stable progress, but there are still imbalances and insufficiencies during economic transformation,” he said. “Some residents and enterprises are still facing relatively big challenges.”
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'El Mencho', left, and Pablo Escobar The template was forged in Medellín by Pablo Escobar: immense wealth, absolute violence, and the charisma of a folk hero. But the modern Mexican cartels haven't just followed that template—they’ve weaponised it. What began as a handful of regional trafficking routes has evolved into a multi-generational saga of betrayal and 'narco-terrorism.' To understand Mexico today is to understand the rise and fall of these dynasties: the aging federations, the special-forces defectors, and the new, hyper-aggressive titans fighting for the crown.Mexico’s brutal drug war claims thousands of lives every year as powerful trafficking groups battle for territory and influence. These cartels control vast areas of the country and are also responsible for political corruption, assassinations and kidnappings. Several major drug trafficking organisations have shaped global supply routes, fuelled violence and contributed to major public health and..

Saudi schools will not permit retake examinations during Ramadan without an officially approved excuse/Representative Image Students who miss their first-term examinations during Ramadan will not be given another chance unless they present an official excuse, Saudi education authorities have confirmed. The rule comes as public schools across the Kingdom begin first-term tests for the second semester, with strict enforcement of attendance and discipline measures.The Ministry of Education has made clear that absence during the examination period will not be overlooked. The no make-up policy is grounded in the Student Assessment Regulations approved at the start of the current academic year.Exams begin with strict attendance enforcement
First-term examinations for the second semester commenced on Monday in Saudi public schools.School administrations have underlined that full attendance is mandatory throughout the examination period. Students who fail to attend will not be granted make-up ..