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AP image Former US President Bill Clinton and former first lady Hillary Clinton on Wednesday defied a congressional subpoena through a letter, declining to testify in a House investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and their past associations with the convicted sex trafficker, even as Republican lawmakers move to initiate contempt of Congress proceedings against them.In the letter, which was shared on social media, the Clintons criticised the House Oversight Committee’s probe as “legally invalid” and said the committee’s Republican chair, Representative James Comer, was pushing a process “literally designed to result in our imprisonment.”“We will forcefully defend ourselves,” the Clintons, who are Democrats, wrote.“Every person has to decide when they have seen or had enough and are ready to fight for this country, its principles and its people, no matter the consequences,” the Clintons wrote. “For us, now is that time.”Bill Clinton was due to appear before the committee on Tuesday, while H..

AdvertisementMalaysiaAsiaSoutheast AsiaMan fined US$2,200 in Malaysia for masking Singapore number plate to buy subsidised fuelA judge said Long Sa Kow will be required to serve nine months’ imprisonment if he fails to pay the fine
Reading Time:1 minuteWhy you can trust SCMPCNAPublished: 2:01pm, 14 Jan 2026The man who was caught on video pumping subsidised RON95 fuel into his Singapore-registered car in Johor was on Wednesday fined 9,000 ringgit (US$2,217) for obstructing the registration number of his vehicle.Malaysian Long Sa Kow, who is a Singapore permanent resident, was charged under Section 108 (3) (E) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for allegedly exhibiting an altered or tampered vehicle registration number.
The offence carries a fine of between 5,000 ringgit and 20,000 ringgit, a prison term of one to five years or both.
AdvertisementIn the video that made its rounds on social media, Long was seen pumping RON95 fuel – which is subsidised only for Malaysians with locally register..

AdvertisementScienceChinaScienceChinese risk study finds space solar power stations could accidentally zap satellitesBeijing team finds that potential electrical discharges, though brief, could induce abnormal currents in spacecraft systems
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPLing Xinin OhioPublished: 2:00pm, 14 Jan 2026As China pushes to take the global lead in building space-based solar power stations, a new study warns that powerful lasers beaming energy back to Earth could pose serious risks to other satellites in the increasingly crowded low-Earth orbit.
If these beams miss their targets – because of tracking errors or system malfunctions – they could strike nearby spacecraft, overheat solar panels or trigger electrical discharges, according to a team from the Beijing Institute of Satellite Environment Engineering.
Such discharges can induce unintended currents, potentially damaging on-board electronics and forcing an emergency shutdown. The risk is greater when the laser ..

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..

‘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..

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..

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..

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..

Viral Post on X Alleges 590,000 Buyers Paid $499 for Trump Phone, $45 Temu Lookalike Found A fresh controversy is brewing on X (formerly Twitter) after a viral post by prominent pro-Ukraine commentator and meme account Bricktop_NAFO (@Bricktop_NAFO) alleged that hundreds of thousands of people paid for US President Donald Trump–branded mobile phones that have yet to materialise. The claim, shared on X, alleges that 590,000 buyers purchased the so-called “Trump Phone” priced at $499, with no confirmed deliveries so far.Bricktop tweeted, “590,000 idiots purchased Trumps Mobile phone that went on sale. Not a single person has received it. Trump started taking money in June 2025. With a price of $499, they claimed it would ship in August/September 2025 The same phone and spec was found on Temu for $45. (sic)” Orders taken months ago, shipping deadlines missed
According to the viral post, customers began placing orders in June 2025, after promotional material suggested the phone would ship ..

AdvertisementHong Kong societyHong KongSocietyHong Kong’s Ma On Shan loses its only cinema amid wave of theatre closuresEmperor Cinemas shuts down its MOSTown shopping centre theatre on Monday, saying vouchers and coupons still valid at other branches
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPElizabeth CheungPublished: 1:37pm, 12 Jan 2026The only cinema in the Ma On Shan area has shut down, joining the wave of theatre closures in Hong Kong that began during the pandemic.
Emperor Cinemas announced on Monday that its branch in MOSTown, a shopping centre in Ma On Shan, had ceased operations on the same day. No reason for the closure was given.
“Thank you for your support. Emperor Cinemas (Ma On Shan) will cease operations from 12 January 2026,” the company said in a social media post.
AdvertisementThe group said all movie vouchers and coupons issued by the Ma On Shan outlet would remain valid at the eight remaining branches in Hong Kong during their validity period.
Movie premiums that ..