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Canada’s immigration minister – Lena Metlege Diab, last night announced new Express Entry immigration categories for 2026. The writing on the wall is clear: the focus is on ‘bringing in the right people to help build a stronger future’. In this backdrop, immigration experts expect that Express Entry draws (the point-based pathway to enable skilled applicants to gain permanent residency) will focus on ‘category-based’ draws. With Canada’s continued emphasis on boosting Francophone immigration, several French-language proficiency draws are also likely to be held this year.The first Express Entry category draw for foreign medical doctors with Canadian work experience, will be held in the coming days. Diab also announced the addition of targeted Express Entry pathways for researchers and senior managers with Canadian experience, transport-sector workers such as pilots and aircraft mechanics, and skilled foreign military recruits for specialised roles (such as doctors, nurses and pilots).“B..

AdvertisementIndiaThis Week in AsiaEconomicsIndia-Europe trade corridor gathers pace as Modi, Macron pledge port partnershipThe India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor is seen as an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPBiman MukherjiPublished: 5:00pm, 19 Feb 2026Updated: 5:38pm, 19 Feb 2026India and France have agreed to strengthen links between two of their largest ports and others, giving fresh momentum for a proposed commercial corridor stretching from South Asia to Europe that analysts say could rival China’s Belt and Road Initiative.The agreement between India’s Adani Ports and France’s Port of Marseille Fos marks a key step towards realising the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).
The memorandum of understanding, signed on Wednesday, calls for the creation of an “IMEC Ports Club” to coordinate key ports along the corridor and strengthen trade connectivity between India and the European Union.AdvertisementFir..

AdvertisementEspionageWorldMiddle EastIran sentences British couple on world motorcycle tour to 10 years for spyingLindsay and Craig Foreman were arrested while travelling through the country on a round-the-world trip, according to relatives
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPAgence France-PressePublished: 4:47pm, 19 Feb 2026A British couple detained in Iran since January last year have been sentenced to 10 years in jail for espionage, their family announced on Thursday, prompting condemnation from the UK government.Lindsay and Craig Foreman, both in their fifties, were arrested while travelling through the country on an around-the-world motorcycle journey, according to relatives, and have consistently denied Tehran’s spying claims.
Their family say the sentences follow a court appearance last October which lasted just three hours and in which they were not allowed to present any defence.
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Why Venezuela has more oil than any country on Earth Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil reserves, officially holding about 303 billion barrels, or roughly 17 per cent of global crude, mostly in the Orinoco Belt, where the oil is unusually dense and heavy. The size of the reserves is a reflection of the geological factors that have made it possible for a large amount of organic matter to be deposited and converted into hydrocarbons over a period of millions of years. But the large size of the reserve base has not resulted in sustained high production or wide economic stability. Production has dropped significantly from the peak levels, the physical facilities have become outdated, and a large part of the crude oil needs fairly complicated processing before it can be sold on the international market. Therefore, whilst Venezuela's reserve numbers are still globally noteworthy according to the figures, the country's actual production capacity and export earnings have be..

Kuwait introduces Freelance work permit for expats / Image: file Kuwait is set to introduce a new freelance residency permit allowing expatriates to work independently without needing a traditional employer sponsor. This move aims to curb visa trading and tighten labour market regulations. The scheme, expected to roll out within the next two months, will carry an annual fee ranging between KD 750 and KD 1,000.The announcement was confirmed by Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, who said the initiative is part of wider labour reforms.“Instead of paying visa traders, pay the government some KD 800–1,000,” Sheikh Fahad said, underscoring the government’s intent to redirect residency payments to the state and eliminate illegal intermediaries.He added that reforming the labour market requires regulating the corporate sector and addressing loopholes that enabled visa trading to spread.What is Kuwait’s freelance visa?Kuwait is planning to int..

AdvertisementChina’s private sectorBusinessChina BusinessChina’s biotech boom sends price of lab monkeys for drug tests climbingThe cost of a single monkey exceeds the average annual salary in China and approaches a pandemic-era spike amid growth in drug licensing deals
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPJulie ZhangPublished: 5:00pm, 18 Feb 2026A surge in drug research in China has driven the cost of a laboratory monkey to about 140,000 yuan (US$20,260), a sum that exceeds the country’s average annual wage.
Official government procurement records showed that prices had doubled in the last five years for such monkeys, which are widely used in the preclinical stage to check whether a drug is safe and how it is absorbed, broken down and cleared by the body.
Analysts said the soaring cost was underpinned by a flood of drug-licensing deals between Chinese biotech firms and global pharmaceutical giants, alongside a revival in pharmaceutical fundraising activities, which had pushed a..

AdvertisementSouth KoreaAsiaEast AsiaSouth Korea signals cautious support for Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ by attending as observerA former South Korean ambassador to Egypt will be attending Thursday’s inaugural meeting in Washington
Reading Time:1 minuteWhy you can trust SCMPThe Korea TimesPublished: 4:45pm, 18 Feb 2026South Korea will take part as an observer in the inaugural meeting of the US-led “Board of Peace”, dispatching a former envoy to Thursday’s session in Washington, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.“Kim Yong-hyun, former ambassador to Egypt, will attend the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace scheduled for February 19, as the South Korean representative,” the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
A ministry official said that South Korea would attend as a non-member observer and that Kim would be acting on behalf of the foreign minister.
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Azerbaijan grants visa-free travel to Omani citizens for one year/Representative Image Omani nationals will be able to travel to Azerbaijan without obtaining a prior visa under a temporary exemption announced by Oman’s Foreign Ministry. The visa-free arrangement will run for one year, starting 15 February 2026 and ending 15 February 2027, allowing short-term stays under specific conditions.One-year visa exemption
The Foreign Ministry said the Republic of Azerbaijan has decided to exempt citizens of the Sultanate of Oman from entry visa requirements for a defined period.From 15 February 2026 until 15 February 2027, Omani citizens may enter Azerbaijan without securing a visa in advance.Under the terms of the exemption:Visitors may stay for up to 30 days per visitThe arrangement permits a maximum of three visits with in one yearThe exemption is temporary and applies only within the stated dates.Travel conditions and entry requirements
While the visa requirement has been lifted for the spe..

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny (File photo)

Experts believe the deadly toxin that allegedly killed Russian dissident Alexei Navalny in February 2024 was likely created in a lab rather than extracted from wild South American poison dart frogs, as claimed by multiple European nations. Five European countrieslast week said tests confirmed that Navalny was poisoned with epibatidine, a powerful toxin found in the skin of poison dart frogs native to South America, accusing the Russian state of responsibility.While these frogs can be easily purchased in South American markets or legally exported with permits, scientists say making a deadly poison from actual frogs would be impractical. Ivan Lozano, director of Tesoros de Colombia, explained that it would take “an enormous number of frogs” to create a lethal dose for humans, making it virtually impossible to gather enough for this purpose.The toxicity of these frogs presents another challenge. According to University of Illinois re..

AdvertisementAustraliaAsiaAustralasiaAustralian smuggler jailed record 8 years for mailing lizards in popcorn bagsInvestigators recovered 101 Australian reptiles from seized parcels destined for Hong Kong, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Romania
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPAgence France-PressePublished: 4:53pm, 17 Feb 2026A Sydney man who tried to post native lizards, dragons and other reptiles out of Australia in bags of popcorn and biscuit tins has been sentenced to eight years in jail, authorities said on Tuesday.The eight-year term handed down on Friday was a record for wildlife smuggling, federal environment officials said.
A district court in Sydney gave the man, 61-year-old Neil Simpson, a non-parole period of five years and four months.
AdvertisementInvestigators recovered 101 Australian reptiles from seized parcels destined for Hong Kong, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Romania, the officials said in a statement.Popcorn bags and handbags containing the reptiles. Photo: D..