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AdvertisementThailandThis Week in AsiaHealth & EnvironmentWhy did 72 tigers die at a Thailand tourist park in under 2 weeks?‘By the time we realised they were sick, it was too late,’ said an official, as welfare groups decry a life of misery and confinement
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPAidan JonesPublished: 5:58pm, 24 Feb 2026The deaths of 72 captive tigers at a private park popular with tourists in northern Thailand have renewed scrutiny of a lucrative industry that campaigners warn treats wild animals as “entertainment”.The outbreak at Tiger Kingdom in Chiang Mai began in early February, with authorities initially attributing the deaths to canine distemper – a virus carried by dogs but often fatal to big cats. A deeper investigation is under way, with some medical experts suspecting contaminated food may have been the cause.
The park – a favourite with foreign visitors from China, India and Russia, especially – promotes itself as offering a rare chance to take photos a..

Tulsi Gabbard marked her husband Abraham Williams’ birthday with a message that read less like a routine social media greeting and more like a private vow made briefly visible to the world. “Happy birthday to my one and only,” she wrote, before adding a line that carried the quiet cadence of a promise: “Over and over again, I do.”The tone was unmistakably intimate. It was also entirely characteristic.Because in the theatre of American politics, where spouses are often displayed as carefully managed public assets, Abraham Williams occupies a very different role. He is not a campaign surrogate, not a television presence, not a familiar political spouse. In fact, most Americans encounter his name only when Gabbard herself chooses to mention him. He appears briefly through her words and then slips back into the anonymity he seems to prefer.The reaction to that birthday post captured how unusual their pairing feels. One user replied with a mix of admiration and mock envy: “Two good looking,..

UAE announces 4-day Eid Al Fitr holiday for public sector, 3 days for private sector/Representative Image As Ramadan begins, the UAE has confirmed the official Eid Al Fitr holiday schedule for both federal government employees and the private sector, giving workers and businesses clarity well in advance of the break.The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation jointly announced that employees in federal government entities will observe the Eid Al Fitr holiday from Thursday, 19 March 2026, through Sunday, 22 March 2026. Official working hours will resume on Monday, 23 March 2026.For private sector employees, the holiday will begin on Thursday, 19 March 2026, and continue until Saturday, 21 March 2026. However, authorities confirmed that if the holy month of Ramadan completes 30 days, the private sector break will be extended to include Sunday, 22 March 2026.The announcement applies across the UAE and follows the established f..

AdvertisementTrending in ChinaPeople & CultureTrending in China‘Sportcation’ gains popularity among China youth, transforms romantic getaway into athletic hubIndonesian island renowned for parties and chilling turns holiday spot for fitness-mad travellers who seek ‘military-style’ boot camps
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPYating Yangin BeijingPublished: 6:00pm, 23 Feb 2026Fitness-friendly young Chinese travellers are turning to a new trend known as “sportcation” which blends physical health with leisure.
Health conscious tourists are spending 20,000 yuan (US$2,800) not to relax, but to endure military-style tennis camps, turning the romantic island of Bali into a gruelling Indonesian sporting getaway.
In the trend, which as the name suggests blends sport and holiday, physical activity becomes the central focus of travel.
A Chinese woman prepares to serve during a tennis match. So-called boot camps involving the sport are growing in popularity. Photo: ZhihuInstead of sights..

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.
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UAE breaks new ground in children’s healthcare with cutting-edge gene therapy initiatives / AI Image The UAE has officially entered a new era of “precision medicine.” Moving away from simply managing symptoms, Emirates Health Services (EHS) recently unveiled two ambitious gene therapy projects designed to strike at the root causes of autism and rare brain disorders. By leveraging genetic engineering, the UAE isn't just treating patients, it’s aiming to “repair” the biological blueprints that cause these conditions in the first place.Gene therapy in the UAEThe United Arab Emirates has unveiled two groundbreaking gene therapy projects focused on treating serious neurological and genetic conditions in children. These efforts mark a major shift from conventional symptom-based care to tackling the underlying genetic causes of disease, potentially transforming neurodevelopmental healthcare in the region.One key project focuses on genetic causes linked to autism and epilepsy. It is being..