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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 ..

AdvertisementChina stock marketBusinessMarketsChina’s top court backs legal action against corrupt firms amid equity markets rallyThe court’s initiative marks ‘a positive sign that the market would sustain its upward momentum’, hedge fund manager Zhou Ling says
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPDaniel Renin ShanghaiPublished: 6:00pm, 24 Feb 2026Beijing is encouraging equity investors to pursue representative action against unscrupulous listed or delisted firms in an apparent effort to bolster confidence in the country’s stock markets, as trading resumed on Tuesday following a 10-day break.
The Supreme People’s Court, mainland China’s highest judicial organ, also announced at a press conference that it would issue more edicts on civil compensation for insider trading and market manipulation to better safeguard retail investors’ interests.“People’s courts are taking an active stance on representative actions against multiple firms and companies already delisted,” Wang Chaohui, ..

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..