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AdvertisementAustraliaAsiaAustralasiaAustralian boy, 12, dies a week after shark attack in Sydney HarbourNico Antic was pulled from the water by friends and taken to hospital with severe injuries to both legs
Reading Time:1 minuteWhy you can trust SCMPReutersPublished: 2:00pm, 24 Jan 2026An Australian boy had died in hospital after being bitten by a shark in Sydney Harbour, his family said on Saturday after a series of shark attacks along the country’s east coast.Nico Antic, 12, was attacked on Sunday as he and friends were jumping off rocks in Vaucluse, around 9km (5.5 miles) from Sydney’s central business district.
He was pulled from the water by friends and taken to hospital with severe injuries to both legs.
Advertisement“We are heartbroken to share that our son, Nico, has passed away,” the family said in a statement. “Nico was a happy, friendly and sporty young boy with the most kind and generous spirit. He was always full of life and that’s how we’ll remember him.”
A lifeguard cl..

File photo: US President Donald Trump with Russian President Vladimir Putin (Picture credit: AP)
US President Donald Trump has reacted cautiously but positively to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s suggestion that he could use frozen Russian assets to pay for entry into Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace”.Also read: Who is in Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while returning from the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on Thursday, Trump said he was open to the idea if the funds were Putin’s own. Macron WARNS Putin After Trump; French Navy Boards Russia-linked Oil Tanker | 'Won't Tolerate…' Asked whether he would allow Putin to use frozen Russian assets for the contribution, Trump said, “I don't know about that. I mean, I've heard that.” After the reporter clarified that the comment came from Putin himself, Trump responded, “Very interesting. But he said he's going to use his money. His money. I think that's fine.”A..

Saudi Arabia begins accepting property ownership applications from non-Saudis/Representative Image The waiting is over. Saudi Arabia’s Real Estate General Authority has officially announced that the law allowing non-Saudis to own property entered into force yesterday, January 22. With this, applications are now being accepted through a unified digital platform, marking a decisive shift in how foreign individuals and companies can participate in the Kingdom’s real estate market under defined regulatory conditions.A single digital gateway for all applications
All applications for property ownership by non-Saudis are being handled exclusively through the official digital platform, Saudi Properties. The portal serves as the sole gateway for submitting requests, completing procedures, and verifying compliance with the law’s requirements.The service applies to residents living in the Kingdom, non-residents abroad, as well as non-Saudi companies and entities. Each category follows a defined p..

AdvertisementMalaysiaAsiaSoutheast AsiaIndonesian litterbug weeps after first conviction under new Malaysian lawAnita Lukman was fined US$125 and ordered to serve six hours of community service for discarding rubbish on a pavement in Johor Bahru
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPThe StarPublished: 2:49pm, 23 Jan 2026Updated: 2:53pm, 23 Jan 2026Two foreign nationals have become the first people in Malaysia to be charged under a new anti-littering law.Sultan Md, 28, a Bangladeshi, and Anita Lukman, 49, an Indonesian, were charged in the Sessions Court in Johor Bahru on Friday morning.
Anita, an odd-job worker, pleaded guilty to throwing a cigarette butt and a drink bottle on the pavement on Jalan Ibrahim Sultan in Stulant Laut at 12.41am on January 1.
AdvertisementThe offence was framed under Section 77A(1) of the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007.
Anita, who was unrepresented, asked for a lighter punishment, saying she is a single mother and has to care for ..

AdvertisementSouth China SeaChinaDiplomacyChinese coastguard rescues Filipino sailors near Scarborough ShoalPLA Navy also deploys plane as search continues for missing crew from capsized vessel
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMP2Shi JiangtaoPublished: 2:44pm, 23 Jan 2026The Chinese navy and coastguard said on Friday that they rescued 17 Filipino crew members from a Singaporean-flagged cargo ship that had capsized near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.According to the China Coast Guard (CCG), the Maritime Search and Rescue Centre in Sansha, Hainan province, received a distress report at around 1.30am on Friday.
The vessel appeared to be in trouble about 55 nautical miles northwest of Scarborough Shoal, known as Huangyan Island in China. The centre sent two coastguard vessels immediately to conduct rescue operations.
AdvertisementThe ship had 21 Filipino crew members on board and by midday, 17 had been recovered. Fourteen were reported stable, two had died, and one rema..