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AdvertisementPakistanAsiaSouth Asia11 dead, over 60 missing after Pakistan shopping centre fire smoulders for 24 hoursPolice say the market’s layout and presence of flammable materials such as carpets and blankets kept the blaze going throughout the weekend
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPReutersPublished: 2:36pm, 19 Jan 2026Firefighters in Karachi began searching on ‌Monday for more than 60 missing people after a massive fire destroyed a shopping centre in Pakistan’s most populous city, while the death toll from the disaster rose to 11.The fire started late on Saturday at the sprawling, multi-storey Gul Plaza in the city’s business district and ⁠burned for more than a day, hampering rescue efforts in the densely packed area.
After more than 24 hours of firefighting, crews moved to cooling and debris clearing on Sunday, although concerns grew that more victims could still be trapped inside.
AdvertisementPolice surgeon Summaiya Syed said the death toll had risen to 11, while..

AdvertisementMalaysiaThis Week in AsiaPeopleMalaysian reporter’s sedition arrest casts doubts on Anwar’s reform recordRex Tan’s arrest for asking a ‘sensitive question’ shows how a colonial-era act continues to hold back Malaysian reforms, critics say
Reading Time:4 minutesWhy you can trust SCMP1Iman Muttaqin YusofPublished: 2:04pm, 19 Jan 2026Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s record on legal reforms has come under scrutiny after a journalist was detained under a colonial-era Sedition Act for asking a “sensitive question” linking the Gaza crisis to the treatment of ethnic Chinese in the Malay-majority country.Rex Tan, 31, a journalist for local news site Free Malaysia Today, was arrested early Saturday morning after he asked the question at a public debate five days earlier in Kuala Lumpur.
Tan is being investigated under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 and Section 505(c) of the Penal Code, which relate to statements intended to cause alarm, after three police reports were..

UAE braces for another cool winter day with moderate winds, partly cloudy skies / AI Illustration On Sunday, January 18, 2026, the UAE will see a continuation of winter-like conditions, with temperatures remaining mild to cool for this time of year. Residents can expect highs not exceeding around 25°C, while overnight lows could dip into the upper teens, around 18°C in Abu Dhabi and 19°C in Dubai, according to the National Centre of Meteorology forecasts.This pattern follows an ongoing winter chill that began earlier in the month and has brought a general drop in daytime temperatures, cool nights, and occasional early-morning fog or mist in inland areas.UAE: Winter cool continuesThe skies over much of the country on January 18 are expected to be generally partly cloudy, with low cloud formations over some coastal, northern, and eastern regions.Cloud cover tendencies have been part of this week’s weather, with earlier forecasts predicting light rainfall and changing haze at times.While ..

Saudi Arabia bans use of Allah’s name on disposable bags, packaging, and promotional commercial materials/Representative Image A new directive from Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Commerce is reshaping how religious expressions appear in everyday commerce, as authorities move to prevent the sacred names of Allah from being placed on items that could be mishandled or discarded.Saudi Arabia has officially banned writing name of Allah on bags, packaging, and other materials that may be exposed to misuse or disrespect. The decision was announced on Monday by Abdulrahman Al Hussain, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, who said the measure is intended to protect religious sanctity and prevent any form of disrespect.Al Hussain explained that the prohibition applies to items commonly used in commercial activity, including shopping bags, product packaging, and promotional materials, particularly those designed for short term or disposable use. Such items, he noted, are often used..

AdvertisementEducation in Hong KongHong KongEducationLast unregistered student union at Chinese University of Hong Kong disbandsChung Chi College’s student union the latest to dissolve, leaving just two of nine remaining at the university amid police registration pressures
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPWilliam YiuPublished: 2:27pm, 18 Jan 2026The last unregistered student union at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has dissolved after all committee members resigned, reducing the number of such bodies from nine to two.
The demise of Chung Chi College’s student union followed a meeting on Saturday evening during which provisional administrators and relevant representatives said the body could no longer function and that they would resign.
Only two college student unions remain, both of which have already registered with the police as societies.
AdvertisementThe 62-year-old student union of United College said in a post on social media earlier this month, that it had..

AdvertisementAccidents and personal safetyHong KongSocietyHong Kong cyclist, 55, killed after being hit by van in Sheung Shui, driver arrestedDashcam footage circulating online shows cyclist riding across zebra crossing against red light
Reading Time:1 minuteWhy you can trust SCMPEmily HungPublished: 2:18pm, 18 Jan 2026Updated: 2:32pm, 18 Jan 2026A female cyclist died after being struck by a van in Hong Kong’s North district on Sunday. The truck’s driver was later arrested.
Police said they received a report about the collision at the junction of Ma Sik Road and Tin Ping Road, at 8.41am. The van was on travelling along Ma Sik Road towards Fanling, and knocked down the 55-year-old woman on a bicycle as it approached Tin Ping Road at 8.37 am.
The cyclist was sent to the North District Hospital unconscious, and was certified dead at 9.17am, after sustaining serious head injuries.
AdvertisementDashcam footage circulating online showed the cyclist riding across a zebra crossing against a re..