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Beyond the Likes: Khalid Al Ameri Calls Out the ‘Destructive’ Race for Followers at Dubai’s 1 Billion Followers Summit Content and social media personalities from different parts of the world are thronging one of the greatest gatherings for the creator economy in the world, the 1 Billion Followers Summit taking place in Dubai. The 4th version of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, a three-day international event where 30,000+ content personalities attend, is actually not a boasting stage for the number of their followers but a learning platform where speakers inspire them to think beyond the figures.Organised by the UAE Government Media Office and held at iconic venues including the Emirates Towers, DIFC and the Museum of the Future, the summit is one of the world’s largest events dedicated to the future of digital content, hosting more than 580 sessions and workshops under the theme “Content for Good”.“Content creation is a responsibility and a mission,” said UAE leadership in welcoming g..

Oman announces Muscat fireworks at Al Khoudh Dam on Sunday, January 11, starting 8 PM sharp/Representative Image The General Secretariat of National Celebrations has officially announced a grand fireworks display in Muscat to mark the anniversary of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik’s Accession to the Throne. The event will take place tomorrow, January 11, at Al Khoudh Dam in the Wilayat of Seeb, and fireworks begin at 8:00 PM.The display is part of the nationwide celebrations being held across the Sultanate to commemorate Accession Day, an occasion of national significance. Authorities have invited the public to attend the event and participate in the celebrations, while urging everyone to adhere to the safety and traffic guidelines issued by the relevant authorities to ensure an orderly and secure experience for all attendees.

AdvertisementHong Kong societyHong KongSocietyMore than a game: rugby helps Hong Kong charity tackle cultural divides in schoolsRugby For Good, an Operation Santa Claus beneficiary, uses sport to help students of all backgrounds find common ground on and off the field
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPCindy SuiPublished: 1:50pm, 10 Jan 2026Passing, tackling and scrums – all part of the sport of rugby.
But in some Hong Kong schools, they take on a deeper meaning – helping to bridge divides between students of different backgrounds.
Since 2013, the charity Rugby For Good has been introducing the game to school campuses, using sport as a tool to bring together young people from diverse ethnicities and communities.
AdvertisementThis year, the NGO is one of 13 charities selected by the annual fundraising campaign Operation Santa Claus (OSC) to receive funding. The support will go towards training 500 students aged 12 to 15 next year – including those like past participants Aaminah..

AdvertisementHong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedyHong KongSocietyRebuilding fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court ‘not practical’, Hong Kong officials sayAuthorities plan to repurpose Tai Po site for community use, citing decade-long delays and HK$6 billion in acquisition costs before rebuilding
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPLam Ka-singPublished: 1:46pm, 10 Jan 2026Updated: 1:55pm, 10 Jan 2026Hong Kong authorities estimate that acquiring all homes in the fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court will cost around HK$6 billion (US$770 million), with officials saying that rebuilding on the same site was “not really very practical”.
Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun said on Saturday that the site was expected to be repurposed for community facilities rather than housing, citing overseas examples where sites of similar tragedies were rarely redeveloped for residential use. He stressed that “no one will earn big money” from the land in future.
“In this moment, we feel on-site reconstruction i..

Trump (File photo) After, Venezuelan military op and threatening Greenland and Columbia, US President Donald Trump now seems to turn his attention to Mexico, to target drug cartels, following maritime attacks in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.“We are going to start now hitting land with regard to the cartels. The cartels are running Mexico,” said Trump in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity aired on Thursday night, signalling a tougher stance on cross-border cartel operations.Any direct action against cartels inside Mexico, however, would represent a major escalation of US military involvement in the region. Trump said on Sunday that he was pressing Sheinbaum to allow US troops to operate in Mexico against drug cartels, an offer he claimed she had previously rejected.then, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum warned on Monday that the Americas “do not belong” to any single power, responding to Trump’s comments about Washington’s “dominance” of the hemisphere following..