See how Nepal worships its dogs as VIPs with garlands, feasts, and love in the Kukur Tihar festival

Gulfood 2026: The year Dubai outgrew a single venue / Image: File For the first time in its 31-year history, Gulfood 2026 has outgrown its traditional home. Opening today, January 26, the world’s largest annual food and beverage sourcing event is operating simultaneously across two iconic locations: the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and the newly expanded Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) at Expo City Dubai.This monumental shift represents a 100% expansion in a single year, covering over 280,000 square metres of exhibition space. By utilizing both ends of the city, Gulfood is accommodating an unprecedented 8,500+ exhibitors from 195 countries, showcasing a staggering 1.5 million products. This isn't just a bigger show; it’s a strategic move to anchor Dubai as the “global headquarters” of the food trade.Gulfood 2026: World’s largest food trade showGulfood 2026 will span more than 280,000 square metres of exhibition space, making it the largest edition ever held. Over 8,500 exhibitors..

AdvertisementHong Kong societyHong KongSocietyHong Kong’s Ma On Shan loses its only cinema amid wave of theatre closuresEmperor Cinemas shuts down its MOSTown shopping centre theatre on Monday, saying vouchers and coupons still valid at other branches
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPElizabeth CheungPublished: 1:37pm, 12 Jan 2026The only cinema in the Ma On Shan area has shut down, joining the wave of theatre closures in Hong Kong that began during the pandemic.
Emperor Cinemas announced on Monday that its branch in MOSTown, a shopping centre in Ma On Shan, had ceased operations on the same day. No reason for the closure was given.
“Thank you for your support. Emperor Cinemas (Ma On Shan) will cease operations from 12 January 2026,” the company said in a social media post.
AdvertisementThe group said all movie vouchers and coupons issued by the Ma On Shan outlet would remain valid at the eight remaining branches in Hong Kong during their validity period.
Movie premiums that ..

AdvertisementWar and conflictOpinionWorld OpinionAlbert BakhtizinOpinionHormuz crisis underlines vulnerability of global trade chokepointsThose with narrow trade structures are hit the hardest but those with broad networks of partners, such as China, tend to be more resilient
3-MIN READ3-MINAlbert BakhtizinPublished: 8:30pm, 22 Mar 2026War in Iran disrupting established trade flows raises an important question: how serious could the consequences be, and for whom will they be most severe?To answer this, it is useful to look at history. During the fifth and fourth centuries BC, Athens, a major centre, depended heavily on grain imports. Whenever routes were blocked during wars, Athens almost immediately faced the threat of a food crisis. In the Middle Ages, Venice became one of Europe’s richest cities and a crucial hub linking European and eastern trade. When wars disrupted routes, the effects were felt almost instantly in the Venetian economy.
For centuries, trade between China and Europ..