A policy has been launched yesterday to help further professionalise policing in Vanuatu, and reduce inappropriate use of force.

The first hearing of the Judicial Review (JR) over the appointment of the Acting Ombudsman by the President was adjourned yesterday to March 2025.

Chief Justice (CJ) Vincent Lunabek dismissed the constitutional case filed by the applicants (Former Opposition group) yesterday, ruling that there was insufficient evidence to prove that the President had signed the dissolution order with a conflict of interest.

Caretaker Prime Minister (PM) Charlot Salwai extended his condolences to the Paramount Chief of Ifira, Teriki Pa'au Nimanu Mantoi Kalsakau III, following the passing of Ephraim Kalsakau, a former Member of Parliament for Port Vila, yesterday.

The Vanuatu Police Force (VPF) launched its annual Operation Noel yesterday, aimed at maintaining public safety, preventing crime, and ensuring a peaceful festive season.

An initiative is underway in Seychelles to use the site of «Dan Sours» - the first wetland in the country to be restored with gabion rock barrage technology - as a pilot agroforestry site. The wetland at Bougainville in the district of Takamaka, south of the main island of Mahe, is where the gabion technology was used for restoration and completed in 2018. The site is currently being promoted for conservation and sustainability as well as eco-friendly and leisure activities. «With the support of the Ridge-to-Reef project, we are running a pilot agroforestry site with the aim of establishing a community seed bank. We plan to plant various rare fruit trees found in Seychelles, such as Letsi plim (Letchie), Miska (nutmeg), cacao, among others. Our target is to plant about 500 trees of each species, and we have already begun planting coco de mer and medicinal plants,» explained Johan Mendez, chairperson of the Baie Lazare Watershed Committee, which currently manages the area. «A Ridge-to-Reef (R2R) Approach for the Integrated Management of Marine, Coastal, and Terrestrial Ecosystems in Seychelles» is a $3.87 million Global Environment Facility (GEF) project, co-financed by the government of Seychelles, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and civil societies. R2R has also supported the site's management by facilitating the production and installation of information, directional, and biodiversity boards at the Dan Sours wetland. These boards are designed to keep the public informed and engaged in the committee's ongoing mission to preserve, protect, and conserve the area, which has so far been a successful story in terms of increasing fresh water retention. Currently, the area features a thriving forest of endemic palms, an all-around trail, bridges, benches, a parking facility, and litter bins. It offers families a perfect getaway for picnics, relaxation and exercise, while respecting the environment. «For this year, we have diverse goals. We aim to sustainably manage the wetlands while developing activities capable of financing the committee independently,» said Mendez, adding that these initiatives will include kayaking and ecotourism, as well as the creation of trails and mountain bike routes for public enjoyment, no doubt encouraging and promoting healthy lifestyles as well. «However, these activities must be conducted with the utmost respect for the environment,» added Mendez, who was the consultant to oversee the project and work, which transformed the wetland. The group is seeking more support to venture fully into the agroforestry project. For now, all work is being done by a small group of volunteers.  Earlier this year, another group, a not-for-profit organisation based on Praslin – the second most populated island of Praslin, announced that it had ventured into agroforestry. Terrestrial Restoration Action Society Seychelles (TRASS) opened a second nursery with a capacity of twelve thousand local and rare fruits with support of the Ridge-to-Reef project. The main aim is to the use local fruits in the organisation's restoration work to reforest some of the island' mountainous areas degraded by erosion. 

The Union Cabinet cleared the One Nation, One Election bill, set to be tabled in the Lok Sabha on December 16. This constitutional amendment aims to synchronize national and Union Territory elections, omitting local body polls for now. While the ruling NDA champions the move for enhanced governance, the opposition INDIA bloc raises concerns about federalism and electoral fairness.

“Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation,” the president-elect wrote, criticizing the century-old practice of shifting clocks twice per year.

Get the latest news on the transition to the new administration of President-elect Donald Trump and a new Congress.

Russia has banned Viber, accusing the platform of failing to shield its users from criminals Read Full Article at RT.com

Nepal is well-positioned to take advantage of its neighbors’ high growth paths, yet internally it mulls the pros and cons of joining the BRI Read Full Article at RT.com

SINGAPORE — The Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (Acra) has temporarily disabled the function allowing people to access the IC numbers of individuals on its new portal. This is after members of the public surfaced concerns that they were able to access NRIC numbers through a search, without paying, via the Bizfile portal launched on Dec 9. The authorities clarified, however, that the NRIC number is a unique identifier assigned by the Singapore Government as a means to identify individuals, and should be used as such. Said a Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) spokesperson in a statement early on Dec 14: «As a unique identifier, the NRIC number is assumed to be known, just as our real names are known. »There should therefore not be any sensitivity in having one's full NRIC number made public, in the same way that we routinely share and reveal our full names to others." In a separate statement, Acra said that its new Bizfile portal provides the full NRIC, in line with a broader government effort to move away from using masked NRIC numbers.

SINGAPORE — Dao Thi Hong, the woman killed in a knife attack in Hougang, will be going home, with her sister making arrangements to have her body repatriated to Vietnam on Dec 14. Friends of the victim said last rites will be held where the family lives in Thanh Hoa, a city in central Vietnam about 150km south of Hanoi. Nguyen Trong Vinh, who shared a Housing Board flat with Hong and two other roommates, said more than 100 friends and relatives are waiting in Hong's home town for her return. The 34-year-old mother of three was stabbed repeatedly on Dec 10 where she worked at the Quan Long Nippon Paint hardware shop in Block 210 Hougang Street 21. The flat she lived in is in the same block. A 26-year-old man — another worker at the store — tried to stop the attack and was wounded. The attacker, who was injured in the incident, has since been charged with murder. The victim's older sister arrived in Singapore from Vietnam on Dec 11 to settle her sister's affairs. She paid her respects at a makeshift altar set up for Hong at the back of the hardware store.

A motorcyclist reportedly trapped under a lorry for 30 minutes was among the three people taken to hospital following a multi-vehicle collision on the PIE on Thursday (Dec 12). The accident involving three cars, a mini-bus, a motorcycle and a lorry, occurred on the PIE towards Tuas near the Jalan Bahar exit at about 2.05pm, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) told AsiaOne. A man surnamed Zhang told Shin Min Daily News that the motorcyclist was unable to move from under the lorry. A picture provided by him shows the mangled motorcycle in front of a white lorry with a dislodged bumper and cracked windscreen. A pool of what appeared to be blood is seen on the road. Another photo of the accident shows a blue car sandwiched between vehicles.

Le vendredi 13 est-il un jour de chance ou de malchance ? Tout dépend des croyances de chacun. Pour certains, c’est un jour ordinaire, et pour d’autres, c’est le meilleur moment pour jouer à la loterie. Quelle est l’origine de la superstition liée au Vendredi 13 ?

Russell Brand is offering support to OnlyFans model Lily Phillips following his recent conversion to Christianity.

Actor Allu Arjun was granted interim bail after being arrested in connection with a fatal stampede at a Hyderabad theatre during the premiere of his film 'Pushpa 2'. One woman died and her son was critically injured. Police blamed Arjun's actions for inciting the crowd, while the actor expressed condolences and pledged cooperation with authorities.

The St Mary police have charged the two 18-year-olds who were arrested earlier this week in connection with a break-in in Port Maria. Euton Jones, otherwise called 'EJ', of River Lane, Port Maria, and Gavaughn Belto, otherwise called...

Thirty-four-year-old Nicholas Muthra, the wanted man captured during heightened police operations in Westmoreland on Wednesday, has been charged. Muthra, a security guard of Williamsfield, Westmoreland, has been charged with murder, wounding with...

The father of a 13-year-old boy who brought his licensed gun to school in his backpack reportedly by mistake has been charged with negligent loss of a firearm. The 63-year-old Irwin Meadows, St James resident is also charged with failure to...

TMC MP Mahua Moitra filed a complaint with the Inter-Parliamentary Union against Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, alleging he threatened her during a Lok Sabha debate on the Indian Constitution. Moitra's comments on Judge Loya's death sparked controversy, leading to Rijiju's response and two brief adjournments.

The BJP announced the construction of a Ram Temple in West Bengal to mark the Ayodhya Ram Temple's one-year anniversary. This follows a TMC MLA's remark about the Babri Masjid's reconstruction.

SINGAPORE — Gigantic durians, towering cendol cups, colossal noodles and enormous grilled satay skewers will be on display around Singapore's neighbourhoods from December. The first-of-its-kind, community-driven arts initiative will see seven neighbourhoods showcasing upsized food-themed installations in December, with each work of art reflecting the distinct character and heritage of the area. Another seven neighbourhoods will join in a month later. In all, the 14 Giant Delight installations will involve 19 artists and an estimated 1,400 residents. The residents are led by their respective Community Arts & Culture Clubs (CACCs), which comprise volunteers who champion and implement arts and culture programmes in their community. Besides those who regularly participate in CACC activities, the other participating residents were recruited through social media and word of mouth. Some of these installations will be featured at the PAssionArts Street in Chingay 2025 on Feb 7 and 8.

Text messages directing recipients to a fake PayNow website is the latest phishing scam variant to emerge, said the police on Friday (Dec 13). Victims would receive a text message stating their PayNow «certificate» is expiring soon, and that it must be renewed via the linked website to maintain usage of the services. The fake website would require the victim to key in their credit card details and other personal details such as billing address, name and date of birth. In their statement, the police said that PayNow does not have a website which allows one to key in personal and credit card details. Users should only provide details to PayNow through the banks' official sites or applications. «PayNow does not issue any digital certificates to members of public,» added the police. «If in doubt, PayNow users can contact your respective banks through their official hotlines for assistance.» Members of the public can report such scams to the police at 1800-255-0000 or submit an online report at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness.

The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) is urging citizens to prioritise safety, especially when handling devices powered by lithium batteries, during the festive season. Superintendent at the JFB, Emeleo Ebanks, told JIS News that individuals must observe...

The Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) is urging persons to exercise caution and diligence when considering financial assistance options, such as loans, during the Christmas season. Speaking during a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) 'Think Tank...

A 48-hour curfew has been imposed in sections of the St Andrew North Police Division. The security measure began at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, December 13 and will remain in effect until 6:00 p.m., on Sunday, December 15. The boundaries of the curfew are...

Tom Voyce, 43, had tried to cross Abberwick Ford over the River Aln near Alnwick, Northumberland, before his vehicle was swept away with the current on Saturday night.

Scott Jeff and his partner Chelsea Gleason-Mitchell concealed the death of Gleason-Mitchell's daughter Isabella after Jeff had battered her to death in Ipswich.

Dominic Hampshire long acted as a 'fixer' for members of the Royal Family and other 'high net-worth individuals', court documents said.

Companies across America are scrambling to find ways to protect their own CEOs after the murder of UnitedHealthcare Chief Executive Brian Thompson.