Fighting harmful gender stereotypes has become part of recent EU measures to promote gender equality. The European Parliament has repeatedly called on the European Commission and Member States to act. Survey data show that most EU citizens reject harmful gender stereotypes, despite significant disparities among Member States. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

[New Times] H. pylori is widely recognised by clinicians as one of the leading causes of chronic gastric conditions in the country.

[New Times] Rapper Amani Hakizimana, known as Ama G The Black, has clarified that, while he is open to collaborating with the legendary hip hop crew Tough Gang, he would never join them as a member.

[New Times] Rwanda recorded its highest score yet in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), standing out at a time when global and regional performance against corruption continues to decline.

Some election experts warn it could portend attempts to muddle future election results.

A handful of House Republicans bucked leadership to oppose the administration’s tariff policy, but GOP senators still fear speaking out on Epstein connections.

Large swaths of the Department of Homeland Security are set to shut down Saturday unless lawmakers and the White House strike a last-minute deal.

The Government will raise the tax on all tobacco products by 20 per cent from Thursday (Feb 12) to discourage consumption, announced Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in his Budget 2026 statement.Smokers will now have to fork out 58.9 cents for each stick of cigarette, up from 49.1 cents now.The tobacco tax was last raised in Budget 2023 when it went up by 15 per cent. Revenue from tobacco duties in the three-year period between 2022 and 2024 reached a total of $3.24 billion.Following the increase, the additional revenue collected from tobacco duties is expected to reach $150 million per annum, a Ministry of Finance spokesperson told AsiaOne.[[nid:729819]]For more on Budget 2026, visit our microsite.editor@asiaone.com 

In the first Budget in this new term of Government, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong laid out how Singapore must continue to refresh its strategies and strengthen social compacts.«Past success alone will not carry us forward. In a profoundly changed world, standing still is not an option,» he said.From support for businesses to addressing climate change, here are the things in Budget 2026 that you might have missed.Support for businessesActing on key recommendations from the Economic Strategy Review committees, he announced measures which he said will achieve Singapore's ambitions to translate growth into good jobs and rising income.There will be a 40 per cent corporate income tax rebate in the Year of Assessment 2026. Every active company that employed at least a local employee last year will receive a minimum benefit of $1,500.The total maximum benefits for each company will be capped at $30,000.There will be support for companies to go abroad: The Market Readiness Assistance grant will be increased from 50 per cent to 70 per cent for Small and Medium Enterprises until March 31, 2029.

Long-serving employees of local food and beverage company Chang Cheng Holdings were presented with gold plaques in recognition of their service during the company's 32nd anniversary celebration recently.The banquet, held at the Fairmont Singapore on Friday (Feb 6) from 10pm to 1am, had over 100 tables and featured live performances, a lucky draw, and delicacies such as abalone, reported Shin Min Daily News.More than 100 employees who have served in the company for over 10 years, regardless of their positions, were presented with plaques reportedly weighing between 20 and 30 grams.The weight varied according to the employees' years of service. Staff with 10 to 14 years of service received 20g of gold, 15 to 19 years received 25g, and those with 20 years or more received 30g, reported the Chinese evening daily.Each plaque is said to be crafted from 999 gold — the purest grade of the precious metal — engraved with the employee's years of service, and the plaque's weight. 

At least two medical professionals are cautioning parents and caregivers to pay extra attention to their children when the country experiences colder-than-usual temperatures. Two recent cold fronts came at a time that paediatricians Dr Carolin Thomas Boyd and Dr Lisa Franklin-Banton both labelled “flu season”.

Western Bureau: More than three months after Hurricane Melissa battered western Jamaica, life in sections of Darliston in Westmoreland remains defined by darkness, uncertainty, and mounting frustration, as residents continue to grapple with prolonged electricity and water outages that have disrupted daily life and tested their mental health. Darliston, Westmoreland, have been living without electricity since the passage of Hurricane Melissa,” one resident told The Gleaner during a recent visit to the community.

The 2026-2027 parliamentary year will begin today with Governor General Sir Patrick Allen delivering the Throne Speech at George William Gordon House, the seat of Jamaica’s bi-cameral legislature. In his presentation, the head of state is expected to highlight the Holness administration’s policies and programme for the legislative year. The ceremonial opening of Parliament is characterised by pomp and pageantry, with the First Battalion The Jamaica Regiment giving the Royal Salute, after which the governor general inspects the Guard of Honour.

The Supreme Court has ruled that police personnel acted lawfully in self-defence during an armed confrontation that left 18-year-old Jerome Lee dead on Ramsay Road, St Andrew, in August 2004, dismissing a civil claim against the State. “The court is satisfied that the officers used the degree of force they honestly and reasonably believed was necessary to repel an armed attack. They were acting in the execution of their duty under Section 13 of the Constabulary Force Act,” Justice Sonya Wint-Blair said in her judgment handed down last Thursday.

Economist Keenan Falconer says he was not expecting the administration to introduce new tax measures at this time, arguing that the conventional approach in the aftermath of a crisis is to either reduce or remove some taxes to spur economic activity and accelerate growth. According to Falconer, by taking this approach the Government would pave the way for gross domestic product (GDP) growth and output that would result in a return to pre-crisis levels in the shortest possible time, allowing tax revenues to rebound.

Le lundi 09 février 2026, le Ministre du Logement, de l'Habitat, de l'Urbanisme et du Cadastre, Mays Mouissi, a tenu une séance de travail avec les responsables de la Société Nationale Immobilière (SNI), de l'Agence Nationale de l'Urbanisme, des Travaux Topographiques et du Cadastre (ANUTTC) et de la Direction Générale des Impôts (DGI). Concernant la SNI, les échanges ont porté sur l'état d'avancement de l'opération exceptionnelle de régularisation foncière au bénéfice de 5 100 (...) - HABITAT & LOGEMENT / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON

Dans la salle de réunion du Commissariat Général au plan, s'est tenue mercredi 11 février 2026, la rencontre préparatoire des contributions sectorielles pour le Sommet des affaires de l'Organisation des Etats d'Afrique, des Caraïbes et du Pacifique (OEACP). Ce rendez-vous du donner et du recevoir a été conduite par Louise Pierrette Mvono, ministre de la Planification et de la Prospective Le sommet des affaires de l'Organisation des Etats d'Afrique, des Caraïbes et du Pacifique (OEACP), (...) - ECONOMIE / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON

Le Président de la République, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, ayant appris le décès de monsieur Ondo Methogo, survenu le 11 février 2026 à Libreville, a rendu un hommage mérité à cette personnalité politique. Un dignitaire vient de s'éteindre en la personne de M. Ondo Methogo, éminente personnalité et digne fils du Gabon. En cette douloureuse circonstance, je rends hommage à un homme dont l'engagement, la loyauté et le sens élevé de l'Etat auront marqué son parcours ainsi que tous ceux (...) - NECROLOGIE / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON

The weather satellite will be orbited in about six hours and 38 minutes at an altitude of 35,406 km

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova pointed out that Tokyo rallies were clearly anti-Russian in nature, and there were «inappropriate links to Ukraine»

Sergey Ryabkov added that Moscow is facing «extreme hostility from Europe which has become the main sponsor of the Kiev regime and a systemic opponent of Russia»

Top stories from the Russian press on Thursday, February 12th

The regional crisis response center reported that a child was injured in a rocket attack

Goodness, I find the pictures of Kate Ferdinand in her bikini and exceptionally short skirts in the recent edition of Women's Health magazine profoundly irritating.

James Van Der Beek's apparent optimism seemed to shroud the reality of his final days - ones, a source exclusively told the Daily Mail, that were spent declining in hospice care.

Sarah, 66, sat down for an interview with 60 Minutes Australia host Michael Usher in 2011. But, she didn't like the questions...

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is accused of stabbing two pupils at Kingsbury High School in Brent.

The Prime Minister has said that the Manchester United owner and INEOS billionaire must apologise 'immediately', adding: 'Britain is a proud, tolerant and diverse country'.

Sarla Maheshwari, one of the most recognisable faces of Doordarshan’s retro era, passed away on Thursday. Maheshwari became a household name during the 1980s and 1990s, when Doordarshan dominated the television news space in India. For nearly three decades, from 1976 until 2005, she delivered Hindi news bulletins with composure and clarity, earning admiration for her measured tone and flawless diction.

[allAfrica]

[allAfrica] At least 31 people have died after Cyclone Gezani struck Madagascar, causing severe destruction in the port city of Toamasina.

[allAfrica] Failure to adhere to HIV treatment is costing lives The Ndovu Study is strengthening HIV treatment by redefining how treatment failure and drug resistance are detected, managed, and prevented across Africa and beyond.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has moved a motion in the Lok Sabha seeking termination of Rahul Gandhi's parliamentary membership and a lifetime ban from elections, accusing him of misleading the nation with «anti-India forces.» The motion follows Gandhi's speech alleging the Centre compromised national interests by allowing the US to weaponize energy and financial systems.