[allAfrica]

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has defended his Government’s extension of legislation to draw down a further $57 billion from the National Housing Trust (NHT) for budget support, arguing that this will not impair the state agency’s ability to deliver benefits to contributors.

Former Prime Minister Bruce Golding has suggested that lawmakers revisit the proposed impeachment law he attempted to introduce over 15 years ago, arguing that “the existing accountability framework needs to be strengthened”.

National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang has come to the defence of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA) Shane Dalling after the opposition People’s National Party called for his resignation in the wake of a report from the Integrity Commission (IC) on the operations of the entity.

The DMK has declared its departure from the INDIA bloc, citing Congress's alleged betrayal after the assembly elections. Despite this, DMK MPs will continue to support other alliance members on matters of public interest. This decision follows Congress's alliance with the TVK-led government in Tamil Nadu, which DMK officials condemned as 'backstabbing'.

India's drug regulator has mandated pharmaceutical companies to establish robust systems for tracking and reporting adverse drug reactions. This directive, stemming from Schedule M of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, reinforces the critical need for post-marketing surveillance to ensure patient safety. The move aligns with a global push for real-world safety data to identify rare or delayed side effects.

Momentum towards a deal has strengthened in recent weeks. US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said the negotiations were nearing completion, with only a limited number of issues still unresolved. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has similarly indicated that most matters have been settled, with discussions now centred on finalising the remaining details before the first phase of the agreement is unveiled.

Responding to criticism from the BJP regarding the lack of women ministers, Shivakumar said, “Let them (BJP) wait; there are a lot of vacancies. Last time, too, there were no women in the first round. We are all there,” he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. Emphasising his party’s record on women’s welfare, he added, “We have set a model in the country.”

Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke is en route to India for a protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Dipke cites alleged irregularities in national examinations like NEET and CUET, impacting millions of students. He plans a peaceful, lawful demonstration after arriving on June 6.

Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov said earlier that the ministry offered to create additional tools to protect Russian business investments in case of withdrawal of foreign automakers

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov says each country decides on the trip independently

A dispute over alleged seating arrangements between two diners broke out at Haig Road Market & Food Centre on Wednesday morning (June 3) and escalated into a physical altercation. The diners — a man and a woman — reportedly quarrelled and hurled hot porridge and drinks at each other, according to Shin Min Daily News.A 45-year-old man who sells backpacks outside the hawker centre, and who wished to be known only as Lin, told reporters that the woman involved in the altercation was his wife.He added that she was taken to the hospital for treatment after experiencing breathing difficulties caused by the shock of the incident.A video of the post-incident scene shared by the Chinese daily shows police officers investigating the case and speaking to the man outside a drinks stall, while the woman was seen being taken away in an ambulance.Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police confirmed that a report had been lodged. The Singapore Civil Defence Force said it had taken one person to Raffles Hospital.[[nid:734927]]xingying.koh@asiaone.com

Five women were arrested and three massage parlours are being investigated, following enforcement operations carried out by the police against errant massage parlours on Thursday (June 4).All five women are being investigated for vice activities, namely offering sexual services in exchange for money, while the massage establishments are being investigated for regulatory breaches, said the police in a news release on Friday.AsiaOne was among the media invited to the raids led by officers from Jurong Police Division where women aged between 36 and 51 were arrested for allegedly providing sexual services under the guise of massages. The first massage parlour was located on the second floor of a shopping centre in Boon Lay.

Three motorcyclists were taken to hospital after a four-vehicle accident along the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) on Friday (June 5) morning.The accident, involving three motorcycles and a car, happened at about 8.50am along the PIE heading towards Changi, before the Eng Neo Avenue exit. Map showing where the accident happened. GRAPHIC: Google Maps, AsiaOne/Charlotte Ong At about 9.15am, AsiaOne saw that two of the six lanes along the expressway were closed as Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) paramedics attended to the injured.At least two motorcyclists were seen lying on their sides along the first lane, while a white Nissan compact crossover sports utility vehicle (SUV) was seen stopped along the second lane. Some damage could be seen on the SUV's right rear bumper. 

Un dramatique accident s'est produit ce jeudi à Hitia'a. Un pratiquant de canyoning a fait une chute mortelle lors d'une sortie avec deux autres membres d'une association spécialisée dans cette activité. Son corps a été récupéré par l'hélicoptère de l'armée.

The Foreign Minister added that Ukraine has always been the most sensitive place «in terms of pressure on Russia»

The Russian Foreign Minister said that European officials created an opposition of «either with us or against us»

The explosion occurred due to an alleged drone attack, sources cited by Reuters said

Other details and the agenda of the upcoming visit have not yet been published

Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that relations with Russia have always given Serbia only advantages

Sitting in front of a stony-faced, middle-aged woman watching a rough cut of my documentary, I was perplexed when she hit pause.

A report by the National Audit Office has laid bare some of the cosy deals that working - and non-working - royals have benefited from when it comes to residences.

Henry Nowak, 18, was put in handcuffs by UK police while he lay mortally wounded on the ground after being stabbed in Southampton last December.

Emma Webber, mother of Nottingham stabbing victim Barnaby, has warned 'difficult discussions' need to be had over how authorities are influenced by racism.

Actor James Handy, who has appeared in films including 'Jumanji' and 'Top Gun: Maverick,' was brutally stabbed to death on Wednesday.

A total of 30 motorists were caught for various traffic offences at Woodlands Checkpoint over the recent Vesak Day long weekend, said the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in a statement on Friday (June 5).These stepped-up traffic enforcement operations were conducted by ICA officers from between May 28 and June 1, aimed to detect and deter drivers engaging in queue cutting, illegal manoeuvres, and other dangerous road behaviour.The enforcement actions unfolded at the checkpoint's departure area, where officers clamped down on a variety of dangerous driving practices. 

New Israeli strikes have hit Lebanon less than a day after US-mediated ceasefire talks in Washington Read Full Article at RT.com

After a «stressful» scramble for tickets, a domestic helper who sought an advance salary from her employer has succeeded in securing seats to K-pop supergroup BTS' upcoming concert in Singapore.A week ago, Nant Lah Sann Hie (Mo), a 26-year-old helper from Myanmar had given a handwritten letter to her employer, Yvonne Lareina Lee, with the polite request.Lee, a 45-year-old livestreamer and business owner, told AsiaOne they secured a VIP ticket on Wednesday (June 3) for the septet's Dec 20 Singapore show through a help-to-buy service.[[nid:736583]]Tickets are priced from $148 to $388, and the first pre-sale — reserved for fans, known as Army, who signed up for the Army Membership Presale on Weverse — started at noon on June 3.Lee described the ticketing process as «super nerve-wracking» as they «knew demand would be extremely high and that securing tickets would not be easy».Despite having enlisted a help-to-buy service in hopes of securing the ticket, Lee added that they still logged onto Ticketmaster to increase their chances.

A 37-year-old man will be charged in court on Friday (June 5) for allegedly molesting a 62-year-old woman at a quiet stretch of road in Choa Chu Kang.In a news release on Thursday, the police said the alleged offence happened at about 7.40am on May 27 in the vicinity of Sungei Tengah Road.Checks by AsiaOne show that the stretch of road, which runs along an aquarium, farms and nurseries, is known to be quiet.The man was identified and arrested by officers from Jurong Police Division on Wednesday following extensive follow-up investigations and with the aid of images from police cameras and closed-circuit television cameras.If found guilty of aggravated outrage of modesty, the 37-year-old faces a jail term of between two and 10 years, along with mandatory caning. The police advised victims of molestation to move away from perpetrators and call the police immediately when it is safe to do so. Where possible and safe, victims should try to note key details such as the perpetrator's physical appearance, clothing, the time and location of the incident. [[nid:737393]]

The Russian Foreign Minister says that after the accession, Georgia «will have to stop being a country that is famous for its produce»

Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the actions of the Kiev regime and its Western sponsors a genocide

Alexey Overchuk says the law of the EAEU does not provide for the exclusion of any state or the suspension of an EAEU member