VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP): It’s not all about short-legged speed when 150 corgis gather for an international race celebrating the little dogs. There’s a costume parade, the “smartest nose”, and – of course – the loudest bark.

UNITED NATIONS (AP): The United States has demanded that Cuba open up to private investment, and Cuba has passed sweeping reforms to encourage just that. So Cuba’s UN ambassador says he wants to know why Washington keeps piling on sanctions that stymie the very economic opening it has sought for decades. Ambassador Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, in an interview this week with The Associated Press, directed his question to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the main architect of the Trump administration’s Cuba policy.

For students starting at a new school, the first day holds many questions: Will they see any familiar faces? Who will they sit with at lunch? Who will they play with at recess? “I’m this much nervous,” said Iman Fair-Seldon, five, holding her hands about four inches (10 centimetres) apart. Iman will start first grade next month at a new school in southern New Jersey, near Philadelphia. Despite the nerves, she said she is excited to make new friends.

WESTERN BUREAU: “Where are you, Mr Prime Minister? Where are you? We need help.” It was the anguished cry from Cooper’s Pen, on Saturday morning as residents, some already homeless and others fearful that their houses could be next, returned to the streets demanding intervention and relocation in the wake of a demolition exercise that has shaken the Trelawny community. Dressed in white and armed with placards, the residents gathered along the North Coast Highway from early morning, insisting that they are no longer looking merely for temporary assistance.

A St Catherine woman has been left worrying about the fate of her grandsons after she and the family was asked to find another school for the two cousins, who administrators at Enid Bennett High School have described as among the institution’s most problematic students.

More than 10 residents were evacuated after a fire broke out in Bukit Batok on Saturday (Aug 22) afternoon. The fire broke out at about 1pm in a two-storey maisonette on the third floor at Block 628, Bukit Batok Central, reported Lianhe Zaobao.Videos of the aftermath shared by Lianhe Zaobao on TikTok shows the walls outside the unit blackened by smoke. The windows were also reportedly shattered and debris was scattered on the floor outside the unit. The homeowner, identified as Anna, told the Chinese daily that she was having lunch nearby with her husband and two of their children when the fire broke out. Her other two daughters, aged 15 and 19, were home at the time. «I immediately rushed home after receiving a call from my daughter, but I'm not sure what caused the fire,» she said. A neighbour in the adjacent unit, Lian Mengnan (transliterated), 72, said that the fire was suspected to have started from the electrical wiring next to the sofa, reported Lianhe Zaobao. Lian recalled that he was picking up a package outside his house when his neighbour's daughter ran out in a panic to ask for help. 

There are no casualties

Union minister Chirag Paswan has signaled that the government plans to engage with the anti-reservation protesters who have rallied at Jantar Mantar. These protesters are advocating for an economic basis for reservations rather than a caste-based system. Paswan noted the existing 10 percent reservation for economically weaker sections and criticized the Congress for their protests outside a police station. Tejashwi Yadav’s backing of students' protests aligns with his political stance.

An elderly woman battling a rat infestation at her HDB block in Chinatown has turned to a homemade bait recipe, reportedly catching nearly 20 rats in just three weeks.The incident occurred at Block 32, New Market Road and has been ongoing for almost a year, reported Shin Min Daily News. Xie (transliterated), a 76-year-old cleaner who lives on the fifth floor, told the Chinese newspaper that she has lived there for decades and despite there being a hawker centre downstairs, rats rarely come upstairs. However, residents have reportedly spotted the rodents running around the corridors, biting on things and causing hygiene issues since the end of last year.  Xie, who leaves home very early each day, said she often sees rats scurrying around when she opens her door at around 4am or 5am. She added that her home security camera also captured footage of rats running along the top of her iron gate last year. She bought sticky rat traps, using fried anchovies, duck bones and oyster sauce as bait, to lure the rats. She usually sets two or three traps at a time. 

Three years after news broke that a prominent Workers' Party politician, Nicole Seah, stepped down from politics amid allegations of an affair with fellow party member Leon Perera, who was married at the time, many netizens are asking one curious question: Where are she and her husband now?1. Nicole worked as manager at French multinational advertising firmAlthough Nicole's social media accounts have gone silent since 2023, screenshots of her LinkedIn page recently resurfaced on Reddit.Based on cached Google search results, her most recently listed position was deputy general manager at Publicis Media, a French multinational advertising and public relations company.A screenshot showed Nicole worked at a global advertising firm.However, her account appears to have been taken down at the time of this article.2. Husband worked as sales manager at manufacturing companyHer husband, a Singaporean engineer who goes by Bryan, has also kept a low profile.

A 60-year-old private-hire driver found himself trapped after a tree fell on his car in Dempsey on Saturday (Aug 22) morning.The driver, identified as Saiful, told The Straits Times (ST) that he had heard a loud cracking sound as he was turning his white Nissan multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) out of the Museum of Ice Cream along Loewen Road. «I looked up and I could see the tree on the left side of my car slowly toppling in front of me,» he saidThe 60-year-old tried to reverse his vehicle, he recalled, but part of the tree had already toppled onto the passenger's side of the car, crushing the roof and trapping Saiful, who was unable to open the door from the inside.Employees from a spa in the area later came out and helped free him from the driver's seat, reported ST. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and an ambulance reportedly arrived shortly after and assessed Saiful for injuries. He was unhurt and his family arrived soon afterwards.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the SCDF said it received a call for assistance at about 10am to the incident along 75 Loewen Road, but no ambulance assistance was required.

Russian junior figure skaters have swept all four disciplines at an ISU Grand Prix event in China after a four-year absence Read Full Article at RT.com

US far-right influencer Jake Lang has been arrested after his rally in Minneapolis descended into clashes with counterprotesters Read Full Article at RT.com

The perpetrators set fire to vehicles belonging to utility services, damaged cell phone towers, and attacked administrative buildings and a shop, Thai PBS reported

Rodion Miroshnik said that after the 90-billion-euro loan to Ukraine was approved by the EU in April, a sharp escalation began

Rodion Miroshnik added that his working trip to Novorossiya confirmed information about attempts to blockade entire cities, complicate logistics, disrupt the delivery of food, priority goods and medicines, and the supply of energy and water

Rodion Miroshnik said that Russian authorities are finding ways to reduce the pressure from Ukraine and to create acceptable living conditions for the civilian population

According to the article, the pressure directed at Ottawa has not proven effective

[State Department] The following statement was released by the representatives of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the representatives of the Alliance Fleuve Congo/March 23 Movement, as well as the State of Qatar, the United States of America, the Republic of Togo (as the African Union mediator), Switzerland, and the African Union Commission, on the meetings held August 17 to August 21 in Switzerland, on the implementation of the Doha Framework for a Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

New government rules require medical device firms to print outsourced sterilisation licence numbers. This change, effective six months after August 14, 2026, faces industry opposition. Manufacturers fear increased compliance burdens and potential export delays. The Association of Indian Medical Device Industry seeks reconsideration of this new labelling requirement. They emphasize ensuring patient safety without hindering export competitiveness.

Chief Justice Surya Kant proposed 'Nyaya Setu' for the BRICS+ bloc. This initiative aims for seamless exchange of highest court judgments among member nations. A judicial fellowship will allow young judges to learn best practices from partner countries. This shared jurisprudence repository will connect eleven legal traditions for mutual benefit. The proposal emphasizes building bridges of trust and fostering economic growth through justice.