For a year, her voice has been the steady authority at the gates of Petersfield High School in Westmoreland, shouldering the job of keeping hundreds of students safe behind the institution’s walls. But, as the parish continues to grapple with the devastation left by Hurricane Melissa – the Category 5 storm that battered western and parts of central Jamaica last October – Joan Forbes Scarlett, the school’s security guard, finds herself in a personal crisis. She is unable to shield her own family from an unfolding disaster.

In the quiet rural district of Galloway, Westmoreland, Mickey Robinson diligently digs the foundation of the one-bedroom house he is rebuilding with the help of his son and grandson. Ten months has passed since their house was destroyed by Hurricane Melissa, forcing Mickey and his wife, Thelma Lynn Robinson, to repurpose their shop as a home. But the cramped space is only big enough to accommodate a bed and a barrel for their clothes. Outside in the yard, a dresser, refrigerator and chairs lay abandoned.

Daily schooling in the deep rural communities of Baxter’s Mountain and Pleasant Hill in St Mary involves more than books, pencils, uniforms and school supplies. It also requires the will to battle the elements. When the rains come heavily, two rivers can turn the journey to school into a dangerous expedition, with children forced to cross fords that can swell within minutes. For some, getting home means waiting for the water to subside. For others, it means being rescued. And, sometimes, there is no crossing at all.

WESTERN BUREAU: For years, Nadean Rawlins has been opening doors for other people. As producer, director, talent manager, and head of RAW Management, she has pushed Jamaican actors towards auditions, encouraged young creatives, fought for opportunities, and worked behind the scenes to help build an industry she believes Jamaica deserves. So, when Possession – the new Sky original supernatural thriller – came calling, Rawlins was doing what she normally does, trying to get Jamaican actors into the room.

There are fresh calls for greater accountability after more than 10,000 Jamaican students failed to show up for this year’s regional examinations, potentially leaving taxpayers to foot a bill of up to $5 million for mathematics and English language exams that were never written. The bill could increase when the fees for other subjects covered by the Government are considered. The absenteeism has triggered concern among stakeholders that public money is being wasted on examinations that some candidates simply do not turn up to sit.

A 46-year-old auxiliary police outrider was taken to the hospital on Friday (Aug 28) night after a limousine taxi rear-ended it at Changi Airport. The incident happened at about 10.40pm along Airport Boulevard towards Changi Airport Terminal 1.Dashcam footage posted on a professional drivers' group on social media shows the enforcement motorcycle lying on its left side.A black Toyota Alphard multi-purpose vehicle bearing a taxi vehicle registration number is seen stopped behind it. ComfortDelGro operates a fleet of Toyota Alphard limousine taxis.Meanwhile, paramedics are seen attending to the outrider lying on the road.Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the police stated that the auxiliary police officer was taken conscious to the hospital. They added that the 54-year-old male taxi driver is assisting with ongoing police investigations.[[nid:743816]]editor@asiaone.com 

Hawker Zhang Xiaohai was doing cashier duties at a Hougang zichar stall after receiving a $10 note on Aug 2, when he realised something unusual.The portrait of Singapore's first president Yusof Ishak, which is featured on the note, was seen with a piercing stare, and his mustache appeared to be «shaved off» too.The 42-year-old, who works at the stall 21 Seafood, told Lianhe Zaobao in a report published on Aug 28: «My first thought was that I received a counterfeit banknote.»He added he believed counterfeit banknotes are rare in Singapore and as the note doesn't feel different, he only roughly checked when he received it.From a photo and reel released on the stall's Xiaohongshu (XHS) profile on Aug 27, the portrait appeared to have been tempered with, with scratches seen on Mr Ishak's eyelids and philtrum.Zhang said during the interview that he believed it was more likely a prank.Despite feeling something amiss, he and the owner of the stall, only known as Mr Guo, didn't pursue the matter immediately then.

MIT Artspace, a pottery studio in Chinatown, has closed abruptly, leaving customers with unfinished pieces.In an interview with Stomp, a 24-year-old student nicknamed Dylan said he received a text about the studio’s closure on Aug 3, after nearly two months of waiting for his pottery pieces.He had attended their workshop in June but was told the glazing and firing process would take more time.According to a screenshot of the message he provided to Stomp, the studio management was required to “hand over the unit”, and customers could collect their pieces including those which were not completed.The studio also said they were unable to individually pack the items, requesting customers to come and collect their items within a week.Dylan went back to the studio and found his pieces but said none of them were glazed nor fired.Pottery pieces are required to be glazed and fired to be considered food safe.He told Stomp: “What shocked me most was the scale of what we saw there. There appeared to be hundreds of pieces — I would estimate around 400 — left outside, with customers having to search through them for their own work.”

Israel has continued strikes across southern Lebanon as Iran pledges support for the country amid stalled negotiations Read Full Article at RT.com

Israel’s Shin Bet said that Benjamin Netanyahu’s eldest son was urgently evacuated from Miami following a “significant threat” to his life Read Full Article at RT.com

Oscar Temaru continue de se battre pour obtenir l'indépendance du pays. Le dirigeant du Tavini Huiraatira souhaite faire la demande auprès de l'ONU, mais avant ça, une consultation auprès des Polynésiens est prévue. Objectif : obtenir un maximum de signature pour sa pétition afin de la présenter à l'organisation internationale.

No casualties have been reported

A new target date will be announced once available

This would amount to about $8,500 in debt per Ukrainian by the end of 2026

Bern has consistently pursued an unfriendly policy toward Russia, including by «unlawfully freezing Russian assets» and adopting nearly all US and EU sanctions against Moscow, Sergey Garmonin said

Nearly 2,500 people remain missing

SINGAPORE — Hundreds of Built-To-Order flats with shorter waiting times will be launched in Sin Ming and Toa Payoh, with construction of the new homes underway and slated for completion by mid-2030.In Sin Ming Street, which is part of Bishan town, a 1,076-unit project that will include a childcare centre and a supermarketis currently being constructed across the road from Sin Ming Residences, a public housing project that is nearing completion with 984 units.And in Lorong 4 Toa Payoh, work has started on a 40-storey HDB block comprising 193 units that will be accompanied by a multi-storey carpark with a roof garden, a precinct pavilion and other community facilities.The Housing Board said in a statement to The Straits Times that the flats' launch dates and estimated waiting times will be announced at a later date, although their projected completion date suggests that both projects will likely go on sale in mid-2027 at the earliest.Flats with shorter waiting time have wait times of under three years, with construction work typically starting before these flats are launched for sale so buyers can move into their homes sooner.

An elderly cyclist was seen on her knees after she was believed to be issued a summon by Land Transport Authority (LTA) officers recently.

Philipp Kruse also called for an end to military propaganda against Russia

According to the news agency, Kim Song-gi, head of the Korean People's Army General Political Bureau, was appointed the new North Korean Defense Minister

Anton Kobyakov opined that this project was an alternative to the NSR from the Pacific Ocean to the North Atlantic

Retired Swiss General Staff Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Bosshard pointed out that European leaders «prefer to secure their own safety with their checkbooks» and «leave the fighting to others»

Elon Musk has lashed out at the OpenAI CEO and president over the company’s move to withdraw its artificial intelligence models from Cursor Read Full Article at RT.com

The Democratic Senate candidate said he regretted comments in which he linked the synagogue attack to a broader cycle of violence. «You don’t ever want to trample somebody’s pain,» he said.

Team Singapore will head to the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games this September without a public medal target, with chef de mission Goh Kee Nguan instead urging athletes to focus on producing their best performances against Asia's top competitors.«We are not going to Nagoya to count medals, especially before the Games begin,» Goh said after the Team Singapore Flag Presentation Ceremony at OCBC Square on Aug 29.«What we are there for is really to make sure that the athletes are there to compete, and we will compete all we can to win as much as we can.»Singapore National Olympic Council president Grace Fu struck a similar note in her address to the contingent.«Performance matters, but so do the memories you create, the challenges you overcome, and the example you set for those who follow,» she said.Singapore will field 304 athletes across 27 sports, with the Republic competing in mixed martial arts (MMA) and kurash for the first time. More than 60 per cent of the contingent will be making their Asian Games debuts.

Deputy Minister of Homeland Security and MP for Ntcheu Central East, Norman Chisale, has donated two ambulances and two trucks to serve health and development needs in his constituency, in a move local leaders have hailed as a historic first for the area. The handover took place at Champiti Primary School Ground in Ntcheu on […] The post Chisale donates two ambulances and two trucks to boost healthcare and development in Ntcheu appeared first on Malawi News | Breaking News, Politics, Business & Sports | Nyasa Times.