“Many local contractors believe that government officials do not trust us, the local or black contractors”, Director of Ninane Construction & Earth Works Simon Timothy.

The Maternal Child Health Clinic Nurse in Charge Roslinda Narwayency revealed that last month out of the 1359 babies that passed through SHEFA Health Clinic, 50% were diagnosed with scabies.

[UN News] As violence escalates and millions of people continue to be displaced in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), grave violations against children are reaching an all-time high, said UN Children's Fund UNICEF on Wednesday.

[Observer] Some of the key targets that Uganda had set as part of its earlier grand plan on stemming the high levels of debt were wide of the mark, compounding an already difficult situation for government technocrats, and leaving ordinary Ugandans at the mercy of fate should any external shock such as Covid-19 re-emerge.

[GroundUp] Bester complains that his rights to a fair trial are being infringed

Russian President Vladimir Putin discusses how the Ukraine conflict began, and how it could end, with foreign media agencies Read Full Article at RT.com

Israel has confirmed its air force struck a UNRWA school in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, Read Full Article at RT.com

A suspected Russian-Ukrainian terrorist, 26, has been arrested in Paris after causing an explosion close to Charles de Gaulle, the city's biggest airport.

Humans are as dangerous to Earth as the meteorite that drove dinosaurs to extinction, the UN chief said Wednesday, urging an end to fossil fuel ads after 12 months that were the hottest on record. Dramatic climate shifts have already begun taking a heavy toll worldwide, fuelling extreme weather events, flooding and drought, while glaciers are melting away and sea levels are rising. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a ban on advertising oil, gas and coal -- the main drivers of global warming -- as global climate monitors delivered a swathe of new findings signalling that the planet is in trouble. «In the case of climate, we are not the dinosaurs. We are the meteor. We are not only in danger. We are the danger,» Guterres said. Last month was the hottest May on record and the 12th consecutive month to break such a record, the EU climate monitor Copernicus announced. The global average temperature between June 2023 and May 2024 was «1.63 degrees Celsius above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average», Copernicus said, referring to the period before human-caused greenhouse gas emissions began warming the planet. 2023 was already the hottest year at 1.48C above pre-industrial levels, Copernicus has said, pointing to the natural weather phenomenon El Nino for further pushing up temperatures. Although El Nino is dissipating, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced humanity faces an 80 percent chance Earth's temperatures will at least temporarily exceed 1.5C during the next five years. Humanity is playing chicken with the climate targets set by the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit warming to 1.5C, the WMO warned. The chance of temporarily exceeding the limit has been rising steadily since 2015, when such a chance was estimated to be close to zero, the WMO pointed out. «Global emissions need to fall nine per cent every year to 2030 to keep the 1.5 degree limit alive,» Guterres said. But the peak has not been officially beached, being measured over a period of decades rather than individual years. While the world agreed during the last COP28 talks in Dubai to phase out fossil fuels, a decline in emissions is not imminent. - Ban on oil ads - «The Godfathers of climate chaos -- the fossil fuel industry -- rake in record profits and feast off trillions in taxpayer-funded subsidies,» Guterres said. «I urge every country to ban advertising from fossil fuel companies,» he said, likening it to bans on other products harmful to human health like tobacco. «We need an exit ramp off the highway to climate hell,» he said as signatories of the Paris Agreement are expected to deliver new emissions targets by early 2025. Guterres also repeated calls for taxing the fossil fuel industry profits to finance the fight against global warming, specifically pointing to «solidarity levies on sectors such as shipping, aviation and fossil fuel extraction». «Even if emissions hit zero tomorrow, a recent study found that climate chaos will still cost at least $38 trillion a year by 2050,» he said. That is more than the $2.4 trillion needed by 2030 for developing countries, excluding China, to get out of fossil fuels and adapt to a warmer planet, as estimated by UN experts. Guterres said he made his speech now with concerns that the climate crisis become «a victim of a diversion of attention» by numerous wars and conflicts. Without undermining the need for the conflicts to be resolved, he said: «We cannot let them distract us from what is the existential threat of all times for humankind, and that is climate change.» It also comes as crucial climate talks get underway in Bonn, Germany to set the stage for the UN COP29 summit in Azerbaijan in November. The talks must reach a new agreement on financial aid from rich countries to the rest of the world to achieve their climate goals. © Agence France-Presse 

Mother of four Laiwa Musenza is already reliant on aid from a local NGO to feed her family and Zimbabwe's drought is only getting deeper. «Imagine hearing your children crying from hunger when you cannot do anything about it,» the 54-year-old said. At a farm on the outskirts of the capital Harare, a queue of children, some as young as three, and a small group of elderly gather near two large cooking pans. A volunteer calls out names from a register and, plate in hand, the hungry take turns to step forward and receive small portions of macaroni and a soybean stew. For most, it is their main, perhaps only, meal of the day. The makeshift feeding station was the idea of Samantha Muzoroki and is the newest of five similar centres run by the immigration lawyer's Kuchengetana Trust. It was started four months ago after parents at the Karibone Farm compound complained children were going to bed hungry as a result of crop failure in most parts of Zimbabwe. Residents at Karibone earn a living from working part-time at neighbouring farms, but this year the farms had no jobs to offer because of the drought. - Budget halved - «We could only manage one meal per day. For those of us with young children it was particularly tough,» Musenza told AFP. Kuchengetana, which means «looking after each other», provides two meals to an average of 1,500 children a day at its five kitchens. But Muzoroki fears that her organisation may be overwhelmed as the drought continues. «Our movement is donor driven. We have had a huge dip in donations. We are receiving $400 every three months, down from $600 which is way below half of our budget,» Muzoroki said. «We try to make sure that every day everyone we cater for is able to get at least a meal a day if we fail to give them two meals. »The drought is definitely going to affect us in many ways and I hope and pray that it doesn't lead us to closing any of our centres.« Zimbabwe is only one of a band of countries in Southern Africa experiencing food shortages due to the drought, which has been exacerbated by the El Nino climate phenomenon. Last month, President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared a state of disaster, saying the country needed at least two billion dollars to respond to the drought. At least 7.6 million people, almost half of the population, is in need of aid. - Skipping meals - The United Nations has appealed for $429.3 million to help people affected by the drought. UNICEF also launched an urgent $84.9-million appeal last month »to provide lifesaving interventions... amidst a complex humanitarian crisis exacerbated by water and food shortages«. »Zimbabwe has been experiencing drought conditions now for a few months with failing harvests in key areas of agricultural production,« UNICEF's Nicholas Alipui said. Additionally, it is »experiencing overlapping emergencies through a cholera outbreak and we also have a situation of polio in the country«, Alipui added. In Epworth, a semi formal settlement east of the capital, families are skipping meals, while children are missing school as families struggle to find food. »We are having two meals a day instead of three,« said Letwin Mhande, a 36-year-old mother of four, whose fruit and vegetable store is struggling to find stock and customers. »We eat once at midday and once before going to bed, sometimes we don't have food to give the children and they miss school." © Agence France-Press

After learning about food security at school, 11-year-old Violette Ferguson wants fresh eggs and to change the rules around chickens in the city.

Since the end of hostilities Eric Bateman has rarely spoken about the terrible events of June 1944 and his part in the historic D-Day landings in Normandy.

Trump was convicted for falsifying business records over payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee has now suffered a new blow.

Drivers heading to Johor Bahru via the Second Link will need to adjust their travel plans as private cars, ride-hailing vehicles and taxis will be barred from using the bus lane at the Sultan Abu Bakar Building (KSAB) starting June 16. The new regulation, announced in a notice posted at the KSAB on May 15, aims to improve efficiency and safety for bus passengers. The notice states that only buses are allowed to use the bus lane, and cars are prohibited from picking up passengers, dropping them off or passing through. The Malaysian authorities have initiated an adaptation period, which started on June 1, to inform drivers of the new rule. During this period, auxiliary police will be on hand to guide drivers. However, the ban will be strictly enforced from June 16. Drivers violating the rule will be made to turn around and return to their original route. From July 1, violators will also face fines. With the ban on car usage in the bus lane, Malaysian authorities are advising the public to wait for cross-river buses at designated locations including:

Hunter Biden’s sister weeps in the courtroom. His wife confronts a provocateur. Biden family members, and ex-members, are witnesses.

Republicans made the recommendations a day after House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) outlined a plan to more aggressively target the Biden administration following Donald Trump’s conviction in New York last week.

The display commemorating the 2018 mass killing in a Pittsburgh synagogue comes against the backdrop of rising hate crimes tied to the war in Gaza.

34-year-old S Selvaraj, a private finance firm employee, secured 14,796 votes in Trichy Lok Sabha seat, Tamil Nadu as an independent candidate without campaigning, attributed to confusion over symbols.

Novo Nordisk's blockbuster drug, Ozempic, owes its success to the efforts of the company's India team. This group played a significant role in the rapid rise of the semaglutide-based drug used for treating diabetes. In addition to Ozempic, Novo Nordisk's semaglutide-based drug Wegovy for weight management has also garnered significant success. This dual achievement has bolstered Denmark's economy and propelled Novo Nordisk's market cap beyond that of Tesla.

Last night's extraordinary D-Day 80th anniversary drone display above Portsmouth thrilled crowds as a giant Spitfire and battleship appeared in the skies.

MailOnline took to the streets to quiz Gen Z on the anniversary of the Normandy landings to see just how much they know about the Allied invasion of France .

Love Island's Patsy Field opened up to Munveer Jabbal about her disability and how living with Erb's Palsy impacts her life on Wednesday's episode.

Surrounded by illuminated graves of 4,140 men who gave their lives for our liberation, the Princess Royal recited the words: 'He is not dead whose memory lives in hearts that know and loved him'.

The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he would introduce a new Veterans Bill to recognise their sacrifice if he wins the election.

Minimum sentences for murders which take place in the home will increase from 15 to 25 years, the Conservative Party's manifesto will say.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s defense minister Prince Khalid bin Salman spoke on the phone with the president-elect of Indonesia on Wednesday, Saudi Press Agency reported. Prince Khalid congratulated Prabowo Subianto, who is also minister of defence, on the occasion of his victory in recent presidential elections. The prince also wished Subianto success and prosperity, and the brotherly people of Indonesia further progress and prosperity.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received a phone call on Wednesday from UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron.  During the call, they discussed the current situation in Sudan and the Gaza Strip and the efforts made regarding them, the ministry said in a statement.   

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Wednesday condemned the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem by a number of Israeli government officials, members of the Knesset, and extremist settlers. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned a move by Israeli authorities to allow extremists to organize a provocative march in the city of Jerusalem with the protection of the Israeli defense forces.

RIYADH: Rashad Al-Alimi, Chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council received on Wednesday Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman, the Saudi Press Agency said. The pair discussed the ongoing efforts to advance the roadmap and reach a comprehensive political solution in Yemen under UN supervision.  “I reiterated the Kingdom’s commitment to fully supporting Yemen in realizing the aspirations of its people,” Prince Khalid said on X.

RIYADH: Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, received in Riyadh on Wednesday the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iraq, Fuad Mohammed Hussein, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait, Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya. They discussed ways to enhance and develop cooperation in various fields, the Saudi Press Agency said.  The ministers also tackled on the importance of intensifying bilateral and multilateral coordination on issues of common interest.

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and FairPrice Group are looking into an incident in which a foreign object was discovered in a bowl of laksa at Plaza Singapura's Kopitiam food court. Stomp contributor Jules identified the object as part of a cigarette, but said the stall's staff denied it and told him it was lemongrass. Jules said he had bought Penang laksa from the food court's Penang Island stall on May 31, at around 1pm. He recounted: «Halfway through my meal, I noticed something strange in the soup. I brushed it off and thought it was likely fish meat. »I bit into it and to my surprise, it tasted like ash and didn't break down even after I chewed it once. I knew it definitely wasn't something that was a part of the dish because of the taste. «I asked my colleagues to make sure that I was not seeing this wrong. We then confirmed that it was definitely something foreign when I tore the object apart to check its texture. »It definitely wasn't part of the dish. We suspected that it was a cigarette filter, the back part of a cigarette." The Stomp contributor shared photos and a video of what he found in his laksa.

US faces threat of a coordinated terrorist attack like the operation that killed 145 people at Russia’s Crocus City Hall, FBI boss says Read Full Article at RT.com