SINGAPORE — A cultural group has released footage to clear the air over a handshake incident that led to online criticism of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang.Kwong Wai Siew Peck San Theng said it had invited Gan for a Cantonese cultural festival held at Peck San Theng in Bishan Lane on Saturday (May 17).Representatives of the 155-year-old cultural institution, which is managed by 16 Cantonese clan associations, were waiting to greet her when she arrived alone.The footage shows her alighting from the car, with a mobile phone in her right hand. She then slips the phone into her rear right trousers pocket as representatives of the group approach her.Among those who extended their hand was Leong Chee Leng.The 72-year-old is a member of the Kong Chow Wui Koon lion dance troupe, which was scheduled to perform at the Cantonese cultural festival.Leong can be seen extending his hand to greet her, but Gan is also approached by Edward Leong, the chairman of the cultural festival’s organising committee.

Tobacco enforcement officers from the the Health Sciences Authority's (HSA) raided Club Slim, a nightclub in Excelsior Shopping Centre at Coleman Street, on May 15 and uncovered an active trade in illegal e-vaporisers and related accessories.This comes as the authority steps up enforcement and continues to combat the unauthorised sale and use of e-vaporisers at nightlife establishments, it said in a statement on Friday (June 13).The club's manager admitted to selling e-vaporisers to staff members and HSA linked him to an illegal distribution network after they searched his vehicle and residence. The 45-year-old man is currently assisting the authority in investigations.Three men and two women aged between 22 and 40, who were patrons of the nightclub, were also found to have e-vaporisers and components in their possession. They were issued fines by the HSA on the spot.Under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act, the possession, use or purchase of e-vaporisers carries a maximum fine of $2,000.

Unable to reschedule flights and receive refunds, many Jetstar Asia passengers are voicing their frustrations as they try to adjust their travel plans.Jetstar Asia announced on Wednesday (June 11) morning that it will be ceasing operations effective July 31 after years of financial losses, and will be operating on a «progressively reduced schedule» for the next few weeks.In a statement on Wednesday, it said that customers with bookings after July 31 would be offered full refunds for their flights, but many are facing difficulties in claiming refunds.'Can't get through to anyone'Speaking to AsiaOne, an affected passenger, who wanted to be known as Megan, said that she has been unable to get help from customer service.The 27-year-old had booked a flight to Bangkok in August and received an email on Wednesday afternoon that provided a form to apply for a refund.

LIVE UPDATES: Follow MailOnline's live coverage after an Air India plane carrying 242 people crashes in Ahmedabad while heading to London Gatwick.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Ahmedabad Air India crash site, meeting officials and the sole survivor after the devastating incident that claimed 241 lives. Flight AI-171, en route to London, crashed shortly after takeoff, impacting a residential building.

An Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner tragically crashed near Ahmedabad, marking the model's first fatal incident and raising safety concerns. The crash revives memories of past battery issues that grounded the fleet in 2013. Despite a strong safety record and numerous warning systems, this event casts a shadow over the Dreamliner's reputation.

The EU faces complex environmental issues, ranging from climate change and biodiversity loss to resource depletion and pollution. To address these issues, European environment policy follows the principles of precaution, prevention, rectifying pollution at source and the ‘polluter pays’. In 2019, the Commission launched the European Green Deal, moving environmental concerns to the fore of EU policymaking. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The Treaty of Nice only partially prepared the EU for its significant enlargements to the east and south on 1 May 2004 and 1 January 2007. Therefore, as part of the conclusions to the Laeken European Council meeting in December 2001, EU leaders established the European Convention on the Future of Europe – an effort to produce a new legal basis for the EU in the form of a treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe. Following ‘no’ votes in referendums in two of the Member States, this treaty was not ratified. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Public authorities across the EU award contracts for works and services worth EUR 2.448 billion annually, making public procurement a major driver of economic growth, job creation and innovation. The 2014 public procurement package alone adds EUR 2.88 billion to the EU’s GDP each year. Moreover, EU procurement directives have significantly increased total award values, rising from under EUR 200 billion in 2009 to approximately EUR 525 billion by 2017. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The disastrous effects of the Second World War and the constant threat of an East-West confrontation meant that Franco-German reconciliation had become a top priority. The decision to pool the coal and steel industries of six European countries, brought into force by the Treaty of Paris in 1951, marked the first step towards European integration. The Treaties of Rome of 1957 strengthened the foundations of this integration, as well as the notion of a common future for the six European countries involved. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

As part of the wider Indo-Pacific, Southeast Asia has vital geostrategic importance for the EU and is currently facing relevant geostrategic challenges. The Indo-Pacific is undergoing rapid change, and as home to more than 50% of the world’s population, it is becoming a key geostrategic region. Two thirds of the world’s container trade passes through the Indo-Pacific and its sea lanes are important routes for trade and energy supplies. The EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific was adopted in September 2021 to increase the EU’s engagement and build partnerships to address global challenges. The EU is adapting its current instruments to achieve strategic autonomy. Its Strategic Compass for Security and Defence, formally approved by the Council in March 2022, promotes an open and rules-based regional security architecture, including secure maritime routes, capacity-building and an enhanced naval presence in the Indo-Pacific.The EU’s strategy priority areas in Southeast Asia are sustainable and inclusive prosperity, the green transition, ocean governance, digital governance, connectivity through the Global Gateway, security, defence and human security. The EU is forging closer ties with Southeast Asian countries and is promoting regional integration with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which represents, as a whole, the EU’s third-largest trading partner outside Europe (after China and the US). The region has geostrategic concerns, such as the South China Sea dispute and the Taiwan issue, as well as environmental concerns, especially in the Mekong sub-region. The EU is a strong economic player in Southeast Asia and a major development aid donor, working to foster connectivity, digitalisation, institution-building, democracy, good governance and human rights. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

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The Jamaica Rugby Football Union (JRFU) has secured a new partner for the 2025–2026 season: Mr. Breakfast, a local company known for its fusion of continental breakfasts and Jamaican flavours. The partnership includes pre-game breakfast support,...

WESTERN BUREAU: Savanna-la-Mar Mayor Danree Delancy has pushed back against “unfair” criticism from Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie regarding delays in the Negril Fruits and Vegetable Market project. “It is unfair to blame us for what we...

WASHINGTON, DC (PAHO): Ahead of World Blood Donor Day, observed on June 14, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) has released new data showing progress in voluntary blood donation across the Americas. However, key challenges remain to...

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) is advancing efforts to align Jamaica’s waste export practices with recent global amendments, under the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their...

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Thursday visited the Turkish seismic exploration vessel Oruc Reis at the Port of Mogadishu, marking the official completion of an extensive oil exploration mission off the coast of Somalia.

Oruc Reis Seismic Exploration Vessel, built by Turkish engineers, has successfully completed its first intercontinental mission according to the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources.

Kenya’s National Assembly has pledged to strengthen parliamentary ties with Somalia through a comprehensive capacity-building program aimed at training Somali parliamentary staff.

Three hundred vulnerable displaced families living in an internal displacement camp in Merka, Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region, are appealing for support following the cutting of cash aid in January.

Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty and European Union Special Representative for the Horn of Africa Annette Weber discussed pressing regional developments on Thursday, including the ongoing crisis in war-ravaged Sudan, security challenges in Somalia, and navigation in the Red Sea.

Iran has vowed to retaliate following Israeli airstrikes Read Full Article at RT.com