Five outstanding community leaders from May Pen, Clarendon, were recently recognised by Project STAR for their pivotal role in mobilising residents, building trust and strengthening participation in key social intervention programmes. The community champions Kemiesha Chambers, Derrick Johnson, Latoya Coleman Morgan, Andrea Archibald and Dian McClune, were honoured for their unwavering commitment to advancing training, parenting, job readiness and nano-grant programmes, developed in partnership with Project STAR, within their respective communities.

Twenty-five professionals drawn law-enforcement and related agencies have completed a pioneering course aimed at combating financial crimes. The Fundamentals of Countering Financial Crime is a six-week professional certificate programme developed by the Financial Investigation Division (FID) and The University of the West Indies.

WESTERN BUREAU: Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert, the state minister in the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, says justices of the peace (JPs) are required to play a critical role in safeguarding the integrity of Jamaica’s passport, immigration and citizenship systems. Dalrymple-Philibert was addressing more than 11,500 JPs across the island during a sensitisation session titled, ‘Navigating the Passport, Immigration & Citizenship Application Process: The Role of Justices of the Peace’, held virtually on Thursday via Cisco Webex.

Cuba has been forced to shorten its workweek and scale back public services as a worsening fuel crisis, triggered by new United States (US) trade measures, places mounting pressure on the island’s economy. The Cuban government recently reduced the workweek by one day in an effort to conserve scarce fuel needed for transportation and essential services, seeking to avoid wider economic disruption.

Retired former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson is calling for African and European nations that have benefited from Cuba’s decades of international solidarity to now stand in support of the Caribbean island as it confronts a deepening fuel crisis. Patterson argued that countries which received Cuban assistance during struggles for liberation and educational advancement have a moral obligation to speak out as Cuba faces what has been described as ‘fuel starvation’ and threats against nations offering assistance.

Another early week storm is moving into the Maritimes. The latest nor’easter will bring significant snowfall and gusty winds, which will likely lead to travel delays, cancellations and also bring a risk of power outages.

Robert Aramayo couldn't have appeared more shocked or overwhelmed as he accepted the award for Lead Actor at the BAFTAs on Sunday night. 

Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers, though welcomed, should not be the only fix by the Government to help Singaporeans cope with living expenses.This is one of the sentiments shared by social media users after Prime Minister Lawrence Wong delivered Singapore's Budget 2026 statement on Feb 12.PM Wong, who is also Finance Minister, announced in Parliament that about 1.4 million Singaporean households will each get $500 in CDC vouchers that can be used at heartland merchants, hawkers and supermarkets.They will be disbursed in January 2027 and are valid till Dec 31 that year.«Although inflation has eased in recent years, we know that many Singaporeans still face anxieties and pressures. So, we will continue to provide additional support this year,» said PM Wong.

Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of violating its sovereignty in overnight airstrikes that Islamabad says were aimed at militant hideouts Read Full Article at RT.com

Oriana McDonald had found a lump on her stomach and discovered her temperature was 36.6C, so she went to see a local GP, Dr Nupur Mittal.

A 40-year-old Chinese national has been arrested for his alleged offences relating to duty-unpaid cigarettes amounting to more than $1.5 million.Singapore Customs said in a media release on Monday (Feb 23) that its officers seized 14,550 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes following two operations on Feb 7 and Feb 11.During the first operation on Feb 7, officers seized 7,306 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes which were found concealed inside three air cooler units in a unit within an industrial building at Jalan Buroh in Pioneer.Through follow-up investigations, another operation was launched on Feb 11 at another industrial building at Tuas Bay Close, where they uncovered an additional 7,244 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes, also hidden within three air cooler units.Investigations revealed that an unknown person had allegedly engaged the arrested man to retrieve the duty-unpaid cigarettes from the air coolers and pack them for local distributions. Court proceedings against the suspect are ongoing.

The police are investigating four male teenagers, all aged 13, for their alleged involvement in two cases of rash acts in Punggol.The police said in a media release on Monday (Feb 23) that the two cases happened in December 2025.The first case, which happened at about 12.15am on Dec 19, took place at the park connectors near Punggol Waterway Point. They allegedly threw a plastic bag filled with clear liquid and an empty plastic bottle at members of the public. Four days later, on Dec 22, several traffic cones were placed across three lanes at Punggol Drive in a manner which obstructed vehicular traffic.Police officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division identified the four teenagers through follow-up investigations.The offence of rash act carries an imprisonment term of up to six months and a fine, although minors under 16 are usually charged in the Youth Courts, which focus on rehabilitation. Earlier in February, a 14-year-old male was arrested for alleged mischief and causing disruption to key services by forcefully adjusting a police mobile camera in Punggol on two occasions. [[nid:729509]]

Upper Thomson resident X N had just returned home on Saturday (Feb 21) night when she noticed the doorknob of her ground floor room slowly rotating.Puzzled, she thought it was the domestic helper and called out to alert them of her presence.«As the doorknob was turning, I saw a masked man looking back at me,» she recounted to AsiaOne.The resident, who wanted to be known only by her initials, said the intruder «disappeared into darkness» after she asked who the person was and screamed for help.«The whole house was pitch black except for my room, so the person actually knew that I was inside the room and still decided to open my door while I asked if it was the helper,» she said.She immediately called the police and waited outside with the two other people at home at that time.The police told AsiaOne on Sunday (Feb 22) that it received a call for assistance at a residential estate along Marigold Drive at about 9.40pm on Saturday.

[allAfrica]

[RFI] Ethiopia and Eritrea say they are preparing for the possibility of war, with landlocked Ethiopia's claim it needs access to the Red Sea seen as a provocation by Eritrea. As tensions build, violence is escalating on their shared border in the Tigray region.

[RFI] Somaliland is willing to give the United States access to its minerals and military bases, the minister of the presidency has said, as the breakaway region of Somalia pushes for global recognition.

[Shabelle] Mogadishu -- Somali elite commandos have captured several areas from Al-Shabaab militants during a planned military operation in central Somalia, military officials said on Sunday.

Nicole Junkermann, 50, stepped down as a trustee of a cancer charity last week after revelations of her friendship with Epstein, during which she called him 'daddy' and 'baby'.

Newly released emails suggest taxpayer-funded protection officers were instructed to provide security for a party thrown at the paedophile's home in honour of the royal.

Two men accused of being involved in a motor vehicle stealing ring were remanded when they appeared in the St Catherine Parish Court on Friday. Fabian Williams and Thyan Edwards are jointly charged with larceny of a motor vehicle. When the matter was mentioned, his attorneys argued that their clients are fit candidates for bail. However, Acting Senior Parish Court Judge Janelle Nelson-Gayle ordered that antecedent and community reports be prepared by the Probation Department before bail is considered.

The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Region Four, is intensifying efforts to locate approximately 1,000 students who remain unaccounted for following disruptions to the education system caused by Hurricane Melissa last year. Regional Director Dr Michele Pinnock told JIS News that structured retrieval efforts are currently under way across the Region. These involve guidance counsellors, social workers, and school personnel conducting home visits and telephone outreach to trace affected students.

Washington had only provided some intelligence information, the Mexican embassy in the US said

Russian Foreign Ministry’s official spokeswoman Maria Zakharova recalled numerous accusations against Russia, adding that the country came up with «arguments and facts» to refute them

«To elect the head of the Workers' Party of Korea is an important affair decisive of the Party's leadership ability and the future destiny of the country and the people,» the news agency said

Andrey Belousov emphasized that in the course of the special military operation servicemen are acting with precision and courage and demonstrate unbending will and devotion to the Motherland

In all, a total of 1,082 children were wounded and 236 killed by Kiev troops since February, 2022

[New Times] The government has reduced soil erosion across 1.2 million hectares, a major step toward protecting rivers that form the headwaters of the River Nile and safeguarding water quality for millions of people downstream.

[New Times] For the first time, public contracts driven by innovation in Rwanda will be governed by specialised procedures rather than the standard public procurement framework, a shift that could significantly change how government institutions engage innovators and award solution-based tenders.

[Dabanga] El Tina -- The Joint Forces, allied with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), say they have repelled what they describe as a «treacherous» attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the El Tina border crossing between Chad and North Darfur, hours after the RSF announced yesterday that it had taken control of the town.

The EU has urged US President Donald Trump not to impose new tariffs Read Full Article at RT.com

Sisters Afia and Bilal have been reported missing after disappearing together from their home on Friday evening.