The European Commission's ReArm Europe Plan/Readiness 2030, presented in March 2024, proposes to leverage over €800 billion in defence spending through national fiscal flexibility, a new €150 billion loan instrument (SAFE) for joint procurement, potential redirection of cohesion funds, and expanded European Investment Bank support. It also aims to mobilise private capital through the savings and investments union. ReArm Europe has sparked debate. While many welcome its ambition and the EU's growing role in defence, concerns remain about democratic oversight, defence market fragmentation, and economic sustainability. Alternative ideas, such as creating a new Rearmament Bank, or a Defence, Security and Resilience Bank, have gained traction. These could offer low-interest loans and risk guarantees to support European and allied defence investment. Experts caution that, while the ReArm Europe Plan is an important political signal, it must be followed by practical measures to ensure impact. They stress the need to pool procurement, prioritise European-made equipment, and build a more integrated defence industrial base. Others argue the plan should go further, including options for grant-based financing and more robust governance structures. The coming months will be crucial in determining whether ReArm Europe can deliver a truly coordinated and resilient European defence effort. During a March 2025 debate, the majority of political groups in the European Parliament voiced strong support for boosting Europe's defence, backing the ReArm Europe Plan while calling for a long-term strategy. Many urged enhanced strategic autonomy, secure access to resources, and continued aid to Ukraine. Concerns were raised over the sidelining of Parliament through use of Article 122 TFEU and the risk of over-reliance on emergency measures. Some warned that defence spending must not come at the expense of green, social, and R&D funding. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Thailand for a two-day visit to participate in the sixth BIMSTEC summit. Modi will engage in discussions with Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra and join BIMSTEC leaders in signing the Agreement on Maritime Cooperation. The visit also includes meetings with key regional leaders and will be followed by Modi's visit to Sri Lanka.

The Windsor Assembly Plant will be down with workers off the job for the next two weeks, Unifor Local 444 announced  Wednesday evening. 

Since getting its clinic licence revoked by the Ministry of Health (MOH) last year for providing teleconsultations that were too brief, MaNaDr says it has implemented more stringent protocols to avoid such lapses in service moving forward. During a press conference held on Wednesday (April 2), telehealth provider MaNaDr's co-founder and chief executive officer Siaw Tung Yeng said that doctors using the platform will now need to conduct teleconsultations for at least one minute before medical certificates can be provided to patients, reported CNA. At the same time, MaNaDr will also be tightening onboarding processes for doctors and clinics using the platform, he said. The firm has since employed the use of an AI-powered note-taker which will transcribe doctor-patient conversations and implemented mandatory audio recordings.

Craving for Hokkien mee, a cancer-stricken man had sought help from netizens online to purchase the dish for him, delivering it to his doorstep. Unfortunately, the 45-year-old man died last Wednesday (March 26), Shin Min Daily News reported on Monday. He had battled pancreatic cancer for at least five years. A day after his death, users on the Facebook group he frequented mourned his passing. User Leong Gwo Wei shared a eulogy dedicated to the man, Anthony Lee, in the Hokkien Mee Hunting Facebook group, remembering his time with Lee. «Though I didn't get to know him long enough, I admire and salute his strength to fight on for his wife and daughter, and enjoying good food was something that kept him going,» wrote Leong, who was one of the netizens who assisted Lee in obtaining his beloved Hokkien mee. «I was glad to have the chance to bring him some Hokkien mee,» the 42-year-old added. In a separate post on March 29, Leong indicated that he had also delivered a packet of Hokkien mee to Lee's wake to pay his last respects.

Djibouti (HOL) – Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met with Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh in Djibouti on Wednesday, where the two leaders held high-level talks deepening bilateral relations and enhancing strategic cooperation.

Baku (HOL) – Azerbaijan formally approved a bilateral agreement with Somalia on Wednesday to extend cooperation in the field of education.

Mogadishu (HOL) – Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Wednesday appointed Brigadier General Abdiwahab Abdullahi Omar as the new Commander of the Somali Navy, signaling a renewed effort to increase maritime security and reclaim control over the country’s vast coastline.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarks on a visit to Thailand for the sixth BIMSTEC summit, emphasizing India's Northeastern region's strategic role. He later heads to Sri Lanka to review progress with President Ranil Wickremesinghe, aiming to enhance bilateral ties and regional prosperity.

US President Trump labeled Prime Minister Modi as his 'great friend' while announcing a 26% retaliatory tariff on India, addressing the trade imbalance and high Indian tariffs on US goods. Trump emphasized the need for negotiations to create a level playing field and highlighted the substantial US trade deficit with India.

Benjamin Tetauvira s'envole ce mercredi 2 avril direction l'Hexagone. Il a été appelé pour faire partie des entraîneurs de l’équipe de France des 17-21 ans pour les qualifications d’Europe. C'est une grande première pour un Polynésien de disposer de cette marque de confiance dans le sport de haut niveau.

Le 2 avril 2025, conformément à la réglementation aérienne en vigueur, la compagnie aérienne domestique Air Tahiti commence sa campagne de pesée des passagers. Cette campagne, qui se déroule tous les cinq ans, s'inscrit dans les règles de sécurité aérienne. Il s'agit de réactualiser la masse forfaitaire des passagers voyageant sur Air Tahiti en calculant leur poids moyen.

C'est la douche froide pour les représentants syndicaux de la Fraap. L'assemblée a rejeté l'amendement proposé par le parti A here ia Porinetia sur une revalorisation supplémentaire du point d'indice des fonctionnaires de la catégorie D. Alors que de nombreux sujets étaient évoqués sur l'utilisation des 29 milliards de Fcfp du collectif budgétaire, c'est bien celui-ci qui a fait le plus d'étincelles aujourd'hui.

[allAfrica]

The Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CAPRI) will launch its Budget Breakdown 2025 report on Thursday, delving into the government’s recently announced budget. The launch is open to the public and will take place at The UWI Regional Headquarters...

The new permanent representative of Haiti to the Organization of American States (OAS), Myrtha Désulmé, recently presented her credentials to the secretary general of the OAS, Luis Almagro, during a ceremony that took place at the organisation’s...

Former Ghanaian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, assumed office as Secretary-General of the Commonwealth on Tuesday, April 1, pledging to advance the values of the Commonwealth Charter at a time of...

Jamaicans are being encouraged to screen for colorectal cancer, as it continues to be an increasing cause of death on the island. The call comes from Radiation Oncologist and Head of the Radiotherapy Department for the National Cancer Treatment...

Curtis Nathaniel McInnis, a remarkable centenarian, recently celebrated his extraordinary life journey, offering a powerful testament to perseverance, hard work, and unwavering integrity. Born on March 17, 1924, in Bennett, a small community near...

A woman was rescued by Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers from the top of an overhead bridge near Nex mall on Wednesday (April 2).  SCDF and the police told AsiaOne they were alerted to the incident along Serangoon Central at 2.40pm.  In a TikTok video uploaded on Wednesday, the woman can be seen sitting on the roof of a sheltered overhead bridge, with her legs dangling over the edge. At least ten SCDF and police officers can be seen on the bridge as they attempt to reach her.  Eventually, a SCDF officer is seen on the roof of the bridge and he approaches the woman, 45, from behind before pulling her away from the edge.  @admirer1204 A good job by SCDF in saving a Sundial lady at Serangoon NEX overhead bridge.

Woodleigh bus interchange in Bidadari estate, which was originally slated to be ready by 2021, will open on April 20. Additionally, the new bus interchange located adjacent to Pasir Ris MRT station will open on April 27, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Thursday (April 3). This will bring the total number of integrated transport hubs in Singapore to 14.  The underground Woodleigh bus interchange, located in Woodleigh Village with 330 HDB flats and a hawker centre, will be operated by SBS Transit. In a press release, LTA said that bus service 146 will be amended to operate from the new bus interchange and ply in both directions along Bidadari Park Drive to serve four additional bus stops near Woodleigh Mall and Alkalf CourtView Housing Board estate. A new service 148 will also call at the new bus interchange, added LTA. The loop service between Woodleigh bus interchange and Potong Pasir estate will connect residents to amenities including Woodleigh Mall, Woodleigh hawker centre, Bidadari Community Club and the upcoming Bidadari Polyclinic, as well as schools such as Maris Stella High School and St Andrew's Secondary School.

Donald Trump’s envoy Keith Kellogg has said that the Ukraine conflict is close to a ceasefire Read Full Article at RT.com

SINGAPORE — The mother of four-year-old Megan Khung who had been abused and humiliated for more than a year before she died was on April 3 sentenced to 19 years' jail. On Feb 28, Foo Li Ping, 29, had pleaded guilty to one count of child abuse, one count of allowing the death of a child, and one count of intentional disposal of a corpse to impede investigations. Another count of child abuse was considered in sentencing. Foo looked expressionless as the sentence was read out by High Court judge Hoo Sheau Peng. «For their own sadistic ends, the accused persons robbed Megan of her dignity,» said the judge.  The prosecution had on Feb 28 asked for 15 to 20 years' jail, saying the case involved a gross abnegation of parental duties. For more than a year, Foo and her boyfriend, Wong Shi Xiang, 38, caned and slapped Megan, deprived the girl of food and clothes, and made her sleep at the balcony of their rented condominium unit in Paya Lebar. Megan was also forced to wear soiled diapers over her head, forced to eat food from the dustbin, and forced to eat her mother's mucus - acts that were captured on video.

US President Donald Trump has an affinity for Russia, Ukraine’s ex-top diplomat has said Read Full Article at RT.com

L’AS Pirae a décroché une victoire précieuse 1-0 contre Rewa FC au Lawson Tama Stadium. Maintenant, ses espoirs de qualification pour les demi-finales de la Ligue des Champions de l’OFC 2025 sont permis, tandis que le club fidjien est éliminé de la compétition.

Le groupe incontournable de vos playlists reggae revient à Tahiti ! Maoli et son band se produiront pour la deuxième fois en plein cœur de Papeete, à To'ata, le vendredi 29 août dès 19h30. Ne manquez pas cet événement et réservez vos places dès maintenant. Retrouvez toutes les informations dans cet article.

The latest news on Trump’s presidency and updates on the wide-ranging tariffs he announced on multiple countries and imports Wednesday.