Hanoi greeted the Russian president with sweltering heat

[Premium Times] Mr Kanu is seeking an out-of-court settlement after the court rejected his bail applications and refused to strike out the charges against him on different occasions.

[Premium Times] Mr Adepoju said the feat is based on a partnership between his agency and the Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA)

[allAfrica]

All the netizen and his girlfriend wanted to do was give up their seats to a mother and a child who appeared to be struggling to keep their balance in the LRT. As the couple got up, the man tapped the mother on her back from behind to alert her to the vacated seat.  However, a man who is believed to be the woman's husband, started scolding the netizen, repeatedly shouting at him: «No touching! No touching!» Redditor Alarmed_Letter3707 wrote in the forum that he was taken aback that his good intention was met with such hostility in the incident that took place at about 10.30pm on June 8. He also wrote that the woman's husband spewed racist remarks including «just because it's okay in your country to touch woman in public does not mean it's okay to do that here in Singapore».  The Redditor explained that he tried to defend himself by saying: «'I just tapped her back to offer my seat and I'm sorry for that.»  He added that he could not get over the incident and kept his eye closed as he stood in the LRT while the woman's husband continued to berate him.

We all know the durian variety Musang King, but have you heard of the green Beserah, Tupai King, or even 'Fei Ji Mao'? With the durian season in full swing, lesser-known varieties are popping up in stalls across Singapore — though their heftier price tags may make one's wallet much lighter. Some stalls in Geylang are selling Black Gold and Beserah durians, also known as D145, at $48 to $58 per kilogram, reported Shin Min Daily News. Over at Trengganu Street in Chinatown, one vendor has brought in Tupai King (squirrel king) durians, touting it as a special, rare variety grown on a «century-old tree», and selling it at $58 per kilogram. Durians grown on older trees are said to have a richer and more complex taste. However, the vendor provided a caveat — the taste of the pricy fruit may not be to everyone's liking. Most of the customers who purchased the Tupai King are tourists, he said. And at HengBros SG Durian located along Upper Cross Street, 'Fei Ji Mao' durians are going for $48 per kilogram.

This soup kitchen has found themselves in the soup - but not literally. Krsna's Free Meals, a soup kitchen in Little India, has asked volunteers to honour their commitments after multiple groups have cancelled on them without letting them know in advance, the kitchen revealed in a video uploaded to TikTok on Wednesday (June 19). According to their website, Krsna's Free Meals is a soup kitchen in Singapore run by volunteers, cooking up free breakfast and lunch daily for those in need. Highlighting a trend, the kitchen said in their video that there are many volunteers who sign up with them as a group, but then one of the group's member decides they can't attend. When that happens, the whole group then gets cold feet and bails on the voluntary work, leaving the kitchen at a loss for that day. «Nobody tells us,» the video continued to say. «We're at the kitchen in the morning expecting a whole crew, but nobody's there.» The kitchen added: «The problem is worse when friends sign up together. If one friend has to cancel, the whole group often doesn't come without telling us.»

Arunachal Pradesh's new rural development and panchayati raj minister Ojing Tasing pledges to address corruption and fund misuse in these departments. He aims to reform them and ensure transparency, focusing on goals set by chief minister Pema Khandu. Tasing commits to a corruption-free, developed Arunachal in line with PM Modi's principles.

The Indian embassy in Washington, DC organized a yoga session ahead of the 10th International Day of Yoga, celebrating its impact on individual and societal well-being. Deputy Ambassador Sripriya Ranganathan highlighted yoga's ancient roots and contemporary relevance, emphasizing its widespread adoption across communities and institutions in the US. Participants echoed enthusiasm for yoga's role in promoting peace and harmony.

EAM S Jaishankar arrived in Sri Lanka for his first visit in his second consecutive term, where he will hold talks with Tharaka Balasuriya and Senthil Thondaman to strengthen bilateral ties and discuss India's Neighbourhood First policy, including key engagements.

[African Arguments] Planting vegetation on buildings can bring many perks for those that can afford them, but the environmental benefits should not be overstated.

[The Conversation Africa] Climate change is one of the greatest public health threats humanity has ever faced.

[The New Humanitarian] Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo -- 'Displaced people today find themselves in a situation similar to the one they initially fled.'

The Board of Directors of the University Hospital of the West Indies, UHWI, has announced the appointment of Fitzgerald Mitchell as the institution's chief executive officer. He had been acting in the role for the last two years. The...

Three of five men accused of stealing goods valued at $9,000,000 from a company in St Catherine were granted bail in the sum of $200,000 each in the St Catherine Parish Court on Wednesday. The five men, Ordelma Cunningham, John Shaw, Marlon...

TASS collected the key provisions of the open-ended treaty

According to Gordeyev, Ukraine’s daily losses amounted up to 120 troops, two infantry carriers, two Krab self-propelled artillery systems, one FH-70 tugged howitzer, three cars, as well as six fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles and two field munitions depots

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi refrained from direct comments on the Russian-North Korean comprehensive strategic partnership treaty

Russian President Vladimir Putin begins a state visit to Vietnam on Thursday, a day after signing a mutual defence pact with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, who offered his «full support» on Ukraine. Putin and Kim inked a strategic treaty at a summit in Pyongyang that included a pledge to come to each other's aid if attacked. Washington and its allies accuse North Korea of supplying ammunition and missiles to Russia for its war in Ukraine, and the deal fuelled fears of more deliveries. The US State Department said deepening Russia-North Korea ties were «of great concern» while a top Ukrainian official accused Pyongyang of abetting Moscow's «mass murder of Ukrainians». Making his first visit to the isolated North in 24 years on Wednesday, Putin said he did not rule out «military-technical cooperation» with Pyongyang, which like Moscow is under heavy international sanctions. «Today, we are fighting together against the hegemonism and neo-colonial practices of the United States and its satellites,» Putin said. The two countries have been allies since North Korea's founding after World War II and have drawn even closer since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 isolated Putin on the global stage. Kim called Putin the «dearest friend of the Korean people» and pledged him his «full support and solidarity» over the war in Ukraine, which has triggered rafts of UN sanctions on Moscow. Putin thanked his host -- whose country has been under a UN sanctions regime since 2006 over his banned weapons programmes -- saying Moscow appreciated the «consistent and unwavering» support. Putin called for a review of UN sanctions on North Korea and said the two countries would not submit to Western «blackmail». Reacting to the Pyongyang visit, a US State Department spokesperson said no country should «give Mr Putin a platform to promote his war of aggression against Ukraine». «Deepening cooperation between Russia and the DPRK is a trend that should be of great concern to anyone interested in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula,» the spokesperson said. Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior aide to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, told AFP that North Korea was abetting Russia's «mass murder of Ukrainians», and called for greater international isolation of both countries. - Trade and arms - Putin received a rapturous reception in the North Korean capital, embraced by Kim as he stepped off his plane and greeted by cheering crowds, synchronised dancers and flag-waving children. His reception is likely to be more reserved in Vietnam, a major global manufacturing hub that has carefully hedged its foreign policy position for years, seeking to be friends with all but beholden to none. In particular, it has sought to avoid picking sides in the growing US-China rivalry even as both superpowers look to boost their influence in Southeast Asia. Putin will spend Thursday meeting senior Vietnamese leaders including newly installed President To Lam and Nguyen Phu Trong, the powerful general secretary of the ruling Communist Party. US President Joe Biden visited Hanoi in September to promote ties as his administration seeks to build up Vietnam as an alternative supplier of key high-tech components to reduce American dependence on China. Beijing swiftly followed suit, with President Xi Jinping making his own state visit barely three months later. Putin touched down in Hanoi around 2 am (1900 GMT Wednesday) and begins his engagements at noon with a meeting with his counterpart To Lam. Russian officials say Putin's visit will focus on economic, education and energy issues. Trade between the two countries stood at just $3.5 billion in 2022 -- a tiny fraction of Vietnam's $175 billion trade with China and $123 billion with the United States. But observers say that in private, Ukraine and defence cooperation are likely to be on the table. Russia and Vietnam have deep ties dating back to the 1950s, and for decades, Moscow was Hanoi's leading arms supplier. Carl Thayer, emeritus professor of politics at Australia's University of New South Wales, said Vietnam has stopped «big ticket» military purchases since 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine. «Russia and Vietnam have a mutual interest in resuming arms sales but Vietnam is hamstrung by the threat of US sanctions,» he told AFP. © Agence France-Presse

Israel's repeated use of heavy bombs in the densely-populated Gaza Strip indicates repeated violations of the laws of war, the UN said Wednesday, highlighting six attacks that killed at least 218 people. In a fresh report, immediately slammed by Israel as deeply biased, the United Nations rights office provided details on the six attacks, which it said were emblematic of a concerning pattern. They involved the suspected use of up to 2,000-pound bombs on residential buildings, a school, refugee camps and a market. The rights office, known by the acronym OHCHR, said it had verified 218 deaths in those attacks, which were carried out in the early months of the war on October 7, but said it had information indicating the number of fatalities «could be much higher». «The requirement to select means and methods of warfare that avoid or at the very least minimise to every extent civilian harm appears to have been consistently violated in Israel's bombing campaign,» UN rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement. The report concludes that the series of Israeli strikes, exemplified by the six attacks carried out between October 9 and December 2, suggested that Israel's military had «repeatedly violated fundamental principles of the laws of war», the statement said. - 'Collapse tall structures' - Gaza's deadliest war was sparked by Hamas's unprecedented attack inside Israel on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,194 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. The militants also seized 251 hostages. Of these, 116 remain in Gaza, although the army says 41 are dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 37,372 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the territory's health ministry. Among the attacks listed in Wednesday's report were the strikes on Ash Shujaiyeh neighbourhood, in Gaza City on December 2 last year. It caused destruction across an approximate diagonal span of 130 metres (420 feet), destroying 15 buildings and damaging at least 14 others, it said. The extent of the damage and the craters visible and seen on satellite imagery indicated that around nine 2,000-pound GBU-31 bombs were used, it said, adding that it had received information that at least 60 people were killed. GBU-31s, along with 1,000-pound GBU-32s and 250-pound GBU-39s «are mostly used to penetrate through several floors of concrete and can completely collapse tall structures,» UN rights office spokesman Jeremy Laurence told reporters. «Given how densely populated the areas targeted were, the use of an explosive weapon with such wide area effects is highly likely to amount to our prohibited indiscriminate attack.» - 'Crimes against humanity'? - Ajith Sunghay, head of OHCHR's office in the Palestinian territories, said that the report focused heavily on Israeli actions, since the weapons used by Israel's military were far more destructive. The missiles fired by Hamas, while «absolutely unacceptable», he said, «have not caused significant killing during the war» by comparison. The incidents detailed in the report did not include a key and controversial blast early in the war on Gaza's Al-Ahli hospital compound, where Hamas initially talked about hundreds killed in what they said was an Israeli strike. Israel denied responsibility and blamed a misfired rocket launched by Islamic Jihad militants -- a claim backed by the US -- while Western intelligence sources suggested a far lower death toll. Asked why this incident did not figure on the list, Sunghay suggested the team had not had enough information to include it. The report highlighted that unlawful targeting was not only a violation of the laws of war. When committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population, in line with an official state or organisational policy, it «may also implicate crimes against humanity», it said. Israel harshly criticised the report, suggesting it aimed to «lambast and single-out Israel, while further shielding Hamas terrorists in Gaza». «OHCHR has been echoing Hamas narrative and spreading unfounded allegations,» Meirav Eilon Shahar, Israel's ambassador in Geneva, said in a statement. «This report shows the deep-rooted bias against Israel that has existed in OHCHR for decades,» she added. © Agence France-Presse

Nine individuals, including three Indians, have been arrested in connection with the tragic fire in the Ahmadi Governorate of Kuwait, which resulted in the deaths of 50 people, including 46 Indians. Among those arrested were four Egyptians and one Kuwaiti national. The charges leveled against the defendants include manslaughter and negligence, as mentioned in the report.

A bipartisan group of seven American lawmakers visited Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh, India, on Wednesday, meeting with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. This visit has caused displeasure in China. The lawmakers travelled to India specifically to engage with the Nobel peace laureate Tenzin Gyatso, who is the 14th Dalai Lama.

India's evolving strategic partnership with Gulf states under PM Modi, emphasises on economic, political, and security cooperation. It details increased investments, diplomatic visits, and defence ties, despite regional challenges like the Israel-Hamas conflict impacting India's interests. As India aims to deepen relations, challenges in security and economic ties persist, framing future priorities for enhancing bilateral and regional engagements.

STEPHEN GLOVER: How tough is Rishi Sunak? Tough enough to resign as Chancellor in July 2022, and bring about the demise of his patron, Boris Johnson.

Sabrina Carpenter's bodyguard was seen accidentally hitting a fan in the face with an umbrella while shoving photographers out of her way.

MARK GALEOTTI: It was a welcome fit for a Tsar. Thousands of North Koreans cheering fanatically as Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un greeted Russia 's President Vladimir Putin.

EXCL: As the WAGs gathered to support their partners, Laura Celia Valk was, according to her Instagram account, enjoying a glamourous trip to Paris - some 280 miles away from the Euro match.

Suri Cruise looked pretty as a princess when she was seen heading out for her high school prom in New York City on Wednesday.

Kiev has banned and seized all assets of the Nash Krai (Our Land) opposition party, according to the Ministry of Justice Read Full Article at RT.com

According to the Yevgeny Ivanov, results of the e-visa system performance will be summed up at the end of the year

Kim said that the order was awarded as a «token of boundless respect and confidence of our government and people to him, who has made a special contribution to the development of relations between the two countries»

The Australian Government has announced it will provide $2 million in extra funding to assist Papua New Guinea's recovery response to last month's devastating landslide in Enga Province.