According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), El Niño conditions have developed in the tropical Pacific and are expected to intensify over the coming months.

WESTERN BUREAU: A call is being made for people to refrain from prematurely trying the case against Police Constable Andrew Wilson, who is charged with murder in the controversial May 17 shooting death of Latoya ‘Buju’ Bulgin, in the court of public opinion.

WESTERN BUREAU: Eleven-year-old Yori Vanriel has emerged as western Jamaica’s top-performing boy in this year’s Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations, earning 394.9 out of 400 and ending a two-decade wait for Montego Bay Preparatory to produce the region’s top student.

West Bengal withdrew its Supreme Court appeal challenging the High Court's OBC list judgment. The state cabinet decided not to pursue the appeal, which was previously filed by the Trinamool Congress government. The Calcutta High Court had struck down the inclusion of 77 communities, including 75 Muslim communities. The state assembly has since passed two bills to restructure the OBC reservation framework.

Rekha Gupta accused the Aam Aadmi Party of political patronage to Tahir Hussain. She demanded answers from the party leadership regarding their association with him. Hussain was convicted for his role in the 2020 Delhi riots and murder. The conviction brought justice to victims and their devastated families. The chief minister stressed accountability and punishment for those responsible.

Iceland had the highest upper secondary school dropout rate in Europe in 2025, according to official data from the European Union's statistical office, Eurostat. The figures show that 16.7% of Icelanders aged 18 to 24 had left upper secondary education without completing it.

The number of foreign citizens living in Iceland has grown at a faster rate than the number of Icelandic citizens since December 1, 2025, according to new data from Registers Iceland.

[New Times] The government is set to receive its first direct shipment of refined petroleum products, with a vessel carrying 40,000 tonnes expected to arrive at Tanzania's Port of Tanga by the end of July 2026.

[New Times] The government is set to spend more than Rwf64 billion subsidising fertilisers in the 2026/27 financial year as it shields farmers from rising global prices while pursuing higher agricultural productivity.

[New Times] When Samuel Ishimwe talks about satellites, he is quick to move the conversation away from space.

These are the works of the winners of the 'First Forever' competition, dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the flight of the first Earth astronaut, Yury Gagarin, and cooperation between Russia and India in the field of space exploration

This is a de facto outright legalization of deliveries, Alexander Stepanov said

Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada voted by a majority to dismiss Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko

The firefighting operation to extinguish a surface fire continues in the exclusion zone

According to Dmitry Peskov, the bilateral relationship is «based on the principle of equality» that respects the interests of both sides

Here’s a question worth asking about Malawian politics right now: when did you last see President Arthur Peter Mutharika? Not hear about him. See him. Addressing the nation, holding an audience, out and about. If you’re struggling to remember, you’re not alone. The last notable sighting was his return from a private visit to South […] The post Mutharika’s Cincinnatus act — and the DPP succession race appeared first on Malawi News | Breaking News, Politics, Business & Sports | Nyasa Times.

The Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Decentralisation has called on Members of Parliament to engage more closely with their local councils over the procedures required to access the Constituency Development Fund, following complaints from legislators about delays in disbursement. Joseph Mwanamvekha, the minister responsible, addressed the matter in Parliament after MPs pressed the ministry […] The post Finance minister urges MPs to press councils over Constituency Development Fund procedures appeared first on Malawi News | Breaking News, Politics, Business & Sports | Nyasa Times.

A Malawian social commentator has taken aim at President Arthur Peter Mutharika, accusing him of surrounding himself with individuals previously convicted on corruption-related charges — with the appointment of Henry Mussa cited as the latest example. In a Facebook post that has since gone viral, commentator Idris Ali Nasser said it was neither by accident […] The post Commentator Nasser weighs in on Mutharika’s ‘cesspit’ of pardoned convicts appeared first on Malawi News | Breaking News, Politics, Business & Sports | Nyasa Times.

A courtroom was left stunned when a woman who lost her eye at the hands of her own husband suddenly leapt up and rushed to beg for HIS freedom — just seconds after he was sentenced to five years behind bars. The extraordinary scene unfolded at Balaka Second Grade Magistrate’s Court after Blackson Godfrey, 27, […] The post Wife pleads for mercy after husband jailed for blinding her in one eye appeared first on Malawi News | Breaking News, Politics, Business & Sports | Nyasa Times.

Nigeria’s ISA Under-17 side has emerged as one of the early success stories at this year’s Gothia Cup, combining dominant performances on the pitch with growing interest from European clubs as the academy continues building international pathways for its young players. The academy has opened its campaign with two emphatic victories, defeating Swedis h side […] The post ISA U-17s combine big wins with growing  European interest at Gothia Cup appeared first on Malawi News | Breaking News, Politics, Business & Sports | Nyasa Times.

The EU has imported a record volume of Russian LNG months before its planned 2027 ban takes effect, the FT has said Read Full Article at RT.com

This briefing, published by the European Parliamentary Research Service, aims to provide a broad range of key facts and figures about the European Parliament. Its many graphics offer a picture of the Parliament's Members and the institution's structures and activity in the current parliamentary term (July 2024 to June 2029) and in previous five-year terms since direct elections were introduced in June 1979. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the European Union’s latest generation of so-called mini trade deals (MTDs), an informal but analytically useful label applied to agreements that sit outside the standard free trade agreement (FTA) framework. The paper focuses on three current categories: clean trade and investment partnerships (CTIPs), sustainable investment facilitation agreements (SIFAs), and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) related to critical raw materials (CRMs). Drawing on existing research by Claussen (2022), Cernat (2023), Larsson and Wennerberg (2024), and Sasmal (2026), as well as on institutional documents, European Parliament (EP) research, and further academic literature, it examines each instrument’s substantive content, procedural origins, stakeholder involvement, legal character, governance architecture, and the role, or absence of a role, of the European Parliament. The paper evaluates the implementation record of existing agreements where data are available, identifies the systemic challenges of transparency and democratic accountability, and assesses the strategic rationale for MTDs in the current geopolitical environment. It concludes that while MTDs offer genuine advantages in speed and flexibility, their growing use (especially in legally non-binding form) raises serious governance concerns that the EU’s institutional architecture is not currently equipped to manage. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

The thousands of per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFAS) contain carbon-fluorine bonds, one of the strongest chemical bonds in organic chemistry, making them resistant to degradation. The favourable physicochemical properties that make PFAS valuable for countless applications and products pose huge environmental challenges: PFAS are persistent. Due to their persistence and mobility, widespread use and resulting emissions, PFAS are now ubiquitous contaminants, polluting soil and water resources. Remediation is technically challenging and very costly. Human biomonitoring shows PFAS are omnipresent in populations, raising serious health concerns. Given the scale of contamination and remediation limitations, scientists and regulators deem pollution prevention, i.e. regulating PFAS at source, the most sustainable option. European Union (EU) legislation has increasingly covered PFAS, with decisive Parliament input. However, regulatory steps taken so far are fragmented and cannot effectively address PFAS risks. Due to the sheer number of PFAS, regulating them individually is impractical and inadequate. The EU chemicals strategy for sustainability committed to regulate PFAS as a group. The European Chemicals Agency is assessing a wide-ranging restriction proposal (targeted ban) under the EU Regulation on the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (REACH) that covers some 10 000 compounds. At stake are the need to protect citizens' health and preserve essential natural resources; the technical and economic challenges for businesses; Europe's need to catch up on innovation; and PFAS risks for investors and insurers. The European Chemicals Agency is expected to transmit its final opinion to the European Commission by the end of 2026. Parliament will scrutinise the Commission's draft restriction. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

A drive back to Singapore ended on a distressing note for a family of four after a Causeway Link bus allegedly collided with their car near the Johor-Singapore Causeway.According to the father, who shared his account with Stomp, the incident occurred on May 3 at about 11.36am as the family was returning to Singapore after a long weekend in Desaru.The father, who wished to remain anonymous, said he was travelling with his wife and two children, aged two and six, when he entered a lane designated for buses while using the Eastern Dispersal Link Expressway for the first time.«By the time there were signs to show which was the car lane, the queue was already bumper to bumper,» he said, noting that the vehicle lanes were not clearly marked in advance.«I had no way to signal and slot myself into the queue. I had to wait to be let in once the car lane traffic moved forward.»

While the relationship between Singapore and Malaysia since independence has had its complications, the main story between the two neighbours remains one of cooperation across many fields, said President Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Monday (July 13).He was speaking to some 150 Singaporeans living and working in Malaysia at a reception held at Singapore's High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.President Tharman, noting that there are about 120,000 Singaporeans living and working there, said each one of them plays an important role towards bilateral relations.Turning to the sense of «ease and familiarity» with being in Malaysia, the President suggested this comes from the two countries being immediate neighbours, and their common history – going back to before British colonial rule, and extending to the tumultuous 1960s and eventual separation.«The relationship since independence has had its complications at times. »But the main story of Singapore-Malaysia relations has been one of cooperation across many fields – cooperation underpinned by the belief that we are each better when we work together, and grow together," he explained.

SINGAPORE - The High Court on July 14 awarded Cabinet ministers K. Shanmugam and Tan See Leng each $230,000 in damages after ruling in their favour in the defamation suit they brought against news provider Bloomberg and its journalist.The case arose from a Bloomberg article published on Dec 12, 2024, titled “Singapore mansion deals are increasingly shrouded in secrecy”, which mentioned transactions involving Good Class Bungalows (GCBs) in Singapore.The article included the ministers’ property deals in 2023 – the sale of Mr Shanmugam’s former home in the Queen Astrid Park area to UBS Trustees for $88 million and Dr Tan’s non-caveated purchase of a bungalow in Brizay Park for nearly $27.3 million.In a written judgment on July 14, Justice Audrey Lim found the natural and ordinary meaning of the article is that the ministers took advantage of the absence of checks and balances or disclosure requirements to conduct their property transactions in a non-transparent manner, and that they did so in order to hide their transactions and avoid scrutiny that might extend to the possibility of money laundering.

The FSB has destroyed 35 drones and detained two suspects involved in plotting a Ukrainian attack on a Russian defense enterprise Read Full Article at RT.com

In a dramatic escalation, counter terrorism officers yesterday took over the investigation into the killing of the former Tory minister.

The US announced a new round of strikes on Iran on Monday, hours after President Donald Trump said that the United States is 'reinstating' a blockade on Iran in the Strait of Hormuz.

One responded to the news of Ann Widdecombe's death by calling her a 'BIGOT!'. It was a bizarre way to respond to the sudden passing of a 78-year-old lady...