When businessman Atul Sethi landed at Changi Airport after his flight from New York on Thursday (May 16), the Indian national was pleasantly surprised that it took him less than a minute to clear immigration.  All thanks to the new Automated Border Control System (ABCS), which was launched at Changi Airport in early May.  Under the new system, all incoming travellers, regardless of nationality, can now use automated clearance lanes, where they insert their passports into a machine for scanning and undergo a biometric scan.  Previously, the lanes could only be used by Singapore residents and passport holders from 60 jurisdictions. Sethi, 46, who arrived at Terminal 3 and was laying over in Singapore, told reporters: «It is delightful, coming to Singapore and using the new facilities. After staying in the US immigration line for an hour, it was a pleasure to [clear immigration so quickly here].» The ABCS, which has been progressively installed, will replace the current automated lanes and manual counters.  The new lanes are expected to reduce immigration clearance time at the passenger halls by about 40 per cent. 

SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) has found foster parents for the 15-year-old girl who lived in a wet market stall for 11 months. The girl, who relieved herself in pails in the Circuit Road Market and Food Centre stall her father rented, will be discharged from hospital and be put in foster care by the end of May. An MSF spokesman told The Straits Times on May 17 that any contact between the girl and her father while she is in foster care will be closely supervised. Her father, 63, is assisting with investigations into ill-treatment of a child or young person by neglect under the Children and Young Persons Act. Those convicted can be jailed for up to eight years, fined up to $8,000, or both. The MSF spokesman said the child's safety and stability are the ministry's main considerations when matching any child with suitable foster parents. Said MSF: "In this case, the foster parents must be able to manage a child with developmental needs.

Buckingham Palace informed PETA that Queen Camilla will not buy any more fur garments for her wardrobe Read Full Article at RT.com

House Republicans have passed a bill designed to force the White House to resume arms shipments to Israel Read Full Article at RT.com

Russia-China energy cooperation has become a pillar of the global energy market, Vladimir Putin has said Read Full Article at RT.com

A suspected arson incident at a synagogue in France has resulted in the death of the attacker, officials have said Read Full Article at RT.com

Handing out pledge cards and posing for pictures in a white shirt with rolled-up sleeves, Sir Keir Starmer welcomed comparisons between himself and the former prime minister.

For the second year in a row, British presenter Jeremy Clarkson, 64, has secured the title of the UK and Ireland's sexiest man.

Dana Abuqamar, 19, a law student at the University of Manchester who said she was 'full of joy' after Hamas launched its attack on Israel, claims the Home Office revoked her visa on 'baseless' grounds.

The price of holidays at 32 Center Parcs sites across England, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany was found to vary wildly in peak school holiday periods, according to research by Which?

The EU defence industry is characterised by economic and technological components that are important factors for Europe’s industrial competitiveness. The European Defence Agency supports Member States in improving their defence capabilities and contributes to the development of their defence industry. The sector has recently decided to address some of its main challenges, including market fragmentation and low spending levels, by reinforcing common procurement and enhancing defence expenditure. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

European territorial cooperation (ETC) is the goal of cohesion policy that aims to solve problems across borders and to jointly develop the potential of diverse territories. Cooperation actions are supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through three key components: cross-border cooperation, transnational cooperation and interregional cooperation. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

EU energy policy is based on the principles of decarbonisation, competitiveness, security of supply and sustainability. Its objectives include ensuring the functioning of the energy market and a secure energy supply within the EU, as well as promoting energy efficiency and savings, the development of renewable energies and the interconnection of energy networks. A variety of measures aiming to achieve a complete Energy Union is at the core of the EU’s energy policy. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Following the adoption of various items of EU legislation, both international and cabotage road haulage and passenger transport services have been gradually liberalised. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Since December 2009, the Union has competence to carry out actions to support, coordinate or supplement the actions of the Member States in tourism policy. Although the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework does not provide for a separate budget line for tourism policy, during the 2022-2023 period the budget for tourism activities was earmarked under the single market programme. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Indian-American lawmakers have expressed their intention to continue raising human rights concerns in India with its leadership, but they believe that lecturing New Delhi on this matter is unlikely to yield positive results. Congressman Ro Khanna, who co-chairs the Congressional India Caucus, emphasized the importance of understanding India's colonial history spanning over a century.

Igor Kostyukov noted that NATO was stepping up its military activities in the Arctic region

Sergey Ryabkov underscored that Russia will work with those «who are ready to negotiate on an equal basis»

Buckingham Palace informed PETA that Queen Camilla will not buy any more fur garments for her wardrobe Read Full Article at RT.com

Police had to break down Ryan Scott's door after neighbours reported seeing three youngsters enter his home. By the time they got in, he had engaged in sexual activity with a girl aged 14.

Megalopolis is a passion project decades in the planning, which Francis Ford Coppola financed himself partly by auctioning off a chunk of his wine-making business.

Moscow has never interfered in election campaigns in any country, Sergey Ryabkov said

Details are not known, a law enforcement source has told TASS

The yuan rate remained unchanged,at 12.587 rubles

NATO's and partners have already allocated than $132 billion for the purpose, including over $63 billion spent by the United States, said Igor Kostyukov

The Sino-Russian Academy of Fundamental Sciences «is being created in Russia and China as a platform for bilateral cooperation in fundamental sciences - mathematics, physics, chemistry,» Russia’s Lomonosov Moscow State University's press service said

The person described by the media as Russia’s transgender politician has changed his mind about identifying as a woman Read Full Article at RT.com

Giving way to emergency vehicles on the road is common courtesy, but one driver's rather unconventional means of doing so divided netizens. Dashcam camera footage from the incident, which took place at around 5.30pm on Wednesday (May 15), was posted to Facebook Group Complaint Singapore in the same evening with the caption «Is this how you give way to emergency vehicles?». The footage shows a white BMW coming to a stop on the rightmost lane of the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) as an ambulance approaches from behind.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officer who died after fighting a fire on board a marine vessel in the southwest had a stellar track record, according to a second press statement released by the SCDF on Thursday (May 16) night. The firefighter, identified as Captain Kenneth Tay Xue Qin, was from the West Coast Marine Fire Station, which was alerted to the fire in the early hours of Thursday. The 30-year-old, a Rota Commander, was found lying at the bottom of a staircase on the vessel and pronounced dead at the hospital. Tay joined the SCDF as a regular officer and started 28 weeks of training in the Rota Commander Course in December 2017. During the course, Tay achieved outstanding results, acing his Individual Physical Proficiency Test and Breathing Apparatus Proficiency Test.  After completing the course eight months later, he was posted to Changi Fire Station as a Rota Commander, where he stayed until November 2020.

[allAfrica]

Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with Oversight for Skills and Digital Transformation, Dr Dana Morris Dixon, has underscored the importance of upskilling and reskilling, noting that these are important for maintaining...