Zhang Ming expressed his confidence that «the joint efforts of the member states will result in a promising and constructive plan for the modernization and reform of the SCO»

In this regard, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev congratulated his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko

The participants will recap the organization’s work in 2023-2024

[Premium Times] «As I am here, I check my phone regularly and I know the number of guns that are very close to me here. This is just less than one thousand installations. Within us now, there are over 277 guns around here just because an armoury is close to this place.»

[Premium Times] The report noted that Nigeria's economy could gain $35 billion and international trade $80.7 billion by 2030.

[allAfrica]

HURRICANE BERYL has barreled across the Caribbean over recent days, leaving in its wake billions of dollars in damage, death and devastation; together with a powerful reminder that small island developing states (SIDS) are living climate change. “...

WESTERN BUREAU: Some of Trelawny’s rural communities have taken a battering from the heavy winds and rain associated with Hurricane Beryl. Residents of Troy lamented the loss of several banana trees and other crops. “There is heavy rain and a lot...

NEW YORK: The Jamaican community in North America is being mobilised and placed on high alert to assist recovery efforts in the island in the wake of Hurricane Beryl. Jamaica felt the brunt of the weather system on Wednesday as its eye passed just...

As the outer bands of Hurricane Beryl lashed St Catherine on Wednesday, some fisherfolk at the Forum Fishing Village were cooking and having a grand time at the Rum Party HQ bar while others relaxed in makeshift cottages. Robert Williamson told The...

Jamaica has discontinued its hurricane warning as Beryl moves away from the island, leaving dozens of communities and farmlands devastated. The Met Service announced a flash-flood watch for the country. It says rising water levels will continue to...

SINGAPORE - Allowing MPs to have a full-time job is a pragmatic arrangement, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said at a dialogue with students on July 2. Responding to a question on why this is permitted, he noted that all political office-holders, such as ministers, also have to balance between their full-time job governing and their duties as MP. «In the same way, just to be pragmatic about it, we recognise that some people have other private sector commitments,» he said. «We let them do it, but we fully expect them to discharge their MP duties well.» There are consequences when MPs fail to do so, he said. Either the party decides not to renew them, or voters do so. «Voters will know if their MP is working hard or not. And voters can decide,» said PM Wong. Here are PM Wong's responses to some questions that students asked. On conflicts of interest The same student also asked if Singapore deems it a conflict of interest if politicians push the agenda of their backers or corporate interests ahead of the state's interest, as is the norm in some countries.

[New Times] Defence attachés accredited to Rwanda were on July 3 hosted today to a security briefing at the Ministry of Defence and Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) Headquarters in Kigali where they received updates on Rwanda's internal and external security situation, as well as RDF's bilateral engagements in Mozambique and the Central African Republic.

[RFI] French prosecutors have ordered an inquiry into allegations that Chad's president embezzled public funds for a shopping spree on luxury clothing from Paris.

[DW] M23 rebels have captured the towns of Kanyabayonga and Kirumba in the eastern DRC. Lack of international pressure and the troubled state of the Congolese military facilitated their success, experts told DW.

[UPDATE: 8.27AM] Regular train services have progressively resumed and free regular and bridging bus services have ceased. SINGAPORE — Services have resumed along the East-West Line (EWL) after a three-hour delay caused by a track fault at Jurong East station on July 4. The delays were a result of a faulty point machine, said train operator SMRT in a Facebook post at 8.18am. «A point machine controls train movements at rail junctions when trains switch tracks. It is crucial for the point machine to be fully functional for the safe operation of trains,» it added. Due to safety reasons, trains travelled at a speed of 5kmh after the fault was detected, said SMRT. «To rectify the fault, our staff went onto the track to investigate the issue.» Free regular bus and bridging bus services, which were available between Clementi and Boon Lay stations at designated bus stops, have now ceased. SMRT first announced the track fault, which occurred at the station at around 5am, at 7.25am.

Singaporeans can look forward to cash payouts and Medisave top-ups in August. About 1.5 million citizens will receive up to $850 in cash as part of the enhanced GST Voucher (GSTV) scheme, said the Ministry of Finance (MOF) in a press release on Thursday (July 4). Those living in homes with annual values of up to $21,000 will get $850, while residents of homes with annual values of more than $21,000, and up to $25,000, will receive $450. If you own more than one property, you are not eligible for the payout. About 650,000 Singaporeans aged 65 and above will also enjoy top-ups of up to $450 to their MediSave accounts. The 2024 GSTV disbursements were first announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during Budget 2023 and will amount to $1.4 billion - around $200 million more than the sum paid out to Singaporeans in 2023, said MOF. You can check your eligibility for the GSTV benefits at govbenefits.gov.sg by logging in with your Singpass. Those who have yet to sign up for the GSTV Scheme will be notified to do so by end-August via the Singpass app, SMS or hardcopy letters.

One woman decided to take matters into her own hands after experiencing two incidents of voyeurism by two different men on the same day.  By using herself as a bait and secretly recording him, she managed to get one of the culprits nabbed. Sharing the June 4 encounter in a TikTok video, the woman said she had first felt «violated» after a man allegedly took upskirt videos of her at Scarlett Supermarket in Nex. He had followed her from one store to another in the mall for half an hour. The woman said that she did not alert the police then due to the lack of evidence. Still, she was determined not to let him get away. At around 5.30pm, she went to the Cold Storage outlet in the same mall to look for him.  But she noticed that another man was allegedly filming her while she was browsing flowers. While she initially walked away, she said that she later «mustered the courage» and decided to use herself as bait to catch the culprit red-handed. In her 40-second clip, the man is seen squatted down and holding a phone with the rear camera facing up. She saw that the phone was in camera mode, she said.

The briefing was organized by Russia’s permanent mission to the United Nations

Twenty-four documents are to be adopted at the summit

At the same time, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi emphasized that Japan will keep an eye on how the Russian-Chinese relations develop

Ballistic missile delivered at the base in the Dnepropetrovsk region

The majority will have the right to form the new government

Pimicikamak Cree Nation in northern Manitoba says ground-penetrating radar has found 150 anomalies at the site of a former residential school, including what are believed to be 59 unmarked graves at a nearby cemetery.

Edward Troup, a former HM Revenue & Customs chief who has been advising shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves, said the older generation must 'contribute'.