[allAfrica] Mombasa, Kenya -- A new round of pledges and partnerships marked the closing ceremony of the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa. Countries and stakeholders outlined commitments to scale up ocean action, finance and innovation. The question, however, remains whether these will amount to yet another list of promises.

Plaud plans to invest more than $10 million in expanding its Singapore headquarters, with its local workforce expected to grow to around 150 employees by the end of 2026.The Singapore office will oversee Plaud’s Asia-Pacific strategy while supporting global and regional functions, including cloud infrastructure, AI development, human resources, finance, treasury and legal compliance. Plaud says the expansion would take its worldwide workforce beyond 600 employees.Singapore will also become Plaud’s first R&D hub in Asia-Pacific. The company is hiring AI engineers, AI agent architects, and data scientists to work on AI workflows and intelligent agent systems alongside its global product and engineering teams. It did not specify its current headcount in Singapore or how many of the planned 150 positions will be dedicated to research and engineering.“Singapore gives us access to strong AI, engineering and regional business talent,” said Plaud co-founder and CEO Nathan Xu. 

A batch of pickled pearl garlic has been recalled after sulphur dioxide — an allergen — was detected in it, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said on Friday (June 19).The level of sulphur dioxide in the product exceeded the maximum limit, the agency said. The allergen was not declared on the food packaging.Sinhua Hock Kee Trading Pte Ltd, the importer of the affected Pickled Pearl Garlic (230g) product, has been directed to recall one batch of the product from Thailand with an expiry date of May 5, 2029.Sulphite does not pose a food safety issue to consumers at large, but those who are intolerant of, or allergic to, sulphites can suffer from allergic reactions such as hives, itchiness, stomach ache, diarrhoea or vomiting.Consumers who have purchased the affected product, and are intolerant of or allergic to sulphites, should not consume them, the agency added. They may contact their point of purchase for enquiries.Those who have consumed the product should seek medical advice if they have concerns about their health.

Accompanying her daughter to an open casting call for a modelling agency, the mother was surprised to find herself called into the room to audition.Sun Ting, 50, ended up signing with Basic Models Management, a local modelling agency, after passing several rounds of evaluation.This was caught on camera as part of an episode of the agency's Making of a Model series, which was uploaded on their YouTube channel on June 10.Anya, 15, a Singapore Permanent Resident, was called in to audition by the judges, where she revealed that she was a French citizen, as her dad is French, while her mother is Chinese.When asked if she had any other friends who model, Anya mentioned that her mother was a former model.Modelling since young«I'm a little bit nervous and excited for my daughter,» Sun said, while speaking to the camera in the video as she stood outside the audition room waiting for Anya.«I've been modelling since I was young, so it's like she followed my passions,» she added.

The Canadian national football team now tops it Group B with four points

The only goal of the match at the Estadio Akron in Zapopan was scored by Mexico’s Luis Romo in the 50th minute of the match

During several weeks’ work on the document, the statement was significantly adjusted to be finalized at the suggestion of Hungary, Peter Magyar said

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. noted that Russia had given the Filipinos an option to legally work in the country but they chose to come back to their homeland

A study found that new road, railway and tram projects cost 65 per cent more than equivalent schemes in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Canada or South Korea.

A boy of three was seriously injured after being thrown into a crocodile pit at a zoo yesterday.

The Greater Manchester mayor was declared the constituency's new MP in the early hours of Friday, as he defeated his Reform UK rival to bring an end to his 9-year hiatus from the House of Commons.

Tory candidate Douglas Lumsden won a majority of more than 6,000 with 14,308 votes, followed by the SNP in second place with 8,258.

Marius Borg Hoiby, son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, was found guilty of two charges of rape, six of sexual molestation and six of 'reckless behaviour', among a total of 34 charges.

Upset that he was denied a straw at a convenience store, a man returned with two knives and threatened to harm the shopkeeper.The scene occurred at a store located at 78 Redhill Lane on May 1, at about 1.57pm, according to Shin Min Daily News.The perpetrator, 55-year-old Wu Zhijian (transliterated), reportedly visited the shop to buy bread and a canned drink, and had asked for a straw from the store manager, 42-year-old Prebu Karuppiah.He accused the shopkeeper of refusing him a straw, and an argument ensued.Wu left the shop in a huff, but barged back in a few minutes later while holding two knives.The man reportedly shouted at Karuppiah and threatened to harm him as he brandished the knives. He then shoved the cash register before leaving the scene, reported Shin Min.Karuppiah immediately reported the case to the police, and said that Wu lives upstairs on the same block.CCTV footage from the shop reportedly showed a man in a red shirt walking while holding a knife in each hand.Wu was apprehended by the police that same afternoon, and was subsequently charged the following day.

Singapore welcomes the US-Iran agreement to cease all operations in the Middle East, and the commitment under the agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said.A spokesperson for the ministry said on Thursday (June 18) night that a resolution of the outstanding issues, keeping with international law, «will create the necessary conditions for lasting peace, security and stability in the region».To this end, the move to establish a framework for further negotiations on outstanding issues is welcomed, MFA added.It also commended the efforts of Pakistan and Qatar for their efforts to mediate between the parties. 

A total of 22 people were injured after a minibus, a lorry and a prime mover were involved in an accident in Tuas on Thursday (June 18).In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to the accident along Tuas South Avenue 3 towards Tuas South Boulevard at about 6.50am. Twenty-two people, aged between 21 and 53, were taken conscious to the hospital, said the police. Six were taken to the National University Hospital while 16 others to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, said SCDF. The 41-year-old male minibus driver is assisting with ongoing police investigations.A TikTok video shared on Thursday showed a white minibus, with the driver's door slightly ajar and the window shattered, stopped behind a lorry. Debris was scattered between the two vehicles. The lorry is seen to have rammed into the back of an unloaded prime mover. At least one fire engine and three ambulances were at the scene. AsiaOne has contacted the Ministry of Manpower for more information. 

Singapore has reclaimed the top spot in the 2026 edition of IMD's World Competitiveness Rankings, overtaking Switzerland who placed first last year.Released on Thursday (June 18), the rankings assessed 70 economies based on four competitiveness factors — economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency and infrastructure.«Geopolitical conditions are worsening, and global fragmentation is increasing,» said Arturo Bris, Director of the World Competitiveness Center (WCC) in the report. «Nations with their own tried and tested, credible institutions gain an advantage in this context because — as the international systems cease to serve so many national needs — businesses can carry on as usual.»Singapore placed first in business efficiency, fourth in government efficiency and economic performance, and fifth in infrastructure, according to the report.WCC economist Fabian Grimm wrote in the report that Singapore's strong performance in the 2026 rankings show a «broad-based recovery and strengthening across multiple dimensions of competitiveness». 

India strongly criticized Pakistan at the UNHRC, labeling it a «Frankenstein state» that nurtures terrorism as state policy. India rejected Pakistan's allegations regarding Jammu and Kashmir, asserting the region's integral status and highlighting human rights violations in Pakistan-occupied territories.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended birthday wishes to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on his 56th birthday. Several Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Pawan Khera, lauded Gandhi's dedication to constitutional values, social justice, and his resilience in politics. Leaders from Kerala also highlighted his journey and outreach efforts.

The executive director of Premier Danielle Smith's office says that instead of criticizing her, First Nations chiefs should fix their own communities, describing them as entrenched in poverty, drugs and violence.

Russian Foreign Minister also stressed that further military, political and economic expansion by the West is unacceptable

Sergey Lavrov stated this is not the background for comprehensive dialogue

Russian Foreign Minister recalled that Vladimir Putin reiterated at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum that Russia is not opposed to contacts with any party

Confirmed Ebola cases currently stand at 896, with 21 cases added to the tally during the past day

Donald Trump stated that the US defeated Iran totally militarily

Une cérémonie s’est tenue ce jeudi matin au monument de la France libre à Papeete dans le cadre de la journée nationale commémorative de l’appel du général de Gaulle du 18 juin 1940. Autorités civiles et militaires, ainsi que des associations d’anciens combattants, ont rendu hommage aux soldats engagés durant la Seconde Guerre mondiale.

The US-Iran war ended with Hormuz reopened, but with no decisive political gain, exposing the limits of US power against a resilient Iran Read Full Article at RT.com

Two Zaporozhye nuclear power plant staffers were killed by the Ukrainian military this year Read Full Article at RT.com

The Russian foreign minister has shared his views on the militarization of the EU, and the threat he says this poses to global security Read Full Article at RT.com