CPI(M) MP John Brittas has urged the Centre to bring the Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust under the RTI Act. He argued that the Trust's establishment via government notification and the presence of government officials in its framework necessitate transparency and public accountability, especially amid allegations of donation embezzlement. Brittas drew a parallel with the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, asserting that autonomy and accountability can coexist.

​​The latest escalation comes after VHP International President Alok Kumar wrote to the Investigation Officer handling the alleged Ram Temple embezzlement case, urging verification of allegations made by several Opposition leaders, including Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, AAP leader Sanjay Singh and Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav.

Speaking at the wedding of the granddaughter of DMK headquarters secretary 'Thuraimugam' Kaja in Thiruverkadu, Chennai, Udhayanidhi said the party's bond with minority communities remained strong despite political attacks and campaigns aimed at creating divisions. Taking an apparent swipe at political rivals without naming anyone, he said, «some people left us as soon as a sofa arrived».

SINGAPORE – Content creator Renae Cheng, 31, has spent the past two years dealing with AI-generated videos on TikTok of her being kissed and groped by a stranger.The overseas-based harasser, who created the deepfake video, also bombarded her with rape and death threats after she refused to share an acquaintance’s contact details.Cheng, who is married with an 11-month-old daughter, frequently has to field awkward questions from confused relatives about the videos. “Some of them are upset and may not understand that the videos are fake,” said Cheng.She had reported the videos to TikTok multiple times, but was told that the content did not breach the platform’s community guidelines.The videos remain online, but Cheng hopes they will be deleted soon. She will be taking her case to the Online Safety Commission (OSC), which started operations on June 29.The commission offers an alternative for those who encounter inadequate, delayed or unhelpful responses from social media platforms over harms encountered online.

SINGAPORE – For business associate Tan Hui Xin, commuting on the North East Line (NEL) from Kovan to Dhoby Ghaut during the morning rush hour has long been a struggle.“The NEL is a nightmare in the morning, and I used to have to wait at the platform until a train arrived with enough space for me to squeeze in,” said the 30-year-old.In recent months, she has noticed a “slight improvement” when she boards a train at about 8.45am, after a free off-peak ride scheme began on Dec 27, 2025.“It’s somewhat better now. I usually get to board immediately,” she added.Connecting residents in the north-eastern part of the island to the city centre, the NEL is one of Singapore’s most heavily utilised rail lines.Based on operator SBS Transit’s business update for the first quarter of 2026, the line sees an average of 610,814 passenger trips each day. This is a 2.7 per cent increase from the same period in 2025.To ease congestion, the scheme was implemented allowing passengers to take their first rail ride for free when they tap in before 7.30am, or between 9am and 9.45am, on weekdays at any Sengkang-Punggol LRT station or one of six NEL stations.

Plans to lower the threshold for the extra levy to include homes worth £1.5millon would mean more than 150,000 families being hit with four-figure tax hikes.

La saison sèche n'épargne personne, pas même les artistes. Au village, la jeune chanteuse gabonaise, Macy Ilema a choisi de revenir à une méthode aussi simple qu'efficace : le bon vieux feu de bois pour chauffer l'eau de la douche. Une scène qui rappelle que le confort ne dépend pas toujours de la technologie, mais souvent de l'ingéniosité. Entre les crépitements du bois et la vapeur qui s'élève de la marmite, c'est tout un art de vivre qui reprend ses droits, avec une touche de (...) - SOCIETE / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON

Punjab Congress faces a deep-rooted crisis fueled by persistent infighting and a delayed response from the high command. Despite Rahul Gandhi's call for unity, internal rifts are widening, with senior leaders expressing discontent over leadership decisions. This recurring pattern of internal conflict and inaction has historically led to electoral defeats, raising serious doubts about the party's prospects in the upcoming elections.

Security forces are continuing a two-day anti-terror operation in Shopian's Meemandar area, intensifying their search for two suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists. The duo, identified as local residents Latif and Zakir, were spotted in a dense orchard and engaged security forces in a gunfight. Additional troops have been deployed to seal escape routes, with the operation ongoing despite challenging foliage.

The Congress has accused the BJP-RSS of a «scam» involving alleged embezzlement of Ram Temple donations, demanding a Supreme Court-monitored probe. Party leader Jairam Ramesh criticized the Prime Minister and Home Minister's silence, linking the issue to past funding practices. An FIR has been registered, with eight arrests made and cash recovered as the investigation continues into the alleged siphoning of «thousands of crores.»

A 47-year-old waste collection truck driver and his two passengers were taken to hospital on Sunday (July 5) after their truck overturned at a traffic junction in Yishun.The incident happened at about 11.20am at the junction of Yishun Avenue 7 and Sembawang Road. Map showing where the accident happened on July 5. GRAPHIC: Google Maps, Kelvin Ngui Videos and photographs of the incident posted on social media show the truck lying on its left side.A street lamp which was hit by the truck when it overturned is seen slanted at an angle.The truck driver and his two passengers are seen seated along the pavement as Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) paramedics tend to their injuries.Based on the uniform worn by the trio, they are believed to be from Cora Environment.

In 1999, Time magazine named Bob Marley’s album Exodus as the greatest album of the 20th century. The title comes from the second book of the Bible, which tells the story of the Israelites refusing to accept slavery, and G-d leading them to freedom. Biblical themes of breaking free from Babylon, the journey to Zion, and all of us being G-d’s creations, abound in Bob’s music.

WESTERN BUREAU: For Westmoreland pig farmer Michael Murphy, the numbers no longer add up. Every month, he must find $100,000 to repay a loan. Every week, he spends roughly $300,000 on feed alone. Yet the price he receives for his pigs has remained virtually unchanged for years.

Fourth-form Jonathan Grant High School student Alexander Ashley had a revelation when he completed his first term in grade 10. Although he did very well in his take-home assignments, the final grades on his report card from the St Catherine-based institution painted a very different picture.

WESTERN BUREAU: For 38 days, South Africa was an adventure for 24-year-old Jamaican digital nomad Kadeem Leslie. In the final week, it became a country he could not wait to leave. Leslie, a Kingston-born author and entrepreneur who has been travelling the world full-time, arrived in South Africa on May 17, eager to explore a country he had long admired for its history, beauty, and cultural power.

Nearly a decade after sugar workers were temporarily moved into the Golden Grove housing development to shelter from Hurricane Matthew, some say they remain in legal limbo without titles to the properties they were “forced” to finish equipping themselves.

The intervention comes after the Education Secretary described The Mail on Sunday's revelation that her family made a 900 per cent profit selling their council house, as a 'manufactured smear'.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will make a one-day visit to Jakarta, Indonesia on Monday (July 6) for the annual Singapore-Indonesia Leaders' Retreat.The annual meeting will be their second in their current capacities, after PM Wong and Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto took up their present posts in May 2024 and October 2024, respectively.«The leaders' retreat reaffirms the deep and enduring bilateral ties between Singapore and Indonesia, and the commitment by both governments to deepening bilateral cooperation,» the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement on Sunday.According to PMO, PM Wong and President Prabowo will explore pathways to strengthen collaboration in areas of mutual interest and benefit for the two countries, and exchange perspectives on regional and global developments.

Armed with nothing but a bandana and his bare hands, 42-year-old Clarence Chua rescues bees, scooping them from nests into wooden boxes to relocate them, sometimes to his own backyard.«What I like about them is if you respect them and you don't threaten their safety, they are totally OK with you being at close quarters with them,» Chua said.When residents of tropical Singapore find bees nesting in their houses, they typically call pest control, which can exterminate nests in minutes for about $80 to $150. But Chua has convinced a growing number to allow him to rescue the bees for between $100 and $500.In the last six years, he has safely relocated an average of 100 nests each year, which comes up to about 6 million bees saved. Humane relocations entail moving the whole nest, keeping the queen bee, babies and worker bees intact in their colony. They are then moved to three apiaries that he manages, one of which sits in his own backyard.Chua has rescued bees from all sorts of exotic places, from a «spirit house» in a condominium to a plane's engine, which could not take off until the swarm was relocated.

Our team of reporters take you behind the curtain in Mexico - where England are gearing up for a huge last-16 clash against the World Cup hosts.

Israeli Prime Minister stressed that «America has been the greatest force for liberty the modern world has known»

The total number of received applications for TUE permits since the start of the year amounted to 114 and 79 were approved

26 cases added to the tally during the past day

West Bengal minister Dilip Ghosh claimed the Trinamool Congress is facing a «wave of resignations» and is effectively defunct, following Chandrima Bhattacharya's exit from all party posts. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has reassumed leadership amidst internal turmoil and alleged BJP intimidation. Ghosh questioned Bhattacharya's tenure and Banerjee's budget preparation methods, while Bhattacharya cited hurt over Banerjee's accusations regarding Trinamool Bhavan's control.

Singapore's law enforcement agencies conducted checks on more than 17,000 people in June, resulting in 1,776 suspects being hauled up for investigations.They comprised of 1,173 men and 603 women, aged between 15 and 85.Of these, 519 were arrested.«The operations form part of the police's sustained efforts to clamp down on unlawful activities and deter would-be offenders,» said the police in a news release on Sunday (July 5).More than 5,600 officers from the seven police land divisions, the Traffic Police and the Criminal Investigation Department were involved in over 1,300 operations against a wide range of offences. The police worked closely with the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), the Land Transport Authority and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).The offences targeted included vice activities, traffic violations, vaporiser-related crimes, immigration offences and illegal employment.Public entertainment venue raidsThe police conducted several raids against public entertainment venues, including one on June 23 led by the Central Police Division.

A lorry driver who was trapped in his seat after a pile-up involving five heavy vehicles on the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) on Friday (July 3) was freed by rescuers with hydraulic equipment.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to the accident along AYE towards Tuas before the Benoi Road exit at around 11.15am.Footage of the aftermath showed four lorries and a trailer involved in the chain collision, with a fire engine at the scene.According to updates on the Land Transport Authority's (LTA) X account, traffic congestion stretched to Jurong Pier Road, with motorists advised to avoid Lane 3.Three male lorry drivers and a trailer driver, aged between 28 and 55, were conveyed conscious to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.Another person was assessed for minor injuries but declined to be taken to hospital, said SCDF.Police investigations are ongoing.

A male youth was taken to hospital after being found allegedly vaping inside a toilet cubicle at Safra Jurong on June 23.Footage of the incident was posted by @sgfollowsall on the same day, and showed the young man sitting on a toilet bowl looking dazed.He is seen blowing white smoke from his nostrils, and holding what appears to be an e-cigarette in one hand and a phone in the other.His arm is also seen twitching, while the person filming can be heard asking if is alright.Upon further prompting, the youth responded by raising his right hand which was gripped around the vape-like device.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to the incident at around 1.35am on June 23.One person was taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, SCDF said.Meanwhile, Safra Jurong said a youth was found in the male toilet on the second floor at about 1.43am, in response to queries from 8World.They added that a member of the public called for an ambulance, and the youth was assisted by paramedics before being taken to hospital.

A special Lok Adalat in Mathura aimed for an amicable resolution in the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Mosque dispute, with Hindu plaintiffs attending conciliation proceedings. The Hindu side proposed relocating the mosque structure to an alternative site if the Muslim parties relinquished their claim. This initiative is part of a broader Supreme Court effort to find a settlement, with further proceedings scheduled in August.

A Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust member has endorsed the administration's decisive action in the alleged Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case, calling for severe penalties for the guilty. The ongoing SIT probe has led to arrests and resignations, with investigators scrutinizing financial irregularities and alleged siphoning of funds. Despite the probe, temple worship continues smoothly, and donation handling is reportedly now fully transparent.