In an increasingly uncertain world, geopolitical developments in the Middle East have once again reminded us that maritime routes are not just lines on a map. They are the lifeblood of global trade, energy security, and economic stability. For Singapore, a small nation highly dependent on trade, navigational rights and freedoms are not an option, but an existential necessity.As Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan emphasised in his statement in Parliament this week on the energy supply crisis, conflicts in the Middle East have direct impacts on Singapore, from rising energy prices to disruptions to global supply chains. Instability along one strategic route can have far-reaching effects throughout our region.

Traffic police commander Daniel Tan Sin Heng will take over as chief executive of the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) on June 2, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced in a press release on Friday (April 10).Tan, 54, who holds the rank of Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police (SAC), will take over the leadership baton from Teo Chun Ching, who is concurrently Deputy Commissioner of Police (DC) for Policy. SAC Tan joined the Singapore Police Force in 1996 and has held key appointments in departments across the Home Team, including as Deputy Commissioner for Policy and Transformation at the Singapore Prison Service, director of planning and organisation, and commander of the Central Police Division.He is credited with driving major legislative changes that strengthened road safety, such as revisions to the demerit points system and expansion of speed limiter requirements for heavy vehicles.

The Traffic Police (TP), National Environment Agency (NEA) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) conducted a multi-agency enforcement operation against errant motorcyclists along Admiralty Road West last Tuesday (March 31). More than 300 motorcyclists were stopped for checks during the operation said the police in a news release on April 10. A total of 10 people aged between 24 and 61 were arrested by TP for riding without a valid licence and using a vehicle without insurance coverage.Meanwhile, 44 summonses were issued by NEA for offences involving excessive vehicular emission and excessive noise. And 40 summonses were issued by LTA for offences such as improper licence plate, expired road tax and decorative lamps. The police reminded motorists entering Singapore, including those driving and riding foreign-registered vehicles, that they must comply with Singapore's traffic laws and vehicle regulations. Errant motorists may face penalties and foreign-registered vehicles may be denied entry into Singapore.

Justice Yashwant Varma has resigned from his post following a cash recovery controversy and impeachment proceedings. Allegations of unaccounted cash surfaced after a fire at his residence, prompting a Supreme Court inquiry and subsequent parliamentary action. The judge had previously questioned the constitutionality of the inquiry process.

The BJP has released its West Bengal election manifesto, promising a 'Sonar Bangla' with key pledges like monthly financial aid for women and unemployed youth, and implementing the Seventh Pay Commission. Union Home Minister Amit Shah criticized the current government's governance and assured a Bengali Chief Minister, emphasizing security, welfare, and economic growth.

Rail traffic was halted across several regions of Iran on April 7 after US and Israeli strikes hit Iranian infrastructure

Pavel Durov revealed that WhatsApp read its users’ messages and shared them with third parties

Marat Berdyev also noted that throughout 2026, a series of in-person meetings and video conferences will be held, dedicated to various areas of international scientific cooperation and the drafting of a final document

Vladimir Zelensky believes that Washington has a «domestic political deadline»

The total number of employees declined by nearly 40% in 2025 to 1,560

Before heading out to a friend's birthday party last month, I mentally ran through everything I needed. Make-up, bottle of wine, flat shoes for the way home.

Thirty-three years, eight murdered young women and a decades-long fight for justice had all led up to the day when Rex Heuermann finally confessed to being the Gilgo Beach serial killer.

Zeynab Javadli said the Dubai courts have ordered police to snatch back her children and deliver them to Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Abdulmanon Aliev, 50, approached the child on the train from Southend, Essex, to London on June 16 last year.

LIVE: Read the Daily Mail's coverage of the crisis in the Middle East as Donald Trump tells JD Vance to find a way out of the war against Iran, ahead of the vice president's trip to Pakistan

[New Times] Watching films that tell the true story of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi offers more than a window into the past, it provides lessons for the present.

[New Times] In the aftermath of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, perpetrators and their sympathisers launched sustained campaigns of denial, many of which continue to fuel genocide ideology today.

[WFP] WFP and other humanitarians are stretching lean budgets to support millions reeling from conflict, displacement and climate shocks in the Central African nation

Canada's Immigration Department is sending tens of thousands of refugee claimants letters that they may not be eligible for asylum — and is telling some of them that they should leave immediately.

In this issue of our environmental newsletter, we see how some countries are using heat from nuclear power plants to heat homes; map the countries with the biggest potential to generate solar power; and learn about the government's new approach to protecting nature.

Saab is pitching a Montreal-based, sovereign data hub to secure Canada's fighter jet contract, arguing it would keep mission-critical data out of U.S. hands. The move challenges Lockheed Martin's F-35 model and amplifies Ottawa's growing unease over data control, AI and strategic dependence.

The 10-month standoff on a B.C. ostrich farm last year was the most expensive poultry cull in Canada’s history. A fifth estate investigation reveals the campaign to save the ostriches was based on falsehoods.

According to Yevgeny Dudorov, Robotics Corporation deputy CEO for production and technological development, the robot is an anthropomorphic torso-type system equipped with artificial vision

Almost all European NATO members are broadly supportive of more «strategic autonomy» from the US

The Russian troops are preparing for an offensive to the west of Ambarnoye

Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik noted that Vladimir Zelensky is interested in a longer ceasefire in order to try to change the balance of power on the battlefield

More than 50 drones were destroyed in 10 districts of the Rostov Region, with no casualties reported, Governor Yury Slyusar said

[RFI] Djibouti votes in a presidential election on Friday expected to extend President Ismail Omar Guelleh's 27-year rule, as the strategically located country hosts major foreign military bases and sits on a key global shipping route under pressure from regional conflict.

[allAfrica]

[allAfrica]