Puducherry's assembly elections commenced today with an innovative touch as a robot named 'Nila' greeted voters. Approximately 9.5 lakh electors are choosing among 294 candidates across 30 constituencies. The main contenders are the NDA, led by Chief Minister N Rangasamy, and the Congress-DMK alliance. Key issues like statehood and unemployment are prominent, with counting set for May 4.

Bangladesh's Foreign Minister reiterated calls for former PM Sheikh Hasina's extradition during his India visit, marking the new government's first official approach. Discussions also covered energy cooperation, visa easing, and increased diesel and fertilizer supplies. Dhaka emphasized a «Bangladesh First» foreign policy, while India expressed a desire to strengthen bilateral ties.

La commune de Faa'a vient de lancer un appel d'offres pour mettre en conformité la décharge de Mumuvai. Derrière cette procédure administrative, un contentieux judiciaire qui dure depuis plus de dix ans.

Vigilance côté mer, notamment, prévient Météo France : une houle énergétique de secteur sud pouvant atteindre les 4 mètres d'amplitude se déploie actuellement sur l'archipel des Australes. Ce train de houle devrait ensuite toucher les îles de la Société à partir de demain avec des creux pouvant dépasser les 2 mètres 50 sur les côtes exposées jusqu'à dimanche.

Le ministère de la Santé informe qu’un cas d’infection invasive à méningocoque a été diagnostiqué chez un nourrisson résidant à Ua Pou. Présentant des signes évocateurs de méningite le 6 avril, le patient a été transféré à l’Hôpital Louis Rollin de Taiohae puis au Centre hospitalier de la Polynésie française (CHPF). Son état évolue favorablement.

Le bureau de veille sanitaire alerte sur la leptospirose. Fin mars, trois cas ont été notifiés, dont deux ont nécessité un passage en service de réanimation. Et la semaine du 16 mars, un décès a été rapporté.

La «troisième mi-temps» des municipales a officiellement débuté. Hier, mardi 7 avril, marquait la date limite des dépôts de dossiers. Au total, 102 recours ont été enregistrés devant le tribunal administratif de Papeete. Si une vingtaine de protestations ont déjà été écartées pour des questions de forme, plus de 80 dossiers sont toujours en cours d'instruction. Entre erreurs de calcul flagrantes et investitures «fantômes», le scrutin joue les prolongations dans certaines communes.

Police in the Bahamas said late Wednesday they have arrested the husband of a United States woman who was aboard a boat near the archipelago and vanished. Authorities said the 59-year-old man whom they did not identify was arrested in Abaco and is being questioned. A Coast Guard spokesperson told The Associated Press late Wednesday that they have opened a criminal investigation into the case. Police did not provide further details, including whether or not he was charged. It wasn’t immediately clear if he had an attorney.

Elon Musk wants OpenAI CEO Sam Altman ousted in his lawsuit against the artificial intelligence firm, according to court filings Read Full Article at RT.com

SINGAPORE — A migrant worker has won a two-year legal battle after the High Court overturned a lower tribunal's ruling and ordered his former employer to pay more than $5,700 in overtime.In a decision on April 7, High Court Justice Philip Jeyaretnam allowed an appeal by Indian national Gena Hulash Ram against Lim Joo Huat Enterprise, finding the company's treatment of overtime pay unlawful.The case turned on whether a fixed monthly allowance could be used to offset overtime pay. The court ruled that it could not, finding the approach incompatible with Singapore's employment laws.Mr Gena worked as a packer for the fresh produce wholesaler from December 2022 to August 2023.Before he was hired, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) issued an in-principle approval letter stating his basic salary as $1,000 a month, with two allowances: $200 for housing and $300 for «others». His total fixed monthly pay was $1,500. The letter also set his overtime salary rate at $7.87 per hour.The unspecified «others» allowance became the crux of the dispute.[[nid:733254]]

Phil, from Briggs Quality Butchers in Ashton-Under-Lyne, is now a familiar face on TikTok and Instagram where he reacts to the quality of meat sold at UK supermarkets.

Shabana Mahmood blocked West from entering Britain to perform at Wireless Festival because his presence would 'not be conducive to the public good'.

The president, long a NATO skeptic, has been especially angry at alliance members in recent weeks for declining to take part in the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

SINGAPORE – The lawyer defending Bloomberg in an ongoing defamation trial said on April 8 that an article it ran on high-value property transactions was not targeted at Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam.Senior Counsel N. Sreenivasan contended that good class bungalow (GCB) transactions are routinely reported by mainstream media, and that issues relating to landed properties are a matter of public interest in Singapore.The lawyer cited a few high-profile GCB transactions that were reported in The Straits Times.They include the sale of a Cluny Hill bungalow that was owned by Dr Lee Wei Ling, daughter of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, to Mr Shi Yonghong, the co-founder of hotpot chain Haidilao, for $50 million.He also cited the sale of a bungalow in Nassim Road to the wife of the founder of Nanofilm Technologies International, a local nanotechnology solutions company.Ms Jin Xiao Qun had bought the property from businesswoman Oei Siu Hoa, also known as Sukmawati Widjaja, for $128.8 million.

Singapore welcomes the announcement of a two-week ceasefire in the Middle East, and the commitment under the ceasefire to restoring shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.The war, now in its sixth week, has claimed more than 5,000 lives in nearly a dozen countries, including at least 1,600 civilians in Iran, according to a Reuters report based on tallies from government sources and human rights reports.Pakistani sources have purportedly said mediation efforts to halt the war nearly collapsed as Iran struck a Saudi petrochemical facility on Tuesday, but the country's military and civilian leadership continued speaking to senior United State and Iranian, Saudi and other officials until Trump announced the breakthrough.

The former homeland security secretary said the $70 million plane, which included a bedroom, was intended to carry out the president’s mass deportation agenda.

The president, long a NATO skeptic, has been especially angry at alliance members in recent weeks for declining to take part in the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

Clare’s Law allows police officers to provide an individual’s history of abusive behaviour to those who may be at risk. It was named after Clare Wood, a 36-year-old woman in the U.K. who was murdered by a former domestic partner who police knew to be dangerous.

Les épreuves de sélection ont commencé pour les cadettes, cadets et les juniors filles et garçons qui veulent participer aux prochains championnats du monde de va’a vitesse à Singapour. Sur les 30 athlètes sélectionnables, 12 seront retenus.

Créé au cours du long week-end de Pâques en concertation avec Moetai Brotherson, A fano tià devient le troisième groupe de l’assemblée en nombre de représentants, avec 15 élus. Ces membres disent vouloir clarifier la ligne politique, jugée trop éloignée du programme de 2023. Le groupe rencontrera le président du Pays cet après-midi.

Motorists will pay more for gas on Thursday. The state-owned oil refinery, Petrojam, says E-10 87 is to move up by $4.50 to sell for $176.88 per litre and a litre of E-10 90 will go up by $4.50 to sell for $184.32. Automotive diesel oil will move up by $4.50 per litre to sell for $189.25. Ultra low sulphur diesel will sell for $196.09 per litre following an increase of $4.50. The price of kerosene will go up by $4.50, with that fuel to sell for $178.64.

The Election Commission replaced Tamil Nadu's Chief Secretary and DGP ahead of polls, citing complaints of administrative bias towards the ruling DMK. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin vehemently criticized the EC, accusing it of acting as a BJP 'branch' and attempting to hinder DMK's victory. He questioned the sudden change in assessment of the state's administration.

The BJP has not nominated any Muslim candidates in the Bengal elections, a departure from previous polls despite a significant Muslim membership. Party leaders cited 'winnability' as the primary criterion for candidate selection, suggesting a disconnect between the BJP's platform and Muslim voting patterns. In contrast, Congress, TMC, and the Left Front have fielded a considerable number of Muslim candidates.

BEIRUT (AP) — Israeli strikes hit several dense commercial and residential areas in central Beirut Wednesday afternoon without warning, hours after a ceasefire was announced in the US-Israeli war with Iran. Lebanon's health ministry said dozens were killed and hundreds wounded in an early estimate. Israel had said the agreement does not extend to its war with the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, although mediator Pakistan said it does.

LONDON (AP) — A British pastor was charged with manslaughter Wednesday in the drowning of a 61-year-old man at a backyard baptism ceremony. Cheryl Bartley, 48, faces one count of gross negligence manslaughter for the death of Robert Smith on October 8, 2023 in Birmingham, prosecutors said. The Life Changing Ministries ceremony was being held in a kiddie pool and livestreamed on Facebook. Bartley is scheduled to appear May 14 in Birmingham Magistrates' Court.

A St Catherine man died today as a result of injuries he sustained after crashing into a concrete utility pole while driving in his community of White Waters Crescent in Spanish Town. The deceased has been identified as bus driver Conroy Ambursley. Police report that about 1:40 a.m., Ambursley was driving a 2013 Honda Stream motor car when, upon reaching a roadway in his community, he crashed into a concrete utility pole. The impact resulted in extensive damage to the car and severe injuries to the driver.