The prosecution and the defence in the Matthew Hyde case are to continue discussions regarding a possible plea deal. The university student, who reportedly held his girlfriend captive in a dorm room and tortured her over a year ago, was on...

The sentencing for former Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) physiotherapist Kyodia Burnett, who stabbed and killed his wife Nordraka Williams-Burnett in December 2018, was yesterday postponed to Friday in the Home Circuit Court. The sentencing was...

[allAfrica]

The President of Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan, will join other small island state leaders and decision makers at the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) in Antigua and Barbuda from May 23 to June 3. During the conference, with the theme 'Charting the Course Towards Resilient Prosperity,' the international community will gather to review SIDS' sustainable development progress, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals. A range of topics will be covered in SIDS4, including climate change, biodiversity loss, ocean conservation, disaster risk reduction, access to finance, debt sustainability and the overall sustainable development of SIDS. The conference's outcome is expected to be a comprehensive plan of action offering solutions to the unique challenges of SIDS and a new 10-year framework for international cooperation and support. The conference is organised by the United Nations every 10 years. According to State House, from Antigua and Barbuda, Ramkalawan will attend the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit in Seoul, from June 2 to 6. Under the theme 'The Future We Make Together: Shared Growth, Sustainability, and Solidarity,' the summit aims to elevate cooperation between South Korea and Africa by bringing together heads of state and international organisations in Africa and key figures from Korean government communities.                          Ramkalawan will deliver various statements at both summits, engage in high-level discussions, and take part in side events relevant to Seychelles' priorities.

Seychelles has expressed mixed feelings about the recommendations taken at the 28th Session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) held in Bangkok, Thailand, in a press conference on Wedneday. The Seychelles' delegation was led by the principal secretary for fisheries, Roy Clarisse, to the meeting held from May 13 to 17, and 16 out of 24 proposals were adopted as recommendations by the IOTC.   In a press conference on Wednesday, the chief executive of the Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA), Jan Robinson, said, «We are disappointed that not all three of Seychelles' proposals were adopted and we are also a little bit disappointed that the Commission continues to pass resolutions concerning the purse seine fisheries and many of the other fisheries that need action don't seem to be very supportive of adopting measures for their fisheries.» Seychelles tabled three proposals at the meeting and the one adopted was on measures to end the wasteful practice of discards at sea for fishing vessels other than purse seiners. Robinson said the measure concerning by-catch has an impact on the country and «there is a lot more by-catch landing in the country, which is being used by local processors. By and large, we are benefiting from that plan on discarding and it is really leading to opportunities for our local processors to advance through that bycatch.» SFA is currently monitoring vessels by randomly asking to view the video footage found on board, and should there be evidence that they are disrespecting the measures, this will be taken very seriously. Seychelles had two other proposals relating to strengthening data collection and reporting requirements, including for the pole and line fishery as recommended by the IOTC Scientific Committee. The key proposals to become recommendations in the meeting were for better management of fish aggregating devices (FADs) and the science-based management of stocks of skipjack tuna and swordfish. Robinson said it concerns the best practices for managing the two stocks and that it is a real achievement for the commission to pass these two resolutions. He explained that this decision puts IOTC at the forefront for best practices for managing shared stocks. The members at the meeting discussed mandatory transitioning to biodegradable FADs and some resolutions proposed severe cutting of FADs. «It was very clear that there was a willingness for all to find a proposal to find one successful outcome on FADs,» said Robinson. As a result of the resolutions FADs are expected to come down to 270 in 2026 and 240 two years later, while European Union vessels have an even greater cut, going down to 250 by 2026 and 225 by the next two years after that. «This was a signal that contracting cooperating parties (CCPs) are willing to exact a reduced number of FADs to mitigate any impact they are having on tuna stocks and coastal environment,» he added. A FAD register, which will come into force following the meeting, will be administered by the secretariat and Robinson said, «this will improve transparency in FAD fishing in the Indian Ocean.» Robinson concluded by saying that Seychelles is happy with the level of FAD management, «but we still have to understand that this will have some impacts on our industry and that it will take some time to put all the measures in place within the next year or two.» 

Mogadishu (HOL) - Gunmen armed with pistols killed Southwest regional state member of parliament Ibrahim Abdi Abdirahman in Mogadishu on Wednesday night.

The mock strikes targeted «high-value military targets» and were in coordination with Chinese naval ships and missile forces

RIYADH: In keeping with the annual tradition, officials raised the lower part of the kiswa — the elaborately designed black cloth covering the Kaaba — in Makkah on Wednesday ahead of this year's Hajj pilgrimage. As approved by the General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, the exposed part was covered with a white cotton fabric, two-and-a-half meters wide and 54 meters long on all four sides, according to the Saudi Press Agency. Carrying out the procedure were 36 specialized technical personnel with the aid of 10 cranes.

MailOnline has gone through the last 50 years of British politics, to bring you the some of the most embarrassing mishaps that the public had the misfortune of seeing.

Meghan Markle could barely contain her excitement when she arrived in the land of her forebears. But to be clear, this wasn't last week's trip to Nigeria.

Mogadishu (HOL) - Somalia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ahmed Moallim Fiqi Ahmed, met with the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General at the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), Mr. Raisedon Zenenga, in Mogadishu on Wednesday.

Chinese and Ethiopian officials on Tuesday called for enhancing the multifaceted cooperation between China and Africa under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

Mogadishu (HOL) - Jubbaland State leader Ahmed Mohamed Islam met with Lower House Speaker Sheikh Adan Mohamed Noor Madobe in Mogadishu on Wednesday to discuss the latest developments in the country.

The yuan rate remained unchanged, at 12.409 rubles

According to the Kremlin press service, the sides plan to discuss the current state and prospects of Russian-Bahraini cooperation in trade, economy, energy and humanitarian affairs

According to preliminary reports, there were no casualties," Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic arrived in New York to address the General Assembly

Oslo said it would grant exceptions «in certain cases,» including for those visiting their close family residing in Norway

The US is “looking hard” into how it can answer Georgia’s prospective ‘foreign agents’ law, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said Read Full Article at RT.com

A group of passers-by have been lauded for helping an unconscious driver trapped in his car after an accident. A video circulating on social media shows two men attempting to break the window of an SUV which had mounted a kerb. They can be seen using what looks like a piece of heavy duty metallic hardware to smash the windows but couldn't do so in that short 14-second clip.  https://www.tiktok.com/@user467681369205/video/7369092756934757648 The police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) told AsiaOne they were alerted to an accident involving two cars near the junction of Bukit Timah Road and Kampong Java Road at about 8.45am last Wednesday (May 15). SCDF told AsiaOne that a few members of public were conducting cardiopulmonary resuscitation on a person upon their arrival at the accident scene. Emergency medical services personnel took over the resuscitation efforts and conveyed a 45-year-old male driver to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. Two other people, a 71-year-old male driver and his 42-year-old female passenger, were taken to Raffles Hospital. 

SINGAPORE — The first public housing units in Bukit Timah in about 40 years will be built in Turf City, as part of plans to develop 15,000 to 20,000 new homes on the former racecourse site over the next two to three decades. The upcoming estate will be «inclusive and highly accessible», with both public and private housing, said Minister for National Development Desmond Lee on May 23 at The URA Centre, where he launched an exhibition showcasing plans for Bukit Timah Turf City. Mr Lee said the addition of public homes in Bukit Timah will meet «the growing aspirations among Singaporeans to live closer to their workplaces in the city». The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said the new estate will be car-lite, pedestrian-friendly and well-served by public transport, with good walking and cycling connections. Future residents will be within a 10-minute walk of either of two MRT stations — Sixth Avenue on the Downtown Line or Turf City on the upcoming Cross Island Line. Lee said the latter will be completed in 2032.

The company is called Knoc Knoc. What the costumer did not anticipate was that she would be the one to be knocked. Stomp contributor Shina had booked the company for cleaning service on May 16, but no one showed up. When she messaged Knoc Knoc to find out what happened, they ended up trading barbs with each other in a lengthy text argument. At one point, the company said to her: «Apparently, the world doesn't revolve around you. I think the only person that can entertain you is your husband. Or maybe he can't too. Oops.» The customer told Stomp: «After paying for the service, this is a no-go.» She had paid $288 for the home-cleaning package and was expecting someone to come at 9am. «At 9.15am, I tried to text them, but no response and I was waiting the whole time.» recounted the Stomp contributor.

Cradling in her arms a young boy battling cancer, Princess Diana can be seen staring intently with tears in her eyes, according to photographer Anwar Hussein, 86, who captured the moment.

Richard Tice, who inherited the leadership of the insurgent party from Nigel Farage , hopes to stand a candidate in every seat.

Meghan Markle could barely contain her excitement when she arrived in the land of her forebears. But to be clear, this wasn't last week's trip to Nigeria.

Moments after he arrived at the lectern in Downing Street to announce a snap election on July 4, the heavens opened.

Explaining why Ant McPartlin, 48, wasn't able to attend his event, Dec joked that Ant was 'too busy breastfeeding' after welcoming his first child a week ago.

The instructions were given after a four-hour war cabinet meeting on May, 22, the Jerusalem Post newspaper wrote

According to eyewitnesses, the victims were mostly displaced women and children

Arvind Kejriwal addressed speculations about his potential candidacy for the prime ministerial position in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. During an interview with PTI Videos on Thursday, Kejriwal unequivocally stated that he harbors no aspirations to assume the role of prime minister, even if the INDIA alliance secures a victory in the polls.

Israel reacted with fury after three European countries said Wednesday they would recognise a Palestinian state, more than seven months into the devastating Gaza war. Ireland, Norway and Spain said they would formally recognise the State of Palestine on May 28, drawing praise from many Arab and Muslim states. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the move amounted to a «reward for terror», after Palestinian militant group Hamas launched its October 7 attack which sparked the Gaza war. Israel said it was recalling its envoys to Dublin, Oslo and Madrid for «urgent consultations» and also summoned the three European ambassadors for a rebuke. European Union foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell posted on X that he would work with the bloc's 27 members «to promote a common EU position based on a 2-state solution». Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, on his first visit since October 7 to the contested religious site of the Temple Mount in the Old City of Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, said the recognition rewarded «murderers and aggressors». His visits to the site -- known as the Al-Aqsa mosque compound to Muslims -- have been cited by Hamas as one reason for the group's October attack on Israel, which it called «Al-Aqsa Flood». The White House said President Joe Biden opposed unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, saying it should be realised «through direct negotiations». Biden's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan warned Israel not to withhold funding intended for the Palestinian Authority in retaliation. Most Western governments, including the United States, say they are willing to recognise Palestinian statehood one day -- but not before thorny issues such as final borders and the status of Jerusalem are settled. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said «recognition of Palestine is a means of supporting the moderate forces which have been losing ground in this protracted and brutal conflict». «In the midst of a war, with tens of thousands killed and injured, we must keep alive the only alternative that offers a political solution for Israelis and Palestinians alike: Two states, living side by side, in peace and security.» Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Netanyahu was «causing so much pain, destruction and resentment in Gaza and the rest of Palestine that the two-state solution is in danger». And Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris called the October 7 attack «barbaric» but stressed that «a two-state solution is the only way out of the generational cycles of violence, retaliation and resentment». - 'Important step' - According to the Palestinian Authority, which rules parts of the occupied West Bank, 142 of the 193 UN member countries already recognise a Palestinian state. The Palestine Liberation Organization, seen internationally as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, hailed Wednesday's moves as «historical». Hamas also welcomed «an important step towards affirming our right to our land», while Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas political bureau member, said it would mark «a turning point in the international position on the Palestinian issue». A Palestinian in Gaza's southern city of Rafah, Ismail Hassuna, 46, said the European trio's decision was a step that «will restore hope» and should help in efforts to «stop Israel from its heinous crimes». Political analyst Ines Abdul Razek, who heads the Palestine Institute for Public Democracy, called the decision symbolic but «not a great victory». She said what was needed was «actual measures, including sanctions and arms embargoes» against Israel. Hamas's October 7 attack resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. The militants also took 252 hostages, 124 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the army says are dead. On Wednesday a hostages campaign group released footage of five Israeli female soldiers being captured by militants on October 7 and taken away. Speaking about the video, Netanyahu vowed to continue fighting Hamas to «ensure what we have seen tonight never happens again». Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 35,709 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. Israel also imposed a siege that has deprived Gaza's 2.4 million people of most water, food, medical and fuel supplies, and brought much of the population to the brink of famine. - Deadly fighting - Fierce fighting has raged around Rafah, the last part of Gaza to face a ground invasion, where an AFP team reported more bombardment early Wednesday. Heavy battles have also rocked Gaza's northern and central areas where Hamas forces have regrouped, and more Israeli strikes have hit Gaza City, Jabalia and Zeitun. Israel said its troops were fighting on the ground in Rafah and Jabalia, and three more soldiers were killed on Wednesday, bringing the army's toll since the ground offensive began on October 27 to 287. Ten people were killed in the central town of Al-Zawaida overnight, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital said, and Gaza's civil defence agency said six bodies were recovered from the rubble of a house in Jabalia. Israel's military said soldiers had carried out targeted raids on dozens of Hamas military compounds in Jabalia. The World Health Organization has said northern Gaza's last two functioning hospitals, Al-Awda and Kamal Adwan, were besieged, trapping more than 200 patients. Israeli troops began their ground assault on Rafah early this month, defying international opposition over fears for the more than one million civilians trapped there. Israel ordered mass evacuations from Rafah, and the UN says more than 800,000 people have fled. Heavy fighting has also rocked the other major Palestinian territory, the occupied West Bank, where an Israeli raid entered its second day in the city of Jenin. The Ramallah-based Palestinian health ministry said Israeli forces had killed 10 people since the fighting began on Tuesday morning. © Agence France-Presse

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led prayers for late president Ebrahim Raisi on Wednesday as huge crowds thronged the capital Tehran for his funeral procession. Flanked by top officials, Khamenei said prayers over the coffins of the eight dead from Sunday's helicopter crash, who also included foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. A sea of mourners filled the open space around Tehran university, where the prayers were held before the funeral procession moved on to Enghelab and Azadi squares. State television said Raisi, who had been widely seen as Khamenei's most likely successor as supreme leader, had received a «millionfold farewell» from the people of Tehran. «We have lost a prominent personality. He was a very good brother. He was an efficient, competent, sincere, and serious official,» Khamenei told visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani. The leader of Palestinian militant group Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, joined the procession, as did the deputy leader of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, Naim Qassem. «I say once again... we are sure that the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue its support for the Palestinian people,» Haniyeh told the crowd to chants of «Death to Israel». - Foreign guests - Iran's acting president, Mohammad Mokhber, later received heads and representatives of countries in the Middle East, North Africa, Asia and Europe. Tunisian President Kais Saied and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani attended an afternoon ceremony in which around 60 countries took part, said state news agency IRNA. Egypt's top diplomat, Sameh Shoukry, was also at the ceremony. He is the first Egyptian foreign minister to visit Tehran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Member countries of the European Union were among the absentees of the ceremony while some non-member countries, including Belarus and Serbia had their representatives. In the capital, huge banners have gone up hailing the late president as «the martyr of service», while others bade «farewell to the servant of the disadvantaged». Tehran residents received phone messages urging them to join the funeral procession. «I was sad, I came to calm my heart and calm the heart of the supreme leader,» said one mourner who gave her name only as Maryam and said she had travelled from Varamin, south of Tehran, to pay her last respects. Raisi's helicopter crashed into a fog-shrouded mountainside in northwestern Iran on Sunday as his entourage headed back to the city of Tabriz after attending a ceremony on the border with Azerbaijan. A huge search and rescue operation was launched, involving help from the European Union, Russia and Turkey. State television announced Raisi's death early on Monday. The Iranian military said Wednesday that domestically produced drones had played the key role in locating the crash site. - Burial in Mashhad - Funeral ceremonies for Raisi and his entourage began on Tuesday with processions through Tabriz and the Shiite clerical centre of Qom drawing tens of thousands of black-clad mourners. From Tehran, the bodies will be taken to Iran's second city of Mashhad, Raisi's hometown in the northeast, where he will be buried on Thursday evening after funeral rites at the Imam Reza shrine. Khamenei, who wields ultimate authority in Iran, has declared five days of national mourning and assigned vice president Mohammad Mokhber, 68, as caretaker president until a June 28 election for Raisi's successor. Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri, who was Amir-Abdollahian's deputy, has been named acting foreign minister. The country's armed forces chief Mohammad Bagheri has ordered an investigation into the cause of the helicopter crash. Raisi was elected president in 2021, succeeding the moderate Hassan Rouhani at a time when the economy was battered by US sanctions imposed over Iran's nuclear activities. The ultra-conservative's time in office saw mass protests, a deepening economic crisis and unprecedented armed exchanges with arch-enemy Israel. After his death, Russia and China sent their condolences, as did NATO, while the UN Security Council observed a minute's silence. Messages of condolence also flooded in from Iran's allies around the region, including the Syrian government as well as Hamas and Hezbollah. © Agence France-Presse

«Such provocative statements are extremely dangerous and reckless», Anatoly Antonov noted