The US will supply not just F-16s, but also other types of aircraft to Ukraine under the new security deal, Vladimir Zelensky has said Read Full Article at RT.com

RIYADH:Ten investors have been convicted of violating the Kingdom’s Capital Market Law and ordered to pay the government a total of $27.1 million in fines and compensation for losses, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday. The Appeal Committee for Resolution of Securities Disputes, or ACRSD, sentenced one of the individuals to imprisonment, the SPA report said. The “final decision” was issued by the ACRSD on Dec. 24, 2023.

RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief has delivered 25 tonnes of dates to the World Food Programme’s office in Guinea, reported the Saudi Press Agency. The dates were delivered in the presence of Saudi Ambassador Fahd bin Eid Al-Rashidi and representatives of the aid agency at WFP headquarters in Conakry, the country’s capital. The WFP delegate in Conakry, Hyoung-Joon Lim, received the shipment on Thursday.

The Reform UK leader told an ITV general election debate that 'we should encourage people to have children', while he also backed greater tax relief for married couples.

One of Hansen's former sides, Liverpool, took to their social media channels to announce the news on Sunday afternoon, sending their best wishes to the former defender and his family.

Wes Streeting and me. We go back a long way. We go back nearly fifteen years, me and Wes, so we do. We have never met yet still here we are trapped as one.

SINGAPORE — Travellers using the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints over the Hari Raya Haji long weekend are advised to factor more time for immigration clearance, Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said on June 14. This is because traffic at these land checkpoints is expected to «remain very heavy» during this period, it said in a Facebook post. ICA added that more than 510,000 travellers cleared the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints on June 13. Hari Raya Haji falls on June 17, and within the June school holiday period between May 25 and June 23. In a statement on May 20, ICA said heavy traffic is expected within this period. During the Good Friday long weekend from March 28 to April 1, almost 2.3 million travellers crossed the two land checkpoints connecting Singapore and Malaysia, marking more than 455,000 crossings daily.

[New Times] The national consultative forum of political organizations (NFPO) says that preparations for next month's presidential and parliamentary elections are advanced, with the forum providing financial and civil assistance to all political parties under its umbrella.

SINGAPORE — From July 1, virtually all SMSes sent by government agencies in Singapore will have a single sender ID, as part of efforts to make it easier for the public to identify authentic government text messages. Such SMSes will show «gov.sg» as the sender ID instead of individual government agencies, such as «MOH» for the Ministry of Health or «Iras» for the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore. Besides the gov.sg sender ID, every text message will begin with the full name of the agency that sent it and end with a note stating that it is an automated message sent by the Singapore Government, to indicate that recipients should not reply to it. Over a two-week period beginning on June 18, government agencies will gradually begin to send messages using the gov.sg sender ID, with all messages displaying the new ID from July 1. There are exceptions, though: Text messages from the Defence and Home Affairs ministries about national service matters and emergency services will have different sender IDs.

Soilbuild Construction Group has clinched a $647.5 million contract for the construction of a development at the upcoming Tuas mega port. This brings the group's order books beyond $1.2 billion for the first time in history. Known for their construction, development and management of residential and Green Mark certified commercial properties, Soilbuild's construction of Port + Hub at Tuas Terminal will consist of warehouse buildings, gate buildings, a main intake substation and ancillary buildings. It will be built to achieve Green Mark Platinum Super Low Energy - an eco-sustainable rating for a building under the Building & Construction Authority's Green Mark Certification Scheme. This rating recognises best-in-class Green Mark Buildings that achieve at least 60 per cent energy savings. Executive Director of Soilbuild Construction Group Lim Han Ren shared that the project in Tuas mega port is «one of the most prominent private sector industrial projects in Singapore awarded to date» and «the largest construction project won by the group».

Stop transferring money to me — that is the plea from Lions goalkeeper Hassan Sunny, who was dubbed a hero by Chinese football fans after his performance during Singapore's World Cup qualifier match against Thailand on Tuesday (June 11). Fans have attributed China's progress to the final round of Asia's qualifiers to the 40-year-old's 11 saves during the game. Chinese fans in Singapore flocked to his nasi padang stall in Tampines, Dapur Hassan. Many fans, including those in China, also sent him money through the stall's QR code –which accepts Alipay and WeChat pay and was circulating on social media – to show their appreciation. In an Instagram post written in Chinese on Thursday (June 13), Hassan thanked the fans for their outpouring of support, but urged them to «support him rationally» and not to send any more money. He warned that some scammers had been taking advantage of the situation by circulating fake QR codes. 

India’s military has received a first batch of indigenous kamikaze drones Read Full Article at RT.com

[allAfrica]

The Seychelles' Cabinet of Ministers on Wednesday discussed the island nation's proposed positions in the forthcoming European Union and Eastern Southern Africa negotiations on the liberalisation of the provision of certain services. Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe and Madagascar signed the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Eastern and Southern Africa in August 2009, and applied provisionally in May 2012. Comoros signed the agreement in 2017 after the consent of the European Parliament in 2013. Vice President Ahmed Afif said in a press briefing on Thursday, that the agreement «makes provision for the five countries to export their products and services via the EU to other markets with favourable conditions. Like Seychelles, we export canned tuna and we get favourable conditions such as we do not pay taxes on entry and there is no quota on the quantity we are bringing in.» Afif said that on the other hand, as a country, Seychelles has to encourage exportation towards its destination for almost the same condition that the EU is offering. «This comes with some difficulties among certain countries for certain products coming into the country without paying taxes. This will impact our revenue, so we decided to discuss with them what is permissible under the agreement that can sustain us. We are not on the same level as them and we would not be able to do the same as them in everything,» he explained. Afif added that Seychelles needs to agree with them on what the country «needs to protect and what can be done under the agreement but for others we will make concessions and compromise. This is the discussion that we have agreed upon.» He gave examples of items like fuel and transport on which there will always be taxes on them and they have accepted this. «There will always be VAT (Value Added Tax) on most products entering the country but they can say that there are certain areas Seychelles can agree on making concessions for example on dairy products that we are not producing. We can review the conditions under which they are entering the country. Also certain pharmaceutical products but we cannot offer equally what they are offering,» said Afif. 

Japanese citizens have been left outraged after Kanye West's wife Bianca Censori put on another shocking display during a shopping trip in Tokyo this week.

The Leader of the House of Commons pushed Conservative claims that voting for Reform UK on 4 July would make it easier for Sir Keir Starmer to become PM.

Kate Rackham, who was diagnosed with incurable oestrogen-receptive breast cancer at the age of 39, tweeted: 'If you're reading this, I have died but do not cry for me.'

Republican Michael McCaul and a bipartisan US delegation, including Nancy Pelosi, will visit the Dalai Lama in India. The visit to Dharamsala precedes the Dalai Lama's US trip for medical treatment. This could strain US-China relations, as Beijing views the Dalai Lama as a separatist.

Matthew Miller, the spokesperson for the US state department, stressed that the decision regarding electoral matters lies solely with the people of India. He further highlighted the US's appreciation for the election that occurred in India, characterizing it as «the largest exercise of electoral franchise in any country in history.»

Union minister Suresh Gopi praised the external affairs ministry's coordination in aiding Indians injured in the Kuwait fire that claimed 49 lives. He cancelled plans to receive Malayalee victims' bodies. Kerala's revenue minister outlined arrangements for receiving and transporting bodies, with support from health and NORKA departments. Officials confirmed 42 Indian casualties among 49 total in the Al-Mangaf building fire.

[DW] The attack in eastern Congo was blamed on Islamic State-linked rebels. It echoed a similar attack last week in the same province, where at least 80 people were killed.

The B.C. SPCA is caring for a young dog who was surrendered last week with her tail severely injured and her mouth duct-taped shut in a «homemade muzzle.»

The City of Toronto exposed developer Tridel's banking information to the public, city officials have confirmed.

Donna Bartlett says she was overcome with emotion when standing earlier this week at the landfill where her granddaughter's remains were dumped more than two years ago. It was Bartlett's second time to the site where Marcedes Myran’s remains are believed to be, and the first time she says she felt hopeful.

A store owner in Barrhaven who has been robbed multiple times wasn't going to let it happen again. Against the advice of police, he stepped in to stop another robbery from happening right in his store.

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued a tornado warning Tuesday afternoon, however their ongoing investigation reports the stormy weather might have resulted in funnel clouds.

Dhusamareb (HOL) - Galmudug President Ahmed Abdi Kariye Qorqor announced that he will present evidence exposing those responsible for instigating the recent conflict in North Galgaduud, which resulted in nearly 100 deaths. His statement follows a meeting held Wednesday afternoon with elders from the Marehan and Dir clans, who were involved in the deadly clash last Saturday.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has reorganized the Somali National Army (SNA) by creating four new specialized commands to enhance military capabilities.

The Minneapolis City Council issued a proclamation Thursday recognizing the annual Somali Week Festival.

G7 leaders agreed Thursday on a new $50 billion loan for Ukraine using profits from frozen Russian assets, a move Joe Biden said showed Moscow «we're not backing down». The US president and other G7 leaders agreed at a summit in Italy to use the profits from the interest on the assets to back the loan to provide help this year to Kyiv as it struggles in its third year of war with Russia. Summit host Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the «political agreement» after the first day of the Puglia talks, saying it was a hard-fought but «fundamental» step. Meloni invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to join a special session on the Ukraine war alongside the leaders of Germany, France, Canada, Britain and Japan. At a joint press conference with the Ukrainian leader afterwards, Biden said the deal emphasised to Russian President Vladimir Putin the long-term commitment of Kyiv's allies. With it, the G7 leaders «collectively show Putin he cannot wait us out, he cannot divide us», he said. Addressing leaders earlier at the luxury Borgo Egnazia resort, Zelensky said the loan was a «vital step forward in providing sustainable support for Ukraine in winning this war». He said it would go towards «both defence and reconstruction». But he said Ukrainian forces still needed more air-defence systems to help counter attacks by Moscow, which has been pummelling Kyiv's front-line troops and the country's power grid. - Loan syndicate - The EU agreed earlier this year to help Kyiv by using the profits from the interest on Russian central bank assets frozen by Western allies -- the majority of them held in the bloc. But Washington has been pushing for more and faster help through a huge upfront loan. A senior Biden administration official said the United States was willing to provide up to $50 billion, but said its contribution could be «significantly less» as it would be a shared initiative. «We will not be the only lenders. This will be a loan syndicate. We're going to share the risk, because we have a shared commitment to get this done,» the official said on condition of anonymity. He would not say how much other G7 countries would contribute, nor did any other leaders on Thursday. - 'Historic step' - G7 countries, which count the EU as their unofficial eighth member, have been Ukraine's key military and financial backers since Russia invaded in February 2022. The G7 and the EU have frozen around 300 billion euros ($325 billion) of Russian assets, much of it frozen by Euroclear, an international deposit organisation based in Belgium. EU countries say they could generate 2.5 to 3.0 billion euros a year for Kyiv from the profits on the interest. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hailed the loan agreement as a «historic step» and a «clear signal to the Russian president that he cannot simply sit this matter out». «The basis has been created for Ukraine to be in a position to procure everything it needs... in the near future, in terms of weapons but also in terms of investment in reconstruction or in energy infrastructure,» he said. Zelensky has been engaged in a flurry of diplomacy aimed at shoring up international support, from a reconstruction conference in Berlin earlier this week to an upcoming peace conference in Switzerland at the weekend. In Puglia Thursday, he also signed what he called a «historic» 10-year security deal with Biden, and another with Japan. - Political flux - The summit comes at a time of extraordinary global turmoil. Apart from the conflict in Ukraine, the Hamas-Israel conflict in Gaza is raging and economic tensions are rising between China and Western countries. Many G7 countries are also in political flux, with summit attendees aware this could be Biden's last G7 summit if he loses to Donald Trump in November elections. Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is tipped to be ousted in July 4 elections, while France's Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Scholz are both under pressure after gains by the far right in EU Parliament elections last weekend. By contrast, Italy's Meloni is riding high after her far-right party came out on top in her country's EU Parliament vote. But she drew criticism from both France and the United States after reportedly seeking to remove a reference to safe access to abortion from the final G7 statement. The summit talks began Thursday with a short session on Africa, before turning to the Middle East, and on Friday the focus will turn to China -- and a visit by Pope Francis. G7 leaders on Thursday confirmed their support for a truce and hostage deal in the Hamas-Israel war. Biden said that so far, the «biggest hang-up» was Hamas, which was refusing to sign up. © Agence France-Presse

South Africa's newly-elected parliament meets Friday and is expected to re-elect President Cyril Ramaphosa to form an unprecedented coalition government after his ruling ANC cobbled together a coalition deal. The African National Congress leader had called for a government of national unity after his party lost its absolute majority in last month's general election, but two major leftist parties shunned the deal. Instead, according to ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula, the government would «gravitate to the centre» -- backed by the centre-right Democratic Alliance (DA), the Zulu nationalist Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and several smaller parties. «We have reached a breakthrough on the common agreement that we need to work together,» Mbalula told a news conference in Cape Town, confirming that the radical leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) had refused to join what he still called a unity government. Graft-tainted former president Jacob Zuma's new electoral vehicle, the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), has disputed the May 29 election results and warned it would boycott Friday's sitting of the 400-member assembly. Mbalula said the ANC was talking to MK, but had not reached agreement. Ramaphosa is now expected to win the secret ballot of MPs to confirm his re-election. That would see him sworn in next week in Pretoria and then unveil his new cabinet, presumably including ministers from both the ANC and the former opposition parties in the coalition. - Post-apartheid democracy - «The ANC is going into this under the guise of a government of national unity, but really it isn't,» political analyst Dr. Hlengiwe Ndlovu of the Wits University School of Governance told AFP. «It's more like coalition talks.» For 30 years since the advent of post-apartheid democracy, the late Nelson Mandela's African National Congress has held an absolute majority and elected a president from its own ranks. But the former liberation movement -- weakened by corruption and recent governments' poor economic performance -- saw its support collapse at the May 29 election, leaving it with only 159 seats out of 400. «Besides the DA and IFP, Ramaphosa will be building up support from smaller parties... as insurance,» said author and political analyst Susan Booysen, amid reports that some ANC MPs may vote against their leader. «He needs that buffer,» she told AFP. But the left-wing Economic Freedom Fighters of former ANC youth leader Julius Malema, who wants to nationalise land and some privately-owned businesses, will not join the administration. At a news conference on Thursday, Malema said his members would vote for the ANC candidate for president if they were promised the speaker or deputy speaker position in parliament. But he denounced the idea of joining a unity government with white politician John Steenhuisen's liberal right DA, which has promised privatisations and market reform. «We have made it very clear to the president that we are not against the government of national unity,» Malema said, recounting a meeting he had held earlier with Ramaphosa. «We are against the inclusion of the DA and the Freedom Front Plus, because that represents imperialism, represents racism and white supremacy, represents backwardness.» The Freedom Front Plus is a right-wing party, seeking an autonomous Afrikaner homeland. - Millionaire businessman - A former trade unionist turned millionaire businessman, 71-year-old Ramaphosa first came to power in 2018 after Zuma was forced out under the cloud of corruption allegations. Once described by Mandela as one of the most gifted leaders of his generation, Ramaphosa played a key role in the negotiations that brought an end to apartheid in the early 1990s. Upon taking the reins of the country, he promised a new dawn for South Africa. But critics say he has disappointed. Under his watch unemployment has reached an almost record high, pushing the ANC towards its worst election result ever. The party's latest tilt towards the centre, with a coalition supported by centre-right and right-wing groups, might further hamper his popularity, particularly among ANC ranks. The broad-church party is a progressive outfit of the left that has overseen welfare and economic empowerment programmes for poor, black South Africans. © Agence France-Presse

The Hill summit marked a pivot point in the GOP campaign to recapture the White House, win the Senate majority and expand control of the House.

The ex-president’s off-campus visits Thursday with congressional Republicans mark his first foray to Capitol Hill since he was in office and since his supporters attacked Congress.