According to Admiral Ali Shamkhani, the foreign minister and head of the Iranian delegation at the talks with the United States in Geneva «has sufficient support and authority to sign this agreement»

The police are appealing for information on the whereabouts of 16-year-old Nurul Ashwiny Abdullah and 19-year-old Chloe Lim Jia Xuan.In a news release on Thursday (Feb 26) evening, the police said Nurul Ashwiny and Chloe Lim were last seen at about 6am on Feb 13, in the vicinity of Defu Avenue 1 in Hougang. Defu Avenue 1 is flanked by flatted factories on both sides of the road. Those along Defu Lane 7 and 9 are currently being demolished. IMAGE: Google Maps Checks by AsiaOne indicate that the road is flanked by flatted factories on both sides.Anyone with information is urged to contact the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness.All information will be kept strictly confidential, said the police.

But the GOP’s edge on immigration has narrowed as Trump’s mass deportations face backlash.

US national debt will surge to 140% of GDP by 2031, the IMF has warned, urging Washington to slash its fiscal deficit   Read Full Article at RT.com

Gunmen have killed at least 25 people in raids on two villages in northeast Nigeria Read Full Article at RT.com

EU officials are scrambling to tackle Hungary’s veto on a loan required to fund the Ukrainian government, according to Politico Read Full Article at RT.com

State Duma deputies call on the parliaments of France and Great Britain, the European parliament, and also specialized organizations and agencies within the system of the United Nations Organization to take urgent measures to avert a potential nuclear conflict

Kees van der Pijl emphasizes that the continent's future hinges largely on the outcome of the Ukrainian crisis

The projects include the Severskaya solar power plant in the Krasnodar Region, the Kurchaloyevskaya SPP in the Chechen Republic, and the Derbentskaya SPP in the Republic of Dagestan

The parties confirmed their intention to continue developing constructive bilateral dialogue between Russia and Hungary

The decision is adopted unanimously

If you're an iPhone user under the age of 18, you might find the range of apps on the Apple App Store a little more restrictive.Apple's app store has begun blocking users in Singapore from downloading apps rated 18+ should they not be verified as adults, according to an Apple blog post to app developers on Tuesday (Feb 24).«Starting February 24, 2026, Apple will block users in Australia, Brazil, and Singapore from downloading apps rated 18+ unless they have been confirmed to be adults through reasonable methods,» the post reads.«The App Store will perform this confirmation automatically.»This comes ahead of the March 31 deadline for app stores to block underage users from downloading apps not meant for their age group, as per the new Code of Practice for Online Safety for App Distribution Services.According to the Info-communications Media Development Authority, the Code aims to enhance online user safety, particularly for children, and curb the spread of harmful content on their service.This includes the distribution or online storage of harmful content on apps, including sexual, violent, suicide and self-harm content.

[Namibian] Health minister Esperance Luvindao has told parliamentarians who do not want to use public hospitals that they are not going to be forced to do so.

The number of traffic accidents resulting in fatalities and accidents resulting in injuries have continued to rise, said the Traffic Police (TP) in their annual Road Traffic Situation report on Thursday (Feb 26). There were 147 traffic accidents resulting in fatalities in 2025 compared with 139 such cases in 2024 — a 5.8 per cent increase. Of these accidents, there were 149 deaths in 2025 compared with 142 deaths in 2024 - a 4.9 per cent rise.Meanwhile, there were 7,560 traffic accidents resulting in injuries in 2025 compared with 7,053 such cases in 2024 — a 7.2 per cent increase. Of these accidents, there were 9,955 victims in 2025 compared with 9,342 victims in 2024 — a 6.6 per cent rise. «This persistent upward trend over the last few years is worrying,» said TP. Motorcyclists and elderly pedestrians continue to be the most vulnerable road user groups, added TP.Elderly pedestrians«Accidents involving elderly pedestrians continue to be a significant concern,» said TP.

Singapore's resident total fertility rate (TFR) reached a new low of 0.87 in 2025, revealed Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong in Parliament on Thursday (Feb 26).Speaking at the committee of supply debate for the Prime Minister's Office, DPM Gan said that low birth rates and population will «profoundly» affect Singapore.«Low birth rates and population will profoundly shape our nation, our society and our economy in the years ahead of us. Even with immigration, the growth of our citizen population has slowed over the decade.» Singapore's birth rates fell from 0.9 per cent per annum between 2015 and 2019, to 0.8 per cent between 2020 and 2024, and falling further to 0.7 per cent in 2025.DPM Gan also cautioned that Singapore's citizen population will start to shrink by the early part of the 2040s if no new measures are taken.Echoing what PM Lawrence Wong said during the earlier Budget debate wrap-up, DPM Gan said that Singapore «cannot give up» on improving its birth rates.

Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers called the bluff on the driver of a Malaysia-registered lorry during checks at Tuas Checkpoint on Feb 13.In a post on its Facebook on Thursday (Feb 26), ICA said the lorry, driven by a 38-year-old Malaysian man, declared its consignment of goods as machine and mechanical appliances.The lorry was directed for further checks where search and examination officers uncovered more than 2,400 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes.The driver was arrested and the case referred to the Singapore Customs for further investigation.Buying, selling, conveying, possessing or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are serious offences under the Customs Act and the Goods and Services Tax Act. Offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty evaded, jailed for up to six years, or both. Vehicles used in these offences and proceeds of sales of duty-unpaid goods may also be forfeited. [[nid:730465]]editor@asiaone.com

Ni-Vanuatu rapper Mantis (Ethan-Xavier Hakwa) has arrived in Australia this week ahead of his performance at WOMADelaide, the country’s largest international music, arts, and dance festival.

A 27-year-old man has been sentenced to six years and three months in prison for rape on Tanna in 2020.

Vanuatu secured limited but important discussions at the Pacific Agenda Investment, Security and Shared Prosperity Summit in Hawaii this week, with two priority projects formally placed on the table. Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Minister of Finance Johnny Koanapo said…

The Court of Appeal (COA) has set aside the Supreme Court's VT500,000 damage award to the former General Manager (GM) of the Vanuatu National Provident Fund (VNPF), and instead increased it to VT1.5 million.

Two days before the deadline, only 147 of over 1,000 leaders had filed their annual returns, with up to 900 yet to comply.

Zimbabwe’s Mines Ministry has announced a ban on raw mineral shipments, citing widespread malpractice and export leakages in the sector Read Full Article at RT.com

North Korea will continue the build-up of its nuclear capability, leader Kim Jong-un has said at a ruling party congress Read Full Article at RT.com

Senior Canadian officials have reportedly spoken of progress in security talks with India Read Full Article at RT.com

Singapore experienced better-than-expected growth in the past year, but Singaporeans are still facing cost of living pressures, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said rounding up the three-day debate on his Budget 2026 statement in Parliament on Thursday (Feb 26).He said that Singapore's economy saw growth exceeding 5 per cent last year, which was more than what was projected.«The data may show improvement, but lived experience and realities do matter,» he said.«So the question is this, what more must we do to ease cost pressures and ensure every Singaporean can continue to progress?»He explained that the first step is understanding why affordability and cost concerns have surfaced, which is something not unique to Singapore.Citing the Covid-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine, PM Wong said that inflation has moderated since, but price levels remain higher.To deal with this, the Government has provided more than $10 billion through the Assurance Package, he said.Budget 2026 also features CDC vouchers, cash support, rebates, Child LifeSG credits and CPF top ups for seniors.

SINGAPORE — The website of the People's Power Party (PPP), peoplespowerparty.sg, has been taken over by an unaffiliated entity.The site had previously been registered to the political party and was under maintenance from May 2025, less than a month after the 2025 general election on May 3.A party spokesperson said then that it was in the process of revamping the website.However, checks by The Straits Times showed that the site changed owners on Jan 21, 2026, and is now registered under Targa Ltd, which is not based in Singapore.It is unclear where the foreign entity is based or if it is directly involved in the management of the site.ST's checks showed that it had registered Singapore websites mimicking defunct Singaporean eateries, between December 2025 and January 2026. These sites link to foreign websites that list food recipes.The revamped PPP site continues to be about the party, publishing information on the party's history and leadership.The page now carries a disclaimer that it is not the official website of the party, and that it is meant to document the background of the PPP for «educational purposes».

The Supreme Court has issued a show-cause notice to the NCERT director, calling the inclusion of a chapter on judicial corruption in a Class 8 textbook a «deep-rooted conspiracy.» The court ordered the seizure of all copies of the textbook in circulation, emphasizing the need for a deeper probe to prevent erosion of public faith in the judiciary.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney begins a four-day visit to India, aiming to strengthen bilateral ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The agenda includes discussions on trade, investment, energy, critical minerals, and people-to-people connections, seeking to inject fresh momentum after a diplomatic row.

Narendra Modi has said defense and security are “important pillars” India’s relationship with Israel Read Full Article at RT.com