At first glance, they could pass for the centrepiece of a dessert table – swirls of frosting, rich colours and toppings that look good enough to eat. But the cupcake-like creations that drew double takes at Christmas in July are not baked treats. They are handcrafted candles made by Danielle Harrison, a Grade 12 student at St Andrew High School for Girls, who is turning a childhood fascination into a growing business.

For decades, the phrase ‘pageant queen’ conjured up images of evening gowns, flawless make-up, and carefully rehearsed answers about world peace. Yet at the Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show in May Pen, Clarendon, on July 31, a different kind of royalty will take centre stage – one expected to explain the complexities of Jamaica’s agricultural sector as confidently as she walks in heels.

The Jamaican Bar Association (JamBar), in partnership with Scotiabank, hosted a fireside chat on personal development and financial empowerment for legal professionals on Saturday at the Scotiabank Corporate Learning Centre in Kingston.

Western Bureau: Last week’s opening of National Commercial Bank Jamaica’s (NCB) new branch in Falmouth, Trelawny was warmly welcomed by residents and business leaders, many of whom say the facility offers a far more comfortable banking experience than the previous location.

Supriya Sule denied her party would support the Delimitation Bill without discussion. She stated the NCP (SP) remains firmly aligned with the INDIA alliance. Discussions about the bill will occur within the INDIA bloc after its introduction. Recent meetings with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis fueled merger speculation. However, NCP leaders have refuted claims of any merger talks.

The Cockroach Janata Party will hold a hunger strike on July 16 supporting Sonam Wangchuk. Wangchuk's health is declining on his eighteenth day of fasting. He has lost significant muscle mass and is experiencing immense pain. A court petition seeks to force-feed Wangchuk and move him to a hospital. This intervention is deemed necessary to preserve his life and prevent further deterioration.

[allAfrica] EU Bans Sudan Gold Imports to Curb War Funding

a { text-decoration: none; color: #464feb; } tr th, tr td { border: 1px solid #e6e6e6; } tr th { background-color: #f5f5f5; } a { text-decoration: none; color: #464feb; } tr th, tr td { border: 1px solid #e6e6e6; } tr th { background-color: #f5f5f5; } Think twice before sending payroll records or employee details to someone claiming to be from the CPF Board. Scammers have been posing as CPF Board officers under the guise of conducting investigations, compliance checks or CPF-related verification exercises. In an email addressed to employers seen by AsiaOne, the board advised employers to ignore such requests. Sharing details of the scam modus operandi, the CPF Board said that fraudsters may ask for information such as proof of salary payments, employees' personal particulars, or documents related to CPF contributions, employment records or payroll matters.

The bill targets the five largest buyers of Russian energy, including China and India

The drones were reportedly shot down over the Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Rostov, Moscow and Krasnodar regions, as well as Crimea, the Sea of Azov, and the Black Sea

According to Alexander Stepanov, any future actions against Russia’s merchant fleet in the Mediterranean Sea will depend on NATO states’ shore infrastructure

The scientists conducted more than 50 types of observations: in the atmosphere, hydro-biology, oceanography, hydro-chemistry, ice, geophysics, geology, and hydroacoustic directions

The discovery means that new types of viruses can be discovered in the Arctic, which could be promising for the development of new antibacterial drugs based on bacteriophages

A Malawi beauty pageant is throwing out the rulebook — swapping sashes and crowns for boardrooms and business plans, as it transforms itself into a launchpad for the country’s next generation of female leaders. Vision Pageantry Malawi has revealed its 2026 competition will put women’s empowerment front and centre, with contestants trained up to become […] The post Malawi pageant ditches crowns for girl power appeared first on Malawi News | Breaking News, Politics, Business & Sports | Nyasa Times.

An advert for two messenger positions at the Reserve Bank of Malawi has provoked a wave of criticism after it emerged that the bank had set a bachelor’s degree as the minimum qualification for the roles. The advert, which circulated widely on social media, drew ridicule and pointed questions from Malawians who argued that a […] The post Reserve Bank of Malawi job advert sparks backlash over degree requirement for messenger post appeared first on Malawi News | Breaking News, Politics, Business & Sports | Nyasa Times.

A mother has sparked debate among netizens online after she was seen on an MRT train with her two children, who were eating and drinking while seated in a stroller wagon.A photo shared in Facebook group Complaint Singapore on Wednesday (July 15) shows a woman wearing a green shirt with her two children in a black stroller wagon. One child, dressed in a school uniform, is standing while eating what appears to be a biscuit, while the other child, who is wearing a black top, is seated and drinking from a juice box. The post captioned: «Increasingly common to see children eating inside MRT trains these days. Shame on the parent.» The incident took place at around 8.10am on the East-West Line towards Outram Park MRT station, according to the caption. However, it is unclear which exact day this took place. 'Not easy to handle two kids'Many netizens acknowledged that while eating or drinking on public transport is not allowed in Singapore, they still empathised with the woman. 

Taslima Nasreen's upcoming return to Kolkata after 20 years sparks intense political discussions. The Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party both voiced their strong opinions regarding her visit. Exiled since 2007, Nasreen is set to participate in an anti-fundamentalism literary event this August. Her previous works and the circumstances of her exile have sent shockwaves through conversations about free speech and the intersection with religious beliefs in West Bengal.

On Tuesday at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Mann said Punjab is playing a significant role at Bharat Tex 2026, with 97 companies from the state participating in the exhibition.

Bicycle sharing company Anywheel is urging users to ride responsibly after a video showing a rider weaving in and out of traffic on what appeared to be one of its bicycles sparked criticism online.The video, which have been posted on social media page, sgfollowsall, on Sunday (July 13), show two riders travelling along a busy road while shouting to each other, seemingly chasing one another through moving traffic.One clip appears to have been filmed by a person sitting in the bicycle's front basket, with the camera capturing only a pair of bare feet as the bicycle sped alongside buses, lorries and other vehicles.Another rider, dressed in a black top, can be seen weaving between lanes and overtaking multiple vehicles before riding alongside the other bicycle.The bicycles in the videos appear to be Anywheel bicycles.'Extremely dangerous'The bicycle sharing company told 8world said that «such behaviour is unacceptable and extremely dangerous».

Cross-border travel between Singapore and Malaysia is once again making headlines after Malaysian authorities intensified enforcement against Singapore-registered vehicles illegally purchasing subsidised RON95 petrol. The latest case, which resulted in a substantial fine for a Singapore-registered vehicle owner, has renewed attention on Malaysia's long-standing fuel subsidy policy and the responsibilities of motorists travelling across the Causeway.For drivers who regularly commute between Singapore and Johor, or travel into Malaysia for business or leisure, understanding the country's fuel regulations is more important than ever. Increased enforcement sends a clear message that authorities are taking a stricter approach to protecting public subsidies, while also ensuring that fuel intended for Malaysian citizens is not misused by foreign vehicles.

Locals in Alfold watched in horror as a group of travellers descended on a nearby field on April 2 before transforming it into a 17-plot 'gated community' without planning permission.

The latest US bombing campaign comes after Trump notified Congress that the war would resume after Iran breached the memorandum of understanding by targeting commercial ships.

Heather Herbert, a transgender web developer at Aberdeen University, relished in the 'good news' of the former Tory MP's death in a vile post on BlueSky on July 10.

Locals in Southfleet received a letter through their doors last week revealing that agricultural has been earmarked for the proposed Ebbsfleet AI Data Centre

[DW] The outbreak, which has infected almost 2,000 people and killed more than 700, could be at least two to four times larger than official figures, the UN health agency warned. The current outbreak is in the DRC and Uganda.

[UN News] Infections of the Bundibugyo species of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have reached record highs and a majority of new cases are coming from «unknown chains of transmission», the UN World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – A group of Caribbean leaders met with senior clergy from the Church of England on Tuesday as the push for slavery reparations intensifies, with activists also calling for the independence of British, French, Dutch and US territories in the region.

Road safety officials are intensifying efforts to reduce Jamaica’s annual road death toll to fewer than 300, with a renewed focus on curbing motorcycle fatalities and protecting vulnerable road users.

Last week, two Russian Emergencies Ministry aircraft delivered over 35 metric tons of humanitarian aid to Venezuela, including food, tents, basic necessities, motor pumps, and medicines

According to a report in Der Spiegel, the coalition remains powerless to achieve its goals

Amir-Saeid Iravani said that the US failed to fulfil its commitments almost immediately after the signing of the memorandum

The meeting reportedly involved US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Dan Caine, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and other senior officials