Eleven suspected members of the Islamic State (IS) have been detained in Türkiye's western province of Izmir on Tuesday, local media reported.

Kismayo (HOL) - Jubbaland Regional State Parliament has approved amendments to two provisions in the constitution, allowing the current leader, Ahmed Madobe, to run for a third term in the regional leadership election.

Somalia’s healthcare sector is ailing. This is despite the country receiving USD 4.5 Billion debt relief from IMF and the World Bank last year which moved the country’s debt to GDP ratio from 64% to 6%. The relief followed protracted negotiations under the Highly indebted Poor Countries Initiative.

Evans says she is 'struggling to put food on the table', while her former husband, 50 - who is currently engaged to Bianca Wallace - is 'jetting around the world' and living a 'lavish lifestyle'.

Health officials in Seychelles are calling for fiscal and trade policies that make healthy foods more affordable and accessible as well as the development of cycling lanes and safe pavements to make people more active to curb non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The call was made on Tuesday at the Sheikh Khalifa Diagnostic Centre at Seychelles Hospital, after presenting the findings of the latest survey on cardiovascular diseases and other non-communicable diseases.  NCDs are those not transmitted through infections from person to person, such as heart diseases, diabetes and cancer. The study, held from August 16 to December 17, 2023, assessed the distribution of health behaviours, diet and main risk factors in the whole population of Seychelles. A random selection of 1,205 people aged 18-74 living on the three main islands, Mahe, Praslin and La Digue, provided information about their behaviour and lifestyles in relation to non-communicable diseases in the country. In his speech to launch the dialogue between those attending the presentation, the Public Health Commissioner, Dr Jude Gedeon, said «key findings show both progress and challenges - while socio-economic indicators are promising certain persist over risk factors, and these necessitate urgent attention.» While the study has found a decrease in the number of people smoking, it also revealed a «sharply increasing prevalence of obesity as well as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes,» he added. When presenting the findings of the latest survey, cardiovascular health consultant, Dr Pascal Bovet, revealed that NCDs were attributed to 60 percent of deaths in the island nation. «What we have also seen is that people need more awareness, especially where high blood pressure is concerned,» said Bovet. Despite popular belief that people can tell when their blood pressure is too high, the illness does not show any symptoms. Gedeon said this is «why people rarely concern themselves to check when they are feeling fine. The study highlights gaps in awareness, treatment, and control of NCD risk factors.» In the case of the increase in obesity from 47 percent in 1989 to 78 percent in 2023, Bovet recommended medical assistance for cases of high cardiovascular risk such as bariatric surgery. He added that a ban on advertising of unhealthy foods as well as cigarettes and alcohol would also help in reducing their consumption. The representatives attending the meeting were from different sectors such as environment and non-governmental organisations. Bovet said, «You are all involved in policy making in one way or another and these findings will help in informing policy and will guide programmatic action.» The presentation of the findings is the first in a series to raise awareness of what the team has seen in the study. «We hope that the awareness raised in the public will lead to change and results, by providing impactful interventions,» said  Gedeon. The report was finalised in April and the findings were presented to the Cabinet of Ministers in June. The study is available on the Ministry of Health's website.

The Fair Trading Commission (FTC) has launched its new logo and website aimed at a gateway for customers in Seychelles to explore and connect with the institution. At the launch last week, FTC's chief executive, Natalie Edmond, explained that the logo needed to be refreshed as the Commission has progressed and evolved over the years. «It must be stated that if executed well, a logo has the ability to convey messages that will create lasting impressions. The Commission's logo radiates elements such as professionalism, transformation and passion. Identity and continuity are also keywords that have guided the careful crafting of the renewed logo and this categorically without a doubt resonates well with the duty of the Commission,» she said. The logo, designed by Archille Marimba, reflects the FTC's evolution, growth, and readiness to embrace the future while honouring 15 years of service. Alongside the unveiling of its new logo, FTC also revealed its revamped website designed by Ben Valmont. «Our new website is more than just a digital presence. It is a platform designed with our consumers in mind - user-friendly, informative, and reflective of our commitment to advocacy and ensuring fair competition,» said the FTC's public relations officer, Emma Louise. «It will serve as a gateway to explore our services, connect with us, and stay updated with the latest news and developments, education materials as well as an easy access to our complaint forms,» added Louise. The FTC's website was launched in 2010, and since then it has been reviewed multiple times to ensure relevance and user engagement. To meet the growing demand for clear, dependable, and timely information, the Commission enlisted a web designer to create a website that balances openness, user-friendliness, relatability, and accessibility. The Commission says it aims to respond to the needs of all users, promoting informed decision-making and a sense of trust through the dissemination of vital information. «With the plan to digitalise, and build an even better rapport with the public, stakeholders and businesses, the Commission has elevated the delivery of its services to another level, in line with the vision of its parent ministry and the government as a whole,» said Edmond.   «As we launch this new website today, the aspiration of the Commission is that it cements the invaluable work and reputation constructed over its 15 years in existence,» she highlighted. Established in 2009, one of the main functions of the Commission is to investigate any complaint of alleged contraventions of the Fair Trading Act, of 2022 or refer any such complaint to another regulatory body. It also carries out such market inquiry, inspection, monitoring or investigations into the conduct of enterprises as it may consider necessary to detect and prevent prohibited conduct. FTC also cooperates with other regulatory bodies, consumer interest groups and other entities to enforce consumer protection and fair Competition, and provides information for the guidance of consumers regarding their rights and the responsibilities of enterprises.

A netizen cried for help on Facebook after receiving news that a dog was trapped behind the rear wheel of a vehicle at a multistorey car park in Jurong West. User Chiam Zhi Lin wrote in a post on the Dogs Singapore group at around 7pm on Monday (July 1) that her colleague «saw a dog stuck [behind a car's] tyre» at Block 684 Jurong West Street 64. Chiam added that a couple who were passing by had tried to take the dog out, «but it's impossible… because it's a medium-sized dog». In a photo uploaded with the post, a dog with brown fur is seen stuck in the gap of the car's left rear wheel. Some of the netizens, worried about the canine, leapt into action. One user said she reached out to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and Singapore Civil Defence Force for help. Someone also called the police. Meanwhile, passers-by did their best to get the dog out. Another photo uploaded by Chiam shows four people crouched around the car, shining their mobile phone torch lights into the gap. Around 15 minutes later, at about 7.30pm, they managed to free the dog, which did not have a collar.

The new statues of Sir Stamford Raffles and Dr Nathaniel Wallich at Fort Canning Park are to acknowledge their contributions to Singapore's botanical heritage, said National Development Minister Desmond Lee on Tuesday (July 2). It is also an acknowledgement of Singapore's colonial past, and not meant to glorify or celebrate «a phase in our history», he added in a written parliamentary reply. Lee cited examples of Singapore's administrative, judicial and political systems - including Parliament, which is based on the Westminster model - as current institutions which can be traced back to the British. Lee's statement comes after Nominated MP Usha Chandradas asked the minister about the basis for the installation of the two new statues, given recent trends in local and global art and cultural institutions towards decolonisation and the re-examination of colonial histories. The pair of life-size bronze figures were unveiled at Fort Canning Park in May.

For the past three years, a Singaporean woman said she has been tormented by an incident in Taiwan where she was punched by a police officer.  She ended up suing the officer, who was charged with intentional injury. Both parties appeared in a Taipei court on Tuesday (July 2).  The woman, known only as Xu, had gotten into an argument on June 29, 2021 with medical staff at Cheng Hsin General Hospital in Taipei, where her husband was warded, reported Taiwanese media outlet ETtoday. She was subsequently arrested and detained by the police.  The next day, Xu was taken into an interrogation room, where she argued with a police officer surnamed Ding, over the issues of mask wearing and garbage disposal.  As the altercation escalated, Ding punched Xu in the face, causing injury to her lip. In retaliation, she splashed a bottle of water at him and threatened to sue him.  Ding later explained that he had tried to make Xu wear a mask because of the Covid-19 pandemic. He also admitted to hitting her and apologised for his actions.  Xu, however, refused to accept his apology and sued him instead.

The Rotary Club of St Andrew North has targeted a contribution of US$32,000 (J$5,100,000) to Food For The Poor Jamaica as part of a collaborative effort to provide education and shelter for at least four families during the club’s new...

WESTERN BUREAU: Residents of western Hanover have contributed nearly $5 million towards Kendal Primary School’s rehabilitation as an investment in the educational development of its youth. This follows the Jamaica Social Investment Fund’s (JSIF)...

WESTERN BUREAU: Schools within the Ministry of Education’s [MOE] Region 4 zone in western Jamaica are among Jamaica’s various educational institutions which will have their planned examination and graduation schedules moved up in light of the...

THERE WERE so many plusses at the first anniversary of the launch of the Alliance of Yorubas in Jamaica inside the Alfred Sangster Auditorium at the University of Technology Jamaica on Saturday, June 29. The entertainment, music and food did not...

WESTERN BUREAU: Ahead of Hurricane Beryl’s expected landfall in Jamaica today, the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA) says it has moved to send home patients who do not need in-hospital care, as part of efforts to outfit its hospital...

The Navy chief is scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with his counterpart Admiral M Nazmul Hassan, Chief of the Naval Staff, Bangladesh Navy in Dhaka, and also review the Passing Out Parade scheduled at Bangladesh Naval Academy (BNA) at Chittagong on July 4, the release added.

Samrat Choudhary removes turban in Ayodhya after Nitish Kumar's party switch, dedicating it to Lord Ram. This marks Choudhary's vow fulfillment, emphasizing his commitment and the political shifts in Bihar.

[African Arguments] At 99, the memory of Patrice Lumumba only grows stronger, as a new book uncovers fresh details about his gruesome assassination 64 years ago.

[The New Humanitarian] Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo -- 'They want us to report what they want to hear.'

[UN News] Millions of displaced people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are suffering amid one of the world's most neglected crises, the UN International Organization of Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday.

Committed to supporting “student-soldiers,” Technion students and alumni have been involved in the development of cutting-edge military technologies used by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), including unmanned bulldozers and stealth and search-and-hunt unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as well as the Iron Dome system that was designed to repel Hamas rocket attacks.

«One of them is the settlement with Ukraine,» Andrey Kelin said

She will operate in the Pacific fleet, the United Shipbuilding Corporation said

According to Yury Ushakov, Moscow considers the summit in Astana as an «opportunity to organize bilateral contacts with the county leaders who will attend it»