"It is essential that we do not take part in promoting rumors on social media and that we help our children distinguish between what are facts and what are just rumors," says Reverend Arna Ýrr Sigurðardóttir in an interview with mbl.is.

«We will raise the issue of Pakistan's interest or lack of interest in concluding an agreement on a free trade zone with the EAEU,» Alexey Overchuk said

The diplomat’s injuries «were more serious than Iran initially reported,» the Iranian representatives stressed

Acting Health Minister Firass Abiad denied earlier media reports that 4,000 people had been injured

According to Wildberries founder Tatyana Bakalchuk, the incident was an unsuccessful attempt of a hostile take-over led by Vladislav Bakalchuk, Sergey Anufriyev and Vladimir Bakin

According to the latest information, one person was killed and two were injured as a result of the shooting

The top nutrition expert and founder of the ZOE diet app posted his tips for picking a heathy lunch on the go on TikTok as well as what 'healthy' foods you may want to steer clear of.

Reeves is set to follow through with Sir Keir Starmer's ­warning that those with the 'broadest shoulders' will bear the brunt of tax hikes in her first Budget next month.

Christian Mowbray, 48, who serves with the Corps of Royal Engineers at Rock Barracks near Woodbridge, Suffolk, was told his holiday might be in jeopardy after his son's passport was denied.

New work permit holders in Seychelles will no longer be issued a physical Identification Card (ID) but instead have to use SeyID, the digital platform for virtual national identification as of Tuesday, September 17, said a top government official. The principal secretary for Immigration, Alain Volcere, told reporters that this new development is to improve the efficiency of the Department of Immigration and Civil Status. «The benefits to this new service will include a reduction of the administrative process, it will facilitate control and identity verification as well as reducing the number of people who stand in lines hence improving the efficiency of the department,» he explained. The chief immigration officer, Erica Dufresne, clarified that the procedure to acquire work permits has not changed, the only difference is that the permit holders will not receive physical cards anymore. «The permit holder applicants will still have to appear in person where they will follow all due procedures. It is only after the National Identity Number is issued, that permit holders can register for their virtual ID card by visiting the SeyID website www.seyid.gov.sc or by downloading the SEYID app,» said Dufresne. She said that the SeyID for the permit will only be valid for the duration of the work permit and that it is the responsibility of the employee and their employer to ensure that necessary procedures are done on time if a renewal is needed. Apart from permit holders, Dufresne said that the digital service will also benefit the Seychellois diaspora living abroad as they will be able to have access to their national ID without needing a physical one. She added that Seychellois living abroad will now have the option to renew their biometric passport in Seychelles' Embassies in Paris, London and UAE. If it is their first time applying for a biometric passport, they still need to send in their documents to Seychelles to allow for verification of identity and they will be given the option to join the SeyID. Dufresne said that Seychellois will still have the choice of whether to keep a physical ID especially given that their ID expires every 10 years without needing constant replacement over the years. The Department of Immigration and Civil Status has also launched another digital service, namely the 'CertExpress', a platform that allows Seychellois the option to obtain their birth, marriage or death certificates online. This service expects to provide a fast and convenient alternative to traditional in-person requests, streamlining the application and issuance of vital records. According to statistics from the Department of Immigration and Civil Status, around 80 clients walk in every day asking for certificates. The principal immigration officer Mervin Laporte said that this service along with the SeyID for permit holders will significantly reduce the amount of people in lines every day. «Anyone wanting to use this service would need a SeyID. Then they would need to access www.certexpress.gov.sc to request the certificate needed. After paying a 50-rupee fee for each certificate requested and a 48-hour wait period the person requesting will receive the certificate through email,» Laporte. He added that apart from email, the certificate will also be recorded in the person's wallet on SeyID, meaning they would have indefinite access to it through the digital platform without having to request the same certificate again. «This will especially benefit the overseas diaspora, where normally they would request copies of their certificates through family members or someone else here in Seychelles. Now they have a dedicated platform for this,» said Laporte. 

Superstar rap mogul Sean «Diddy» Combs pleaded not guilty Tuesday to racketeering and sex trafficking charges, and was ordered to remain in custody pending a trial. Combs, 54, was arrested by federal agents in New York on Monday evening and accused in a just-unsealed three-count criminal indictment alleging he sexually abused women and coerced them into drug-fueled sex parties using threats and violence. Appearing in a Manhattan courtroom where many family members came to support him, the one-time music dignitary pleaded not guilty. His lawyer asked Magistrate Judge Robyn Tarnofsky to allow his release on bail. After a lengthy bail hearing in which the prosecution voiced concerns including the potential for witness tampering and flight risk, Judge Tarnofsky denied bail, saying she was concerned about a «power imbalance» in the case that includes people she said are «subject to coercion.» She also cited concerns over his alleged propensity for anger, violence and substance abuse. Combs, who was wearing black t-shirt, grey sweatpants and sneakers, did not noticeably react to the pre-trial detention ruling, which his attorney, Marc Agnifilo, said would be appealed. Along with racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, Combs is charged with one count of transporting victims across state lines to engage in prostitution. Damian Williams, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said that although Combs is the only person indicted for now the investigation is ongoing. The indictment alleges that for decades Combs «abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct.» It accused him of running a criminal enterprise that carried out «sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice.» Combs allegedly engaged in a «persistent and pervasive pattern» of verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse of women, the indictment said. «On numerous occasions from at least in or about 2009 and continuing for years, Combs assaulted women by, among other things, striking, punching, dragging, throwing objects at, and kicking them,» it said. Williams said female victims were forced to engage in extended sexual performances with male commercial sex workers in sessions called «Freak Offs,» which were planned and controlled by Combs and often videotaped. «The Freak Offs sometimes lasted days at a time... and often involved a variety of narcotics such as ketamine, ecstasy and GHB,» he said. «The indictment alleges that Combs threatened and coerced victims to get them to participate in the Freak Offs.» - Bombshell suit - The powerful music industry figure, who has gone by various monikers including Puff Daddy and P Diddy, was credited as key to hip hop's journey from the streets to luxury clubs. Despite his efforts to cultivate the image of a smooth party kingpin and business magnate, a spate of lawsuits describe Combs as a violent man who used his celebrity to prey on women. The floodgates opened last year after singer Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, alleged Combs subjected her to more than a decade of coercion by physical force and drugs as well as a 2018 rape. The pair met when Ventura was 19 and Combs was 37, after which he signed her to his label and they began a relationship. The bombshell suit was settled out of court, but a string of similarly lurid sexual assault claims followed -- including one in December by a woman who alleged Combs and others gang-raped her when she was 17. The rapper's luxury homes in Miami and Los Angeles were raided by agents in March. Disturbing surveillance video emerged in May showing Combs physically assaulting his then-girlfriend Ventura, corroborating allegations she made in the now-settled case. The prosecution referenced the footage's content during the bail hearing, suggesting it is a key element of their case. - Global fame with dark shadow - Born Sean John Combs on November 4, 1969, in Harlem, the artist entered the industry as an intern in 1990 at Uptown Records, where he eventually became a talent director. In 1991, he promoted a celebrity basketball game and concert at the City College of New York that left nine people dead after a stampede and resulted in a string of lawsuits. He was fired from Uptown and founded his own label, Bad Boy Records. That began a quick ascent to the top of East Coast hip hop, along with his late disciple, The Notorious B.I.G. Combs boasted a number of major signed acts and production collaborations with the likes of Mary J Blige, Usher, Lil' Kim, TLC, Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men. He was also a Grammy-winning rapper in his own right, debuting with the chart-topping single «Can't Nobody Hold Me Down» and his album «No Way Out.» © Agence France-Presse

The Gavi vaccine alliance announced Wednesday a deal with Danish drugmaker Bavarian Nordic to secure 500,000 jabs against mpox for use in African countries facing an epidemic of the virus. The announcement came after the World Health Organization last week prequalified an mpox vaccine, MVA-BN, for the first time, paving the way for the United Nations and other international agencies to procure them. Separately, the Global Fund -- a partnership set up in 2002 to battle AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria -- said it would provide $9.5 million towards the mpox response in the Democratic Republic of Congo, at the epicentre of the current epidemic. Gavi said the vaccine doses, to be delivered by the end of the year, would be purchased through its First Response Fund, which was created in June to make cash rapidly available for vaccines during health emergencies. «We are committed to working with affected governments and our partners to turn these vaccines into vaccinations as quickly and effectively as possible,» Gavi's chief Sania Nishtar said in a statement. She said the aim was «to build a global vaccine stockpile», though that would depend on Gavi securing sufficient funding for work through 2030. Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is caused by a virus transmitted to humans by infected animals but can also be passed from human to human through close physical contact. It causes fever, muscular aches and large boil-like skin lesions, and in some cases can be deadly. The WHO declared an international emergency over mpox last month, concerned by the surge in cases of the new Clade 1b strain in the DRC that spread to nearby countries. Between January and the end of August, DRC had recorded nearly 22,000 cases and more than 700 deaths linked to the virus. By late August, Clade 1b had also been detected in the DRC's eastern neighbours Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda, plus Kenya, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, while single case have been detected in Sweden and Thailand. © Agence France-Presse

Seychelles has revised the economic growth forecast for 2024, which was 3.4 percent of the GDP to 3.1 percent, based on the economic development, both domestically and internationally. The Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Trade, Naadir Hassan, made the statement when presenting a Mid-Year Economic Review for 2024.   Hassan said the revision follows a lower prevision in the tourism industry as the visitor arrivals are expected to increase much slower than foreseen. «We expect a growth of 2 percent for 2024 compared to the 5 percent that was forecast. The principal reason is the reduction in flight connections to Europe, mainly Russia and Israel. The government is discussing with several airlines to negotiate for them to offer flights to Seychelles year-round and instead of on a seasonal basis. Soon we expect the arrival of Russian airline Aeroflot and other airlines so that we can end the year on a positive forecast,» he added. Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, depends largely on tourism, the top contributor to its economy. Additionally, the manufacturing sector has seen a reduction of 5 percent as a result of the explosion of December 7, 2023, that took place and affected one of the key companies in that sector, Civil Construction Company Limited (CCCL), causing a reduction in the production of basic products used in construction. The Minister said, «The donations we received for the first six months have been reduced by SCR32 million ($2.3 million), mainly due to the delay in implementation of different small community projects that the government of India was expected to finance.  As a result, we have reviewed our forecast for the year to reflect the delay, and we will see a reduction of SCR17.5 million ($1.2 million).» Hassan said that after an exercise was done, there will be certain budgetary re-allocation that will need to be done and the government is asking for a supplementary budget for a sum of SCR 473,100,693 ($34.8 million). This will be financed by a reduction in the budget for spending for a sum of SCR 453,320,193 ($433.3 million). For the year 2024, the National Assembly approved a budget of SCR 10,6 billion ($731 million).    «Today, I am presenting with the National Assembly an increase of SCR SR 19,780,500 ($1.4 million) in the 2024 budget,» he added. In the Capital Projects allocation, a sum of SCR 329.5 million ($24.5 million) is being recommended given the projects that will not be completed in 2024 and those that will materialise this year. Most of the projects are being financed through grants and loans. «The additional allocation will include a sum of SCR 279.6 million ($20.6 million) for the reclamation project that will start at the end of the year. Provision will also be made for a sum of SCR 14.7 million ($1 million) to finance a new project to stablilise big rocks to prevent landslides in specific areas on Mahe, the main island. This follows a study conducted after heavy rain caused landslides in the north of Mahe on December 6 and 7,» said the minister. The major reduction for capital projects was for projects that were expected to be financed by the government of Saudi Arabia, this is because their tender process is longer than was projected. The other project is the installation of solar panels on government buildings to be financed by the government of India. Hassan said because of the delay in the implementation of those projects, the respective reduction in the budget has been made. «Based on the performance of the six months and revision in the expenditure we will maintain a fiscal surplus of 1.1 percent of the GDP,» said Hassan.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese indicates Papua New Guinea is a step closer to entering a team in the NRL.

Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) – 'achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls' – is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations (UN) that is very likely to be missed by the target date of 2030. This undermines the rest of the goals. The inclusion in the SDGs of a standalone goal on gender equality was seen as a spur to mobilise action and resources to tackle persistent barriers to women and girls' full enjoyment of their rights, which also undermine sustainable development. The targets in SDG 5 specify actions or outcomes that countries should aim for. These are to remove discriminatory legislation and social norms, eliminate gender-based violence, ensure the bodily autonomy of women and girls, value their unpaid care work and close gender gaps in access to resources and decision-making. At the mid-point to 2030, no country or region in the world has achieved all these targets. Already slow, global progress has stalled, prompting evaluation of which policy measures have been effective, where gaps exist and how to catalyse further action. The European Union (EU) supported the inclusion of SDG 5 and has comprehensive policy frameworks in place to support non-EU countries to achieve the targets and to advance gender equality in the Union. In the EU itself, many of the targets are on track, but progress has been uneven, with significant disparities between Member States. The European Parliament has taken a strong stance on putting gender equality at the heart of sustainable development policy and has called for concrete steps to accelerate progress towards SDG 5. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Bringing all European financial markets under one roof, the Capital Markets Union (CMU), stands to provide European savers and borrowers with better opportunities. This, in turn, is expected to boost long-term growth and to improve the functioning of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). Yet, powerful private and public interest groups have been able so far to stand in the way of this transformation. Most governments are torn between the benefits from CMU and the pressure of these interest groups. This document was provided by the Economic Governance and EMU Scrutiny Unit at the request of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) ahead of the Monetary Dialogue with the ECB President on 30 September 2024. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

The situation has caused a grim mood on the campaign, especially in the wake of a second assassination attempt Sunday at his West Palm Beach, Fla., golf course.

Younger voters have played an increasingly bigger role in presidential elections, but studies show that, as young women become more liberal, some young men are defecting from the Democrats.

During the exercise, servicemen of the Lao People's Army will work out all stages of practical operations in unified combat formation with units of the Eastern Military District

Maria Zakharova noted that the collective West had been blocking investigations into international terrorist attacks in recent years

«In all likelihood the organizers of this high-tech attack purposefully sought to foment a large-scale armed confrontation with the aim to provoke a major war in the Middle East,» Maria Zakharova said

The TV channel points out that those who fell victim to the Israeli attack were fighting to liberate Jerusalem

The ceremony took place on Wednesday at the first fall session of the legislative assembly in the Mariinsky Palace

Earlier, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Yerevan had frozen participation in the CSTO because, he argued, this organization posed threats to Armenia’s sovereignty

Forces defending the city have shot down the bulk of those drones, the city's mayor said

Belarusian Energy Minister Alexey Kushnarenko did not specify the investment volume

Earlier, the entrepreneur warned that there would no longer be real US elections if this year’s race was lost by Donald Trump

For weeks, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has been accusing NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh of supporting the government until February so he can become eligible for his MP pension. But experts estimate the size of Poilievre's own pension at more than three times that of Singh's pension.

Multiple RSV vaccines for adults are rolling out in the months ahead, along with two monoclonal antibody shots to provide protection for infants. How you access the various shots will depend on where you live, with some provinces covering certain options and not others.

Ukraine's ambassador to Canada says her country is in dire need of armoured vehicles and hopes Canada's plan to supply rebuilt troop carriers proceeds quickly.

Jennifer Brady of Halifax has applied for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) following years of trying to access care not available in Nova Scotia. Her case has several doctors fighting on her behalf, but the province has refused to help by denying her requests and fighting her in court.

The driver of a Singapore-registered car and its passenger have come under fire for tossing trash out of the window while driving in Malaysia. The incident, captured on a TikTok video that has since gone viral, shows the driver's shameful act being swiftly rebuked by a fellow motorist. The video, which began circulating on social media around Sept 15, shows a black Mitsubishi with a Singapore licence plate stopping at a traffic light. The car's passenger, who appeared to be a man sitting up front in the passenger seat, can be seen tossing an orange peel out the window and onto the road. However, the litterbug's actions did not go unnoticed. In a display of civic duty, another driver, dressed casually in a khaki shirt and jeans, is seen getting out of his vehicle and approaching the Mitsubishi. He calmly picks up the discarded peel, knocks on the passenger window to get the occupants' attention, and proceeds to return the trash through the partially opened window. While the exact location and date of the incident remain unspecified, some netizens have speculated that it took place in Klang Valley, Selangor.

SINGAPORE — Teachers are not required to share their personal phone numbers, and do not need to respond to work-related messages after school hours, said Education Minister Chan Chun Sing. Instead, they should use official channels like their e-mail and office number when contacting parents, and respond to work-related messages after school hours only in the event of emergencies, he added. «Within a normal work day, if it's not an emergency, beyond 5pm, you don't have to respond to whether (the parents') son must wear a brown or yellow T-shirt,» said Chan, who was speaking at the Ministry of Education (MOE) Schools Work Plan Seminar on Sept 18. «All this is to establish boundaries, to allow educators to focus on conducting class and student activities, and to ensure that our educators have protected time after school hours to take care of (their) families, rest, and recharge,» he added. The event was held at the Singapore Expo and attended by over 1,700 people, including teachers, school leaders and parents. Minister of State for Education Gan Siow Huang and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education Shawn Huang were also present. 

A couple seeking to rent an apartment believed they had done their due diligence to avoid a scam but they still fell victim to one. After verifying their property agent's licence and meeting his assistant for house viewings, a woman and her husband found themselves waiting for their keys alongside two other couples on Monday (Sept 16), all of whom had signed leases for the same unit. Their agent has since remained uncontactable, said the woman who only wanted to be known as JM. In an interview with AsiaOne on Wednesday, JM, a fitness instructor in her 30s, shared that she and her husband saw a condo unit at Paya Lebar Road listed for rent on Facebook Marketplace. After getting in touch with the agent, they were introduced to his «personal assistant», and had only met her during the two house viewings. For JM, who has been renting for 12 years, this is not an unusual move as she and her husband have encountered similar arrangements in the past.

The Seychelles' authorities are to have an African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) strategy draft ready by next month and a workshop with key partners was organised on Monday to gather relevant information. Seychelles ratified the AfCFTA agreement in 2021, which aims to create a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of business people and investments, while paving the way for accelerating the establishment of a customs union. Jean-Paul D'Offay, principal trade officer in the Ministry of Finance, National Planning and Trade, told reporters that the workshop will also give participants a chance to learn more about the AfCFTA such as its background, opportunities and its relevance. During the meeting, participants will also «provide critical feedback in the development of the strategy and assist Seychelles to fully implement the agreement along with its various protocols and annexes and reap the full potentials from it,» he added. D'Offay said, «The involvement of participants from diverse sectors of the economy will surely help to forth constructive ideas and thoughts for the development of our strategy.» He added that the participants will help Seychelles to come up with a comprehensive implementation strategy. The finance authorities are working with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the German development company Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) to draft the implementation strategy. Also, Danilo Desidero from the World Bank will be working closely to draft the implementation strategy. The draft will be shown to the stakeholders, who will be able to provide their feedback on the document before the country validates its implementation strategy. «We are hoping to be able to send the validated document to the Cabinet of Ministers in November for approval, allowing us to push forward with the implementation,» he said. As of August 2024, 54 African states have signed the agreement while 48 members have ratified it.