Two Singaporeans were arrested after the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) conducted two separate operations on Thursday (Oct 30), seizing about $4,920 in cash and a total of 115 e-vaporiser pods and 13 e-vaporisers believed to contain etomidate.In a statement on Friday (Oct 31), CNB said it acted on a tip-off and arrested a 42-year-old Singaporean man at his Yishun Ring Road residence for suspected drug offences.A search of the unit uncovered vape-related products and about $3,900 in cash. Suspecting that the man had discarded items down the kitchen rubbish chute, officers searched the chute linked to the unit and recovered 109 e-vaporiser pods and 11 e-vaporisers believed to contain etomidate.On the same day, CNB officers conducted an operation at another residential unit in the vicinity of Fernvale Lane, which led to the arrest of a 31-year-old Singaporean woman for suspected drug offences.

About 500,000 personnel from the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will see an increase in their group insurance scheme from Nov 1.The coverage will go up to $350,000 each, from $300,000. In a joint statement on Friday (Oct 31), the two ministries said that coverage will increase for both the Group Term Life and Group Personal Injury insurance for full-time national servicemen, eligible operationally ready national servicemen, eligible regulars, and eligible volunteers in the ministries as well as the Home Team.«Insured individuals who wish to increase their coverage or insure their dependants can purchase additional coverage from the appointed insurance company, Singlife,» the statement said.The scheme was introduced in 2016.In January 2023, coverage under each policy for all service personnel and eligible volunteers was increased from $150,000 to $300,000. [[nid:724001]]xingying.koh@asiaone.com

In her mission letter, the Commission President had requested Commissioner Albuquerque to establish a structured dialogue with the competent committee in the European Parliament. This is the first such dialogue to take place in the ECON Committee which is the competent committee for most files entrusted to the Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union. The present briefing reviews the input received from the Commissioner for this exchange of views (i.e., her 2025 Annual Progress Report on Simplification, Implementation and Enforcement); the briefing also discusses several topical issues in the portfolio of Commissioner Albuquerque. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

This study quantifies the impact of geopolitical risk on euro area banks using the 2025 EU-wide stress test, the first to include an explicit geopolitical scenario. Comparing outcomes with earlier stress tests, we find that geopolitical shocks measurably erode capital ratios, with smaller and less diversified banks most affected and considerable heterogeneity across countries. The results highlight how stress testing can capture structural vulnerabilities and inform supervisory responses through Pillar 2 requirements and Systemic Risk Buffers within the Banking Union framework. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Geopolitical tensions have emerged as a major source of macro-financial instability, with conflicts, sanctions, and global rivalries introducing risks that differ from traditional credit or market shocks. These events are difficult to anticipate and propagate through financial markets, the real economy, and operational channels, often amplifying into systemic consequences. Recent research shows that banks reallocate rather than withdraw—cutting cross-border lending but maintaining affiliate activity—while capital requirements calculated at consolidated level may transmit foreign shocks to domestic credit supply. Stronger capital buffers cushion these effects. Overall, major geopolitical shocks raise funding costs, weaken bank stability, and disrupt financial infrastructure, underscoring the need for robust governance, releasable buffers, scenario-based supervision, more coordinated micro and macro prudential regulation, and overall strengthened international coordination. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

[New Times] Imagine waking up unable to speak, see clearly, or move, struck suddenly by a stroke. Medical bills pile up, your job may be gone, or if self-employed, savings and property are drained. Stigma and life-changing challenges follow, all from a condition that could have been prevented.

[The Conversation Africa] Despite international efforts to eliminate child marriage, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to have high rates of this harmful practice.

[Daily Trust] Reports suggest that Cameroon's opposition leader, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, has fled his residence in the northern city of Garoua amid intensifying post-election protests, violent crackdowns, and threats of prosecution.

TEHRAN – The Indonesian Ambassador to Iran, Roliansyah Sumirat, has emphasized the need to promote scientific, technological, and educational collaborations between Indonesia and Iran.

TEHRAN – Science Minister Hossein Simaei-Sarraf is participating in the 43rd Session of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) General Conference being held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from October 30 to November 13.

TEHRAN – A total of 11,169 births were registered in the country in the first seven months of the current Iranian calendar year that started in March 2025, the Civil Registration Organization has announced.

TEHRAN – The World Cities Day is being marked in Tehran with the theme of Smart Cities, Sustainable Innovation, Green Buildings, Bright Future.

Rachel Reeves admitted last night that she had misled the PM and his sleaze adviser over whether she knew a licence was needed to rent out her family home.

The UNSC will vote to renew a mission in Western Sahara and consider a proposal to resolve the decades-long Morocco-Polisario conflict Read Full Article at RT.com

Latvian lawmakers supporting the withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention claim the treaty promotes ‘gender’ theories Read Full Article at RT.com

The RBI brought around 64 tons of gold back to India from April to September Read Full Article at RT.com

Russia will introduce engineering classes in Burkina Faso by the end of 2025, Roman Marshavin has said Read Full Article at RT.com

Authorities in Russia’s Republic of Dagestan have recognized 34 hunters who helped repel Ukrainian drone incursions Read Full Article at RT.com

The Ring Road is currently closed at Fagurhólsmýri due to severe weather, as well as on the stretch under Eyjafjöll and over Reynisfjall toward Vík, according to the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration.

In this issue of our environmental newsletter, we look at the environmental impacts of two alternatives to burial and cremation of human bodies; check out a new kind of floating solar panel; and look into an idea to boost recycling rates and help vulnerable people at the same time.

CBC News discovered two major candy makers, Mars Inc. and the Hershey Company, had reduced the weight of several of their Halloween chocolate bar variety packs compared to last year by as much as almost 17 per cent.

A year after the RCMP told the fifth estate “some level of success” was coming in a string of killings in a small B.C town, they remain unsolved and the body count continues to rise.

Economic ripples from Tanzania’s post-election unrest are now being felt deep inside Malawi, with hundreds of transporters—including fuel tankers—trapped at the Kasumulu Border and supply chains grinding to a halt. For days, the normally busy border post between Songwe and Kasumulu has been under lockdown following violent protests in southern Tanzania, which saw mobs clash […] The post Tanzania Unrest Chokes Malawi’s Economy as Trucks, Fuel Shipments Stall at Border appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

Independent Member of Parliament Ayuba Sylvester James has positioned himself as one of the clearest and boldest voices confronting the direction Malawi Congress Party has taken under former President Lazarus Chakwera. His message is not wrapped in diplomacy or caution. It is sharp, deliberate, and rooted in a political reality that many within the party […] The post Ayuba Sylvester James: “For MCP to Rise, Chakwera Must Fall” appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

Lilongwe is tonight set to host a powerful and potentially transformative public lecture that challenges society to rethink how it treats people of diverse sexual orientations. Organised by the Centre for the Development of People (CEDEP) and the Angaza Foundation, the lecture—under the theme “Building Inclusive Public Services through Understanding of Sexual Orientation and Diversity”—takes […] The post Breaking the Silence: Lilongwe Hosts Bold Public Lecture on Sexual Orientation and Inclusion appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

President Arthur Peter Mutharika has laid out a sweeping and urgent programme aimed at stabilising Malawi’s struggling economy and restoring public confidence in government institutions. Delivering the State Opening of Parliament in Lilongwe on Friday, Mutharika said Malawians voted for “proven and trusted leadership” after years of economic distress and governance breakdown, and that his […] The post Restoring Order: How the New Mutharika Administration Plans to Rebuild Malawi appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

LIVE UPDATES: Follow the latest developments and reaction as Buckingham Palace announce Andrew will be stripped of his titles and vacate Royal Lodge.

In the face of global uncertainties and with multilateralism under pressure, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) grouping's mission to champion free and open trade and investments in the Asia-Pacific region «is now more important than ever,» said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Friday (Oct 31). He was speaking at the first session of the Apec economic leaders' meeting (AELM) being held in Gyeongju, South Korea.The non-binding 21-member grouping accounts for 50 per cent of global trade and contributed 61 per cent of real gross domestic product in 2023. Said PM Wong: «Apec can make a difference by embracing the spirit of cooperation, being pragmatic, and staying forward looking. »Doing so will deliver tangible outcomes for our economies, while reinforcing the rules-based global order."

SINGAPORE - Minister for Sustainability and Environment Grace Fu has made it to the Time100 Climate 2025 list, which highlights the most influential leaders driving business climate action.Fu, who is also Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, was recognised for the Singapore government's significant investments and plans to prioritise nature in the Republic and help the city adapt to climate change.She was named on the list on Oct 30, along with others like Pope Leo XIV, Suriname president Jennifer Geerlings-Simons and actor Samuel L. Jackson, in the third edition of the annual list by New York-based magazine Time.The list lauds decision-makers, executives, researchers and innovators who have unlocked funding and resources needed for climate action, despite a year beleaguered by geopolitical conflicts and trade tensions.It comes less than two weeks ahead of the COP30 UN talks in Brazil, where governments of nearly 200 countries will discuss how to limit climate change and prepare for its impacts.

About 500 car parks in HDB estates across the island experienced technical issues with their parking systems on Friday (Oct 31).In a Facebook post on Oct 31, HDB said it is currently investigating the cause of the issue.«In the meantime, we have lifted the barrier arms of affected parking gantries to allow motorists to enter and exit the car parks expeditiously,» said HDB. It added that it is working closely with service providers to resolve the issue as soon as possible.According to comments on the Facebook group TADA Drivers Club, one user noted that when he returned home at 12pm, there was a long queue to enter the car park.Others added that drivers had to alight from their vehicles to manually lift the barrier arms in order to enter and exit the car parks.AsiaOne has reached out to HDB for more information. This is a developing story.[[nid:705330]]xingying.koh@asiaone.com

Garowe (HOL) — More than 2,500 soldiers based in Garowe, Bosaso, and Galkayo have received payments of $200 each from the Federal Government of Somalia over the past two days, according to officials and bank transfer records reviewed by Hiiraan Online.