Just a week after opening its doors, the Pure Chocolate factory in Ocho Rios, St Ann, was battered by Hurricane Melissa. A massive guango tree lodged in its roof, leaving production at a standstill and causing millions in losses. But since last month, the business has started to bounce back, with staff, chocolate, and some of the island’s cocoa farmers all rising from the wreckage. On top of that, the company was nominated days ago as one of the top three businesses of the year by the St Ann Chamber of Commerce.

Dozens of schools still without electricity months after Hurricane Melissa are now being targeted for emergency support as the National Education Trust (NET) moves to plug critical gaps with the distribution of generators. The agency is compiling a list of institutions still in the dark and in urgent need of backup power following the storm late last year. Students at several schools in Hanover and Westmoreland – two of the parishes hardest hit – are among those most affected, according to NET Executive Director Latoya Harris-Ghartey.

The venerable Titchfield High School marked its 240th anniversary with a week-long programme of celebrations, culminating in a family fun day on the school’s grounds on Easter Monday. Festivities began on March 29 with a meet-and-greet at the Ken Wright Pier, where past students – including many from the overseas diaspora – turned out in large numbers to reconnect, socialise and reminisce. The gathering set a convivial tone for the week ahead.

In a deeply emotional and resolute response, Steve Spesho—the son of Malawi’s late and beloved gospel icon, Grace Chinga—has come forward to firmly dismiss lingering allegations that Shepherd Bushiri was involved in his mother’s death, describing the claims as false, hurtful, and a distortion of reality. Speaking in an interview with media today, Spesho did […] The post Spesho breaks silence: Grace Chinga’s son defends Bushiri, calls death claims ‘painful distortion of truth’ appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

 Iran has lauded Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir for their efforts to end the war with the US Read Full Article at RT.com

Former Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl says Hungary’s parliamentary elections have turned into a US-EU political “proxy war” Read Full Article at RT.com

Madagascar has declared an energy emergency to address a “deep crisis” caused by supply disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict Read Full Article at RT.com

President Salva Kiir has removed South Sudan’s parliament leaders in response to a petition Read Full Article at RT.com

The documentary Ó góða gamla Grindavík was broadcast on Icelandic National Television over Easter. The film was directed by Margrét Hrafnsdóttir and focuses on the natural disasters on the Reykjanes Peninsula and the hardships the residents of Grindavík have endured. It drew attention that the well-known actress Sharon Stone is one of the film’s producers, credited as an “Executive Producer.”

[allAfrica]

Kerala has entered its mandatory silence period for the April 9 assembly elections, with 2.71 crore voters set to decide the fate of 883 candidates. Public campaigning has concluded, and door-to-door efforts are underway. Strict prohibitions are in place for campaigning activities. All arrangements for smooth polling are finalized, with enhanced security measures implemented across the state.

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay criticised the ruling DMK, claiming Chief Minister MK Stalin lacks authority and calling the alliance a «cash-box alliance» funded by «looted» money. Vijay asserted that the «real Congress» is aligned with TVK, not the DMK-led front, as his party prepares for its electoral debut.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of partisanship and corruption after a brief meeting. The party alleged their delegation was dismissed abruptly and that the EC had ignored nine letters from Mamata Banerjee. The TMC also presented evidence of alleged BJP links among Bengal officials, demanding their transfer.

BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar dismissed Congress allegations of asset non-disclosure as a «desperate effort» by a «scared» opposition. He predicted a political realignment in Kerala, stating the next elections will see the Congress and LDF unite as the INDIA bloc against the NDA. Kerala will vote in a single phase on April 9, with counting scheduled for May 4.

Le Pr Charles Edgar Mombo, fils du département de la Doutsila, a effectué une tournée dans sa circonscription électorale, du 3 au 6 avril 2026, le Ministre . Cette visite, la première d'un Ministre de la Doutsila depuis 1960, a été marquée par une ferveur populaire et des échanges directs avec les populations. Les plus heureux étaient les populations de Douano 1 & 2, Nyali, Divouli, Pandza, Nzinga et des villages environnants. Elles ont réservé un accueil chaleureux à leur fils, (...) - POLITIQUE / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON

Sous le haut patronage du Gouverneur de la province du Woleu-Ntem, une cérémonie solennelle d'hommage a été rendue à Tsira Ndong Ndoutoume, illustre gardien et passeur du mvet. Cette rencontre culturelle d'envergure a réuni autorités administratives, acteurs culturels, chercheurs et passionnés des traditions gabonaises autour d'une réflexion profonde sur la place du mvet dans la société contemporaine. Au cœur des échanges, plusieurs thématiques majeures ont structuré les interventions. (...) - ARTS & CULTURE / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON

Le Président de la République, Chef de l'État, Chef du gouvernement, Son Excellence Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema a reçu ce jour en audience une délégation conduite par monsieur Wu Weihua, Vice-Président du Comité Permanent de l'Assemblée Populaire Nationale de Chine (APN) dans le cadre d'une visite officielle visant à consolider les liens bilatéraux entre les deux pays. Cette rencontre s'inscrit dans la continuité de la mission des parlementaires gabonais en Chine, conduite par le (...) - COOPERATION / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON

Singapore will not engage in negotiations for safe passage of ships or on toll rates because it goes against the right of transit passage set out in international law, said Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan on Tuesday (April 7).He was responding to a parliamentary question by MP Fadli Fawzi (Aljunied GRC), who had asked if the Government is engaging the Iranian authorities to secure transit through the Strait of Hormuz for Singapore-flagged vessels.The MP cited the example of Malaysia, which recently confirmed that one of its seven commercial vessels has safely transited the waterway following high-level diplomatic engagements, including telephone conversations between Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian.Fadli also asked if Singapore will be open to paying a toll to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Two motorcyclists teamed up to move a small tree that had fallen due to the rainy weather on the expressway on Tuesday (April 7). The incident took place along the PIE near the Stevens road exit at about 9.30am. Dashcam footage of the incident posted on Instagram the same day shows a motorcyclist stopping before a fallen tree that was blocking the left-most lane. Another motorcyclist had also stopped to help remove the obstruction. After successfully pushing the tree off the road, the two riders continued on their journey. The post cheekily captioned: «Call me a saint cause I'm going back up to heaven after this one, all in a day's work.» The dashcam footage owner, identified as Jerry, told AsiaOne that it took them roughly three minutes to move the tree off of the road. He added that the roads were very wet and slippery due to the pouring rain, which noticeably reduced visibility. «The interesting thing was actually how there were zero words exchanged the entire time, we only said goodbyes at the end,» he said. 

Canada's army is weighing faster timelines for new armoured vehicles while rethinking tanks in light of Ukraine's drone-dominated battlefield. Aging Leopards need replacement, but commanders say technology — including uncrewed systems — will shape decisions, even as other priorities like air defence and long-range strike rank higher.

One woman was admitted with a life-threatening condition called exercise-induced or exertional rhabdomyolysis, rhabdo for short. The illness can happen after an intense workout and is when muscle tissue breaks down, leaking enzymes and proteins into the bloodstream. In high amounts, the proteins can damage the kidneys and lead to an imbalance of electrolytes, which can cause dehydration and heart issues.

Federal Liberals are throwing all they can at the Quebec riding of Terrebonne ahead of Monday's byelection, as a 173-seat majority remains a possibility.

In July 2023, the European Commission tabled a package of three proposals for the greening of freight transport. Among them is a proposal for a single methodology for calculating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transport services, referred to as CountEmissionsEU. The initiative covers both freight and passenger transport. It seeks to ensure that GHG emissions data provided regarding transport services are reliable and accurate, to allow fair comparison between transport services. It establishes a methodological framework but does not govern where it has to be used. Nonetheless, if an organisation decides to calculate and disclose information on GHG emissions from transport services it needs to use the methodology provided. To avoid extra red tape for small and medium-sized enterprises, the proposal exempts these companies from mandatory verification of adherence to the rules. In the European Parliament, the file has been dealt with through the joint committee procedure, involving the Committees on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) and on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). The committees adopted their joint report on 4 March 2024. Parliament voted on its first-reading position during its April I plenary session. Parliament's TRAN and ENVI committees voted to enter into trilogue negotiations with the Council on 4 December 2024. On 5 November 2025, Parliament and the Council reached a preliminary agreement. After the TRAN and ENVI committees endorsed the provisional agreement on 4 December, the Council formally adopted its first-reading position on 26 February 2026. The vote in plenary, following the recommendation of the joint committee, is scheduled for the April 2026 session. Fifth edition of a briefing, the previous editions of which were drafted by Jaan Soone. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

In 2025, ransomware – malicious software that demands a ransom – remained a major cybersecurity threat in the EU, impacting individuals as well as the public and private sectors. Recent reports confirm that attack strategies have developed into complex, multilayered software systems that enable malicious actors to evade identification and carry out decentralised attacks. Additionally, artificial intelligence has emerged as a facilitator in both spreading and combating ransomware. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Yair Lapid pointed out that Israel had not even been invited to take part in talks between Washington and Tehran

Iran’s state-run television earlier reported that Tehran put forward a 10-point proposal that the United States «was forced to accept»

Meanwhile, the price of futures contracts of Brent crude oil for June 2026 delivery was down by 14.19% on London's ICE

According to the report, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted global fertilizer supply chains and reduced sales by nearly 40%

According to Maria Zakharova, Russia sought to ensure that the text would not harm anyone or be used for any malicious purposes

The rapper, 48, sparked controversy late last month when it was announced that he would be headlining the three-day event in Finsbury Park despite his history of pro-Nazi outbursts.

Last year's total for the number of drivers getting points on their licences is nearly a third higher than the 678,367 who received points for speeding in 2022.