WESTERN BUREAU: Seventy-year-old Parotte fisherman Basil Bennett said he stood in stunned disbelief and watched his home collapse under the brutal force of Hurricane Melissa’s Category 5 winds as it ripped through St Elizabeth last October. “It wasn’t pretty, but I lived it out,” Bennett said, reflecting on the moment his decades-built dwelling gave way to the storm’s intensity. He recalled that as the approaching hurricane strengthened, normal life quickly turned into survival.

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness is expected today to respond to mounting concerns over the proposed National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) bill, a sweeping piece of legislation that has drawn criticism from civil society groups, a government lawmaker, and the parliamentary Opposition. At Gordon House, Holness faces three main options: push the bill through unchanged, agree to amendments, or refer it to a joint select committee for further review.

WESTERN BUREAU: Six months after the devastation of Hurricane Melissa, residents of the small coastal community of Parottee in St Elizabeth say their most urgent needs are the restoration of electricity and access to water, as recovery continues at a slow pace. “We have a big issue here with water and light, but water is our main issue, and water is life,” said Sandra Linton-Jones, a 62-year-old fish vendor who sells at the Black River Fish Market.

The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) saw the lowest number of corruption complaints and cases last year, it revealed in its annual report published Tuesday (April 28).There were 160 corruption-related reports in 2025, a drop of 10 per cent from the 177 reports received in 2024.Of these, 68 reports were pursuable and registered as new cases for investigation in 2025, reportedly the lowest since records began in 2010. CPIB said it determines whether a report is pursuable «by the quality of relevant information provided», and findings uncovered during investigative enquiries and intelligence probes.One case involved a person from the public sector, while 22 (32 per cent) other involved public sector employees rejecting bribes from members of the public.In a case, CPIB investigated five Chinese nationals who allegedly offered bribes to enforcement officers so they could get arrested and obtain Special Passes to illegally sell sex enhancement medications while out on bail.Investigations with respect to the scheme are ongoing, the bureau said.[[nid:720364]]

Singapore is looking up at space to tackle threats down in our country, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam shared at the Milipol TechX Summit 2026 on Tuesday (April 28).Speaking at the opening ceremony of the event, Minister Shanmugam revealed plans for the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) to develop their first satellite, codenamed Xplorer.Xplorer's aim is to target hazardous gas plumes, giving the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) an earlier warning in the event of a crisis, he said. Not only would it improve situational awareness «when every minute counts», Xplorer would also enable faster decisions and response times for the SCDF.Moreover, HTX is also partnering with the National Space Agency of Singapore as part of efforts to determine how space technology can further bolster public safety.«Some technologies may not yet be central to today's operations, but they will shape tomorrow's strategic advantage,» Shanmugam stated.

When Yeremia Chihana walked into the Blantyre Water Board (BWB) as Chief Executive Officer just three weeks ago, he was expected to steady a critical public institution. Instead, he now finds himself at the centre of a fast-unfolding controversy that is raising more questions than answers—and exposing what analysts describe as a troubling fog around […] The post ANALYSIS | Three Weeks in Office, Then Suspended: What Is BWB Not Telling Malawians About the Chihana Saga? appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is urging Malawi and other countries in sub-Saharan Africa to change how they grow their economies. Instead of relying mainly on government spending, the IMF says countries should allow the private sector—businesses and investors—to take the lead. According to the IMF’s latest Regional Economic Outlook report, the current system, where […] The post IMF Urges Malawi to Let Businesses Drive Growth as Government-Led Model Struggles appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

Abbas Araghchi noted that Iran is pleased to engage with Russia at the highest level as the region is in major flux

The first British monarch to address the US Congress was Queen Elizabeth II

Sergey Stepashin noted that Russia has excellent relations with all Middle Eastern countries

UK officials are reportedly concerned that Donald Trump’s meeting with King Charles could end in a “Zelensky-style clash” Read Full Article at RT.com

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the US is being “humiliated” by Iran and lacks a clear strategy in the conflict Read Full Article at RT.com

Le prix du baril de Brent s'envole à nouveau, atteignant 108 dollars sous l’effet des tensions géopolitiques. Le ministre de l'Economie Warren Dexter l'a confirmé la semaine dernière, à ce rythme là, le fonds de régulation du prix des hydrocarbures ne pourra plus absorber le choc. Le gouvernement prévoit une hausse du prix du carburant en juin. Une augmentation qui pourrait peser lourd sur l’économie locale.

Un drame s’est produit en fin de matinée à Vairao. Selon nos confrères de TNTV, un enfant de 2 ans est décédé après avoir été grièvement blessé lors d’une attaque de chiens.

'Zoe's ring looks to be a ten-carat oval-shaped diamond set in yellow gold,' The Diamond Bank in Los Angeles told the Daily Mail. 'It was probably custom-made and costs around $1 million.'

George Robertson opined that the responsibility of government is the defense and safety of its population, and that must come first, then other items of public expenditure come later

According to the TV channel, although the second round of talks has not yet taken place, the two sides «are not as far apart as they seem»

The ministry was referring to the incident that took place on April 26 in the Bint Jbeil District, when an 11-year-old Brazilian child, his mother, who also held Brazilian citizenship, and his Lebanese father were killed

US authorities are investigating reports that the suspect may have been connected to The Wide Awakes organization

A total of 62 enforcement proceedings have been opened against the company

A 35-year-old man has been arrested after he allegedly harassed a girl at a Timezone arcade in Jurong Point last Saturday (April 25) evening, according to an Instagram video post to Sgfollowsall on Sunday.In the video, a man in blue is seated on a stool behind the chair of a racing game terminal in the arcade as two men stand by him, speaking to him.To the left of the man in blue, a girl stands by, her hand placed on the game terminal.As the three men speak, however, the man in blue briefly turns towards the girl and points a metallic object at her with a gloved hand before facing the other men once more.The video ends with still photographs of the man, who was wearing fingerless gloves, being escorted away by security.The Instagram post alleged that the man had sexually harassed a girl at the game terminal and had responded to confrontation from the two men with: «I never do anything what».A large crowd purportedly gathered outside the arcade after police arrived, the post added.Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police shared that they received a call for assistance at 1 Jurong West Central at around 7.15pm on Saturday.

A major joint law enforcement operation involving police from Singapore, Brunei, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea and Thailand has led to the arrest of 326 persons for their alleged involvement in online child sexual exploitation activities. The coordinated operation — which took place between March 23 and April 17, and involved raids at 382 locations across the seven jurisdictions — also resulted in another 119 people assisting with police investigations. Of the 430 men and 15 women arrested or being investigated, the youngest is 12 years old, while the oldest is aged 72.In a news release on Tuesday (April 28), the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said they arrested 11 men, aged between 22 and 44, while another 16 people are assisting with ongoing investigations.They are alleged to have produced, processed, gained access and distributed child sexual abuse materials; sexually communicated with a minor; threatened to distribute intimate image or recording; transmitted or sold obscene materials, possessed obscene films; and/or conducted sexual communication with a minor.

The police are appealing for information on the whereabouts of 13-year-old Daeng Nur'adriani Binte Daeng Muhammad Fairus and 14-year-old El Amrithanjali.In a news release on Tuesday (April 28) morning, the police said Daeng Nur'adriani and El Amrithanjali were last seen at about 12.05pm on Monday, in the vicinity of 9 Pasir Ris Drive 6.Checks by AsiaOne indicate that this is at the address of Hai Sing Catholic School. Police said Daeng Nur'adriani was wearing her school uniform, a dark blue polo top with a light blue skirt, while El Amrithanjali, also in school uniform, was wearing a white blouse.

Younger members of the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) have been given the chance to undertake larger roles as part of the party's ongoing renewal efforts.There will be no changes to PSP's Central Executive Committee (CEC), but roles and responsibilities have instead been adjusted to enable younger leaders to assume «more active, frontline positions», said PSP's secretary-general Leong Mun Wai in a Facebook post on Monday (April 27).Sani Ismail, one of the CEC's new additions since July 2025, has taken over from Phang Yew Huat as the party's organising secretary and head of ground operations. Dzulfadli Hassan has also taken over Anthony Neo's role as head of membership.In addition, the party said that it is strengthening its communications and policy functions, with Wendy Low and Lawrence Pek appointed to lead the respective areas.[[nid:719862]]The party also announced that Samuel Lim will continue to head the youth wing, while Soh Zheng Long will continue to serve as deputy organising secretary (Logistics).