Authorities in Virudhunagar district have prohibited wall writings on private buildings in urban areas, allowing citizens to lodge poll-related complaints via dedicated helplines.

Officials say situation for Pakistani pilgrims, travellers in Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah remains stable

The UAE is promoting free mental health helplines for anxiety and panic, while a Psychology Association in Kuwait has launched free online support services, indicating a regional trend towards increasing access to mental healthcare.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said the helplines set up by the Department of Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (NoRKA) had processed 381 distress calls since the start of the conflict.

Helplines are receiving a high volume of alerts from seafarers who find themselves trapped in war-affected regions, highlighting the humanitarian impact on maritime workers.

Mental health awareness is growing across the UAE. Free and confidential helplines are now available 24 hours a day.

The Yadgir Zilla Panchayat in India has appointed nodal officers and established helplines to efficiently handle and resolve complaints related to drinking water issues in the region.

Students make up over a quarter of daily distress calls, signalling growing stress, emotional dependency and coping gaps, say operators of helplines

An opinion piece highlights the frustration of dealing with AI assistants on helplines, contrasting the desire for a living, breathing human with the metallic voice of an AI, particularly during stressful situations like a malfunctioning car.

People stuck in the Gulf complain of ‘very disappointing’ communication and defective helplines