From Osakhare Erese Asaba
The Delta State Government has expressed concern at the perennial flooding in the state, especially Asaba and its environs occasioned by heavy rain, saying it has caused severe hardship to the residents of the state.
The government acknowledged the fact that household properties and other valuables had been lost to the flood but thanked God that no life had been lost.
In a statement endorsed by the Director of Information, Mr Paul Osahor, the state government sympathized with the plight of the people, stressing that government was working assiduously to ensure that the perennial flooding being faced by the people of the State was controlled and the hardship reduced to the barest minimum.
The statement said that the numerous storm water projects currently being executed by the state government were steps in the right direction and remained lasting solutions to tackle the issue of flooding especially in Asaba, when fully completed.
It said that government was also working out measures to tackle the issue of flooding in Warri, Effurun and other parts of the state.
While noting that residents of the state had a vital role to play in assisting the state government’s efforts in checking the menace of the flood, it called on them to desist from erecting illegal structures on natural water ways and dumping of waste in the drains.
The statement appealed to residents of the state to exercise patience as the state government was intensifying efforts to check the flood.


(MENAFN- Trend News Agency)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 6. Azerbaijan will
continue work on the improving Zangilan city to a high standard,
Special Representative of the Azerbaijani President to Zangilan
district Vahid Hajiyev made this remark during Azerbaijan National
Urban Forum on the topic 'Sustainable Development Goals and the New
Urban Agenda - as the leading force for restoration and
reconstruction in the post-conflict period'.
According to him, Zangilan is a regional center, built in
accordance with concepts of 'green' and 'smart' city.
'For example, to restore the ecosystem destroyed during the
occupation, 20,000 plane trees and 1,000 kilograms of oak seeds
were planted in the Zangilan district. Moreover, more than 3,000
different trees were planted in Aghali village recently,' Hajiyev
He noted that residential areas in Zangilan will be integrated
into park zones, which will be further emphasized by the
'Residential buildings will be integrated into the layout and
design of park region to a very high standards with the use of
local materials as well as modern technologies,' Hajiyev said.
He stressed that logistics, tourism and agriculture are also
priorities in the restoration work.
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As per a release by the state health department, 50 medical camps were conducted in Aranthangi, Ariyalur, Attur, Seiyaru, Chennai, Chengalpattu, Cuddalore, Dharmapuri, Coimbatore and Dindigul districts.
Various medical treatments were offered for general medicine, neurology and geriatrics. Tests, including that of blood, blood clotting, blood cholesterol, urine, sputum, stool, and cervical cancer, were carried out.
The minister informed that individuals requiring follow-up care will also benefit under the Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam scheme as the medications will be given at the doorstep by the healthcare workers. “The diagnosis of kidney and liver issues was also done at the camps and patients requiring transplant are also being referred to district headquarters hospitals. COVID-19 vaccination is also being administered at these camps, “ he said. Talking about the rising number of dengue cases in the State, the Health Minister said the numbers are in control. “As many as 331 people have been affected by dengue fever so far, including two children,” he said.
“Awareness about dengue is being created with the help of local authorities and the State Health department is also involved in removing stagnant water from homes, spraying mosquito repellent, spraying smoke and spraying aphids,” he said. The Minister also held a meeting with Chennai Construction Workers Union and traders as construction is going on at 7,707 sites in Chennai and these places can have water stagnation that can lead to mosquito breeding. “We have informed them of the risks involved due to the water stagnation at construction sites. Failure to do so will result in the imposition of fines by local administrations,” he said.
When asked about the compensation to be given to doctors who succumbed to COVID-19, he said the state government has issued a notice to grant the compensation to the doctors. “Four of them have received it. Others will also be given compensation,” he said.
“Since we need to identify the healthcare workers who will be given the incentives for COVID-19 duty, the work will take some time and it is expected to get over in a week,” he added.


Rawalpindi: (Parliament Times) The business community has expressed its deep concerns over the deteriorating law and order situation in the city besides alarming surge in incidents of robberies and dacoities
Shop locks have been broken, traders have been looted at the show market and tyre market in Ganjamundi police station area; two people were killed in a coal center at the police station in Cantt. Sadar. Firing incident occurred during a robbery at City Saddar.
Addressing at the executive committee meeting, The Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) President Saboor Malik, said that the growing incidents in the city cause severe disturbance in the business community, they are insecure.
President RCCI said that the ongoing slump in economy has already broken the backbone of industrial sectors whereas the deteriorating law and order situation has doubled the miseries of the traders. He said that it seemed the whole city was being controlled by the robbers who looted traders including common man whenever and wherever they wanted.
The district administration, especially the RPO and CPO, should ensure the peace and security of the business community and the public, he demanded. He said that businesses are already suffering due to the economic downturn. Raising police patrols and adopting modern technology can help administration to maintain law and order. He said that the safe city project has become indispensable due to the spread of markets and population in Rawalpindi city. Senior Vice President Nosherwan Khalil, Vice President Hamza Saroosh, former President Shahid Saleem, and the executive committee members attended the meeting.


Netball England has invited Malawi Queens to take part in a Tri-Nations tournament with England and Jamaica in October.
The tournament, to run from November 22 to 29, is among the three events that the Malawi National Netball Team will take part in between October and December in what will be a tight schedule for the Queens.
Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) general secretary (GS) Isaac Chimwala said in an interview yesterday that the Queens will also take part in the African Netball Championship from November 9.
He said: “Before the African Netball Championship, the team will also take part in a Pent Series in Namibia from October 31 to November 5.”
He said the team has also been invited to Scotland for test matches.
“So, it will be a busy schedule for our Queens and the tournaments will help us prepare for the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games slated for next July.”
The NAM GS said while Malawi is among the red-listed countries for Covid-19, they are optimistic of being given special clearance into England “since we are on level two”.
Chimwala said they recently met the Queens coaching panel led by Peace Chawinga-Kaluwa to plan on the way forward.
“The coach briefed us on the plan she has as regards the team’s preparations.
“To that effect, we will be meeting the Malawi National Council of Sports next week to see how best we can proceed,” he said.
Chawinga-Kaluwa confirmed the meeting, saying: “Yes we indeed met and agreed on mapping the way forward regarding upcoming events.
“We are reviewing all the plans to ensure that they fall into place as NAM has also committed to support us.”
She said the upcoming events will be key in preparing for the Commonwealth Games
“So, all plans have been drawn towards that,” said the coach.
Australia-based Queens star shooter Mwawi Kumwenda said it is encouraging that the Queens have a busy schedule.
She said: “Hopefully, resources will be made available to ensure that the team takes part in all these events because it will help us tune up for Commonwealth Games.
“It will also be an opportunity to expose young talent that has been roped into the team.”


Libya's LNA takes back key oil ports: NOC chief
(MENAFN) Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) has reclaimed control over major Ras Lanuf and Es Sider ports, the head of Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) announced.
NOC Chairman Mustafa Sanalla also expressed his anticipation for operations in the key ports to recommence in the "next couple of days".
Chairman Sanalla noted that Libya has been losing production of 450,000 barrels per day (bpd) following the eruption of conflicts between the LNA and rival factions closed the two terminals.
The LNA regained control of the ports a week after anti-Haftar armed groups' attack forced them to pull out amid serious clashes on Thursday.
Ahead of an OPEC meeting in Vienna, Sanalla told reporters "we lost 450,000 bpd in last eight to nine days and hopefully in next couple of days we can resume operations."
He added "we had a minor fire yesterday and we extinguished it and the situation there is good. We will make the assessments and then resume operations as soon as possible."
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J&K reports 84 new Covid cases, one death
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir today reported 84 fresh Covid-19 cases taking the total number of positive cases to 455475, officials said.
They said that one more death has been reported from Jammu division taking the toll of infection related deaths to 4757 in the Union Territory.
The officials said that 64 fresh cases were reported from Jammu division and 20 from Kashmir division.
Moreover, they said, 67 more Covid-19 patients have recovered and been discharged from various hospitals including 47 from Jammu division and 20 from Kashmir division.
They further said that at present there are 494 active positive cases in the UT.
Providing district-wise breakup, the officials said that Jammu district reported 45 cases; Srinagar 18; Udhampur 05; Kathua 10; Samba 03 and; Ramban, Baramulla and Kulgam reported 01 case each.
They said that 12,355 doses of Covid vaccine were administered in the last 24 hours bringing the cumulative number of doses administered across J&K to 23348206.


The Western Australian government has introduced legislation to ensure public services can continue in the event the state budget is delayed due to the coronavirus.
The bill would provide roughly six months of funds for the 2020-21 financial year, according to Treasurer Ben Wyatt, allowing all public sector workers to be paid and crucial services to continue.
“We know that COVID-19 is an evolving situation, and the state government has been working hard to prepare our state to respond to every potential scenario,” he said on Wednesday.
“This is a sensible measure that will ensure important public services will continue to be delivered to the community and our hard working teachers, nurses and public sector workers can continue to serve the community in responding to COVID-19.”
The 2020-21 state budget was scheduled to be handed down on May 14. While the Financial Management Act 2006 would provide two months’ supply if the budget wasn’t passed, the WA government has argued the “uncertainty of COVID-19 and its impact on the community” have rendered extra precautions necessary.
The Opposition has offered in-principle support for the legislation.
Wyatt noted that “while the challenges facing the state may be unprecedented”, WA has introduced the supply bill before, most recently in 2013 and 2017, when budgets were handed down later than usual due to March state elections.


(MENAFN – Jordan News Agency) Amman, Jan. 14 (Petra) — The Ministry of Agriculture suspended import of poultry and their products from a number of countries, following the emergence of new cases of avian influenza among chickens and domestic birds, according to the World Organization for Animal Health’s (OIE) official website.
In a press statement on Thursday, the ministry said that the necessary measures were taken and agricultural centers on the borders were notified, while merchants’ licenses were revoked.
The ministry pointed out that still allows the import of hatching eggs, day-old pullets, and heat-treated products only, adding that a prior approval from the ministry is required in accordance with the recommendations of the OIE in such cases.
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(MENAFN) India is poised to host a virtual G-20 leaders' summit on Wednesday, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi serving as the chair.
As per the Indian Foreign Ministry, leaders from all G-20 member countries, including the chair of the African Union, along with representatives from nine guest countries and heads of 11 international organizations, have been invited to the summit. The gathering is anticipated to emphasize the "effective implementation" of various G-20 decisions.
China has confirmed that Premier Li Qiang will participate in the summit.
“The virtual summit will take forward key, select outcomes / action points from the New Delhi Summit as well as review developments since then,” the Indian Foreign Ministry declared.
“The deliberations of the 2nd Voice of Global South Summit, held on 17 November 2023, will also feed into the discussions,” it further mentioned.
In September, Prime Minister Modi announced, during the closing session of the New Delhi G-20 Summit, that India would host a virtual G-20 leaders' summit before the conclusion of India's G-20 Presidency in November.
During the two-day summit in New Delhi, the G-20 adopted a consensus declaration urging states to abstain from acquiring territory through the use of force. Additionally, the summit admitted the African Union as a G-20 member and made commitments on various issues, such as food and energy security, climate change, and global debt vulnerabilities.
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(MENAFN- The Peninsula) QNA
Doha: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani received on Monday a phone call from HE President of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abdel Fattah El Sisi.
During the call, HE the Egyptian President congratulated HH the Amir on the success of the opening of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. His Excellency praised the good organization and generous hospitality, wishing the Qatari and Arab teams well during the competition. (QNA)
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Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao on Friday said that the dissolution of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly was a desperate attempt by PTI to pave way for Imran Khan’s return to power corridor.
Addressing a public gathering in Tehsil Tangi, district Charsadda, he said that the people would reject PTI in the elections as its leadership has disrespected the mandate of masses. He said Imran Khan has no concerns about the country’s economic situation and interest; rather he is self-cantered and only cares about himself.
The way the KP Assembly was dissolved made it clear that PTI’s government was selected rather elected; he re-marked and added that PTI was solely responsible for socio-economic instability in the country, especially in KP and Imran Khan intended to further aggravate the situation. Sherpao said that PTI was planted in KP through an organized conspiracy and the brunt of it was being faced by the nation in the shape of unemployment, inflation, socio-economic instability in the country.(Staff Reporter)
He said that those who brought PTI to power were also responsible for the current crisis, adding that due to wrong policies of PTI, the peace of the province was destroyed and the terrorism was reemerged.(Staff Reporter)


Bains orders to immediately revert District Coordinators and BMT Teachers to their parent schools
Chandigarh, (Gurpreet) The Punjab Government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was trying hard to ramp up the entire School Education System.
Under these strenuous efforts, Punjab School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Tuesday, ordered to revert 23 District Coordinators working under Parho Punjab, Parhao Punjab (Primary) Project and 422 BMTs to their parent schools immediate effect.
The Education Minister said that he has taken the decision to further raise the standard of education in government primary schools of Punjab. He also said that these teachers will carry out the work related to these ongoing project while being posted in their parent schools.


Rajouri (J&K): BJP is the only party which can demolish the "wall of dynasty politics" created by the two families of National Conference and PDP who have been "looting" Jammu and Kashmir since the time of independence, party MP Avinash Rai Khanna today said.
"The people of Jammu and Kashmir want freedom in real sense from the two families who have been looting the state since independence," Khanna, who is also the state party in-charge, said.
Campaigning for party candidates in Rajouri, Khanna said BJP is the only party which can demolish the wall of dynasty politics raised by NC and PDP with the support of Congress.
Khanna blamed Congress and the regional parties for their weak policies in the past, which he said has resulted in the state becoming "number one in corruption" across the country.
"Many scams took place in the past but no strict action was taken against the culprits as a result of which no law and order exits in the state," Khanna said, adding that BJP government in J&K would ensure that the state becomes corruption free.
Manali MLA Gobind Thakur and district president Bharat Bhushan Vaid also participated in the campaign rallies.


Principals of 11 schools from here were booked for allegedly running 'unauthorised' schools, police said on Friday.
"The 11 schools located in Mumbra and Diva areas were declared unauthorised by the education department of the Thane Municipal Corporation. But despite that these principals are still operating the schools," Thane Police spokesperson Sukhada Narkar told PTI.
Following a complaint by the education officer of the civic body, we have last night registered a case against these 11 principals under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, Narkar said.
She further said that the director and secretaries of these schools have also been booked as despite knowing that the schools were asked to close down, they gave admission to the students.


Mo Salah granted honorary citizenship by Russia's Chechnya republic
(MENAFN) Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been given honorary citizenship in Russia's Chechnya republic by Ramzan Kadyrov.
Salah was given a copy of the citizenship decree and a badge at a gala dinner, which was held in honor of the Egyptian national team.
"Mohamed Salah thanked us for our surprisingly warm and good hospitality, great affection for the team and excellent conditions for their stay and training," Kadyrov, who was banned last year from Instagram, wrote on Russian social network VK.
"I'm sure our Akhmat club and the Egypt team will at some point hold a friendly match in Grozny."
With two losses from their first two games, Egypt's tournament will end with the game against Saudi Arabia in Volgograd on June 25.
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New ECDL was launched by ECDL Switzerland at their Test Centre Day on the 24 September. 200 participants gathered in Zurich for the launch, which was also attended by ECDL Foundation Chief Executive, Damien O’Sullivan.
Through discussion groups and presentations, the delegates were informed of the development process of the new ECDL.
A portfolio of marketing materials, which was developed to support the launch, was also presented. ECDL Switzerland took the opportunity to launch their new website, www.ecdl.ch/new, and were delighted with the positive feedback received from participants.


A complaint has been filed against trustee Bharat Mahant in connection with the Shrey Hospital Fire. Eight people under treatment for COVID-19 were killed after a fire in the ICU of the hospital on the fourth floor. The hospital was a dedicated COVID-19 facility.
Earlier after the fire, the trustee Mahant, who is also associated with the BJP, was taken in for questioning. Sources said a complaint was registered against the trustee after a two-member committee set up by the Gujarat government submitted its report.
The committee was made up of IAS officers Sangeeta Singh and Mukesh Puri. The two-member team had based its report on the conclusion by FSL, visit to the site of the accident, police inquiry as well as a report by the fire officials.
Among other things, the report allegedly called out the irresponsible behaviour on the part of the Shrey Hospital trustees. Following the report, the government asked the police to file a complaint against the trustees.
Sources said the complaint against Mahant was filed late in the night on Monday at Navrangpura police station.
What did the report say about Shrey Hospital
Sources in the know said that the report submitted to the government about the incident mentions that the hospital had not renewed its fire NOC.
It also said that the hospital did not have a fire safety system in place and that it only had a few fire extinguishers.
It also lacked ventilation. It has emerged that the fire extinguishers were in the godown of the hospital and not in various rooms of the hospital. Sources said the report said the windows of the ICU were also bolted which prevented the smoke from escaping thus aggravating the situation.
Earlier cops had said that the hospital did not have a fire alarm. Had an alarm been in place more people could have been alerted and rescue efforts improved.


Kohima: The Nagaland government has sought a special grant from the Centre to wipe off the huge amount of fiscal deficit to enable the state to move ahead towards development.
The present deficit of the NPF-led DAN government in the state has gone up to Rs 1234 crore and unless the Central government comes to its rescue, it will be difficult for the state to move ahead towards development and progress, Chief Minister T R Zeliang said during a programme here on Saturday.
Zeliang said during his visit to New Delhi earlier this month along with three cabinet ministers, the state government apprised the Prime Minister, Home Minister and Finance Minister about the financial constraints of the government and the huge fiscal deficit.
He said they informed the PM that the Nagaland government had incurred such a huge deficit because of the adverse recommendation of 13th Finance Commission (FC). He said the PM had understood their problem and assured to look into the matter when the Union Budget is presented.
He also went on to state that the main problem "we are facing is excess appointment of employees in all the government departments."
He recalled that the 13th FC had recommended a limit of 35 per cent expenditure on salaries to government employees out of the total revenue expected, however "our state has gone beyond 62 per cent."
The CM said the state government has also sought the Centre`s aid for developmental projects such as medical and veterinary institutions, foothill road constructions and a new airport in Dimapur.
Zeliang expressed the hope that such projects could help change the face of the state.


(MENAFN- Brazil-Arab News Agency (ANBA))
São Paulo – Global demand for oil is forecast to return to pre-pandemic levels next year, reaching 101.6 million barrels per day, according to projections published on Wednesday (15) in the Oil Market Report by the International Energy Agency (IEA). The IEA expects the demand to grow to 99.4 million barrels per day in 2022 – and weaker economic growth will temper the growth of demand this year, while China is set to lead demand.
Non- OPEC members are expected to concentrate the increase in supply, which is forecast to grow by 1.9 million barrels per day this year and 1.8 million barrels per day in 2023. OPEC will see a contraction due to sanctions.
After almost two years of decline, global oil stocks will increase by 77 million barrels per day. Weaker growth of demand and the increased global oil supply are expected to remain by the end of the year and help rebalance the global oil market. This can change, though, as harsher sanctions against Russia come into force and the Chinese demand bounces back from the impacts of COVID.
As the refinery maintenance season comes to an end in the United States, Europe and Asia and the Chinese demand picks up, the refineries are expected to see a solid recovery around the world. An additional global increase of 1.9 million barrels is expected for 2023 in refining, supported by new refineries that will start operating in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. But the shortage in some products, diesel and kerosene, may remain a concern.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
George Frey/Getty Images/AFP
The post Global demand for oil to return to pre-pandemic levels appeared first on Agência de Notícias Brasil-Árabe .
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Shah told that when Netaji began trying to liberate the country by forming the Azad Hind Fauj, this part became independent first.
He said that the Tricolour was hoisted here for the first time by Netaji and the Prime Minister named 21 islands here after those who sacrificed their lives for the country, the act of whom would be written in golden letters in India’s history.
The Home Minister said that Netaji’s memorial was being announced on his birth anniversary.
Shah added that many efforts were made to forget Subhas Chandra Bose, but those who are brave are not dependent on anyone for their memory.
He said that lighting the Amar Jyoti had been stopped in the jail, and the practice was restarted by the PM.


ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday has said that the whole country is proud of the doctors and paramedical staff who are fearlessly treating the coronavirus patients.
Talking to media, the minister said that everyone is praying hard to get rid of this pandemic that has engulfed the whole world. The country’s economy can suffer a lot due to this virus, he added.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi further said that the government is very much concerned about the loss of traders and businessmen due to the lockdown.
He commended the assistance extended by China to Pakistan to cope with coronavirus challenge and expressed gratitude to Chinese President and the people for the assistance.
Responding to a question, Shah Mahmood Qureshi has urged the UN Secretary General to take notice of India s intensified persecution campaign in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
He regretted that the Indian government has not changed its posture regardless of the breakout of Covid-19 pandemic.
The minister pointed out that the siege of occupied Jammu and Kashmir is continuing. He said Pakistan will continue to highlight the plight of Kashmiri people at different forums.


Permanent appointment hope for women officers
Kathmandu, September 18:
Local Development Minister Pampha Bhusal today said the process to make permanent the temporary women officers under the Department of Women Development was underway.
Inaugurating a seminar organised to review the programmes launched by the DoWD in last fiscal year, she said the government was attempting to re-start the process that was stalled due to the CA election. It has been learnt that 27 women officers under DoWD have been working temporarily.


WikiLeaks Scoops the World
Even those news organizations that have criticized WikiLeaks would kill to have broken as much news this week. The full impact remains unknown, but one need only look as far as the BBC to gauge the significance of what is happening — every day the beeb runs a new WikiLeaks revelation as its top story, and most of the cables it has are still to come. — PZSYour support matters…
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Gov. Seyi Makinde says his administration remains committed to the improvement of the education sector in Oyo State.
Makinde said this on Monday during the presentation of exercise books to students of public secondary schools in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the presentation was done at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office at the State Secretariat, Agodi in Ibadan.
Makinde said that his administration was determined to focus on building infrastructure in all the state-owned public schools and continue to invest in education by renovating public schools and distributing school furniture across the state.
He said that the development would be made through direct resources of the state.
Makinde, who emphasised that his administration would continue to put in more resources to the education sector, announced that he had approved the payment of school grants to public schools in the state.
He also said that his administration would always…
Source: Guardian Newspaper


Sindh Chief Secretary Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah has said that 20 out of 40 civic and development projects launched in Karachi by the Sindh government in the current financial year have been completed.He...
Sindh Chief Secretary Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah has said that 20 out of 40 civic and development projects launched in Karachi by the Sindh government in the current financial year have been completed.
He stated this during his meeting with a 33-member delegation of the Advanced Diplomat Course participants on Wednesday. The delegation comprised under-training diplomatic officials from Afghanistan, South Africa, Iraq, Bahrain, Morocco, Nepal, Palestine, Sudan, Ukraine, Yemen, Zambia, Maldives, and Sri Lanka.
Shah said the projects initiated by the provincial government involved road infrastructure, storm water drainage, bridges, and underpasses, adding that the government had given emphasis on development projects. He said that Rs284 billion had been allocated by the government for the development projects in the province during the current financial year.
He said that assistance from the World Bank was being sought to upgrade the functioning of the municipal institutions in the city, including the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board and Sindh Building Control Authority.
The chief secretary said that work had been started on several components of the bus rapid transit System to build a mass transit system in the city. The province was rich in natural resources and it carried massive opportunities to do investment.
He said the Thar coal reserves had the capability to generate 100,000 megawatts of electricity for the next 300 years. He said that the mode of public-private partnership had been followed to do the first project to generate electricity on the basis of Thar coal as the project was producing 660 MWs of electricity which was being supplied to the national grid.
He said the wind corridor had the capacity to generate 50,000 MWs renewable electricity, and a new special economic zone was being constructed in Dhabeji under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.


~Government still monitoring the planning for carnival 2021~
PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs made clear on Wednesday at the Council of Ministers press briefing that there will be no jouvert jump up or any other jump up for carnival 2021. The Prime Minister said that a lot of focus was placed on the calendar of events that were presented to the government by the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF).
The Prime Minister said that the carnival is a few months away and that the green light was given to the foundation to start their planning and meet with all stakeholders, she said that when those reports are submitted then the government will again sit around the table and further discuss the way forward with carnival 2021.
Jacobs explained that carnival takes a lot of planning ahead of time while canceling takes place at the last moment.
Jacobs said that after serious considerations the government of St. Maarten strikes off all jump-ups that were part of the calendar of events even though the foundation had several plans in place to avoid the spread of COVID-19. She said the government-held lengthy discussions on the jump-ups and decided that it will not take place. The Prime Minister assured that government will continue to monitor the developments and will further inform the community on the progress and decisions taken.


Of these, 1 181 were new complaints received in 1997.
The department has not received complaints about either company, he said.
A local environmental group also reported that they received more than 300 complaints.
In 1997, it received 2,124 such complaints and took 18 cases to court.
The largest complaint received during this time was for $68,505.
One complaint received by the Florida department of insurance was from a 60-year-old woman.
He said the company had received few complaints from consumers about the new system.
He said that in the last year his office had received more than 20 complaints about the bar.
He said the company had received complaints from several universities.
For several years the health department has received complaints from the public concerning the center.


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SIBU, March 30: The district police here has carried out disinfection and sanitising works on three of its police stations, as a preventive measure against Covid-19.
The three facilities included its central police station lock-up room, Sungai Merah police station and Sibujaya police station.
Sibu district police chief, ACP Stanley Jonathan Ringgit, said the move was to ensure that its officials and public members would not be affected by the virus.
“The spraying of disinfectant and sanitising are important, as sometimes members of the public who come to the police station for various purposes might not even know they have contracted the virus,” he said.
The work, he said was done by police personnel of the three stations. — DayakDaily


Abdullahi, Aluko, describe 2015 elections as peaceful, unprecedented
Former Sports Minister, Malam Bolaji Abdulahi and PDP Deputy Governorship candidate in Kwara, Alhaji Yinka Aluko, on Saturday described 2015 general elections as peaceful and unprecedented in Nigeria history.
Abdullahi and Aluko, in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin after casting their votes at the Governorship and House of Assembly elections, said the elections had been successful and peaceful.
The former Minister said that the 2015 general elections were the first time the people of Nigeria were able to show that power belongs to them.
He said the elections had established the fact that power can also be changed through the ballot.
“Now it will be impossible for any government to take the people for granted, in the past, people used to be afraid of government, reverse is the case now,” Abdullahi said.
According to Aluko, the 2015 elections have exposed the people to the fact that electorate has the power to effect a change of government in the country.
He said, more than ever before, Nigerians have realised the power in their votes and that they are the real custodians of power.
Aluko said that the uniqueness of the 2015 general election was that government in power would now be afraid of the people and live up to their expectations.
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Holgate’s council has accepted a bid to demolish the village pool.
It has chosen Punches Excavating for the job, and mayor Wally Snyder says the company can take its time to do it.
Snyder also says the village plans on selling some of the property from the pool on the Internet.
Administrator Dan Davis says the project means not only demolishing the pool, but also reseeding the property as the waether allows. The parking lot stays put.


A community peace club established by a community that works with Heal Zimbabwe in Buhera ward 5 has noted that the COVID 19 pandemic is eroding past gains towards peace and social cohesion in local communities. This came out during a peace club planning meeting conducted by the peace club on 7 January 2021.
Peace club members highlighted that since the beginning of the 30-day lockdown, there has been a drastic increase in cases of domestic violence, and crime rate as most people are mainly confined at home and in the process lose livelihoods. Children have also stopped going to school due to the restrictions and this has increased the burden on parents as they struggle to feed their families. It also came out that the COVID 19 pandemic has also impacted the mental health of community members.
Isolation, social distancing, and the stress of the crisis have significantly increased mental health problems and trauma which is particularly difficult for people in local communities. Peace club members also reported that some restrictions such as social distancing undermine many existing peacebuilding efforts. Local peacebuilding efforts that often rely on in-person gatherings and people to people approaches are directly undermined by necessary restrictions on gatherings and social distancing measures. Some of these activities include dialogues and collaborative neutral platforms (nhimbes/amalima).
On the economic front, community members have also not been spared as most people live from day to day and have no savings to sustain their living. To this end, marginalized groups such as women, the elderly, and the disabled have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. As part of resolutions, the planning meeting resolved that it was important for the government and other stakeholders to adopt conflict-sensitive approaches as part of COVID 19 response efforts. This can help minimize conflicts. Peace club members were encouraged to continue monitoring cases of human rights violations and make necessary referrals. It was also agreed that where possible, the peace club was going to continue raising awareness on COVID 19 preventative measures such as the need for community members to observe social distance and wearing face masks.
Source: Heal Zimbabwe Trust


Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on main-ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)'s landslide victory in Saturday's parliamentary election.
The Prime Minister congratulated the president via telephone on Tuesday morning. During the call, Prime Minister Modi said the election results prove the extent to which the Maldivian people have accepted the government. Noting the age-old friendship between India and Maldives, Modi assured continued assistance to Maldives from India.
President Solih thanked the Indian Prime Minister for his felicitations and stressed that the current government would prioritize the relationship between both countries. The President further noted that India has always been a close ally of the Maldives.


India - Premier League, Arsenal beat Newcastle United 2-0: Records broken
(MENAFN- NewsBytes) After losing 4-0 against Liverpool, Arsenal restored normal service, beating Newcastle United 2-0 in gameweek 13 of the Premier League 2021-22 season on Saturday. Goals from Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli saw the Gunners claim a superb victory. Arsenal claimed their seventh win of the season and have 23 points. They are placed fifth. Meanwhile, the Magpies stay rooted at the bottom.
Arsenal Notable records scripted by Arsenal
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Venezuela's oil minister Tareck El Aissami resigned on Monday after prosecutors opened a corruption investigation into officials at the state oil company PDVSA.
Anti-corruption police on Sunday arrested two people closely linked to El Aissami: top PDVSA official Antonio Perez Suarez, and Joselit Ramirez, who manages oil industry funds through cryptocurrencies.
"Given the investigations that have begun into the serious acts of corruption in PDVSA, I have taken the decision to submit my resignation as oil minister with the aim of totally supporting, accompanying and backing this process," El Aissami wrote on Twitter.
El Aissami, who had been in the position since April 2020, added that he supported the government's "crusade" against corruption.
Authorities have been probing high-ranking officials "who could be involved in serious acts of corruption and embezzlement", the national police force said.
Legislator Hugbel Roa was among those detained, alongside a prominent lawyer, an anti-terrorism judge and a mayor.
It is not the first investigation into graft at the state oil company.
Former oil ministers Eulogio Del Pino and Nelson Martinez, who died while in police custody, were previously arrested as part of a corruption investigation.
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Iran: Those who support Salman Rushdie are accountable for attack
(MENAFN) Salman Rushdie and his supporters are the only ones deserving of blame and condemnation for demeaning Muslims around the world, according to Iran's foreign ministry, which stated this on Monday in response to charges made against Tehran over the attack on Rushdie on Friday.
The novelist is recovering after being brutally stabbed at a public presentation in New York state. He had endured death threats for decades because his books infuriated Iranian Islamic authorities.
Nasser Kanaani, a ministry spokesperson, stated that Rushdie's insults of religion were not justified by freedom of speech in Iran's initial official response to the attack on Friday. Some Muslims consider parts of his 1988 book "The Satanic Verses" to be blasphemous.
"(Regarding) the attack on Salman Rushdie, we do not consider anyone other than himself and his supporters worthy of ...reproach and condemnation," Kanaani informed a media briefing. "No one has the right to accuse Iran in this regard."
Politicians and writers from all across the world have denounced the attack. Rushdie's agent informed Reuters that the author had suffered severe wounds, including cuts to his liver and nerve damage in his arm, and that he was probably going to lose one eye.
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BENEFITING: REACH OUT WORLDWIDE
Dawn Irene Haschalk
This is the only way that the small community of people who cannot hands on volunteer to help those in need can do so. There are many people in many places who need our help and they are reaching to us. We need to make sure that we do whatever we can to help change their lives and show them that there are people who care.


Turkish assembly chief plans 2-way discussions at 143rd IPU Meeting in Spain
(MENAFN) Turkish government spokesperson had mutual discussions in Madrid as part of the 143rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
Mustafa Sentop held a conference with Meritxell Batet, the congress's host and leader of Spanish junior lawmaking chamber, the Congress of Deputies, as well as divided conferences with Burundian Senate leader Emmanuel Sinzohagera and Puan Maharani, the utterer of Indonesia's People's Representative Council.
Furthermore, Sentop had a joint conference with the chairman of Indonesian Committee for Inter-Governmental Collaboration, Fadli Zon, while the talks were focused on mutual bonds and taken steps under 143rd IPU Meeting.
Turkey’s government chief in discussions with Sinzohagera, stressed the importance of mutual sessions to improve a shared method on worldwide and local problems.
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Mumbai: According to the Health Department, 95 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in Jharkhand in the last 24 hours, taking the number of people infected with the virus to 938.
There are currently 521 active COVID-19 cases in the state and 410 people have recovered from the disease.
According to data shared by the state health department, East Singhbhum has the most positive cases at 150, followed by Ranchi (140).
So far seven deaths have been recorded in Jharkhand.
Meanwhile, the total number of cases in India has surged to 2,36,657 including 1,15,942 active cases and 1,14,073 recoveries. The death toll stands at 6,642.


ECONOMYNEXT – At its first Cabinet meeting the new government has approved making changes to the Constitution, the Cabinet Spokesman Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella has said.
He was quoted in media as saying that Cabinet gave the nod to “abolish the 19th Amendment and to draft the 20th Amendment to the Constitution.”
Ministers have variously said that the amendments, which will change the country’s basic law, will be a high priority for the government.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who chaired today’s Cabinet meeting, has not made it a secret that the Independent Commissions that were introduced by the last Parliament under the 19A has shackled him.
He wants changes to be made so that more executive power is granted to the presidency.
However, government leaders have said that some of the Commissions would stay. Rambukwella has said that the Right to Information Act will also not be changed.
While in Opposition between 2015 and 2019, the Parliamentary Group led by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa supported the amendments introduced in 19A.
Justice Minister Mohamed Ali Sabry told reporters earlier in the week that the five-year two-term limit for the presidency, as well as the Independent Commissions, would remain in the Constitution.
“Clauses in the 19th Amendment that are detrimental to the country will be abolished and amended. We hope to introduce the 20th Amendment, which will be inclusive of all communities” he added.
Amending Constitutions has been done by all governments which obtained a two-thirds majority in Parliament.
The process is however not simple. There are mandatory time periods for the changes to be presented to Parliament and the public at large. It also requires that time be given for citizens to challenge the proposed changes before the courts.
(Colombo, August 19, 2020)
Reported by Arjuna Ranawana


Parliament: At the Question Hour session of the National Assembly yesterday, opposition MP Rinzin Jamtsho asked the government whether the employment figures it had provided were really true.
He said the labour minister had earlier told the Parliament that PDP government gave employment to 16,000 youth.
“But after studying the ground reality, it is hard to believe the figures,” said Rinzin Jamtsho.
Minister Ngeema Sangay Tshempo said a total of 16, 346 youth have been employed since the present government took over. “The figures are authentic and verifiable,” he added.
Rinzin Jamtsho said such an assurance from the minister was encouraging but added the ground reality was different.
Lyonpo Ngeema Sangay Tshempo said that when the government took over the country was plagued by four main problems – poverty, unemployment, national debt and Rupee shortage. The government included employment as one of the priorities in the 11th Plan.
“I have repeatedly maintained that the government is concerned about the unemployment issue,” said the Labour Minister and sought the opposition MP not to make false statements in the in the Parliament.
The Labour Minister said that the government had been able to employ 2,074 youth in government agencies, 2,009 in corporations, 5,773 in private enterprises and 103 in non-governmental organisations. About 1,310 youth have found employment overseas, while 4,281 have been employed through government schemes like the Guaranteed Employment Programme.
The labour minister said: “Until the economy improves, we will continue to send youth overseas for employment.”
The minister informed the House that the government was trying to help those who lost jobs due to closure of their companies.


Kabul (BNA) Officials from the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations stated the other day that more than 70,000 families have been displaced in the current solar year in Afghanistan.
Addressing a press conference, Noor Rahman Akhlaqi, Minister of Refugees and Repatriations said the displaced families have been receiving aid from Government and international bodies.
“Government provides help for more than 70,000 families and every family received 15,000Afs. The displaced people are also helped by other international organizations,” said Akhlaqi.
This comes as government said they have also distributed aid to poor families this winter.
According to the Refugees and Repatriations Ministry, approximately four million people have been displaced because of clashes and war in Afghanistan in the past 18 years.


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(MENAFN- UkrinForm) Money transfers from Germany to Ukraine in 2016 amounted to 56 million euros, the highest figure in the last five years, Germany's international broadcaster Deutsche Welle has reported.
"In 2016, the amount of money transferred from Germany to Ukraine was 56 million euros, the Deutsche Bundesbank told DW. This is more than in 2015 and 2014, when 52 and 54 million euros were sent to Ukraine, respectively, and is the highest figure since 2012," reads the report.
In general, in 2016, immigrants from other countries living in Germany transferred 4.2 billion euros to their home countries. This amount has been record since the unification of Germany, and 700 million euros higher than in 2015. Immigrants mostly send money to Turkey - about 800 million euros annually.
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The Botswana National Front (BNF) publicity secretary, Moeti Mohwasa, has thanked people who voted for the party in the Draaihoek/Makopong by-election last Saturday.
The BNF candidate, Rueben Matswiri won the by-election by 489 votes to 329 of his Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) opponent, Rejoice Bimbo. In a press statement, Mohwasa said that the results show that the BNF is still a popular party. He added that the support the BNF received demonstrates that the voters believe that the party can bring meaningful changes in their lives. He lashed out at critics, especially those who argue that the BNF is headed for major embarrassment during the 2009 general election.
He described detractors as prophets of doom. Mohwasa said that the BNF had won the by-election because its policies are generally known countrywide. He said that while many thought BNF would fare badly in next year's elections, members have demonstrated in the by-election that the party is still popular despite the bad publicity surrounding its president Otsweletse Moupo. "It should be noted that the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) won this seat in the 2004 general election with a margin of 200 votes," he said. He added that the BNF got 504 while the BDP had 704. He expressed confidence that the BNF is going to grab the Kgalagadi North constituency from Cabinet minister Neo Moroka. Mohwasa has said that his party's strength in the constituency has grown tremendously. He stated that the by-election results confirmed that the party's plan to win the Kgalagadi constituencies is on track.
BDP executive secretary Dr Comma Serema has dismissed Mohwasa's claim that the BNF is going to unseat the BDP in Kgalagadi. He said the BNF won the ward because some BDP members did not vote for their party. "There were some divisions and we are still awaiting a report from the branch committee," said Serema. He added that it is regrettable the BNF had sailed through because of minor differences by BDP candidates who contested the primaries.


(MENAFN- Trend News Agency ) BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 14
In the scope of the "Three Brothers - 2021" international exercises held with the participation of the servicemen of Special Forces of Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Pakistan carried out airborne training, Trend reports citing Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.
During the airborne training special units were trained to deploy by helicopter, ensure security and apply evacuation methods in accordance with the plans of the exercises.
The activity of special forces demonstrated during the exercises was highly appreciated.
It should be noted that the "Three Brothers - 2021" international exercises conducted with the participation of Azerbaijani, Turkish and Pakistani servicemen of the Special Forces will last until September 20.
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Santa Cruz de Tenerife, (EFE) in the islands.
Ángel Víctor Torres has insisted that dialogue and social agreement have been key during the four “complicated” years, in which the CCOO and UGT unions have “always” been at the side of the regional executive with their critical and constructive opinion.
The candidate for re-election has declared that the CCOO and UGT have been with the regional government during the pandemic, supporting measures such as the reactive plan, and has thanked their general secretaries on the islands, Manuel Navarro (UGT) and Inocencio Hernández (CCOO) for their involvement and their critical opinions.
As well as their “fundamental” contributions so that in the Canary Islands there is now “much” more employment than four years ago, and a social shield.
The general secretary of the UGT in the Canary Islands, Manuel Navarro, has agreed with Torres on the importance that social dialogue has had in the economic recovery of the islands, and has stated that his union continues to bet on social dialogue, on the policies of progress.
Manuel Navarro has stressed that the UGT also wants to stop the policies of cuts “that have done so much damage”, and has reminded the next regional government that social dialogue is the only tool available for the distribution of wealth.
He has also called for a commitment “like we have had with the flower pact.”
The general secretary of CCOO in the Canary Islands, Inocencio Hernández, has assessed that the Canary Islands were “much worse” than now despite an “absolutely adverse” environment such as the health, volcanic and inflation crises.
Inocencio Hernández has appealed to business organizations because they are obtaining “plenty of benefits” at the negotiating tables for collective agreements, their proposals for salary increases “are not even close” to those of the rest of the State.
The CCOO leader has also asked businessmen for a commitment to the level that was made with them from the public sphere during the pandemic, and has demanded that the next regional executive improve social policies after the May elections.
He has reproached the regional government for not having been sensitive enough to its employees, and has recalled that although they do not ask for the vote for any political formation, they will be with those who have people as the central axis of their actions, and they will encourage the workers vote. EFE


(MENAFN) Previous US Leader Donald Trump has disapproved the clear double standard at play when the FBI invaded his Florida home earlier this week, supposedly looking for secret papers related to nuclear arms.
Trump claimed that his precursor, Barack Obama, had taken around 33 million pages of papers – many classified, some nuclear-related – without complaining from the organization when he left the White House.
On Friday, Trump stated in an announcement released to his supporters “President Barack Hussein Obama kept 33 million pages of documents, much of them classified. How many of them pertained to nuclear? Word is, lots!”
Previously on Friday, Trump declared that the “nuclear weapons issue” was “a Hoax, just like Russia, Russia, Russia was a Hoax, two impeachments were a Hoax, the Mueller investigation was a Hoax, and much more.”
He offered the FBI may have found information, saying his lawyers were not allowed to “get close” to the agents doing the investigation.
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The British Ports Association (BPA) is urging the government to extend COVID-19 testing practices to key workers in transport and logistics ‘as soon as capacity is available’.
It said that such testing would be vital to ensure that food, energy and other critical goods continue to flow through ports.- but PPE supplies – including sanitiser and masks – were beginning to run low in some ports and this may soon start to have a knock-on effect, particularly as it said that half of the UK’s food imports came through ports.
In a statement the BPA said: “We appreciate the unprecedented effort of the health care sector and understand the need to allocate testing and other materials across the NHS first and foremost.
“However there is now a pressing need to ensure that our port gateways have the protections they need such as sanitiser, masks and testing equipment so that they can continue to function effectively in the coming weeks and months. This will help ensure resilience of our supply chains.”
The BPA said that some port operators are concerned about cash flow issues and the impact on the financial status of their customers – singling out planned slow downs in automotive manufacturing, which it said could be costly for the port and logistics industry.
To that end it welcomed government support packages.


When will the B.C. government pay out pensioners?
The B.A.C.’s chief financial officer, Mark Williams, said in a statement Tuesday that he expects the province will issue $8.8 billion in cash and assets, including the BCS pension fund and the BC Liberal Party’s Pension Plan for Employees.
“We expect the province to issue more than $5 billion in long-term debt in the next fiscal year, which is when BC’s financial system is expected to be in better shape than at the time of the election,” Williams said.
Williams said that B.F.C., which has long been under the microscope as a result of its debt-for-equity scandal, is expected “to generate substantial cash flows over the next several years as it refocuses on a diversified strategy of growth and asset diversification.”
The B.D.C.-based Pension Plan, which the BMOs chief executive, Michael Milken, and his chief financial officers have helped craft, is set to begin taking payments in early 2017, after which the province expects to see “significant” cash flows.
Williams also said that the BCH, the provincial public pension plan, is likely to receive the most money, with the BCTA receiving the least.
The BCH’s $7.8-billion shortfall over the last three years is expected by some analysts to balloon to $18 billion by 2019.
Williams called on the BPSC and the BACC to increase the amount of cash the BCLC and BCS pay out over the coming years.
Williams noted that the current BCLCs debt is $1.9 billion and $2.3 billion, while the BCA has $1 billion in debt.
“In addition, it is important to note that the debt levels of both the BCP and BCD are expected to continue to rise over the foreseeable future, which will increase the costs of paying out payments to the BCLA and BCLA,” he said.
“It is important that we continue to maintain a clear focus on financial sustainability in order to ensure that the public service has the resources it needs to continue investing in the health of the Banc of British Columbia.”
Williams also pointed out that the provincial government has already announced $2 billion in cuts to the province’s public service, which he said could result in layoffs.
He said he expected the province would continue to invest in the public sector in a “fiscally responsible way” through investments in education and the economy, including a plan to cut the province back to its pre-election levels.
Williams did not mention the $3.8 million in new cash announced by the province on Monday.
He did say that BCLF President and CEO Scott Belsky is scheduled to deliver a presentation Tuesday on the “fiscal trajectory of the province” and the province as a whole.
The government’s fiscal update will be presented at the BSCF annual meeting on Wednesday.


It’s a no-brainer that a business needs to filter what it communicates to its customers. There’s something more important than this. Any idea what that is? Well, its the communication channels that it uses to engage with its customers. Just like it’s important to know what to convey, it’s equally important to know where to convey it.


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Story | Jan 15, 2011 | 7:49 PMSniffling, sneezing, runny nose? Most likely it's the common cold and not the flu. Area health services report that the numbers of people presenting with "influenza-like illnesses" are running true to form for the time of the year when the viruses typically peak. By contrast, the flu, which hit hard last year compounded by the H1N1 strain, hasn't had a significant impact yet.


Picasso and other famous arts works to be exhibited in Baghdad
(MENAFN)Thanks to an anonymous Iraqi collector, the three names; Picasso, Dali, Miro, Chagall that are immediately identified among people around the world, will be present in Baghdad by their works.
The three masters works will be exhibited at the Hiwar gallery- one of the last to remain open in the city- contains 24 Picasso lithographs.
"This exhibition is a historic chance" for Iraqis to enjoy watching highly standardized artworks, in a first for the capital, said gallery owner Qassem Sabti.
"It is presented by an Iraqi person who prefers not to disclose his identity due to the circumstances in Baghdad." Sabti added.
In addition to Salvador Dali, Joan Miro and Marc Chagall works There are 42 other works being shown.
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(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 3. Canadian consulting
company Arton Capital has published the World Passport Index,
According to the ranking, Azerbaijan has secured the 61st
position. Citizens of the republic can visit 33 countries
visa-free, obtain visas upon arrival in another 48 countries, and
require a pre-arranged visa for 117 countries (Azerbaijan held the
62nd position in the ranking as of the end of 2022).
The UAE passport topped the ranking, allowing its holders to
visit 125 countries visa-free, obtain visas upon arrival in 55
countries, and require a pre-arranged visa for only 18 countries.
Germany, Sweden, Finland, Spain, Luxembourg, France, Italy, the
Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, and South Korea shared the
second position. Holders of these passports need to obtain a visa
in advance for visiting 23 countries. Denmark, Belgium, Portugal,
Norway, Poland, Ireland, the UK, and New Zealand occupied the third
place (mandatory visas are required for 24 countries).
The ranking is based on the number of countries where passport
holders can visit visa-free or obtain visas upon arrival.
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Egypt’s net foreign assets remain to drop as currency crisis disturb economy
(MENAFN) Egypt’s net foreign assets dropped by 109.9 billion Egyptian pounds (USD4.47 billion) two months ago (October), prolonging a decrease that started in September last year, as by shown by the central bank figures.
The decline works out to nearly USD228 million after calculating for drop in value throughout the stated month, as reported by Reuters.
NFAs signify banking system possessions that are possessed by its non-citizens minus liabilities, as well as foreign assets detained by the central bank. Egypt has been depending on its NFAs to balance its currency dropping in value.
Egypt has been dealing with a currency disaster since the Russia's attack on Ukraine at the beginning of this year (February), driving the North African nation to start discussing with the International Monetary Fund for a fiscal assistance package.
Two months ago, the IMF accepted a 46-month, USD3 billion Extended Fund Facility with Egypt, showing eagerness to a move towards “durable exchange rate flexibility” as well as assurances to improving social protections, as reported by Reuters.
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Kuwait- OPEC oil price at 62.56 pb
(MENAFN - Kuwait News Agency (KUNA))
VIENNA, March 29 (KUNA) -- The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) announced, Monday, that the price of its basket rose 93 cents per barrel (pb) to settle at USD 62.66 pb last Friday, after it was USD 61.63 last Thursday.
The OPEC Bulletin stated that the monthly average price of the basket last February was USD 61.05 pb, while last January was USD 54.38 pb, which indicates that the average price of the basket reached since the beginning of this year until the end of last week to USD 78.64 pb.
In its latest periodic report, the organization expected that the demand on it's raw materials will reach USD 27.3 million bp this year, which considered an increase of USD 4.9 million pb compared to 2020. (end)
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By Muhammad Nur Tijani
Kano – The Kano State government says it has commenced the disbursement of N1.5 billion 2018 GPE/NIPEP girl-child scholarship to 34,698 pupils in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the amount was part of the World Bank grant being disbursed under Global Partnership for Education/Nigerian Partnership for Education Project.
Flagging-off the disbursement of the grant at a ceremony in Kano on Monday, Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje explained that the intervention was aimed at improving access to quality basic education by the girl-child.
The governor said that the state government would augment GPE/NIPEP efforts by increasing access to quality education in the state.
Ganduje said that no fewer than 34,698 primary three and four female pupils in 12 local government areas in the state would each get N45,000 under the girl-child scholarship grant.
The governor said that the state government had recruited 1,500 female Nigerian Certificate of Education (NCE) teachers in the state to enhance teaching and learning in public schools across the state.
He added that the state government had also rehabilitated 14 primary schools in the state.
“We also spent N2 billion on the procurement of instructional materials which were distributed to the schools,” he added.
Ganduje called on the parents and guardians of the children to make judicious use of the grant to achieve the desired objective.
The governor thanked the World Bank and other development partners for the support.
Hajiya Aisha Jafar, the state commissioner for Education said that the state government would monitor the implementation of the scholarship.
She said that no fewer than 6, 944 pupils7 benefited in 2016 while 45, 287 female pupils benefited in 2017 and 34, 698 pupils are expected to benefit in 2018.
The commissioner said that the ministry had been implementing reforms in the education sector in order to improve quality of education in the state.
A beneficiary, eight year-old Samira Ali, said that the support would enable her remain in school and concentrate well.(NAN)


Rise in Hispanic population drives school growth
WINCHESTER — A preliminary report shows that the city school division will grow by more than 500 students during the next 10 years, mostly driven by an increase in Hispanic students.
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(MENAFN) On Sunday, Costa Ricans elected their coming president following a separated election distinguished by massive abstentions.
With 96 percent of the votes recorded, economist Rodrigo Chavez won the second round of the presidential voting with 52.9 percent.
Chavez was minister of finance in the Central American nation for half a year between 2019 and 2020 after heading various ranks at the World Bank. Past president Figueres accepted loss after a short time of the electoral tribunal declared the results.
"I congratulate Rodrigo Chavez and wish him the best," he stated. "Costa Rica has voted and the people have spoken. We, as the democrats that we are, will always be respectful of that decision.”
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.


JALINGO – Dr Likunga Atiku, a dentist and staff of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, has advised the people of Taraba to always brush their tongue while brushing their teeth to prevent mouth odour.
Atiku, who gave the advice on Wednesday in Jalingo in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said that both the tongue and teeth should always be kept clean.
He said that only a few people remember to brush their tongue while brushing their teeth.
“It is important to brush the tongue as it produced saliva which helped the digestive process,’’ he said, and urged the people to wash their mouth regularly especially after eating. (NAN)


A recent report by Amnesty International has uncovered the horrific toll of genocide in some of the world’s most remote countries.
The study, published on Thursday, highlights a number of countries where civilians are targeted by the government for political reasons, including Myanmar, Iran, Iraq, Eritrea and Syria.
The report found that more than 300,000 civilians have been killed since the country was founded in 1921, and another 6,000,000 have been forced to flee their homes, according to Amnesty.
While the country has historically been known for its military power, it is also a country that has experienced severe violence in recent years.
The UN estimates there are more than 5 million internally displaced people in Myanmar, which is a vast majority of the population of about 11 million people.
It has also experienced widespread political instability.
The country is currently undergoing a massive election campaign in 2017 that will determine who will lead it into power for the first time in decades.
The election, which has been contested by the ruling Awami League Party, has become a flashpoint in the country, with some residents saying it is not being held in a fair and legitimate way.
While Myanmar’s election is being held, some rights groups have called on the government to release political prisoners who are being held for alleged political crimes.
Myanmar has been criticised by human rights organisations for its widespread use of torture, which Amnesty describes as torture that is not recognised as torture under international law.
According to Amnesty, there are approximately 1,800 cases of torture reported in the last four years.
Many of these cases are being investigated by the Myanmar police, who have been accused of committing extrajudicial killings and arbitrary arrests.
In a report released earlier this year, Amnesty also revealed that hundreds of political prisoners are being kept in prison in Myanmar.
Amnesty also found evidence that at least 7,000 political prisoners have been executed, including at least 50 journalists.
According the report, the country’s police force has also used torture against protesters and journalists.
There are also concerns that the government has failed to investigate and prosecute any serious allegations of torture in the past.
The Amnesty report also criticised the government’s failure to provide adequate humanitarian aid to those in need.
Many Myanmar’s refugees have faced extreme hardship as a result of the country being plagued by a severe drought, which causes devastating crop failures.
The drought has forced many to flee to neighbouring countries.
According a report by Oxfam, nearly 30,000 people are currently living in refugee camps in Bangladesh, and around 12,000 are in temporary shelters in India.
Many refugees have been subjected to forced labour, including as domestic workers and in domestic service jobs.
Many Rohingya are also being denied access to basic foodstuffs, including fresh produce, which they need for their families.
The Oxfam report also found that Rohingya have suffered severe levels of violence and forced displacement in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, which comprises about 70 percent of the territory of Myanmar.
The Rohingya population has been estimated at more than one million people, most of whom have been forcibly displaced.
The situation has also become more volatile since the military government, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, took power in 2015.
Many rights groups also said that the military had failed to properly investigate and punish the perpetrators of crimes against the Rohingya.
The Myanmar government has also been accused by rights groups of committing crimes against humanity and genocide.
The government has been accused in recent weeks of committing atrocities against the civilian population, including the abduction of at least 100,000 Rohingya men and boys, and the mass killings of at of civilians and ethnic minority communities.
More than 10,000 alleged perpetrators have been charged, and more than 20,000 military personnel have been sentenced to jail.
More stories from around the world


Reacting to Congress’s allegations that maximum tax is imposed on petroleum products in Madhya Pradesh, home minister Narottam Mishra on Tuesday said that it was the opposition party that had increased value-added tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel during the previous government.
Mishra said Congress failed to fulfil its promise made in the poll manifesto to reduce tax on petrol and is now raising the issue for political gains. “It was Congress that had increased VAT on diesel-petrol in the state, while in their manifesto the party had promised to reduce taxes.
It is the fault of Congress” said Mishra, rejecting allegations that taxes imposed by the MP government on fuel are the highest in the country.
Congress has launched a statewide protest against hike in petrol and diesel prices.


McClaren said: “We have five games left and four of them are at Wembley.
“We’ve already shown that Wembley can be a fortress.
“We have looked a team over the last few performances. It’s in our hands – if we win our games we’ll qualify.”
He added: “We knew before the game it was going to be tough – we warned the players and warned the people.
“They kept going to the end, even when they were 3-0 down. They have great spirit.
“We competed and we knew eventually they would tire. We got that first goal and then the rewards came in the second half.
“We’ve gained a lot over the last two and a half weeks. Friday gave us a lot of confidence and belief which we showed tonight.”


From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
Sanitary condition of abattoirs at Nkwo Nnewi main market in Anambra State has received a boost as the Acting chairman and Head of Local Government Administration for Nnewi North council area, Chief Innocent Osibe has flagged off a water borehole project for butchers there.
During a flag off ceremony of the water project which took place at the butchers’ section of the market, yesterday, Chief Osibe explained that the water project was aimed at reducing the sufferings of the butchers and other traders in that market.
He said that there was an existing water borehole in the market but regretted that the initial project for quite a long time was not supplying water to the butchers which he said called for the new borehole project.
Osibe noted that his administration fully appreciated the need for clean water in the business line of butchers which, according to him, equally had a net effect on the quality of meat that would be sold to the consumers.
He said that the water project was expected to gulp as much as N2 million and that the council area would source for funds to ensure quick completion of the project, adding that the cost when compared with the health of the people in the council area was not so much.
Osibe who has just spent two months in office urged the butchers to take ownership of the project and ensure that the borehole facilities were adequately protected and effectively managed.
The council boss who commended the Anambra state governor, Chief Willie Obiano for undertaking to work on the major roads at the ever busy Nkwo Nnewi market said that the local government would take up the responsibilities of working on the inland roads in the market.
He also expressed the preparedness of his administration to give the butchers a modern toilet facilities to aid the butchers carry out their business with ease and convenience and that the butchers and their customers would not have to run home whenever the need to answer the call of nature arose.
This, according to, however, depended on availability of funds. He solicited for continued support of Nnewi traders to the administration of Chief Willie Obiano which he said was very passionate about the welfare of traders.
The contractor handling the water borehole project, Engr Gabriel Igboanusi, who is the Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer of M/S Gabby Systems Engineering Company Limited assured the local government officials and the butchers as well as other stakeholders in the market that his company would deliver on record time and that a quality borehole would be sunk.
The Chairman, Nnewi Butchers Association, Chief Amobi Nnoruka on the occasion thanked the Nnewi North local government area for rising to the occasion of providing water borehole which would alleviate their sufferings.
He noted that the butchers had been passing through some horrible experiences due to lack of water in that section of the market as they were forced to buy water from commercial water tankers.
Chief Nnoruka said the intervention was a welcome development and reassured the council area that the butchers would take good care of the water project.
The acting Nnewi North local government chairman, Chief Osibe was accompanied by the treasurer for the council, Mr Paul Anikpe, the internal auditor, Mrs Eucharia Ezeanwe and the HOD Education and Social Welfare to the flag off of the water borehole project.


Iran's Energy Minister has said that Iran and Tajikistan are seeking to reach 500 million dollars of trade within the next two years.
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Speaking at the meeting, Mehrabian said: Fortunately, Iran and Tajikistan's ties have grown promisingly during the Raisi Administration.
Mehrabian stated: This year, we are witnessing the growth of trade, which is expected to continue.
He said: In order to continue the growth, the economic delegations of two countries should become more active.
The Minister of Energy also has noted that Iran and Tajikistan have so far held 14 commissions, and various documents have been signed, but during the last visit of Tajik officials to Iran, 17 cooperation documents were sign.


President Dr. Arif Alvi has addressed the convocation of Pakistan Institute of Fashion Designs in Lahore on Tuesday.
On the occasion, the President said that there is a need to create opportunities for students and young people according to demand of market.
Dr Arif Alvi further stated that we have to focus on value addition for economic development in country.
The President said that Pakistan Institution of Fashion Designs is an important department which is playing vital role in boosting economy of country.
“Fashion has communication power and art advertising getting new trends and technology have boosted them,” he added.


‘Daily Show’: Mess O’Poromnia
This week, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney raised eyebrows when he compared his five sons’ work on the Romney-for-Prez campaign to military service on behalf of the country. Here, Jon Stewart takes a look at the Romneys’ work on “The Five Brothers Bus” — sending “Senior Campaign Embedder” Aasif Mandvi to report from the dangerous front lines … of Iowa.
Watch the clip here.Wait, before you go…
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Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.Support Truthdig


East Godavari district Praja Rajyam Party president J Nehru on Friday said that the Telugu Desam Party leaders should look back on their term in office before critisizing PRP president K Chiranjeevi.
Talking to media persons at the party office, Mr Nehru criticised TDP leader Rama Krishnan his statements in which he said that the PRP chief was in a ‘hurry-burry’ while taking out his Praja Chaitanya Yatra.
The PRP leader said that Mr Chiranjeevi was getting to know of people’s problems through the Praja Chaitanya Yatra and then taking up these issues with the Chief Minister in an effort to solve them.
Mr Nehru said that the Praja Chaitanya Yatra was meant to make the people aware of their issues and to fight for getting justice for the Girijans in the state.
He said that the State government had allotted 166 acre land to the Girijan community, but the same land was allotted to Emaar Properties by the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation, despite protests.


President Muhammadu Buhari has written to the senate explaining steps he has taken on the killings perpetrated by herdsmen across the country.
in a letter read by senate president Bukola Saraki, the president took exception to senate’s position that he had done nothing so far to address the country’s failing security infrastructure.
the letter stated that it is incorrect for the senate to say that he has not done anything about the killings. He said that the police are working to apprehend those behind the attacks.
he added that the federal government is putting in place measures to forestall the reoccurrence of further killings in benue and other parts of the country.
he said that he had instructed the inspector general of police to “relocate to benue state and redeploy forces to the most sensitive towns, adding that the federal government “is initiating measures to address these and other security challenges, alleviate the consequence of these attacks and forestall reoccurrence.


KARACHI: Several prominent businessmen and industrialists have urged Prime Minister Imran Khan to formulate lasting and stable economic policies to steer the country out of economic crisis.
Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) Vice President Hanif Lakhany, and Senior Vice Chairman Pakistan Yarn Merchants Association (PYMA) and Vice Chairman Farhan Ashrafi issued a statement saying that the government should take trade and industry-friendly measures to bring the COVID 19-affected businesses and industrial activities back to normal.
In their appeal to the prime minister, they said that policies need to be changed, not ministers. They added that COVID-19 pandemic has affected businesses and industry badly, as a result most businesses have been wiped out and those who have survived are struggling to cope with the negative effects of the epidemic.
“Whether it is the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Petroleum or the Ministry of Commerce, the economy will never recover from the repeated changes of their ministers, but the economic crisis will be more serious”, they added.
Therefore, instead of focusing on the constant change of ministers, the government should take steps to stabilize the economy and revive business & industry so that the country can move forward on the path of development and create more employment opportunities.
They added that the business community was not satisfied with the government’s economic policies, especially in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government did not take the necessary steps to protect trade and industry from its negative effects.
They said the business community is worried where they stand and who will solve their problems at a time when the epidemic has shaken economies around the world. Therefore, they said the government should formulate better economic policies so that Pakistani exporters can compete in global markets.


Egypt deports British journalist ahead of elections
(MENAFN) Ahead of next week elections, Egypt has deported a British journalist working for The Times, the newspaper said on Saturday, describing an "increasingly oppressive environment" for media in the country.
"The Times deplores this attempt by the Egyptian authorities to intimidate the media and suppress our coverage," a statement by the newspaper said, adding that Egyptian authorities had "no intention of allowing (Trew) to return."
Egypt's government foreign press centre, the interior ministry, and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's office, did not respond to phone calls and requests for comment via WhatsApp.
Trew said in a separate article published by The Times that she was detained by police in central Cairo on her way to conduct an interview, held for almost 24 hours and then "marched onto a plane" at Cairo airport bound for London.
A British Foreign Office spokeswoman said that "the Egyptian authorities have not shared any evidence of wrongdoing. We will continue to press them on this case."
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.


BY CHIOMA OBINNA
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi has urged governments and Nigerian health professionals among other stakeholders to drive the conversation around responsible media reporting of mental health issues.
Abayomi who spoke at the 2nd Vanguard Mental Health Summit in Lagos, with the theme: “Mental Health in a Distressed Economy”, noted that irresponsible media reporting worsens stigma around mental disorders as well affects access to treatment by populations at risk.
Speaking through the Head of the Mental Health Desk, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Tolu Ajomale, Abayomi said a lot of work and advocacy needs to be done in terms of having more focused engagement with our media experts to begin to explore how they can bring out mental health information without worsening the impact it has on the population at risk, “but also to help and encourage people that need assistance and support.”
Lamenting the barrage of media reporting of cases of attempted suicide in Lagos, the commissioner said: “One particular area is the issue around suicide.
There has been a lot of work and advocacy around changing the terminology, saying ‘people are committing suicide because suicide is not a crime to say people ‘ending their lives by suicide.
“More importantly, is also the way that message is also being interpreted by the media. Sometimes in Lagos, we find some of the media persons who would want to give out their names, where they live and the job they do and where they work, their families etc. Such reports even worsen the stigma that the person is facing.”
Continuing, Abayomi said another area that needs change is especially around substance abuse, which he acknowledged, that the numbers are increasing.
“National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has been doing enormous work to stop the supply. In the past, it is said that Africa, especially Nigeria used to be a transit country for a lot of the substances that are being abused.
But we are now a place where we are the consuming country. We are now part of the customers a lot of the people are supplying to, the number is increasing because of globalisation and awareness. While the NDLEA is doing incredible work, especially in the last two years, a lot needs to be done.”
He said for stakeholders working in the area o substance abuse, there was a need to change the messaging during advocacy activities.
“It is important to see how we can stop the supplies and work on systems that support those who are already victims. There are a lot of opportunities in that space.
“When we are talking about substance abuse in the past, we talk about the different ways people are abusing these substances, the messaging has to change.
“While doing the advocacy we are also educating people on ways to abuse substances that they probably were not aware of before. So what we need to do is to change the pattern of the messaging and focus more on looking out for the symptoms and signs rather than describing the substances we are involuntarily marketing the products to people.
“The conversations should be around more of the ideas, and solutions we can explore to stop the supply.
So that when we are having this conversation next year, we can talk about some of the solutions we have achieved and where we are now and where we want to be,” he added.
Further, he commended Vanguard for its consistency in driving conversation around mental heart, adding that the theme of the summit was apt as it affects not only the physical health but the mental and well-being of the people.


Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what we have done when it comes to the responsibility of Canadian Forces. If it is Afghan forces, then the Afghan forces will follow their procedures. Clearly that is the situation.
We want to encourage the Afghan government to do everything possible to live up to its expectations. Canada as well has taken steps now to ensure that the new arrangement will enhance our capacity to track those prisoners, to see that the Afghans live up to those expectations.
This has been something that has been commended by other countries, that will be studied by other countries and I suspect that it will be modelled by other countries.