(MENAFN- Emirates News Agency (WAM))
ABU DHABI, 17th February, 2022 (WAM) -- Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea and the Korean Cultural Centre, has celebrated the Korean New Year on campus through hosting various cultural activities.
The event is part of the university's efforts in enriching students' experiences by celebrating different cultures and embracing inclusion and diversity.
The event was attended by Lee Seok-gu, Korean Ambassador to the UAE, his wife, delegates from the Korean Embassy and the Korean Cultural Centre, students, academics and staff.
Prof Silvia Serrano, Vice-Chancellor Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, welcomed the ambassador and the delegates and took them on a campus tour.
The event started with the national anthems of the Republic of Korea, the UAE and France.
'We are pleased to have the opportunity to introduce Korean culture at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, which has built a global reputation on the philosophical value of cultural diversity. We will try our best to have continuous cooperation with Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi to provide opportunities to enjoy Korean traditional culture and K-pop, dramas, and movies in the future that shined on the world stages,' Seok-gu commented.
Serrano, in turn, said, 'We are here today not only to celebrate one of the most important Korean holidays, the Korean new year, but to highlight the importance of Korea's vibrant cultural legacy, which includes music, dance, and cuisine. As an international university with a diverse student population of more than 60 nationalities, we are keen on offering students' cross-cultural experiences, aligning with Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi's motto 'a bridge between civilisations'.'
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With a recent spike in demand for local business news, local news organizations are now scrambling to find new ways to provide it.
But there’s one area in particular that has become a popular target: the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area.
A survey by the Minneapolis Public Interest Research Group (MPIRG) suggests that the city has the highest percentage of people who don’t use social media, and that’s driving some local businesses to turn to new tools to provide local news.
But some local officials aren’t letting the city off the hook, saying they don’t need more resources for social media.
“There’s a real need for people to use the web as a way to interact with the media and the public, and we are going to continue to push that forward,” Minneapolis City Council Member Jacob Frey told the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Frey said his group’s findings don’t mean that Minneapolis is a digital utopia.
“It’s certainly not a utopia,” he said.
Frey and others are worried that Minneapolis’ lack of web apps could be a sign of things to come.
“We know that technology is a big part of how we communicate,” Frey said.
“But we also know that there are a lot of people out there that don’t even know what the word social media means.”
Frey says Minneapolis needs to create more social media apps for people in the city to be able to connect with their communities.
“You know, it’s a good thing that there’s more people in our city that can connect to us,” Frey added.
Frey is one of many local officials who are looking to the tech community to help solve the city’s digital news gap.
The City of Minneapolis is working to create a digital news platform for the city, which will be developed by local companies and will be part of a citywide project.
“The city will be the largest user of social media and a significant contributor to our city’s growth, but we also need to create tools to help people with that information, to make it easier to find what they need,” Frey told reporters.
Minneapolis City Mayor Chris Coleman has made a big push for the creation of a digital community, saying that the lack of social networks has created a “toxic environment” that he says is limiting the growth of the city.
“I think that we have a problem, and it’s not just the lack, but the lack is the lack.
And we can’t allow that toxic environment to continue,” Coleman said at a news conference last month.
The city will invest $100 million into the development of a new digital news app, which would allow users to find local news stories, create their own, and subscribe to local news publications.
“Our goal is to build a platform for anyone to be a contributor, be a fan, be part user, to create their content, and then connect with the city and the world,” Coleman added.
A few months after the news conference, Minneapolis launched a new app called Cityscape, which is designed to make sharing local news easier.
The app will allow users “to share content, find content, search for content, discover content, create a timeline of events, and create content that’s unique to them.”
“What we’re really trying to do is give the public a way for them to connect, find their stories, and connect with others in the community,” Mayor Coleman said.
Coleman also has been promoting his new citywide Digital News Lab, which aims to help the city build digital tools for the public and businesses.
The Lab is now offering free content to city employees, and Coleman said he hopes to create another app that allows for sharing of real-time events.
“And then we’re also hoping to be adding more tools that we think will help the public make sense of information,” Coleman told the Star Tribune last month, adding that he wants the citywide lab to be “the backbone of the Cityscape platform.”
Coleman has also been pushing to create an app that connects to city services like transit, which many local businesses are looking at for new ways of reaching their customers.
“If you look at what’s happening with transit in Minneapolis right now, you know there are so many options to be on,” Minneapolis Transit CEO John Cawley told reporters last month at a conference.
“So there are many ways that people can find out what’s going on.”
Cawler said the new digital tools he and his fellow leaders are working on are aimed at improving the quality of the information that people have access to on the transit system.
“They want people to be connected to the city in a way that’s not confusing, that’s clear, and they want people and the communities that they’re connecting to to be engaged,” Cawier said.


The Paradise Town Council has voted to ban living on property until fire debris has been cleared. Butte County Public Health has stated that a public health emergency exists in the town due to the Camp Fire. FEMA and Cal-OES have said that allowing people to live in a public health emergency area will jeopardize the funding which pays for the state debris removal program. Without this funding, the town will not have the resources to remove all the debris. An ordinance had allowed people to live on their property before debris was cleared. The council repealed that ordinance and enacted a new one that bans living on property that was burned until the debris has been cleared.


There have been reports of flooding on the A610 Ripley Road in Ambergate, close to the A6 Derby Road.
Derbyshire Police said water from the hill was reported to be flowing down towards the A6, which could affect the busy route, adding that officers were at the scene.
Drivers were also warned to be cautious while on the M1, with standing water on the route.
A burst water main was reported on Crich Road in Fritchley earlier this morning, which closed the road for around three hours.
Derbyshire Police said they were forced to shut Crich Road and Fritchley Lane – but both routes are now reopened.


Darla Berry honored as Certified Municipal Clerk
Darla Berry, of New York Mills, has earned the designation of Certified Municipal Clerk (CMC), which is awarded by the International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC), Inc.
The designation is only awarded to those who complete demanding education requirements, and who have a record of significant contributions to their local government, community, and state.
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Two killed as blasts, gunfire rock Burundi presidential vote
(MENAFN- Saudi Press Agency) A policeman and civilian were killed in clashes hours before the start of Burundi's presidential elections, already hit by opposition boycotts and protests over President Pierre Nkurunziza's decision to run for a third term.
Blasts and gunfire echoed around the capital before polling stations opened on Tuesday.
Opponents accuse Nkurunziza of violating the constitution by seeking another five years in office. Western donors and African states, worried about tensions in a region with a history of ethnic conflict, urged Burundi to postpone the poll.
Presidential adviser Willy Nyamitwe blamed opponents and those behind protests for overnight violence, saying a policeman and civilian were killed. 'People do it to intimidate voters. They don't want the voters to go to the polls,' he told Reuters.
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Islamabad: Pakistan Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed announced on Tuesday that voting on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan will take place on April 3, Geo News reported.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, he revealed the much-awaited date, adding that debate on the motion, tabled by Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif on Monday, will begin on Tuesday.
Rasheed said that the final decision would be taken at the last hour, adding that PM Imran Khan will “play”till the last ball.
Reiterating his support for the PTI-led government, he stated: “I stand with Imran Khan” and hoped that voting will be held peacefully on April 3.
He also said that the official notification will be issued after the PM accepts the resignation of Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.
“In politics, some people win even after losing,” he said.
Following the power shows of the government and the Opposition, he said that all containers have been removed in Islamabad and all roads are clear.
The Minister said that as he mentioned earlier Chaudhry brothers are with PTI. He, however, hoped that the MQM-P will soon announce their decision in favour of the government.
“Their decision will be a decisive one,” he added.
“All those who have planned international conspiracies to remove PM Imran Khan will fail miserably,” he said, adding that all eyes are on the Supreme Court’s decision, Geo News reported.


(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer)
Srinagar – Authorities on Friday attached property of a man for providing Shelter and logistic support to the militants in North Kashmir's Handwara.
In a statement the police said that today in an order of attachment of property under S. 25 of the UA(P) Act of an OGW was executed at Yaroo.
The order of attachment of property had been confirmed by the Office of Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir against Muhammad Abdullah Mir, son of Khazir Muhammad Mir, resident of Yaroo for his involvement in providing logistics and shelter to militants, in relation to which FIR no. 327/2018 U/S 307-RPC 7/27-Act,18,19,25 UA(P) Act had been registered at Police Station Handwara.
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Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) General Secretary Asad Umar has demanded that the institutions should take notice of the Interior Minister’s statement in which he was saying that the institutions were fully involved in politics and have been deciding who will come and who will not come.
He said that the rulers wanted to run away from the elections so they increased the number of Union Councils of Islamabad through an amendment in the month of June so that the constituencies were divided and the elections could be delayed.
Addressing a press conference along with party leaders in Islamabad Asad Umar said that the present coalition imported government of PDM has come down to openly unconstitutional decisions and measures.
He said that these rulers were afraid of the people of Pakistan and Imran Khan so they have been trying to run away from the elections.
PTI leader said that in 2018 many political parties including PTI had objections over involvement in politics. The complaints were not only on one side but on both sides.
The journalist was asked about interior minister Rana Sanaullah’s statement in which he said that there was a consensus among political parties and institutions that Imran Khan’s path has to be blocked.
Asad Umar replied that the institutions should take notice of the statement of the Interior Minister, he has made a big allegation about the institutions, and the institutions should answer this statement.
He said that they will decide later whether the institution was neutral or not.
On the question of Najam Sethi’s appointment in the PCB he said that see how this change was coming at the time when Pakistan had reached the final of the T20 World Cup. Asad Umar said that on the one hand there was Ramiz Raja who played Test matches for Pakistan and was part of the team that won the 1992 World Cup.


(MENAFN) The Syrian government is reportedly set for talks with the Islam Army rebels on Sunday for negotiations on the Douma crisis.
The Islam Army militants were reported by state TV to have requested the Syrian government for negotiations to be carried out.
The state TV further reported the government to be commencing talks with the militants in two hours.
It comes two days following a military shut down in Douma district east of Damascus, ever since the revels yielded on a preceding deal for their evacuation.
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(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer)
Srinagar- The government on Monday ordered transfer of three JKAS officers in the interest of administration with immediate effect.
According to an order, Altaf Ahmad Khan (JKAS), Additional Deputy Commissioner Pulwama, has been transferred and posted as Additional District Development Commissioner, Kupwara, against an available vacancy.
Dr. Fayaz Ahmad Banday (JKAS), Director, Land Management, Srinagar Development Authority, has been transferred and posted as Additional Deputy Commissioner, Pulwama.
Ghulam Nabi Bhat (JKAS), Additional Secretary to the Government, Health and Medical Education Department, has been transferred and posted as Additional Deputy Commissioner, Kupwara, against an available vacancy, as per the order.
“He shall also hold the charge of the post of Chief Executive Officer, Tourism Development Authority, Lolab Bangus Drangyari, in addition to his own duties, till further orders,” it added.
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(MENAFN- Trend News Agency ) A powerful explosion at a gas station in the Madina district in Ghana's capital Accra claimed six lives, Sputnik reported.
Another 45 people were injured and 20 cars completely burnt, the Ghana Fire Service spokesperson Billy Anaglatey said, as quoted by the Starr News media outlet.
The explosion occurred late on Saturday night. The blast was caused by an open fire used to grill meat near the gas station. After the first explosion, two more filling stations nearby engulfed in flames. The nearby homes and Presbyterian Boys Secondary School (PRESEC) campus have been evacuated following the explosion.
Four people remain in critical conditions and have been placed in the Intensive Care Unit at the 37 military hospital in Accra, the hospital's acting administrator, Maj. RO Mintah, was quoted as saying by Starr News.
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(MENAFN- Jordan Times)
AMMAN — Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa on Saturday toured the Jordanian field hospital“Gaza 71”. The patriarch said that the visit to the Jordanian field hospital in the strip is meant to tell the world that Jordan offers considerable humanitarian assistance to Gazans, commending the staffs' efforts towards supporting the Gazans, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
He also expressed appreciation of the Kingdom's ongoing support for the Gaza Strip against tough conditions.
Commander of the field hospital force Brig. Gen. Sadiq Bani Nasr reviewed the field hospital's services since it was first dispatched in 2009, as per Royal directives. The Jordanian field hospital“Gaza 71” opened its doors for patients by the end of this month. The hospital, which offers services for free, is administered by rotating medical, technical and administrative cadres that serve for a period of three months.
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Saudi Arabia Lifts Ban on Importing Poultry and Eggs from Four Countries
(MENAFN- Saudi Press Agency)
Riyadh, Rabi' I 28, 1439 H., December 16, 2017, SPA -- The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has lifted a temporary ban on importing poultry and eggs from four countries due to highly pathogenic avian influenza.
In a statement to Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Director General of the Department of Animal Risk Assessment, Dr. Sanad Al-Harbi disclosed that the ministry lifted the ban from Greece, the Czech Republic, Romania and Mozambique.
He added that the ministry received reports from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) confirming no new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the past three months in these countries.
14:05 LOCAL TIME 11:05 GMT
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“When you’re happy you can excel in your -creativity, performance, and achievement.” – Ranjan Baral
It’s true that happiness can have a positive impact on creativity, performance, and achievement. When you’re happy, you’re more likely to be optimistic, energetic, and motivated, which can translate into greater success in various areas of your life.
For example, research has shown that people who experience positive emotions are more likely to have enhanced problem-solving abilities, greater creativity, and improved cognitive flexibility. They are also more likely to be persistent in the face of challenges and setbacks, which can lead to greater achievement.
Moreover, happiness can also have a ripple effect on those around you, leading to more positive interactions and increased social support, which can further boost your performance and success.
That being said, it’s important to remember that happiness is not a constant state and can be influenced by many factors, including genetics, life circumstances, and personal choices. Therefore, it’s essential to cultivate habits and practices that promote your well-being and resilience, such as regular exercise, healthy eating, and mindfulness meditation.


Shimla, Nov 24
All India Congress Committee spokesperson and former Himachal Pradesh Congress President Kuldeep Singh Rathore made it clear that he is not in the race of Chief Minister-ship. Addressing media persons here today he said that the decision to elect the CM will be taken by the party high command. He said that he met AICC new Chief Malikarjun Kharge and the party national general secretary Venu Gopal. “I was invited in Rajiv Gandhi foundation function and apprised senior party leaders about the state election during the meeting,” he added.
Rathore said that the BJP leaders are accepting their debacle in the state and their party internal survey projects victory on only 23 seats. Adding he informed that on 15 seats BJP was being projected in a close contest. He said that the history of BJP’s defeat in the by-elections and municipal elections would be repeated in the assembly as well. He said that near 80 percent polling including 1.17 lakh postal ballots indicate heavy swing against the BJP which paves the way for Congress government in new Assembly.
Regarding the apprehension of horse-trading being expressed after the Himachal Pradesh assembly elections results, Rathore said that BJP’s Mission Lotus in Himachal Pradesh would fail miserably. He said that all the MLAs of the Congress party are united. The public knows the truth about the BJP. He noted that in different states across the country, BJP had toppled the government, which is an open attack on the democratic system. Rathore claimed that the BJP could not do such horse trading in Himachal Pradesh.


COVID cases are surging in India.
The country reported a global record of more than 314,000 new cases in the last 24 hours. India also reported more than 2,100 new deaths.
Hospitals across the country are reporting a shortage of beds and are running dangerously low on oxygen.
The government has ordered oxygen to be sent to the hardest hit areas.
India has the second highest total number of cases after the U.S.


Lusaka ~ Tue, 19 Jan 2021
By Brightwell Chabusha
Transport and communications minister Mutotwe Kafwaya has said Zambians still have confidence in the PF and that the party will win the August general elections.
Speaking on Radio Phoenix’s Let the People Talk programme today, Mr Kafwaya said the recent by-elections held have shown that PF is making headways in the perceived opposition strongholds.
“Victory in the opposition strongholds is another clear indication that Zambians still have confidence in the PF government under the Leadership of His Excellency President Edgar Chagwa Lungu. I was recently in Western Province and we have strong indicators that we are winning the 2021 general elections. Remember that PF in Western Province has just lost one local government by-election while party has won all six other by-elections,” Mr Kafwaya said.
And the minister said Government has not abandoned plans to revive Zambia Airways, a national airline.
Mr Kafwaya said government has done all it can and what remains now is for the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and Ethiopian Airlines who have partnered to actualise the project.
Kafwaya said the expansion of the three Airports in the country was necessary especially that the National Airports Corporation had predicated increased traffic on its infrastructure before the outbreak of the global pandemic.


Pakistan witnesses stronger trade ties with China
(MENAFN) Experts and officials think that Pakistan is ought to strive to further boost the Pakistan-China trade ties with Pakistan seeing a rise in exports to China.
Abdul Razak Dawood, Advisor to Pakistani Prime Minister for Commerce and Investment, tweeted that Pakistan’s exports to China surged by 34 percent hitting USD2.33 billion in the financial year 2020-2021 (July 1-June 30), against USD1.74 billion in the prior financial year.
According to government officials, leather, textiles, seafood and agricultural produce were amongst the key products exported to China in the cited period.
The Pakistan-China trade volume has demonstrated an increasing track during the years. During the year 2018, the trade volume between both nations was USD16.4 billion, witnessing a rise from USD4.8 billion in 2007, read official figures from the Ministry of Commerce of Pakistan.
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Mazzarri Back In Napoli As Rudi Garcia Sacked
(MENAFN- The Peninsula) AFP
Milan: Rudi Garcia has been sacked by Napoli, the Italian champions announced on Tuesday, after a poor start to the season left their Serie A title defence floundering.
Napoli said that Walter Mazzarri returns after a decade to replace Frenchman Garcia, who was dismissed for allowing the team to fall ten points behind league leaders Inter Milan.
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Communication Minister Manoa Kamikamica confirms the investigation into the satellite digital television platform, Walesi, is in the final stages.
The investigation, which commenced last year, has been examining allegations of excessive spending on the Walesi platform.
Kamikamica says the investigation focused on the financial and technical aspects of the platform.
“There were two parts to the investigation: the technical part, which is now complete, and the Auditor General, who is just doing the work on the final part. So once it’s done, I will go back to the cabinet with the findings, and if there is a need to go to FICAC, we will go to FICAC, and I will report in the house what we have seen.”
During a parliament sitting last year, Kamikamica stated that the previous government had spent around $125 million on the establishment and rollout of Walesi since 2015.
He had highlighted that $42.5 million of this came from the Telecommunications Development Trust Fund, and the other $82.5 million came through budget returns.
The investigation will establish how the funds were spent and whether due process was followed in terms of tenders, vendor selection, and procurement.


California officials have awarded more than $50 million in cannabis tax-funded community reinvestment grants, the state announced on Thursday.
The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) said that the funds are being distributed to 31 different local health departments and community-based nonprofit organizations that support economic and social development in areas disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs.
This marks the fifth year in a row that the office has provided the grant funding. And the cannabis tax dollars that are supporting the program increased by about $15 million compared to last year.
The funds will be used to support efforts such as job placement, mental health and substance use disorder treatment, legal services and linkages to medical care.
Read more at marijuanamoment.net


Almost one-third of NYers are on Medicaid
Thanks in part to the federal Affordable Care Act, nearly one-third of New Yorkers are now on Medicaid, the health insurance program for the poor and disabled.
New York has added 1.1 million people to Medicaid since the state health exchange opened last year, the Associated Press reported over the weekend.
In February, the state Health Department reported an even higher figure: More than 2 million New Yorkers have enrolled in health insurance coverage through the state's exchange, and 1.49 million picked Medicaid and 512,968 chose private insurance.
Overall, more than 6.2 million New Yorkers are now enrolled in Medicaid, which is nearly one-third of the state's population of 19 million, AP reported.
The next enrollment period will be this fall for the health exchange.
Supporters said the program has been a success because it has lowered the state's number of uninsured residents. Critics, though, said the program has added to the cost of Medicaid in New York, which has by far the most expensive program in the nation.
Medicaid in New York costs about $63.5 billion this year, almost half the state's $142 billion budget. It's increased 22 percent over the past five years, but the state share has stayed flat because of federal aid and cutbacks, while the state has capped the Medicaid expenses to county governments.


Gun raffle attracts hundreds
More than 800 people filled the Holiday Inn on Saturday evening for the West Fargo Hockey Association’s third annual gun raffle, where 300 guns, a 2014 Polaris Ranger and several other prizes were given away.
“It was a great crowd,” WFHA past President Cal Helgeson said. “They were enthusiastic and excited about the prizes given out.”
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West Fargo flood hotline set up
People with questions about West Fargo flooding, the Sheyenne Diversion and sandbags are asked to call 701-433-5400.
The number will be temporarily available around the clock, according to West Fargo police.
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The Federal government has started another major operation against sugar hoarders, in which 500 tonnes of sugar was seized at Punjab border.
According to details, a meeting was held under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister on food prices and stockpiling in which the Prime Minister said that strict action should be taken against the Sugar Mafia, stockists, and hoarders, ARY News Reported.
Sources said that the participants were apprised of the action taken against the sugar hoarders. The participants were informed that two sugar mills in Punjab had extracted an unusual quantity of sugar from the factory in July and 500 tonnes of sugar was seized at the Punjab border. ۔
According to sources, on the directive of the Prime Minister, the Special Unit took action against the culprits. Due to the roundup in Punjab, the sugar was to be shifted to Sindh and stored.
Sources said that the companies involved in the Chinese transfer were JDW and Ittefaq Sugar Mills while the Prime Minister has directed strict action against those responsible. The government, on the other hand, is also dealing with flour prices and its supply in the country, today it was reported that the government is fighting on the fronts including Sugar prices and flour prices that are being manipulated by these culprits.


OIC chief slams incendiary Trump decision on Jerusalem
(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) ISTANBUL, Dec 13 (KUNA) -- The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) rejects US President Donald Trump's inflammatory decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, its secretary General Yousef Al-Othaimeen said Wednesday.
"It is imperative that we support the Arab identity and take a stand against Israel's efforts to tamper with the status quo in Jerusalem," Al-Othaimeen told an urgent OIC summit in Istanbul.
Echoing the OIC chief's sentiments, Jordanian King Abdullah II said that "any attempt to alter conditions in Jerusalem would result in unadulterated violence." In a speech of his own, the Jordanian monarch stressed that the "US decision threatens peace in the region." Meanwhile, the summit's communique is highly expected to urge the international community to recognize East Jerusalem as the capital of an independent Palestinian state. (pickup previous) to.nam
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In response to climate change, sustainable development has become an imperative for the world. This includes Vietnam, which is one of the five most vulnerable countries to climate change.
There will be two panel discussions where regulators, economic experts, and business leaders will share their efforts to implement sustainable solutions and respond to climate change. At the same time, the speakers will also offer recommendations on sustainable development and completing green transformation strategies for businesses in Vietnam.
On this occasion, VIR has also organised a recognition ceremony for enterprises accompanying the cause of sustainable development to offer appreciation to both domestic and foreign groups that have supported VIR's sustainable development and corporate social responsibility initiatives over the past five years.
|Sustainable development conference to take place in Hanoi
On November 16, Vietnam Investment Review will host its Sustainable Development 2023 conference, themed Taking Responsibility, Taking Action.


Centre advises J&K admin to increase enrollment percentage of secondary level students
Srinagar, Aug 28 (KNO): Union Ministry has advised the Jammu and Kashmir administration to increase the enrollment percentage of students studying at secondary level.
According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the Ministry of Education (MoE) in Project Approval Meeting (PAB) while reviewing the Gross Enrollment Ratio said, “The enrollment percentage of children studying at Secondary level should be increased.”
“Jammu and Kashmir UT would need to see where these five lakh children are going and focus on improving the enrollment percentage of children at government schools and strategize to attract children towards government schools at the secondary level,” ir reads.
Stating the developmental initiatives, the representatives of JK in the meeting said, “The development of Model KGs under the UT initiative has been one of the measures taken during 2022-23.”
“Under the initiatives more than 1000 Modet KGs have been developed and equipped with the requisite infrastructure and other facilities,” reads the official document.
It also said that the awareness of communities regarding the significance of Pre-School education has been another best practice which the UT has successfully conducted.
“It was due to this that the enrolment at Pre-primary level has witnessed massive enrolment during 2022-23 under which more than 146,000 students got enrolled for Pre-primary against the 70559 students in 2021-22,” JK representatives informed MoE.
Besides, it also said that the efforts are continuing and the target is to have the enrolment in every Pre-Primary section. “The Department of School Education has developed a vibrant group of Master Trainers on ECCE most of whom have done their Diploma in ECCE through NCERT New Delhi.”
MoE was also informed that the expertise of these MTs were extended to the Social Welfare Department, in training their Master Trainers. The Department utilizes these master trainers to train AWWs—(KNO)


Karachi: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Friday said that attack on Malala Yousufzaid is an oppression and tantamount to an attack on entire nation.
Speaking to media on Friday, he said that Ulema were being threatened to condemn the attack on Malala.
“Those who are asking Ulema to condemn attack on Malala are themselves killers and blood is dripping from their fingers,” he said.
The maulana said that the incident was being used against Uelma. He said that those who were raising the issue of Malala didn’t press for Dr Afia Siddiqui’s release.
He said attack on Malala was against Pakhtun tradition as well. “Malala is our daughter and we know how to honor our daughters,” he added.


(MENAFN- Pajhwok Afghan News) JALALABAD (Pajhwok): Over 140 rebels have been killed and ten others injured in 32 joint clearing operations and offensives in the past five weeks in eastern Nangarhar province, an official said on Tuesday.
Police Chief Brig. Gen. Abdul Rahman Rahimi briefed reporters in Jalalabad, the provincial capital, and showed the detainees and recovered explosives.
He said explosives, suicide jackets, mine-making equipment and other materials had been seized.
He said in the past five months 32 joint operations had been conducted in Achin, Kot, Bati Kot, Momandara, Lalpura, Chaparhar, Khogyani and Pachir Agam districts.
He said 105 alleged insurgents including two Pakistanis and two suicide bombers had been detained during the offensives.
Two suicide jackets, 41 mobile phone sets, 10 vehicles and 29 anti-vehicles mines had been recovered and dismantled.
Rahimi said during the period, police have detected 122 criminal incidents and arrested 164 people in connection to the incidents.
He added 1,568 different type of drug had been recovered during the period and arrested 37 suspected individuals.
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Entertainment firms stop partnerships with “Rick and Morty”
(MENAFN) Entertainment firms are stopping partnerships with “Rick and Morty” co-creator and star Justin Roiland after revelations that he deals with crime charges of local violence.
Hulu made a statement Wednesday it will no longer collaborate with Roiland, as reported by NBC News. He had an overall agreement with the streamer and made its animated series “Solar Opposites” and “Koala Man.”
Roiland was the co-creator and one of the leads of “Solar Opposites” in addition to top producer and voice actor for “Koala Man,” which premiered earlier in 2023. The two shows might carry on without him and will change his roles.
Hulu’s statement came soon after Adult Swim, which is owned by Cartoon Network, also stop relations with Roiland in connection to the charges. Roiland assisted in making the cable channel’s renowned animated series “Rick and Morty,” which premiered in 2013. Roiland voiced Rick and Morty.
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The occupied West Bank started a collective hunger strike as a protest against the atrocities of the Zionist administration in Israeli prisons.
The Prisoners Information Office has said in a press statement that 1,200 prisoners will participate in the collective hunger strike, while more Al-Fatah prisoners have also assured to join the Ramon prison.
He clarified that Tehreek Asiran will go on hunger strike. Ahmed al-Qadara, director of the Prisoners’ Information Office, called on the Palestinian people and all free people of the world to support the brave prisoners who will wage a general strike against the jailers’ actions.
Al-Qadra said that the prisoners need every help everywhere. So that the nation supports them to relieve their suffering during the strike war.


SRINAGAR: The Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri on Monday said that the many works of smart city project will be completed by April 15 as round the clock work is going on.
As Kashmir is all set to host G20 meeting in May, 2023, at summer capital Srinagar, the Div com said that the work on Smart City project is being carried out rapidly and people will have to bear till 15th of April till the work will be completed.
He said that the work is going on during the night time and the inspections are being carried out all through the night.
About the demolition drive, he said that the administration has already made it clear that the poor will not be touched so it is being ensured on ground. (KNS).


QUETTA: Leaders of opposition parties have alleged that the provincial coalition government has miserably failed to take steps to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic and its affairs are being run through WhatsApp and Twitter and other social media apps.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, opposition leaders Advocate Malik Sikandar Khan and others said that despite constituting a parliamentary committee on Covid-19 a long time ago, the government had not held a single meeting of it just to hide what the opposition leaders called corruption being committed by the government leaders in health and other institutions in the name of coronavirus and health emergency.
The opposition leaders also rejected the allegation by a spokesman for the government that opposition leaders had disappeared in the coronavirus pandemic in the province and said that it was the government which was not visible on the ground, while the opposition leaders were standing by the masses.
They said that since the BAP-led provincial government took oath, the opposition leaders had been pointing out “flawed policies” of the government, but it did nothing to change tack.
They said that the provincial government was using development funds through non-elected politicians and constituencies of opposition leaders were being ignored in development projects.
They opposition leaders said that they had written letters to the chief justice of Pakistan, governor of Balochistan, chief justice of the BHC and chief election commissioner and provincial election commissioner to take action against the “incompetent government” of Balochistan.
The parliamentary leader of Balochistan National Party, Malik Naseer Shahwani, said the government had installed just six ventilators in Fatima Jinnah Chest Hospital and three ventilators in Sheikh Zaid Hospital and senior politician and MPA Syed Fazal Agha had to be shifted to Karachi due to lack of ventilators.
Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2020


Still time to chase Canada geese
The first official hunting season of 2014 has been open since Aug. 9 when the fall crow season began.
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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has expressed the government’s commitment to help review the regulations that established state-owned media in the country.
In a meeting with the National Media Commission (NMC) at the Jubilee House on Wednesday evening, the President stressed the need to change the concept of the state-owned media to make them more independent.
He explained that the idea that a media was “owned by the state” was not proper in a multi-party democratic environment such as Ghana.
Rather, he said there should be a public broadcaster as well as print media that served the interest of the public, rather than a “state-owned media that served the interest of the government.”
According to the President, the concept of state-owned media creates the possibility for the media to be used as an instrument of party propaganda in a multi-party state and called for a new definition for ‘state-owned media.’
President Akufo-Addo pledged to support the NMC to review the regulations that established such media to make them more autonomous and free from government control.
He said under the current state, the political party that took over government automatically had ready-made media instruments, which was unfair.
The President used the example such as the British Broadcasting Corporation which was seen as a public broadcaster in Britain, and not necessarily a state-owned media to make his point.
The chairman of the NMC, Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, said the NMC was working with the Ministry of Information to help make the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation a public service broadcaster.
He said a committee had been established and made consultations in that regard but its work had been affected due to the lack of finance.
He expressed the NMC’s commitment to work to restructure the GBC to make it serve the role as a public broadcaster.
BY YAW KYEI


Chennai,(Aryavarth) Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, said on Monday that there will be ‘double engine’ growth in Puducherry if the BJP-led alliance is voted to power in the Union Territory.
Addressing mediapersons at the BJP headquarters in Puducherry, Gadkari said that one engine will be that of the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre, while the second will be that of the BJP-led alliance government in the UT.
Gadkari said that if a BJP-led government is formed in Puducherry, the projects initiated by the Central government will be implemented for the growth of the UT.
The Union minister also came down heavily on the previous government led by V. Narayanasamy, saying that it failed to implement several projects sanctioned by the Centre.
He said that infrastructure projects worth Rs 20,000 crore have been sanctioned by the Union government for Puducheery and Tamil Nadu, which, once implemented, would change the face of these two states.
Gadkari said that some of these projects are in the final stages of implementation while the others are in the process of finalising their detailed project reports.
The minister said that the Sagarmala project for the development of the port in Puducherry will lead to economic development. The total project cost is Rs 305 crore and it would be implemented in three phases. An amount of Rs 75 crore has been sanctioned for the first phase which is for capital dredging, the second phase is for Rs 60 crore which is for constructing berthing facilities in the old port and the third phase is of Rs 170.2 crore which is for the construction of a container terminal and berthing in the new port, the minister informed.
The minister said that trawlers which can travel up to 100 nautical miles are being developed at the Cochin Shipyard, which will boost the productivity by up to seven times.
Gadkari also refuted the charges of Narayanasamy that the BJP is trying to merge Puducherry with Tamil Nadu.


85% of Yemenis Need Humanitarian Assistance, says a Senior Arab Official
(MENAFN- Saudi Press Agency)
Geneva, Jumada II 15, 1439, March 03, 2018, SPA -- The Head of the Arab Initiative for Education and Development Dr. Wissam Basendwa, who is a member of the Yemeni Group for Monitoring Human Rights Violations, said that the three-year Yemeni crisis has inflicted an economic and humanitarian tragedy, as the number of Yemeni citizens in need to humanitarian assistance has increased to 22.2 million people, equivalent to 85 percent of the Yemen's population.
This came in a seminar entitled "The humanitarian and political situation in Yemen following the coup carried out by Houthi militias".
She pointed out to the relief and humanitarian aid provided by a number of countries, particularly the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, referring to the comprehensive humanitarian plan announced by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which includes eleven humanitarian initiatives to address the humanitarian situation in Yemen.
03:21 LOCAL TIME 00:21 GMT
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Kerala's Director General of Police Jacob Punnose has said that he is not sure whether the two accused Om Prakash and Puthenpalam Rajesh, who surrendered before a court in Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday, were directly involved in the murder of Paul George Muthoot, scion of the Muthhot group.
The DGP said that the investigating officers would interrogate both accused when they were brought to Kerala. He said that the police would not divulge details which could hamper investigations. Punoose also said that the police would file an application before the court asking for both the accused to be handed over to the state police for further investigation in the case.
Meanwhile Vilasini, the mother of prime accused Kari Satheesan, has filed an appeal before the Kerala high court seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into the case. While rejecting the petition, the court directed the police to take a proper stand in the investigation.


A diverse and independent media is vital to sustaining a flourishing democracy. When the Leveson Report was published, the Scottish Government stressed its commitment to the principles it outlined.
The Scottish Government remain committed to ensuring the practices that led to the inquiry do not happen again and the press should remain fully aware of their responsibilities to ensure that the cultural and ethical failings do not take place that can lead to improper press intrusion.
The SNP has been clear that all individuals should have the ability to seek redress when they feel they have been the victim of press malpractice.
The SNP Scottish Government will continue to engage with the Scottish press and other stakeholders on regulation.


Ex-cold storage facility in city to be auctioned
WINCHESTER — A former cold storage business and its properties will go to auction Friday morning at the George Washington Hotel.
ZeroPak — which consists of five properties in the 500 block of North…
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Comprehensive plan receives first reading
West Fargo City Commissioners approved first reading Monday night of an updated West Fargo Comprehensive Plan which will serve to guide the physical and development aspects of the community, including municipal growth and other related municipal infrastructure improvements. The plan also identifies strategic community issues, providing residents, businesses, landowners and elected officials a mechanism for addressing these issues.
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(MENAFN- Jordan News Agency)
Jeddah, May 19 (Petra) -- Arab leaders convened an ordinary summit in the Saudi city of Jeddah. His Majesty King Abdullah II and Crown Prince Al-Hussein Bin Abdullah are participating in the summit.
Algerian Prime Minister Ayman Bin Abdulrahman, whose country chaired the 31st session of the Arab summit, delivered an opening address emphasizing the importance of Arab unity and solidarity.
Furthermore, he praised Saudi Arabia's endeavors to reinstate Syria's membership in the Arab League, putting an end to its years-long suspension.
The Algerian prime minister highlighted his country's dedication to serving the Palestinian cause and other pressing pan-Arab matters.
Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman welcomed the attending leaders, including the guest of honor, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Prince Bin Salman reiterated the Arab world's unwavering commitment to peace, emphasizing the prevention of our region from descending into a conflict-ridden zone.
He expressed hope that Syria's reinstatement into the Arab League would mark the resolution of its enduring crisis. The prince also advocated for peaceful dialogue to prevail in Sudan, which has been plagued by unrest.
Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmad Abu El-Ghait, cautioned that the world is currently facing its most perilous era in recent history. He called upon Arab nations to cooperate and unite in the face of an increasingly polarized global landscape.
Abu El-Ghait stressed the urgency of resolving the conflict in Sudan and highlighted the longstanding adversity that the Arab region has endured, resulting in millions of refugees and displaced individuals.
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Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) on Wednesday introduced a resolution that says the federal government should not bail out state and local government pension plans, which today have a combined unfunded liability of more than $4 trillion.
Chaffetz's resolution is non-binding, but its passage would put states on notice that they should not assume that the federal government will help them dig out of their pension obligations to government workers.
"Unfortunately, too many state and local government pension plans have understated liabilities and overstated asset growth rates," said Chaffetz. "They have employed methodologies that federal law prohibits private sector plans from using. This is a problem states will have to face."
"State and local governments should not look to the federal government to rescue them from the consequences of poor public policy decisions," he added.
His resolution noted that the federal government has big problems of its own — the national debt is already more than $18 trillion, and that figure is expected to jump another $7 trillion by 2024.
It also noted that 16 percent of the federal budget already goes to the states, and that 22 percent of total state and local revenue comes from the federal government. Despite this huge injection of federal funding, state and local governments have offered their workers "overly generous retirement benefits," the resolution stated.
"[S]everal state and local pension plans are expected to fully exhaust their funds within ten years," it added. But rather than lean on the federal government, the resolution said state and local governments should reform their pension plans to make government workers pay into their retirement, just as many private-sector workers do.
"State and local governments should immediately institute reforms to their employee pension plans, including replacing defined benefit plans with defined contribution plans," it concluded.
Read his resolution here:


Shehryar Afridi urges HR organizations, ICRC to help ailing Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Geelani treat abroad
ISLAMABAD – Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir Shehryar Khan Afridi expressed grave concerns over the deteriorating health of Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani and urged international human rights organizations and International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) to take practical measures to help the ailing Kashmiri leader be sent abroad for medical treatment.
Chairing a special meeting of Advisory Boards of the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir, Shehryar Afridi led a special prayer for the wellbeing and health recovery of APHC leader Syed Ali Geelani.
The meeting also unanimously condemned the brutal killing of seven Kashmiri youth in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K) on Friday and called on the international human rights organisations to take action against those involved in ongoing genocide in IIOJ&K and those who were involved in the killing of Kashmiri youth be brought to justice and sanctions be imposed on individuals and officials of the occupational regime who were involved in human rights violations against the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Shehryar Afridi said that the Terms of Reference (ToRs) of the Advisory Boards have been finalised and the boards would now be chaired by Conveners of Subcommittees of the Kashmir Committee.
These advisory boards would act as the face of narrative building process on Kashmir, he added.
“Each Advisory board would have 12 members and their nominations would be notified by the Parliament. The new website of Kashmir Committee would act as knowledge depository on Kashmir dispute and it would also be translated in seven languages,” he added.
He said that each advisory board will meet twice in a month and all agenda items and minutes would be shared with the main committee.
He said the Advisory board meetings would be held in across country.
Shehryar Khan Afridi shared a holistic and proactive plan of action of the Kashmir Committee to help raise Kashmir at all global forums.
He said that the Committee has been working on building subcommittees in the form of advisory boards to cover all possible fronts on Kashmir.
He said that the Kashmir Committee has shifted its functioning from traditional path to a holistic narrative building on Kashmir.
He said that the Kashmir Committee has been working with Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to ensure provision of level playing field on the digital space.
He said that an Advisory Board has been formed involving Information Technology (IT) experts to ensure maximum space on digital front.
He said for adding new vigor and punch to Kashmir narrative, Kashmir Committee has formed an Advisory Board on Academia to push for new research and content to the narrative on Kashmir.
He said that following the western model, Kashmir Committee has formed an Advisory Board on Culture to further story telling on Kashmir. He said that Indian occupational regime has suppressed media in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and stories and imagery is not coming out despite matchless sacrifices by Kashmir journalists.
He said that on January 31, Indian colonial regime in Kashmir has registered an FIR against Kashmiri media outlet, The Kashmir Walla, to suppress media freedom. He said that criminal cases were being registered against journalists in Indian occupational regime to gag media as India wanted to stop imagery and stories coming out of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
He said that the cultural front is being formed to push narrative on Kashmir. He said that top artistes, thinkers and film makers are being added to the Advisory Board on Culture to project Kashmiri culture which is being destroyed by occupational regime in IIOJK under its genocide plan.
He said that in order to project Kashmiri sports, Kashmir Committee was supporting Kashmir Premier League to put Kashmir on global sports map.
He said that Youth Ambassadors are being projected to become vlogers, bloggers and social media activist to help story telling on Kashmir.
He said that among one of the newest agendas of Kashmir Committee is to work on EU Disinfo Lab report to expose the dubious approaches of India to create bias in global opinion by projecting fake news and baseless propaganda against Pakistan through fake media outlets, fake websites and fake NGOs.
He said that Kashmir Committee also formed an Advisory Board on Lawfare to explore future strategy and options on legal aspects of Kashmir dispute.
He said that the Kashmir Committee also worked on the research on Kashmir in liaison with the Kashmiri scholars and think tanks.
He said that Kashmir Committee also added civil society as a new agent in Kashmir narrative building on International forums. He said that the Committee has identified 22 global forums to raise Kashmir dispute.
He said that Kashmir Committee has for the first time in history taken deaf community on board to use gestures to tell story of Kashmir to the world.
He said that Kashmir Committee has been developing its own first ever dedicated website to provide verified data on Azad Jammu and Kashmir as well as IIOJK in six different languages.
He said that massive Indian oppression against Kashmiris has alienated the Kashmiri people.
He said that Indian occupational forces have been involved in false flag operation in Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir but EU Disinfo Lab has fully exposed the Indian atrocities and its false narrative on Kashmir.
He said that India was escaping dialogue and the world has recognized this fact.
He said that Pakistan has time and again expressed its willingness for adjudication by United Nations Secretary General but India has been avoiding arbitration. He said that India was biggest hurdle in regional connectivity.


PPP urges UN to ensure plebiscite in Kashmir
- He said that the silence of the international community over the brutal killings and torture of Kashmiris had disappointed the free people of the world.
LAHORE: Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Punjab President Qamar Zaman Kaira has urged the United Nations to ensure a free, fair and transparent plebiscite for the people of Jammu and Kashmir in line with the resolutions, adopted by the UN Commission on India and Pakistan (UNCIP).
In a statement issued here on Tuesday in connection with the Right to Self-Determination Day observance, he said that people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir had been subjected to inhuman atrocities for the last seven decades.
He said that the silence of the international community over the brutal killings and torture of Kashmiris had disappointed the free people of the world.
Kaira said that former prime ministers Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto had internationalised the Kashmir issue through political and diplomatic struggle and assured the Kashmiri people that the PPP would continue to raise its voice for them at every available forum.
He expressed solidarity with the people of held Kashmir, saying that the issue of the held valley was an integral part of the PPP mission and the party had the strong political base in Azad Jammu & Kashmir.
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(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 16. AZPROMO and
ITFC have discussed the prospects of partnership in creating
Eximbank (export-import) tools, Trend reports.
According to the Azerbaijan Republic Export and Investment
Promotion Agency (AZPROMO), the meeting was held with
representatives of the International Islamic Trade Finance
Corporation (ITFC) and Islamic Corporation for the Development of
Private Sector (ICD), which are part of the Islamic Development
Bank (IDB) group.
During the meeting, Yusif Abdullayev, Head of AZPROMO, informed
about the Agency's activities, export and investment promotion
mechanisms, including the expected National Export Strategy,
diversification of export geography, logistics subsidization and
other expected promotion mechanisms.
In turn, Hani Salem Sonbol, ITFC Director General and Acting
Director General of ICD, emphasized that they are interested in
cooperation with AZPROMO within the framework of public-private
partnership and informed about trade promotion programs prepared by
ITFC for different countries and regions. It was reported that
providing potential support to AZPROMO for the future coordination
work on the establishment of Trade Promotion Organization (TPO)
network for Azerbaijan and Central Asian region within the
framework of the main program ("TCCA+") implemented by ITFC for
trade facilitation among OIC member countries can make an important
contribution to the effective implementation of the program.
Earlier, the establishment of Eximbank (Export-Import) tools in
Azerbaijan was discussed between the head of AZPROMO Yusif
Abdullayev and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan Alim Bayel.
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Porvorim: Independent MLA Rohan Khaunte on Saturday once against raised the issue about non-Goans entering the state through the trains, questioning state government’s wisdom in allowing such people from red zones.
Khaunte expressed his anger over chief minister Pramod Sawant’s failure to arrest the increasing inflow of people in the state who have been the reason for current COVID-19 cases.
The Porvorim MLA in the past had claimed that the trains are being run to allow non-Goans who are having their second homes in the coastal state, to shelter here.
Addressing a press conference, Khaunte pointed out that Goans had abided by all the instructions of social distancing and staying indoor during the lockdown period, due to which the state remained Green Zone.
“But the unwanted decisions by state government to allow non-Goans enter the state have once again resulted in the rising number of COVID-19 cases,” he said.
Khaunte said that the state government instead of bringing in Goans who are stranded all over the globe and also in different states, has been busy welcoming people with their second home here.
He said that the passengers who arrived by two trains on Saturday were majority of them non-Goans, some including honeymoon couples.


Bersatu has identified a candidate to contest for the Gambir seat in the Johor state election, to replace Muhyiddin Yassin who has said that he might not defend the seat.
Johor Bersatu information chief Mohd Solihan Badri, who is also Ledang Bersatu division chief, said Muhyiddin had requested that the party’s Ledang division leadership hand over a list of qualified candidates to him, as the seat was under the division.
“As the Ledang Bersatu division chief, I have identified a suitable candidate to replace Muhyiddin to contest for the Gambir seat because the individual has the qualifications, besides having the support of the grassroots,” he said in a statement.
Muhyiddin, who is also Bersatu president, had said that he might not defend the Gambir seat which he won in the 14th general election in the upcoming state polls.
Muhyiddin, the Perikatan Nasional chairman, said the move would allow him to focus on more important issues at the parliamentary and central levels, as well as to handle party-related matters.


Ted Kennedy on ‘The Cause of My Life’
The ailing senator from Massachusetts brought many Democrats to tears in Denver with a surprise speech at his party’s convention, during which he promised to lead the fight in the Senate to finally pass a form of universal health care.
DNC:WAIT, BEFORE YOU GO…
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Well Doncaster shares its vision
Learn more about what Well Doncaster aims to achieve and how
Well Doncaster has always been about people, understanding what they need and working with them to achieve their vision. Denaby people have told us that they would like 'Everyday to be a good day' and they can access the support they need, in the way they need, when they need it and that they feel safe in their community. They also what to help create 'Destination Denaby', a place where people what to live, work and visit. Find out more details on what we are doing to achieve this here.


Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said that in the attack against Israel, Hamas took several hundreds of people hostage including five who also hold Hungarian citizenship, adding that the Hungarian government is in constant contact with the working group set up by the Israeli government for freeing all hostages.
Minister Szijjártó said on Facebook that he spoke by phone with Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi, Qatar’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, on Sunday afternoon, and they reviewed the region’s security situation. “I told my colleague that we know of five people also holding Hungarian citizenship who had been taken hostage and asked for his help in freeing them,” said Minister Szijjártó, adding that, praising bilateral ties, the Qatari minister had pledged his help. Minister Szijjártó said the names of the hostages had been given to the Qatari minister, who promised to provide relevant information as soon as they had it. “We are grateful to Qatar and to the Qatari government for its help,” Minister Szijjártó said.


Chennai, July 4(BPNS)
MDMK leader and Member of Parliament, Vaiko has called upon the Tamil Nadu government to immediately act on the dam being constructed by the Karnataka government in the Markendeya river which is a tributary of Pennaiyar.Vaiko said that the construction of the dam would affect the farming community of Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu and that around 870 hectares of farmland would turn barren by this. In a statement released on Sunday, Vaiko said that government must act against this matter with seriousness as it would affect the lives of several people of Tamil Nadu.
The senior leader said that the Kuddappalli and Beemandapalli villages of Krishnagiri district would be totally affected by this dam as they are completely dependent on Pennaiyar river for their irrigation and drinking water needs.
Tamil Nadu Water resources minister and senior leader of the DMK, S Duraimuurgan meanwhile said that the state government has already sent a letter to the central government to constitute a tribunal to resolve the issue arising out of the dam constructed by the Karnataka government across the Markandeya river, a tributary of Pennaiyar.
The minister in a statement said that the Central water commission had reviewed the work in 2017 itself and that the Karnataka government had also informed that it had built a dam of 0.5 tmcft capacity to meet the drinking water needs and to recharge the water table.
Duraimurugan in the statement said that the Tamil Nadu government had continuously opposed the construction of the dam and had filed a petition in the Supreme court in 2018 and the apex court had in 2019 ordered the constitution of a tribunal. He also said that the state of Tamil Nadu is expecting the issue to be solved through the tribunal and added that the government will safeguard the interests of the farmers and common people of Tamil Nadu who would be affected by the construction of this dam across the Markendaya river.
Political parties across the spectrum have condemned the move of the government of Karnataka to construct a dam across Markendaya river thus creating barren tracts of land in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu affecting the lives of the people of the district who are dependent on the river for irrigation and drinking water purposes. PMK Youth wing leader Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss said that Karnataka had violated the agreement and that legal action is taken against that government.


The new Sri Lankan government will launch an investigation into an alleged coup attempt by the former administration during the presidential election, a spokesman said.
United National Party (UNP) MP Mangala Samaraweera said pressure had been exerted on police and army to prevent Maithripala Sirisena from winning the presidential election, Xinhua reported.
But Samaraweera said the police and the army refused to comply, and the country was grateful that they ensured a peaceful, free and fair election.
He said that once the new cabinet was appointed, a special investigation would be launched and details of the attempted coup would be revealed to the public.
He said that while the election day was peaceful, there were things taking place behind the screens which would need to be exposed.
Samaraweera also said that some members of the former government had not accepted the defeat and were spreading false allegations, giving the impression that the country was now unstable.
The UNP legislator said special focus had been placed on attempts to spread rumours following the election, and he urged the Sri Lankan public not be misled by them.
Samaraweera said the new government would not allow groups to operate with the intention of creating rifts between communities and religions.


He also disclosed that during the video conference with Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday last, Sonowal had advocated extending lockdown by another two weeks.
He said this while addressing the media at the Assam Administrative College on Friday.
Sonowal said the people across the country have joined unitedly to fight against COVID-19.
He also said the country is in facing acute economic crisis and that the Prime Minister is working out ways to bail out the economy of the nation.
He also praised Modi for the Rs 20 lakh crore package announced by the Prime Minister on Wednesday last.
Sonowal said people of Assam will be benefited by this package.
Sonowal also praised Modi for the concern shown by him at this time of crisis.


Human rights groups have issued a statement in which they said that in conjunction with the passage of three months since President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s decision to reactivate the Presidential Pardon Committee, local rights groups sent names of political detainees calling for their release. A total of 2,954 names have been sent, including 2,583 political prisoners, 241 criminal prisoners, and 130 names of enforced disappearance.
Rights groups said they had released a small number of political prisoners in recent months. However, they added, the security services continue to arrest new citizens on political charges, far exceeding the number of those released. They also renewed their demand for the immediate release of all prisoners of conscience as a first step to ensure the seriousness of the dialogue that the president had called for between the government and the opposition.


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(MENAFN- AFP) The European Union and Switzerland signed a major accord Wednesday that will end banking secrecy for EU residents and prevent them from hiding undeclared income in Swiss banks, the European Commission said.
The agreement deals "another blow against tax evaders, and (represents) another leap towards fairer taxation in Europe," said Pierre Moscovici, the EU commissioner for tax issues.
Moscovici signed the accord, which takes effect in 2018, along with Jacques de Watteville, the Swiss secretary of state for international financial matters and Latvian Finance Minister Janis Reirs, whose country currently holds the EU presidency.
"The EU led the way on the automatic exchange of information, in the hope that our international partners would follow," Moscovici said in a statement.
"This agreement is proof of what EU ambition and determination can achieve."
Under the accord, the EU and Switzerland will automatically exchange information on the bank accounts held by their respective residents beginning in 2018.
"This new transparency should not only improve member states' ability to track down and tackle tax evaders, but it should also act as a deterrent against hiding income and assets abroad to evade taxes," the European Commission said.
The EU executive is negotiating similar accords with Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco and San Marino that are expected to be signed by the end of the year.
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Yellow Medicine East adopts levy of more than $1.7M for the upcoming school year
GRANITE FALLS -- School board members adopted on Monday a levy of $1,736,241.36 for the Yellow Medicine East Schools in the coming fiscal year.
The new budget represents an increase of $297,735.11 -- or 20.6 percent -- over last year. The biggest factors in the increase are the new funds being levied for integration needs and for other post-employment benefits bonds, according to Superintendent Al Stoeckman.
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Image via Shutterstock
Warning have been issued over two increasingly active volcanoes in Japan and Ecuador.
The Japanese government has issued an alert after the Sakurajima showed signs of increased activity.
The volcano, which is on the southern island of Kyushu, erupts constantly and its increased activity has led the government to raise the alert to the second highest level.
The warning level issued means that local residents should prepare to evacuate. Meteorologists believe a large eruption could take place soon.
A state of emergency has also been declared in Ecuador because of increased activity of the Cotopaxi volcano.
Reports claim that several hundred people have already been evacuated from nearby villages.
Several small eruptions have already occurred and in one instance ash was launched more than three miles into the sky.


Canadian Grocer Empire Co.'s Net Earnings Drop 38%
Empire Company (EMP.A) has reported that its net earnings fell by 38% in its most recent quarter to $125.7 million.
The parent company of the Sobeys grocery store chain said that inflation, waning demand due to inflation, and a cyberattack negatively impacted its business in its fiscal third quarter.
Empire said its net earnings amounted to $125.7 million, down 38% compared with $203.4 million a year earlier.
Earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter ended February 4 of this year amounted to $0.49, down 43% from $0.77 a year ago.
Revenue rose slightly to $7.49 billion compared with $7.38 billion in the previous quarter, driven largely by the expansion of FreshCo in Western Canada and increased fuel sales.
Stellarton, Nova Scotia-based Empire said it is still recovering from a cyberattack that shutdown its pharmacy services and hampered self-checkout machines and the redemption of loyalty points across its network.
The company said the estimated cost of the cyberattack on its latest earnings was $39.1 million. Empire said the attack temporarily reduced sales and continues to hurt its operations.
Empire's stock is down 20% over the last 12 months and trading at $34.90 per share.
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While responding to a call attention notice regarding increase in fees of private education institutions/schools in the federal capital, the parliamentary secretary said that the private schools have restored the fees structure for the year of 2014 and have been charging the same fees.
He informed that the case regarding the issue is scheduled to be heard by the high court on Thursday November 12 and expressed the hope that the high court would give decision to resolve the issue on permanent basis.
He said that the private schools and institutions have refunded all the additional fees to the parents to whom they had charged over the fees for the year of 2014. He said that the prime minister already took suo moto action and stopped the private educational institutions from enhancing the fees.
Later, Parliamentary Secretary for Finance Rana Muhammad Afzal Khan also informed the Lower House of the Parliament that Rs 2.6 billion has been distributed under Waseela-e-Haq programme of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) out of which 16,119 people were benefited. Responding to a call attention notice, the Parliamentary Secretary said that more than 9,000 people started their own business under this scheme. He also informed the House said that three million applicants had so far applied for the Prime Minister’s Youth Loans Scheme.
The Parliamentary Secretary said the government had taken all possible measures for transparency of the scheme. He said that under the scheme, 100,000 people would be given loans. He said that the loan scheme was the first of the PML-N government’s six schemes to be launched for the youth, including Karz-e-Hasna, Laptop and Fee Reimbursement schemes and Skill Development programmes.
Source: Business Recorder


Kuala Lumpur, August 08 (KMS): Former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dr Mahathir Mohammad said that he chose to stand with humanity when he spoke out for the people of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir in the United Nations General Assembly.
Addressing a function in support of Kashmir in Kuala Lumpur, Mahathir Mohammad said that he chose to speak for the people of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir despite being aware of the possible backlash to his decision. He said that in his mind, silence was not an option.
He further said that Kashmiris were forced to live under harsh military rule and the international community should take notice of Kashmiri people’s plight.
Dr Mahathir said that he was sorry that his speech affected Malaysia’s palm oil export to India but offered no apology for what he said during the UN General Assembly speech.
He said that now that he had left office, he can speak freely and address the Kashmir dispute without Indian threats of boycotts etc.


Mr. Speaker, once again the Conservatives continue to focus on partisan attacks, while we remain focused on Canadians. Today we are going to be voting on emergency supports for Canadians to help Canadian businesses and our economy recover. We know the Conservative Party opposes the budget and will be voting against those supports. Yesterday we saw over half of its caucus vote against a bill to ban the harmful practice of conversion therapy, and late last night we saw that party vote against historic legislation in the fight against climate change.
While the Conservative Party focuses on me, we are going to stay focused on what Canadians need, and that is the support of a strong, progressive government.


UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron in a phone call on Tuesday said their countries' aid to the Ukrainian military is "making a significant difference" in the war against Russia.
“They agreed that UK and French efforts to train and equip Ukrainian troops were making a significant difference in the war,” according to a readout provided by Downing Street.
The statement added that the two leaders also agreed that “western war fatigue cannot be allowed to set in."
Both sides reiterated the determination to support Ukraine for “as long as necessary,” according to a statement from Élysée Palace.
The readouts said that the pair also discussed other issues including the food crisis "caused by the Russian aggression against Ukraine."


Fath Al Khair 5 Sails Across Europe
(MENAFN- Gulf Times)
The Fath Al Khair 5 Cruise has continued its journey across the European capitals overlooking the Mediterranean Sea to introduce the history of Qatar's marine heritage and promote the upcoming World FIFA Cup Qatar 2022, Katara Cultural Village said in a statement Tuesday.
The dhow is now heading towards Monaco, followed by stops in France, including Marseille and Nice, before proceeding to Barcelona Port in Spain as its final stop.
On July 4, Fath Al Khair sailed from Valletta's Grand Hyper Marine Port in Malta, subsequently calling on the ports of Sicily, Naples, Rome, Genoa and others in Italy.
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Fulfilling its yet another commitment to provide maximum employment opportunities to the youth of the state, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led Punjab government has hit another milestone by doubling the posts of Veterinary Officers (VOs) to 418 in the Animal Husbandry Department. The recruitment process for these posts has been completed and appointment letters will be given to eligible candidates soon.
Giving further details, Animal Husbandry Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, on Thursday, said that 353 posts of Veterinary Officers in the department were reduced to 200 by the previous Congress government, due to which the work of the department was bound to be affected.
“Immediately after taking over in the state, the Mann government considered the case of these posts, which were increased from 200 to 418”, said the Minister, adding that the recruitment process for the posts of VOs has been completed through the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) and the appointment letters will be given soon to the eligible candidates.
Mr. Bhullar said that as many as 152 Veterinary Inspectors (VIs) have been recruited in the Animal Husbandry Department recently, who are performing their duties in different districts. Besides this, the department has issued an advertisement for the recruitment of 60 more Veterinary Inspectors. The officials have already been instructed to complete the recruitment process for these posts at the earliest, he added.
The Animal Husbandry Minister said, the Mann government was committed to provide maximum employment opportunities for the youth and till date more than 21,000 government jobs in various departments have already been provided in the state.


City moving COVID press conference to once every two weeks
The City of Lubbock announced changes to the COVID-19 news conferences that had been taking place weekly. Moving forward, a news release from the city says these press conferences will be on a biweekly basis.
If a specific issue or development arises during the two-week period, the city will schedule a news conference as needed, according to a news release.
The next scheduled news conference will be Wednesday, Sept. 30.


Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on Thursday announced that the government had decided to send a declaration against the PTI to the Supreme Court of Pakistan in light of the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision, which ruled that the party had indeed taken prohibited funding.
“The decision [announced by the ECP] has clearly proven that PTI is a foreign-aided party,” she asserted, explaining that under the law and Constitution, the government was now bound to send a declaration to the apex court.
Aurangzeb said that the law ministry had been given a time of three days to prepare the declaration and present it in the next federal cabinet meeting.
The government’s decision comes after the electoral body, in its long-delayed verdict, had ruled that PTI had “wilfully” and “knowingly” received prohibited funding — which include a number of foreign donors.
In its order, the commission also said that it was “constrained to hold that Imran Khan failed to discharge his obligations as mandated under the Pakistani statutes”.
In a press conference after the federal cabinet meeting today, Aurangzeb said that action against the PTI will be taken under the Political Parties Order (PPO) 2002 and Election Act 2017.
She stated that the case was extremely important because it was now proven that PTI had 16 undeclared accounts. “The party took ownership of only 8 [accounts] out of 26.
“The money kept coming in but it was not declared,” she pointed out, adding that the PTI took 51 adjournments during the proceedings of the prohibited funding case over the period of eight years and received funding from 351 foreign companies which she said was a crime under Pakistan’s law.
Meanwhile, the minister said that another important decision that was taken in the cabinet meeting was that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) will be given the task of investigating the funding case.
“Cabinet has given instructions to the FIA and interior ministry to conduct an independent inquiry and investigation into money laundering, fake accounts and misappropriation of funds.”


The Democratic Party (DP) has said that disbanded paramilitary groups that government has created over time might be responsible for the killings in Masaka.
DP vice president in Buganda Region, George Fred Kagimu has now called upon government to recall members of these groups from communities and give them work.
Kagimu made these remarks during the DP weekly press conference held at Tropical Inn in Masaka.
“We strongly believe that the members of the paramilitary groups that have been created over time in communities namely, LDUs, crime preventers, flying squad. LDUs that were disbanded and left to stay in communities, some of them could be linked these crimes,” Kagimu said.
“We, therefore, advise that the government recalls all the members of these groups from communities and recruit them into military.”
For the past one month, over 30 people have so far been killed in Masaka, although the intentions of the killers remain unknown.
Kagimu, while addressing the press said that the killers seem to know what they are doing, which suggests that they could have received some kind of expert training, similar to the training that is given to members of the government paramilitary groups.
“These killings are organised crimes that imply that the culprits undergo a particular form of training that enables them to execute the crimes without being caught,” Kagimu said.
Kagimu said that DP sympathises with the families that have lost their loved ones and pledged that the party will visit some of the families to commiserate with them.
They said that government has a primary role to protect its people and urged government to step up efforts to bring the killings to an end.


“Unfortunately, the most recent crime data available shows a 10.8 percent increase in the number of murders in this country, while federal prosecutions for violent crimes have been declining,” the Attorney General tells the 94 U.S. Attorney's offices . . .
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Prime Minister KP Oli addresses the nation on Monday.
KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said the decision to dissolve parliament was not taken abruptly.
He said that this situation was created due to the activities of some leaders within the party against the people’s expectations, adding that the House of Representatives was dissolved due to the siege.
“The developments that took place yesterday may seem unpredictable and abrupt, but this situation has been created by the inconsistent, distorted and contrary to the will of the people for a long time in national politics and some leaders of the party,” he said.
Addressing the nation on Monday, Prime Minister Oli argued that the people-elected government had no choice but to go before the people after it was not allowed to work.
“You are aware of the siege of the government over the last few months,” he said, “Attempts were made to file a no-confidence motion against the prime minister, and summon parliamentary session without the knowledge of the party chairman and parliamentary party leaders.”
Although the mandate was for political stability, the current situation was created due to irrational disputes and stalemate, said Prime Minister Oli.
Targeting another Chairman, Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, Prime Minister Oli accused him of going out of the country less than a year after the formation of the government and sending a message of instability.
He said that it was ironic that the government was under siege even though there were many nationalist works including the publication of maps including Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura.
Recalling that when he was the Prime Minister for the first time, the government was overthrown after India lifted the blockade, Oli said, “The characters are the same even though the situation and the context are different. Isn’t it clear that some of our leaders are trying to push Nepal into perpetual instability?”
He also accused some leaders of the ruling party of being more aggressive than the leaders of the opposition parties.
Prime Minister Oli said that the government was not allowed to move ahead in line with the people’s expectations by bargaining to fail the government.
The Prime Minister said that the government faced hurdles since the beginning.
“Delay in government formation was done at the beginning. The government was formed by clearing hurdles, and then some leaders continue attempts for creating instability,” he accused.
“….after the election, various activities were started to prevent national politics from moving forward in line with the people’s demands. I think that the activities of delaying the formation of the government at the beginning and engaging the national politics under endless bargaining and pressure against the mandate are fresh in your memory,” he said.
The Prime Minister claimed that the announcement of the House of Representatives election has strengthened party unity.
He has urged the party leaders to forget the bitterness of the past and participate in the election.
“I urge the comrades to forget the bitterness of the past and participate in the election. The announcement of the election will strengthen party unity, “Oli said, “It will also help the opposition to advance its agenda.”


(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa announced on Thursday a plan to mitigate the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Trend reports citing Xinhua.
"COVID-19 causes profound disease in the economy and social life. The first objective was to control the economy without losing control of the pandemic, and we were successful," he said in a statement. "Now we have been experiencing the most abrupt economic downturn since the great recession of 1929."
Costa stated that "an income stabilization supplement will be paid in June. It is a single payment measure that aims to compensate for wage loss" with amounts that reach up to 350 euros (396 U.S. dollars) per person, in addition to a family allowance in September.
The prime minister added that the government will earmark a fund of 30 million euros for workers in the cultural sector and concert halls.
He pledged to take "active employment policies to combat unemployment and reabsorb workers who have lost their jobs," especially young people and those with physical disabilities.
The stabilization plan will run until the end of 2020 and will serve as the basis for the supplementary budget that the government will deliver to Parliament next week.
Portugal recorded eight more COVID-19 deaths and 331 new cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the totals to 1,445 fatalities and 33,592 infections, according to health authorities.
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