'An Garda Siochana has lots of things to change... dissent is not disloyalty' - Garda Commissioner
Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan has said measures are being implemented to ensure that members of the force who wish to report malpractices can do so in a “proper” environment.
An Garda Siochana is working with bodies such as Transparency Ireland, and it has installed a protection disclosures manager and appropriately trained staff to deal with complaints, the commissioner told RTE News At One today.
Ms O’Sullivan said it is “very important that the pub can be reassured that there are lessons that have been learned… that the public can be reassured that there are now adequate levels of investment to allow us to start implementing some of those changes that are very badly needed.”
She acknowledged that there were criticisms in the O’Higgins report “around incident management, about ensuring that gardai are properly trained, that there are supervisory management practices in place to ensure that people are actually being supervised properly and being supported in doing the job they have to do, and providing the appropriate levels of service – particularly to victims of crime”.
“We now have the opportunity to put those measures in place because we do have the investment,” she said.
An Garda Siochana “[has] lots of things to change”, Ms O’Sullivan added.
“One of them is our approach to people who want to have a different voice and who have a different voice and who want to bring things to our attention.”
“I have said from day one that dissent is not disloyalty.”
Some steps have been taken to ensure that anyone who wishes to report an incident “can have that right” to raise their issues, she said.
“We have put systems in place to ensure that people can do that.”


Discrepancies took place in elections: Aitezaz Ahsan
LAHORE: Senator of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Barrister Aitezaz Ahsan said that it will be a stain for the electoral process if the rigging claims are proven true, ARY News reports.
Speaking to media after the re-counting process in NA-124 was completed, Barrister Aitezaz Ahsan stated that lot of discrepancies took place in the general election last year.
He further said that the institutions are in a state of dilemma. "We will talk when the matter becomes clear", he added.
The PPP senator said that the rigging in the election is a huge stain but he will stand with the government if the Prime Minister faces threats from any institution.
He added that he will discuss the Pakistan Protection Ordinance (PPO) in open during the session of the Senate.


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Perhaps the Seattle Seahawks should move to Los Angeles, because there are plenty of the team's players and coaches who grew up in the L.A. area.


New Delhi: India’s Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today informed prominent political leaders of opposition parties and Chief Ministers of the states about the surgical strike that was carried by the Indian army on terrorist’s launch pad across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir during military operation.
The Home Minister also informed Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury.
The government has convened an all-party meeting in the capital on Thursday which will be addressed among others by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Rajnath was likely to brief leaders about internal security situation in the country durig the all-party meeting.
President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice President Hamid Ansari were also apprised about the strikes.
Pakistani military on Thursday started firing at Indian positions across the Line of Control (LoC) at Danesh and Lakshmi posts in Naugam sector, the Jammu and Kashmir Police said.
On other hand, Pakistan’s news channels have said that the exchange of fire began at 2.30 a.m. and continued till 8.00 a.m., leaving two Pakistani soldiers dead.


Mogadishu (SD) – Somalia’s international Partners said in a statement that it was concerned that the growing rift between the President and the Prime Minister would destabilize Somalia and disrupt the electoral process.
“As Somalis mark the one-year anniversary of the 17 September Agreement, international partners are increasingly alarmed that the escalating dispute between the President and Prime Minister will undermine Somalia’s stability and derail the electoral process.” said Somalia’s International Partners.
Adding “We urge the President and Prime Minister to resolve their differences immediately, avoid further unhelpful exchanges of public statements and personnel announcements, refrain from any action that could destabilize the security situation, and re-focus on concluding the overdue elections without further delay.”
A statement from the International Community Representatives for Somalia said the fragmentation of the country’s top leadership and the current politicization is a new threat that could undermine progress.
“The Somali people need and deserve effective and inclusive governance. The ongoing division and politicisation risks undermining the important progress that has been made.” said Somalia’s International Partners
The news from the international community comes at a time when the rift between Farmajo and Roble has reached its worst point and the president has announced that he has limited the prime minister’s powers.
The international community has not commented on their next steps if the dispute escalates further.
Categories: Latest News


“So we’re aware that there are problems out there. But as the President has said, the issue that we’re going to do is not complain about them, but try to fix them. So we admit they are there. But we will try to make them straightened out.”
But while the distribution pace has picked up considerably in recent weeks, the process has taken on even more urgency as new coronavirus strains spread across the country.
With those additional doses, Biden said there would be enough to fully vaccinate 300 million Americans — nearly the entire US population — by the end of summer or early fall. He described efforts to combat Covid-19 as a “wartime undertaking” last week.
Both the Defense Department and the Department of Homeland Security, which FEMA is within, are in intensive discussions on how the military can help the agency, including the possibility of sending up to 10,000 troops to vaccination mega-hubs.
Fauci said Monday that mobilizing FEMA and the US military to help with vaccination distribution is part of the strategic plan that will be set into motion, “literally imminently to make sure that we get over these logistic problems that we have right now.”
In the meantime, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert urged Americans to “step to the plate” and adhere to best public health practices while the vaccination effort is underway.
“There is light at the end of the tunnel,” he said, “but it’s going to be up to us.”


Multicultural Market has evolved to offering encouragement, advice to ethnic businesses
WILLMAR -- When Ricardo Rodriguez decided to go into the restaurant business a year ago, he discovered a new world of paperwork and regulations, made all the more difficult by a language barrier.
Rodriguez said last week that he probably could have gone through the process of opening and operating Los Primos on his own, but it would have been very difficult. Rodriguez has been operating the restaurant and catering business for a little more than a year on Lakeland Drive Southeast.
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§ 50. Mr. Teeling
asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many 1685 people have been arrested for political offences in the last three months in the area of Austria under British supervision; what the offences have been; how many have been tried and what have been the sentences.
259 such arrests have been made by the Austrian authorities, 75 offenders being charged under the law for the prohibition of the National Socialist Party, 183 under the law for the prosecution of war criminals and one under the law on fraudulent voting in the recent election. Only the last case has been tried; the sentence was five months.


Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today said the greater Chattogram will be brought under road network in phases.
He disclosed the information while inaugurating six roads of greater Chattogram through videoconferencing from Dhaka.
Quader, also the Awami League general secretary, said once all the ongoing projects of greater Chattogram are implemented, its scenario and the country's economy will be changed.
The country's growth and progress taking place centering Chattogram-based trade and business and tourism will also be accelerated, he added.
The road transport minister said preparatory works begin to widen the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf Marine Drive Road aiming to take the Cox's Bazar's tourism ahead.
Mentioning that feasibility study also continues there to construct another marine drive from Jouarganj to Cox's Bazar, he said the construction of four-lane-road from Cox's Bazar to Laboni Point is now at final stage.
Construction works of the country's four mega projects will be completed next year, Quader said, adding that carpeting on the Padma Bridge began today.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel is being constructed beneath the Karnaphuli River, while about 74% work of the tunnel has already been completed, he said.
He said the government has a plan to upgrade all national highways into four lanes, including two lanes for the movement of slow-moving vehicles, in phases.
Alongside the development of national highways, the government has now put emphasis on development of roads at district level, the AL general secretary said.
Noting that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's development efforts are public-oriented, he said a revolutionary change will be brought in the country's communication system by 2022.
Quader said as a political tactic, those become failure in elections and movement are blindly criticising the government.
On the other hand, he said, the Awami League and its president Sheikh Hasina have taken the development as a tool of changing the fortune of the country's people.
About the union parishad elections, Quader said the list of the AL's rebel candidates is being prepared and organisational action will be taken against them in time.
Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary Md Nazrul Islam, among others, joined the meeting.


Pakistan president Mamnoon Hussain on Tuesday said that the Pakistani people “remember the people of Kashmir and their historic sacrifices” as they celebrate their 72nd Independence Day.
In his address at the Convention Centre in Islamabad, President Mamnoon congratulated the nation on what he said was the “day of true celebration”, reported Dawn News.
“Pakistan will continue to provide its political and moral support to resolve the Kashmir issue under United Nations resolutions,” Mamnoon Hussain said.
He called upon the international community to raise its voice to get the Kashmiri people their due rights.
Earlier, Hussain hoisted the national flag at Jinnah Convocation Complex.


Islamabad: Minister of State Dr. Aisha Ghaus Pasha has stated that we have paid the political cost while staying in the IMF program, and we are making every effort to reach an agreement with the IMF.
According to the details, Minister of State Dr. Aisha Ghaus Pasha, while speaking to the media, said that we are in contact with the IMF, we want to continue the program, and we are moving forward to complete it.
Aisha Ghaus Pasha stated that we have paid the political cost while staying in the IMF program, and it is our full effort to reach an agreement with the IMF.
Regarding the budget, the Minister of State said that the budget preparation is underway, and we are finalizing the budget numbers. The budget will be presented in the first week of June.
She said that it is necessary to increase taxes in the country’s interest. Until the tax-to-GDP ratio does not reach double digits, the situation will remain challenging.
Dr. Aisha Ghaus Pasha further said that controlling smuggling will lead to an increase in tax revenue. Work is being done at the policy level in this regard. Gaining control over the budget deficit will be a big relief for the people.
The Minister of State said that even in difficult economic situations, we will make every effort to provide relief to the people.


Mayor Bill de Blasio said the HealingNYC initiative would reduce the number of opioid deaths 35 percent during the next five years. The funding will support the distribution of 100,000 kits of naloxone, the drug-overdose-reversal drug, to treatment programs, city shelters, and pharmacies . . .
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Commissioner of Police Abdullah Riyaz has said that the investigation of the murder of Ungoofaaru MP Dr Afrasheem Ali is not yet complete, and that details will be revealed as soon as it is time to reveal them.
Riyaz said this during an interview with Sun Online on the response on social media to statements by President Waheed and Home Minister Jameel, that the murderers have been identified and that details will be revealed by the Police shortly.
“There are issues that have to be further investigated and confirmed. These efforts are ongoing. Police will reveal the details as soon as it is time to reveal them,” Riyaz said.
Home Minister Dr Jameel said some weeks ago while speaking at a meeting in Thulhusdhoo, that the murderers have been identified and that the investigation had revealed issues that are of concern to the society. He stressed that the criminals will be brought to justice.
Former President Mohamed Nasheed has recently said that the government has politicised the murder of Dr Afrasheem Ali, and said that the government will reveal the murder details just before the Ungoofaaru by-election.
Police Commissioner Riyaz said that the investigation is carried out professionally, and that neither the government nor any political organisation has influenced the investigation or the disclosure of information related to the investigation.
Dr Afrasheem Ali was found murdered on the staircase of his apartment building on the night of 1 October 2012.
The Ungoofaaru by-election has been scheduled for 1 December 2012.


Srinagar: Prominent social personalities including family members of Army personnel joined BJP at party headquarter, Trikuta Nagar, Jammu, a press note said.
Ravinder Raina while welcoming the new entrants on the occasion said that people of J&K including those who joined the BJP have a firm belief in the policies adopted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Union government.
“The common people have built up strong faith that only the BJP can dedicatedly work for the progress and development of the region while defending the National interests both within and outside the borders,”he said.
Raina also said that it gives the party workers an immense pleasure to welcome those hailing from Army background and it gives us further boost to serve the Nation with dedication after having learnt that those protect “our borders have full faith on us.”
Priya Sethi also welcomed the new entrants and said that the Nntions belong to the brave and “it is our duty to serve the Nation with all our capacities.” She lauded the decision of the new entrants and said that now they will surely feel themselves to be more empowered to serve the nation.


The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said 12 journalists and five media outlets were attacked during the EndSARS protests that erupted across the nation and the attendant violence.
It demanded a transparent and swift investigation into recent attacks on journalists and media outlets during the protests.
In the report published on Wednesday, the CPJ said the journalists who covered the protests against police brutality and call for the abolition of the country’s Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad police unit were attacked.
At least five news outlets were attacked, according to news reports and journalists who spoke to CPJ, the reported stated.
“It is a tragic irony that journalists have been repeatedly attacked, including by uniformed members of Nigeria’s security forces, as they report on protests against police brutality,” said Angela Quintal, CPJ’s Africa programme coordinator, from New York.


Lockdown violators will have to face Epidemic Act: Chief Ministertext_fields
Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Wednesday that cases would be registered against violators of lockdown under Epidemic Act.
As many as 22,338 cases have been registered against lockdown violations since it was clamped.
Also 2155 persons have been arrested and 12783 vehicles have also been impounded.
Checking would be made more intense, said the Chief Minister the other day.
The government toughened the strictures as number of people venturing out increased over the past few days.
Reports say that cases would be filed against people coming out for silly reasons with affidavit .
The Chief Minister said that the government would continue strict implementation of the lockdown.


Shimla, Dec. 16 – Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today virtually inaugurated branch of the State Bank of India at Thunag in Seraj Vidhan Sabha area of Mandi district from Shimla today.
While addressing the people of the area on the occasion, Chief Minister said that this was the 325th branch of the SBI in the State. He said that this would cater to the banking needs of the people of the area. He said that the branch would also have ATM with deposit as well as withdrawal facilities.
Jai Ram Thakur said that with the opening of SBI branch at Thunag, it long pending demand of Seraj area has been fulfilled. He said that the branch would not only facilitate the employees, pensioners and local people, but would also benefit the business community of the area.
Chief Minister urged the people of the area to elect good and honest representatives in the ensuing elections to the Panchayati Raj Institutions to ensure development of the area.
Chief General Manager State Bank of India Anukool Bhatnagar welcomed the Chief Minister and said that it was for the first time that the Branch of SBI was being inaugurated virtually. He said that this Branch has latest machines and was equipped with the latest technology.
Assistant General Manager Vinod Kumar Mishra and other officers of the SBI were present on the occasion.


How to stick to New Year’s resolutions
People who care about their future selves are more likely to succeed at self-control
- Succeeding at personal goals, such as diet and exercise, can depend on how connected people feel to their future selves, according to Chicago Booth’s Oleg Urminsky and Daniel Bartels. They find that when people are prompted to care about their future selves and think about present-future trade-offs, they’re also likely to stick to their long-term plans.
- In one study, the researchers offered people a choice either to have one of two snacks, one with fewer calories than the other, or to forego a snack altogether. The participants were also asked about their weight. Those who were overweight chose, on average, lower-calorie snacks if they were prompted to feel highly connected to their future selves, and were reminded of the repercussions of unhealthy eating (see chart).
- That only overweight participants were affected by the prompts suggests that when people know something needs to change, such as body weight, being nudged to simultaneously think about it and care about the future self can shape their behavior.
- Similarly, in another study, the researchers find that overweight undergraduates who felt more connected to their future selves frequented the gym more often than those who felt less connected.


KATHMANDU, July 18: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Bhim Rawal has stated that there was no possibility for the formation of new government at this juncture of time when the country is reeling under transitional time.
At a program organized by the Reporters Club here today, DPM Rawal assured that the incumbent government would face the vote of no confidence in the parliament and follow the path shown by the new constitution.
Pointing out the need of consensus among the political parties for amending the new national statute and forming new government, Rawal was hopeful that the role of the major three political parties would be crucial for bringing new constitution into effect.
He was of the opinion that the various domestic and external forces have influenced the alliance of the incumbent government to weaken the national sovereignty.
The DPM shared that the issues such as Financial Bill that he claimed that the Speaker of House was not paying due attention would be brought to deliberation in the parliament.
Rawal was quick to remind that the incumbent government was successful to lift the border blockade that was imposed during the leadership of late Sushil Koirala. RSS


Jan 19, Islamabad: Pakistan's President Mamnoon Hussain Saturday has said that both Pakistan and Sri Lanka working towards to increase the bilateral trade US$ 1.5 billion by next year by making Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries more conducive.
President Hussain suggested this when Sri Lanka's Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Management Nimal Siripala De Silva called on the President at his official residence Aiwan-e-Sadr on Saturday, according to an official release.
Noting that that there is a huge potential, especially in economic sectors that needed to be fully tapped, the Pakistani President has said that concerted efforts were required to avail the existing economic opportunities for enhancing mutual cooperation.
Echoing the Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, the President has also emphasized that the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries that was in effect since 2005 should be made more conducive by increasing the volume of trade.
Referring to the meetings between the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the Sri Lankan President in New York in September 2013 and in Colombo in November 2013, the Pakistani President has observed that mutual exchange of business delegations and greater interaction among the business communities of the two countries would provide momentum to the efforts aimed at further promoting mutual cooperation in various areas for the mutual benefit of the people of the two countries.
President Hussain also has discussed the Pakistan-Sri Lanka bilateral relations and the way forward to further strengthening the existing equation with the Sri Lankan Minister.
While expressing satisfaction over the existing ties of the two countries, President Hussain has observed that Pakistan attached great importance to its relations with Sri Lanka and noted that a strong political will existed in Pakistan to further develop and promote its bilateral relations with Sri Lanka.
Discussing mutual cooperation and support of the country to Sri Lanka in overcoming various challenges including the threat from terrorism, the President appreciated the valiant struggle waged by government and the people of Sri Lanka against the menace of terrorism.
He assured the visiting Minister that Pakistan would continue providing support to Sri Lanka at all foras including the international forums.
Minister De Silva thanked the President and the Government of Pakistan for the support to his country and said that Sri Lankan government and people were also keen to further strengthen their relations with the government and the people of Pakistan, the release said.


Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former premier Imran Khan has said that the judiciary is the country’s last hope, adding that the incumbent government should uphold the law without putting pressure on the judiciary.
During a meeting with journalists, Khan said the purpose of tapping phone calls is to intimidate the judiciary and undermine the rule of law in the country.
During the meeting, he talked about PTI’s political strategy, the rise in terrorism incidents, the economic crisis, and the aims of his party’s ‘Jail Bharo Tehreek’.
While talking about phone-tapping incidences, the PTI chief said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had a history of targeting the judiciary, adding that the constant propaganda against the judiciary, especially the judges, was humiliating.
Khan said that the chief election commissioner (CEC) was the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) primary backer in constitutional violations. He also said that the incumbent government is supporting political dictatorship and acts of retribution.
Khan asserted that, with the nation’s support, the PTI would put an end to the lawlessness and economic catastrophe. He said that he initiated ‘jail bharo tehreek’ for true independence.
Khan alleged that the former army chief General (retired) Qamar Javed Bajwa had admitted involvement in regime change, adding that General (retired) Bajwa had also admitted directing the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
The PTI chief also alleged that the former army chief had also admitted to audio recordings. Military should initiate an inquiry against General (retired) Bajwa, he demanded.
Khan lauded President Dr Arif Alvi for not signing the Finance Bill ordinance, adding that the bill would cause further inflation.
While blaming the incumbent government for the economic crisis, he said that economic indicators were positive during the PTI government’s tenure.
Regarding the court cases, Khan said that he was being summoned by the courts but the doctors had advised him to rest.
He said that he dissolved assemblies in two provinces to end the crisis through fresh polls, but the current rulers were delaying the elections.


A police force has reported that a police officer who was critically harmed after two patrol cars collided while responding to 999 calls has been discharged from the hospital.
When the automobiles crashed on West Derby Road in Liverpool on July 11, the female officer and three other people suffered injuries.
The officer was hurt, but Merseyside Police only said that she was now healing at home.
A second female police officer, who had pelvic and leg injuries, was also said to have been released from the hospital.
The two more cops who were involved in the collision, which occurred at around 01:30 BST, had minor injuries and were treated at a hospital that day before being released.
A police spokeswoman said the collision was still under investigation and made an appeal for witnesses.
The two pedestrians who were observed close, he continued, should contact the force.


Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena says that he has not yet received the resignation letter of the President. It had been reported that
the President will hand over his resignation letter to the Speaker by this afternoon.
The President, who fled from the Presidential Residence on the 9th and hid in a safe place in the face of public opposition, had informed the Speaker that he was ready to resign from office on the 13th.
However, the leaders of the struggle and the majority of the political party leaders said that the President does not need to take days to consider resigning when there is strong public opposition. They had warned that they are trying to carry out any conspiracy to protect the position while hiding.
Due to this, the protestors decided to continue their struggle and they had declared that the protest will continue until the resignation of the President is officially announced. Accordingly, they still have the Presidential Secretariat, the President’s House, the Temple Trees under their command.


PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak here on Thursday said that that the government could not eliminate corruption from the society without the public’s support.
Addressing the class four employees convention in Peshawar, CM Khattak said that he has no desire of such position and power that protect robbers and corrupt elements. He said that during the past regimes, safe way was given to those who looted national exchequer with both hands.
Pervez Khattak said that the provincial government during the last two years increased national exchequer’s profit worth Rs 100 million. He said that change could be witnessed in the province as corruption culture has been vanished.


(MENAFN- Jordan News Agency)
Amman, Aug 28 (Petra)-- Amman Mayor, Yousef Shawarbeh, on Sunday met with Mayor of Ramallah, Issa Kassis, on ties between the cities of Amman and Ramallah and the importance of enhancing cooperation between them.
The Palestinian delegation were briefed on the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM)'s 2022-2026 strategic plan and projects in the public transport system, traffic improvements, infrastructure, solid waste management, electronic transformation, planning, and community development.
'The GAM is committed to royal directives by providing all available capabilities and accumulated technical expertise to all Palestinian municipalities' Shawarbeh said.
He lauded efforts of Ramallah Municipality, which was able to build strong ties with international institutions, as well as its indicators of development in the provided services' level.
The Mayor of Ramallah lauded as 'strong and strategic' ties between Amman and Ramallah, and said both cities' aspirations are linked in various fields of municipal, cultural and societal work, pointing out that the visit aims to exchange expertise between Amman and Ramallah.
Shawarbeh congratulated the mayor of Ramallah and the accompanying delegation on their recent municipal elections win.
Over the next two days, both sides will to discuss cooperation and exchange of expertise in various aspects of the municipal work.
The delegation will present the Ramallah municipality's tasks and directions in implementing projects that reflect the public interest, including the smart city, the green city, waste management, sanitation and infrastructure, as well as the cultural and societal aspect.
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.


For decades, researchers have probed the “cycle of abuse” that leads some people subjected to child abuse to later commit the same acts they once suffered. There has been far less study on — and public comprehension of — the relationship between people who have been harmed by guns, and those who use them in crimes, reports The Trace. In new research from . . .
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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ambassador to Romania Dr. Zafar Iqbal Monday said that more than 95% of Pakistanis have been evacuated from Ukraine.
The stranded Pakistanis in Ukraine have been evacuated to Poland, Romania, and Hungary, he said while speaking to Radio Pakistan’s current affair program.
“In Romania, we have received 423 Pakistanis”, he said.
He said that over 130 students have already reached their destinations and 60 more would also move to their destinations once the flights were available.
Dr Zafar Iqbal said that they have established camp offices near borders and the Pakistani citizens were now staying in hotels where all their expenses were being paid by the government of Pakistan.
It is good news that no Pakistani in Ukraine is injured, he said, adding that we are hopeful for 100% successful evacuation of all the Pakistani citizens stranded in Ukraine.


Jordan: 100 SMEs to join EU funded program
(MENAFN) A total of 100 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and 60 innovative startups from across Jordan will join an EU funded program at the aim of improving their productivity and generating more jobs.
"The EU supports the Jordanian private sector and wants to make sure that companies grow, new jobs are created and Jordanian products gain more access to the world's most competitive markets," said EU delegation chief EU Ambassador to Jordan Andrea Matteo Fontana during ceremony to launch the project on Sunday.
Located in the capital, Amman, the project will target boosting technical and management capacity within the enterprise and entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Also, it will increase the private sector competitiveness, through working with various business service providers, local Jordanian intermediaries, and a diverse group of other intermediaries, including incubators, chambers of commerce, and the industry.
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GILGIT: Pakistan People’s Party Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that we will make history in Gilgit-Baltistan.
While addressing an election rally in the Astore district of Gilgit-Baltistan, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the people of Astore have won and the children of Astor are saying that they will support the PPP.
“We are going to every street, neighborhood, and house in Gilgit and we will do for the people of Gilgit what history will remember,” he said. The people announced their decision through a meeting, Bilawal maintained.
Addressing the participants of the meeting, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that in the past he had helped end FCR. Reacting to claims of pre-poll rigging in GB, Raja Shehbaz Khan said that he is in Islamabad currently and the parties leveling the allegations of rigging should meet him.
We will hold transparent elections in GB, he vowed. Describing the arrangments made by the election commission of GB, Shehbaz Khan said GB Scouts will also perform duties along with police during elections.
The GB CEC said that the number of registered voters in the area in 2015 was 6,18,624 while the number currently stands at 7,45,362.


(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula Online Qatar Traffic Department has been taking various steps and initiatives to ensure speeding and related accidents do not occur. Mobile radars placed at locations with high risk of speeding has helped reduce the number of accidents say officials.
Here are the locations for the radars today (Saturday, December 30) - Al Shamal (120km/hr),Dukhan-Shahaniya (120km/hr),Salwa (120km/hr), Airforce Street (100km/hr) and Wakra Road (80km/hr).
Ministry of Interior began with this initiative to promote road safety by forcing motorists to abide by the speed limits. These radars will catch seat belt violations, over speeding, overtaking from wrong side in addition to usage of phone while driving.
General Directorate of Traffic Brigadier Mohammed Saad Al Kharji in an earlier interview had said that mobile radars are more effective in reducing speed violations since motorists are aware that radars are in place and they need to reduce their speed accordingly.
He requested motorists to take care of their lives and lives of road users. Al Kharji advised the youngsters to respect the traffic laws specially the speed limits because he said that most of the traffic accidents were occurring due to speeding.
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By Muhammad Amaan
Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases and Public Health Epidemiology, Dr Ishaku Akyala has underscored the impact of climate change on public health in Africa.
He said the devastating effects of extreme weather, including floods and heat waves, led to increased disease burden and deaths across the continent.
He said that vulnerable populations such as women, children and the poor, were severely affected, facing challenges related to waterborne diseases, malnutrition and mental health consequences.
He, therefore, called for urgent action to mitigate the effects, and recommended enhanced sensitisation to educate the people.
He said health systems, governments and health professionals also required sensitisation on the health impacts of climate change.
“This includes understanding the relationship between climate change and human health and sharing knowledge with relevant stakeholders.
“There is also the need for interdisciplinary research across hierarchical levels and geographical and political boundaries to better understand climate-related health impacts and develop effective strategies to address them,” he said.
The associate professor said there was perceived need to raise awareness among the public and politicians about the health impacts of climate change “because support for the work of health professionals in addressing these impacts is crucial.
“Governments and health systems must adapt strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change on public health.
“This includes measures to improve water and food security, enhance healthcare infrastructure, and strengthen disease surveillance and response systems.”
He explained that by prioritising the recommendations, African countries would be better prepared to mitigate the challenges and safeguard the wellbeing of their populations.
Climate change presents a global threat to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly goals related to environmental sustainability.
Urgent actions are, therefore, needed to address climate change, as emphasised by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Paris Agreement.
Recent UN reports highlighted the severe impact of climate-related disasters, such as flooding in West and Central Africa, which led to human and physical losses.
Africa is particularly vulnerable to climate change, experiencing various adverse effects such as sea-level rise, water resource reduction and increased disease burden.
Consequently, understanding the relationship between climate change and human health is crucial for preparedness and response to disease outbreak and prevalence.


As the next year’s general elections draw closer and plot by the two dominant parties in the country – the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and The All People’s Congress (APC) – thicken, the ruling PDP has sent emissaries to the Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, not to defect from the party to the All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2015 general election.
The emissaries, which included the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the party, Tony Anenih, and the Secretary, Walid Jubril, were said to have prevailed on the aggrieved governor to support the second term ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan.
Lamido was said to be nursing presidential ambition until the party’s National Executive Committee endorsed President Jonathan as the PDP sole candidate for its primary.
Before the PDP move, there had been unconfirmed reports that Lamido was not happy and that he could work for the opposition during the presidential election.
But the emissaries, who were members of the Interface Committee set up by the national leadership of the party, were said to be surprised when Lamido revealed his grievances to them.
The governor was said to have complained about the refusal of the President to fulfill majority of his campaign promises to the people of the state.
“He didn’t hide his grievances as he told the delegation that he and the people of the state were not happy with the President,” a source close to the party said.
Jubril, in a telephone interview with our correspondent, confirmed the meeting with Lamido and how he (the governor) complained that the President didn’t fulfill his electoral promises to the state.
The BoT secretary said, “We will address his grievances. We will settle the issues he raised. He complained that a lot of promises were made by the President in 2011, which he said the President failed to fulfill.
“We promised to address those issues, but we also know that the President has done a lot for the people of the state. So, we are addressing the issues.
“We know that the governor will not defect to the opposition political party as being envisaged by some people. If he was going to defect, he would have done that with the group of the then seven aggrieved governors.”
Lamido and the Governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu, were among the aggrieved governors, but while five others left for the APC, the two remained in the ruling party.


Senegal President calls to scrap FAO
The President of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade, has dismissed the UN's food agency as a waste of money and called for it to be scrapped.
President Wade said on Senegalese radio and television that the Food and Agriculture Organisation's (FAO) inefficiency had largely led to the increase in global food prices which have doubled over the past three years.
He said he had in the past campaigned for the agency to be relocated from Rome to a country in Africa, the continent most affected by food shortages.
Now President Wade said he was going further, calling for the FAO to be scrapped.
He said that other international organisations were better suited than the FAO to deal with the global food crisis, such as the UN's International Fund for Agricultural Development, which had promised to provide $200 million for poor farmers in the countries most affected.


(MENAFN - AzerNews) By Trend
The building of the editorial office of Araz newspaper destroyed by Armenian Armed Forces in Azerbaijan's Fuzuli city will be restored, the Minister of Culture Anar Karimov wrote in his Twitter page, Trend reports on Apr.12.
According to Karimov, the newspaper, established in 1931 in Fuzuli, was the main media outlet in the region.
'Now only part of the façade of the building has survived from vandalism. We will restore it, he added.
The city had been liberated from the Armenian occupation as a result of the 44-day war (from late Sept. through early Nov.2020).
Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
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Saudi- 10th OIC Tourism Ministers Conference Begins in Dhaka
(MENAFN- Saudi Press Agency)
Dhaka, Jumada I 20, 1439, Feb 6, 2018, SPA -- The 10th Conference of Tourism Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was held here yesterday, it was reported today.
During the conference, the tourism ministers and heads of delegations, reviewed issues pertaining to the field of tourism among the member states in addition to the resolutions of the recent conferences aiming to enhancing social and economic development among the member states.
The conference affirmed the importance of sustainable tourism and activation of the OIC strategies and policies in the field of combating poverty.
The conference welcomed announcement of Madinah as a capital of the Islamic tourism 2017, lauding the Kingdom's efforts in enhancing Islamic tourism.
21:52 LOCAL TIME 18:52 GMT
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REGINA – A report from the Conference Board of Canada suggests Saskatchewan will face some headwinds in 2014 because the potash and mining industries will slow down.
The board says the province saw strong real GDP growth of four per cent year this year, but that’s expected to moderate to 2.3 per cent next year.
But the report also says that the Saskatchewan economy in general remains robust.
It says labour markets are essentially at full employment, and the government and businesses are looking at ways to attract more skilled workers.
Premier Brad Wall says the province has had steady growth for the last several years and that’s more sustainable than growth in the four or five per cent range.
Wall says challenges such as housing, infrastructure and education can be more difficult when growth is too high.
“So to be able to say we’re going to have strong, steady growth — and by the way the most important part of that is job creation … that’s positive, especially building on where we’re at right now,” the premier said in an interview Monday.


By MAIMBO MWEEMBA
Health Minister Jonas Chanda says that marketers are also vulnerable in contracting the coronavirus as they are in contact with masses on a daily basis.
Speaking after visiting some markets in Ndola, Dr Chanda said that it is important for those in the frontline such as health personnel, bus drivers and marketers among others to get the Covid-19 vaccine (AstraZeneca) to protect themselves and others.
Dr Chanda, who is also Bwana Mkubwa Member of Parliament, said that the public health that has been approached by the government is to take the vaccine program to the people for easy access.
The minister health revealed that more men have been vaccinated as compared to the women in the country, further adding that 64% of the numbers of those that have received the covid jab are men while the percentage of vaccinated women stands at 36%.
He has since attributed the low turnout by women to the myths and misconception surrounding the covid vaccine, such as infertility after the vaccine is received.
Dr Chanda assured women that the vaccine is safe, further urging the women to get the vaccine as it is a sure way of preventing the coronavirus.
He noted that the main reason the government rolled out the vaccine in places that are easily accessed by the local residents is to ensure that everyone receives the jab to prevent contracting the covid-19.


(MENAFN- AzerNews) Azerbaijan destroyed the military facilities and combat
equipment of the Armenian armed forces' formations located at the
strategically important high grounds by precise fire strikes, Azernews reports, citing the Azerbaijani Defense
Azernews presents the footage:
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ISLAMABAD: Terrorist organisations are planning more audacious attacks in Lahore, said Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Wednesday, adding that banned outfit Lashkar-i-Jhangvi was involved in the Model Town and Garhi Shahu attacks.
However, he said that no military operation would be carried out in South Punjab, rather, various agencies would work together to combat the terrorist threat.
Malik’s statement about the growing threat of militancy in the province prompted Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to hit back, alleging that the interior minister was ‘fuelling differences’ between provinces.
Shahbaz strongly condemned Malik’s allegations and said that the phrase ‘Punjabi Taliban’ is a new term, coined by the interior minister himself.
The menace of terrorism, said the chief minister, could not be defeated without a concrete general reaction from the public, adding that the entire nation would have to stand united against such elements. The chief minister also said that Malik was being ‘ordered’ to make such statements.
Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Interior earlier on Wednesday, Malik said that Lashkar-i-Jhangvi was also involved in the Marriot blast, the Parade-lane firing incident, the attack on the GHQ, as well as the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team.
He said the federal government had asked the Punjab government to monitor the activities of banned organisations across the province. Replying to a question, the interior minister said that the Commissioner of Lahore had declared that Indian intelligence agency RAW was involved in the attacks on Ahmediyyah places of worship; hence the Commissioner Lahore should be asked for evidence of RAW’s involvement.
He also briefed the committee on his efforts to secure the release of three Pakistanis detained by Israel following its raid on a Gaza-bound aid convoy. Rehman Malik said that he had contacted Interpol for assistance on the matter.
Malik said the Frontier Constabulary had been tasked with taking action against those who blackmailed traders in Karachi, and added that the government was cooperating with the US in the Faisal Shahzad case.
Speaking to the media outside the Parliament House later, the minister said that out of 1,764 terrorists arrested in the Punjab, 726 belonged to south Punjab.
He also added that banned militant organisations were more active in south Punjab and their headquarters were also located there.
Malik admitted that arrested terrorists often get bail from courts because the process of collecting evidence by investigation authorities is delayed. (With Additional input from Agencies)
Published in the Express Tribune, June, 3rd,. 2010.


NADEEM MALIK LIVE
TOPIC- SC JUDGEMENT ON PANAMA CASE
GUESTS- ASAD UMER, BARRISTER ZAFRULLAH, NADEEM AFZAL CHAN, SALMAN AKRAM RAJA
ASAD UMER OF PTI said that the PM should resign now. He said that SC two most senior judges have said that the PM is a liar. He said that the good thing is that the SC has taken the responsibility to monitor the JIT investigation herself. He said that had the court accepted the point of view of the government why it ordered to constitute JIT on Panama case. He said that PML-N is distributing sweets because they got sixty more days to rule on Pakistan. He said that the SC has asked all those questions PTI has raised. He said that the court also has said that a crime reference can also be filed against the PM if it will be necessary.
BARRISTER ZAFRULLAH OF PML-N said that three judges have not accepted the opinion of the two most senior judges of the SC. He said that the court has given sixty seven days to JIT and we should wait for this period.
NADEEM AFZAL CHAN OF PPPP said that the point of view of PPPP is that PML-N is the apple of the eye. He said that if the court was going to form the JIT then why they took so long to give their verdict. He said that the PM was in trouble formation of JIT has given him a breather. He said that had the PM written the decision himself he was not going to be able to write the verdict softer than this. He said that PML-N is the powerful people they have control on the system. He said that the institutions are under authority of the government a transparent investigation is impossible. He said that normally the reports of the commissions never come out in Pakistan. He said that the government will not announce the elections as yet. He said that the record of the projects that have been completed has been put on fire and the record of the under construction projects will be burnt after their completion. He said that the current government came into then power with the help of Ch Iftikhar and General Kayani through back door.
SALMAN AKRAM RAJA LAW EXPERT said that technically the decision of the SC is correct nobody can be punished on circumstances evidence. He said that SC has rightly formed the JIT. He said that even if the court will ask that how Mian Sharif started his business in Qatar what difference it will make? He said that the time limit of JIT can be extended if required. He said that JIT will only prepare an investigative report and case will be adjudicated in the court later.


CITY HALL — Mayor Lori Lightfoot spent her first weekend as mayor criss-crossing the city, keeping tabs on efforts to tamp down violence, which typically spikes on Memorial Day and can signal whether the summer months will be particularly bloody.
“I didn’t come into this with any illusions that we were going to be able to wave a magic wand and reverse trends that have been in the making for some time,” Lightfoot said, noting that the number of murders dropped to five from seven last year, while the number of people shot increased from 39 to 43 people.
“That’s clearly unacceptable,” Lightfoot said. “The plan we have will bear fruit. But it won’t be instantaneous that we are going to see things turn around.”
In addition to adding 1,200 police officers to Chicago’s streets, Lightfoot “flooded the zone” by offering “more than 100 youth programs, activities and community events” as part of an “Our City. Our Safety” initiative.
“A lot of what we are seeing out there is crimes of poverty and we have to invest in the South and the West Side,” Lightfoot said. “That’s going to be the ultimate difference maker.”
Lightfoot said city agencies would continue to collaborate as part of her strategy.
“I feel like we are moving in the right direction,” Lightfoot said.


Colombo Mayor Rosy Senanayake yesterday said the authorities had effectively curbed the coronavirus crisis and the people should extend their fullest cooperation to the government.
Senanayake said the Municipal health workers were assisting the government in curbing the spread of the virus and people should not entertain unnecessary fears.
Senanayake said she would fully cooperate with the campaign launched by Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi to combat COVID-19.
She said that the crisis had been brought under control and the situation had improved.
She said that she, too, underwent a PCR test last week and tested negative. She would undergo another test next week, she added.
(Source: The Island – By Norman Palihawadana)


College softball: Raiders drop two to Itasca
Haley Hornick scored four runs, drove in three more and stole five bases, but the Central Lakes Raiders still lost both games of Tuesday’s Northern Division doubleheader 8-7 and 15-7 against the Itasca Vikings in Brainerd.
“We played a good Itasca team today in the opener of conference play,” CLC coach Greg Medeck said. “Our bats have come around and we know now that we are going to be able to score runs.
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(MENAFN) Lebanon's telecommunications company Ogero has once again initiated its national internet plan, as a branding overhaul was declared to take place.
Lebanon has received demands from Prime Minister Saad Hariri to launch an internet connection with faster speed to take part in "the era of technology."
The minister urged "we are at a time where everything is tied to technology ... because it creates job opportunities for people of all ages, and [fast internet] is something we need to achieve."
The company's president Imad Kreidieh has introduced an update plan which was somewhat upgraded from the one presented in last year in November.
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Saudi Arabia records exceed of USD3.2B than previous estimates
(MENAFN) Saudi Arabia has posted a higher than estimated budget exceed for this year of SR102 billion (USD27.13 billion) — SR12 billion (USD3.19 billion) more than earlier estimates.
The exceed comes as the nation’s gross domestic output is also getting ready to surplus forecasts— recording surges of 8.5 percent in comparison with the 7.5 percent forecasted in December last year as well as the 8 percent estimate in pre-Budget statement issued at the closing of September.
GDP expansion is estimated to decelerate to 3.1 percent next year.
The revelations came as the Saudi administration agreed on a SR1.114 trillion budget for next year, itself estimated to record an exceed of SR16 billion (USD4.2 billion), as reported by Saudi media outlets.
The Kingdom estimated incomes of SR1.13 trillion (USD300.5 billion) in 2023, Saudi-possessed Al Arabiya TV mentioned in a report. The exceed is in line with a 0.4 percent growth in gross domestic product — 0.2 percentage points more than estimate in September.
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Make the Grade
Unexcused absences lead to later problems
July 20, 2012
Nearly 80,000 public school students in West Virginia — about 20 percent of the total — met the definition of “truant” during the 2011-12 school year, according to state officials....
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(MENAFN - Trend News Agency) KHODJAVAND, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17
Members of the Albanian-Udi Christian religious community of Azerbaijan, the successor to the Albanian Autocephalous Apostolic Church in the Caucasus, have visited the lands of Azerbaijan liberated from Armenian occupation, the special correspondent of Trend's Karabakh bureau reports.
The community members have visited Tugh village in the Khojavand district.
As part of the trip, the community members will visit the ancient Albanian temple in Tugh, where for the first time they will perform a religious ceremony on the occasion of Easter.
Also, members of the Albanian-Udi Christian religious community have previously traveled to the liberated territories.
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By Vivian Emoni
The Miners Association of Nigeria (MAN) on Thursday said the association would establish solid mineral plants in the six geopolitical zones of the country.
The Acting President of the association, Alhaji Musa Muhammad, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
Muhammad said that the association would start the establishment first in Kogi, adding that there were good number of mineral resources in the state.
He said that the effort was to show example of good leadership as well as support government to promote the development of the country.
He said that the establishment of the plants would also bring investors and create job opportunities to the youth.
According to him, the essence of establishing the plant in the zones is to attract more investment, thereby creating many opportunities to the people.
“The association wants to show good examples to our people as the effort will improve businesses and other opportunities in the zones.
“The establishment will bring great advantage to Nigerians and when its processed, the chain value will be achieved.
“Our aim is to be established in the six geo-political zones; the association is starting the move in Kogi state starting with solid minerals which are gold and processing plants,” he said.
Muhammad said that the association had gained recognition from the public because of its achievement.
He said that the MAN had integrated women into the industry, adding that before, “it was only men affairs”.
He said that the women had also formed their own associations to promote gender issues and other activities among them.
The miners boss said that only the registered members of the association were being carried along in the mining industry.
He called on those members that were not fully registered to do the right thing as such would help them have access to any form of assistant from the association.
Muhammad said that one of the objectives of the association was to develop the mines and make the mining sector more scientific for sustainable mining production.
He said that the aim was to ensure safety and efficiency in the mining industry. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Vivian Ihechu


National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday called for an all-party meeting today to discuss the issues related to urban local bodies and Panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Official sources said that an all-party meeting will be held in Srinagar with all recognized political parties to elicit their views on various important issues.
Both the main regional parties’ National Conference and People’s Democratic Party have already decided to boycott the upcoming polls, while Jammu and Kashmir’s Pradesh Congress president Ghulam Ahmed Mir said that currently, the ground situation in the Valley is not conducive for holding these polls.
Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam denied reports that the upcoming municipal elections are likely to be deferred.
Denying earlier reports that the Governor’s administration is considering deferment of municipal polls, the Chief Secretary said: “Municipal and Panchayat polls will be held as per schedule.”
Subrahmanyam was speaking to the media on the sidelines of an official function in Srinagar on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, chief spokesperson PDP Mohammad Rafi Mir confirmed the Kashmir Life over phone that the party is not attending the meeting for the reasons that the agenda for the meeting has not been conveyed to them.


Health workers threaten strike if government outsources their services
The Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria in Kogi state have threatened to embark on statewide strike should the Government go ahead with its decision to outsource their services.
The union also raised concern over the security threat posed by the proposed privatization of their services and the possible danger, saying it is tantamount to inviting insecurity.
The state chairman of the union in the state, Comrade Onuh Edoka, who gave the indication at its stakeholders meeting in Lokoja, said the union will not hesitate to take the Government to court because the people the Government is bringing in, are aliens.
He observed that premises inspection is the prerogative of the Local Government even as he urged government to rethink its decision on the matter.
According to him, the issue became imperative as the state government had concluded plans to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a private organization to carry out the duties of environmental health officers.
He said rather than outsourcing the services, government should look inward and allow the environmental health officers across the 21 local government areas of the state perform their duties.
Edoka noted that government was responsible for the shortcomings and non-performance in the sector, adding that government had failed to provide working tools for the people.
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The Benghazi fiasco and the Obama administration cover-up of that tragic incident are now official non-events. Secretary of State John Kerry has now reinstated the State Department employees who were demoted following the attack. Mr. Kerry has...


An influential think tank will urge the Government today to put knowledge-based business services such as law, accountancy and consultancy at the centre of its plans to revive the economy.
Businesses that specialise in selling advice, ideas and information account for a fifth of Britain’s economic output and employ more than three million people — about 11 per cent of the workforce — according to a report by the Work Foundation.
The sector’s growth in the past three decades has vastly outstripped that of manufacturing or financial services, according to the report. It has also been one of Britain’s most successful exports, netting more than £20 billion a year from overseas sales.
The sector’s contribution has not been fully appreciated, the report warned, and could…


Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that he wanted to go into elections at the time of a vote of no confidence. He said that their reputation was damaged in the past eight months
Khawaja Asif said that now the elections will be held on time when assemblies will complete their tenure and they will not go into elections by blackmailing. He asked why PTI was not dissolving the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly as there was no hurdle in dissolution.
Defence Minister said that the whole leadership of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) was put into jail. He said that a daughter was arrested who had gone to visit his father.
He was addressing the ceremony with the aim of the eve of the day when Khawaja Rafique was killed
He said that Imran Khan and the people in his party all were the same. He alleged that Imran didn’t do anything with his expenses but was spending others’ money. He said that the money from the charity was used in politics.
Khawaja Asif said that the leader and followers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were like pickpockets. He said that a game was being played with Pakistan’s politics because Imran Khan had the lust for power only.
He said that the changed political scenario of the country has taken the Kashmir cause to the side. He said that the Kashmir cause will have to be taken to every forum and level. He also said that the people of Kashmir and Palestine had sacrificed a lot for their freedom.


Hyderabad: Mayor Bonthu Rammohan said that with the blessings and support of the people, the Minister of Municipal Administration and Urban Development, KT Rama Rao will become the Chief Minister of Telangana.
The Mayor along with his family offered prayers at Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, Tirumala on Tuesday morning.
While talking to media persons there, Rammohan said that Chief Minister K.Chandrasekhar Rao and TRS party will decide on the matter.
He said that the Chief Minister is providing good governance and taking Telangana on the path of development.
He said that he had prayed to Lord Balaji to give more power to KCR for the golden Telangana achievement. The former mayor comments that with the blessings of Thirumala Venkanna, KTR will become CM


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Migrants journey from the Caribbean to the USA, via Brazil (Part Two)
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ISLAMABAD: PML-N leader and Parliamentary Secretary for Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Raja Muhammad Javed Ikhlas on Monday said PML-N led government has been giving top priority to the economic revival so that masses can come out of the poverty.
He said that we will ensure timely completion of all the welfare and development projects and ensure provision of all basic facilities to people at their doorsteps.
Javed Ikhlas said that enabling policies of the PML-N government are welcomed inside the country and abroad which would help raise the living standard of people and put the country on the path to prosperity.
Talking to Dr. Murtaza Mughal, President Pakistan Economy Watch, he said that IMF has been lauding our policies which will surely transform Pakistan into a self-reliant and strong country.
He said that better utilisation of available resources and tapping new resources would help create maximum opportunities of economic and industrial promotion which will reduce the menace of unemployment in the country.
Ikhlas pointed out that the present government had adopted practical steps to eliminate energy crisis, ensure peace and weed out terrorism which would strengthen economy as well as democracy.
Youth Loan Scheme is a revolutionary step which would create new opportunities of employment and help the youth to play their due role in strengthening national economy.
PML-N government made Pakistan a nuclear power 1997 and now it will make country an economic power by strengthening institutions and introducing enabling policies.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Murtaza Mughal said that Nawaz government have been a mix of strengths and weaknesses.
Government’s drive against illegal electric and gas connections and some other steps expresses commitment towards resolving the energy crisis which can help it ensure another term in 2018.
Peace with Taliban and India would help the government focus more on the internal problems, he said.


Ranchi: Family members of CPI (M) leader Late Subhash Munda met Chief Minister Hemant Soren in Jharkhand Legislative Assembly today.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister expressed deep condolences to the parents and the entire family of Late Subhash Munda.
The relatives of Late Subhash Munda met the Chief Minister and said that late Subhash Munda was an important member of my family, the whole family is saddened and very worried due to his murder.
A mountain of sorrow has fallen on the family.
The family members said in front of the Chief Minister that Late Subhash Munda was a social person.
He was always ready to help others.
On the occasion, Subhash Munda’s father Lalit Munda and mother Chhotan Devi also requested the Chief Minister to extend help from the state government towards their family.
Expressing condolences to the family members of Late Subhash Munda, Chief Minister Hemant Soren said that the state government has taken this massacre very seriously.
Showing readiness by the police-administration, the criminals involved in the murder of Late Subhash Munda have been arrested.
The Chief Minister assured the parents of late Subhash Munda that the state government would give justice to your family at any cost.
The Chief Minister said that as per the instructions of the State Government, the police is investigating every point related to the murder of Late Subhash Munda.
Under no circumstances will the criminals involved in this massacre be spared.
The Chief Minister said that he himself has taken this massacre seriously.
I have been in constant touch with the officials regarding the research being done by the police.
The Chief Minister told the family members that the state government will always stand by the family of Late Subhash Munda.
The relatives will be given all possible help by the state government.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren told the family members of late Subhash Munda that police outpost (OP) would be set up near Daladli Chowk soon.
Along with this, arrangements for electric lighting will also be made.
In recent times, some anti-social elements are seen gathering at the intersections of Ring Road, the police-administration has also been instructed by the state government to identify these anti-social elements and take legal action against them.
The Chief Minister told the family members of late Subhash Munda that the state government is working on crime control with commitment so that such incidents do not recur.
Suresh Manda, Amit Munda, Bishu Munda along with JMM leader Mushtaq Alam and others were present in the family members of Late Subhash Munda during the meeting with the Chief Minister.


McAuliffe to Dems: Get folks fired up
WINCHESTER — Terry McAuliffe’s message to area Democrats about the November elections was clear.
“We got to get our folks fired up,” the former Democratic National Committee chairman told about 75...
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As the global pandemic coronavirus continues to escalate, the World Health Organization, ( WHO,) said it has recorded more than 183,000 new cases of COVID-19 which the organization described as the most in a single day so far.
This was contained in a press release signed by the WHO DG, Dr. Tedros Adhanom on Monday.
On Monday, more than 183,000 new cases of COVID-19 were reported to WHO – easily the most in a single day so far.
More than 8.8 million cases have now been reported to WHO, and more than 465,000 people have died due to the virus.
“Some countries are continuing to see a rapid increase in cases and deaths.
Some countries that have successfully suppressed transmission are now seeing an upswing in cases as they reopen their societies and economies.
“All countries are facing a delicate balance, between protecting their people, while minimizing the social and economic damage”.
It’s not a choice between lives and livelihoods. Countries can do both.
We urge countries to be careful and creative in finding solutions that enable people to stay safe while getting on with their lives.


New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has issued a Look Out Circular against two PFI leaders of Kerala in connection with violence unleashed by the party during a protest recently.
According to information, the LOC has been issued against PFI’s Kerala Secretary Abdul Sattar and General Secretary C.A. Rauf.
Recently, hilly areas in the state had witnessed violence during the protest held against the arrest of 100 PFI members. It has been alleged that the duo provoked the mob which went on destroying government and public properties.
The NIA sources said since they had apprehensions that the two PFI leaders could flee abroad, an LOC was issued.
Currently, the NIA is investigating a total of 19 PFI-related cases.
As many as 46 accused who were earlier arrested were convicted in 2010-11 cases, the counter-terrorism agency said. Around 355 PFI members have already been charge sheeted by the agency.


A British parliamentary delegation on a visit to Pakistan has expressed concern over the human rights violations in Occupied Kashmir.
Addressing a news conference along with AJK President Sardar Masood Khan in Islamabad on Thursday, members of the delegation said the world should take cognizance of the genocide of Kashmiri people in the occupied valley.
They said their delegation will visit Azad Kashmir tomorrow.
Azad Kashmir President Sardar Masood Khan said the British parliamentarians are playing an important role in highlighting the Kashmir dispute.
He said particularly the labor party is at the forefront and has expressed the commitment to play its role in resolution of the lingering Kashmir dispute.


The Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has opined that there was no problem to the TRS party with the victory of BJP in five states’ elections.
The Chief Minister has analyzed the results of five states with the party leaders on Saturday evening. Reacting on the results, KCR said that the TRS party was extending its support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on issues wise and made it clear that the BJP’s victory was a big victory. He opined that the nation would have gone back in regard to economic reforms in case the BJP faced defeat in Uttar Pradesh. (NSS)


Businesses now have an easy and trackable way to give their customers incentives to continue to frequent them and to tell all their friends and family members about the business.
The business receives new customers through the referrals. When the new customers pay, those who referred them receive Kudoz Points as thanks for bringing the business new customers. New customers can begin referring their network to the business as well. Everybody wins!


(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA))
KUWAIT, July 4 (KUNA) -- A number of countries across the globe on Sunday declared their deaths, infections and recoveries of the coronavirus (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours.
In Lebanon, health officials reported two deaths and 207 new infections in the past 24 hours.
A statement by Lebanon health ministry said the death toll from the virus was up to 7,861 people and total infections now stands at 545,570 cases.
On another front, Tunisia reported 116 deaths and 4,686 new infections in the past 24 hours.
Tunisia health officials said, in a statement, the death toll from the virus reached 15,377 people and total infections 443,631 cases.
In Morocco, health officials reported four fatalities due to Covid-19, and 605 new infections in the past 24 hours.
In a press release, the Moroccan health ministry said the death toll reached 9,319 and total infections 534,550 cases.
In the United Kingdom, health officials reported 15 fatalities and 24,238 new infections from Covid-19.
In a statement, UK health ministry said the death toll from the virus jumped to 128,222 people and infection toll reached four million and 908,000 cases.
In Algeria, health officials reported 10 deaths and 464 infections from the virus.
A spokesman for the Algerian health ministry said the death toll in the country reached 3,755 and total infections up to 141,471 cases.
Meanwhile, in Italy health officials confirmed 12 fatalities from Covid-19 and 808 new infections.
Italian health ministry said, in a statement, that the death toll was up to 127,649 people and infections up to 4,263,317 cases. (Pickup previous)
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Special election sought to fill supervisor’s seat
WINCHESTER — The Frederick County Board of Supervisors will petition the county’s Circuit Court to hold a special election to fill an upcoming vacancy.
Supervisor Bill Ewing, 75, has represented the…
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Srinagar, Aug 24: People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) is scheduled to meet in Kashmir capital Srinagar today.
The Alliance is likely to discuss the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources told news agency Kashmir News Trust that the meeting will take place at alliance chairperson and National Conference (NC) patron Farooq Abdullah’s residence at 11am.
All the leaders including Mehbooba Mufti are expected to participate in the meeting.
A PAGD leader said that there is no fixed agenda but the issues concerning people and Jammu and Kashmir will be discussed on priority basis. knt


U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo dismissed the Iraqi Parliament’s vote Sunday that called for U.S. troops to leave their country.
“We are confident that the Iraqi people want the United States to continue to be there to fight the counterterror campaign. And we’ll continue to do all the things we need to do to keep America safe,” Pompeo said on “Fox News Sunday.
Pompeo said he did not consider the parliament’s vote to be a final, formal decision by the Iraqi government.
“We’ll have to take a look at what we do when the Iraqi leadership and government makes a decision,” he said. “But the American people should know we’ll make the right decision.”


Column | Feb 16, 2012 | 9:01 PM
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Story | Mar 19, 2012 | 4:36 PMWhen Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts walks around Wrigley Field, die-hard fans of the Northsiders always seem to want to tell him their age. “It …


(MENAFN- Live Mint) "The Supreme Court has overturned a 1998 judgment protecting MPs and MLAs taking bribes to vote or make a speech in the House. A seven-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud observed that bribery is not protected by parliamentary privileges. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hailed the decision as a“great judgment” that will ensure“clean politics and deepen people's faith in the system”.In 1998, the five-judge constitution bench held in its majority verdict on the Narasimha Rao versus CBI case that parliamentarians have immunity against criminal prosecution for any speech made and vote cast inside the House under Articles 105(2) and 194(2).More to come...
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(MENAFN- Trend News Agency)
Airbus and Qatar Airways have settled a dispute over surface
damage on grounded A350 jets, the companies said on Wednesday,
trend reports citing
The 'amicable settlement' ends a $2 billion row over the safety
of Europe's premier long-haul jet - an unprecedented public rift
that had led Airbus to revoke dozens of other jet orders from Qatar
ahead of a scheduled June court trial.
The companies said the deal was not an admission of liability by
either party, both of which would drop their legal claims and 'move
forward and work together as partners'.
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire welcomed the
The announcement comes after Reuters reported that a deal could
be reached as early as Wednesday.
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The CAG said four PSUs of Delhi Government have incurred a whopping loss of Rs 2,072 crore in 2010-11 and there was a need to take steps to improve financial performance.
“In view of the importance of public expenditure on social and economic development, it is important for the state government to take appropriate expenditure rationalisation measures,” said the CAG.
In a report, the CAG also expressed concern over meagre return the government earned on its investments from government companies and corporations.
“As on March 31, 2011, the Government had invested Rs 12,616.58 crore in government companies and corporations. The return on these investments was a meagre 0.35 per cent during last three years, while the government paid interest at an average rate of 9.51 per cent on its borrowings during 2008-2011,” the CAG said.
In the report, which was tabled in the Delhi Assembly, the CAG said the fiscal deficit which was on an increasing trend has come down during 2010-11.
“The fiscal deficit has also shown increasing trend upto 2009-10 when it was Rs 3,549.96 crore. However, during 2010-11 this trend was reversed and the State had a fiscal surplus of Rs 729.60 crore,” said the CAG.
It said during 2010-11 revenue receipts grew by Rs 4572.76 crore (22.36 per cent) over the previous year. “The increase was contributed by tax revenue of Rs 3029.89 crore, non-tax revenue of Rs 721.55 crore and grants from Government of India which was Rs 821.32 crore.”
The report said revenue surplus has continuously shown an increasing trend during last five years as it increased from Rs 4438.13 crore in 2006-07 to Rs 10,642.36 crore in 2010-11.
The CAG, however, sought appropriate expenditure rationalisation measures to improve further the financial position of the government.


What people believe has always been an issue when it comes to journalism and it doesn’t really help when we often see stories that aren’t true. Of course there are the people that are aware of what’s going on in the world around them and knows when something on the news is false. Unfortunately, there are also a lot of people that aren’t so aware of what’s going on and take everything that’s on the news verbatim which isn’t always a good thing.
There are times when the news talks about things that aren’t entirely true and if these stories are seen enough times people will start to believe them. Danielle C. Polage actually did a study on this to see if repeated exposure to false information changes the way in which the information is perceived. At the end of the study she was able to conclude that “…exposure to false stories increased the perceived truthfulness of those stories” (248). Because the exposure increased the perceived truthfulness of the false stories, people are more likely to believe the false information.
This is true for many different scenarios, one of which being the presidential election. During the election both the democratic and republican parties created false advertisements about the other candidate to make their representative seem like the better choice. The information that was in these advertisements were repeated multiple times throughout the race to the presidency and because of this people started to believe the false accusations that were being made.
The repetition of false information is a major issue regarding what people believe when they go to the news for what they want to know. It prevents people from finding out what the truth is if they are unwilling to fact check what is being said in the stories. This causes the false information to spread, causing more people to blindly believe everything that they see thinking that it’s the truth when it’s really not.


(MENAFN- Jordan Times)
AMMAN - Her Majesty Queen Rania visited the House of Roses Ladies Association in Aqaba on Monday, where she met with a group of local women artisans and owners of home-based enterprises.
Based near a number of popular Aqaba hotels, the House of Roses Ladies Association operates as a permanent exhibition spot for its members to display and market their goods to local and international visitors. Products on offer include traditional handicrafts, ceramics, food items, and other handmade goods, according to a statement from Her Majesty's office.
In a meeting with its management team, Association President Rania Nes'ah explained to Her Majesty that the House of Roses was established in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic to help struggling owners of home-based projects get back on their feet.
In addition to providing a venue for community members to sell their products, it also offers training to women and people with disabilities to help them develop their marketable skills and boost their income.
The association also offers a number of authentic local experiences to tourists, who can participate in sewing and crafting their own items or learn to cook local delicacies in the association's kitchen.
During her visit, the Queen toured the House of Roses' shop, warehouse and kitchen before stopping in its backyard, where she saw an exhibition of crafts inspired by the city of Aqaba's unique character and a demonstration of the different tourism experiences the association has on offer.
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(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) KUWAIT, Nov 7 (KUNA) -- Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah received on Tuesday Director of the Grand Mosque Romi Al-Roumi, accompanied by senior officials working at the mosque.
During the meeting, Al-Roumi presented copies of publications issued by the mosque. (end) mb
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ISLAMABAD - By adopting tight cash release policy and healthy revenue collection, the government had curtailed fiscal deficit at around 2.6 per cent of GDP during the first half (July-December) of the ongoing financial year 2011-12, said a top official of the Finance Ministry.
The government has controlled the expenditures during the first six months of the current fiscal year as it had released 45 per cent for the expenditures against the target of 50 per cent, said a senior official of the Finance Ministry while talking to The Nation. “The government has reduced its expenditures across the board”, he maintained. Except defence spending and debt servicing, as these are obligatory spending, the government had controlled its other expenditures, he added.
Similarly, he informed that government did not cut the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) as it released allocated 40 per cent during the first six months of the year 2011-12. Apart from reducing the expenditures, the revenue collection also showed healthy improvement in the period under review.
The (FBR has collected Rs 840 billion revenues during the first half (July-December) of the ongoing financial year, which is 43 per cent collection of the overall target of Rs 1,952 billion. The revenue collection of Rs 840 billion in July-December 2011-12 is 27 per cent higher than the collection of Rs 661.7 billion of July-December 2010-11.
The government has revised the fiscal deficit to 4.7 per cent of the GDP against the budgetary target of 4 per cent for the ongoing financial year due to heavy rains, floods in the country and low growth in the economy due to global recession.
According to the sources, the government has planned to keep fiscal deficit at 1.1 to 1.2 per cent during the next two quarters (January-March) and (May-June) of the ongoing financial year. According to the sources, the revenue collection would further improve in the months to come that would keep fiscal deficit under control in the second half of the ongoing financial year.


Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf Chairman Imran Khan has said he will solve the Balochistan problem on priority basis if he elected to power.
Imran Khan said that PTI would give preference to Balochistan issue after coming into power. He said that PTI’s sympathies were with Baloch people.
Time has come to make a new Pakistan, Imran Khan said, added that, there was no future of the country without justice. He said that we have learnt nothing from Bangladesh incident.
Addressing a news conference with Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan and Javed Hashmi in Islamabad on Saturday, Mengal said that Baloch people have been killed in the province.
Mengal said that elections were not their preference, but they want solution of Balochistan issue.
Mengal said that Baloch people have been deprived of their right for last 65 years. He said that apology was not the solution of Balochistan issue.
Mengal thanked Imran Khan for supporting his six points. Mengal also said that he was satisfied and would not embarrass Baloch people. He said that they were very weak, added that they could only rendered their lives.
Mengal said that supporters of hundreds of Baloch families have been killed or kidnapped.
He said that Attorney General’s behavior was like lieutenant in the court.
Khan said that time has come to learn from past. He said that Balochistan issue was political, added that, it should be resolved politically.
Earlier‚ the two leaders at a meeting discussed the law and order situation in Balochistan.


Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health announced on Thursday that356 new confirmed cases of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported in the Kingdom.
Spokesman of the Ministry of Health Dr. Mohammed Al-Abdulaali said in a press conference that the total number of confirmed infected cases reached to 376,377, including 2,574 active cases receiving necessary medical care.
“There are 473 critical cases, while the health condition of the rest is stable,” Dr. Mohammed Al-Abdulaali told a press conference.
“308 new recoveries have been recorded, bringing the total number of recoveries to 367,323 cases,” the Health Ministry spokesman added.
“Five new deaths have been reported; bringing the total deaths to 6,480,” he added.
Dr. Mohammed Al-Abdulaali stated that 637,587 people in Saudi Arabia have received the COVID-19 vaccine.


Peak-time distributed denial-of-service attacks cost organizations more than $100,000 per hour, said half of the respondents to a new survey of mid-sized and large corporations in the U.S. and Europe.
And for a third of respondents, the average peak hourly revenue loss was more than $250,000.
However, shutting down attacks took time. Only 26 percent said it took them less than an hour, while 33 percent said it took between one and two hours, and 40 percent said it took more than three hours.
By comparison, a year ago, only 32 percent of companies said that they would lose more than $100,000 an hour, and 68 percent said it took them less than two hours to respond to an attack.


All-party meeting called by PM Deuba cancelled
KATHMANDU: An all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba will not take place today.
Government spokesperson and Minister for Communication and Information Technology Gyanendra Bahadur Karki said that the Prime Minister has not called the all-party meeting. Earlier on Friday, some leaders of the ruling coalition and the PM’s Secretariat had said that Prime Minister Deuba had called the all-party meeting for today.
It has been said that the meeting may have been cancelled after the main opposition CPN-UML decided not to attend the meeting.
The meeting was supposed to take place at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar at 11 am.
The PM’s Secretariat said that the Prime Minister had called the meeting to discuss the local level elections.
PM Deuba, who is also the President of the Nepali Congress, had held a discussion with the party leaders on Friday evening before calling the all-party meeting.


MoS Finance Anurag Thakur informed the House that despite the pandemic the Indian currency has appreciated 3.39 per cent and there has been no downgrading of the Rupee as the Foreign Reserve is at $590 billion.
Thakur was responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha on whether the rupee has been devalued.
The Minister said that there were some impact on the economy due to the Covid-19 pandemic but the status of the Rupee has appreciated 3.39 per cent.
The Minister also informed the House that the country needs strong and more banks and the government is trying to recapitalise the banks.
Earlier in an interview with IANS the Minister of State for Finnace, Thakur had said: “We have done the asset quality review of the banks; we have done the recapitalisation of more than Rs 5.5 lakh crore for public sector banks.”
He had said: “India needs more facilities for the consumers or the people who bank. Then what do you do. You have 12 banks. We have done the amalgamation/merger of banks, we have strengthened the banks, brought them out of the PCA framework. But the government can’t keep on investing in the banks, every year. They have to stand on their feet, or they have to earn, they have to be more profitable.”


Oakland Teachers to Start Strike Thursday
OAKLAND, Calif. — Teachers in Oakland, California, plan to raise picket signs Thursday in the country’s latest strike by educators over classroom conditions and pay.
The city’s 3,000 teachers are demanding a 12 percent retroactive raise covering 2017 to 2020 to compensate for what they say are among the lowest salaries for public school teachers in the exorbitantly expensive San Francisco Bay Area.
They also want the district to hire more counselors to support students and more full-time nurses.
The walkout will affect 36,000 students at 86 schools.
The Oakland Educators Association called for the strike Wednesday after rejecting a proposal from the district for a 7 percent raise over four years and a one-time 1.5 percent bonus.Wait, before you go…
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