Turkish vice president said that Turkey has provided medical aid to 80 countries to combat the coronavirus.
While giving an interview to an online channel, vice president Fuat Oktay said that the country had helped 80 countries that have asked us to help.
It is to be noted that 146,457 people have been infected by coronavirus in Turkey and 4,055 patients lost their lives while 106,133 cases have been recovered in the country. The country is now slowly lifting the lockdown.
Fuat Oktay said that mostly face masks, gloves and ventilators were demanded from the countries.
The first coronavirus case was found in Wuhan, China and till now 82,933 people have been infected in China.
The coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 306,375 people around the planet with more than 4.5 million confirmed cases.
Earlier, Turkey has also sent 20K N95 masks and 18.5K PPE/gown to Pakistan.


Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Dr Rajitha Senaratne said that the Diyawara Gammana concept was launched by President Mahinda Rajapaksa when he was the Fisheries Minister.
Minister Senaratne inaugurated a number of development projects is the Batticaloa and Trincomalee districts during an inspection tour in the East recently. Speaking at a function during this tour the Minister said that his Ministry has spent over Rs. 550 million for the development of the fisheries industry and uplift the livelihood of fishing families since the end of terrorism.
The Minister said that Trincomalee is the seventh trade centre of Sri Lanka and over 3,000 self-employment opportunities have been created in Trincomalee. He said that the Ministry has established six fish landing centres in the Trincomalee district to increase sea and inland water fish harvest in the district.
Speaking further, the Minister said the government is spending Rs. 3,600 million a year to grant fuel compensation to fishermen, and several other measures have also been taken to upgrade the living standards of fishermen while introducing insurance schemes, loan schemes and establishing district level fisheries organizations.
He said the country's fish harvest has also increased by 50 per cent during the past two years.
The Minister said that the Sri Lankan fisheries industry is showing a tremendous progress while making a vital contribution to the country's economy.


(MENAFN- Trend News Agency)
Eight gunmen were killed and six kidnapped victims were rescued
by the military and police in Nigeria's northern Katsina state,
police said on Sunday, Trend reports citing Xinhua .
Gambo Isah, the police spokesperson in Katsina, said in a
statement that police operatives conducted on Saturday morning an
intelligence-based operation, repelling gunmen and rescuing the six
Eight gunmen on the run were killed in a follow-up operation by
the Nigerian air force in the same area on Sunday, Isah said.
The most populous African country has been plagued by a series
of armed attacks in recent months.
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Health care workers answer questions about the COVID-19 vaccines.
Rhea Boyd, MD, MPH shares what we know about how well the COVID vaccines work against the Delta variant.
The Delta variant is the most dominant strain of COVID that’s circulating now. It’s more contagious than the previous COVID that was circulating at the beginning of the pandemic, which means it’s more likely to infect people and it’s more likely to spread between people. Because of that, vaccination remains even more important now than early in the pandemic so that we can limit people getting infected and limit the spread of COVID. So, what people should understand is the vaccines that we have now are incredibly effective at preventing hospitalization and death from the Delta variant, which is amazing.


WASHINGTON – (Agencies) The US police announced that two of its ranks were injured near the Capitol Building in Washington, after they were hit by a car and its driver was arrested.
“A suspect is being held, both officers are injured,” Capitol Police said on Twitter. “The three have been taken to hospital.”
In the same context, American media reported that initial information indicates that there were wounded after a car broke through a security barrier of the Capitol building, referring to police officers who arrested two people associated with the threats, pointing out that President Joe Biden will meet with members of the security team after the Capitol incident.
An eyewitness said, according to what was reported by “Reuters” agency, that the streets surrounding the (Capitol) building and buildings belonging to it were closed, adding that the police deployed heavily in the area due to a security threat.
Later, American media said that the Congressional police closed a number of streets, with the massive deployment of National Guard forces after the congressional incident.
It reported that the congressman’s attacker was seriously wounded after being shot, and then announced that the attacker had died of his wounds.


Story | Mar 14, 2015 | 4:01 AM
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INDIANAPOLIS — General manager Ryan Grigson said Thursday that the Colts had contacted NFL officials before last month's AFC championship game about their concerns with New England's game balls. Grigson did not say how the team was tipped off....


Medical personnel were summoned to the scene, where the victim was certified dead.
“Preliminary investigation has since revealed that before the horrific incident, the victim shouted and warned his fellow colleagues to move away from the runway as the plane was about to land,” said Hlathi.
“The report has also indicated that the four men, including the victim, are from Gauteng and came to Graskop for employment.”
An inquest docket has been opened.
Hlathi said the SA Civil Aviation Authority had been notified and would investigate the incident.


‘Up! We Go!’ event will benefit the Discovery Museum
Winchester — If proceeds from an event are ever going to mirror its theme, organizers hope it will happen with the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum’s upcoming gala fundraiser, “Up! We Go!”
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Story | Mar 10, 2010This year's Oscars numbered only one foreign-born winner -- Austria's Christoph Waltz ("Inglorious Basterds") -- among the four acting champs. However, that does not mean the Oscars are guilty of any homegrown bias. After all, six of the 20 acting nominees wer


The importance of being an informed citizen in today’s political climate cannot be overstated. With increasingly complex global issues and rapid developments in the news, staying informed on important topics is key to being an engaged and responsible citizen. From local elections to international politics, being an informed citizen means understanding the issues and having the ability to make informed decisions when it comes to voting and voicing opinions on important topics.
Having a basic knowledge of current events and politics is one of the best ways to stay informed and engaged as a citizen. Staying in the loop on the news and developments in politics gives citizens a better understanding of the inner workings of their government and the policies that are being implemented. This can help individuals form more educated opinions and make more informed decisions when it comes to voting and voicing their opinion on political matters.
Being an informed citizen also means understanding the political process and how it works. Knowing the different branches of government and their roles, who the current elected officials are, and what policies are being proposed can help citizens make more informed decisions when it comes to political topics. Additionally, understanding the electoral process and how the government works can help citizens better understand why certain decisions are being made and how their vote can have an impact.
Being an informed citizen also means being aware of the issues that are affecting their local community and understanding the importance of voting and participating in local politics. Understanding the issues that are important to the local community and how they are being addressed can help citizens make more informed decisions when it comes to local elections. Additionally, being an informed citizen of the local community can help citizens better understand how their vote can make an impact.
As technology continues to evolve and more access to information is available, being an informed citizen today is easier than ever. From following news and political updates on social media to researching important topics and issues, there are many ways to stay informed and engaged on a daily basis. Additionally, there are numerous resources available to citizens who are looking to stay up-to-date on political matters.
In today’s political climate, being an informed citizen is essential to making informed decisions and having a voice in political matters. Having a basic knowledge of current events and politics, understanding the electoral process, and being informed on local matters are all key to being an informed citizen. With all the resources available, staying informed on political topics is easier than ever and essential to being an engaged and responsible citizen.


Still Searching for Water on the Backup Planet
Our ability to evacuate to Mars once we’re done wrecking the Earth depends on a lot, but the whole idea is a nonstarter if the fourth rock from the sun is dry. Ten years ago scientists discovered evidence of flowing water on Mars and we have reason to believe there’s plenty of the frozen variety, but we still haven’t caught Mars with its gullies wet.
Wait, before you go…
Christian Science Monitor:
One of the main problems about proving whether or not water still flows on the surface of Mars “is that where we have seen gullies also tends to be where we don’t want to land spacecraft,” Meyer explained.
“The hope is that orbiter missions can catch something in the act involving liquid water near the surface today,” he said. “We do suspect there’s liquid water in the subsurface — it’s just depends on how deep you have to go.”
If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface. We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.
Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.Support Truthdig


(MENAFN- Trend News Agency ) A total of 15 people were injured in a landmine blast in Yemen's Red Sea port city of Hodeidah on Monday, a government official told, Trend reports citing Xinhua .
"An explosion of a landmine previously laid by the Houthi militia struck a vehicle with 15 people on board including women and children in Hodeidah," the local government source said on condition of anonymity.
The explosion that occurred in Al Khawkhah district resulted in injuring 15 people and partially destroying their vehicle, he said.
Following the explosion, local residents and pro-government soldiers rushed to the site and transferred the injured to a nearby hospital for treatment.
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(MENAFN- Emirates News Agency (WAM))
ABU DHABI,17th March, 2023 (WAM) -- President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, today arrived in the UAE in an official visit.
He was accompanied by his wife the first lady, Carmen Iohannis.
Upon his arrival at the Presidential Flight in Abu Dhabi, Iohannis was received by Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment and a number of officials.
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.


The four sisters allegedly abandoned by their mother at Sibu Jaya yesterday are still under police custody but sheltered at Sibu General Hospital until investigation over the case completed.
Pelawan assemblyman David Wong said he had spoken to the Sarawak’s Minister of Welfare, Woman and Family Development Datuk Hajah Fatimah Abdullah about the four sisters.
“The police will have to look for the parents to ascertain their intentions and interview their grandparents capability before the welfare dept can step in,” he said when contacted today.
Once it’s ascertained that their grandparents can’t care for the kids the Welfare department will step in and the kids will be send to Rumah Kanak-Kanak (orphanage home) in Kuching.
Professor Dr. Jayum Jawan who is hailed from Sibu said the incident saddened him and was baffled of learning no Dayak leaders and organisations had came forward to help the siblings.
“I was told Chinese church had offered helps. Shamed on Dayaks and their leaders,” he said via Whatsapp.
Several organisations including Church have offered to help the family upon learning of their plights that had gone viral on social media after being highlighted here.
And the story was pick-up by several other blogs and mainstream newspapers in Sarawak.
Thousands of people throughout the country and abroad were shocked, angered and offered prayers to the four siblings upon learning of their plights.
The story currently still trending and had been seen by more than 104,000 people at our official Facebook page, share by over 5,500 people at time of writing.


NAIROBI, Kenya Sep 29 – A surge in transits from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia has triggered a crackdown 0n foreigners staying illegally in Kenya.
A statement from the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government said there was a surge in the transits in the past four months.
“Majority of these travellers have originated from Pakistan and have valid transit visas to Saudi Arabia that are issued on arrival,” said Karanja Kibicho, Principal Secretary for Interior and Citizen Services.
Kibicho said the government was alarmed by the threat of COVID-19 pandemic posed by the influx of foreigners transiting through the country.
“Subsequently, the government has ordered an immediate crackdown on foreigners who are in the country illegally,” he said, “The exercise will be undertaken by the Department of Immigration and the National Police Service.”
He also warned that “going forward the government will restrict the number of foreigners transiting through the country to levels that do not pose a risk to Kenya’s national interests.”


Governor of Riyadh inaugurates STC Academy
(MENAFN- Saudi Press Agency)
Riyadh, Jumada I 25, 1439, February 11, 2018, SPA -- Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, the Governor of Riyadh Region, here today inaugurated the STC Academy for Digital Education and Training.
The academy is one of the initiatives of STC to achieve the objectives of the Kingdom Vision 2030 in developing the digital and leadership skills of the community, and enabling electronic services in the kingdom in the public and private sectors.
00:00 LOCAL TIME 21:00 GMT
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National general secretary of the Communist Party of India(CPI) Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy has said that there will be no pre-poll alliance with regional parties for the Lok Sabha elections.
Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Mr. Reddy ruled out any pre-poll alliance with regional parties but said that the Left parties would fight the elections together.
He said that in the post-electoral period, the Left parties would discuss with the regional parties to help bring a “united front” to power by keeping the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress at bay.
He said that a non-BJP and non-Congress platform was necessary now as people are worried whether a communal force will come to power.
He said that the United Progressive government at the Centre is responsible for the economic disaster in the country and people want the Congress to be removed while, at the same time, they do not want the BJP to come to power.
Immediately after the elections a non-BJP and non-Congress platform will emerge, he added.


GCC Patent Office Concludes Development Of Electronic Payment Program
(MENAFN- Saudi Press Agency)
Riyadh, Rabi'I 26, 1439, December 14, 2017, SPA --The Information Technology Team of Patent Office of General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for the Arab States has concluded in cooperation with specialists in the Patent Office in the Kingdom of Bahrain the development of electronic payment mechanisms and data transfer between electronic systems.
This came within the GCC countries' seeking to promote the stimulating environment to bring in new technologies including international patents and localize them in GCC countries.
14:39 LOCAL TIME 11:39 GMT
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Patna: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday wrote an open letter to the people of Bihar, listing the achievements of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by Nitish Kumar in the state.
PM Modi, in his letter, said that the issue of development is of paramount importance in Bihar in this election. “It’s a matter of pride for all of us that development has been the focus in Assembly elections this time,” Modi said in the letter.
He further added that the people of Bihar have seen development under the NDA government. “People believe that only NDA government can keep the momentum of development going in Bihar.”
Modi also urged people to exercise their vote for NDA comprising of the Janata Dal (United) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The Prime Minister then appealed the people to vote for NDA candidates and make Nitish Kumar the winner because he needs “Nitish Kumar’s government so development doesn’t stall”.
“I am confident that power of double engine will take the state on new heights of development,” he added.


Chennai, Nov 25 (IANS) Actor Sonu Sood is back to doing what he does best -- helping people in any way he can. This time, he's helping out well known south Indian dance choreographer Shiva Shankar, who is battling Covid-19 and is in a critical condition.
Well known publicists from the Tamil and Telugu film industries tweeted about the state of the dance choreographer, who has also acted in a number of films.
One tweet read, 'Noted Choreographer Shiva Shankar Master affected with #COVID19 and now in critical condition. Due to expensive treatment, the family is unable to pay the bills. Please help.' They had also put out his son's contact number.
Actor Sonu Sood, who got to know about his condition on Thursday replied to one of their tweets, saying, 'I am already in touch with the family. Will try my best to save his life.'
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Medak: Major irrigation minister Harish Rao on Monday said that the reoganisation of districts is being carried out on the guidelines of Chief Minister and the entire process was being carried scientifically.
Addressing reporters here on Monday, Harish Rao lashed out at the Opposition parties saying that they were misleading the people with false claims that the districts reorganization is being carried out unscientifically.
The minister asked TPCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddy to come to Siddipet and ask the opinion of his own party leaders if they wanted Siddipet as new district.
Harish Rao reiterated that the state government was committed to the development of the state and reorganization of the districts was being done with solely for the administrative purpose.
He reminded that even the earlier governments too promised to create new districts but failed to keep their promises but TRS fulfilled its promise and added that the new districts will come into effect from Dasara festival.
TDP and Congress are opposing the reorganization of districts for political gains and warned that people of the state would teach a befitting lesson for creating hurdles in the development of the state. (INN)


Billion rand Marikana lawsuit filed
Advocate Dali Mpofu will be representing the families involved in their case against the state. Attorney Andries Nkome will also be representing those injured and arrested during the Marikana strike.
The initial claims that have been filed with the court are for 336 injured miners against the state. However, Mpofu has reportedly revealed that further claims will be filed before October.
The other cases that may also be filed include cases against former Lonmin directors in their personal capacities, as well as several criminal suits that may include cases against Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega and former Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa.
NPA to challenge lawsuits
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has said that it will challenge the lawsuits that were filed against the state and government officials. According to reports, the miners in the lawsuit are demanding R3 million each.
A claim for damages has been laid against Lonmin and security company Protea Coin by the miners’ lawyers.
In addition to the various lawsuits that will be filed, Mpofu has also stated that the miners and their counsel want the Farlam Commission Inquiry into the Marikana killings to be reviewed.
A case of defamation against President Jacob Zuma may also be filed, according to a report, as he “has said time and again that the miners were killed because they were murderers,” revealed Mpofu.


Senior journalist Hamid Mir revealed that the elections will be delayed and the Chairman PTI will not be allowed to contest in the upcoming elections.
According to the details, senior journalist Hamid Mir made important revelations in ARWAI News’ program ‘Khabar Mehr Bukhari Saat’.
On the question regarding the elections in the program, Hamid Mir said that the Prime Minister has announced the elections to the Election Commission, the elections will be delayed and the matter will be handed over to the Election Commission, it will be said that there are no funds to conduct the elections.
The senior journalist said that a senior politician or a senior constitutional expert is being consulted, then the date will be repeated and constitutional experts and journalists will be included in the monitoring setup.
He said that the People’s Party wants to avoid elections next year and that a senior legal expert should come and conduct the elections.
Hamid Mir said that the trailers have not started yet, many trailers are left, the new party has been launched but it has not got the success that was expected, the people in the new party will start moving after the dissolution of the assemblies.
The senior journalist revealed that another party is to be launched after the Stability Pakistan Party, people are yet to go to the Stability Pakistan Party and the other party.
He further said that Nawaz Sharif was not allowed to participate in the coalition in 2018, and now the Chairman of PTI will not be allowed to contest in the next election.


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(MENAFN- KNN India)
Funding of Rs 375 cr approved for 102 incubators under Startup India Seed Fund
New Delhi, Aug 5 (KNN) Under the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS), Rs 375.25 crore have been approved to 102 incubators out of the corpus of Rs. 945 crore as of July 30 2022, said MoS for Commerce and Industry, Som Parkash, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Friday.
A total sum of Rs 81.45 crore has been approved for the 378 DPIIT recognised startups by the approved incubators under the Scheme.
In view of the North Eastern States two incubators from Sikkim and Assam have been approved a total sum of Rs 5 crore.
And a total sum of Rs 1.15 crore have been approved for 9 DPIIT recognised startups from North Eastern States by the approved incubators.
SISFS is being implemented by the Government with effect from April 1, 2021.
It provides financial assistance to eligible Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) recognised startups for proof of concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry and commercialization. (KNN Bureau)
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Libya: 90 people dead over capsized boat
(MENAFN) In the latest migrant tragedy, over 90 people are now dead after a boat capsized off the coast of Libya on Friday, the UN migration agency has said.
"At least 90 migrants are reported to have drowned when a boat capsized off the coast of Libya this morning," in a statement released by the International Organization for Migration.
"Ten bodies are reported to have washed up on Libyan shores," it added; two Libyans and eight Pakistani nationals are among the dead.
The migration agency also said that three survived after two swam to shore and another was rescued by a fishing boat.
The number of migrants and asylum seekers crossing the western Mediterranean Sea to Europe this year is likely to grow, after 2017 closed with more than twice the traffic of the previous year, warned Europe's border watchdog last month.
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(MENAFN- Jordan Times) AMMAN - Deputy Chairman of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce (JCC) Jamal Rifai and Hungarian Ambassador to Jordan Attila Kali on Saturday discussed means to enhance economic and commercial relations between the two countries and the role of chambers of commerce in boosting ties.
Rifai stressed the need to convene the Jordanian-Hungarian Business Forum on the sidelines of the Jordanian-Hungarian Joint Committee meeting, to be held later this year, with the aim of reviewing investment opportunities in the two countries and focusing on the sectors that could be marketed, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
Kali stressed the need to strengthen economic relations between the two countries and take advantage of available opportunities, as well as to exchange visits of delegations and trade missions. Last year, the Kingdom's exports to Hungary amounted to $1.15 million, compared with $34 million of imports from Hungary.
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.


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Advisor to the Prime Minister on National History and Literary Heritage Irfan Siddiqui has said that reforms were required in the law pertaining to the functioning of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) which would be carried out with the consensus of opposition parties.
Talking to PTV, he said the government had always taken all the political parties on board for taking all the major decisions.
He said positive criticism and reaction over the Prime Minister’s statement regarding NAB’s working was the right of the opposition. He, however, noted that not a single person had contradicted the statement.
“Even Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Leader of Opposition Syed Khursheed Shah were not satisfied with the performance of NAB,” he added.
He said all the major political parties including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and PTI had expressed confidence over the NAB Chairman but some objections were raised about the performance of the institution.
He said due to the steps taken by the government during the last three years, corruption had decreased, which was also acknowledged by the international community. Those who were levelling corruption allegations against the government should provide evidence if any, he added.


Which? Energy tarrif market 'uncompetitive'
Consumer body Which? has said the government should force energy companies to put their customers on their cheapest tariffs.
Executive director Richard Lloyd told the BBC News Channel that the move would lead to greater competition and benefit the "vast majority of customers".
18 Oct 2012
- From the section UK Politics


Gujarat Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki has said that the party would make rising prices and crisis arising out of the flood in some of the districts and drought affecting the farmers in other parts as its chief electoral plank during local bodies and municipal polls to be held in November as declared by the state election commission on Friday.
Addressing media persons here on Saturday, he said that the party would also raise the failure of state government in completing the construction of 50,000 kilometers of the Narmada canal for taking irrigation water to farmers fields, and poor health and educational facilities, besides unemployment among educated youths, as poll issues.
He said that the party would take strict disciplinary action against those indulging in anti-party activities.
The Congress leader said that the names of candidates on 80 per cent of the seats had already been cleared and the names for remaining 20 per cent seats would be cleared in the next few days.
He said that the party at a meeting today discussed the strategies to be adopted to improve its performance in the polls.


GOVERNMENT is studying the possibility of having a national airline and the ministry has prepared the necessary documents pertaining to its feasibility which are before Cabinet, says Transport and Communication Minister Brian Mushimba.
Mr Mushimba said that the national airline undertaking was put on halt last year following the economic difficulties the country experienced due to external shocks such as low copper prices on the international market as well as unstable local currency and the general election.
He said the economic indicators were now positive and stated that the ministry had finalised documentation in terms of what could be done on the planned national airline, saying it was still on schedule.
The minister said that the direction to be taken on whether or not to have a national flag carrier could not be decided by one person and would instead be decided by Cabinet.
“We started the groundwork but we postponed the programme last year due to economic external shocks such as low copper prices, instability of the Kwacha and we were going into an election period, so we thought it was not good to be planning such an undertaking but now the economy is looking up.
‘‘So as a ministry we have finalised documentation in terms of what could be done and it remains for Cabinet to give the direction to be taken,” he said.
Mr Mushimba, who is Kankoyo Member of Parliament, said that the Government was determined to open up all modes of transportation and had continued to invest and expressed hope that with the construction of airport infrastructure the country would benefit in various sectors such as tourism, among others.


Lebanon releases actor Ziad Itani claimed of spying to Israel
(MENAFN) A famous Lebanese actor,was arrested for months for claims of cooperating with Israel,has been released .
A judge released Ziad Itani from prison,and issued a detention order against the security officer who raised the case against the actor.
Mr Itani was under the suspicion of collecting data on Lebanese politicians with the intentions to hand it over to Israel.
Lebanon is not on a good terms with Israel,in the matter of fact,any one found guilty in collaborating with them will face the death penalty.
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Gemunu Wijeratne, President of the Ceylon Private Bus Owners’ Association said that the inter-provincial buses will commence operations from tomorrow (01) and there will be no increase in bus fares as there has been no increase in fuel prices. He said that passengers are being transported to the number of seats as per health instructions.
He was speaking to the media today (31).
Accordingly, passengers will be able to travel without any inconvenience from tomorrow, he said.
However, he said he hoped the government would provide relief to the private bus industry in the future.
Wijeratne said that due to the problem of the employees in the bus industry, a decision has been taken to run the buses without conductors and it will take another year to recover as the private bus industry has already come to a standstill.
Therefore, he stated that the they are requesting a leasing facility for the coming year as well.
He further said that the concept of essential services will be removed from tomorrow and the public will be able to travel in buses as usual.


Regime change destroyed everything, says Shaukat Tareen
ISLAMABAD (92 News) - Former finance minister Shaukat Tareen has said that they were improving the economy, but the regime change destroyed everything.
Talking to the media on Tuesday, he said that the prices of food items have increased manifold during the PML-N tenure.
He said that the PTI government displayed the excellent performance and Pakistan's policy was ranked at No 3 during the epidemic.
"The inflation is at its peak during the present government. The inflation rate was 12 percent during the PTI tenure, while it is 27 percent now," he added.


Consumer confidence rebounds in February
NEW YORK (AP) -- Americans seem to be more confident in the economy than they have been in the past few months. But that doesn't mean they're willing to spend more money.
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Saskatchewan health stakeholders and the 1991-96 wellnesss program
Powerful, entrenched health care stakeholders played a major role in limiting the health reform initiative of the Government of Saskatchewan in the 1990s. The politics of the decade was dominated by the fiscal crisis which prompted the government to embark on health care reform at the same times as it limited the scope of the reform. The narrative of Saskatchewan’s health reform efforts showed that the government focused on the politics of health care, specifically the need to manage the diverse and often competing interests of health care stakeholders. It also reveals the dynamic between the stakeholders, the press and public opinion. As health stakeholders expressed their concerns about health care reform, the press and the public became more critical and the government backed away from its commitment to health reform.
Master of Arts (M.A.)


Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said on Tuesday that his government will not increase the price of bread and assured that the basic food staple \"will maintain its current price.\" He also said during an Iftar, the Ramadan fast-breaking dinner, hosted by the Ministry of Political Development and Parliamentary Affairs on Monday evening, that the government was determined to restore the state\'s prestige and could no longer tolerate any chaos, abuse of general administration and strikes \"that could have led to the government going bankrupt.\" \"The government has actually and smoothly taken certain steps to restore the state\'s authority and will continue doing so, working in earnest to boost the state of law and strengthen the institutions. It is an effort that warrants collective cooperation and solidarity to fulfil the message that we aspire for,\" he said in comments while replying to remarks by heads of political parties. However, he emphasized that restoring the people’s confidence in the state institutions required fairness and justice on the part of the authorities, pledging likewise \"since the higher national interest requires building a strong, firm and just state.\" Minister of Political Development and Parliamentary Affairs Mohammad Momani said the gathering was meant to underpin the government\'s connection with political forces as an expression of its openness and keenness to keep them posted on its policies and stay in tune with them on national issues. Momani said his ministry had \"an ambitious\" program to deal with political parties in the next phase. Party leaders have demanded new elections and a political parties’ law \"to take the country forward towards a better reality, and support and encourage the parties to participate in the upcoming municipal elections.\" They stressed \"national reconciliation\" and dialogue as the key to finding proper solutions to national issues and to pull out the country from the current situation, while underlining the unease felt by the people on account of rising prices. They also called for \"an integrated\" national program to build a strong and independent economy. Some party leaders also said that there was \"a sense among the people about public freedoms being curtailed,\" referring to the detainees, a crackdown on online news websites and a crisis gripping the print media.


President Ilham Aliyev appoints new head of Azerbaijan's representative office at EU
(MENAFN- AzerNews) President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree on the appointment of Vagif Sadigov as the head of Azerbaijan's Representative Office at the European Union.
At the same time, Sadigov will also remain as the country's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Belgium.
Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
- #ILHAM ALIYEV
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Hyderabad: The BJP high command has been targeting Telangana state, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala under the Purn Bharat Mission to come to power in these states.
BJP chief Amit Shah in his recent visit to Telangana state, met with the core committee leaders of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh wings of the party.
Sources close to the Telangana wing revealed that during the meeting Mr Shah is said have indicated to the Purn Bharat Mission of the party to the leaders and gave them directions to them to work to achieve the mission, firstly targeting Telangana state.
The BJP chief seems to have asked them to fight against the TRS on the lines of West Bengal where the party took a hard line against the Trinamul Congress of Mamata Banerjee.
According to sources, Mr Shah explained to the leaders that during his first term, TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had tried to project that the BJP government had soft pedalled towards to the TRS. “This was not correct,” Mr Shah told them.
He asked them to concentrate on Telangana state first as there is a political vacuum with the Congress shattered, the sources added.
Sources said that Mr. Shah said that he will visit Telangana every month and also ensure that one of the Cabinet ministers visits Telangana once in 15 days to work out strategies from time to time expand the party base in the state.
According to sources, Mr Shah asked party leaders to enrol more youth during the ongoing membership drive and also take steps to attract potential leaders of the Congress, TRS and the Telugu Desam towards the BJP so that they can field strong candidates against the TRS in the 2023 elections.
Sources said that the BJP national president instructed party senior leaders in the state to field candidates in the ensuing urban local body elections and work hard to win more seats so that the ground is built for the party in the urban areas to give a tough fight to the ruling TRS in 2023 Assembly polls....


Despite concerns raised by a section of the Ghanaian public over the decision by the government to allocate some amount of money towards the construction of the National Cathedral, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta says the amount was only a small portion of the annual budget.
Speaking on the state broadcaster, GTV on Sunday, Mr Ofori-Atta described the project as a righteous project.
He opined that the project is one that would lead to national transformation and spirituality.
Reacting to claims that the government has spent Ghc200 million on the project he said But clarifying matters, the Finance Minister said “Government has spent about GH¢ 30 billion in terms of our expenditure, I think this year, we’ve spent at least GH¢ 25 million on the National Cathedral, which is one-thousandth [of the budget].”
He said the Akufo-Addo government is not focused on just the economic benefits of the project but is committed to building “a righteous state in which the Lord promises.”


(MENAFN- The Conversation) Professor of Music, Australian Catholic University Profile Articles Activity
Tim McKenry is a music researcher, composer and educator. His research interests include issues of ethics in music, Australian art music and cultural identity, music pedagogy and music theory. Recent research projects include studies of the pedagogical inheritance that informs the teaching of composition in Australian secondary and tertiary institutions, a major survey of contemporary Australian opera and a study of the ethical practices that inform music practice in Australia.
- –present Professor of Music, Australian Catholic University
- 2008 University of Melbourne, PhD
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Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa said that the public service in Sri Lanka has become a burden to the country.
Addressing a press conferece on Budget 2022, Rajapaksa said that it is very difficult to allocate money for the public service at the moment.
“The people has to accept the fact that the public service has become a burden to the country. To allocated funds for the public service, we have to take the money required from the citizens. So, the people should understand that it will be difficult to allocate money for the public service at least for a year,” he said.
Although the government did not increase salaries of public sector employees, several non-monetary compansations have been given to them.
When Sri Lanka got independence, there was only one public service employee per 118 people. But now there is 1 public service employee per 13 people, Rajapaksa noted.


Water supply and sewerage connections at major government institutions in Murang'a might be terminated soon following huge debts they owe to a water company. Muwasco Managing Director Daniel Ng'ang'a said on Tueday that the company has issued a 14 days' notice for the institutions to clear their water bills amounting to Sh18 million failure to which the company will disconnect their water supply and also block their sewer connections. Murang'a District Hospital owes the water company Sh13 million over the last two years.
Other institutions that have not paid their water bills include Murang'a GK Prisons and Murang'a police station, police quarters and the provinccial administration headquarters. He said the situation has slowed down operations adding that over 7,000 families will run short of water if the company closes down.
The Director said the sewerage connection at Murang'a District Hospital will also be blocked if the hospital management fails to clear their water bills. "We know that the hospital can get water from their borehole but to make sure that they pay us the money we shall also block their sewerage system," he added.
The water company boss noted that the district hospital has not paid their bills since year 2009 adding that their efforts to have them pay has hit a snag. "We have issued notices to the hospital more than three times to have them pay their water bills but they keep on insisting that they have no money," said Ng'ang'a.
He wondered whether the government institutions do not put water expenses in their annual budgets. "Most of the government institutions have been asking for time to clear their debts but fail to honour their promises or pay to little compared to their water consumptions," he said. He said the company will not hesitate to disconnect the institutions from their water and sewerage connections if the 14 notice elapses


Another 10 people tested positive for coronavirus Sunday, bringing the total number of cases to 70, according to the Galveston County Health District.
One person, a woman in her 70s, had been hospitalized because of coronavirus.
The health district also announced positive tests for two people in their 20s, three people in their 30s and four people in their 40s. These people all were self-quarantining.
Three people had contact with a known positive case of coronavirus, according to the health district.
Five people had recovered from the virus, and there were no local deaths as of Sunday, according to the health district.
The health district has not released figures of how many people in Galveston County have been tested in total during the pandemic response.
The health district, the University of Texas Medical Branch and private labs are conducting testing in the county, officials said. The county’s current testing capacity is about 225 tests a day, according to the health district.
As of Saturday afternoon, there were 2,552 cases of COVID-19 reported in Texas, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
The virus has killed 34 Texans, according to the health department.


The Maldives Civil Servants Association (MCSA) has said that a large numbers of its members have requested to take strike action over reduced public sector salaries.
The government had pledged to reduce the salaries of civil servants along with the amount it pays independent commissions as part of attempts to slash costs during an era economic uncertainty.
By last year, civil servants demanded to have their salaries restored by 2011 and also demanded to add the restored salaries to this year’s budget.
President Mohamed Nasheed had said that the civil cuts were possibly to have been revoked by the end of last year.
However, it is the salaries of independent commissions that have been restored, alongside proposed hikes in the wages and privileges afforded to MPs, leading to protests across Male’ during the last few days from various groups.
”The majority of the civil servants want to be on strike, they are unhappy about the reduced salaries,” said Abdulla Mohamed, Spokesperson of the MCSA. ”They wish to stop work for five days.”
Mohamed said that the association had informed the Civil Service Commission (CSC) about the strike last Thursday, but added that it had yet to responded to the association on the matter.
”We do not have much hope that the salaries will be restored,” Mohamed said. ”Nobody seems to realise the importance of civil servants, so when they stop their work, people will understand the services they deliver.”
The MCSA has said that it hopes the strike action will bring the issue of civil service cuts to the attention of the government and the wider international community.
”We know the strike will not restore salaries for the sector and we also understand it is no solution,” the MCSA spokesperson added. “But we just want to bring it to the attention of the international community and the government.”


Author urges kids to read, write
WINCHESTER — A New York Times best-selling author is visiting Winchester’s four elementary schools this week to motivate students to read and write.
New York resident Nick Bruel, 48, is the …
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One in four Americans who have coverage are still worried about expenses associated with major illness.
A recent poll has shown that despite the fact that people are covered by health insurance, they are still maintaining a certain level of concern when it comes to the financial impact that they would face if they should ever experience a major illness.
The research showed that one quarter of Americans who do have a private health plan remain worried.
This reveals that despite the fact that they do have health insurance coverage, it has not managed to make them feel confident that if an unexpected medical expense should arise, they would be able to make it through financially unscathed. The poll was conducted by the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. This was notable as it revealed that while the vast majority of people do feel confident with the coverage that they have through their health plans, there remains a significant enough chunk of the population that is still worried about what their policies do not cover.
The largest concerns are from people whose health insurance plans have the highest deductibles.
People who have health plans that still require them to pay a considerable amount of any given medical bill before the coverage actually kicks in are the ones who have expressed the highest level of worry when it comes to having to face the type of expenses that would come with a major illness.
This helps to bring some clarity to the current level of skepticism that President Barack Obama continues to face from a segment of the population, when he states that the health care reform is managing to keep medical costs down.
Within this group of people, the numbers are rising in terms of those individuals who have had coverage through their employers and those who have purchased their own private coverage through one of the insurance exchanges that was created in response to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
The individuals who had the health insurance with the highest deductibles were also those who were the most likely – among those who have coverage of some form – to forgo treatment that they required, the out of pocket costs would have depleted their savings.


United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) and German International Cooperation (GIZ) have called on government to capitalise on social protection programmes to ensure development and poverty reduction.
Malawi included social protection programmes as a sub-theme in the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy II (MGDSII).
In an interview on Tuesday in Mzuzu during a social protection programme training, Unicef chief of social policy Edward Archibald said social protection is key to the development and poverty reduction policies and strategies of any country.
“As the country will be designing the new national development strategy, we anticipate that social protection will continue to feature prominently and adequate resources allocated to the sector and programmes,” said Archibald.
GIZ social protection programme deputy team leader Selvi Vikan said Malawi needs to be more organised in implementing components of social protection programmes.
She said GIZ is impressed with the way the programme is impacting on people’s lives.
Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development director of social protection Harry Mwamlima said government appreciates the need to enhance social protection programme.n


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Maulana Fazl Ullah cornered: Rehman Malik
Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said leader of Tehreek-e-Taliban Swat Maulana Fazl Ullah has been cornered and there are reports of him being wounded.
Talking to a private TV channel, Rehman Malik said that there are reports of head of TTP Maulana Fazl Ullah being injured in the Security operation being launched against militancy and he has been cornered.
However, due to security reasons, we cannot give out any further details. Rehman Malik said that extremism is not a problem of today but it has been carried on since last ten years and extremists have gained strength in Swat, Malakand and Tribal Areas.
He said that they wanted to impose their will on government and impose their agenda on the people through gunpoint.
The real aim of the military operation is to foil their designs and bring an end to extremist forces, he pointed.
He said that the manner in which Pak Army and other forces are engaged in combat operation is truly commendable.
He further said that operation in Waziristan has been started while Bait Ullah Mehsud has not escaped.
He said that we have arrested eight suicide bombers from various areas of country.
He further said that Pakistan is sincere in investigating the MTA and we have forwarded to India further questions regarding the attacks.


(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)
Published: Sun 23 Jan 2022, 6:20 AM
The weather in UAE will continue to be cold and cloudy and on Sunday, according to the national Met department (NCM).
The weather forecast for today is partly cloudy at times especially over some coastal areas.
It will get humid by night and Monday morning with a chance of fog or mist formation over some internal and coastal areas.
Temperature is expected to drop to a low of 2°C in mountain areas.
- UAE weather: Residents experience 'windiest' start to weekend in recent memory
- UAE weather: Dust, rough sea alerts issued as strong winds continue
Light to moderate winds, freshening at times especially over the sea.
The sea will moderate to slight in the Arabian Gulf and in Oman Sea.
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Police probe violent clashes between students and police
April 1, 2015 05:22 pm
The police on Wednesday launched an investigation into the violent clashes which erupted between local university students and the police on Tuesday resulting in several people being injured.
Police Spokesperson, ASP Ruwan Gunesekara said that investigations will be carried out by a police team who are in charge of the area where the clashes erupted.
Hundreds of university students protested on the streets of the capital Colombo on Tuesday urging the new government to respond to several demands to ensure students’ rights.
Riot police were called in when the students attempted to forcefully proceed towards Temple Trees, the official premises used by the President and Prime Minister for meetings, disrupting traffic in the heart of Colombo.
Police fired tear gas and water cannons at the protesting students in an attempt to prevent them from approaching Temple Trees resulting in violent clashes erupting between the students and the police.
Director of the National Hospital, Dr. Anil Jasingha said that ten students were admitted to the Colombo National Hospital due to the violent clashes.
Seven police officers had also been injured following the pelting of stones by the university students and according to the police, one injured police officer was currently receiving treatment at the National Hospital while the remaining officers were receiving treatment at the Police Hospital in Colombo. -- (Xinhua)-–


(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer)
New Delhi- Telecom operator Bharti Airtel on Friday announced the launch of its 5G services in Samba, Kathua, Udhampur, Akhnoor, Kupwara, Lakhanpur and Khour.
In a statement, Airtel said its 5G services will be available to customers in a phased manner as the company continues to construct its network and complete the rollout.
“Samba, Kathua, Udhampur, Akhnoor, Kupwara, Lakhanpur and Khour get ultrafast Airtel 5G Plus services in addition to Jammu and Srinagar cities,” the company said in a statement.
Adarsh Verma, Chief Operating Officer of Bharti Airtel, Jammu, Kashmir & Ladakh said:“Connectivity to our customers in the Valley is in line with our commitment to bridge the digital divide and connect communities who need it the most”.
“We are in the process of lighting up the entire Union territory which will allow customers to enjoy superfast access to high-definition video streaming, gaming, multiple chatting, instant uploading of photos and more,” Verma added.
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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says the Malawi Government needs to balance public investment against potential fiscal risks.
In its country report for Malawi released on Wednesday, IMF said public investment in Malawi has been volatile compared to neighbouring countries and that the number of public-private partnerships has also been small in recent years.
According to the report, project loans and grants accounted for more than 84 percent of total public investment in 2017, representing a significant increase from 2015 when only 64 percent of total public investment was externally-financed.
Over the last three years, project grants have averaged 54 percent of total externally-financed projects compared to 46 percent for project loans.
IMF said indicators of Malawi’s performance in public investment management are mixed.
On the positive side, IMF said performance is relatively strong in areas such as the country’s comprehensive national planning system, coordination between central and local government, the comprehensive public sector investment programme and well-enforced restrictions on moving budget funds from capital to recurrent spending.
Reads the report in part: “We have noted failure to apply cost-benefit analysis systematically to large projects along with significant gaps in the data published in the budget documents on capital investment costs and multi-year contracts.
“There is also unpredictability in the funding of capital projects and vulnerability to in-year budget cuts.”
University of Malawi’s Chancellor College macroeconomist Lucius Cassim said Malawi has good policies to spur investment, but implementation is a challenge.
“To some extent, we have proper guidelines to support public sector investment but from experience, the problem is that we do not put those polices into practice. Other than this, Malawi Government invests in sectors that are less important largely because of political reasons living out key areas,” he said.
Commenting on the IMF assessment, Treasury Secretary Ben Botolo said government will factor in the recommendations by IMF.
He said government continues to prioritise public investment to spur economic growth and support private sector in doing business.
“For the past four years, our priority has been to stabilise the economy to ensure that we maintain the same. But the whole idea is that while all this is happening, the economy should be growing.
“We know that it is infrastructure other than production of goods and services that will help the economy grow. We thus take the suggestions to improve this sector seriously,” he said.


UK’s Development Minister meets with Somalia president
President Ismail Omar Guelleh, who was returning from a meeting in Ethiopia, had left the airport shortly before the shooting took place on Monday afternoon, they said.
The Republic Guard said in a statement that one of its soldiers had "suddenly opened fire" injuring two people, including a Republican Guard doctor.
It gave no motive for the attack but said an investigation had been launched. There was no immediate suggestion of a political motive for the shooting.
A spokesman for the Guard said three people had been injured in the incident. He said the doctor was the president
UK Minister Mitchell praised the Somali government and its people for their courage and commitment to fight against Al-Shabaab and progress in debt relief through economic reforms.


New Delhi, Jan 18: Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Monday, Jan 18, said that India's wholesale sugar prices has gone down in the past two to three days.
Pawar further said that retail rates are also expected to fall in 10-15 days.
Indian inflation jumped to a one-year high of 7.3 percent in Dec 2008 driven by high food prices.
Food inflation was slightly moderated to 17.28 for the week ended on Jan 8.
Last week, the government had announced measures to curb the rising food prices.


(MENAFN- Trend News Agency)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 28. The number of
Azerbaijan's PASHA Bank customers using contactless Apple Pay
payments reached 7,000, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board of
PASHA Bank Javid Guliyev said at a press conference on the results
of 2021, on June 28, Trend reports.
Guliyev said that Pasha Bank provided its customers with a
service to obtain a loan online in 2021.
'This platform can be used for both business and consumer
lending. More than 2,000 loans have been issued through this
platform,' Guliyev noted.
According to him, the bank's non-cash turnover amounted to 40
percent of its total turnover in 2021.
'We have more than 7,000 users of Apple Pay contactless
payments, until now,' Guliyev added.
CEO also emphasized that all requirements of PASHA Bank's
information systems meet the international and local standards of
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Traffic will no longer flow north and south on Superior and the area will be landscaped.
“This was part of the deal on the table that if we closed three crossings, CN would reopen the trestle across the Fox River,” said Paula Vandehey, the city’s public works director. “The council didn’t approve the third, which was at Locust Street.”
The second “quiet” crossing that was closed to traffic is 8th Street near Pierce Avenue.
Vandehey said negotiations are ongoing with the railroad about the trestle.


Mayor's Notebook: City streets, city parks, city squads
Although the weather has certainly been chilly over the past weeks, the snow and cold bring out the snowmobiles and ice fishermen, among others. It’s nice to see the trails and lakes in use.
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A majority of Americans blame sites like Twitter and Facebook for dividing the country — even as around the same amount admit to using social media at least once a day, a poll released Sunday shows.
Sixty-six percent of adults say they log into social media at least once a day, while 33 percent don’t, an NBC News poll found.
But 64 percent of Americans said they believe the platforms do more to divide the country — including 77 percent of Republicans, 65 percent of independents and 54 percent of Democrats.
Just 27 percent think the social media platforms do more to unite the country.
The sentiment against the social media giants appears to be hardening.
Fifty-seven percent of the Americans responding to the same question last year said the platforms were more divisive and 35 percent said they were more uniting.
Among the Americans who use social media every day, 49 percent say it makes their lives better, while 37 percent said it makes their lives worse.
And the COVID-19 pandemic has given Americans more reason to log on, with 43 percent saying their screen time has increased. Forty-nine percent said it has stayed the same, and 8 percent said it has gone down.
The poll was conducted April 17-20 and surveyed 1,000 adults.
It has a plus/minus 3.1 percentage points margin of error.


(MENAFN – Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) KUWAIT, Feb 23 (KUNA) — His Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received at Bayan Palace Tuesday His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.
His Highness the Amir also received, in the presence of Foreign Minister Dr. Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah, Director of the Chinese Central Foreign Affairs Commission Office Yang Jiechi.
The official delivered to His Highness the Amir a verbal message from Chinese President Xi Jinping focusing on historic bilateral relations and ways to enhance them on all possible levels.
The message also touched on issues of mutual interest as well as regional and international development.
Officials from the Amiri Diwan and the office of His Highness the Amir attended the meeting. (end)
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Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) President Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal had said that it will stop supporting the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led government if they continue to ignore the party while making decisions about Balochistan, including matters related to Gwadar and Reko Diq.
According to a local media report, Mengal said that the party members voted for PTI candidates in the elections after signing a six-point accord with it, adding that BNP-M would not betray the people of the province as they put their trust in PTI during the elections on the promise that the province’s natural resources and its coast would be protected.
As quoted in the report, Mengal said that his party would not compromise on Balochistan’s shares in development projects including those under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Moreover, the BNP-M and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) have boosted the campaign for their joint candidate in the by-election on provincial assembly seat PB-40 (Khuzdar).
The two parties will work together and protect the rights of Balochistan and that no one could force them to withdraw from their struggle for the rights of the province’s deprived people.


The federal government says “politics and logistics” problems are the major reason it has not received the first batch of 100,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against COVID-19.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said this on Sunday .
He said the issue of vaccines was a serious one to the government which had put every needed infrastructure in place for its storage.
“The fact that these vaccines will now come in February is not due to Nigeria’s fault. “We are very ready to receive the 100,00 doses and we have the infrastructure, even when it is going to be preserved at about -70 Degree Celsius,” he said.
The minister said the ultra-cold freezers to store the Pfizer vaccine candidate doses upon their arrival in the country had already been acquired before the companies said it had to wait till February.
He said government had also accessed the African Union (AU) and other international agencies for vaccines, adding that Nigerian targets to vaccinate 70 percent of its population in the next two years.


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Raiders baseball ends season with close loss to Owatonna
It's been a road full of challenges and accomplishments for the Hastings Raiders baseball team.
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China, Russia oppose US sanctions strategy
(MENAFN) On Thursday, the United Nations Security Council struggled to achieve an agreement on fresh sanctions targeting North Korea (the DPRK). Washington recommended the sanctions in the aftermath of Pyongyang's latest missile launch this week, which coincided with US Vice President Joe Biden's Asia travel.
The vote came only a day following North Korea was accused of testing its strongest intercontinental ballistic missile, as well as two other missiles. Prior to the voting, US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield urged world solidarity in the face of "a threat to the entire international community."
Nevertheless, on humanitarian reasons, China and Russia opposed fresh measures, citing their futility and even "inhumanity" as North Korea battles to contain a huge Covid-19 epidemic.
Following its first nuclear test in 2006, the UN Security Council imposed sanctions on the nation, which have since been reinforced. Since the most recent round of sanctions in 2017, Moscow and Beijing have progressively argued that further stress is a dead end that is unlikely to convince Pyongyang to disarm unilaterally.
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Urban areas across the state are facing a number of economic and financial problems, especially in smaller cities. So Tuesday, the Senate Democratic Policy Committee held a roundtable discussion at the Allison Hill Community Center in Harrisburg to talk about issues facing the state’s smaller urban area’s and their surrounding communities. State Representative-Elect Patty Kim says those who can afford to leave are leaving and those who can’t are staying. And those people who are staying need to have better quality public education and they also need to have jobs.
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The officials on Wednesday informed that Jammu and Kashmir reported nine persons succumbed to the Covid-19 while 2304 new cases were also reported in last 24-hours.
They said 996 of the fresh cases were confirmed from Jammu Division and 1308 from Kashmir Valley, taking the total count to 440480.
Regarding the fresh fatalities, the officials said that five among them were reported from Jammu division and four from Kashmir valley.
Also, 4692 people have died due to the virus—2294 in Jammu and 2398 in Kashmir Valley.
They said around 5024 Covid-19 patients recovered during the time—1433 from Jammu Division and 3591 from Kashmir.
So far 405959 people have recovered, leaving active case tally at 29829—8547 in Jammu and 21282 in Kashmir.
They said there was no new confirmed case of mucormycosis (black fungus) reported today.
So far 51 black fungus cases have been confirmed in J&K, the officials said. They also informed that 45345 doses of covid-19 vaccine were administered during the time in J&K.


Fiji's attorney general has told the Legal Aid Commission that it needs to do more to advertise its services and cater for all Fijians, especially those in remote areas.
Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum told a staff training meeting that the onus was on them to go out and spread awareness about what the government has to offer the people.
The Fiji Sun reports him saying that many Fijians were unaware of the Legal Aid service.
Mr Sayed Khaiyum said those living in the interior of the country, such as in Nadroga, have a right to the service and Legal Aid needs to do more outreach.
He said it's possible that the Commission can double its outreach budget to inform the public further.


Hamirpur (Arvinder): Out of the Himachal Pradesh Staff Selection Commission office, Hamirpur, dozens of candidates of Junior Officer Assistant Post Code 556 have been on hunger strike for the last seven days but none of the government and department representatives have corrected them. While sitting on hunger, Congress’s Sujanpur MLA Rajendra Rana inquired about the situation and assured the candidates that in the winter session of the Assembly, the matter of the candidates will be resolved by prominently putting it before the government. He expressed his anger at the injustice being done to the candidates sitting on hunger strike outside the Commission. He said that due to the careless bureaucracy of the state government, the future of the candidates is being played with.
He said that the matter would be taken up prominently in the Assembly and the sleeping government would be awakened. He accused the government that the last seven days were being pleaded for justice but still the government was not being affected. While sitting on hunger, the candidates told that they have been sitting on hunger strike for seven days, but no one has come to take care. He said that about 2400 candidates of the state have to fight for their rights. He said that all the candidates have passed the interview after the written examination but the minutes are taken out before the result is taken out, after which the case is also filed in the court, but now the future of the candidates is at stake. He said that during the Chief Minister’s visit to Hamirpur tomorrow, he will meet and plead for justice. At the same time, Rana quipped on Chief Minister Jairam Thakur’s visit to Hamirpur and said that BJP people only It has been limited to making statements because the foundation of the technical university campus was laid during the Congress time and budget provision was also done during the time of former CM Virbhadra Singh. He said that the condition of the roads inside the state is bad and has excluded Hamirpur from the map of development.


Chinese Physicists produce quickest quantum computer
(MENAFN) The quickest programmable superconducting major computing scheme have been made by Chinese Physicists.
The huge computing scheme, Zuchongzhi 2.1, can do large-scale unplanned quantum circuits sample 10 million times quicker than the rapidest supercomputer, in line with an official newspapers statement.
The statement moreover said "This remarkable feat makes China the first country to achieve a quantum computational advantage in two mainstream technical routes -- one via photonics quantum computing technology and the other via superconducting quantum computing technology."
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JVP Parliamentarian Vijitha Herath said that there is suspicion that such a deal was reached with former Parliamentarian Sajin Vass Gunawardena.
“There were serious allegations against Sajin Vass Gunawardena but because of a political deal he was granted bail and released and now he has been given police security and is being used by the Government,” he said.
The JVP MP said that his party will continue to protest against the Government over its secret political deals till corrupt politicians of the former regime are arrested.
Herath said that even the suspects wanted for murder, including over the murder of rugger player Wasim Thajudeen, have not been arrested, giving the impression they are being protected. (Colombo Gazette)


A reporter challenging Missouri’s refusal to allow him to witness an execution isn’t constitutionally guaranteed a right to see someone put to death, the state argued in asking a federal judge to throw out the case, reports the Associated Press. The state also said that it has legal immunity from lawsuits such as BuzzFeed News reporter Christopher McDaniel’s . . .
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National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal has said that an amount of Rs487 billion has been recovered from corrupt elements over the last three years.
Addressing the traders on Tuesday, the NAB chief said that 1,235 references were currently pending before different courts, “but not even one per cent of them were against businessmen”.
Iqbal maintained that NAB was no longer pursuing tax cases against the business community, adding that facilitation of the traders and businessmen was one of his top priorities.
The NAB chairman, however, said corrupt elements would not be spared. “There’s a difference between a business and a fraud. We prioritise the interests of the businessmen and will take steps to address their issues.”
He said billions of rupees have been recovered from illegal housing societies and returned to the affectees.
Iqbal regretted the propaganda campaign against the anti-graft watchdog but said that it would continue to perform its duties honestly without any fear.
“No threats or blackmailing will be a hurdle in the way of the bureau [in taking action against those involved in corruption],” he said. “We have been accused of everything except [spreading] the coronavirus,” he quipped.
He said those involved in the propaganda were the ones facing some sort of inquiry or investigation by NAB.”
Iqbal maintained that those who think that NAB has filed a wrongful reference against them may approach the court. “NAB is also answerable…we can respond to those levelling accusations against them but we stay silent.”
The NAB chief noted that those who were earlier known as ‘untouchables’ were now being summoned by the bureau, adding that the law and order situation has improved in the country due to the sacrifices of the armed forces.


UB postpones Wood Chopping Competition
KOHIMA, APRIL 22: United Brothers (UB) from Kohima Village announced that the Wood Chopping Competition which was scheduled to be held from April 30 at Solidarity Park, Kohima, has been postponed to next month due to the current COVID-19 situation and revised SOPs on Thursday.
UB assured that all those who have purchased the ticket can use the same for the event whenever it is being held and also informed that further notice will be issued by the team while keeping everyone’s safety in mind.
Citing reasons that the team also wants to organise the event on the best possible day since it is going to first of its kind in Nagaland, the UB team has also conveyed their apology to the players and the public for the inconvenience caused.
“On the bright side, we will come back more prepared and bring more entertainment,’ stated UB. (Page News Service)


Mandwa film club first anniversary to be celebrated at Lok Virsa
"We plan to have a potluck meal where you all can bring in a dish," she said.
She said that the event will also be streamed Live on Lok Virsa's official website:
Gul will present the history of films on the occasion.
Film Kasoti will also be screened on the occasion, adding that filmy quiz will also be held on the occasion.


‘PRODUCTIVE’ discussions have taken place between British and Spanish officials over Gibraltar.
No Gibraltarian officials were present at the meeting in Madrid, but the government was aware that the meeting was happening and they have been working alongside Number 10 on Brexit issues.
No information about the outcome of the talks has been released but the Gibraltarian government has been updated.
“Officials discussed a wide-range of technical exit-related issues, agreeing a constructive approach to addressing these, including where relevant to Gibraltar,” a spokesman for the UK government told the press.
“The UK is committed to fully involving Gibraltar as we prepare for negotiations to leave the EU, to ensure that their priorities are taken properly into account.”


(MENAFN- Nam News Network)
NEW DELHI, Feb 26 (NNN-PTI) – Two people, among them a political leader, in India's northern state of Haryana, were shot dead, and a couple of security personnel injured, in a shooting incident yesterday, confirmed a local police over the phone.
The firing incident occurred in Haryana's Bahadurgarh area, nearly 25 miles away from the capital, New Delhi.
Nafe Singh Rathee, who was a two-time lawmaker in Haryana legislature, and president of the state-level Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) party's Haryana unit, was travelling in his SUV along with his security personnel, when suddenly a few unidentified assailants opened indiscriminate firing at his vehicle.
While Rathee died instantly, an INLD party worker died while he was being rushed to a local hospital, said the local police. He added that, a couple of security personnel guarding Rathee were also injured in the firing incident.
The INLD had been a ruling party in the state.– NNN-PTI
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Patrick also said that the decision not to more quickly move in against the gunman was a “bad decision, and that decision cost lives.”
LT. 政府部门. 丹·帕特里克: We were told that there was a security officer and they were a little hazy on how the engagement went, but that a security officer was there. 好, it turned out he was not on campus. He drove on to the campus, but he was not on campus, as we were told and led to believe. No one mentioned the fact that there was this 45 minute-to-an-hour hold by the chief of the police of the school district while there were still shots being fired. 现在, we believe that most of those shots were being fired into the door of the wall to hold back law enforcement. But we don’t know.


ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar Saturday expressed satisfaction over the budget deliberations.
Chairing a meeting at the Ministry Finance to review the whole budget process, the minister said that this was for the first time that all the stakeholders including chambers, industry representatives and trade associations have been consulted prior to budget preparation and their genuine concerns have been taken care of in the budget document.
He observed that in the budget for next fiscal year, special schemes were introduced for the youth and to help poor segment of the society.
He said, the government has proposed measures to promote a culture of filing tax returns in the country to bring into net rich people who are not paying their due taxes.
We have also tried to remove the distortions and exemptions under the SROs regime and provided a level playing field to the industry, he said and mentioned that special incentives have been given to the exporters, agriculture sector, textile and IT industry to harness the full potential of the Country.
He said the government’s policies would ensure growth in agriculture and value added exports.
He said that as a citizen of Pakistan now it was duty of people to pay due taxes in order to provide fiscal space to the government to spend more on development projects and to help the poor segment of the society through the social safety net programmes.
He said that in line with the manifesto of the PML(N) and vision of its leadership, their policies aim at making Pakistan a country where its people can live in peace and prosperity.
He said that due to the prudent policies, the government has been able to put the economy back on track during the last one year.
Earlier, Dr. Waqar Masood, Finance Secretary and Mr. Tariq Bajwa, Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) briefed the Finance Minister on Finance Bill, proceedings in the Parliament and sought guidance on the budget process.
Rana Assad Amin, Advisor to the Finance Ministry and senior officials of the Ministry of Finance and FBR also attended the meeting.


In the hours since Michael T. Flynn resigned as national security adviser late Monday, two narratives have emerged, reports the New York Times. One, embraced by many in the traditional legacy media, centered on what Flynn had done that led to . . .
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With government's Make in India initiative completing one year today, industry chamber Ficci said the initiative has helped attract investments and improved business environment in the country.
"Make in India has been well received by the industry both in India and abroad and has started yielding results too. Also, we have seen a significant increase in FDI ever since the campaign was announced," Ficci Secretary General A Didar Singh said.
Make in India campaign, which aims to transform country into a global manufacturing hub, was launched on September 25 last year.
Pointing out that several initiatives have been taken by the government for simplifying the business environment, the industry body, however, said that a lot more still needs to be done.
"We are hopeful that business environment at the state level will be further simplified in due course as a result of government's initiatives both at the Central and state level.
"We have seen rationalisation and clarifications on some of the most time consuming clearances in the last 12 months which has given confidence to the industry and ensured faster execution of projects.
"As a result, we have seen the highest amount of investment projects getting completed in manufacturing in the quarter ending June 2015, since 2010," said Singh.
Photo credit: Indiatimes. File image.


The Borno state government on Friday donated N60 million to the victims of the Oct. 31 fire inferno in Maiduguri GSM market.
Usman Kadafur, the Borno Deputy Governor disclosed this while flagging off the cash distribution in Maiduguri.
Kadafur said that the gesture was to identify with the victims who lost thier sources of livelihood in the fire incident that had destroyed properties worth million of Naira.
He said that the government had prioritized attention in enhancing wealth and job creation through programmes and policies that would impact positively on the people.
He urged them to be law abiding and support the government in the development of the state.
Earlier, Sugun Mai-Mele, The Commissioner Local Government and Emirate Affairs, said more than 47 shops were razed and 500 people were affected in the incidence.
Mai-Mele, who is also the Chairman of Fact Finding Committee of the incident, said that other properties affected included 16 show glass temporary shades and one mosque.
He explained that the committee carefully selected those that were affected through the support from the leadership of the union.


India must try to be developed nation by 2047: Modi
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that India should aspire to be a developed country by 2047, the 100th anniversary of its Independence, and added that a BJP-led government will lay the foundation for this in the next five years.
Speaking at the release of the BJP election manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections here, he also said that his government had focused on meeting the requirements of the people in the last five years and it will seek to fulfil their aspirations in the next five years.
He said the Bharatiya Janata Party had already set targets for 2022, when the country will celebrate 75 years of its Independence.
“For that, the foundation has to be laid in the next five years,” he said.
Modi said that the BJP will create dedicated ministries to address concerns related to water availability and fishermen.


Stressed Kids Fret About the World
A study of 7-to-11-year-old Brits found that the climate crisis and terrorism have added to the usual pressures of school and friendships to drive kids batty. Luckily, schools that engaged world-weary children with lessons and activities related to global catastrophe managed to alleviate some of the tension.
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Pupils feared the world outside their school gate – those in urban areas were particularly worried about violent crime although parents’ biggest fear for their children was traffic accidents.
Researchers found that pupils in schools which tackled the problems they worried about, such as those with eco-clubs and recycling schemes to teach children about environmental problems, were happier.
“Where schools had started engaging children with global and local realities as aspects of their education they were noticeably more upbeat. In several schools children were involved in environmental projects and the sense that ‘we can do something about it’ seemed to make all the difference,” they write.
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Eight people have been arrested in Iran for alleged ties with the CIA, the U.S. spy agency, Iranian authorities said on Wednesday.
Official news agency IRNA quoted a senior Iranian intelligence official as saying that the suspects were “trying to gather information from recent riots and transmit them abroad.”
The individuals got orders to attend protests and prepare reports, said the official.
“Accordingly, six of them were arrested at riots and two others who had gathered information were busted before leaving the country,” the official added.
Demonstrations broke out across Iran on Nov. 15 after the government imposed


COLLEGE principals say that Dearing has failed to stress the crucial importance of the further education sector in strengthening post-16 education and the national economy.
The Association of Colleges says that the report fails to put the debate about higher education into context. Specifically, Dearing fails to stress the fact that the problem in the economy stems from a lack of people with vocational qualifications.
Roger Ward, chief executive of the AoC, said: "Sir Ron has been generous to further education but he could have been more generous. We have more graduates in many cases than we know what to do with. The real problem concerns the numbers of people with level-three vocational qualifications." Mr Ward said that the report had perhaps addressed the wrong debate.


KARACHI: Chief Minister of Sindh (CM) Murad Ali Shah on Sunday has said that he is aware about the national issues as he is not selected.
Talking to media at Ahsanabad Merit Cooperative Society open khachari, the CM Sindh said that there is need of 2000 billion dollar for comprehensive projects in Karachi.
Murad Ali Shah apprised that 64 schemes are continued in the metropolise adding that who every like to contribute for people of Sindh we welcome them.
Murad said that we got Rs 370 billion less amount from the federal government adding that provide us the amount which cut off as a tax and we will show you the development work.
He said that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari two months back has ordered the Sindh cabinet to resolve the problems of the people on their doorstep.
The CM announced that he will hold open Kachahries where all the ministers and MPAs will be accompany him.
The chief minister claimed that the federal government has not provided the promised funds for the development of Sindh. He further asked to tell how the people have got benefit from the policies of the incumbent government.
Federation is celebrating amid increasing inflation across the country, he added.
Murad Ali Shah said that those who got jobs by former Prime Minister (PM) Benazir Bhutto are now being sacked from their posts.