
By LISA MASCARO and FARNOUSH AMIRI WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard faced fresh scrutiny Monday on Capitol Hill about her proximity to Russian-ally Syria amid the sudden collapse of that country’s hardline Assad rule. Gabbard ignored shouted questions about her 2017 visit to war-torn Syria as she ducked into one of several private meetings with senators who are being asked to confirm Trump’s unusual nominees . Related Articles National Politics | Trump promises to end birthright citizenship: What is it and could he do it? National Politics | Trump has flip-flopped on abortion policy. His appointees may offer clues to what happens next National Politics | In promising to shake up Washington, Trump is in a class of his own National Politics | Election Day has long passed. In some states, legislatures are working to undermine the results National Politics | Trump taps his attorney Alina Habba to serve as counselor to the president But the Democrat-turned-Republican Army National Reserve lieutenant colonel delivered a statement in which she reiterated her support for Trump’s America First approach to national security and a more limited U.S. military footprint overseas. “I want to address the issue that’s in the headlines right now: I stand in full support and wholeheartedly agree with the statements that President Trump has made over these last few days with regards to the developments in Syria,” Gabbard said exiting a Senate meeting. The incoming president’s Cabinet and top administrative choices are dividing his Republican allies and drawing concern , if not full opposition, from Democrats and others. Not just Gabbard, but other Trump nominees including Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth, were back at the Capitol ahead of what is expected to be volatile confirmation hearings next year. The incoming president is working to put his team in place for an ambitious agenda of mass immigrant deportations, firing federal workers and rollbacks of U.S. support for Ukraine and NATO allies. “We’re going to sit down and visit, that’s what this is all about,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., as he welcomed Gabbard into his office. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary pick Hegseth appeared to be picking up support from once-skeptical senators, the former Army National Guard major denying sexual misconduct allegations and pledging not to drink alcohol if he is confirmed. The president-elect’s choice to lead the FBI, Kash Patel , who has written extensively about locking up Trump’s foes and proposed dismantling the Federal Bureau of Investigation, launched his first visits with senators Monday. “I expect our Republican Senate is going to confirm all of President Trump’s nominees,” said Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on social media. Despite widespread concern about the nominees’ qualifications and demeanors for the jobs that are among the highest positions in the U.S. government, Trump’s team is portraying the criticism against them as nothing more than political smears and innuendo. Showing that concern, nearly 100 former senior U.S. diplomats and intelligence and national security officials have urged Senate leaders to schedule closed-door hearings to allow for a full review of the government’s files on Gabbard. Trump’s allies have described the criticisms of Hegseth in particular as similar to those lodged against Brett Kavanaugh, the former president’s Supreme Court nominee who denied a sexual assault allegation and went on to be confirmed during Trump’s first term in office. Said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., about Hegseth: “Anonymous accusations are trying to destroy reputations again. We saw this with Kavanaugh. I won’t stand for it.” One widely watched Republican, Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, herself a former Army National Guard lieutenant colonel and sexual assault survivor who had been criticized by Trump allies for her cool reception to Hegseth, appeared more open to him after their follow-up meeting Monday. “I appreciate Pete Hegseth’s responsiveness and respect for the process,” Ernst said in a statement. Ernst said that following “encouraging conversations,” he had committed to selecting a senior official who will “prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks. As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources.” Ernst also had praise for Patel — “He shares my passion for shaking up federal agencies” — and for Gabbard. Once a rising Democratic star, Gabbard, who represented Hawaii in Congress, arrived a decade ago in Washington, her surfboard in tow, a new generation of potential leaders. She ran unsuccessfully for president in 2020. But Gabbard abruptly left the party and briefly became an independent before joining with Trump’s 2024 campaign as one of his enthusiasts, in large part over his disdain for U.S. involvement overseas and opposition to helping Ukraine battle Russia. Her visit to Syria to meet with then-President Bashar Assad around the time of Trump’s first inauguration during the country’s bloody civil war stunned her former colleagues and the Washington national security establishment. The U.S. had severed diplomatic relations with Syria. Her visit was seen by some as legitimizing a brutal leader who was accused of war crimes. Gabbard has defended the trip, saying it’s important to open dialogue, but critics hear in her commentary echoes of Russia-fueled talking points. Assad fled to Moscow over the weekend after Islamist rebels overtook Syria in a surprise attack, ending his family’s five decades of rule. She said her own views have been shaped by “my multiple deployments and seeing firsthand the cost of war and the threat of Islamist terrorism.” Gabbard said, “It’s one of the many reasons why I appreciate President Trump’s leadership and his election, where he is fully committed, as he has said over and over, to bring about an end to wars.” Last week, the nearly 100 former officials, who served in both Democratic and Republican administrations, said in the letter to Senate leaders they were “alarmed” by the choice of Gabbard to oversee all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies. They said her past actions “call into question her ability to deliver unbiased intelligence briefings to the President, Congress, and to the entire national security apparatus.” The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to coordinate the nation’s intelligence agencies and act as the president’s main intelligence adviser. Associated Press writer Stephen Groves contributed to this report.
Malawi drifted into the New Year 2024 still battling foreign exchange challenges and it seemed inevitable that the fuel shortages experienced in 2023 would re-emerge. But much as the fuel crisis has been linked to forex shortages, it was also connected to political meddling into Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) Board’s operations. Warnings came as early as August when The Nation reported that Mera was struggling to pay K785 billion to fuel suppliers who were importing the commodity into at a higher cost than the prevailing pump prices. The energy regulator had maintained the price of petrol at K2 530 per litre and diesel at K2 734 per litre since November 2023. By August, industry players were concerned with the price and as Mzuzu University-based economist Christopher Mbukwa told The Nation at the time, the prices were not reflecting reality and were working against players in the fuel sector. He said: “It is indeed the case of the State trying to mechanically hold the fuel pump price increase, which is unsustainable.” Consumers Association of Malawi (Cama) executive director John Kapito backed the calls for an increase in fuel prices, stating that further delays would lead to fuel shortage in the country. However, the government maintained its hold on prices due to concerns that a rise in the pump prices could worsen inflation, a general increase in the prices of goods and services in an economy. It is measured using a consumer price index (CPI, an aggregate basket of goods and services used in computing inflation. Fuel reserves were depleted. According to the National Stocks Fuel Report compiled by Mera, by October 1 2024, the country had 4.9 days stock of petrol and 15 days stock of diesel against the required three months of import cover. During the year under review, daily consumption remained at one million litres each for petrol and diesel and by mid-October, fuel reserves had dried up and consumers were feeling the pinch of the shortage as queues of more than 50 vehicles at one filling station became the order of the day across the country. For the first two weeks, there was mainly a shortage of petrol but the crisis eventually extended to diesel. The impact was huge. Public transport costs went up, trucks were stuck at filling stations for days and could not haul goods, including relief items while ambulances were grounded in some hospitals. On October 31, at the height of the crisis, Mera chief executive officer Henry Kachaje said the regulator and players in the energy sector were working on doubling fuel imports to restore petrol and diesel stocks “within the shortest possible period”. On the $75 million (about K130 billion) owed to suppliers for fuel supplied on open credit, he said they used $50 million (about K87 billion) secured from Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (Badea) and funds from local banks to pay back a huge chunk of the loan. Said Kachaje: “With the loan balance reduced, we expect that the suppliers will now be supplying us with fuel in higher volumes. We are also working to raise more forex so that we should not have fuel challenges during the Christmas period.” On November 27 2024, President Lazarus Chakwera addressed the nation for the first time about the crisis. Kachaje lamented about the open tendering process of procuring fuel which he said is not suitable for Malawi because of the country’s inability to generate the foreign currency needed for National Oil Company of Malawi (Nocma) and Petroleum Importers Limited (PIL) to pay international private sector suppliers. The President said his administration would transition Malawi from the open tender system for procuring fuel to a government-to-government arrangement that will make Malawi’s access to fuel more secure through better payment terms and cycle. On December 3, Parliament passed the Liquid Fuels and Gas (Production and Supply) Act (Amendment) Bill which gives the Minister of Energy the power to nominate an agent or State entity to import fuel without the oversight prescribed in the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets (PPDA) Act of 2017. Two days later, Chakwera travelled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where he held discussions with President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the government-to-government procurement system. Upon his return, the President told the nation on December 11 that the UAE President will be sending a team to Malawi in January 2025 to finalise the technical aspects of the arrangement. In mid-December, long queues resurfaced for two days and Nocma attributed the shortage to fuel supply challenges caused by post-election protests in Mozambique. As we close the year, availability of the commodity in filling stations has been erratic and the crisis remains to be resolved. Snaking queues have since resurfaced during the festive season.
Daily Post Nigeria Kano Govt pays new minimum wage of N71,000 Home News Politics Metro Entertainment Sport News Kano Govt pays new minimum wage of N71,000 Published on November 26, 2024 By Muhammad Bukar Barely three weeks after receiving the committee report for the review of the new minimum wage and the subsequent approval of N71,000, the Kano State Government has commenced the implementation of the newly approved wages. Kano State workers started receiving their salaries on November 25 with the approved increment. Remarking on the development, Kano State Head of Civil Service Alhaji Abdullahi Musa urged civil servants in the state to rededicate themselves to efficient service delivery. While reiterating the government’s commitment towards continuous improvement of the welfare of its workers, he admonished them to judiciously utilise the increment to better their living conditions by avoiding extravagant spending. Alhaji Musa also disclosed that in addition to the implementation of the new minimum wage, the Kano State Government has also commenced the payments of all the allowances of the health workers in the state. Related Topics: kano Minimum wage Don't Miss NOA starts awareness campaign to avert Lassa fever outbreak in Kogi You may like Kano Anti Graft Agency arrests 26 trailers of diverted Tinubu repackaged Rice Kano pupils decry inadequate toilets, frequent thefts in schools Minimum wage: December 1 deadline stands – NLC Buni approves N70,000 minimum wage in Yobe Minimum wage: Zamfara NLC threatens indefinite strike EndBadGovernance: Kano gov hands 76 minors to parents in Kano Advertise About Us Contact Us Privacy-Policy Terms Copyright © Daily Post Media LtdSyrian rebels free prisoners from Assad's notorious dungeons who celebrate in Damascus streets
NoneSporting CP 1 Arsenal 5 - Statement win, majestic Odegaard and how to keep Gyokeres quietGohar reiterates Gen Faiz's trial army’s 'internal matter' PTI has already said that PTI has nothing to do with charge sheet against General Faiz Hours after former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lieutenant General (retd) Faiz Hamid was formally indicted with multiple charges, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan sought to distance his party from the matter, stating that it had no connection to the case. The former chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) faces multiple offences, including engaging in political activities and violating the Official Secrets Act, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Tuesday. The process of field general court-martial (FGCM) was initiated against the retired general under provisions of the Pakistan Army Act on August 12, the army's media affairs wing said. Speaking to Geo News on Tuesday, the central leader of the former ruling party clarified: "The party has already said this that the charge sheet against General (retd) Faiz is an internal matter of the military." The PTI has nothing to do with the issue, said Barrister Gohar, adding: "The military operates under its own rules and regulations, under which it conducts trials." Reacting to General Faiz's arrest, the former prime minister, who was removed from office via a parliamentary vote in 2022, said that an open trial would benefit the country and allow it to prosper. "I demand an open trial of Faiz Hamid with media should be given access to cover it," said the ex-premier on August 21 during an informal interaction with journalists in Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail where he has been imprisoned for over a year in different cases ranging from corruption to terrorism. "If the military wants accountability for General Faiz [then] it should proceed and do it," Khan said, asserting that it is the army's internal matter. The former premier welcomed the development, saying that it was good that the army launched the process of internal accountability. However, he urged the military to ensure that the process of accountability should be across the board. In today's media talk, Barrister Gohar also replied to a question regarding the party's recently announced civil disobedience movement, saying that the upcoming anti-government movement is the party's founder Imran Khan's call and it would be discussed with him. It should be mentioned here that the incarcerated party founder on December 6 warned the government of launching a "civil disobedience" movement if his demands, including the judicial probe into the crackdown on party supporters, are not met. Hajj 2025: All 79,000 applicants declared 'successful' under govt scheme Asif dares PTI to 'stand firm' on civil disobedience call after Islamabad protest debacle Human Rights Day: HRCP says civil, economic rights under 'heavy strain' Nearly 400 Pakistani nationals evacuated from conflict-hit Syria