[Capital FM] Nairobi -- National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula has taken helm of the Bureau of East Africa Community Speaker amidst challenges facing the region bloc which include underfunding and perennial conflict.

[Capital FM] NAIROBI -- United States Ambassador to Kenya, Meg Whitman has announced her resignation after two years of being stationed in Kenya.

King Charles recently axed the Duke of York's £1million-a-year allowancePrincess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice are reportedly deeply concerned about their father, Prince Andrew, as his mental and emotional well-being continues to decline.Sources close to the family have revealed that the...

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Mari­time Affairs has prepared the draft of a new shipping policy, which includes provisions aimed at providing financial sec­u­rity to the owners of registered ships.

‘Pakistan Shipping Policy 2024’ will replace Pakistan Merchant Marine Policy 2001, as well as the amended version of 2019. The ministry organised a workshop of stakeholders on Wednesday to discuss the draft of the new shipping policy.

Maritime Affairs Secretary Syed Zafar Ali Shah, chairpersons of port authorities, senior officials of the maritime affairs ministry and stakeholders from the private sector participated in the workshop.

The policy makes it possible by legislation to furnish a bond of adequate amount to owners of any registered ship if it is detained or seized for any reason within the territorial jurisdiction of Pakistan, and it should be within 24 hours after taking the surety bond.

The secretary of maritime affairs informed participants of the workshop that the Shipping Policy 2024 has been made in accordance with the standards and rules of the International Maritime Organisation.

It was noted that the government should ensure that if the case is settled, the bail bonds are returned within one month.

In this regard, a help desk should also be established within the ministry of maritime affairs and special courts related to maritime affairs should also be set up having powers equal to high courts.

The draft proposes that the newly registered Pakistani shipping company will pay $0.75 per gross registered tonnage for five years, while currently the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) is paying $1 per gross registered tonnage on its revenue.

The rebate of $0.25 to new companies is likely to encourage domestic and national investors to show interest in maritime industry.

The draft has proposed that the registered Pakistani shipping companies would be allowed to seek financing from foreign financial institutions and banks.

A proposal to grant tax exemption for 10 years to new foreign shipping companies was brought forward by the participants of the workshop, and they stressed for assistance by state authorities to Pakistan shipping companies in opening foreign currency accounts.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2024

AFTER Pakistan floated the idea of ‘climate diplomacy’ to tackle cross-border pollution in light of smog which has engulfed vast tracts of India and Pakistan, a US official indicated on the sidelines of COP29 that the White House may throw its weight behind any initiative taken in this regard.

Last month, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz expressed her government’s intention to approach India to jointly counter the air pollution, which mostly comes from vehicular and industrial emissions, and is exacerbated in winter due to stubble burning.

Talking to Dawn on the sidelines of COP29 in Baku, Ali Zaidi — national climate adviser to the Biden administration — said the US was “100 per cent supportive” of partnership-based approaches to tackle problems that cannot be solved in isolation.

“In the US, we have this thing called the ‘good neighbour rule’, which governs smog. It actually was developed when we witnessed exactly this phenomenon in the US. So you know when it comes to cross-border pollution and cross-border issues, we are 100pc suportive of partnership-based approaches to tackle problems that cannot be solved on their own,” he said in response to a question about smog, which has made life unbearable for millions in Pakistan.

The White House official said the US was already active in the Hindu Kush — often referred to as ‘The Third Pole’ for housing the most glaciers in the world outside the polar regions — to better coordinate the mitigation response, because environmental impacts from glaciers do not isolate themselves to one jurisdiction.

“I think the regional solutions are a necessary complement to this sort of multilateral dialogue,” he said, referring to the COP summit.

The adviser said regional cooperation among relevant parties to address climate change would have more impact than putting “another ornament on a 1,000-page document (COP)”.

In response to a question about the failure of the world to help Pakistan after the 2022 floods caused damages to the tune of $30 billion, he said the global community needed to reinvent its approach to rebuilding from disasters, particularly by investing in pre-disaster mitigation.

According to the White House official, the US took a really long time to reengineer its thinking domestically in terms of building resilience into the recovery.

He favoured approaches that ran “consistent with the financial position” of states that needed to do rebuilding, saying there was a need to mobilise more countries to move more capital to help with adaptation and mitigation in these vulnerable countries.

In response to a question about the loan-laden climate finance framework, he said, “If you are targeting projects that have very clear cash flow and a strong counterparty then debt works just fine.”

He agreed some concessionary capital did need to come in depending on the technological aspect, the richness of the resources and the maturity of the market, while referring to India’s solar projects.

Vulnerable areas need significant grant-based aid, but there is still a need to figure out how to monetise risk reduction associated with adaptation finance and that’s why it was difficult to do. These places are going to soak up more grant-based finance, he said.

Speaking about the Trump-led US administration all set to take over from the Biden administration, he appeared optimistic, saying the states in the US will figure out how to provide the policy support even if the federal government stopped being part of it. About the US, he said it should remain part of the dialogue and be the author of the roadmap that will govern the contours of climate finance for decades to come.

Produced as part of the 2024 Climate Change Media Partnership, a journalism fellowship organised by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network and the Stanley Centre for Peace and Security.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2024

ADB has a vacancy for the position of Associate Project Analyst in the Sectors Group. The deadline for submitting applications is on 27-NOV-2024.

Doctor Who's ramped up production speed is part of why we're getting Double Moff this year.

Black and Hispanic voters defect from Democrats, who have long relied on identity-politics appeals.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) went live on X Wednesday, giving the public a way to question and see how tax dollars are being spent.

A Democratic elected official was arrested in Chicago after allegedly causing a three-car pileup and making inappropriate comments about the arresting officer’s penis.

Special Counsel Jack Smith is asking an appeals court to halt his appeal against President-elect Trump regarding the Florida case.

ESPN NBA writer Brian Windhorst criticized the Los Angeles Lakers' plan for Bronny James, who won't be heading on the road with the G League South Bay Lakers.

The Jets are in the midst of another disappointing season, but a former member of Gang Green is sharing some words of wisdom with the team’s standout cornerback.

Throughout her decades-long career, Goldberg has become one of the few entertainers to achieve EGOT status

Everything old is new again. Turntable Labs just launched Hangout, a social music platform that’s eerily similar to that champion of 2010s internet, Turntable.fm. The app is available as a web client or via an app for Android and iOS. It allows users to play virtual DJ, with over 100 million songs to choose from.

It not only functions like the old-school Turntable.fm. It even looks the same. There’s a stage, record players and cartoon avatars that sort of look like characters from South Park. I started my own room just to check things out and am pleasantly surprised at the sheer number of songs here that I actually like.

This is because those 100 million songs have been secured through partnerships with Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group. The catalog also pulls from Merlin, which represents a vast array of indie labels and rights holders.

The company likens the experience to “gathering around a jukebox or listening to albums with friends.” It seems that way to me, as someone I don’t know just jumped in my room and started playing their own stuff. To that end, folks take turns playing DJ. There looks to be room for five people at the same time to play a game of round robin with their favorite songs.

The robust catalog is one major difference from Turntable.fm. The platform didn’t have agreements in place with labels, instead relying on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and a partnership with ASCAP. This forced a number of rules on users as to how many people could be in a room at once and how many songs could be played each hour. It looks like those rules are now dunzo.

Turntable.fm originally went dark all the way back in 2013, before showing signs of renewed life in 2021. This could be a fun retro throwback to an age when we actually got our music recommendations from people, and not algorithms.

When Ontario Premier Doug Ford was compelled to abandon his attempt to use the notwithstanding clause to end a labour dispute in 2022, it was possible to believe the tide had turned against the Charter’s escape clause. But the political temptation to override legal rights is apparently still strong.

WASHINGTON — US President Joe Biden will meet Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for likely the final time on Saturday (Nov 16), senior administration officials said, as Beijing prepares for a potentially more confrontational period with Washington under Donald Trump. The two leaders are expected to hold talks spanning a range of global hot spots, including heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Lima, Peru, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters. He did not confirm the date of the meeting. It will be Biden and Xi's first known interaction since an April phone call. The two leaders have tried to keep tensions at bay over issues ranging from Taiwan to the South China Sea and Russia, and American demands for more Chinese help to stem the flow of the ingredients for fentanyl, the leading cause of US drug overdoses. Biden will raise concerns over a Chinese-linked group that recently hacked into private telecommunications of prominent US officials, Sullivan said.

Dear All,I want to get a pan card for a building association, for that I have submitted application to concern department using AOP (Association of Persons) option alongwith Notarized copy of Memorandum of Association, but as per Pan card authority they want other documents as proof of i

US President-elect Donald Trump has named John Ratcliffe, a former congressman and Director of National Intelligence, as his Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, contrary to feverish speculation that the job was going to Kash Patel, an Indian-American.

Unauthorised purchase of medicines and equipment from a private agency has come under the scanner of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) which is probing the financial irregularities in R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

The Indian government launched the official website for the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention, a key platform for engaging with the Indian diaspora worldwide. The convention, scheduled for January 8-10, 2025, will focus on the diaspora's contribution to a developed India.

The Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has said that its vigilance squads have made seizure of more than Rs 500 crores from across the poll-bound state in the past few days.

India hosted senior cancer physicians and policymakers from BIMSTEC countries during the annual meeting of National Cancer Grid (NCG) held at Mumbai's Tata Memorial Hospital.

On November 12, a new poster for the film was revealed, accompanied by a caption that read, "Official entry: India. Best International Feature Film - 97th Academy Awards."

In a recent development, Salman Khan's representative has clarified that the actor has no association with the show "The Great Indian Kapil Show" on Netflix.

1. NSE expands F&O segment with 45 new stocks, including Zomato, Jio Financial, LIC, DMart, and Paytm; check full list  Upstox
2. NSE to introduce futures and options contracts on 45 stocks from November 29, here's the full list  Moneycontrol
3. Jio Financial, Zomato potential Nifty inclusion candidates? Here is what analysts said  CNBCTV18
4. Exchanges make 45 new additions in the F&O following new eligibility norms | News on Markets  Business Standard
5. NSE adds 45 new stocks to F&O segment; Jio Financial, Zomato among notable entrants  The Economic Times

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon said on Wednesday he is leaving Elon Musk’s X, a decision made less than a year after X announced that “The Don Lemon Show” would appear on the social media platform three times a week. That deal was canceled before it was ever signed, and Lemon sued Musk and X […]

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CM APPL. 65920/2024 (Exemption) Exemption allowed, subject to all just exceptions. W.P.(C) 15698/2024

1. The present petition, filed under Article 226 read with Article 227 Constitution of India, seeks issuance of writ to the respondents directing respondent No.1 to not dispossess them from the premises in question. It is claimed that they are protected under Delhi Rent Control Act and the provisions of Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act (SARFAESI) cannot override the beneficial objective behind the enactment of Delhi Rent Control Act.

Minister of State for Fisheries George Kurian launches project; 10 lakh pompano, cobia fingerlings to be deposited in 10 selected locations

The station is being developed on a massive scale, providing commuting area on the southern side, in view of the crammed locality on the northern side

The oncologist who was attacked has been identified as Balaji Jagannath. He has been admitted in the ICU, and his condition is said to be critical

The survey also found that doctors were interested in using AI tools for early detection and personalised treatment plans to manage diabetes

The court gave authorities time till November 22 for demonstrating concrete action on removal of encroachments

Experts call for model behaviour from parents, supervision and restrictions on usage rather than a blanket ban