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magical rasp star ocean 2 remake Police fire tear gas as thousands supporting former prime minister Khan arrive near Pakistani capital... The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said part of its measures to strengthen the electoral system is to phase out the Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs), as means of voter identification on election day. INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, at a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC) in Abuja on Thursday, disclosed that 142 areas of amendments were identified from the recommendations contained in the 524-page report on the conduct of the 2023 general elections. The recommendations, according to him, include the general state of preparedness, voter management, voter education and public communication, political parties and candidate management. Others include electoral operations and logistics management, election officials and personnel, partnership and collaboration, monitoring and supervision, election technology, voting and result management, election security, electoral offences and the electoral legal framework. “There are eight recommendations that require legislative action by the National Assembly,” he said. Prof. Yakubu stated that out of this number, 86 of the recommendations require administrative action by the commission, stating that “very soon, the commission will make a presentation to the joint committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Electoral Matters as they continue to deliberate on electoral reform.” According to him, with the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), the use of the permanent voters’ cards (PVC) as the sole means of identification for voter accreditation on election day should be reviewed. Though he assured that those who already have the PVCs could still use them to vote, “but going forward, computer-generated slips issued to the voter or even downloaded from the Commission’s website will suffice for voter accreditation.” The INEC Chairman said this will not only save cost, it will also eliminate the issues around the collection of PVCs and the practice of buying up the cards from voters in order to disenfranchise them. He disclosed that the commission intends to review the mechanisms for a more effective implementation of agreements on logistics with the transport unions and other service providers, and said INEC will consolidate on its recent experience in Ondo State governorship election. “Similarly, the commission will step up action on voter access and distribution to polling units. “As a matter of urgency, the commission also intends to develop protocols for the cleaning up of the voters’ register in collaboration with other agencies such as the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the National Population Commission (NPC). “Other areas of reform include advocacy for affirmative action for greater participation of under-represented groups, a more robust voter education and public communication to combat fake news and misinformation,” he stated. Prof. Yakubu noted that there were also recommendations in support of diaspora voting, the unbundling of INEC with the establishment of electoral offences tribunal and a separate agency to handle the registration and regulation of political parties. He further noted that the recommendations noted that INEC officials, security personnel, ad hoc staff, observers and journalists who are deployed outside the places where they registered to vote, do not vote in elections. Prof. Yakubu stated that the meeting with the RECs was because of their frontline role in the implementation of the recommendations. The INEC Chairman said that 48 recommendations of the report require action by a variety of stakeholders, including security agencies, mobile network operators, statutory bodies, political parties, transport unions, civil society organisations and the media. He stated that the meeting with the REC would focus on issues of planning and reform learning from the experience of the 2023 general election. “Having released our 524-page main report on the election, a copy of which is available on our website, we have consulted widely internally with our own officials and externally with all major stakeholders. “With the conclusion of five major off-cycle Governorship elections and nine out of 21 bye-elections since the 2023 general election, this is the most appropriate time for us to commence the implementation of the recommendations arising from our review of the general election,” he added.Meta, the parent company of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, said Thursday it had donated $1 million to the inaugural fund of President-elect Donald Trump. A spokesperson for the company confirmed the donation, which The Wall Street Journal reported late Wednesday night. The donation is the latest swing in the up-and-down relationship between Trump and CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s company. Earlier this year, Trump publicly threatened Zuckerberg with “life in prison” if he did anything Trump viewed as illegal during this year’s presidential election campaign. The two men had dinner together last month at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Zuckerberg declined during the campaign to endorse either Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris, although he did praise Trump’s response to an assassination attempt in July, calling his raised fist after the shooting “one of the most badass things I’ve ever seen in my life.” The company’s relationship with Trump and other politicians has long been complicated because of how many people get their news from Meta’s apps. Trump’s successful 2016 campaign credited Facebook with helping to reach voters with digital advertising. In 2021, Meta suspended Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts , as did some other platforms like Twitter, after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Trump’s accounts have since been restored. But in recent years, the company has said it is trying to reduce the amount of politics in people’s feeds. Over the next four years, Trump’s administration will determine federal policy in a wide variety of areas that are important to Meta and other tech companies, including regulation of artificial intelligence and antitrust enforcement. At the tail end of Trump’s first term, in December 2020, the Federal Trade Commission sued to try to break up Meta , then known as Facebook. The vote was 3-2, with then-Chairman Joseph Simons, a Trump appointee, joining two Democratic appointees in approving the lawsuit. The case is still pending . One Meta board member, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, told the Free Press website this week that he has spent about half his time since the Nov. 5 election at Mar-a-Lago helping with the transition. Peter Thiel, another investor and a former Meta board member, is also a longtime Trump adviser.

Developed in collaboration with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) with funding support from the Government of New Zealand, the system is set to go live on January 6, 2025, a significant shift in how immigration applications and extensions are processed. In an interview with Cook Islands News, Elikana acknowledged that he was not aware of any immediate plans to revise immigration fees but noted the need for continual review of processes. “There’s always constant reviewing of our processes to make sure it’s faster and more user-friendly,” he said. “This is the first time we’re going online for our applications, so we’re looking at improving the services we provide.” The shift to an online system is expected to streamline operations, with applicants now taking on much of the workload by submitting their information digitally. The role of immigration officers will shift primarily to vetting applications, potentially reducing the labour-intensive processes of the past. “The last time, the justification for fees was based on man-hours or person-hours, to use a more politically correct term, spent on processing applications,” said Elikana. “Now, going online, most of the work is done by the applicants themselves.” Despite these advancements, the Minister stressed that the Ministry of Immigration remains a “critical component” in the development of the Cook Islands. He highlighted their role in facilitating migrant workers, who are essential to the nation’s economic growth. “Without their services, it makes it difficult for the development of our country,” Elikana said. “If they don’t allow migrant workers here, then we’re faced with a significant problem.” The transition to digital service is expected to enhance efficiency, but its full impact including any changes to fees, will likely unfold as the system comes into effect, according to Elikana.

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Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Teesside's Labour MPs and Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen have each accused the other of playing political games over efforts to secure an electric arc furnace in the area. Last week, Lord Houchen wrote to the area's six Labour representatives over a campaign to secure a furnace, following national reports that the proposals had been shelved, saying that "Governments of both colours have failed the steel industry, and I am big enough to say that". He urged the MPs to join him in fighting for the future of Teesside's steel industry by joining him in a letter to the Government on the issue. Instead the MPs - Anna Turley for Redcar, Chris McDonald for Stockton, Jonathan Brash for Hartlepool, Luke Myer for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, Lola McEvoy for Darlington and Andy McDonald for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East - issued their own statement in which they say they will campaign for steelmaking on Teesside but accusing Lord Houchen of "play(ing) political games". Lord Houchen hit back at the statement and said they were "making excuses" for not putting enough pressure on the Government. The row comes as Government is under pressure to provide financial support for British Steel as it bids to switch to greener steel production on Teesside and at Scunthorpe. The MPs' statement said: "Working collaboratively with stakeholders at both national and regional levels, as well as with the new Government, local MPs are driving forward projects that aim to transform our area for the better. These initiatives are about ensuring tangible benefits for everyone - from creating better jobs and...

Arewa Group Inaugurates Media, Publicity Committee