The Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) said in a statement that the monthly inflation rose by 2.1 pe rcent, hitting 19.2 per cent in November 2022….reports Asian Lite News
Egypt’s annual headline inflation rose to 21.9 per cent in December 2022, up from 6.5 per cent in the same month the previous year, the country’s official statistics agency reported.
The Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) said in a statement that the monthly inflation rose by 2.1 pe rcent, hitting 19.2 per cent in November 2022.
“The increase in prices of basic commodities was behind the rise in the monthly inflation rate,” CAPMAS said.
It said the prices of food rose by 4 per cent annually in the last month of 2022, with outstanding increases in sub-categories such as fruits, dairy products and grains.
According to Rashad Mohamed, an economic expert at Cairo University, the rise of inflation in December was expected due to the devaluation of the local currency and is predicted to further increase in January.
The Egyptian pound on Tuesday recorded 27.6 against the US dollar compared to 15.7 in March 2022 after it had been devaluated more than once by the Central Bank of Egypt.
He also attributed the rise in monthly inflation to external factors such as an increase in import values caused by growing inflation in the country’s major trading partners, particularly the European Union countries.
Given the Egyptians spend 40 per cent of their income on food commodities, Mohamed said the inflation will negatively impact people’s daily life.
Chris Kiptoo disclosed that the growth-friendly fiscal consolidation will be achieved through enhancing revenue collection…reports Asian Lite news
Kenya has announced plans to reduce its fiscal deficit in order to preserve the country’s debt sustainability.
Chris Kiptoo, Principal Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning, told journalists on Wednesday in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, that the government targets to reduce the fiscal deficit from 6.2 per cent of GDP at the end of the 2021/22 financial year which ended in June 2022 to 5.8 per cent in June 2023.
“This will lead to stability in growth of the public debt,” Kiptoo said during the public hearings for the financial year 2023/24 and the medium-term budget preparation.
He disclosed that the growth-friendly fiscal consolidation will be achieved through enhancing revenue collection and suspending expenditures in some recurrent areas such as domestic and foreign travels.
He revealed that the fiscal deficit is projected to decline further to 4.3 per cent of GDP in the 2023/24 financial year budget and 3.5 per cent of GDP over the medium term.
Over 150mn kids in Africa gripped by poverty, climate disaster: Report.(photo:kenya.savethechildren.net)
Nearly 7,000 health centres were forced to shut down due to the activities of armed groups, violent extremists and criminal networks, she told the Security Council in a briefing…reports Asian Lite News
The security situation has deteriorated in large parts of West Africa and the Sahel despite efforts by national security forces and international partners, said a UN envoy.
In the past six months, more than 10,000 schools across the Sahel had to close, leaving millions of children unable to acquire the necessary skills to build their lives and their countries, said Giovanie Biha, the UN Secretary-General’s deputy special representative and officer-in-charge of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS).
Nearly 7,000 health centres were forced to shut down due to the activities of armed groups, violent extremists and criminal networks, she told the Security Council in a briefing.
“These non-state armed groups are fighting among themselves for supremacy and control of resources, pushing states to the margin and causing untold misery to millions of people who had to leave their communities to seek safety,” she said.
“Indeed, the central Sahel continues to face multidimensional challenges, unprecedented levels of security and humanitarian challenges, socio-political instability, further compounded by the impact of climate change, and food insecurity, which was exacerbated by the conflict in Ukraine.”
Against this backdrop, UNOWAS supports the Independent High-Level Panel on Security and Development in the Sahel led by former Nigerien President Mahamadou Issoufou, to find more innovative solutions and generate national, regional, and international commitment for change in the Sahel, Biha added.
A holistic approach is necessary and the establishment of the initiative’s joint force is an important development in this regard, she said.
Despite the many challenges facing the countries of the region, especially the Sahel, the region remains a land of immense opportunities. The UN Integrated Strategy for the Sahel has leveraged these opportunities through its three pillars of building resilience, promoting good governance, and strengthening peace and security, Biha added.
“In accordance with our mandate, we will continue to work together with our regional and international partners for the consolidation of peace, security and democracy in West Africa and the Sahel.”
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.(Photo: twitter.com/PresidencyZA)
While China remains Africa’s strongest development partner, it’s wary of the renewed push for influence by its geopolitical rivals…reports Asian Lite News
South Africa’s chairmanship of the BRICS club of nations has come at an opportune time. There’s fierce competition between the world’s powers for influence on the continent.
Already the country has set out its stall. The ruling African National Congress wants the group to be expanded and relations between the BRICS nations and the African Continental Free Trade Area member states strengthened. President Cyril Ramaphosa said this week that other African nations will be invited to the summit he will host this year.
That comes hot on the heels of US President Joe Biden’s African leaders summit in Washington, a high profile visit to Africa by German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck and an August pledge of $30 billion for African development from Japan.
While China remains Africa’s strongest development partner, it’s wary of the renewed push for influence by its geopolitical rivals. Other BRICS members — Russia, Brazil and India — are also keen to assert themselves on the world stage.
More members (a decision may be made this year) would arguably increase the group’s role as a counter-weight to the developed world.
Just being part of a club that was supposed to showcase the world’s biggest rising emerging markets is a major diplomatic achievement.
The African nation’s economy is less than a quarter the size of the second smallest member, Brazil, and stagnant growth means it’s falling further behind.
Advocating the addition of countries — mooted new members include Nigeria and Senegal, as well as Argentina and Egypt — may dilute South Africa’s influence in a forum where it’s staked its economic and political future.
South Africa vows to advance African interests
South Africa will use its chairmanship of the BRICS group of leading emerging economies — comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — to focus on advancing African interests, the country’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has said.
South Africa has just taken over the chairmanship of the BRICS — a bloc widely seen as an alternative to dominant Western economies — from China and will host the group’s annual summit this year. Promising more African countries will be invited to attend, President Ramaphosa said he wants “to use this opportunity to advance the interests of our continent, and we will therefore through the BRICS summit be having an outreach process or moment, where we will invite other African countries to come and be part of the BRICS.”
Implicitly hitting back at the West, Ramaphosa also said that “our continent was pillaged and ravaged and exploited by other continents and we therefore want to build the solidarity in BRICS to advance the interests, of course initially of our own country, but also of the continent as a whole.” To that end, BRICS is all about allowing the “voices of the marginalized to actually be heard,” the South African leader said, adding that Africa wants to better the living standards of its people and create employment. BRICS might soon expand, as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Algeria and Argentina are reportedly interested in joining the bloc.
Asked what form advocating for Africa might take, Mikatekiso Kubayi, a researcher at the Pretoria-based research organization the Institute for Global Dialogue, told VOA it would likely be focused on helping African countries gain gr She said the summit is also about getting investment from external partners and sparking intra-continental trade.
“South Africa would want to advocate in the discussions on these issues with its other BRICS partners in terms of how we, we use the creation of a continental free trade area, not only to trade more with the external world, but primarily, which is what this initiative is really about, to trade, to create goods in the continent that we can trade within the continent,” she said.
Sidiropoulos said aside from trying to advance the economies of developing countries, BRICS is also about reforming the current multilateral system which “does not necessarily advance the interests of the global South.”
At the last BRICS summit, hosted virtually by Beijing, Ramaphosa took aim at the West, saying that during the COVID-19 pandemic rich nations did not adhere to “the principles of solidarity and cooperation when it comes to equitable access to vaccines.” eater access to the global economy.
He said BRICS is all about allowing the “voices of the marginalized to actually be heard” and said Africa wants to better the living standards of its people and create employment.
“The collective strength of the BRICS economy and the technological capability, market size, and other qualities that make BRICS a solid development partner for Africa is what South Africa will look to harness with the BRICS partners. I think that is what the president was referring to,” said Kubayi.
Elizabeth Sidiropoulos, of the South African Institute of International Affairs, said that trade would be a priority and there would be a focus on unlocking the potential of the recently formed African Continental Free Trade Area.
She noted that China, the world’s second-largest economy, is the continent’s single largest trade partner.
Iranian Foreign Ministry has summoned British Ambassador Simon Shercliff.(photo:Twitter)
The Iranian diplomat also stressed that “taking decisive actions” to protect Iran’s security does not depend on other government’s consent, particularly that of the UK…reports Asian Lite News
The Iranian Foreign Ministry has summoned British Ambassador Simon Shercliff to protest the UK’s “unconventional interference” in Iran’s internal affairs.
The director general of the Western Europe Department of the Iranian Foreign Ministry delivered to Shercliff Iran’s protest against the UK’s “acts of sabotage against the Islamic republic of Iran’s national security,” the ministry said in a statement on its website, Xinhua News Agency reported.
The meeting came as former Iranian Deputy Defense Minister Alireza Akbari was executed on Saturday on the charge of “espionage for the United Kingdom’s Secret Intelligence Service (SIS).”
Pointing to “tangible information about the trap set for Alireza Akbari by the British side,” the Iranian official said the British government “must be held accountable over its unconventional links that led to a breach of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s national security.”
The director general said that “unjustified and mischievous support for a spy is at odds with claims of seeking relations based on mutual respect.”
The Iranian diplomat also stressed that “taking decisive actions” to protect Iran’s security does not depend on other government’s consent, particularly that of the UK, while warning that continuation of such “illegal and criminal” actions will not be tolerated by Tehran.
The Mizan news agency of the Iranian judiciary reported on Saturday that Akbari was executed on charges of spying on behalf of the UK, corruption, and acting against the country’s internal and external security.
In reaction to Iran’s hanging of Akbari, who held dual Iranian-British nationality, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly warned in a Saturday tweet that the execution will not “stand unchallenged.”
In another tweet, Cleverly said the UK had imposed sanctions on Iran’s Prosecutor General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri following Akbari’s execution.
Bullet train G305 arrives at Baiyangdian Railway Station in Xiongan New Area, north China's Hebei Province, July 10, 2019. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli/IANS)
A high-speed train left the Hong Kong West Kowloon Station for Shenzhen, the first of such trains since the pandemic disrupted the cross-border bullet train services…reports Asian Lite News
China on Sunday resumed the high-speed railway services connecting the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the mainland after nearly three years of suspension due to Covid-19 curbs.
At 7:03 a.m. local time, a high-speed train left the Hong Kong West Kowloon Station for Shenzhen, the first of such trains since the pandemic disrupted the cross-border bullet train services, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Liao Jun, a student from Jiangxi Province who studies in Hong Kong, was excited to catch the first train back to the mainland.
“Today will be a day to remember. The resumption of high-speed rail services is of great significance to the overall connectivity between the HKSAR and the mainland,” he said.
At the Shenzhen North railway station, high-speed trains restarted to travel south to Hong Kong, with many Hong Kongers working in Shenzhen finding the service a convenient and economical choice to travel back home during weekends.
China Railway Guangzhou Group said that it will arrange an average of 38.5 pairs of high-speed trains on a daily basis running from stations in Guangzhou and Shenzhen to the Hong Kong West Kowloon Station at the initial stage of service resumption.
It would optimise the operation plan in the future according to passenger flow and promote the orderly recovery of cross-border high-speed rail services, the Group said.
The airport authorities said that they are still looking for survivors….reports Asian Lite News
Five Indian nationals were onboard the plane that crashed in Nepal’s Pokhara on Sunday, and at least 30 bodies have been recovered so far.
According to the airport authorities, of the 72 passengers onboard including the crew members, 53 were Nepali citizens and five were Indian, four were Russian, two South Korean, one Irish, one each from Argentina, Australia and France.
The airport authorities said that they are still looking for survivors.
Chief District Officer, Tek Bahadur KC of Kaski district confirmed that dead bodies of 30 passengers have been recovered so far.
An ATR 72 aircraft that flew to Pokhara from Kathmandu crashed between the old airport and the Pokhara International Airport, Sudarshan Bartaula, spokesperson of Yeti Airlines, said.
Images and videos posted on social media platforms showed plumes of smoke billowing from the crash site.
Jasprit Bumrah regains top spot in ICC ODI rankings for bowlers
Rishabh Pant, who is recovering from an accident, will miss the series and his absence paved the way for Ishan’s inclusion…reports Asian Lite News
Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan and stylish batter Suryakumar Yadav were on Friday named in the Indian Test squad for the first two games against Australia, beginning on February 9.
Rishabh Pant, who is recovering from an accident, will miss the series and his absence paved the way for Ishan’s inclusion in the 17-member squad that also has KS Bharat as the other wicketkeeper.
Kishan, who made his first-class debut in 2014, has scored 2985 runs at an average of 38.76 in 48 first-class matches while Bharat has also done well in the domestic cricket and also impressed with this performance during a practice match on England tour.
Meanwhile, Suryakumar, who has been in brillant form in T20Is for India, has also been included. He made his first-class debut way back in December 2010 and has 5549 runs in that format at an average of 44.79.
Fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, who has been out of action since September last year due to a back injury, will also miss out from the Border-Gavaskar series. In his absence, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav and Jaydev Unadkat form the core of the pace bowling department.
Allrounder Ravindra Jadeja, is set to make a comeback after injury but his availability will be subject to fitness. R. Ashwin, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav are the other spinners in the squad.
Rohit Sharma, who missed the Test series in Bangladesh due to a thumb injury, also returns to captain the side. KL Rahul, who led the side in his absence in Bangladesh, will be his deputy.
India’s Test squad for the first two Tests against Australia: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R. Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Suryakumar Yadav.
Prithvi Shaw earns India call-up for New Zealand T20Is; Rahul, Axar unavailable
As per a BCCI release, K.L. Rahul and Axar Patel are unavailable due to family commitments, with the selection committee naming Bharat and Shahbaz Ahmed as their replacements in the ODI squad….reports Asian Lite News
Attacking opener Prithvi Shaw was on Friday called up to the India T20I squad for the upcoming home series against New Zealand, while K.S. Bharat was named as wicketkeeper for the ODI squad.
Shaw (23) has been in brilliant form in the domestic circuit, recently hitting 379 in a Ranji Trophy game match against Assam.
As per a BCCI release, K.L. Rahul and Axar Patel are unavailable due to family commitments, with the selection committee naming Bharat and Shahbaz Ahmed as their replacements in the ODI squad.
Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya will continue to lead the T20I side which has a familiar group of players, who featured in the series against Sri Lanka. The senior duo of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma continue to be left out of the T20 setup and they will only be present in the ODI squad.
Sanju Samson, who got injured during the first T20I against Sri Lanka, remains on the sidelines and his replacement Jitesh Sharma has managed to hold onto his spot. But, Harshal Patel was left out and Kuldeep Yadav got picked in the T20I squad.
All-rounder Shardul Thakur, who didn’t feature in the series against Sri Lanka, has been called up to the ODI squad in place of pacer Arshdeep Singh.
The ‘Skill India’ programmes comprised implementing curriculum-based skill training courses, wherein trainees would gain certifications and endorsements from industry-recognised learning centres…reports Asian Lite News
India embarked on the ‘Skill India Mission’ to become self-reliant, under which upskilling people is one of the government’s key focus areas.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan recently chaired the third meeting of the steering committee of the National Skill Development Mission (NSDM), where he highlighted a number of issues such as the convergence of skill development schemes, skill gap analysis, skill mapping, connecting Indian youth to global opportunities, developing curriculum to reflect current trends, and creating synergy between various skill development portals.
In 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Skill India Mission’, which was in accordance with his vision to help India become ‘Atmanirbhar’ (self-reliant). The initiative was aimed to create and implement comprehensive skill development training programmes that would help bridge the gap between industry demands and skill requirements and therefore, develop the country at large.
Skill india.
The ‘Skill India’ programmes comprised implementing curriculum-based skill training courses, wherein trainees would gain certifications and endorsements from industry-recognised learning centres. The mission also involved incorporating skill-based learning into the school curriculum, creating opportunities for both long- and short-term skill training and employment.
The government is aiming to train one million youth per annum through apprenticeship training. The training is conducted every month since June 2022.
The NSDM was launched by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) on July 15, 2015.
The ‘Skill India Mission’ was launched to create convergence across various sectors and different states in terms of activities relating to skill training.
The objectives of the mission include:
* Implementing the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) which will allow opportunities for long-term, as well as short-term training, leading to productive employment and career improvement.
* Using the NSQF module to maintain a balance between the industry-employer demand.
* Providing facilities for re-skilling and up-skilling the workforce of the unorganised sectors.
* Ensuring high-quality training standards through high-quality teaching and benchmarked institutions according to national and international standards.
* Support weaker and disadvantaged sections of society through focused outreach programmes.
* Enabling pathways for transitioning between the vocational training system and the formal educational system, through a credit transfer system.
* Maintaining a national database, known as the Labour Market Information System (LMIS), which will act as a portal for matching the demand and supply of skilled workforce in the country.
With India being a ‘young’ country due to its 75 per cent working-age population, the development of a skilled and educated workforce will play a significant role in enhancing its overall economy, according to India Brand Equity Foundation.
According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), India is likely to face a shortage of approximately 29 million skilled personnel by 2030. Following this, Accenture in 2019 predicted that if India does not take timely actions – such as investing in new technologies or building industry-required skills-the skill deficit could cost the country $1.97 trillion in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) over the next decade.
With the ‘Skill India Mission’, the government aims to develop those practical skills, which are required by the industry and therefore, improve the employment rate in the country.
Since implementation, the mission has helped boost employment. According to data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), the�unemployment rate dropped to 6.5 per cent in January 2021 from 9.1 per cent in December 2020, while the employment rate increased to 37.9 per cent in January 2021 from 36.9 per cent in December 2020.
