Afghanistan’s Taliban-run administration has ordered all local and foreign non-governmental organisations (NGO) to stop female employees from coming to work, according to an economy ministry letter, in the latest crackdown on women’s freedoms. The letter, confirmed by economy ministry spokesperson Abdulrahman Habib on Saturday, said the female employees were not allowed to work until further notice because some had not adhered to the administration’s interpretation of Islamic dress code for women. The letter said any NGO found not complying with the order would have their operating licence revoked in Afghanistan. The order came days after the Taliban-run administration ordered universities…
Author: National Tone
The holidays are here, and many of us are indulging in sweets, especially chocolate. But this seemingly innocuous guilty pleasure comes with a hidden cost: Chocolate production is devastating our forests. We owe the addictive taste of chocolate to a small evergreen tree called cocoa. To make chocolate, cocoa seed pods are handpicked and split. Then cocoa beans are fermented, dried, roasted and melted. Finally, other ingredients like oil, sugar and milk are added to complete the process. But where does cocoa come from? Cocoa trees do well in hot, humid climates and are commonly seen in the tropics. Today,…
When the World Cup kicked off in November, I was rooting for Mexico. Having resided off and on in the coastal town of Zipolite in Mexico’s southern Oaxaca state since the start of the pandemic, I had already amassed a good quantity of Mexican football shirts, and I watched the games at a café on the beach, where a television had been set up on a table in the sand. A traditional Mexican blanket was hung to deflect the glare of the sun, and an altar was erected below the TV comprising burning incense, a green candle bearing the image…
Researchers say there has been a dramatic drop in particular in the number of female bears and cubs in Hudson Bay.Polar bears are disappearing fast from the western part of Hudson Bay, on the southern tip of the Canadian Arctic, according to a new government survey. The number of female bears and cubs, in particular, has seen a dramatic decline. Researchers have flown over the region – which includes the town of Churchill, a tourist destination touted as the “polar bear capital of the world” – every five years to count the number of bears and extrapolate population trends. During…
Governments around the world have, over the past year, greenlighted ambitious renewable energy policies that aim for major expansions of wind and solar power, along with the development of technologies such as carbon capture and storage, which is seen as a way to reach the net zero carbon emissions. Some of the policies also included tax credits to buy electric vehicles, heat pumps or energy-efficient materials for construction. The United States signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act, the most ambitious climate legislation in the country’s history. The European Parliament passed the REPowerEU plan to reduce dependence on Russian fossil…
Outgoing Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said after losing nomination vote: ‘This is democracy and this is my legacy.’Sitiveni Rabuka has become Fiji’s 12th prime minister, ending a tense political stalemate that had gripped the small Pacific island nation in the days following an undecisive election outcome this month. The Fijian Parliament in the capital Suva convened on Saturday to vote in Rabuka, who is now holding the prime minister’s job for a second time. The 74-year-old said he felt “humbled” as he made his way out of parliament after winning the nomination over incumbent Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama. The two-time…
Ukraine says at least 300 people were killed when Russia bombed Mariupol’s drama theatre where civilians had sheltered.Russian authorities in the occupied Ukrainian city of Mariupol have begun demolishing most of its drama theatre, where Ukrainian authorities say hundreds died in an air bombardment in March. Video posted on both Ukrainian and Russian websites on Friday showed heavy equipment taking down much of the theatre while leaving its front façade intact. Ukrainian officials denounced the demolition as a bid to cover up the deaths in the March 16 bombardment and wipe out Ukrainian culture. Russian officials said it was part…
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid scored 44 points, James Harden had a career-high 21 assists in a triple-double and the Philadelphia 76ers overcame a 20-point first-half deficit to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 119-114 on Friday night. Harden also had 20 points and 11 rebounds to help Philadelphia sweep a seven-game homestand and improve to 19-12. Harden tied Wilt Chamberlain and Maurice Cheeks for the franchise game assist record. Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers took a timeout after Nicolas Batum’s 3-pointer gave the Clippers a 108-107 lead with four minutes left. The 76ers then had a 10-0 run. Kawhi Leonard had…
Alex Ovechkin has made history, scoring his 801st goal and tying Gordie Howe for second place all-time. The NHL’s preeminent sniper of the 21st century beat Winnipeg Jets goaltender David Rittich five-hole to draw even with Gordie Howe, and now sits just 93 back of Wayne Gretzky. Ovechkin’s rocket of a shot, nothing out of the ordinary for The Great Eight, sent fans right to their keyboards to celebrate the achievement, lighting up Twitter like a goal lamp after Ovie scores. Here’s the best of what Twitter had to say following the landmark tally. .acf-block-preview .instagram-twitter-container width: 340px; margin: 0…
A United States judge ruled that Republican Abraham Hamadeh failed to prove claims about errors in vote counting.A judge in the United States has thrown out a lawsuit from Republican candidate Abraham Hamadeh, who challenged the election results in his race against Democrat Kris Mayes for Arizona attorney general. The judge, Mohave County Superior Court’s Lee Jantzen, has concluded that Hamadeh did not prove the errors in vote counting that he had alleged. The ruling on Friday came after Hamadeh’s attorney, Tim La Sota, acknowledged during litigation that his client had not gained enough votes to change the outcome of…