Moldovan prime minister resigns; govt collapses

CHISINAU, FEB 10 (AP): Moldova’s government collapsed Friday as pro-Western Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita resigned, adding to a series of crises that have gripped the small nation since Russia invaded its neighbor, Ukraine.

Gavrilita told a news conference that the “time has come for me to announce my resignation” and said no one expected her government, elected in the summer of 2021, “would have to manage so many crises caused by Russian aggression in Ukraine.”

Gavrilita’s premiership was marked by a long string of problems. These include an acute energy crisis after Moscow dramatically reduced supplies to Moldova; skyrocketing inflation; and several troublesome incidents such as missiles from

West politicizing Syria’s crisis: Syrian Prez

Focus turns to quakeaidbut rescues continue

the war in neighboring Ukraine traversing its skies.

“I took over the government with an anti-corruption, pro-development and pro-European mandate at a time when corruption schemes had captured all the institutions and the oligarchs felt untouchable,” Gavrilita said. “We were immediately faced with energy blackmail, and those who did this hoped that we would give in.”

“The bet of the ene- mies of our country was that we would act like previous governments, who gave up energy interests, who betrayed the national interest in exchange for short-term benefits,” she added.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu thanked Gavrilita on Friday for her “enormous sacrifice and efforts to lead the country in a time of so many crises.”

“Despite unprecedented challenges, the country was governed responsibly, with great care and dedicated work,” Sandu said. “We have stability, peace and development — where others wanted war and bankruptcy.” Sandu added that she will hold consultations with parliamentary factions and appoint a candidate for the leadership position, without stating when.

ALEPPO, FEB 10 (AP):

Syrian President Bashar Assad has accused western countries of politicizing Syria’s humanitarian crisis following the Feb. 6 earthquake. Assad spoke briefly to reporters Friday in the demolished Masharqa neighborhood of Aleppo during his first visit to the quake zone following the 7.8-magnitude temblor. He said: “The West has no humanitarianism, therefore politicizing the situation in Syria is something they would naturally do.”

The devastating damage to Aleppo, Syria’s second and largest city, compounds the woes of the war-scarred city that faced years of bombardment in the 12-year conflict, much of it by Assad’s forces and

Russia to cut oil production after Western caps

MOSCOW, FEB 10 (AP): Russia announced Friday that will cut oil production by 500,000 barrels per day next month after Western countries capped the price of its crude over its action in Ukraine.

“As of today, we fully sell all our crude output, but as we stated before, we will not sell oil to those who directly or indirectly adhere to the price ceiling,’” Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said in remarks carried by Russian news agencies. “In connection with that, Russia will voluntarily cut production by 500,000 barrels a day. It will help restore market-style relations,” he said.

Analysts have said one possible Russian response to the cap would be to slash production to try to raise oil prices, which could eventually flow through to higher gasoline prices at the pump as less oil makes it to the global market. International benchmark Brent crude rose 2.2 per cent Friday, to USD 86.42 per barrel.

The Group of Seven major democracies have imposed a USD 60-per-barrel price cap on Russian oil shipped to non-Western countries. The goal is to keep oil flowing to the world to prevent price spikes that were seen last year, while limiting Russia’s financial gains that can be used to pay for its campaign against Ukraine. The cap is enforced

UK modern slavery fears: Indian mission reaches out to students

LONDON, FEB 10 (PTI):

The Indian High Commission here on Friday appealed to students from India to contact the mission for help and counselling amid fears that over 50 of them may have become victims of modern slavery while working at care homes in North Wales run by five Indian-origin persons.

The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), a UK government intelligence and investigative agency for labour exploitation, reported earlier this week that it had succeeded in getting a court order against five individuals for labour abuse.

The GLAA said it has identified “more than 50 Indian students as being potential victims of modern slavery and labour abuse over the last 14 months” in relation to the case.

“We were concerned to read this news. Indian students who have suffered this, please contact us at pol3.london@mea.gov.in, and we will provide help/ counselling. We assure you of confidentiality in our response,” the High Commission tweeted. Five peopleMathew Issac, 32, Jinu Che-

Declaration

rian, 30, Eldhose Cherian, 25, Eldhose Kuriachan, 25, and Jacob Liju, 47 - are suspected of recruiting and exploiting vulnerable Indian students working in care homes across North Wales and have been handed a Slavery and Trafficking Risk Order (STRO).

All five, originally from Kerala, were arrested by GLAA between December 2021 and May 2022 and while investigations remain ongoing, there have been no criminal charges brought against them at this stage.

They are said to have links to care homes in Abergele, Pwllheli, Llandudno, and Colwyn Bay across the region, either by working there themselves or having a direct family link to someone who works in them.

GLAA said Issac and his wife Jinu Cherian also supplied workers through Alexa Care Solutions, a recruitment agency registered in May 2021.

Reports to the Modern Slavery and Exploitation Helpline three months later claimed that Indian workers employed by Alexa Care were not being paid correctly or were having their wages withheld.

I, Shri. PANGJUNG JAMIR intend to contest in the upcoming General Election to be held on 27.02.2023 from 21st Tuli A/C from the National Party named as Bharatiya Janata Party. My fellow Brothers and Sisters of Nagaland, I do hereby declare a fact that the National Investigation Agency has registered against me a case being case no. RC 1/16 and has filed a charge sheet against me under section 39 and 40 of Unlawful Activities Prevention ACT, 1967 before the learned Special Judge, NIA Dimapur since I am innocent and a victim of circumstances, I have challenged the entire case before the Hon’ble High Court at Kohima and the Hon’ble High Court after hearing me was pleased to stay the proceedings against me initiated by National Investigation Agency vide order dated 06.08.2018. db-182/23 by barring Western companies that largely control shipping and insurance services from moving oil priced above the limit.

Russia has said it will not sell oil to countries observing the cap, a moot point because Russian oil has been trading below the price ceiling recently. However, the cap, an accompanying European Union embargo on most Russian oil and lower demand for crude have meant that customers in India, Turkey and China have been able to push for substantial discounts on Russian oil.

The impact of a cut of 500,000 barrels per day is an open question as a slowing global economy reduces the thirst for oil. The OPEC+ alliance of oil producers, which includes Russia, tried to boost oil prices with an October announcement that it would cut production by 2 million barrels per day, only to see prices fall below USD 80 per barrel by December.

Asked if Russia consulted OPEC+ members about Moscow’s new production cut, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said “there had been conversations with some members of the OPEC+” before the move was announced. He didn’t offer any details.

But Novak insisted in a statement later that Moscow made the move without consulting anyone. “It’s a voluntary cut; there have been no consultations with anyone regarding it,” the deputy prime minister said, according to the Russian media.

The new reduction could be “an early sign that Russia might try to weaponise oil supplies after last year’s failed attempt to weaponize natural gas,” said Simone Tagliapietra, an energy policy expert at the Bruegel think tank in Brussels.

Russia hits targets across Ukraine with missiles, drones

those of his ally, Russia. During his visit to Aleppo on Friday, Assad visited Aleppo University Hospital and then met with rescuers in Masharqua, where paramedics on Thursday removed the bodies of 44 people and seven others alive from one building.

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Dr. Michael Ryan, WHO’s head of emergencies, were also arriving in Aleppo on Friday to help coordinate and support the delivery of aid. A United Nations spokesperson says the first earthquake-related aid convoy of 14 trucks has crossed from Turkey into northwestern Syria. The road to the Bab al-Hawa border crossing was obstructed for days following the earthquake due to road damage and debris from collapsed buildings. The U.N. spokesperson confirmed the convoy’s crossing into Syria to The Associated Press confirmed on Friday.

A convoy of six trucks containing shelter items crossed the border Thursday, though it was intended to enter the rebel-held Syrian enclave before the earthquake. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party has declared a cease-fire in its conflict with Turkey to facilitate rescue operations following the devastating earthquake.

According to a spokesperson for the group, Zagros Hiwa, the cease-fire comes on the orders of PKK leader Cemil Bayik “to allow rescue operations and reduce pain of affected people in disaster zone.” Hiwa added

Friday that it is an “open cease-fire” but “depends also on Turkey’s response,” meaning “if they attack us, we will respond.”

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, has waged an armed insurgency against Turkey since 1984 with the aim of establishing a Kurdish state in southeast Turkey, which has since morphed into a campaign for autonomy. The conflict between militants and state forces has killed tens of thousands of people.

The Foreign Ministry of ethnically divided Cyprus says Turkey has “kindly declined” its offer for a rescue team to help with the search for people trapped in collapsed buildings following Monday’s devastating earthquake. The Foreign Ministry said in a tweet Friday that the offer, which had been initially accepted, “still stands” and expressed gratefulness for professional rescuers “ready to save lives everywhere.”

IMF, Pak fail to strike deal on bailout package

WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD, FEB 10 (PTI):

Cash-strapped Pakistan and the IMF have failed to reach a staff-level agreement on a much-needed USD 1.1 billion bailout package aimed at preventing the country from going bankrupt.

After 10 days of talks here, discussions between the two sides remained inclusive, with the Washing-

To, The President National People’s Party (NPP) Kohima, Nagaland

Date: 4-Feb-2023 ton-based global lender saying that discussions will continue virtually in the coming days.

Pakistan, whose foreign exchange has dropped below USD 3 billion, is in desperate need of financial assistance and a bailout package from the International Monetary Fund in order to avoid an economic collapse. The 9th review is currently pending and its successful completion will bring USD 1.1 billion in the form of the next tranche.

An IMF mission led by Nathan Porter visited Islamabad from January 31 to February 9 to hold discussions under the ninth review of the authorities’ programme supported by the IMF Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement.

Sub: Resignation from NPP Kohima AC 9 as well as Active and Primary Membership.

Sir,

We have been working loyally and tirelessly for the welfare of the party in the constituency for the past 16 months. But denying the Party Ticket had dashed all our hopes and aspirations and made us realize that our sacrificial work for the welfare of the National People’s Party (NPP) has all been in vain.

Having lost confidence in the functioning of the top leaderships of NPP and Kohima district, the following members hereby tender our resignation from active membership of National People’s Party (NPP) Kohima with immediate effect and join Indian National Congress (INC).

Further it is unfortunate and highly regrettable that the one-man party system without inner democracy.

KYIV, FEB 10(AP): Russia unleashed strategic bombers, killer drones and rockets in a barrage of attacks across Ukraine early Friday, as a military push by Moscow that Kyiv says has been brewing for days appeared to pick up pace ahead of the one-year anniversary of its invasion.

The Kremlin’s forces focused their bombardments on Ukraine’s industrial east, especially the Luhansk and Donetsk provinces that make up the industrial Donbas region where fighting has recently been most in- tense, the Ukrainian military said. Moscow-backed separatists have been fighting Ukrainian forces there since 2014.

But the barrage went further, also taking aim at the capital, Kyiv, and Lviv, near Ukraine’s Western border with Poland. It also struck critical infrastructure in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city in the northeast. Seven people were wounded there, two of them seriously, regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. Air raid sirens went off across much of the country.

Corrigendum

Declaration relating to the LJP members resigning from the party and joining NDPP in 34 A/C Aghunato published on the 10th February 2023, the name appeared in SL. NO. 17 may be read as Mr. Nitolho Katty and not Akheto Katty.

Error regretted.