SNIPPETS

Chris Hipkins sworn in as New Zealand’s 41st prime minister

WELLINGTON, JAN 25 (AP): Chris Hipkins was sworn in Wednesday as New Zealand’s 41st prime minister, following the unexpected resignation last week of Jacinda Ardern. Hipkins, 44, has promised a back-to-basics approach focusing on the economy and what he described as the “pandemic of inflation.”

He will have less than nine months before contesting a tough general election, with opinion polls indicating his Labour Party is trailing its conservative opposition.

New Zealand GovernorGeneral Cindy Kiro officiated the brief swearing in ceremony in front of friends and colleagues after earlier accepting Ardern’s resignation.

Strong quake rattles Greek island of Rhodes, Turkish coast

ATHENS, JAN 25 (AP): A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 struck off the southeastern Greek island of Rhodes on Wednesday, according to the Athens Geodynamic Institute. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The quake was also felt in the nearby Turkish provinces of Mugla, Izmir and Antalya, with Turkey’s AFAD emergency management agency saying it had a preliminary magnitude of 5.4. It is common for different seismological institutes to record variations in magnitude in the initial hours and days after a quake.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries in Turkey either, although the earthquake caused panic in Mugla province, HaberTurk television said, with residents rushing out of buildings.

Altar

ISLAMABAD, JAN 25

(IANS): Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has indicated that the government was finally ready to swallow the bitter pill of the International Monetary Funds (IMF) “stringent” conditions to revive the loan programme.

The ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance was ready to sacrifice its political career for the sake of the country, Dawn news quoted Sharif as saying. The premier said the government has clearly conveyed its intentions to complete the ninth review to the IMF. “We are ready and want to sit down regarding your (IMF’s) conditions so that (the review) can be concluded and Pakistan moves forward,” he said.

Italian fuel station operators strike amid rising prices

ROME, JAN 25 (IANS):

Last-ditch efforts to avoid a national strike of petrol and diesel distributors fell short, as nearly threequarters of Italy’s 21,000 fuel stations stopped operating. The strike, which began at 7 p.m. on Tuesday and was called to protest against new price display rules put in place amid rising fuel prices, was originally scheduled to last 60 hours, reports Xinhua news agency.

The rules required distributors to post the full breakdown of their prices alongside a list of national price averages.

The move is designed to increase transparency on prices and reduce price speculation.