Latest news with #Amin
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- New Indian Express
Auxiliary nurse midwife killed by brother-in-law in Odisha
BERHAMPUR: A 35-year-old auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) died after being reportedly attacked by her brother-in-law in Kalyansingpur block of Rayagada on Friday. The deceased is Sailendri Saraka of Dhepaguda village under Dhamunipanga panchayat. The accused, Latra Prepaka (60), has been detained by police. Sources said there was a property dispute between Latra and his younger brother Baimajhi Prepaka (41). On the day, the siblings were working in their farmland when a fight broke out between them. Baimajhi reportedly told his elder brother that he will call an Amin for demarcation of their property. Latra became infuriated and left the farmland with a spade. He reached Baimajhi's house and found his wife Sailendri cooking. He assaulted the woman on the head with the spade and left the spot. Baimajhi took his injured wife to hospital with the help of villagers. Since Sailendri had suffered deep head injuries, she was referred to DHH where she was declared dead. Police have detained Latra and are interrogating him.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Westerville dispensary debuts cannabis drive-thru for ‘fast, convenient service'
WESTERVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) — A medical and adult-use marijuana dispensary with multiple locations in central Ohio is offering a new option for some of its cannabis customers to receive their products. Trulieve Westerville, at 8295 Sancus Boulevard, has announced that its first drive-thru service in Ohio is now available. In a news release, the company said clients can pick up their orders while still in their cars. 'We're always looking for ways to improve access and make the customer experience more seamless,' said Mac Amin, Trulieve's Director of State Operations for Ohio. 'Whether you're a busy parent, a working professional, or a medical patient managing mobility challenges, this new drive-thru in Westerville delivers fast, convenient service without ever leaving your vehicle.' Trulieve Westerville opened in July 2023 as a medical cannabis dispensary. While this dispensary is not the first to offer drive-thru service in the central Ohio area, it appears to be the first in Westerville. Previously, NBC4 reported on Michigan-based Nar Reserve providing a pickup window at its Delaware site. Ohio's Division of Cannabis Control permits drive-up dispensary windows, provided the business follows specific security and surveillance requirements. Amin told NBC4 that customers have embraced the added convenience. 'We have seen a fantastic response since introducing drive-thru service at our Westerville dispensary,' said Amin. 'The ability to reserve your order online and pick it up without having to leave your car has been a game changer for our customers and medical patients.' Trulieve, a national cannabis retailer, operates more than 200 locations in nine states across America. Six current storefronts are in Ohio, and one upcoming business is slated to open in Cincinnati. In central Ohio, Trulieve can be found in Clintonville, German Village and Westerville. Central Ohio Trulieve locations are open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
ITV News
6 days ago
- Politics
- ITV News
50 Years On: The Death Sentence, the Dictator, and the Cardiff Pool
It's 50 years since one of the more surreal moments in British diplomatic history: a tense international standoff that brought together a British lecturer, an infamous dictator, and a swimming pool in Cardiff. It was July then, Uganda was ruled by one of the most feared tyrants of the 20th century: Idi Amin. A former British colonial soldier, Amin had seized power in a military coup and declared himself president. His rule quickly descended into brutality. Known for his erratic behaviour and self styling as the 'Last King of Scotland,' Amin turned Uganda into a police state marked by mass killings, disappearances, and persecution. Living in Uganda at the time was Denis Hills, a British academic and writer. Hills had written a book in which he criticised Amin. Furious, the dictator had Hills arrested and charged with espionage. He was sentenced to death by firing squad, and suddenly found himself the centre of an international diplomatic crisis. Enter the third figure in this extraordinary story: Jim Callaghan, then Foreign Secretary and Cardiff MP. Initial diplomatic approaches had failed. Amin, ever theatrical, issued a chilling ultimatum at a press conference:'If the Foreign Secretary is not here ten days from tomorrow, we will then consider when to execute Hills by the firing squad.' Callaghan later said he 'risked his reputation' by agreeing to go. Prime Minister Harold Wilson warned him that he was moving too fast, acting without enough caution. But Callaghan went. What happened next - nobody could be the room came the huge figure of Idi Amin, there to meet him, the man dubbed as 'farmer Jim'.Amin walked up to the Foreign Secretary and immediately gave him a bear hug. His first words?'When I knew you came from Cardiff, I decided I was going to release Hills to you.' A transcript of that meeting, rediscovered 50 years on, reveals the dictator's peculiar fondness for Wales. Amin reminisces about visiting Cardiff during his time as a soldier in the British "You come from Wales?" Callaghan: "Yes" Amin: "I like it very much, very green. When I was in England, I spent my weekends there.." Callaghan: "Did you really?" Amin: "Yes, I like it very much. Cardiff I've been there." Callaghan: "Very glad to hear it" Amin: "You have a swimming pool there" Callaghan: "Did you ever try it?" Amin: "I swam there in 1964, August." The conversation, surreal in tone given the life or death stakes, drifts into talk of Wales. Amin affirms his love of Wales, saying he would spend his weekends in the country, admiring how green it is and the friendliness of the people. Asked by Callaghan if it reminds him of Uganda, Amin says it does. Later, posing for photographers with his son, Amin points at him saying to Callaghan:'He will come to Wales.'Callaghan smiles: 'I will teach him Welsh.' With that Hills and Callaghan would leave for the three men would have very different fates. Jim Callaghan would go on to become Prime Minister. Idi Amin was overthrown in 1979 and fled into exile. He died in Saudi Arabia in 2003 - unrepentant of his rule in Uganda. As for Denis Hills, he returned to Britain a reluctant celebrity. He continued to write and lecture, though he largely retreated from the spotlight. He died in 2004, aged 90. His story, and the bizarre twist of history that tied Uganda to Wales, remains one of the strangest episodes in British diplomacy. A moment where a swimming pool in Cardiff may have helped save a man's life, all because a dictator used to swim there.
Focus Malaysia
11-07-2025
- General
- Focus Malaysia
KOL chef's claim of Muslims dining in Chinese eatery inhaling 'joss stock aroma' slammed
EVERYONE'S got an opinion but not every opinion should be publicised. This seems to be the gist of the majority of feedback accompanying a post by chef Amin Sukor on the Malaysia Hari Ini Facebook page. A key opinion leader (KOL) in Malaysia's culinary scene, Amin had highlighted the presence of a Chinese altar at a kopitiam with several tables occupied by Muslim diners (apparent from some tudung-clad diners). He went on to wonder if it was normal for Muslim diners to be feasting on curry mee, char koay teow and other delicacies while accompanied by wafting smoke from the incense sticks. Perhaps that provided them with a sense of calm, he surmised. The post has thus far generated 1.6K likes, 1.8K comments and a further 282 shares which denote that many commenters were keen to share their two sen on the subject. For starters, many admonished the administrator of the page for posting what was perceived to be irresponsible and harmful views. One commenter stated he was thankful that he and his kin are not swayed by such inflammatory posts. Although it the venue was unidentified, it was highlighted that such scenes were normal in Sabah and Sarawak. In those Bornean states, Muslim diners had no problem sharing their dining tables with other races nor eating in non-Muslim owned establishments. The poster was also called out for his hypocrisy. Why no similar posts on rampant corruption and high number of rape cases alongside incidences of close proximity? It was claimed that this scene was in a coffee shop in Penang; though the owner was Chinese, the clientele was multi-racial. The commenter claimed it was proof that Malaysians can live happily and harmoniously. One commenter argued that there was no issue whatsoever given that the altar was a representation of the owner's faith, not that of the customers. The customers had come to enjoy the food and drink, not to worship or do anything else. Why find things to quarrel about, asked one commenter. An attitude of mutual respect is required when different beliefs are held. There was no need to insult others which the commenter insinuated that the poster was doing. In an age when 3R (race, royalty and religion) matters are continuously fanned by self-serving politicians and their cybertroopers, it is worth remembering that Malaysia is a melting pot society. Whether one believes that Muslims should or should NOT be dining in such establishments does not excuse such social media posts that are designed to cause dissension and disharmony. Perhaps the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) may want to look into this and stop the spread of such ill-intentioned content. – July 11, 2025
Mada
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Mada
New Education Ministry hiring competition sidelines thousands of part-time teachers
When a new series of hiring competitions were announced by the Education Ministry last month, Amin*, a recently graduated math teacher who gets paid per class at a public school in Beni Suef, was among the teachers who realized their chance at getting a stable contract was fading away. Next to his low-paying teaching job, Amin is among thousands of others who have been studying for their teaching diploma in hopes that it will allow them to apply for the long-awaited hiring competition. But when the competition was finally announced last month, he discovered that one of the eligibility requirements excludes him from the chance of even applying for a stable and full-time teaching job in a government school. Amin will not be able to provide his diploma certificate by the competition deadline since he will still be sitting final exams. 'I finish my exams on July 3 and the competition deadline is on July 5. How will the faculty issue my diploma before the competition deadline?' Amin told Mada Masr, adding, 'I lost my chance at the competition after what I've endured for a whole year; giving classes for LE40, facing serious financial difficulties, all while I have a family to provide for.' Amin is not alone, as many of the tens of thousands of per-class teachers nationwide are faced with similar obstacles and find themselves in situations where they are unable to apply. A long-term freeze on state hiring to meet budgetary restrictions since the pandemic means that the Education Ministry has relied over recent years on teachers who are paid per class. These teachers are employed under temporary contracts by schools to fill the shortfall in permanently contracted staff for primary and secondary education, estimated at a gap of nearly 470,000 teachers. Since per-class teaching was introduced in 2020, more and more teachers began to apply for the per-class roles with their numbers now ranging between 50,000 and 60,000 nationwide. But the precarious working conditions they face, including low wages, uncompensated hours and a general lack of job security mean that many had hoped that the upcoming government hiring competition could bring them more job stability. This is why teachers are angry about the unrealistic eligibility requirements, especially given that the government had portrayed this year's competitions as a way to acknowledge per-class teachers' dedication and experience. When this year's round of per-class teaching competitions was announced in June, math, arabic, science and social studies teachers were the only categories of candidates required, limiting the general eligibility to apply for around 23,000 jobs announced so far. Teachers groups on social media were quickly flooded with panic, anger and demands that the requirements be loosened to give all part-time teachers a chance. Alongside Amin are thousands of per-class teachers who are still studying to receive their teaching diplomas — one of the main eligibility requirements — and will not get the paperwork until after the competition deadline. Amin said that he was one of 1,200 people in Beni Suef alone who filed complaints about the diploma certificate requirement. MP Abdel Moneim Imam intervened on their behalf in late June, submitting a briefing request to the Education Ministry and the head of the Central Agency for Organization and Administration, which is organizing the competition, asking them to reconsider the need for the certificate. Teachers are calling for their proof of enrollment to be accepted instead of the certificate, but the ministry has provided no official response or decision regarding their demands. Per-class teachers of other subjects, such as psychology and philosophy, likewise discovered that they were not eligible for the hiring competitions, since their subjects are now excluded from the competitions due the subjects' removal from the thanawaya amma syllabus in the 2024/25 school year. The humanities teachers have decried their marginalization, after years of service in the schooling system including volunteering. Also excluded from applying are older educators, defined as those above 45 years. Many have spoken out since June arguing that they should be entitled to the full time contracts given their years of hard work and experience in precarious conditions, calling on the education minister to 'return the favour.' In one of their statements, they highlighted that many of them are of the generation that previously fell victim to the 1998 decision that cancelled the system that used to automatically assign public teaching posts to education faculty graduates. Former Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzoury claimed at the time that the state budget could no longer bear the burden of assigning education faculty graduates. The conditions that per-class teachers work in now, nearly 30 years after the decision, represent a sad decline in stability. 'When I started working, we used to get paid LE20 per class. The amount would eventually come to LE14 after deductions,' said Asmaa*, a math teacher who has been working per class for the past four years and who applied for the competition. She added that payments were made per term at the time. 'This year, the situation changed a bit,' she says, adding that 'we received our salaries on a monthly-basis — well, not exactly every month, but roughly — and the pay per class was [increased to] LE50.' 'After deductions and everything,' however, teachers still only 'ended up with LE37.5 per class,' she concluded, The Cabinet approved the wage increase in August last year, a move that the head of the Teachers Syndicate described at the time as the government's way to express appreciation for per-class teachers and their hard work. But Amin says that even after the increase, the amount falls short of covering his family's expenses. 'The salary is very low, I have a family and I am supposed to provide for them with LE40 per class ? it does nothing,' he said. Late payments were also highlighted by the teachers as an issue undermining job stability. 'You can receive April's salary in June. We do eventually get paid, but it gets delayed,' he said, adding that since he cannot only rely on his teaching job to provide for his family, he gives private lessons later in the evenings and occasionally does farm work. Another issue highlighted by the teachers who spoke to Mada Masr was the number of uncompensated classes they give. The number of classes per-class teachers give per week depends on the shortage of teachers in each school, Asmaa explained, adding that in theory, the maximum number of classes allocated by the school to each part-time teacher per week is set at 20 in the schedules. Any extra classes taught are unpaid for by the school. '[But] In reality, you do give more than 20 classes a week. My schedule this school year had 24 classes a week, or 96 classes per month, but you only get compensated for 80 classes per month,' she added. Amin also described giving classes 'on a voluntary basis,' which, although uncompensated financially, are in fact a requirement as per their employment agreement with schools. The precarious working situation of per-class teachers is exacerbated by the fact that they do not get paid during national holidays, unlike their fully employed colleagues in the state education sector. While their salaries are usually estimated at nearly LE3,000 per month, teachers can see them shrink depending on national holidays. 'If there is a national holiday, full-time public school teachers are paid for these days, but this is not the case for us. It is like 'you came on that day, then you get paid for it, but if you did not, then no payment will be made,' Amin explained. Per-class teachers see full-time contracts as the solution for their difficult working conditions. This was also put forward by Kamel Abdallah, treasurer of the Teachers Syndicate in Giza and a private school director. Full-time contracts would also mean better learning for students, Abdallah said, highlighting the crucial role these teachers play in combatting core capacity issues in the education system. Without enough teachers, overcrowded classrooms become chaotic, he explained, and 'students end up not learning a thing.' In what they said would amount to 'compensation' for their years of work amid difficult circumstances, per-class teachers have also calle d on the government over recent years to provide stable contracts directly, and to stop offering them only via the yearly competitions hiring process that the Education Ministry has begun to rely on to bridge the staffing gap at public schools. The recruitment model launched in 2019 gave way to several initiatives in the following years, including one in 2022, aiming to hire 150,000 teachers over the course of five years to fill the teacher gap in kindergarten and primary school grades. Many educators — not only those working per-class — have criticized the hiring scheme in the form of competitions for years and protested their selection criteria, describing the requirements, which include physical fitness tests and interviews at the military academy, as obscure and biased. Abdallah lamented the fact that the most simple solution is not the one the state is opting for at present. 'There are problems coming from every direction, but the solution to this issue is teacher hires. Hire the teacher because officially employing them provides experience and grants proper status,' the syndicate official said.
