Day: September 7, 2024

Yangon: Myanmar exported 718,281 tons of rice and broken rice in the first five months of the 2024-25 fiscal year starting April, according to figures from the Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF) on Saturday.

The Southeast Asian country earned 353 million U.S. dollars from the exports, the MRF reported.

Of the total, 207,369 tons of rice and broken rice were exported in August, generating 97 million dollars in revenue, the federation said.

During the five-month period, Myanmar exported rice and broken rice via both sea and land routes to more than 30 countries, including Indonesia, China, the Philippines, the Netherlands, and Belgium, it said.

In the 2023-24 fiscal year, Myanmar exported over 1.6 million tons of rice and broken rice, earning more than 845 million dollars, according to the federation.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Beijing: At the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will pay an official visit to China from Sept. 8 to 11.

Born in February 1972 in Spain’s capital city of Madrid, Sanchez holds a doctorate in economics and has a long-standing career in politics. He is also the secretary-general of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party.

From 2009 to 2011 and from 2013 to 2016, he served as a member of the Spanish Congress of Deputies. In June 2018, he became prime minister of Spain and was re-elected in January 2020 and November 2023.

Sanchez is married and has two daughters.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Education Deputy Director in the Oshikoto region , Tomas Kalimbo has called on community members to join adult education programs to improve their personal growth and development . Kalimbo was speaking at the celebration of Adult Learners Week and the International Literacy Day held on Friday at Onambundu Primary School in Oshikoto ‘ s Omuthiya constituency . He said community members should embrace the chance to learn new skills , expand their knowledge , and connect with one another in their community . ‘ Your journey in adult education is a testimony of your courage and commitment to personal growth and remember every step you take is a step towards a brighter future ,’ Kalimbo said . Kalimbo highlighted that out – of – school youths and young adults should join either the Family Literacy Programme , National Literacy Programme or Adult Upper Primary Education to improve their lives . He added that for 2024 , a total of 452 learners have enrolled in the Family Literacy Programme , 788 in the National Liter
acy Programme , and 6664 for Adult Upper Primary Education in the region including two special classes for the visually and hearing impaired , with five and seven learners enrolled , respectively . Meanwhile Kalimbo highlighted that adult learners are faced with the challenge of balancing education with work and family responsibilities . The global Adult Learners ‘ Week is celebrated on the first week of September annually and this year ‘ s theme is ‘ Promoting Multilingual Education : Literacy for Mutual Understanding and Peace ‘. The day is aimed at empowering adult learners by acknowledging their efforts and achievements and fostering a sense of support among the enrolled learners while encouraging community participation in adult education programs

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Harare: In Zimbabwe, a China-aided hospital stands as a testament to the growing ties between the two countries. The Mahusekwa Hospital, also known as the China-Zimbabwe Friendship Hospital, was built with Chinese support to deliver quality healthcare services to Mahusekwa, a township in Mashonaland East Province.

The first phase of this state-of-the-art project was completed and handed over to the Zimbabwean government in 2012, with the second phase opening in 2019. The hospital features departments such as dental, pediatrics, radiology, physiotherapy, maternity, a theater, and a mortuary, among others.

“I think this hospital has improved the relations between China and Zimbabwe. We have seen more support coming from the Chinese government through their embassy,” Delight Madoro, medical officer for Marondera district, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Since opening, the hospital has had a significant impact on healthcare delivery, not just in Mahusekwa but also in the broader Marondera rural district, wh
ich serves a population of around 136,000. Even people from as far as Harare, about 100 kilometers away, come to receive treatment, Madoro said.

On average, the hospital sees about 400 patients a week, with around 175 admissions, mostly for maternity services. It attracts patients from beyond the catchment area due to the quality of services, infrastructure, and well-equipped emergency facilities, Madoro added.

With six doctors, the hospital can meet most community needs, though some specialist cases are referred to the provincial hospital. Cooperation with Chinese medical specialists has also enhanced service provision, he said.

“We have regular visits from the Chinese medical team, and there are plans to establish a partnership between Chinese and Zimbabwean doctors to offer more specialized services,” Madoro said.

Last year, Madoro joined a team of medical professionals on a trip to China to learn advanced laboratory techniques tailored to developing countries. “It was a fruitful trip. We learned a lot
about things to do with the laboratory and some ways that we can improve in terms of our service provision in the lab,” he said.

Beauty Mberi, a matron at the hospital, highlighted how the facility has made life easier for the community by providing healthcare services locally.

Previously, people had to travel up to 60 kilometers for cesarean sections, but now the hospital offers them here along with antenatal, postnatal, outpatient, and family and children’s healthcare, she said.

The availability of specialist care has also eased the workload for healthcare workers. “We have some referrals from other healthcare facilities. They come here with complications. And we are now able to offer them cesarean sections rather than transferring them to provincial hospitals,” Mberi said.

Osness Chitsuro, a patient receiving treatment for an injury, praised the hospital for providing timely, quality care. “This hospital is making our lives easier in Mahusekwa. We have access to the medicines that we need in time,” he
said.

Beyond healthcare, the hospital has stimulated the local economy by increasing traffic and activity in the area. The presence of the hospital has attracted businesspeople who are willing to invest in this community, Madoro noted.

China and Zimbabwe share a long history of cooperation in the health sector. Since 1985, China has sent 21 medical teams to Zimbabwe. In 2022, China also handed over a pharmaceutical warehouse to the Zimbabwean government to boost the country’s drug storage capacity and enhance its healthcare system.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Jamal Musiala’s goal and three assists paved the way for Germany’s 5-0 victory over hapless Hungary in the first round of Nations League A Group 3 on Saturday.

Germany took control from the opening whistle on home soil and went close after eight minutes when Jonathan Tah’s header was cleared off the line by Dominik Szoboszlai.

Hungary’s defence was kept busy as Musiala found Niclas Fullkrug, who couldn’t beat Hungary goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi on 20 minutes. Musiala assisted Fullkrug again seven minutes later before the latter beat Gulacsi to break the deadlock.

Musiala continued to cause Hungary problems. The Bayern midfielder chipped a cross into the box that Kai Havertz hit the crossbar with in the 33rd minute.

Havertz should have doubled the lead just before the break, but the Arsenal striker shot wide from the edge of the area.

After a slow start to the second half, Germany finally doubled their advantage in the 58th minute when Florian Wirtz’s through ball found Musiala, who slotted into the bottom r
ight-hand corner.

Eight minutes later, Wirtz and Musiala combined again to triple Germany’s lead. Musiala set up Wirtz, whose powerful shot from the edge of the box left Gulacsi helpless.

The Germans gained momentum as Havertz hit the crossbar for the second time in the 72nd minute before Aleksandar Pavlovic made it 4-0 five minutes later.

Havertz finally got his name on the scoresheet after being fouled by Willie Orban in the box. The Arsenal striker stepped up and sent Gulacsi the wrong way with a well-placed shot into the bottom right-hand corner.

“We had a sloppy start. As the game went on, we dominated, but we need to score earlier. When you create so many chances, you must put the game to bed earlier. We didn’t give away many chances on our goal though,” said Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann.

Nagelsmann’s men take on the Netherlands in Amsterdam on Tuesday, while Hungary host Bosnia-Herzegovina at the same time in the second round of Group A3. Enditem

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Ramallah: As the Israeli-Palestinian conflict grinds into the 11th month, children suffer the most. A recent polio outbreak has triggered an emergency vaccination campaign for 640,000 children under the age of 10, and is worsening an already dire crisis for Gaza’s most vulnerable.

While vaccines may provide temporary protection against diseases, the only solution that can truly guarantee these children a future of health, safety, and dignity is peace.

Gaza’s children are among the most innocent casualties of this brutal conflict. Shortages of food, clean water, and basic healthcare are gravely threatening their survival.

The United Nations sounded the alarm in July, warning that famine has taken hold across Gaza. For countless families, the prospect of starvation is no longer a distant threat but a terrifying reality.

But hunger is only one of many perils. Gaza’s sanitation infrastructure lies in ruins, with 70 percent of its sewage pumps destroyed. Wastewater treatment facilities are inoperable, and the
collapse of the clean water system has pushed Gaza’s fragile public health system to the brink.

The resurgence of polio after 25 years, a disease eradicated in most of the world, is a damning indictment of the catastrophic conditions Gaza’s children are forced to endure.

Displacement is another grim reality for Gaza’s youth. Since the conflict began, 1.9 million people have been displaced, nearly half of them children, according to the United Nations.

As Muhannad Hadi, the UN humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, recently observed, evacuation orders meant to protect civilians often achieve the opposite, driving families into overcrowded, unsafe areas with few services and constant danger. For Gaza’s children, displacement is not a temporary ordeal; it is a constant state of being.

While hunger, malnutrition, and diseases are devastating enough, the specter of violence looms even larger. Airstrikes, explosions, and gunfire have become the horrifying soundtrack of daily life for G
aza’s children. After 11 months of relentless warfare, much of Gaza lies in ruins, leaving its children to navigate a shattered world with no sense of security.

The casualty statistics are staggering. According to Palestinian officials, more than 40,000 Palestinians have died in this conflict, with over 16,000 of them being children. At least 17,000 children have lost one or both parents. Some 3,500 children face imminent death from malnutrition. Among the more than 94,000 wounded in Gaza, a significant number are children.

These cold numbers disclose the human tragedy behind them — the loss of young lives that were filled with potential. The silent plea of Gaza’s children echoes with painful clarity: “In Gaza, we never grow up.”

Gaza’s children, like all children, deserve to grow up in safety, with access to food, education, and hope. What they need is not just vaccines; they need peace and normal life first. Vaccinations may offer temporary relief, but they cannot protect these children from bullets and
bombs. For them, peace is the ultimate “vaccine,” the only shield that can safeguard their future.

Vaccines treat the symptoms; peace is the cure. The conflict must end. Peace must prevail — not just for Gaza’s children, but for the shared aspirations of peace-loving people everywhere.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency