Govt establishes National Flood Response and Coordination Centre

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif presides over the national flood emergency meeting in PM House. — PID

ISLAMABAD: Following the destruction caused by recent floods in Pakistan, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif announced the establishment of the National Flood Response and Coordination Centre (NFRCC) on Monday. The PM presided the national flood emergency meeting with coalition parties in the federal and provincial governments, armed forces of Pakistan, and government institutions working for flood relief in the country. Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa was also present during the high-level meeting held at the PM House to review the aftermath of the monsoon flooding, alongside Naval chief Admiral M Amjad Khan Niazi, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, and DG ISPR Major General Babar Iftikhar. Taking to Twitter, PM Shahbaz shared that the centre — led by himself — will comprise of federal ministers, representatives of Pakistan Army, provincial chief ministers, and experts. The PM added that the  NFRCC will act as a bridge between government institutions, disaster management authorities, and donors to ensure a seamless rehabilitation process of flood affectees across Pakistan. The centre will gather information and analyse updated information to later pass on to the relevant government agencies. The command centre will also monitor rescue and relief work being carried out to restore damaged infrastructure amid severe flooding.

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More than 24,000 national smart cards are ready to be delivered to Hormozgani applicants

In an exclusive interview with IRNA on Monday, Rashid Rashidi added: So far, more than 1,319,000 Hormozgani people have registered to receive smart national cards, and 1,172,945 cards have been issued.

He stated: A total of 1,327,000 people in Hormozgan are eligible to receive a national smart card, and so far 99% of people have completed the registration process since the beginning of this project.

The Director General of Hormozgan Civil Registry also stated that in order to know the process of issuing a national smart card for those whose cards have not been issued yet, applicants can refer to the ncr.ir website or use the code You can follow the status of your application by dialing *4*6090* with your mobile number and entering your identity information.

Registration and receipt of national smart card for qualified people above 15 years in Hormozgan was started in 2019.

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Who is Jaiveer Shergill, the Congress leader who resigned as party's national spokesperson

A prominent lawyer and the youngest national spokesperson in the Congress, Jaiveer Shergill severed ties with the grand old party on Wednesday. Here’s what you need to know about him.

Jaiveer Shergill has resigned from the Congress (PTI photo)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Jaiveer Shergill resigned from all Congress party posts on Wednesday.
• He was the party's youngest national spokesperson.
• Shergill is a prominent lawyer practising in the Supreme Court.

The Congress continues to bleed with the resignation of Jaiveer Shergill, the youngest national spokesperson appointed by the party and a rising star. The 39-year-old said he decided to sever all ties with the grand old party as sycophancy is eating into the organisation like "termites". In a letter to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Jaiveer Shergill not only listed the reasons behind his move but also took swipes at the party leadership. He stated that the Congress is “consistently ignoring on-ground reality” and that the “vision of the party's decision-makers is no longer in sync” with the aspirations of the youth. "Furthermore, it pains me to say that decision making is no longer for the interest of the public and the country, rather it is influenced by the self-serving interests of individuals indulging in sycophancy and consistently ignoring ground reality. This is something I cannot morally accept or continue to work with," he wrote.

Jaiveer Shergill is the latest in the exodus of leaders from the Congress, whose electoral fortunes and political clout have been on a downward trajectory since 2014. Earlier this month, former MPs Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma quit party posts in their home states.

Here's all you need to know about Jaiveer Shergill:

• A member of the new guard, Jaiveer Shergill was among the youngest and most prominent spokespersons of the Congress.
• He was born in Punjab’s Jalandhar on June 28, 1983. His father was a lawyer who specialized in cases relating to money laundering.
• After completing his schooling in Jalandhar, he enrolled in the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences in Kolkata. He graduated in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in law, and did his master’s in law from UC Berkeley School of Law, University of California.
• In 2008, he joined the chambers of senior advocate and Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi.
• As a practicing advocate at the Supreme Court of India, Shergill has been involved in various high-profile cases and represented industry giants like telecom operator Vodafone and the Tata group.
• Prior to his resignation, Shergill served as the National Media Panelist for the Congress, spokesperson of the Punjab Pradesh Congress and co-chairman of the legal cell of the party’s Punjab unit.
• Speaking to reporters after quitting the Congress, he claimed he was not allowed to hold press conferences for the past few months.
• Regarding his future plans, Shergill said they would only be known in the future.

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Florida teen, 14, and mom charged with national identify theft

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A Florida teenager who allegedly organized a pyramid scheme and his mother have been charged in connection with nationwide identity theft, authorities said.

Elijah Duett, 14, faces 15 counts of identity theft, obtaining property by fraud, illegal use of credit cards and unlawful use of a 2-way communication device. His mother, Selena Wallace, 38, was arrested on principal charges to each count, along with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said.  Duett initially came under investigation in May and was charged with making written threats against a student who didn't pay into a pyramid scheme he was running, authorities said.  Investigators discovered the teen was purchasing a "significant" amount of stolen personal and financial information online. That included social security and credit numbers and the login information to a number of banks and websites, police said.  FLORIDA SCHOOL SHOOTER NIKOLAS CRUZ STRUCK UP FRIENDSHIP WITH SANDY HOOK VICTIM'S MOM

Elijah Duett, 14, and his mother Selena Wallace, 38. face charges in connection with a nationwide identity theft scheme, Florida authorities said.  ( Volusia County Sheriff's Office)

Duett also had detailed instructions and equipment to forge money orders, they said.  Investigators identified at least 17 victims from across the country. Of those, 15 wanted to pursue criminal charges against the teen suspect.  As the investigation progressed, Investigators learned that Wallace told her son that she wished he would use his skills in a legal way before asking him to raise his prices to make more profit, authorities said.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

A search of his home yielded 12 laptops, 4 printers, 4 cell phones, several gaming systems and other technology.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/florida-teen-14-and-mom-charged-with-national-identify-theft/?feed_id=14383&_unique_id=6303d2c92b4be

808 rural households of Isfahan were connected to the national information network

In an interview with IRNA on Saturday, Jafar Matalzadeh, referring to the plans of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to benefit the villages of the province from cell phone coverage and the Internet, stated: the process of connecting the villages of the province from the USO budget (development of mandatory rural public services). It continues and we are trying to make this happen in Isfahan province with the necessary plans.

He continued: With the construction and improvement of these sites, the villages of Marbar, Hossein Abad, Khalili, Shirazan, Kechusang, Lashkarkoh, Tejareh, Pendas, Parwaneh, Ghale Abdullah, Marchi, Jambzeh and Serian in Isfahan province were connected to the Internet and the National Information Network.

Director General of Communication and Information Technology of Isfahan province stated: The growth and development of these villages will be realized by connecting to the national information network and the Internet.

Pointing out that the penetration rate of mobile and fixed internet in the villages above 20 households in this province is 83%, he noted: this index is 63.5% for the first mobile operator, 33% for the Irancell operator, and 3.5% for the Rightel operator.

Tebalzadeh continued: The number of mobile first subscribers in the province is 5 million 567 thousand 792 lines and the number of Irancell subscribers is 2 million 941 thousand 997 subscribers, and now all the cities of Isfahan province have coverage of the third and fourth generations of mobile phones.

He added: Currently, the fixed broadband internet penetration rate in the province is 18.39%, the mobile broadband internet penetration rate is 116.47% and the broadband internet penetration rate is 134.86% in the province.

More than five million people, Isfahan province has 108 cities and 1,934 villages and settlements with a population of nearly 600,000 people.

Nearly 900 villages of Isfahan province have more than 20 households.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/808-rural-households-of-isfahan-were-connected-to-the-national-information-network/?feed_id=10251&_unique_id=62f743ee2790e

Why should there be a national program to serve the elderly?

A person's vitality, strength and health gradually declines during middle age and then old age, and a person feels the need for care more than before. This period begins at the age of 40, and as we approach old age (over 65 years old), the need for companionship and care becomes more and more necessary. In this period of life, the issue of health and treatment is one of the principles that cannot be ignored for people.

Although a healthy lifestyle and continuous health care from childhood and youth and staying away from modern life with food and chemical drugs will definitely delay this process, but in any case, a person in old age needs spiritual, psychological and physical care (health and needs more treatment.

Surveys show that in many countries, upstream regulations and laws impose strict requirements on public institutions regarding service during retirement, because in this period the risk for insurance is calculated higher and the government must compensate the costs of these services through general taxation. slowSurveys show that in Iran, gradually increasing age and reaching the borders of middle age and old age, concerns about the increase of hardship in this period are intensified. A clear example is the level of receiving medical services through insurances in different periods of life. For example, until the age of 50 to 60 years, a person benefits from official government insurance due to his official payments or the company through supplementary insurances, he can receive more appropriate medical services, but things change when the retirement period begins. Most of the effective supplemental insurances refuse to provide services for paying a fair amount, and even in many cases, while the services should be increased in this period of people's lives, it finds a reverse trend. In the retirement period, many of the services of the employee period are either ignored or the amount of payment from the pocket of the retired person increases drastically.

Governments fill the gaps in insurance services

The experience of all societies has shown that people need more services during their old age, but in some countries, the situation has become such that it becomes more difficult to access services during this period. Although insurance laws in Iran are in line with many advanced countries and their insurance companies due to the risk assessment of insurance companies, but the official social services that should be provided by the government and institutions receiving public funds are incomplete and the laws need to be completed. And there are services in this field.

Surveys show that in many countries, upstream regulations and laws impose strict requirements on public institutions regarding service during retirement, because in this period the risk for insurance is calculated higher and the government must compensate the costs of these services through general taxation. slow

Insurance companies and the elderly
In advanced countries, the government considers it its duty to provide special social services through government and public institutions for people who have spent an important and useful part of their lives for a country.

In all countries, the age of people is considered an important component in the type of services provided by insurance companies. In general, the relationship between age and lifespan and the amount of payment in the type of service is highly effective. Insurers in most countries use age and even some health criteria to determine how much people pay and thus receive medical services.
For example, researches in European Union member states show that in the treatment of specific and expensive diseases for older people or for people who are at risk of developing this disease, one has to pay higher insurance costs. Despite all the hype, according to the Public Policy Institute (AARP), American adults between the ages of 50 and 64 are facing rising health care costs and declining access to health insurance, but there is extensive planning to provide services to older adults in these countries. .

In addition, although in advanced countries, people in the retirement period are not treated as before, but the point is that the government considers it its duty to provide special social services to people who have spent an important and useful part of their lives for a country. Government and public to prepare.

Surveys show that there is a huge difference in the level of providing social services to the elderly in countries.

Due to the importance of the issue of increasing aging in the population, developed countries take many organized measures in the field of providing services to the elderly, and in other words, they prioritize the needs of the elderly. In Iran, considering that in the near future the ratio of elderly people will increase significantly in the population, it seems that related institutions do not yet have a detailed plan to increase services for the elderly.

In order to use the experiences of other countries in this field, in the following section, examples of social measures that have been enacted by some developed governments to provide services to retired and elderly people and public institutions are obliged to do so have been stated.

Serving one million seniors in America daily

In this country, states, regional agencies, local service provider organizations, and organizations related to the provision of services to the elderly are the subsets of the Department of Aging. The Older Americans Act establishes an effective relationship between the federal government, state agencies on aging, and local service coordinators. Elderly centers are recognized as one of the most important tools to achieve the goal of the American Elderly Act. Now, about 11,000 elderly centers provide services to one million people daily.

Every year "National Institute of Senior Centers" updates and adjusts new standards for the future of senior centers. Also, "Medicare" is the federal medical insurance program to serve the elderly over 65 years old who have worked full-time for at least 10 years. In this way, an elderly person who is covered by Medicare may pay a small fee for special health care depending on various factors.

In addition, the government has envisioned assisted living, in which long-term health care is provided to people who need help with daily activities such as eating, bathing and dressing, managing medications, and more. More than 86 percent of assisted living residents pay for rent and services through personal resources and long-term care insurance or savings, as these are not covered by Medicare.

Also, in other programs such as nursing homes, comprehensive care program for the elderly, aging and disability program, behavioral and mental health, and legal assistance, services are provided to retirees. In addition to these issues regarding the place of residence of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, the development and management program of supportive housing for the elderly plays an important role in creating cheap housing for them. The Ministry of Transportation is also following the program of increasing and facilitating transportation for elderly and disabled people through different methods.

Elderly care system for all in Sweden

Sweden's elderly care system is universal and all legal residents, regardless of income or previous employment, are offered care services to meet their needs. Elderly citizens of Sweden receive one of two types of assisted care at home or special institutional/residential care.

In Sweden, access to social care is assessed based on expressed needs by a care manager working in the local municipality's social welfare department. Municipalities, and increasingly the private sector, provide domestic help services such as cleaning, laundry, shopping, and social care. In addition, they provide special housing, medical services, personal safety alerts, home adaptations and transportation services, etc.

In general, a variety of housing models for the elderly have been devised in Sweden, which include living at home and receiving services at home, housing for the elderly over 55 years old, safe housing, nursing homes, specialized care.

The old-age pension system includes income-based pensions and pensions. Also, this structure includes basic protection for the elderly, including a guaranteed pension for a carefree life, a housing supplement for retirees, and support for the maintenance of the elderly.

Japan, the oldest country in the world

The distinguishing feature of Japan is the rapid change of the country's population towards old age. While in 1995, less than 15% of the citizens of this country were considered elderly, this figure will reach at least 30% of the country's population in a year or two.

The programs of the Japanese government in supporting the elderly in this country as the basis of medical care in this country pursue two goals: providing welfare policies for the elderly with an emphasis on medical care at home with the help of municipalities, and secondly, taking measures to reduce the number of hospitalizations of the elderly.

Private health services in Japan also have a large contribution in the field of maintaining and caring for the elderly in this country, and in this context, the government provides many direct assistances to provide optimal services to the elderly.

According to the rapid aging process of the Iranian society, in order to prevent problems in the future, a coherent planning and targeted and extensive national action is needed in the government, private and voluntary sectors in order to provide various facilities and services for the elderly.short speech Considering the importance of population aging, developed countries have taken organized and various actions in the field of providing services to the elderly, and in other words, they have prioritized attention to the needs of the elderly. But in Iran, despite the fact that in the near future the ratio of elderly people will increase significantly and the country will face a big challenge in this field, planning to provide services to the elderly has not been done to the required extent.

As a result, it seems that in order to solve these problems that will plague the country in the near future, there is a need for a coherent planning and targeted and extensive national action in the public, private and voluntary sectors in order to provide various facilities and services for the elderly so that this part of The community can live in the community with maximum comfort and benefit from the services they need.

Sources

https://www.insuranceeurope.eu/mediaitem/d1d1f071-9d28-4e5b-8984-f60c6ed28bcd/Why%20the%20use%20of%20age%20and%20disability%20matters%20to%20consumers%20and%20insurers.pdf

"A comparative study of elderly care services in Iran, the United States of America and Sweden"

Scientific Journal of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences / 25th Volume / December and December 2019 / pp. 123-140

https://sjku.muk.ac.ir/article-1-5444-fa.pdf

https://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/310838/Voluntary-health-insurance-Europe-role-regulation.pdf

https://www.aarp.org/health/health-care-reform/info-02-2012/health-insurance-costs-for-older-adults-before-medicare.html

"Social policies for the elderly in Japan and Sweden"

Iranian aging yearbook, first year, second issue, winter 2005

https://www.sid.ir/fa/journal/ViewPaper.aspx?id=71958

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Evacuations underway amid fire near Yosemite National Park

A home burns as the Oak Fire moves through the area on July 23, 2022 near Mariposa, California.

Justin Sullivan | Getty Images News | Getty Images

A destructive wildfire near Yosemite National Park burned out of control through tinder-dry forest on Sunday and had grown into one of California's biggest blazes of the year, forcing thousands of residents to flee remote mountain communities.

Some 2,000 firefighters battled the Oak Fire, along with aircraft and bulldozers, facing tough conditions that include steep terrain, sweltering temperatures and low humidity, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.

"It's hot out there again today," Cal Fire spokesperson Natasha Fouts said Sunday. "And the fuel moisture levels are critically low."

Crews on the ground protected homes as air tankers dropped retardant on 50-foot (15-meter) flames racing along ridgetops east of the tiny community of Jerseydale.

Light winds blew embers ahead into tree branches "and because it's so dry, it's easy for the spot fires to get established and that's what fuels the growth," Fouts said.

The fire erupted Friday southwest of the park near the town of Midpines in Mariposa County. Officials described "explosive fire behavior" on Saturday as flames made runs through bone-dry vegetation caused by the worst drought in decades.

A California firefighter lights a backfire while battling the Oak Fire on July 23, 2022 near Mariposa, California.

Justin Sullivan | Getty Images News | Getty Images

By Sunday the blaze had consumed more than 22 square miles (56 square km) of forest land, with no containment, Cal Fire said. The cause was under investigation.

Evacuations were in place for over 6,000 people living across a several-mile span of the sparsely populated area in the Sierra Nevada foothills, though a handful of residents defied the orders and stayed behind, said Adrienne Freeman with the U.S. Forest Service.

"We urge people to evacuate when told," she said. "This fire is moving very fast."

Lynda Reynolds-Brown and her husband Aubrey awaited news about the fate of their home from an evacuation center at an elementary school. They fled as ash rained down and the fire descended a hill towards their property.

"It just seemed like it was above our house and coming our way really quickly," Reynolds-Brown told KCRA-TV.

Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency for Mariposa County due to the fire's effects.

Flames destroyed at least 10 residential and commercial structures and damaged five others, Cal Fire said. Assessment teams were moving through mountain towns to check for additional damage, Fouts said.

Numerous roads were closed, including a stretch of State Route 140 that's one of the main routes into Yosemite.

California has experienced increasingly larger and deadlier wildfires in recent years as climate change has made the West much warmer and drier over the past 30 years. Scientists have said weather will continue to be more extreme and wildfires more frequent, destructive and unpredictable.

Pacific Gas & Electric said on its website that more than 3,100 homes and businesses in the area had lost power as of Sunday and there was no indication when it would be restored. "PG&E is unable to access the affected equipment," the utility said as flames roared Friday.

The Oak Fire was sparked as firefighters made progress against an earlier blaze, the Washburn Fire, that burned to the edge of a grove of giant sequoias in the southernmost part of Yosemite National Park. The 7.5-square-mile (19-square-km) fire was nearly 80% contained after burning for two weeks and moving into the Sierra National Forest.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/evacuations-underway-amid-fire-near-yosemite-national-park/?feed_id=1582&_unique_id=62dddc520162a

Fast-moving Oak Fire explodes in size as it burns near Yosemite National Park

Hundreds of firefighters are battling a fast-moving fire burning near Yosemite National Park in California.

The Oak Fire ignited Friday afternoon and has quickly exploded to more than 9,500 acres as of Saturday afternoon, according to state fire officials. The fire is currently 0% contained.

A firefighter works to mitigate the flames as the Oak Fire burns near Mariposa, Calif., July 22, 2022.

Tracy Barbutes/Reuters

"Fire activity is extreme with frequent runs, spot fires and group torching," Cal Fire said in its incident report. "Emergency personnel are working to safely evacuate people and are actively engaged in protecting structures."

"Explosive fire behavior is challenging firefighters," the report added.

Flames consume a home on Triangle Rd. as the Oak Fire burns in Mariposa County, Calif., July 23, 2022.

Noah Berger/AP

More than 400 fire personnel have responded on the ground and in the air to the blaze, which has damaged or destroyed 15 structures, Cal Fire said. Some 2,000 structures are threatened.

A mandatory evacuation order has been issued for parts of the sparsely populated mountain community, located near the southwestern entrance of Yosemite National Park in Mariposa County.

The remains of a burned home are seen after the Oak Fire moved through the area on July 23, 2022 near Mariposa, Calif.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Several roads have also closed amid the fire, which is also burning near the Sierra National Forest.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office said Saturday that the state has secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help provide resources as it responds to the "rapidly-moving fire."

Firefighters look on as the Oak Fire burns in Darrah, in Mariposa County, Calif., July 22, 2022.

David Swanson/Reuters

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

More than 90% of Mariposa County has exceptional drought conditions, which can provide ample dry brush to fuel the fire. Hot, dry weather has also helped drive the blaze.

Firefighter Joanna Jimenez holds a dog she found wandering in a fire evacuation zone as the Oak Fire burns in Mariposa County, Calif., July 23, 2022.

Noah Berger/AP

This is the third wildfire to burn in the county over the past two weeks.

The Washburn Fire, which started on July 7 near the southern entrance of Yosemite National Park, is 79% contained after burning over 4,800 acres.

The containment of the fire, which at one point was inching dangerously close to the park's large sequoia grove Mariposa Grove, allowed the southern entrance of the park to open Saturday morning.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The smaller Agua Fire, which started on July 18, is now fully contained after burning some 420 acres. The fire was caused by a car, officials said.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/fast-moving-oak-fire-explodes-in-size-as-it-burns-near-yosemite-national-park/?feed_id=1054&_unique_id=62dc89117402e