Latest news with #Hanif
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Health
- Express Tribune
Youth at risk as hypertension cases climb
A cardiologist stressed that hypertension is increasingly affecting Pakistani youth, emphasising the need for regular monitoring and awareness as the World Health Organisation reports over 1 billion people worldwide are affected with estimates suggesting a rise to 1.5 billion by 2025. In an exclusive conversation with a private news channel, renowned Heart Specialist Dr Bashir Hanif highlighted the significance of World Hypertension Day, observed annually on May 17 to raise public awareness and promote prevention and control of this disease. Dr Hanif emphasised the importance of awareness and regular monitoring in combating hypertension, a growing health concern worldwide. Hypertension is often referred to as the "silent killer" because it can gradually build up in the body without noticeable symptoms, ultimately leading to severe cardiovascular issues like myocardial infarction, stroke and heart failure, he mentioned. According to Dr Bashir Hanif, around 42% of people in Pakistan are unaware of hypertension symptoms and lack disease awareness, highlighting a significant need for education and awareness efforts. Dr Bashir Hanif stated that more than 52% of people in Pakistan are affected by hypertension, underscoring the widespread nature of this health issue in the country. He further mentioned that according to a global health survey report, hypertension has been the leading cause of death and disability-adjusted life years worldwide since 1990. By 2025, the number of people with hypertension is expected to surge by 15-20%, reaching nearly 1.5 billion.
The Star
24-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Indonesia shuts down three firms for dumping waste into rivers, warns of legal action
- Illustrative photo. Image source: Pojok Aceh JAKARTA: The Indonesian government has shut down three companies suspected of dumping industrial waste into rivers, a minister said on Friday (May 23). All the firms were sealed and face potential legal action, according to Indonesian Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq. The companies, operating in Tangerang Regency of Banten province, are involved in the textile industry, iron smelting, and aluminum waste management, he said. "Specifically, we have identified the pollution sources because they discharge waste through a drain that flows downstream into the Cirarab River," said the minister. "This has a severe impact, directly affecting residents and degrading environmental quality," Hanif emphasized. "In this case, we have ordered them to halt all operations until further notice. For related parties, we will provide guidance to continue their economic activities while ensuring environmental protection," he added. Hanif warned that the case could be brought to court, with penalties ranging from three to five years in prison or substantial fines. The minister noted that his office has so far identified 23 pollution sources in the Cirarab River in Tangerang Regency. - Xinhua
The Star
19-05-2025
- Climate
- The Star
Dry season ignites wildfire fears
With some regions already seeing their land engulfed by wildfires, the government is intensifying efforts to mitigate the risk of forest and land fires as the country is expected to shift to the dry season in the coming weeks. The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) recently forecasted that most regions across the country will enter the dry season between April and June, with its peak expected to fall in August, exacerbating the risk of wildfire. As the nation transitions to the dry season, the Forestry Ministry has recorded 163 wildfire incidents in several provinces that burned more than 3,200ha of land and forest, totalling an area the size as Macau, within the first five months of the year according to data from the ministry's official wildfire monitoring platform SiPongi. Authorities have been using satellite imagery to monitor hotspots, or areas recorded as having higher temperatures compared to their surroundings. While hotspots are not necessarily wildfires, they may be indications of a potential fire, thus detecting them may help authorities in preventing forest and land fires. As of May 14, the ministry recorded at least 195 hotspots detected nationwide since the beginning of the year, according to Thomas Nifinluri, the forest and land fire control director at the Forestry Ministry. '(The ministry) is checking the hotspots on the ground for verification,' Thomas said. With the dry season approaching, he added that the ministry has been pushing several prevention measures, including joint patrols with military and police officers and regular fire monitoring. The number of detected hotspots so far is lower than compared with last year. But the lower number should not be a reason to be complacent, said Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq. 'Despite the decline, we must not be off guard. We have to be proactive, strengthening our early warning system and responding quicker to any signs of danger,' Hanif said last week, as quoted in a statement issued by the Environment Ministry. Other measures launched by the government to mitigate and prevent forest and land fires included launching a wildfire management desk in March. The desk would become a forum where various ministries and state institutions coordinate in anticipating forest fires during the upcoming dry season. The wildfire desk has put its attention on seven provinces deemed prone to wildfires, namely Riau, South Sumatra, Jambi, South Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, East Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan. Recorded as having the largest areas of burned lands during the fire season each year, these provinces are also home to large areas of peatland. The ecosystem is often dried to be converted into various plantations, including oil palm. Hanif, whose ministry is part of the wildfire desk, urged companies under the Indonesian Oil Palm Association (Gapki) to push for more forest and land fire prevention measures to help the government achieve its zero wildfire target by this year. President Prabowo Subianto reportedly set the target of zero forest and land fires this year when pushing for the establishment of the wildfire desk, which is placed under the Office of the Coordinating Politics and Security Minister. The government set the target after acknowledging the geopolitical cost of forest and land fires. The weather agency has been working with the National Disaster Mitigation Agency to launch a week-long cloud seeding operation since early May to prevent fires in Riau from prolonging. But hotspots and fires were still detected, forcing the regional administration to declare a state of emergency for fire hazards. Other provinces, such as Aceh and East Nusa Tenggara, are also working to prevent forest and land fires, after both provinces suffered from wildfires last year. In 2024, Indonesia saw 376,000ha burned by wildfires, an area the size of almost six Jakartas. The figure, however, was a 67% decrease compared with the previous year. — The Jakarta Post/ANN
The Star
18-05-2025
- Climate
- The Star
Indonesia braces for forest and land fires ahead of dry season
JAKARTA (Jakarta Post/ANN): With some regions already seeing their land engulfed by wildfires, the government is intensifying efforts to mitigate the risk of forest and land fires as the country is expected to shift to the dry season in the coming weeks. The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) recently forecasted that most regions across the country will enter the dry season between April and June, with its peak expected to fall in August, exacerbating the risk of wildfire. As the nation transitions to the dry season, the Forestry Ministry has recorded 163 wildfire incidents in several provinces that burned more than 3,200 hectares (ha) of land and forest, totalling an area the size as Macao, within the first five months of the year according to data from the ministry's official wildfire monitoring platform SiPongi. Authorities have been using satellite imagery to monitor hotspots, or areas recorded as having higher temperatures compared to their surroundings. While hotspots are not necessarily wildfires, they may be indications of a potential fire, thus detecting them may help authorities in preventing forest and land fires. As of Wednesday (May 14), the ministry recorded at least 195 hotspots detected nationwide since the beginning of the year, according to Thomas Nifinluri, the forest and land fire control director at the Forestry Ministry. '[The ministry] is checking the hotspots on the ground for verification,' Thomas told The Jakarta Post. With the dry season approaching, he added that the ministry has been pushing several prevention measures, including joint patrols with military and police officers and regular fire monitoring. No complacency The number of detected hotspots so far is lower than compared with last year. But the lower number should not be a reason to be complacent, said Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq. 'Despite the decline, we must not be off guard. We have to be proactive, strengthening our early warning system and responding quicker to any signs of danger,' Hanif said last week, as quoted in a statement issued by the Environment Ministry. Other measures launched by the government to mitigate and prevent forest and land fires included launching a wildfire management desk in March. The desk would become a forum where various ministries and state institutions coordinate in anticipating forest fires during the upcoming dry season. The wildfire desk has put its attention on seven provinces deemed prone to wildfires, namely Riau, South Sumatra, Jambi, South Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, East Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan. Recorded as having the largest areas of burned lands during the fire season each year, these provinces are also home to large areas of peatland. The ecosystem is often dried to be converted into various plantations, including oil palm. Hanif, whose ministry is part of the wildfire desk, urged companies under the Indonesian Oil Palm Association (Gapki) to push for more forest and land fire prevention measures to help the government achieve its zero wildfire target by this year. President Prabowo Subianto reportedly set the target of zero forest and land fires this year when pushing for the establishment of the wildfire desk, which is placed under the Office of the Coordinating Politics and Security Minister. The government set the target after acknowledging the geopolitical cost of forest and land fires. In the past, Indonesia had been blamed by Malaysia, Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries for the transboundary haze from the massive wildfires burning in Sumatra and Kalimantan in 2015, 2019 and 2023. The fires in the three years were larger compared to the usual years due to El Niño climactic phenomenon, which tends to bring hotter and drier air to the Indonesian archipelago. Prevention first Despite the target, several regions put under the government's special attention have been experiencing forest and land fires since the start of the year. Riau is among the worst, with almost 700 ha, a total area the size of 980 soccer pitches, burned since January, many of which were peatlands. The figure accounts for around 21 percent of the total burned land across the archipelago. 'Even without being deliberately burned, peatlands can still potentially be engulfed in flames due to strong winds, with more damage observed during the dry season. Mitigation efforts must be carried out even before the fire appears,' BMKG head Dwikorita Karnawati said. The weather agency has been working with the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) to launch a week-long cloud seeding operation since early May to prevent fires in Riau from prolonging. But hotspots and fires were still detected, forcing the regional administration to declare a state of emergency for fire hazards. Other provinces, such as Aceh and East Nusa Tenggara, are also working to prevent forest and land fires, after both provinces suffered from wildfires last year. In 2024, Indonesia saw 376,000 ha burned by wildfires, an area the size of almost six Jakartas. The figure, however, was a 67 percent decrease compared with the previous year. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
Daily Record
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
More than £1m a year to help families with school clothing costs paid out by West Lothian Council
The council offers among the biggest grants in Scotland in administering the Scottish Government scheme. More than £1m a year to help families with school clothing costs has been paid out by West Lothian Council. The council offers among the biggest grants in Scotland in administering the Scottish Government scheme. With more than 7,000 children helped with school uniform costs, councillors heard that an update on funding qualification will ensure that as many as possible can continue to get support. Figures revealed to the council's Executive meeting showed that £1,206,450 was awarded in the school year 2022/23 to help 7,684 children; £1,255,530 in 2023/24 to help 7,882 and so far this year £1,187,250 to help 7,377. In her report Nahid Hanif, the council's Anti-Poverty Service manager said: 'To mirror the Scottish Government Free School Meals (FSM) criteria would severely restrict the number of families who would qualify.' Councillors approved of a plan which will increase income thresholds for applicants in receipt of Universal Credit (UC) by the same percentage increase as the National Living Wage of 6.7%. Ms Hanif said: 'This approach would also allow us to maintain take-up levels and the support provided to low income households.' She added: 'The purpose of maintaining the UC earned income threshold in line with the increase in the living wage is to maintain the number of families supported by this vital financial award as the cost of the school day increases. 'As a comparison, for the 2024/25 Academic Year, only 5,262 pupils would have received a school clothing grant if the criteria for free school meals was used compared to 7,377 pupils who were awarded a grant using the current methodology.' The national level, set by Holyrood, suggests £120 for primary children and £150 for secondary age. However since 2021 West Lothian has paid £150 for primary children and £180 for secondary. West Lothian Council still remains one of the highest paying local authorities for grants, with Clackmannanshire, Highland and Shetland paying a higher amount. Only Falkirk and West Lothian use the same qualification calculations to allow as many families as possible to claim. Councillor Pauline Stafford, depute SNP group leader told the meeting: 'It's fantastic that we have one of the highest rates and the highest uptake.' Councillor Sally Pattle, Lib Dem said: 'I really appreciate that you have looked at the human impact of the policy. It's obvious the difference this has made to many thousand more children across West Lothian.'
