Latest news with #MNA
Business Recorder
4 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Zardari condoles demise of MNA's father
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has expressed deep grief and sorrow over the death of the father of Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Asma Arbab Alamgir. In a statement released by the President House on Friday, President Zardari conveyed his heartfelt sympathies, stating, 'We share the grief of her family in this hour of distress.' He expressed solidarity with the bereaved family. The president also offered prayers to Allah Almighty for eternal peace for the departed soul and for strength to the bereaved family to endure this loss. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Gulf Insider
5 days ago
- Politics
- Gulf Insider
Iran Seizes Foreign Oil Tanker In Sea Of Oman
It remains important for energy traders to closely monitor the Strait of Hormuz and other key critical maritime chokepoints in the region (recall Red Sea events last week, given persistent geopolitical tensions involving Iran and Israel. Tehran retains a diverse toolkit—both asymmetric and conventional—for disrupting tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. These methods include naval mine deployment, anti-ship missile and drone launches, fast-attack craft swarms, and the seizure of vessels transiting the critical waterway responsible for 20% of the world's oil flows. Shortly after the U.S. launched 'Operation Midnight Hammer' in late June, deploying stealth bombers to strike Iran's nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan using Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs, Iran's parliament voted to authorize the closure of the strait. However, Tehran never closed the strait, but there was at least one report we covered that said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps mulled over littering the waterway with mines. Given that the mines were not deployed, a troubling new report from local media indicates that the IRGC has intercepted and seized a foreign tanker in the Gulf of Oman. The seizure was reportedly carried out under the pretext of 'fuel smuggling,' according to Iranian state media outlet Mehr News Agency (MNA) on X. 'The Chief Justice of Hormozgan Province has announced the seizure of a foreign oil tanker on charges of smuggling 2 million liters of fuel in the Sea of Oman,' MNA reported. The Chief Justice of Hormozgan Province has announced the seizure of a foreign oil tanker on charges of smuggling 2 million liters of fuel in the Sea of Oman.#BREAKING #BreakingNews — Mehr News Agency (@MehrnewsCom) July 16, 2025 Here are more details from pro-Iranian news channel Al Mayadeen: 'Following persistent surveillance of suspected fuel smuggling operations off Iran's Sea of Oman coast, security forces boarded and searched a foreign oil tanker,' Ghahremani said. Iranian authorities confirmed the seizure of the foreign tanker after detecting irregularities in its cargo documentation, with security forces arresting 17 crew members, including the ship's captain, during the operation. The vessel was suspected of transporting two million liters of smuggled fuel through the Sea of Oman. Fuel smuggling via 'dark fleet' tankers has been a consistent tactic used by Iran to circumvent Western sanctions, with much of the crude oil ultimately making its way to China. Details about the seized vessel's ownership and final destination remain limited. Also read: Drone Attacks On Northern Iraqi Oil Field On The Rise Amid Iran Tensions
Cision Canada
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Cision Canada
A by-election will be held on August 11, 2025, in the electoral division of Arthabaska
QUÉBEC CITY, July 8, 2025 /CNW/ - A by-election will be held on Monday, August 11, 2025, in the electoral division of Arthabaska, in the Centre-du-Québec region. Under an order of the gouvernement du Québec issued today, the Chief Electoral Officer, Mr. Jean-François Blanchet, is responsible for organizing the election and ensuring its integrity. Here are some important dates in the election period: Broadcasting, publishing or posting election-related advertising prohibited: from July 9 to 15 (election signs are allowed); Nomination period: from July 10 to 26; Registration or modification period to the list of electors: from July 21 to August 7; Voting days at the office of the returning officer: August 1 and 2 and August 5, 6 and 7; Advance poll days: August 3 and 4. Working at the election Anyone who has the right to vote in Québec may apply online to work at this election. You do not have to live in the electoral division to work there. Young people aged 16 and 17 can also work during this election, if they are Canadian citizens and have been domiciled in Québec for at least six months. This work experience will give these future electors a better understanding of the polling proceedings. Deadlines for certain voting options Electors who want to use certain voting options must apply before a certain deadline. Electors who want to register to vote outside Québec, which is done by mail, must do so no later than July 23; Electors who are unable to travel for health reasons may apply to vote at home until July 28; Those wanting to register to vote in their room in a residential facility (rehabilitation centre, hospital centre, palliative care hospice or addiction resource) must do so no later than July 28. Political contributions Electors can contribute up to $100 per year to each of the authorized political parties and independent candidates. From the date on which the seat of MNA (member of the National Assembly) became vacant until September 10, electors in the Arthabaska electoral division can also contribute up to an additional $100. Therefore, they can contribute up to $200 in 2025. Information on by-elections in Québec and on the Arthabaska electoral division The Election Act stipulates that the government must order a by-election when an MNA (member of the National Assembly) seat in the Assemblée nationale becomes vacant more than six months before the date of the next general elections. The government must issue the order instituting the by-election no later than six months after the vacancy of the seat. The MNA (member of the National Assembly) seat in the Arthabaska electoral division became vacant on March 18, 2025. For the October 3, 2022, provincial general election, more than 60,000 people were registered on the list of electors in the Arthabaska electoral division. The voter turnout was 74.10%; across Québec, it was 66.15%. The last by-election in Arthabaska was held on December 5, 2016. Voter turnout was 43.14%. An information sheet on the Arthabaska electoral division can be found on the Élections Québec website ( About Élections Québec Élections Québec is a non-partisan and independent institution striving to ensure the integrity, transparency, and reliability of elections and to contribute to the vitality of the Québec democracy. Our website includes a section for the media. In addition to our press releases, you will find information on topics of interest to journalists, including the publication of election results and our election glossary.
United News of India
25-06-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Iran Parliament votes to suspend cooperation with IAEA, says IAEA credibility 'up for auction'
Tehran, June 25 (UNI) Iran has decided to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) until the Agency (IAEA) guarantees security of its nuclear facilities. Iran which has been a member of the IAEA since 1958, said the Agency's international credibility is 'up for auction.' Reports quoting Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the IAEA had put its international credibility 'up for auction' by not condemning the US attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. 'The International Atomic Energy Agency, which refused to even marginally condemn the attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, put its international credibility up for Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran will suspend its cooperation with the IAEA until the security of the nuclear facilities is guaranteed,' he said. Iran's MEHR News Agency (MNA) said Iranian Parliament had approved the suspension of cooperation with the IAEA after an overwhelming vote. In today's open session of the parliament, during the consideration of the general outline of the plan requiring the government to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, lawmakers agreed to the general outline of the plan with 221 votes in favor, no votes against, and one abstention out of a total of 223 representatives present in the session. The decision followed U.S. strikes on several Iranian nuclear sites, ''in violation of international law, including the United Nations Charter,'' MNA said. Iran has said it reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interests, and people, with the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) declaring that the attack violated the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and would not prevent Iran from developing its peaceful nuclear program. MNA quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as criticising the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) for failing to protect Iran's peaceful nuclear program, saying that Tehran may change its stance regarding the NPT cooperation. He said Iran had tried to demonstrate its compliance with the Treaty but this Treaty had failed to protect Iran's peaceful nuclear program. Twenty years of transparency and trust-building about Iran's peaceful nuclear program had not yielded positive results. Therefore, Iran may change its stance on the nuclear program and the NPT cooperation, he said. Araghchi further said Iranians had made significant efforts to acquire peaceful nuclear technology. Therefore, no one would stop obtaining this technology. Meanwhile, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said there is still a path for diplomacy. ''We must take it. Otherwise violence and destruction could reach unimaginable levels and the global non-proliferation regime that has underpinned international security for more than half a century, could crumble and fall,' he said in his statement to the Board of Governors of the IAEA. Iran, Israel and the Middle East need peace, he asserted and said that for peace a number of steps need to be taken. All parties should return to the negotiating table and for that IAEA inspectors should be allowed to go back to Iran's nuclear sites and account for the stockpiles of uranium, including, most importantly, the 400 kg enriched to 60 percent. He said IAEA inspectors remain in Iran ready to undertake the required tasks when agreed with Iran and reiterated that armed attacks on nuclear facilities should never take place. UNI RB GNK
CBS News
23-06-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Minnesota Nurses Association holds strike vote Monday as union advocates for improved staffing ratios
A Minnesota nurses union is holding an unfair labor practice strike vote on Monday as thousands of employees are working without a contract, and others are facing a contract expiration at the end of the month. The Minnesota Nurses Association, which represents 15,000 nurses across 13 hospitals in the Twin Cities and Duluth area, says if a supermajority of nurses pass the vote, it would give negotiators the ability to call for a strike at any time, after providing a 10-day notice. "We have consistently come to the bargaining table in good faith and been transparent about our proposals, yet have received stonewalling, interference and retaliation in return," said President of the MNA Chris Rubesch. The union says they've brought plans regarding safer staffing ratios, workplace violence prevention measures and scheduling to the bargaining table but "hospital executives have refused to listen." Nurses say the patient-to-nurse ratio is unsafe and unmanageable. "We've assessed our body of nurses and we all know that we're ready to take this vote. Not to strike, but to get it done," said Ericka Helling, an ICU nurse at M Health Fairview Southdale. "This is the goal here, to solve the equation without abandoning our patients or leaving our jobs. We know we have the vote, we wouldn't take the vote if we couldn't get it done." The MNA alleges the hospitals have retaliated by surveilling union conversations and refusing to provide information that is necessary to bargain. Negotiations started in March for the Twin Cities nurses, who are now working without a contract. The Duluth-area nurses started negotiating in April, and are facing a contract expiration date of June 30. "For decades, nurses have been sounding the alarm about increasingly unsafe staffing levels in our hospitals, leading to the current crisis we are experiencing now. As more patients experience adverse health events, more nurses are subjected to violence and more healthcare professionals are fleeing bedside care altogether, the hospitals' bad faith bargaining is a slap in the face to both nurses and patients," Rubesch said. "We cannot and will not accept it." Voting ends at 10 p.m. on Monday. WCCO has reached out to M Health Fairview for comment.
