Latest news with #Skikda
Zawya
2 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Algeria launches $7bln petrochemical, refining projects
Algeria has launched several petrochemical and refining projects worth nearly $7 billion to tap its oil and gas resources and maximise income, its oil minister has said. The projects in various parts of the North African Arab country will be carried out during 2025-2029, Mohammed Arkab told parliament on Thursday. 'An investment portfolio estimated at $7 billion has been allocated for the completion of several major industrial projects, as part of the implementation of the strategy aimed at increasing the conversion rate of hydrocarbons into value-added products from the current 32 percent to 50 percent by the end of the current five-year development plan,' he said, quoted by Elkhabar and other Algerian newspapers on Friday. The projects comprises the new Hassi Messaoud refinery, with a capacity of 5 million tonnes per year, which is scheduled to come online in late 2027. Another project is the Arzew naphtha cracker which will produce an additional 1.2 million tonnes of gasoline starting in March 2027. Arkab said the projects also include the Skikda fuel cracker project, which will be commissioned in January 2029 and produce 1.75 million tonnes of diesel and 250,000 tonnes of asphalt. In its Global Global Chemicals Outlook 2025 issued in December last year, Fitch Ratings said chemical margins will remain under pressure due to overcapacity and mounting geopolitical risks, despite modest volume improvements and lower energy and feedstock cost. (Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Sonu Nigam REACTS to his Bengaluru concert remarks after FIR: 'Pahalgam mein jab pant utaari gayi thi...'
Sonu Nigam is facing backlash after comments made during his Bengaluru concert, where he was reportedly pressured by a young man to sing in Kannada. Nigam expressed his love for Kannadigas but found the demand "rudely threatening." He also made a controversial remark regarding the Pahalgam terror attack , which led to criticism from pro-Kannada groups who felt he equated their language struggle with terrorism. In response to the backlash, Nigam clarified that his comments were directed at a few individuals causing trouble, not the entire community, and he did not intend to criticize Kannada speakers. Watch the video here: Sonu Nigam Clarifies His Comments in Instagram Video by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Skikda: AI guru Andrew Ng recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Aroun... Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo On Saturday, the singer posted a video on Instagram, explaining the incident that took place during his Bengaluru concert. He clarified that a group of 4-5 individuals were repeatedly shouting for him to sing in Kannada, while the rest of the audience tried to stop them and maintain the peace. Nigam emphasized that he wanted to remind those few individuals about a past event in Pahalgam, where language wasn't questioned during a particular incident. He also expressed his admiration for Kannadigas, stressing the importance of not generalizing the behavior of a few people to an entire community. Apology and Call for Unity 'There's nothing like that. Everywhere, there are 4-5 such bad people, no matter which state they're from. But it's very important to remind them that you cannot let them threaten you, to make you sing. The whole world is doing it with love. When I come, I bring a one-hour set of Kannada songs. But those who provoke others, it's very important to stop them right away," he said. 'Kyunki ye bawaseer ban jaate hain phir baad mein," he added. He further shared, 'If someone is sowing the seeds of hatred in the land of love, we need to stop them. Kannadigas are beautiful people, so please let's not generalize them. There were just 4-5 boys who were looking at me angrily after I finished my first song. They weren't demanding, they were threatening. You can ask people who were there." Backlash from Kannada Activists A video of Sonu Nigam addressing the crowd during his Bengaluru concert went viral on social media. In the clip, Nigam, clearly upset, paused the performance to address a group of individuals demanding a Kannada song. He expressed his love for Kannadigas and shared that he has sung some of his best songs in Kannada. However, he stated that the way the demand was made felt 'rudely threatening." He also referenced the Pahalgam incident, urging the crowd to understand his intentions and reiterated his affection for them. The reference to Pahalgam, a site of a recent terror attack, sparked anger among Kannada activists. They interpreted Sonu Nigam's comment as a comparison between the language struggle of Kannadigas and terrorism, which led to widespread criticism.
