Posts in category: Uncategorized

By SHERRY CHABALA

THE Oil Marketing Companies Association of Zambia (OMCAZ) has urged Government to put in place measures to cushion the pump price of fuel from the fluctuating exchange rate. 

OMCAZ president, Kafula Mubanga said the reduction and long-term stability of the petrol pump prices was dependent on Government implementing measures to regulate the fluctuating exchange rate as well as addressing the high cost of transporting the product by road.

Dr. Mubanga proposed that Zambia should rebuild the railway line and connect it to already existing infrastructure in Tanzania to reduce road transport costs, which will enable the flow of cheaper petroleum products onto the local market.

Meanwhile, Dr. Mubanga commended the government for its bold decision to remove fuel subsidies and converting the TAZAMA pipeline to convey processed low sulphur diesel, which he described as a beneficial policy, which will result in a restructured energy sector and less state indebtedness.

He also urged Government to focus on finding solutions to stabilise the exchange rate for the benefit of the business sector.

“It is very important to understand that the prices of fuel are triggered by the international prices which border on the exchange rate. So, if your exchange rate is competitive it means that at that point you will be buying petroleum products at a cheaper price because the exchange has some gains.

Now if the currency is not performing too well prices becomes a little bit expensive,” Dr. Mubanga said.

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As Ghana and Nigeria grapple with outbreaks of anthrax, scientists say governments must prioritize funds for vaccination to prevent a re-emergence of the disease across West Africa.

A team led by researchers from Mass Eye and Ear, a member of Mass General Brigham, reports the results of a phase I trial of a revolutionary stem cell treatment called cultivated autologous limbal epithelial cell transplantation (CALEC), which was found to be safe and well-tolerated over the short term in four patients with significant chemical burns in one eye.

According to new research in the journal Immunity, T cells have a nuclear receptor doing something very odd—but very important—to help them fight pathogens and destroy cancer cells. This receptor, called retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARα), is known to control gene expression programs in the nucleus, but it also now appears to operate outside the cell nucleus to coordinate the early events triggered at the cell surface that lead to T cell activation.

Psychedelics are known for inducing altered states of consciousness in humans by fundamentally changing our normal pattern of sensory perception, thought and emotion. Research into the therapeutic potential of psychedelics has increased significantly in the last decade.

By NATION REPORTER  

UPND Secretary General Batuke Imenda’s revelations that President Hakainde Hichilema intends to use loans and other funds the government is about to receive from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the European Union (EU) to share with his UPND cadres must be interrogated, Socialist Party deputy secretary general Antonio Mwanza has said.

Mr Mwanza said the loans the Zambian government received from the AfDB and the EU were for national development and cannot be diverted to finance UPND cadres. 

He said this was a scandal of epic proportion and it cannot go unpunished. The Zambians must hold Mr Hichilema and his government accountable for this planned abuse of public office.

“With this expose, Zambians are wondering as to how safe their money is, and how deep is the corruption rooted in the UPND government. From sharing proceeds of crime from the theft of Sugilite, fertiliser deals, Gold to now sharing public loans with party cadres,” he said.

Mr Mwanza urged the African Development Bank and the European Union to review and halt their commitments to Mr Hichilema’s administration and ensure that their funds are protected and accounted for.

Mr Imenda exposed this scam at a public meeting in Lusaka’s Chawama Township last Saturday.

Mr Mwanza said the African Development Bank was a regional multilateral development financial institution established to contribute to the economic development and social progress of African countries that were the institution’s regional member countries. 

Mr Mwanza said the bank’s mission was to promote the investment of public and private capital in projects and programmes that are likely to contribute to the economic development of its stakeholders. 

He said the European Union was a long-standing cooperating partner of Zambia. For over 40 years the EU has been supporting Zambia’s development in its social, economic and environmental dimensions through the European Development Fund and a number of other financing instruments.

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Federal data on LGBQ student health contain a significant amount of potentially exaggerated or untruthful responses, raising questions about how they might skew people’s understanding of risky behavior among teens. These inaccuracies affect some responses more than others. That’s according to an analysis my colleagues and I did of high school surveys administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, better known as the CDC.

For many families, the start of school is a busy, exciting time of year. For some students, though, returning to school also means bullying and the feelings of anxiety, sadness, and loneliness bullying can cause.

A new COVID variant with very few known cases but many mutations has been swiftly moved into the World Health Organization’s “variant under monitoring” classification.

After her teenage daughter attempted suicide and began to cycle through emergency rooms and mental health programs during the past three years, Sarah Delarosa noticed her own health also declined.