Saudi Arabia terminates officials
Riyadh: Saudi Arabia announced on Friday the termination of several officials over land violations of some projects.
A royal order was issued to dismiss Director General of the Border Guard by referring him to retirement, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The order also ended the services of border guard officials, governors, officials from the Interior Ministry and Medina, Tabuk and Asir governorates and others involved, Xinhua news agency. The violations exceeded 5,000 lands of the Red Sea Project and dozens violation in Al-Ula province, as well as the violations regarding the slums, which were not authorized by the Royal Commission for Al-Ula Province, the Red Sea Company, or the Souda Development Company. (IANS)
Taliban shuts down health clinic
Kabul: Taliban militants have shut down a health clinic in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, it was reported on Friday.
In a letter issued to the doctors and staff, the Taliban warned no one can enter the clinic in Arghistan district without permission, and violators would be punished, reports Xinhua news agency. Major parts of the district is still under Taliban control since the past few years.
A local resident said the Taliban had closed down the clinic on the “grounds that male doctors working with women”. (IANS)
UK govt debt hits $2.6tn
London: The UK government debt has increased above 2 trillion pounds ($2.6 trillion) for the first time amid heavy spending to support the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed on Friday.
Spending on measures such as the furlough scheme means the debt figure now equals the value of everything the UK produces in a year, the BBC reported.
Total debt hit 2.004 trillion pounds in July, 227.6 billion pounds more than last year, said the ONS. (IANS)