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Russia works to ‘ease visa regime for India, other countries’

Russia works to ‘ease visa regime for India, other countries’

RUSSIA is working on easing visa procedures for six countries, including India, Syria and Indonesia, the state TASS news agency cited deputy foreign minister Evgeny Ivanov as saying on Sunday (5).

"In addition to India (procedures simplification) ... is being worked out with Angola, Vietnam, Indonesia, Syria and Philippines," Ivanov said.

Earlier, Ivanov said that Russia is also preparing intergovernmental agreements on visa-free trips with 11 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Barbados, Haiti, Zambia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico and Trinidad, TASS reported.

Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine a year ago, which has killed thousands and displace millions, Moscow has turned to China, India and African nations, trying to seek closer ties there.

While the United States, Japan and the European Union condemned Russia's invasion and imposed sanctions, China and India have not done either.

India kept a neutral stance, declining to blame Russia for the invasion while sharply boosting its purchases of Russian oil.

(Reuters)

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Lancashire Health Warning

Dr. Sakthi Karunanithi, director of public health, Lancashire County Council

Via LDRS

Lancashire warned health pressures ‘not sustainable’ without stronger prevention plan

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Highlights

  • Lancashire’s public health chief says rising demand on services cannot continue.
  • New prevention strategy aims to involve entire public sector and local communities.
  • Funding concerns raised as council explores co-investment and partnerships.
Lancashire’s public sector will struggle to cope with rising demand unless more is done to prevent people from falling ill in the first place, the county’s public health director has warned.
Dr. Sakthi Karunanithi told Lancashire County Council’s health and adult services scrutiny committee that poor health levels were placing “not sustainable” pressure on local services, prompting the authority to begin work on a new illness prevention strategy.

The plan, still in its early stages, aims to widen responsibility for preventing ill health beyond the public health department and make it a shared priority across the county council and the wider public sector.

Dr. Karunanithi said the approach must also be a “partnership” with society, supporting people to make healthier choices around smoking, alcohol use, weight and physical activity. He pointed that improving our health is greater than improving the NHS.

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