The Iranian Army’s Ground Force has begun a massive military exercise in the central region of the country with the objective of assessing the combat capabilities of various military units and testing new weaponry.

The drills started in the Nasrabad region of Isfahan on Friday with the presence of senior military commanders, including Deputy Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh.

A spokesperson for the drills provided details about the exercise, stating that it involves various units of the Army, including infantry, armored, missile, artillery, aviation, drones, as well as electronic, modern, and cyber warfare units.

He emphasized that the exercise, in line with the new organizational structure, focuses on four key features, namely speed, precision, intelligence, and the ability to automate and network military equipment.

These four features will be assessed in various stages of the exercise through field evaluations.

Source: https://en.irna.ir/news/85272168/Iran-Army-s-ground-force-kicks-off-massive-military-drills

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The Israeli war on the Hamas outfit and subsequent Gaza bombing past 13 days seem to be no end to the bloodshed as the death toll reached 4000 in Gaza including children and women. The significant news is that 2 American hostages have been released by Hamas on humanitarian grounds, a mother, and a daughter where there seems to be no humanitarian consideration for Gaza civilian bombing by Israeli fighter jets.

Israel’s ground forces await to invasion via Gaza’s southern border

Massive Israeli IDF troop build-up continues for a possible invasion of Gaza and it can happen at any point in time. Fear for the global community is that the civilian death toll may increase alarmingly when the population is already without power, water, and food.

Humanitarian aid amid Gaza war

Humanitarian aid via the Rafah Cross of Egypt reached Gaza and awaits supply to the affected civilian population.

Will Israel stop the Gaza genocide?

The world witnessed horrific sights from Gaza when Israel bombed the al-Ahli Arab Hospital, and Greek Orthodox church where at least 470 were killed in the hospital and 18 in the church, and civilians were taken shelter. Also wiped out 50 members family overnight. from their residence.

What is the humanitarian crisis in Gaza?

On October 7, Israel initiated a heavy bombardment and blockade of Gaza in response to a significant attack by Hamas. This has resulted in a dire situation for Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, as they are now without electricity, putting essential services like healthcare and water supply on the brink of collapse due to the Israeli blockade to punish the Gaza Strip. Hospitals are also facing a shortage of fuel for their generators, and hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced in the Hamas-governed territory.

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The latest allegation and strain of the relationship are not new and it’s been happening for the past few years. One significant factor was Canada’s comments and expressions of concern about human rights issues in India, particularly related to the farmers’ protests that had gained international attention. These comments drew criticism from the Indian government, which viewed them as unwarranted interference in its domestic affairs.

Another contentious matter was the treatment of the Sikh diaspora and allegations of support for Khalistani separatist movements in Canada. India has expressed concerns about radical elements within the Sikh community in Canada and has called on the Canadian government to take action against them.

Trade disputes also played a role in the strained relationship. Trade tensions had been escalating, with both countries imposing tariffs and trade restrictions on each other’s products, including agricultural goods and pulses.

Additionally, the suspension of direct flights between India and Canada due to COVID-19 added to the challenges in people-to-people and economic ties.

It’s important to note that diplomatic relations can change over time, and the situation between India and Canada may have evolved since my last update in September 2021. For the most current information and a comprehensive understanding of their bilateral relationship, it’s recommended to consult recent news sources and official statements from both countries.

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The dynamic between Turkey and the European Union (EU) reflects a nuanced blend of cooperation and contention. As a candidate for EU membership since 1987, Turkey has engaged in a protracted accession process, formally commencing negotiations in 2005. However, progress has been sluggish, with only a few chapters of EU legislation successfully concluded as of my last knowledge update in September 2021. Political complexities have been at the forefront of these challenges, as concerns persist regarding the erosion of democratic institutions, human rights abuses, and the rule of law in Turkey, periodically leading to the suspension of specific accession negotiations.

The longstanding Cyprus issue, characterized by Turkey’s non-recognition of the Republic of Cyprus and the unresolved conflict in Northern Cyprus, further complicates the path to EU membership. Nevertheless, economic ties remain robust, with Turkey relying heavily on the EU as its foremost trading partner. Moreover, in response to the 2015-2016 refugee crisis, the EU and Turkey have engaged in cooperative efforts to manage migratory flows, notably through the EU-Turkey Migration Deal. The future of this relationship hinges on the resolution of political disputes, the upholding of democratic principles, and finding common ground on various regional and international challenges, underscoring its significance for both parties in the ever-evolving landscape of European politics.

It’s important to note that the dynamics of international relations can change over time, and political situations can evolve. As of the last update, Turkey had not officially abandoned its EU aspirations, but the challenges were substantial. The future of Turkey’s relationship with the EU depends on various factors, including political developments in Turkey, the stance of EU member states, and progress on issues such as democracy, human rights, and the Cyprus dispute. For the most up-to-date information on this matter, it’s advisable to consult recent news sources and official statements from Turkey and the EU.

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Why Putin’s Russia approved a ‘special operation’?

The underline reason said to be Russia’s fear that Ukraine or any other former Soviet Countries going to the stable of NATO. They think that it will destabilize the Russian Federation as NATO can deploy nuclear capable missiles on its borders and pose a threat to its integrity. Russia always criticized NATO’s eastward expansion plans.

Real background conflict of Ukraine – Russia

But the background of the same was set in Nov 2013 when ‘Euromaidan’ unfolded and which ended in Russia-Ukraine military conflict and annexation of Crimea to Russian Federation. This upraising was against then President Yanukovych’s decision not to sign a political association and free trade agreement with the European Union (EU) instead choosing closer ties to Russia even when the Ukrainian parliament had approved for the EU association. Following which the protests erupted against the government accusing corruption and abuse of power. This resulted in President Yanukvych’s ouster from power as the Parliament voted against him and he subsequently fled to Russia by accusing the voting as ‘illegal’. Protests for the revolution and against the revolution escalated between Eastern Ukraine and Southern Ukraine, following which Russia used its military and annexed Crimea and the creation of the self-proclaimed breakaway states of Donetsk and Luhansk and lead to Dombas war. Russia also accused Ukraine Government of oppressing the majority pro-Russian population of the Eastern Ukraine.

What is NATO and how it threatens Russia?

NATO is a political and military alliance from the year 1949. The alliance has 30 member countries, including the US, Canada, the UK, France, Belgium, and many other European nations. Ukraine is among 3 countries bidding for the NATO membership and the other 2 are Finland and Sweden. Principle of NATO is Collective defense, means that an attack against one Ally(NATO member country) is considered as an attack against all Allies(all member countries). Means the response will be an all out NATO attack against the attacking country.

Ukraine was the third highest Nuclear power post the collapse of Soviet Union?

Following the signing of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances among the US, UK, Russia, France, China, Ukraine agreed to destroy the rest of its nuclear weapons, and to join the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). By 1996, Ukraine transferred all Soviet-era strategic warheads to Russia. Russia would not have dared to invade if Ukraine had the nuclear weapons. So who is responsible for the mess? Of cause all the permanent member of the UNSC, especially the US and the EU.

Ukraine the world’s leading food producer and the largest exporter – will the war cause the food shortage and unrest around the world?

Ukraine is a major agricultural producer and exporter of the world. 60% of its agricultural exports goes to major 5 markets such as European Union, China, India, Turkey and Egypt. Ukraine has six primary products with over a billion dollars in export sales such as corn, sunflower seed, wheat, rapeseed, barley and sunflower meal. Combined these top six products accounted for more than 77% of Ukraine’s agricultural exports. Not to forget that Ukraine is the world’s largest sunflower seed/oil exporter in the world, accounts 47% worlds export market share. 85% of Ukraine’s sunflower seed/oil exports are to India, European Union, China and Iraq. Most of the Ukrainian farms are located in the eastern region where the Russian assault taking place. The war is definitely destroy the corps of this year and subsequently it will affect the export ability of the agricultural commodities to the 27 countries.

The impact of the war to the agriculture of Ukraine is mass elimination of the crops which are about to be harvested or to be planted in the month of March-April and reduced farm lands due to the bombings and movements of the military and the equipment. Well the impact of the food shortage around the world and the rising inflation can lead to unrest and wide protests and riots.

What would be the Post war infrastructure of Ukraine? Can they still produce food commodities?

Once the war is over important aspect is the condition of the surviving Ukrainian residential complexes, bridges, roads, rail infrastructure, ports and the farm fields. It will take years together to rebuild the country’s infrastructure and requires huge funding and help from other countries to live through. Not to forget about re-habitation of 30 million Ukrainians fled or displaced during the war. It is going to be a costly and a messy affair to deal with.

Russia Also a major agricultural food exporter

In the 2020/21, 20% of the world’s wheat exports was from Russia. Even bigger wheat exporter than Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine together accounted for nearly 30% of the globe’s wheat exports. The export of agricultural products from Russia in 2021 amounted to $ 25.2 billion USD. 29% of the world’s sunflower seed oil exports are from Russia.Interesting fact is that the leading importers of Russian agricultural products are European Union, China and Turkey. In short both Russia and Ukraine.

In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, several Western countries have introduced a series of sanctions to cripple Russian economy. The United States, UK, France, Germany and other allies imposed strict sanctions on Russian banks, elites and exports, and major international companies have suspended their Russian operations. In retaliation, Russia announced a ban on exports of telecom, medical, auto, agricultural, electrical and tech equipment, forestry products, to 48 ‘unfriendly countries’ including the U.S. and the EU. Russia exported more than $7.1 billion in wheat to the world in 2021. Russia also announced a temporary ban on the export of wheat, rye, barley and corn to Eurasian Economic Union nations or ex-Soviet countries.

Ukraine-Russia war impact on global food supply?

We saw how dominant both Ukraine and Russia when it comes to export of food commodities such as wheat, corn and edible oil. They both combined together controls more than half of the world food and edible oil supply. So the impact of the short comings of the agricultural productions in both the countries due to the on going war is definitely increase the global food prices beyond the borders of Ukraine and Russia. Lets not forget that the world economy is already under down fall due to Covid19 impact and the subsequent inflation. As far an importing country of food commodity or energy, one side the food import is restricted and the other side due to shortage of oil supply may trigger steep food prices and increased inflation beyond anyone’s imagination.

Russia the major energy supplier of Europe and its allies

In 2021, Russia was the largest natural gas-exporting country in the world, the second-largest crude oil and condensates-exporting country after Saudi Arabia, and the third-largest coal-exporting country behind Indonesia and Australia. About 60% of Russia’s oil exports go to EU and another 20% to China. Not to forget that Russia is also a significant supplier of oil to Ukraine as well. In 2021, 84% of Russia’s exported natural gas arrived at its destination country by pipeline, and the rest was shipped as liquefied natural gas (LNG). Similar to crude oil and condensates exports, Europe was the largest importer of Russia’s natural gas, accounting for nearly 75% of Russia’s total natural gas exports. Germany, France, Turkey Belarus received most of that natural gas. Russian oil and gas made up more than a third of Russian revenues. One-third of Russia’s coal exports were to Europe, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan together received about 22% of Russia’s coal exports. Russia supplies 40% of gas and 25% of its oil to Europe. This shows how significant is Russian energy supply to EU and its allies other than USA.

How Russian energy supply going to impact the EU and its allies

So far only the US announced a ban on Russian energy products where in its import of Russian energy is only 3%. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine invited USA and EU countries to impose sanction on Russia’s largest banks, its central bank, finance ministry, and moved to block SWIFT messaging system for international payments, which has made Russia’s trade payments for energy exports difficult and expensive. As per the above EU’s dependency to Russian energy is vital especially gas supply to survive the harsh European winter.

How will Russia play to evade the sanctions

It is for sure that Russia has the trump card when it comes to energy supply especially to Europe, it can play the game however it wants to. Can threaten to cut the pipeline supply of gas such as Nord Stream which runs from Russia to Europe under the Baltic Sea or with curbs on oil exports. It is to be noted that oil and gas is an essential international commodity which is not available in the vast geography so if EU cant buy other major buyers such as China, India, Brazil etc always in need of more oil and only payment part to be agreed upon since USD payment may not be possible due to sanctions.

Ukraine War Should Not Last Long Or Else Worldwar3?

The world other than Russia, Ukraine and the NATO allies wants an immediate cease fire of the Ukraine-Russia war. The UN(United Nations) should step in and play the active role to broker peace between the warring parties rather than play the role of a ‘mere spectator’. Reports says USA, Germany, France, Italy, Maldova, Poland etc are supplying arms and ammunition to Ukraine either directly or secretly to defend the Russian assault on Ukraine. This move is very dangerous as it create world war3 scenario where in Russia and allies in one side and NATO led allies on the other side and fighting each other directly or indirectly. Further escalation of the situation may invite a direct confrontation between the allies and a major war(world war3) can break out in Europe, of which the devastation can be in each and every country. So UN should intervene and stop US and EU and its allies from supplying weapons to Ukraine to counter the Russian troops as it will only ad fuel to the fire and the conflict goes on forever which may put the entire world population to a nuclear catastrophe in the form of a worldwar3. For the UN this is an ideal opportunity to address the long pending accusation that it only addresses the strategic interests and political motives of the certain powerful countries with vested interests.

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• German President’s Ukraine visit proposal rejected
  
• France refuses to back Biden’s ‘Russian genocide’ claim in Ukraine
  
• Liberated cities may find more civilian casualties like Bucha, EU to send investigators
  
• Bucha atrocities may invite more sanctions on Russia
  
• France, Germany to sack Russian diplomats
  
• Streets of Ukraine – Civilian dead bodies, destroyed tanks, scattered mines are the aftermath of Russian withdrawal
  
• Russia denies Bucha war crimes accusation of killing civilians
  
• Zelensky refused ‘the last peace offer’ by German Chancellor just before the war advising being ‘neutral’
  
• Russian troop withdrawal reported near Kviy
  
• Russia says Ukraine attacked on fuel depot in Belgorod
  
• At least $10 billion needed to restore Mariupol’s infrastructure
  
• Ukraine-Russia fresh peace talks in Turkey this week, Ukraine considers to be neutral
  
• NATO-US not aiming to remove Putin
  
• Russia planning to divide Ukraine into 2 separate regions in post war scenario
  
• Hacker group ‘Anonymous’ claims it hacked Russian ministry of defense and State Television channels
  
• US President Biden meets Ukraine’s Foreign, Defense ministers in Poland
  
• Russian military says More than 1,300 servicemen have been killed and nearly 4,000 injured in the offensive in Ukraine
  
• The Russian defense ministry said that the initial aims of the war were complete, and now focus on liberating Eastern Ukraine
  
• A shipment of 1,500 “Strela” anti-aircraft missiles and 100 MG3 machine guns from Germany arrived in Ukraine
  
• US President Joe Biden landed in Poland for EU Summit on Ukraine
  
• EU Signs a major gas deal with US to reduce Russian gas import
  
• At least 300 people are feared to have been killed in the bombing of Mariupol’s drama theater
  
• Germany to cut Russian oil imports by half
  
• Mariupol City Council calls for help as residents are stranded and starving due to shelling by Russian forces
  
• Ukraine attacked Russian naval ship at Berdyansk port
  
• G7 countries welcome International Criminal Court’s investigation into possible war crimes committed in Ukraine by Russia
  
• US preparing contingency plans in case Russia uses chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons in Ukraine
• EU doubles aid to Ukraine to $1.1 million
• Putin: Russia will only accept rubles for gas deliveries to EU/unfriendly countries
• More than 100,000 stuck in Mariupol without food or water
• Belarus expels most Ukrainian diplomats, shuts Ukraine’s consulate general
• UK to supply air defense systems to Poland
• Russia will use nuclear weapons only when the country’s existence is threatened – Kremlin
• UN calls to end the ‘unwinnable’ war
• Ukraine wont surrender Mariupol as Russian deadline nears
• Mariupol under severe Russia bombing, maternity hospital and military bunkers attacked
• Russia used its hyper-sonic missile for the first time in history
• Russian advances to Ukraine slows down due to stiff resistance from Ukraine forces
• President Zelensky calls for immediate talks with Putin
• Russian Missile Strike Near Western city of Lviv Airport In Ukraine
• Biden-Xi Call today on Ukraine War
• Biden Calls Putin A War Criminal
• Australia Threatens China With Sanctions If Backs Russia
• Ukraine Sought Weapons Of Mass Destruction – Putin
• US Reiterated That Not Interested In World War 3
• Russia announces ban on Biden other top US officials
• Biden to attend EU, NATO summit in Brussels with focus on Ukraine
• US Senate condemns Putin as a war criminal
• Russia – Ukraine talks resume after a break
• US warns China against helping Russia in the war
• US threatens Russia that NATO will strike back if hit on NATO Territory
• Russian air strike kills 35 Ukraine soldiers on military base
• 100s of anti war protesters arrested in Russia
• Russian forces regroup near Kyive for an assault on the Ukraine capital
• Half of the Kyiv population flee
• Russia accuses Ukraine on secret development of bio weapons backed by US
• Russian air strike hits at Mariupol maternity hospital, 17 reported hurt
• Ukraine wont press for NATO membership
• US, UK bans Russian oil import, Germany may not follow
• Russian Official says due to the sanction on Nord Stream 2 pipeline, European gas prices surge
• US rejects Poland’s Mig-29 offer
• No fly zone over Ukraine call rejected by NATO
• Xi Says China willing to Mediate on Ukraine Crisis
• Kyiv residents decides to defend the Capital City from Russian troops
• 1.5 million flee from Ukraine to neighboring countries as war refugees

The post Latest Update – Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine appeared first on worldnewsunion.

A major fire broke out with black smoke on Friday in the Jeddah Port’s Aramco fuel storage facilities. The Saudi state television confirmed that the attack was targeted on its fuel storage and other facilities in Jeddah. The incident reported ahead of Saudi Grand Prix – a formula 1 race was scheduled on Sunday. The Saudi Motorsport Co, acknowledged the attack but said the “race weekend schedule will continue as planned.”

Saudi Arabia Retaliated Yemani Houthis Attack

As per the official news agency of Houthis, at least 10 citizens were killed including women and children by two air raids launched by the US-Saudi-led aggression coalition warplanes on the capital Sana on Saturday.

Why Yemani Houthis Attack Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia leads a coalition battling the Iran-backed Houthis, who seized Yemen’s capital of Sanaa in September 2014. The kingdom, which entered the war in Yemen in 2015, has been internationally criticized for its airstrikes killing scores of civilians.

Source: https://www.saba.ye/en/news3180887.htm

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But so far the Ukrainian forces fought hard to keep the invading forces at bay with a very limited eastern and northern portion of the country under Russian control including the breakaway Donetsk and Luhansk. In short, the Russian advancing towards Kyiv and the central Ukraine has been stalled or delayed significantly which shows that the war is going to be longer than it appears to be.

30 Days of Ukraine War – Civilian Casualty

According to Ukrainian forces Russia has conducted 1,804 air raids on Ukraine, 1100 missile strikes, killing thousands of people and devastated the lives of over 40 million people. As per UN at least 977 civilians were killed and 1,594 injured but in real the civilian death toll is much higher. 4,431 residential buildings, 548 schools, and 135 health care institutions were partially or completely destroyed. Due to heavy shelling and air raids by the Russian forces approximately 10 million Ukrainians flee their homes, out of which more than half is displaced within the country and the balance flee neighboring countries such as Poland, Romania, Maldova, Bulgaria etc.

Russian Casualty

Russia confirmed it lost 1,351 of its troops in Ukraine, and 3,925 wounded. NATO estimates it to be 7000 to 15000 but as per Ukraine, more than 16,000 Russian soldiers dead and the subsequent Russian military equipment destroyed or damaged as below.

Fighter jets – 115

Helicopters – 125

UAVs – 53

MLRs – 90

Tanks – 561

Artillery – 291

Armored Personal Carriers – 1625

Boats – 5

Army Vehicles – 1089

Fuel Tankers – 72

Anti Aircraft Warfare – 49

Special Equipment – 18

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The State Council – China’s cabinet – will assign officials to deal with the accident as a priority, identify the cause as soon as possible, and strengthen the investigation of safety hazards in civil aviation sector to ensure the absolute safety of aviation operations and people’s lives in the future, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Monday afternoon.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang called for all-out efforts to search for survivors and treat the injured, and emphasized the need to reassure and serve the families of the victims.

Li asked relevant departments to seriously identify the cause of the accident and take strong measures to strengthen civil aviation safety management.

According to the instruction, the CAAC, the Ministry of Emergency Management and other relevant departments have sent working groups to the scene to guide the on-the-scene handling of the accident, and dispatched rescue forces on the provincial level and from the neighboring province of Guangdong. The handling of the aftermath and the investigation of the cause of the accident are under way.

This is the first air crash in China since a fatal incident took place in Yichun, Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province back in 2010. The Yichun crash killed 44 people.

The plane, MU 5735, took off from Kunming Changshui airport in Southwest China’s Yunnan Province at 13:15, and was scheduled to arrive at Guangzhou, South China’s Guangdong Province at 15:07.

Sources told the Global Times that China Eastern Airlines has decided to ground all of the company’s Boeing 737-800 planes.

The crashed plane has 132 onboard, including 123 passengers, and nine crew members.

China Eastern has also dispatched working groups to the site.

At present, rescue teams have been deployed and are approaching the crash site, Xinhua reported.

At around 3 pm Monday, the Wuzhou Fire Brigade deployed a rescue team to the scene of the accident, an officer from the brigade told the Global Times on Monday.

“We sent 25 fire engines and 117 firefighters to the scene, but as the accident site is too remote and in the mountains, fire engines could not reach the wreckage, firefighters had to enter on foot,” said the brigade officer via phone.

The first deployment of firefighters has already arrived on the scene, with backup available if needed, the Brigade said.

Flight data from information provider VariFlight showed that after flight MU5735 took off from Kunming airport, it had been cruising at an altitude of about 8,869 meters. At 2:19 pm, the aircraft suddenly descended from cruising altitude, while flight speed also began to decrease from about 845 kilometers per hour. At 2:21, flight MU5735 lost its ADS-B radar signal also losing contact with the ground.

Judging from aircraft data, there is no information on the pilot’s ground information contact. It is very likely that the aircraft lost power at cruising altitude resulting in the pilot losing control of the aircraft. This is a very serious technical failure in which the plane inevitably enters a high-speed descent, Wang Ya’nan, chief editor of Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge told the Global Times on Monday.

However the specific reason can only be determined when the black box has been recovered, he noted.

In terms of aircraft casualties, the situation appears grim, and the possibility of all onboard perishing cannot be ruled out. Moreover, search and rescue is difficult due to terrain around the crash site, while the impact of wildfires will present a high risk to anyone who managed to survive the crash, he said.

Meanwhile, an unidentified number of flights departing from Kunming, Yunnan Province, operated by China Eastern Airlines Monday afternoon were canceled, including flights to Hangzhou, East China’s Zhejiang Province, and Xiamen, East China’s Fujian Province.

The aircraft involved is a Boeing 737-800, belonging to the Yunnan subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines and has been in operation of just over six and a half years. The plane was delivered in June 2015.

As of February 19, 2022, the continuous safe flight time of China’s civil aviation transport aviation had exceeded 100 million hours, representing the best safety performance in the history of China’s civil aviation industry and the best continuous safe flight record in the history of civil aviation worldwide.

Shares of China Eastern Airlines plummeted more than 10 percent in US trading premarket

Source: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202203/1256395.shtml

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The provincial government launched its partnership with the eLan Foundation’s Shift Africa Project, which will see a massive training and skills development project that will serve as a gateway to occupationally directed skills development for the identified youth.

The economic spinoffs and job opportunities are a result of the eLan Property Group’s R16 billion Blythedale Coastal Estate Resort development.

Speaking during the partnership launch this week, KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Sihle Zikalala, said the Shift Africa Project is strategic because it talks to economic growth, redistribution and creation of jobs.

“We are launching this project, Shift Africa, where the eLan Foundation and eLan Group, which is a property investment group, have partnered with government, especially the Department of Social Development, to train young people and ensure that they are employed in the property development of the project, which will be implemented in the Ilembe District.

“One of these projects is the Blythedale Coastal Estate Resort, which is a mega catalytic project that will attract international investors. It will be the biggest resort in Southern Africa and result in the employment of more than 100 000 people during the construction phase, and yield more business opportunities for SMMEs [small, medium and micro enterprises],” Zikalala said.

He called on the business sector to continue working with government to implement high impact projects that will see the reduction of unemployment and ensure skills development.

“This project will help us reduce unemployment and provide skills training for youth and women. The eLan Group has been given a database of young people that have been trained by the Department of Social Development, and some of these trainees are ex-offenders.

“No one must be condemned, and there is a need to rehabilitate ex-offenders. It is important to give them a second chance in life. The ex-offenders, who have been trained, will also be given an opportunity to work in the Blythedale Project and make a meaningful contribution to the growth of our economy,” Zikalala said.

The partnership with eLan Group will, among other objectives, lead to:

• The development of entry level programmes, which will serve as a gateway to occupationally directed skills development for the identified youth.
• Short-term employment and procurement expenditure during construction.
• 20 000 trained personnel will be placed in permanent jobs.
• Incubation of 4 000 SMEs, with guaranteed contracts as per their services.
• Develop sustainable income streams for co-operatives and beneficiaries thus reducing poverty. Guaranteed contracts will lead to the sustainability of the co-operatives.
• Green Economy programmes and the development of social enterprises will provide business spin-offs.

The KZN Department of Social Development has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the eLan Group, in its capacity as property developers.

The MOU will result in the implementation of development programmes that will respond to socio- economic difficulties facing young people in the province.

Source: https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/kzn-partnership-prepare-over-100-000-youth-job-market

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