FARUKH SHEHZAD

ISLAMABAD, JAN 2021: The World Economic Forum in its recent publication “The Future of Jobs” has identified digital skills as one of the key areas of growth in the coming years. The digital skills have also been termed as the essential key to the “jobs of tomorrow”.

E-commerce and digital trade emerged as the top priority for technology adoption among companies in Pakistan. 91% of the companies have identified it as the most essential skillset required in the next five years. Big data analytics and cloud computing emerged as the second and third most desired digital skills. 

Online learning and training is on the rise but looks different for those in employment and those who are unemployed. The Report highlights that, there has been a four-fold increase in the numbers of individuals seeking out opportunities for learning online through their own initiative, a five-fold increase in employer provision of online learning opportunities to their workers and a nine-fold enrolment increase for learners accessing online learning through government programmes.

Those in employment are placing larger emphasis on personal development courses, which have seen 88% growth among that population. Those who are unemployed have placed greater emphasis on learning digital skills such as e-commerce, digital trade, data analysis, computer science and information technology.

As per the understanding signed between Mishal Pakistan, the country partner institute of the World Economic Forum and Extreme Commerce, the quality of trainings will be benchmarked, and new opportunities will be created for e-commerce and digital trade in Pakistan. Extreme Commerce is offering more than 50 ecommerce and  digital skills courses in Pakistan, with emphasis on specialized trainings on digital trade through international platforms like Amazon, Ebay, Alibaba etc.  

Extreme Commerce, the leading digital and ecommerce skills organization in Pakistan, has played a vital role in training professionals to create entrepreneurial skillsets and generate additional jobs helping them earn sustainable income through freelancing. In the last three (03) years they have introduced more than 500,000 individuals to the global ecommerce opportunity through their platforms. On the signing of this partnership the Founder of Extreme Commerce, Sunny Ali said, “we have a commitment to empower our youth with the tools and knowledge, so they can champion and to create the businesses of tomorrow.

This will not only generate livelihood for our youth about also develop an ecosystem for e-commerce and digital trade to thrive in the country.  He further said, “we have set a benchmark for Pakistan to train one million people in more than 50 digital-skills, with a special focus on e-commerce and digital trade related trainings.  

Amir Jahangir, Chief Executive Officer of Mishal Pakistan, the Country Partner Institute of the World Economic Forum said, “the future of work has already arrived for a large majority of the online white-collar workforce”. He further said, “Eighty-four percent of employers globally, are set to rapidly digitalize working processes, including a significant expansion of remote work—with the potential to move 44% of their workforce to operate remotely”.

Jahangir said, “To address concerns about productivity and well-being, about one-third of all employers expect to also take steps to create a sense of community, connection and belonging among employees through digital tools, skills, and to tackle the well-being challenges posed by the shift to remote work”.

On average, companies estimate that around 40% of workers will require reskilling of six months or less, and 94% of business leaders report that they expect employees to pick up new skills on the job, a sharp uptake from 65% in 2018.

The Future of Jobs Report of the World Economic Forum, identifies that, online learning and training are on the rise but looks different for those in employment and those who are unemployed. There has been a four-fold increase in the numbers of individuals seeking out opportunities for learning online through their own initiative, a five-fold increase in employer provision of online learning opportunities to their workers and a nine-fold enrolment increase for learners accessing online learning through government programmes.

Those in employment are placing larger emphasis on personal development courses, which have seen 88% growth among that population. Those who are unemployed have placed greater emphasis on learning digital skills such as data analysis, computer science and information technology.

In its third edition, The Future of Jobs report maps the jobs and skills of the future, tracking the pace of change. It aims to shed light on the pandemic-related disruptions in 2020, contextualized within a longer history of economic cycles and the expected outlook for technology adoption, jobs and skills in the next five years.

The Future of Jobs survey informs the report. It is based on the projections of senior business leaders (typically Chief Human Resource Officers and Chief Strategy Officers) representing nearly 300 global companies, which collectively employ 8 million workers.

It presents the workforce planning and quantitative projections of chief human resource and strategy officers through to 2025, while also drawing on the expertise of a wide range of World Economic Forum executive and expert communities. The report features data from LinkedIn, Coursera, ADP and FutureFit.AI, which have provided innovative new metrics to shed light on one of the most important challenges of our time.

Extreme Commerce is a leading professional training provider of digital skills for running and managing global and local ecommerce businesses. It offers training program that ensure ecommerce businesses have smooth and profitable run. It has fully trained professionals with experiences and expertise in digital trade and successful ecommerce businesses.

Mishal Pakistan is Pakistan’s leading strategic communication and design company, is the country Partner Institute of the Future of Economic Progress System Initiative, World Economic Forum. Mishal is responsible to generate primary data on more than 150 indicators measuring Pakistan’s competitiveness. Mishal’s foremost domain of activity is behavior change communication, strategic communication with a spotlight on media and perception management.

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COURTESY whenwherehow

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ANKARA – Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan signed a Memorandum of Understanding Thursday on joint exploration and development of hydrocarbon resources of the Dostlug (Friendship) field in the Caspian Sea.

The agreement on the joint exploration of the once-disputed section of the undersea hydrocarbons field was signed in the Turkmen capital, Ashgabat, between Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his Turkmen counterpart Rashid Meredov.

A meeting through video conferencing was held between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in connection with the signing of the agreement.

“This document, which is the result of many years of work between our countries, is aimed at strengthening cooperation and mutual understanding in the field of energy, unlocking the joint potential of the two largest energy states, creating the most favorable conditions for sustainable energy, and further reinforcing our mutually beneficial and international partnership,” Berdimuhamedov said.

The two leaders congratulated each other for reaching an agreement, calling it a “historic day” in the relations between the two countries.

“I would call today’s document historic because Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan are starting joint work on the development of a field in the Caspian Sea for the first time, and this field and work on the field will bring our countries and peoples even closer together and benefit both the Turkmen and Azerbaijani peoples,” Aliyev said.

Bilateral ties

During the meeting, the diplomats emphasized the high level of bilateral ties in political, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian areas.

It was especially noted that the visit of Bayramov to Ashgabat complements the “start of a new stage of energy cooperation” between the two neighboring countries.

“In this regard, the significance of joint steps on resource use and collaboration on the Caspian Sea was highlighted,” the Turkmen Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The top diplomats also highlighted the efficiency of political and diplomatic dialogue between the two states and discussed bilateral issues and the aspects of regional and international agendas.

The ministers also underlined the importance of the collaboration of Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan in the framework of regional and international formats.

They also discussed the opportunities of holding joint events in 2021 and the issue of expanding cultural and humanitarian ties between the two states.

The possibilities of expanding economic and investment cooperation, including through the use of the transport-transit potential of the two countries, which possess modern automobile, railway and sea infrastructure, were also discussed in the meeting.

Meanwhile, Bayramov and Meredov emphasized the importance of the Transit and Transport Cooperation Agreement between Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and Afghanistan (Lapis Lazuli Route Agreement).

The ministry also noted that the people of Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan are united by firm historic, cultural and spiritual values.

Earlier in the day, the Azerbaijani foreign minister was received by the Turkmen leader.

Bayramov started his two-day visit to Turkmenistan along with the Azerbaijani delegation on Jan. 20.

Turkey’s welcoming

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry in a written statement welcomed the energy agreement between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.

“We wish that this agreement will further strengthen the friendship between the two countries, will be auspicious for the friendly and brotherly peoples of Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan and contribute to the prosperity and stability of the region,” it said.

“We also wish that this agreement will pave the way for the projects to enhance the energy security of Turkey and the rest of Europe,” the statement added.

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COURTESY aa.com.tr

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COVID-19 has made in-person exam proctoring impossible and so normal safeguards have disappeared. My inbox is full of anguished emails from university students across Pakistan bewailing the use of unfair and unethical means by their class fellows. Upon combining these complaints with those of my colleagues in various universities, and adding in my own online teaching experience, a frighteningly dismal picture emerges.

Almost every university student in this country cheats. Perhaps the actual figure is lower (80-90 per cent?) but it’s hard to tell. Many students say they are reluctant and would opt for honesty if there was a level playing field. But exercising virtue brings bad grades or even failure. Rare is the student with strong moral conviction — or perhaps lack of opportunity — who is not complicit.

A system full of holes is easy to beat. Not regarded as a significant moral crime, cheating was plentiful even in the days of in-person classes. But with online exams, the bottom has dropped out. Knowing their paychecks will be unaffected, many teachers don’t care what their students do. If one is somehow caught, cheating can always be deemed to be that student’s fault. After all, the pathways to cheating are so many.

The difficulty of preventing online cheating and low ethical standards means that these days most students cheat.

Consider: while taking an exam the home-bound student supposedly sits facing his/her laptop camera without access to books, notes, or smartphone. Correspondingly, the teacher is supposed to be eagle-eyed, watching many students simultaneously on Zoom or MsTeams. Neither supposition is true. For example moving slightly out of the camera’s field of view allows the student to copy the question and insert it into the Google search bar of that laptop or a hidden smartphone. The answer pops up even before he/she fully finishes typing.

What of a question which Google cannot answer? Such slightly clever questions can indeed be devised by a conscientious professor. One shared with me how that worked out with her class of 30. In an exam none of her students got any question right. But, upon inspection, it turned out that every wrong answer belonged to one of six near-identical sets. Conclusion: the students were either sitting in the same room or had created WhatsApp groups with members messaging each other during the exam.

From a frustrated student who emailed me from an engineering university in Karachi, I learned something brand new after which I explored the matter further. Fact: there exists a plethora of commercial companies that will get you the required answer for almost every exam question. Among them are study aids Chegg, Quizlet, Course Hero and Brainly.

The ones I tried out with physics and math problems give instant answers. All you need to do is cut and paste the exam question into the indicated box. These answer services use artificial intelligence and operate without human intervention. While not cheap, they are affordable. According to my informant, students pool in to buy a subscription and then share answers over WhatsApp. More expensive are answer services staffed by human expert essay writers. The student need provide only basic information such as the topic and some course materials.

Special automated proctoring services, hired by overseas educational institutions, can catch cheaters who are taking their exam at home. These services block browsers from accessing forbidden websites, check to see if the student has contacted a friend or answer service, verify identity and geographical location, and see if the student is looking at flash cards or boards, etc. Some can even detect Bluetooth devices and suspicious movements of the test-takers’ head, keystrokes, and eyes.

Although such proctoring services probably have some value overseas, their utility in Pakistan is doubtful and they are not used. Apart from the cost, they also assume that a student has a quiet room, wide-angle webcam, and stable internet connection. This excludes rural areas but even in cities the last condition is not easily fulfilled.

Can any online exam work in these circumstances? The answer is: yes. A one-on-one oral exam over Skype or Zoom is the only totally safe method. But this is tedious for large classes and checks only a small aspect of his or her learning. To my knowledge, only a few university teachers use it.

Despite difficulties in evaluating students, online university education has worked reasonably well in some countries. Indeed, there are distinct advantages in going digital: an instructor’s recorded lectures can be rewound and reviewed at will for self-paced learning, students can ask questions online without feeling intimidated, and learning is available 24 hours a day. Additionally, a wealth of information and knowledge is just a click away and helps a student understand difficult points.

Why then is online learning failing so miserably in Pakistan? Why has fancy 21st-century education gadgetry not excited our students’ imagination? Why don’t our academic environments sparkle with energy? Two obvious reasons stare at us. First, the generally uninspiring online lectures delivered by teachers. Second, most students and many teachers have insufficient mastery over English to usefully engage with internet learning materials.

But a more serious, much deeper reason underlies this failure. Pakistan’s education system gives importance only to getting high grades, not to actually learning a subject. Even a good teacher — and these are few and far between — cannot make a student study, read books, meet schedules, and take responsibility. Real learning is purely voluntary. Largely a result of childhood training, it cannot be forced upon students. There is an age-old adage: education is all about learning to learn. The internet and Google have made this clear as never before. Every student today has good grades but only a few actually learn while in college or university.

Although our student body is hyper religious and regular in prayer, almost all are perfectly comfortable with cheating. But online testing cannot work unless cheating is viewed for what it is — a white-collar crime. Students willing to experiment, question, model, and wrestle with a problem alone can benefit from 21st-century online education. The bottom line: Pakistan’s education system must change direction. It must seek to create a proactive mindset and an ethical community.

The writer is an Islamabad-based physicist and writer.

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COURTESY DAWN NEWS

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ISLAMABAD, JAN 23: The liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply defaults last week by two foreign state-owned companies — Enoc and SOCAR — came as a blessing in disguise to Pakistan as two urgent replacement tenders for February fetched about 16-18 per cent cheaper rates as international market plunged.

The urgent tender floated by state-run Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) for second half of next month attracted the lowest bid of $9.58 per million British thermal unit (MMBTU) or 19.5pc of Brent for Feb 21-22 window from Vitol Trading and $8 per MMBTU or 16.3pc of Brent from Qatar LNG for Feb 25-26 window.

In comparison, the lowest bids from defaulting parties for almost same period were $11.48 per MMBTU or 23.41pc of Brent for Feb 15-16 by SOCAR of Azerbaijan and $10.22 per MMBTU or 20.09pc of Brent by Enoc of UAE for Feb 23-24.

Informed sources in the PLL said that SOCAR not only defaulted on its February bid but also tried to blackmail the PLL into committing about 11 cargos between February and September at higher than market rates under government-to-government (G2G) arrangement without bidding. Documents seen by Dawn show the PLL and SOCAR remained engaged in talks until the last moment but the requirement for cabinet approval for G2G deal ended the process.

Replacement orders fetch cheaper rates

Fortunately, the prices had already gone down in the market by the time the PLL floated urgent tenders.

Two major factors contributed to the LNG market crash. This included an intervention by Japan’s energy regulator to exit the spot market in an attempt to ensure that power prices do not go up further amid warmer weather conditions. Likewise, South Koreans also decided against securing additional gas for February.

As a consequence, LNG traders hoarding the product had nowhere to offload their cargoes, thus a fall in spot market. At present, European and Far Eastern importers are paying about $7.5 and $8.2 per MMBTU, respectively. Market analysts now expect the LNG prices going further down to about $5-6 per MMBTU or 10-12pc of Brent in April onwards period until October next year.

The petroleum division that seldom announces PLL bid results immediately claimed credit for the lower prices. In a statement, it said the PLL “has arranged one more LNG cargo at a lower price for the month of February 2021 through an urgent tender. The price is approximately 22pc lower than the price of the bidder that withdrew its bid earlier for same cargo”.

The petroleum division said this also put to rest the argument that “ordering very early necessarily guarantees a better price”. It said the time period between the bid submission date and delivery date of cargo for the urgent tender was 35 days as compared with 49 days for the earlier tender in the same delivery window.

The episode also established the fact that traders do not own cargoes, do not care about reputational damage and hence chose to default on Pakistani tender as they were making profit of $15-20 million per cargo against a paltry loss of $300,000 security bond. In the process, however, Pakistan is estimated to have got a saving of $7m-$10m per cargo when compared to two lost cargoes.

This means the government should move away from traders and encourage producers to participate in tenders. It is also important to plan and procure in advance in a bullish market while buyers have a better choice in bearish market. This is also supported by Indian advance bidding that resulted in $5-6 per MMBTU now being delivered.

Interestingly, the PLL has received bids for March 2-23 delivery window at the rate between $17 and $23.75 per cargo. All the spot cargos contain about 140,000 cubic meters of LNG or 3.2 million MMBTU.

PLL CEO Masood Nabi could not be contacted for comment despite efforts, but his close aides said the procurement rules were hampering competitive rates to Pakistan because 10-day period between bid opening and contract award provided bidders to move to greener pastures.

PLL sources said the SOCAR initially offered six cargoes for current year under G2G arrangements between Pakistan and Azerbaijan and when it emerged as lowest evaluated bidder for February tender, the company increased its offer to 11 cargoes at a rate almost a dollar higher than Japan-Korea market. This was subject to the condition that the PLL should not award the February cargo of 23.43pc of Brent SOCAR had won in bidding. The talks fell apart after consultant Wood Mackenzie voted against the offer for being uncompetitive in South Asia.

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COURTESY DAWN NEWS

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By Raja Furqan Ahmed

ISLAMABAD, JAN 2021: Renowned Pakistani journalist, war correspondent and expert on Afghan affairs, Rahimullah Yusufzai, said that there is no military solution in Afghan issue and that the war was a huge embarrassment for the superpower USA and NATO.

He was speaking in a webinar organized by Muslim Youth University (MYU), International Relations department titled “Peace Process in Afghanistan: Current Developments and Their Impact on Pakistan-Afghanistan Relations.”

Yusufzai said that although Afghanistan-Pakistan is physically so close to each other but politically they are far away. Pakistan will benefits if peace returns to Afghanistan after 42 years of conflict fallout. Pakistan is a key facilitator along with Qatar. He said that the US, Taliban praised Pakistan for facilitating peace talks. Pakistan role in Intra-Afghan talk is a peacemaker. Yusufzai added that the Afghan soil is used against Pakistan. According to the United Nations, 6500 militants based in Afghanistan pose threat to Pakistan.

The US loses nearly $2 trillion and losing 2400 soldiers during the Afghan war. The US legitimized the Taliban by talking to them directly and keep the Kabul government out, he said.

Yusufzai also talked about the spoiler that India is the leading spoiler in the Afghan conflict. According to Yousafzai, Indian R&AW and Afghan NDS are very close to each other. He said that Iran can be a spoiler but will choose not to do. It opposes Doha deal but will be happy if US forces are gone.

He further added that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is the biggest hurdle to peace. Ghani is using delaying tactics to remain power. He urges that the Taliban also needed to compromise on the Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan as a system of government.

Earlier, in his welcome remarks, vice-chancellor Muslim Youth University Dr Syed Tahir Hijazi welcomed the distinguished speaker, laying out the agenda for the discussion.

While presenting the Vote of thanks and concluding remarks Dr Muhammad Munir, Head of Department International Relations thanks the guest speaker for sharing their opinion.

It was attended by more than 100 participants from civil society, media professionals, academia, international organisations and students.

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COURTESY thepakistandaily.com

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ABU DHABI, JAN 2021: President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Wednesday congratulated Joe Biden on his inauguration as the 46th President of the United States of America.

In his cable, President Khalifa wished Biden success and expressed hope that the two countries would deepen their decades-long partnership in working together on pressing challenges such as global health, climate change, and violent extremism.

Moreover, President Khalifa noted that UAE leadership has had the privilege of working closely with President Biden during his many years of service in the US Senate and as Vice President.  

Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, also sent similar cables to the US President expressing their wish for further growth in various fields to serve the interests of the two friendly countries and peoples.

COURTESY mofaic.gov.ae

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Ambassador of Pakistan to China, Moin Ul Haq during a meeting with China’s Vice Minister for Asian Affairs, Luo Zhaohui and discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral exchanges in 2021 and commended the cooperation during COVID-19.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of Pak-China diplomatic ties and both countries will use this as an opportunity to consolidate their relations in various fields.

Moreover, they also vowed to increase CPEC cooperation and find ways to heal the economy in the post-pandemic era.

BEIJING, JAN 21: Ambassador of Pakistan to China, Moin Ul Haq held a meeting with China‘s Vice Minister for Asian Affairs, Luo Zhaohui on Thursday and discussed further strengthening of bilateral exchanges and cooperation in the year 2021.

Both sides reviewed with satisfaction the steady growth in bilateral relations in 2020 despite difficulties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

They also discussed further strengthening bilateral exchanges and cooperation in 2021, which marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

It was also agreed to strengthen communication on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and COVID-19 vaccines to fast-track post-pandemic economic recovery.

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COURTESY cpecinfo.com

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ISLAMABAD, JAN 21 /DN/ - Hamad Obaid Alzaabi, UAE Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, received Sho Sangbyo, Ambassador of South Korea in Islamabad, on Thursday.

During the important meeting both dignitaries discussed general situation, bilateral coordination and cooperation between embassies of two friendly countries.

Both ambassadors pledge to cement bilateral ties between UAE and South Korea in the days to come.=DN

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Farukh Shehzad

Editor-in-Cheif

DIPLOMATICNEWSPK

Motivation can take you far, but it can take you even further if you first find your vision. Your vision will motivate and guide you on your journey to success and personal fullfillment. Trying to succeed at anything without first having a clear vision of what it is you want to accomplish will only lead to you going around in circles and eventually giving up in frustration.

To develop your vision, you must look inside yourself. Vision comes from within, from the spirit or subconscious, whatever you choose to call it. Every one has a vision that is uniquely their own, and you are no different. the hard part comes in understanding your personal vision and how it applies to your personal motivation plan.

Your vision will most likely not come suddenly like some bolt of lightning out of the sky. Instead, it will grow from your experiences, talents, dreams, and desires, so don’t try to rush it. Instead, keep your motivation and allow your vision to reveal itself through you.

Here are five steps you can use to effectively find your vision:

1. Learn to listen to your inner voice. Since your vision starts from inside you, you should learn to listen and feel what your mind and heart truly desire. What stirs you? What is your greatest desire? What kind of dreams do you have? If what you think you want does not really come from the inner depths of your heart and soul, then you will find it difficult, if not impossible, to not give up before you achieve it.

2. Prepare yourself mentally. Your vision begins in your mind and heart. It is something that burns within your soul. it should be greater than your all of your past memories, mistakes, and accomplishments. If you know what your vision is, you will have a purpose and won’t get lost on your journey. Discouragement is the outcome of not having a ditinct vision. If you don’t know where you’re going or how to get there, the journey will seem a lot longer and harder.

In order to seek your vision, retreat to a quiet and tranquil place, a place that will allow your mind to think creatively and concentrate on your vision.

3. Seek out other motivated vision seekers. Greatness breeds greatness, and it is for this reason that you should seek out the company of others who can appreciate and support your vision. Hang with the winners and it will keep your motivation high.

4. Keep a notebook and pen handy. All too often, when seeking a vision, it is easy to forget that it is 90 percent inspiration, as American inventor Thomas Edison said. With that in mind, you never know when your vision is going to come to fruition, so keep a small notebook with you at all times, even on your nightstand when you sleep, and write down whatever comes to mind, no matter how silly it seems at the time. You may write down a hundred crazy ideas but number one hundred and one just might be the vision you were searching for. Don’t try to edit right now, just write down everything that comes to mind.

5. Don’t try to fully understand your vision. The vision you are seeking will most likely come to you in ways that you won’t fully understand at the moment. That’s okay. Just follow as much of your vision as you can right now, and more will be revealed to you as time goes on.

All truly successful people have a vision that they follow, no matter what challenges they may face, to it’s eventual outcome. Begin following the above steps to seek your vision today and remember that true, lasting success will never come to you until you know what your vision is and how you will follow it. And you will be unstoppable if you combine your personal vision with a healthy dose of motivation.

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In his first order after taking the oath of his office on Wednesday, US President Joe Biden removed the travel ban on some Muslim and African nations placed by his predecessor Donald Trump.

Biden returned to the White House late on Wednesday afternoon from the swearing-in ceremony, laying a wreath on the grave of the unknown soldier in Arlington and inspecting a parade.

And right away he started signing the orders that sweep aside Trump’s pandemic response, and reverse his environmental agenda and anti-immigration policies. He also took steps to boost the American economy and promote ethnic and religious diversity across the nation.

In one afternoon, Biden signed 17 executive orders, memorandums and proclamations from the Oval Office, including orders to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord and end the Muslim ban.

In a tweet from the official Twitter account for the US president, Biden simply said: "We're back in the Paris Climate Agreement."

While efforts aimed at ending his legacy may hurt Trump, the coup de grâce came from a 22-year-old poet, Amanda Gorman whose words rekindled the hope for a better future in millions of hearts across the globe.

“We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it, would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy, and this effort very nearly succeeded. But while democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated,” said Gorman while referring to the Jan 6 mob attack on the US capitol.

“For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it, if only we’re brave enough to be it,” said the young poet while reciting her poem “The Hill We Climb”.

Gorman, the youngest person ever to recite a poem at a presidential inauguration, “delivered her piece with grace, the words it contained will resonate with people the world over: Today, tomorrow, and far into the future,” the BBC commented.

In the poem, Gorman described herself as "a skinny black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother [who] can dream of becoming president, only to find herself reciting for one".

Every time it is recited, it will also remind people of the attack on the Capitol earlier in January, that former president Trump instigated, which almost derailed American democracy.

As Gorman finished her poem, four US presidents and first ladies, two former vice presidents and their spouses, dozens of lawmakers and scores of diplomats gave her a standing ovation, some struggling to hide their tears.

“Wasn't the Amanda Gorman poem just stunning?” asked Hillary Clinton in a tweet she posted along with a picture with the young poet. “She's promised to run for president in 2036 and I for one can't wait.”

Biden, who spoke before Gorman, also offered hope and reassurance.

“We must end this uncivil war that pitches red versus blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal,” said President Biden while referring to the Jan 6 mob attack on the very building — the Capitol — where he took the oath of his office.

Biden also led a moment of silence for the lives lost to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“A once-in-a-century virus that silently stalks the country. It's taken as many lives in one year as America lost in all of World War II. Millions of jobs have been lost, hundreds of thousands of businesses closed,” he said.

The 78-year-old politician made history as the oldest person to ever be elected as the American president. Momentous, as his swearing-in was, particularly after the attack on the US Capitol, the other oath, that of Vice President Kamala Harris, was even more significant.

She stepped into history as the first woman, the first African American and the first South Asian vice president of the United States. The oath was administered by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latin American judge of the US Supreme Court.

As Vice President Harris struggled to control her tears, her sister Maya did not. She broke into tears as Kamala said after the judge:

The small crowd gathered for the inauguration included three former presidents — Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Former vice president Mike Pence represented the Trump administration after Trump decided not to see his successor take the office he occupied until Wednesday morning.

Pence received a warm applause as he walked onto the stage as the man who on Jan 6 ignored the orders of his boss to undo the results of the 2020 election for Trump to stay in power for four more years.

Another person who thwarted this attack on American democracy, Republican leader in the Senate Mitch McConnell, attended the inauguration as well. He also accompanied Biden to a church near the White House to pray.

A sea of flags, exactly 200,000, filled the National Mall from the stage to Lincoln Memorial, to remind people of those who lost their lives to the Covid-19 pandemic.

By Wednesday morning, the coronavirus death toll in America had crossed 400,000, which forced the organisers of the inaugural ceremony to issue an unusual appeal to the people, not to come.

Trump left the White House at 8:00am, four hours before the inauguration began. He flew to the Andrews air base on a helicopter, where he had arranged a full military send-off for himself.

Before leaving, he addressed a small crowd of his enthusiastic supporters, telling them that he will “come back soon,” a promise he also made to the White House press corps before leaving for the airbase. But he did not explain what he meant.

In his speech, Trump underlined his achievements — the coronavirus vaccine, a booming economy and enhancing America’s standing across the globe. But he did not even once mention his successor.

However, he did leave a goodwill message for Biden before leaving the White House.

Trump received a 21-gun salute before boarding Air Force One, the presidential plane, that took him to his home in Florida for the last time. Pence and other senior Republicans did not attend his send-off ceremony, although his daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner did.

Biden took the oath on a five-inch-thick Bible that has been in his family for 128 years, swearing to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution”.

“The ceremony on a chilly, breezy day with a smattering of snowflakes brought to a close the stormy and divisive four-year presidency of Trump,” The New York Times commented.

After the oath, Biden drove to the Grave of the Unknown Soldier at the Arlington cemetery with the three former presidents and their spouses.

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ANKARA, JAN 21: Turkey on Wednesday condemned Israel’s plan to construct over 2,500 new settlement units in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

“We strongly condemn the step that Israel took towards the construction of an additional illegal settlement with a total of 2,572 residences, 2,112 of which are in the West Bank and 460 in East Jerusalem with the tenders [Israel] announced today,” said a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement.

The statement said Israel, by such actions, intends to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian State with geographical integrity and change the status of Jerusalem.

The increase in the number of such actions before each election reflects a mentality of opportunism, it said, and added that these actions block the means of establishing peace in the region.

The ministry, in the statement, called on the international community to take action to ensure the rights of the Palestinian people and to protect Palestinian territories in the face of the occupying mentality of the Israeli administration.

On Tuesday, Israel published tenders to build 2,572 new settler homes in the West Bank, including 460 units in East Jerusalem.

The move came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Jan. 11 approved the construction of 800 settlement units in the occupied territory.

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is regarded as "occupied territory" under international law, making all Jewish settlements there illegal.

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COURTESY aa.com.tr

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