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Evacuation in the Snow: Fears of Conflict Drive Mass Exodus from Pakistan’s Tirah Valley

Residents from Tirah valley, who fled a remote mountainous region bordering Afghanistan, gather to get themself registered, in Bara, Khyber District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan A wave of displacement is sweeping through northwest Pakistan as thousands of families flee the Tirah Valley after mosque loudspeakers warned residents of possible upcoming military action. The sudden announcements triggered a rapid and chaotic departure, with many families leaving in the middle of harsh winter conditions. Residents describe a tense atmosphere in the valley, where fears of renewed conflict between security forces and militant groups have been simmering for months. Entire communities have packed their belongings onto trucks, donkeys, and makeshift carts, heading toward safer towns such as Bara and Peshawar. Government officials insist that no military operation has been ordered and attribute the movement of people to seasonal migration patterns. Locals strongly dispute this, sayi...
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Provincial Directive Curbs AHS Authority Over Private Surgical Contract Negotiations

 


In a significant policy shift, Alberta Health Minister Adriana LaGrange has stripped Alberta Health Services (AHS) of its authority to negotiate contracts with private surgical facilities. According to a government directive obtained by media, the change came after internal concerns—raised by the agency’s then-chief executive—over rising contract costs.

Documents, including a letter from former AHS CEO Athana Mentzelopoulos’s lawyer, allege that senior government officials—even involving Premier Danielle Smith’s former chief of staff—intervened in AHS’s procurement process to favor private companies. This interference reportedly undermined AHS’s established negotiation powers and raised serious questions about transparency in the province’s health system. 

A separate report in a Morning Update from Unpublished Newswire reiterated the move, noting that the directive is part of broader reforms aimed at reducing costs by leveraging competitive pricing in surgical services.  Meanwhile, a CityNews investigation has added context to the controversy, citing denials by private surgical providers who label the allegations of sweetheart deals as “false and baseless.” 

Critics and opposition leaders are calling for further inquiry into the decision-making process behind these changes, arguing that the shift could signal a move toward greater privatization of public health services. In contrast, government representatives insist that the directive is intended solely to improve efficiency and ensure more competitive pricing for publicly funded operations.

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