Government has committed to ensuring that National Statistical Office (NSO) receives adequate funding in order to continue producing evidence-based data to be used for policy development and planning.

Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has urged chiefs not to engage in politics as the campaign is underway in Lilongwe North West Constituency.

Saturday stormy rains in Mzimba have blown-off roof-tops for numerous houses in the area of Inkosi ya Makosi Mmbelwa including the Edingeni Community Day Secondary School.

Zodiak has been informed that a lot more other property has been destroyed in the area.

Chimwemwe Chisi, a teacher at  Edingeni CDSS, said among the damaged property are 21 computers, books in the library and other teaching and learning materials which were soaked in water.

Meanwhile, Faith Longwe, a  Relief and Rehabilitation Officer for the disaster office at the Mmbelwa district council, says the office will assess extent of the damage Monday or Tuesday to recommend action.

The Minister of Youth and Sports Ulemu Msungama has warned the contractor for the Neno Integrated Youth Centre, under the Job for Youth project against poor workmanship and corruption.

The minister said on Saturday his desire is to see actual designs on the ground so youth of Neno acquire entrepreneurial and technical skills as part of one million jobs creation agenda.

The Managing Director for Magalasi Construction Company, Room Gombwa, assured the minister of quality works and to include local communities in the workforce.

Journalists Association Against Aids has launched an initiative to lobby for the procurement of TB diagnosis equipment in district hospitals across the country.

JournalAids program manager, Dingani Mithi, said investigations showed that most district hospitals cannot diagnose TB at an early stage due to inadequate equipment.

Diagnosis of TB at an early stage is crucial to effective treatment.

Mulli Brothers Limited claims it has not been furnished with official communication on the termination of its contract to supply items for the Affordable Inputs Programme.

Managing Director of the company, Leston Mulli, told us today that the company will map the way forward on the matter once it gets official communication, but in the meantime will not stop preparing for the AIP.

Early this month, the government announced it had terminated the contract to a due to an alleged debt of K2.5bn which Mulli apparently owes the government.

The government does not say how the two issues are linked.

A court in Kasungu has ordered 15 game rangers and forestry guards to stay in remand for ten days to allow police conclude investigations into their case.

The 15 were arrested on charges of acts intended to cause grievous harm after they allegedly assaulted civilian women in a forest in that district.

The arrests followed a video clip that went viral in the social media depicting some game rangers and forestry guards forcing a helpless woman heavily whip another laying belly down.

The women had apparently been caught picking firewood in the protected forest.

It later transpired that this was in Chimaliro forest in Kasungu district and that more people than the two in the video had been subjected to the alleged assault.

Some of the game rangers and forestry guards were also allegedly wearing police uniform.

Senior resident magistrate, Biar Kamanga, has since adjourned the matter to October 12 for plea.