/** * Nyasa Times category archive H1 cleanup. * Removes "Category:" / "Category archives:" style headings * and replaces key category headings with SEO-friendly names. */ add_filter( 'get_the_archive_title', function( $title ) { if ( ! is_category() ) { return $title; } $term = get_queried_object(); if ( ! $term || empty( $term->slug ) ) { return $title; } $titles = array( 'news' => 'Latest Malawi News', 'national' => 'Malawi National News', 'politics' => 'Malawi Politics News', 'business' => 'Malawi Business & Economy News', 'sports' => 'Malawi Sports News', 'education' => 'Malawi Education News', 'health' => 'Malawi Health News', 'entertainment' => 'Malawi Entertainment News', 'columns' => 'Malawi Opinion & Analysis', 'religious-news' => 'Malawi Religion & Faith News', 'religion' => 'Malawi Religion & Faith News', ); if ( isset( $titles[ $term->slug ] ) ) { return $titles[ $term->slug ]; } return single_cat_title( '', false ); }, 99 ); /** * Remove WordPress archive prefixes. */ add_filter( 'get_the_archive_title_prefix', '__return_empty_string' ); /** * Nyasa Times AIOSEO category title overrides. */ add_filter( 'aioseo_title', function( $title ) { if ( ! is_category() ) { return $title; } $term = get_queried_object(); if ( ! $term || empty( $term->slug ) ) { return $title; } $seo_titles = array( 'news' => 'Latest Malawi News | Breaking Updates & Public Interest Stories | Nyasa Times', 'national' => 'Malawi National News | Latest Local & Public Affairs | Nyasa Times', 'politics' => 'Malawi Politics News | Government, Parliament & Elections | Nyasa Times', 'business' => 'Malawi Business News | Economy, Banking, Trade & Jobs | Nyasa Times', 'sports' => 'Malawi Sports News | Football, Netball & National Teams | Nyasa Times', 'education' => 'Malawi Education News | Schools, Universities & Exams | Nyasa Times', 'health' => 'Malawi Health News | Hospitals, Public Health & Medicine | Nyasa Times', 'entertainment' => 'Malawi Entertainment News | Music, Culture & Events | Nyasa Times', 'columns' => 'Malawi Opinion & Analysis | Columns & Commentary | Nyasa Times', 'religious-news' => 'Malawi Religion & Faith News | Churches & Community | Nyasa Times', 'religion' => 'Malawi Religion & Faith News | Churches & Community | Nyasa Times', ); if ( isset( $seo_titles[ $term->slug ] ) ) { return $seo_titles[ $term->slug ]; } return $title; }, 99 ); /** * Nyasa Times category meta descriptions for AIOSEO. */ add_filter( 'aioseo_description', function( $description ) { if ( ! is_category() ) { return $description; } $term = get_queried_object(); if ( ! $term || empty( $term->slug ) ) { return $description; } $descriptions = array( 'news' => 'Latest Malawi news, breaking updates, public-interest stories, community developments and national reports from Nyasa Times.', 'national' => 'Read Malawi national news, public affairs, local updates, government services and community stories from Nyasa Times.', 'politics' => 'Latest Malawi politics news, elections, Parliament, government decisions, party updates, policy debate and analysis from Nyasa Times.', 'business' => 'Read Malawi business news, economy, banking, trade, investment, energy, agriculture, jobs and market updates from Nyasa Times.', 'sports' => 'Latest Malawi sports news, football, netball, athletics, clubs, national teams and Malawian athletes at home and abroad.', 'education' => 'Malawi education news on schools, universities, exams, scholarships, teachers, students, policy updates and learning developments.', 'health' => 'Malawi health news on hospitals, public health, disease outbreaks, medicine, maternal health, children’s health and health policy.', 'entertainment' => 'Malawi entertainment news on music, culture, film, fashion, celebrities, festivals, events and creative industry updates.', 'columns' => 'Read Malawi opinion, columns, editorials and analysis on politics, governance, business, society, leadership and development.', 'religious-news' => 'Malawi religious news, church updates, faith events, Christian community stories, religious leaders and social impact coverage.', 'religion' => 'Malawi religious news, church updates, faith events, Christian community stories, religious leaders and social impact coverage.', ); if ( isset( $descriptions[ $term->slug ] ) ) { return $descriptions[ $term->slug ]; } return $description; }, 99 ); /** * Display category description before the article list * when the theme does not output it. */ add_action( 'loop_start', function( $query ) { if ( ! is_category() || ! $query->is_main_query() || is_admin() ) { return; } static $shown = false; if ( $shown ) { return; } $shown = true; $description = category_description(); if ( empty( trim( wp_strip_all_tags( $description ) ) ) ) { return; } echo '
'; echo wp_kses_post( $description ); echo '
'; } );/** * NYASA TIMES SEO + ARCHIVE FIX * */ if ( ! defined( 'ABSPATH' ) ) { exit; } /** * ------------------------------------------------------- * 1. CATEGORY CONFIGURATION * ------------------------------------------------------- */ function nyasa_category_seo_data() { return array( 'news' => array( 'h1' => 'Latest Malawi News', 'title' => 'Latest Malawi News | Breaking Updates & Public Interest Stories | Nyasa Times', 'desc' => 'Latest Malawi news, breaking updates, public-interest stories, community developments and national reports from Nyasa Times.', ), 'national' => array( 'h1' => 'Malawi National News', 'title' => 'Malawi National News | Latest Local & Public Affairs | Nyasa Times', 'desc' => 'Read Malawi national news, public affairs, local updates, government services and community stories from Nyasa Times.', ), 'politics' => array( 'h1' => 'Malawi Politics News', 'title' => 'Malawi Politics News | Government, Parliament & Elections | Nyasa Times', 'desc' => 'Latest Malawi politics news, elections, Parliament, government decisions, party updates, policy debate and analysis from Nyasa Times.', ), 'business' => array( 'h1' => 'Malawi Business & Economy News', 'title' => 'Malawi Business News | Economy, Banking & Markets | Nyasa Times', 'desc' => 'Read Malawi business news, economy, banking, trade, investment, energy, agriculture, jobs and market updates from Nyasa Times.', ), 'sports' => array( 'h1' => 'Malawi Sports News', 'title' => 'Malawi Sports News | Football, Netball & National Teams | Nyasa Times', 'desc' => 'Latest Malawi sports news, football, netball, athletics, clubs, national teams and Malawian athletes at home and abroad.', ), 'education' => array( 'h1' => 'Malawi Education News', 'title' => 'Malawi Education News | Schools, Universities & Exams | Nyasa Times', 'desc' => 'Malawi education news on schools, universities, exams, scholarships, teachers, students, policy updates and learning developments.', ), 'health' => array( 'h1' => 'Malawi Health News', 'title' => 'Malawi Health News | Healthcare & Public Health | Nyasa Times', 'desc' => 'Malawi health news on hospitals, public health, disease outbreaks, medicine, maternal health, children’s health and health policy.', ), 'entertainment' => array( 'h1' => 'Malawi Entertainment News', 'title' => 'Malawi Entertainment News | Music, Culture & Celebrities | Nyasa Times', 'desc' => 'Malawi entertainment news on music, culture, film, fashion, celebrities, festivals, events and creative industry updates.', ), 'columns' => array( 'h1' => 'Malawi Opinion & Analysis', 'title' => 'Malawi Opinion & Analysis | Columns & Commentary | Nyasa Times', 'desc' => 'Read Malawi opinion, columns, editorials and analysis on politics, governance, business, society, leadership and development.', ), 'religious-news' => array( 'h1' => 'Malawi Religion & Faith News', 'title' => 'Malawi Religion & Faith News | Churches & Community | Nyasa Times', 'desc' => 'Malawi religious news, church updates, faith events, Christian community stories, religious leaders and social impact coverage.', ), 'religion' => array( 'h1' => 'Malawi Religion & Faith News', 'title' => 'Malawi Religion & Faith News | Churches & Community | Nyasa Times', 'desc' => 'Malawi religious news, church updates, faith events, Christian community stories, religious leaders and social impact coverage.', ), ); } /** * ------------------------------------------------------- * 2. FIX VISIBLE CATEGORY H1 * ------------------------------------------------------- * * Converts: * Category archives: Latest Malawi News * * Into: * Latest Malawi News */ add_filter( 'get_the_archive_title', function ( $title, $original_title = '', $prefix = '' ) { if ( ! is_category() ) { return $title; } $term = get_queried_object(); if ( ! $term || empty( $term->slug ) ) { return $title; } $data = nyasa_category_seo_data(); if ( isset( $data[ $term->slug ]['h1'] ) ) { return esc_html( $data[ $term->slug ]['h1'] ); } return single_cat_title( '', false ); }, 999, 3 ); /** * Remove WordPress archive prefixes. */ add_filter( 'get_the_archive_title_prefix', '__return_empty_string', 999 ); /** * ------------------------------------------------------- * 3. FIX AIOSEO CATEGORY TITLES * ------------------------------------------------------- * * Prevents titles such as: * "Malawi Latest Malawi News News..." */ add_filter( 'aioseo_title', function ( $title ) { /* * Category titles */ if ( is_category() ) { $term = get_queried_object(); if ( $term && ! empty( $term->slug ) ) { $data = nyasa_category_seo_data(); if ( isset( $data[ $term->slug ]['title'] ) ) { return $data[ $term->slug ]['title']; } } } /* * Article titles * * Converts: * Article headline - Featured News Malawi | Nyasa Times * * Into: * Article headline | Nyasa Times */ if ( is_singular( 'post' ) ) { return wp_strip_all_tags( get_the_title() ) . ' | Nyasa Times'; } return $title; }, 999 ); /** * ------------------------------------------------------- * 4. FIX AIOSEO CATEGORY META DESCRIPTIONS * ------------------------------------------------------- */ add_filter( 'aioseo_description', function ( $description ) { if ( ! is_category() ) { return $description; } $term = get_queried_object(); if ( ! $term || empty( $term->slug ) ) { return $description; } $data = nyasa_category_seo_data(); if ( isset( $data[ $term->slug ]['desc'] ) ) { return $data[ $term->slug ]['desc']; } return $description; }, 999 ); /** * ------------------------------------------------------- * 5. DISPLAY CATEGORY DESCRIPTION * ------------------------------------------------------- * * Shows the short SEO introduction above the article list. */ add_action( 'loop_start', function ( $query ) { if ( is_admin() || ! is_category() || ! $query->is_main_query() ) { return; } static $nyasa_description_shown = false; if ( $nyasa_description_shown ) { return; } $term = get_queried_object(); if ( ! $term || empty( $term->slug ) ) { return; } $data = nyasa_category_seo_data(); if ( ! isset( $data[ $term->slug ]['desc'] ) ) { return; } $nyasa_description_shown = true; echo '
'; echo '

'; echo esc_html( $data[ $term->slug ]['desc'] ); echo '

'; echo '
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Health ministry warns citizens against Covid-19 ‘mobile phone’ fraudsters, infections increase

July 21, 2021 Nyasa Times Reporter Be the first to comment

As Covid-19 continues to impact Malawi, fraudsters have seized the opportunity to make fraudulent calls and sending text messages to trick unsuspecting individuals into exposing their personal information.

These fraudulent phone calls and text messages are attempts to have individuals volunteer personal information to criminals, including bank details and mobile money passwords in order to steal from them.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, July 21, 2021, the Ministry of Health informs Malawians that there is currently no programme to give citizens any Covid-19 monetary support to the public through any means, including the mobile money platforms.

Dr Charles Mwansambo: Beware of fraudsters

In the statement, which has been signed by Secretary for Health, Dr. Charles Mwansambo, the ministry says it has noted that some fraudsters are sending text messages to people informing them that they have received Covid-19 money from the Ministry of Health and putting numbers for the people to call to claim their money.

“It has to be pointed out clearly that there is no such arrangement by the Ministry of Health and if anyone receives such messages, they should report the numbers to the police so that the fraudsters are apprehended.

“Further, the network providers are asked to investigate and block these numbers and also work with the security agencies to bring these fraudsters to book,” reads the statement in part.

According to the ministry, there is currently a high community transmission rate of Coronavirus and that in order to reduce and stop the further spread of Covid-19 in the country and that everyone is encouraged to continue adhering to Covid-19 preventive measures, including hand-washing with soap; avoiding overcrowded places; maintaining physical distance of at least one metre; and proper wearing of face masks.

Meanwhile, according to the Public Health Institute of Malawi (PHIM), Covid-19 infection numbers continue to increase at a worrying rate.

In PHIM’s Covid-19 Epidemiological Report for week 28 (12-18 July), as of 18 July 2021, a total of 43,817 confirmed Covid-19 cases had been registered in Malawi. Of these cases, 4,399 were reported from 12 to 18 July 2021 (Epi-week 28), representing an 86.3% increase in the number of new cases compared to Epi-week 27.

“In the past week, all districts reported new cases with the majority of the new cases recorded in Blantyre (1,018), followed by Lilongwe (861), Mzimba South (267), Zomba (262), Mchinji (223), and Kasungu (191).

“A total of 17,232 samples were tested for Covid-19 in the past week (Epi-week 28). Cumulatively 302,784 tests have been conducted in the country. The positivity rate for the past week was 25.5%, an increase from 21.1% in the previous week.

“In the past week, there were 419 newly hospitalised cases, representing a 95.8% increase compared to Epi-week 27. Cumulatively 3,171 cases have been admitted since the first cases were registered on 2 April 2020,” says the report, adding 96 new Covid-19 deaths were reported in the past week, a 134% increase compared to week 27. Cumulatively, 1,352 deaths have been reported, and the overall case-fatality ratio is 3.09% (1,352/43,817).

In the past week, according to the report, 1,166 recoveries were registered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 35,087 representing a recovery rate of 80.08%.

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