Protests have been planned this weekend.

The National Malaria Elimination Program ( NMEP) of the federal ministry of health says that the use of mono therapy for malaria treatment remains prohibited in the country. Program officer of NMEP, Wudi Natasha Tanko stated this Thursday during a media chart organized by the organization in Abuja. She said monotherapy refers to the use […]

AMERICANS can now get a new passport two weeks faster than before – making it almost as quick as getting it expedited.

The State Department announced on Thursday that wait times for both online and paper applications are now as short as four to six weeks.

Getty

Americans can now get a passport two weeks quicker than normal[/caption]

Getty

The wait time for a US passport is now just six to eight weeks[/caption]

That is down from the previous processing time of six to eight weeks.

Expedited processing times remain at two to three weeks, the announcement from the Bureau of Consular Affairs said.

“Today, the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs is reducing processing times for passports to 4-6 weeks, down from our prior commitment of 6-8 weeks,” the Department said in a statement.

“This announcement comes after months of issuing passports well under the 6-8 week commitment and showcases our progress to continuously improve the efficiency, equity, and accessibility of the US passport application process.”

“The updated 4-6 week processing time applies to both applications submitted by paper or online.

“For Americans in need of expedited service for U.S. passports, our processing remains 2‑3 weeks.

“These processing times begin when an application is received by the State Department and do not include mailing times.”

It comes weeks after the department made passport renewal fully available online.

At the time, Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the move to online renewals “a significant step forward in ensuring that Americans can more easily access passport services.”

Most adults aged 25 and older can apply online if they own a passport that has been valid for 10 years and they are within the US or a US territory.

The news follows the introduction last year of legislation that would implement new measures to clear passport application backlogs and reduce processing delays.

This Democrat-proposed legislation called the PASSPORT Act, will streamline the process by notifying passport holders of the expiration date a year in advance.

It would also ensure customers booking international travel are aware at the time of the passport requirements.

During the Covid pandemic, a huge backlog in passport processing built up.

It took until last December for the State Department to confirm that wait times had finally got back to pre-pandemic norms.

Excluding passport cards, between 42 and 47% of all Americans own a passport.

Last year held the record for the most US passports issued in a single year – with over 20 million issued.

Around 160 million US passports are currently in circulation.

Online Passport Renewal for Americans is available at Travel.State.Gov/renewonline.

To research your travel destination, visit travel.state.gov, and enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.

TRAVIS KELCE’S mom has opened up on her marriage to his dad “not working”.

Donna Kelce gave a warning to the Kansas City Chiefs star and his girlfriend Taylor Swift.

The Mega Agency

Travis Kelce’s Donna has opened up on her marriage with his dad Ed ‘not working’[/caption]

AP

She gave a warning to her NFL star son and his girlfriend Taylor Swift[/caption]

Her and ex-husband Ed stayed together “for their kids”, Donna admitted after opening up on their ill-fated marriage.

The former couple are parents of NFL brothers Jason and Travis but separated a number of years ago.

They have, however, remained on good terms and still attend their youngest son’s games for the Chiefs together.

Prior to his retirement last year, Donna and Ed would also watch Jason star at centre for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Discussing their marriage, Donna told Glamour: “My husband and I knew that our marriage was not working, but we stayed together for the kids.

“Ours was a very friendly relationship. So, we could do that and make sure that their life was normal as possible. But in that one respect, I did stand still for several years until I could move on on my own.”

The 71-year-old continued: “I was a commercial banker for a bank in several different states. I wanted to get ahead. I worked really, really hard. I was a major breadwinner in the family.

“And I think it’s important for kids to see that a woman can do whatever she wants, but I did stand still, too.”

Instagram/donnakelce

Donna and Ed have continued to support Travis and his older brother Jason despite splitting[/caption]

It remains unclear when exactly Donna and Ed ended their marriage, although they stayed together whilst their children attempted to launch professional football careers.

Jason spent 12 years in the NFL with the Eagles, winning Super Bowl LII in 2018.

Meanwhile, Chiefs tight end Travis was drafted in 2013 and is a three-time Super Bowl champion.

The 34-year-old has also made headlines off the field due to his relationship with pop superstar Swift.

Since they started dating last year, the couple have garnered massive media attention.

Swift is regularly spotted in attendance at Chiefs games, often alongside Donna in the stands at Arrowhead Stadium.

Instagram/killatrav

Both Donna and Ed’s sons went on to become Super Bowl champions in their NFL careers[/caption]

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