LABOUR MINISTER MEETS GHANA Counterpart
LABOUR MINISTER MEETS GHANAIAN COUNTERPART
Minister of Labour HE Dr. Ali bin Samikh Al Marri met with Minister of Labour, Jobs, and Employment of Ghana Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo on the sidelines of the conference on the future of the Fair Recruitment Initiative in Geneva on Monday. The meeting discussed aspects of joint cooperation between the two countries in the labour sector and ways to enhance them. (QNA)
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Qatar Tribune
7 days ago
- Qatar Tribune
Shura Council discusses proposal to enhance services, privileges for elderly
DOHA: The Shura Council has convened its regular weekly session, chaired by Speaker HE Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim, at the Tamim bin Hamad Hall at the Council's headquarters. At the beginning of the session, Secretary-General of the Council, HE Naif bin Mohammed Al Mahmoud, read out the meeting agenda. The Council then approved the minutes of its previous session. During the session, the Council reviewed the report of the Social Affairs, Labour, and Housing Committee regarding the proposal submitted by HE Member Issa bin Ahmed Al Nasr, which focuses on providing enhanced services and privileges to the elderly. The proposal seeks to strengthen care and support for this respected group, ensuring their needs are met across all aspects of life. Reviewing the report, Chairman of the Social Affairs, Labour, and Housing Committee, HE Abdulrahman bin Yousef Al Khulaifi, emphasized that caring for the elderly aligns with the principles of family cohesion and social justice outlined in Qatar National Vision 2030. He highlighted that this group deserves greater attention and appreciation in recognition of their valuable contributions to society and the nation. Al Khulaifi further explained that although various initiatives and services for the elderly currently exist, they remain fragmented and lack a unified legislative framework. This calls for the development of specific legislation to safeguard their rights and improve the quality of services provided to them. The proposal presented several key recommendations, including the enactment of a dedicated law to grant the elderly distinct privileges and facilities in their daily lives. It also called for the allocation of designated parking spaces for the elderly in both public and private areas across the country, ensuring these spaces are located near main entrances and clearly marked with appropriate signage. The proposal further recommended enhancing healthcare services for the elderly by giving them priority in booking medical appointments at public health institutions, with the option to refer them to contracted private medical centers, in addition to providing a comprehensive health insurance system that fully covers their medical expenses. Additional recommendations included allocating special areas for the elderly in government service centers to streamline their transactions and exempting them from certain public service fees. The proposal also called for issuing official identification cards for the elderly by a competent authority, enabling them to access discounts and benefits in collaboration with the private sector. Following a thorough discussion of the report and its recommendations, the Council approved the proposal and resolved to submit it to the esteemed government. During the same session, the Council also approved a draft law concerning lost and abandoned property and a draft law on water, both in their amended forms. The Council referred the drafts to the esteemed government after reviewing the reports of the specialized committees and discussing their details with the honorable members. Separately, the Council discussed a draft law amending certain provisions of the Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Law, promulgated by Law No. (20) of 2019, as referred by the esteemed government. The Council decided to forward the draft to the Internal and External Affairs Committee for further study and reporting. The Council also discussed a draft law amending certain provisions of the Lawyers' Law, promulgated by Law No. (23) of 2006, which had been referred by the esteemed government. The Council resolved to refer the draft to the Legal and Legislative Affairs Committee for detailed review and submission of its report. Furthermore, the Council approved amendments to certain provisions of the Shura Council's internal regulations, issued under Law No. (8) of 2024, following its review of the Legal and Legislative Affairs Committee's report. The amendments were subsequently referred to the esteemed government. The session continued with the Council reviewing the report of the Social Affairs, Labour, and Housing Committee regarding the esteemed government's response to the Council's earlier proposal on reorganizing and monitoring domestic worker recruitment offices. The Council made the appropriate decision on the matter. The Council also reviewed the esteemed government's response to its previous proposal concerning the promotion of national values and identity within Qatari society. It was decided to refer the matter to the Education, Culture, Sports, and Media Affairs Committee for further study and feedback. The Council later reviewed the report on the participation of its delegation in the third edition of the South-South Parliamentary Dialogue Forum, held last April in Rabat, Morocco. The forum was titled "Interregional and Continental Dialogues Among Countries of the South: A Key Lever to Address New Challenges to International Cooperation and Achieve Security, Stability, and Shared Development." Additionally, the Council reviewed the report on the participation of HE Issa bin Ahmed Al Nasr in a parliamentary symposium organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union under the theme "Digital Challenges to Peace, Inclusion, and Human Rights: The Role of Social Media Platforms in Spreading Hate Speech and Strategies to Combat It," which was held virtually last March. A number of senior officials from the Center for Empowerment and Care of the Elderly (Ehsan) attended the session.
Qatar Tribune
12-06-2025
- Qatar Tribune
UK economy contracts 0.3% in April as tariffs, tax hike kick in
Agencies Britain's economy contracted more than expected in April – the first month of the Labour government's business tax hike and U.S. President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs onslaught, which also led to a record drop in exports to the U.S., official data showed Thursday. Gross domestic product (GDP) declined 0.3% in the month, compared to 0.2% growth in March, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a statement. That falls below the 0.1% contraction expected by economists. Exports of British goods to the U.S. fell by a record 2 billion pounds ($2.7 billion) in the same month, the ONS revealed, following the introduction of Trump's tariffs. The data comes one day after Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government laid out its priorities for the coming years, hoping that changes to day-to-day spending amounts and longer-term investment will spur Britain's sluggish economy. Finance chief Rachel Reeves injected the ailing National Health Service (NHS) with billions of pounds and pumped funds into defense and housing, while making cuts to other departments. Reeves said Thursday's figures were 'clearly disappointing' but insisted that her spending plans would deliver growth for Britain. Paul Dales, chief U.K. economist at research group Capital Economics, noted that the economy faced 'subdued overseas demand and domestic businesses cutting back on spending to compensate for the rise in costs driven by April's increase in taxes.' Following Labour's return to power last July, following years of Conservative rule, Reeves announced a tax rise for U.K. businesses, which entered force in April. Official data this week showed that the hike had contributed to a small rise in Britain's unemployment rate and a slowdown in growth in average economy had expanded by 0.7% in the first three months of the year. 'With the economy now weakening, we can expect to see concerns around further tax rises increase as we near the Autumn Budget – which is likely to weigh on growth even more,' said Lindsay James, investment strategist at Quilter. The latest data also follows the introduction of a baseline 10% tariff imposed on the U.K. and other countries by Trump at the start of April. The U.K. and U.S. have since struck a trade agreement that cuts tariffs on British cars and scraps them on steel and in return, has agreed to open up its markets to U.S. beef and other American farm the U.K. remains subject to a 10% tariff on most goods exported to the U.S. Decreases in exports to the U.S. in April were seen 'across most types of goods, following the recent introduction of tariffs,' said ONS director of economic statistics, Liz McKeown.
Al Jazeera
12-06-2025
- Al Jazeera
Israel's Netanyahu survives opposition bid to dissolve parliament
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's fractious right-wing coalition has survived an opposition-backed bid to dissolve parliament after ruling lawmakers reached a deal regarding the divisive mandatory military service. The bill, which would have been a first step leading to an early election, was rejected early on Thursday by a majority of 61 lawmakers in the 120-seat Knesset, while 53 supported it. 'I am pleased to announce that after long discussions we have reached agreements on the principles on which the draft law will be based,' Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Yuli Edelstein said in a statement. The opposition had introduced the conscription bill, hoping to force elections with the help of ultra-Orthodox parties angry at Netanyahu over the contentious issue of forcing religious seminary students of draft age to serve in the army. 'It's more than ever urgent to replace Netanyahu's government and specifically this toxic and harmful government,' Labour's opposition lawmaker Merav Michaeli said ahead of the vote. While the opposition is composed mainly of centrist and left-wing groups, ultra-Orthodox parties, including Shas and United Torah Judaism (UTJ), which are propping up Netanyahu's government, had earlier threatened to back the motion. Military service is mandatory in Israel but under a ruling that dates to the country's creation – when the ultra-Orthodox were a very small community, men who devote themselves full-time to the study of sacred Jewish texts are given a de facto pass. Efforts to scrap the exemption and the resulting blowback have intensified during Israel's continuing assault on Gaza as the military looks for more soldiers to be deployed. Netanyahu is under pressure from his own Likud party to draft more ultra-Orthodox men and impose penalties on dodgers, a red line for the Shas party, who demand a law guaranteeing their members permanent exemption from military service. Netanyahu's coalition, formed in December 2022, is one of the most right wing in the country's history. Ahead of the vote, far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich argued that bringing down the government during wartime would pose 'an existential danger' to Israel's future. 'History will not forgive anyone who drags the state of Israel into elections during a war,' Smotrich told parliament, adding that there was a 'national and security need' for ultra-Orthodox men to fight in the military. In the early hours of Thursday, Israeli media reported that most ultra-Orthodox lawmakers ultimately agreed not to support the proposal to dissolve parliament. After the failed vote, the opposition will now have to wait six months to submit another bill.
