&w=3840&q=100)
Another truce talk in Qatar? DR Congo, M23 representatives meeting in West Asia, diplomat says
M23 rebels sit on a truck during the escort of captured FDLR members (not pictured) to Rwanda for repatriation, at the Goma-Gisenyi Grande Barrier border crossing, March 1, 2025. Image- Reuters
Delegations from the Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 armed group are in Qatar for talks aimed at securing a broader ceasefire, a diplomat with knowledge of the discussions said on Wednesday (July 9).
'Delegations from both the DRC and… M23 are currently in Doha, with the Qataris facilitating the talks,' the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the negotiations.
The M23, which is backed by Rwanda, had last week called for further dialogue to resolve issues it said were not addressed in a peace agreement signed by Rwanda and Congo in Washington in June.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
'This round of negotiations will be critical towards reaching an agreement,' the diplomat added, noting that Qatari mediators were working closely with the African Union.
The Washington deal was intended to halt violence in mineral-rich eastern Congo, where fighting has claimed thousands of lives. However, the M23, the main group battling Congolese government forces, was not part of those talks and has demanded a separate ceasefire arrangement with Kinshasa.
In a rapid offensive earlier this year, the M23 captured large areas in eastern DRC, including the major cities of Goma and Bukavu.
Eastern Congo has experienced nearly uninterrupted conflict for more than three decades, displacing hundreds of thousands of people.
Rwanda has denied providing support to the M23, but United Nations experts have reported that the Rwandan army played a 'critical' role in the group's recent advances, including participating in combat.
While the front lines have remained largely static since February, intermittent clashes continue between M23 fighters and various pro-government militias.
With inputs from agencies
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
23 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
TCS layoffs row: Karnataka seeks clarity on reported termination of 12,000 employees
Karnataka Labour Minister Santosh Lad on Thursday said his department has asked Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to explain the reasons behind the reported large-scale layoffs. The move is part of the company's broader realignment strategy to become a "future-ready organisation'.(REUTERS/ Representative) "Yesterday we got information that TCS has laid off 12,000 employees. Our department has called TCS officials just to have a consultation to know the reason," the minister told reporters in Bengaluru according to news agency PTI. He said that sunrise industries have been exempted from labour laws, but with conditions. "We have kept the sunrise companies outside the ambit of labour laws, and for the past five years, we have been giving them exemption year after year. But there are conditions attached," Lad noted. (Also Read: All of a sudden, 12,000 people…': Karnataka labour minister calls TCS layoffs 'alarming') "If they want to lay off somebody, they have to give us information. Accordingly, we are talking to them," he added. TCS has reportedly indicated that it plans to reduce around 2% of its global workforce, about 12,261 employees, this year, primarily affecting middle and senior-level staff. As of June 30, 2025, TCS had a workforce of 6,13,069 and added 5,000 new employees in the April–June quarter. The move is part of the company's broader realignment strategy to become a "future-ready organisation," with a focus on AI deployment, technology investments, market expansion, and organisational restructuring. Meanwhile, the Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) has raised a strong objection to the layoffs. The union has filed a complaint against TCS with the Additional Labour Commissioner G Manjunath. In a statement, the union said it is demanding legal action against the company's management for violating provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, and for not complying with the conditions mandated by the Karnataka government concerning the reporting of employee status. Minister Lad further said that another reason for summoning TCS and other companies was to inform them that the state government is not accepting their request to extend working hours to 9–10 hours a day. "If employees are ready to work, then we will consider the request as per the guidelines and grant permission. But this is subject to employees' willingness. Those who reject the permission will not be forced to do it,' Lad clarified. He also said implementing longer working hours isn't practical given the time lost in traffic. "As a minister too, when I see the proposal of increasing working hours, I feel it's not scientific. Increasing hours might be feasible for a week or ten days, but not throughout the year given Bengaluru's traffic," Lad explained. He added that while the industry may claim longer hours benefit both employers and employees, such measures can't be imposed universally. "Employees who agree to increase working hours must give written consent, but we cannot implement it across the board,' the minister said. (With PTI inputs) (Also Read: Karnataka railway clerk suspended after ignoring passengers for 15-minute phone chat, video goes viral)
Hindustan Times
23 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Coming up Trumps against tariff threat
India's garments exports — that have stagnated in the $16-18 billion range over the last 10 years — now face an additional threat. Effective August 1, the Trump administration has more than doubled the tariff on Indian exports to 25%, with a threat of an additional penalty. Major apparel supplier Vietnam, on the other hand, recently secured a last-minute deal to cap US tariffs at 20% on many of its exports — giving it further advantage against India — while Bangladesh, another major competitor, is looking to secure a similar deal as Vietnam in the next few days. The apparel sector can lift millions out of poverty, as seen in Bangladesh, where garment work has empowered women at scale. (REUTERS) The US imported almost $85 billion worth of garments in 2024, of which India accounted for about $10.5 billion. While the latest tariff announcement can be seen as a setback, India still has three aces up its sleeve to neutralise its impact and push firmly towards its $100 billion textile exports target. These aces are concluding the free trade agreement (FTA) with the EU, ensuring the supply of raw material at competitive prices, and an incentive and reforms package tailored for employment generation through apparel exports. The first ace India must play is to expedite the FTA with the EU. Currently, the EU is the largest garments importer with an import value close to $200 billion. India only captures $5 billion of this against Bangladesh's $25 billion. The primary reason is the 10% duty advantage enjoyed by Bangladesh due to its LDC status, which allows it to export to the EU duty-free. If India were to sign an FTA with the EU on the lines of the recently concluded UK FTA, this disparity will vanish — making Indian exporters highly competitive in the largest market in the world. The second ace India needs to deal is addressing the high cost of raw material for its textile and apparel industry. Cotton, the lifeblood of our textile industry, carries an import duty of around 10% imposed in 2021. Duties are even higher when it comes to synthetic-fibre-based products. For example, the basic customs duty on polyester fabric is 20%, which raises the cost of synthetic fabric in the market. While garment exporters are allowed to import fabrics duty-free under the advance authorisation scheme, it is currently extremely restrictive and rigid. A few simple but far-reaching reforms can enable Indian exporters to access fabric at globally competitive prices, on a par with their Bangladeshi counterparts. First, simplify the input-output norms and allow exporters to import fabrics on self-certification basis with post-export audit, on the lines of the EU. Second, allow exporters to import inputs against export orders or contracts without prior licence. Finally, allow exporters or third parties to pool inputs or maintain bonded warehouses for multi-party use and treat sales of fabric to exporters as deemed exports. In addition to these, rationalisation of import duties on both cotton and synthetic fibres, yarn, and fabrics would eliminate the substantial disability Indian garment exporters face on account of raw material. The third ace that India must play is a package of carefully crafted policy measures and reforms for the garment sector to enhance competitiveness to world-beating levels. Such measures would include a suitable incentive scheme for the garment sector — one that is easy to avail and is export- and job-centric. The scheme would essentially function as an employment-linked incentive (ELI) — rewarding companies not just for production volumes, but for the number of new jobs they create and sustain in the sector. For it to be truly effective, such a scheme should be skewed towards large manufacturing units that employ, say, 1,000+ workers, to drive economies of scale and higher productivity. The government must also extend the Rebate of State & Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL) — which refunds embedded taxes to exporters — beyond 2026 to keep Indian apparel prices competitive globally. In addition to incentives, the government must fast-track the completion and operationalisation of the new PM MITRA textile parks. These parks should become magnets for textile and garment manufacturers through world-class infrastructure, responsive governance, and easier regulation around land, labour, and environment. The goal must be to make India the supplier of choice in terms of cost and reliability. The apparel sector can lift millions out of poverty, as seen in Bangladesh, where garment work has empowered women at scale. India can replicate and surpass that model by consciously steering policy to favour labour-intensive growth. The encouraging news is that global brands are already showing interest. From Japan to West Asia, buyers are in talks to tap into India's expanding production capacity and favourable incentive structure. This confidence, combined with the right policy push, could help India achieve the government's ambitious target of $100 billion in textile and apparel exports by 2030, up from roughly $30-40 billion (including yarn and fabric) today. Achieving this would vault India into the upper ranks of global apparel exporters, close in on rivals and create an estimated 2.5 crore new jobs by 2030 — a transformation with profound social and economic benefits. Ashish Dhawan is founder-CEO and Piyush Doshi is operating partner, The Convergence Foundation. The views expressed are personal.
NDTV
28 minutes ago
- NDTV
Trump's Envoy Heads To Israel For Gaza Aid, Ceasefire Push
Jerusalem: US special envoy Steve Witkoff was expected to arrive in Israel on Thursday in a bid to salvage Gaza ceasefire talks and tackle a humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave, where a global hunger monitor has warned that famine was unfolding. Indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas in Doha ended in deadlock last week, with the sides blaming trade for the impasse and gaps remaining over issues including the extent of Israeli forces' withdrawal. Witkoff, who will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, arrives as Israel faces mounting international pressure over Gaza, with Canada the latest Western power to say it will recognise a Palestinian state. Israel on Wednesday sent a response to Hamas' latest amendments to a US proposal that would see a 60-day truce and the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a source familiar with the details said. There was no immediate comment from Hamas. Gaza medical officials said at least 23 people were reported killed by Israeli fire across the enclave, including 12 people among crowds who had gathered to receive aid around the Netzarim corridor, an area held by Israeli troops in central Gaza. The Israeli military said it was looking into the report. Since the war began, the Gaza health ministry has recorded 154 deaths from starvation and malnutrition, most of them in recent weeks, including at least 89 children. Facing mounting international outrage over images of starving children, Israel said on Sunday it would halt military operations for 10 hours a day in parts of Gaza and designate secure routes for convoys delivering food and medicine. Calls On Hamas To Disarm The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Wednesday that the United Nations and its partners had been able to bring more food into Gaza in the first two days of pauses, but the volume was "still far from enough." Even with more aid running through Gaza, residents face peril from Israeli forces and Palestinian looters when trying to reach the supplies. "I have tried several times to grab a sack of flour. The only time I managed to do so, someone with a knife froze me in the street and took it away, threatening to stab me," one man from Deir Al-Balah told Reuters, asking not to be identified. With the number of Palestinians killed in almost two years of war passing 60,000 this week, pressure has been mounting in Gaza on Hamas to reach a ceasefire deal with Israel. "We can save thousands of lives and maybe the war wouldn't resume," Rami from Gaza City told Reuters via a chat app. In Israel, protests were expected in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, calling on the government to end the war. Netanyahu, whose ruling coalition includes two parties that want to conquer Gaza and reestablish Jewish settlements there, has said he will not end the war until Hamas no longer rules the enclave and lays down its arms. Hamas has rejected calls to disarm. Qatar and Egypt, who are mediating the ceasefire efforts, backed a declaration on Tuesday by France and Saudi Arabia, which outlined steps for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The declaration says Hamas "must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority", which is led by its rivals and based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israel has rejected the Palestinian Authority gaining control of Gaza. Israel has denounced declarations by France, Britain and Canada since last week that they may recognise a Palestinian state, which Israel says amounts to rewarding Hamas for its October 7, 2023, attack on Israeli territory. That attack, when fighters killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages back to Gaza, precipitated the war.
