Latest news with #labour
Zawya
10 hours ago
- Business
- Zawya
Jordan: Labour minister discusses cooperation with Syrian, Lebanese counterparts on sidelines of ILO Conference
AMMAN — Minister of Labour Khaled Bakkar has met with Syria's Minister of Social Affairs and Labour Hind Kabawat to explore aspects of cooperation between the two countries. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 113th session of the International Labour Conference currently being held in Geneva, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported, citing a Ministry of Labour statement on Tuesday. Discussions covered several topics, including the labour inspection system and its development, the 'Himayah' electronic platform for labour complaints, social security, and Jordan's expertise and potential future cooperation in this area. Talks during the meeting also addressed partnerships with the private sector to establish academies that train and equip youth with market-relevant skills. Bakkar reviewed key government programmes and initiatives aimed at boosting private-sector employment opportunities for youth, such as the National Employment Programme and the Satellite Branches Initiative, which contribute to employing Jordanians and localising development in rural and Badia regions. Both ministers stressed the 'deep-rooted and historical' relations between the two nations, particularly in labour affairs. In a separate meeting, Bakkar and Lebanon's Minister of Labour Mohammad Haydar discussed the possibility of signing a memorandum of understanding in the near future. The two ministers' expressed commitment to boosting bilateral ties in labour matters, with Bakkar reiterating Jordan's readiness to support Lebanon with necessary services in line with His Majesty King Abdullah's directives to the government. Haydar praised the Kingdom's labour inspection system and vocational training framework. © Copyright The Jordan Times. All rights reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Telegraph
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Even in my wildest pregnancy moments, I can't imagine twerking like Meghan
When I was a week overdue with my second child (ironically named Harry), I did sort of go mad. Not Meghan-twerking-in-a-hospital-room crazy, but bonkers nonetheless. I went into labour with my first child, a daughter, a day before her due date, and remained in denial until my husband finally persuaded me to go to the maternity ward, eight centimetres dilated. But with my son, my due date came and went, along with my sanity. My father, a retired GP, recalls me calling him day and night, demanding to know why, in his medical opinion, the baby hadn't arrived yet. It was undoubtedly the hardest seven days of all three pregnancies – including having to be induced with my third, another daughter. So like many mothers, I watched Meghan and Harry's latest Instagram video with a mixture of genuine empathy and gobsmacked astonishment. On one hand, I understand the sheer lunacy that can accompany being overdue. On the other, I'm not sure even in my wildest moments I would have chosen to 'twerk' my way through it. I mean, I'm not sure twerking would even feature on the bingo card of 'things you do while in labour': gas and air? Check. Epidural? Check. Lash out at husband? Check. Perform a sexy slut drop, while lip-syncing, to the camera? Probably not, no. What's even more mind-boggling about the 80-odd second video – in which a very heavily pregnant Meghan, accessorising her black dress with a cannula, dances to a song called The Baby Momma Dance – is the fact the privacy-obsessed couple have released it. Designed to celebrate their daughter Lilibet's fourth birthday on Wednesday, they captioned the footage, which also features the fifth in line to the throne performing Peter Crouch-esque robotics in a grey hoodie: 'Both of our children were a week past their due dates… so when spicy food, all that walking, and acupuncture didn't work – there was only one thing left to do!' (Harry only has a cameo role, natch.) It came after Meghan also shared a series of intimate photos of Lilibet, writing: 'Happy birthday to our beautiful girl! 'Four years ago today, she came into our lives – and each day is brighter and better because of it. Thanks to all of those sending love and celebrating her special day!' In one photo, mother and daughter have windswept hair with water behind them. In another, the Duchess cradles Lilibet – named after the late Queen's childhood nickname – as a newborn. To echo the thoughts of anyone watching the latest Insta-update – what on earth is going on here? I appreciate the Sussexes have always had a rather nuanced interpretation of privacy with the whole Oprah-induced 'infamy, infamy, they've all got it in for me' thing. South Park's notorious episode celebrating their World Wide Privacy Tour of every available TV studio perfectly summed up the irony of a couple opining press intrusion while dishing every last piece of dirt on their nearest and dearest to anyone who would listen. But the children were always supposed to be out of bounds. Lest we forget, the couple refused to tell anyone where they planned to give birth to Archie until the very last minute – forcing their PRs to scramble to inform the media hours after the event that he had, in fact, been born at that celebrity newborn haunt, The Portland. That pregnancy, Meghan later revealed, was overshadowed by her mental health struggles, including suicidal thoughts, amid the 'stress and isolation' of being a member of the Royal family. Now no one's quite as interested in their bodily functions, disclosure appears to be the new black – for Meghan at least. While one can imagine Harry preferring to keep his personal space free from social media invaders (notwithstanding his propensity to constantly spill the beans about his daddy issues), the Duchess appears more than willing to let it all hang out these days. Hence the behind-the-scenes cookery show, the endless podcasts, and the repeated public protestations about her business interests – including just this week revealing As Ever was being paused, before following up hours later with an Instagram post appearing to contradict that claim, announcing more products will arrive next month. Not to mention the bizarre briefings about Spencer surname swaps, which we now learn was allegedly because the couple feared the King was delaying the issuing of their children's passports over the use of their HRH titles. Mother of all two-fingered salutes to trolls You can take the actress out of the spotlight, but you can never quite take the spotlight off the actress. It isn't only queens of England that need to be seen to be believed, you know. Meghan has insisted that she never reads the news or checks social media. Recollections may vary, however, after she persuaded Gwyneth Paltrow, of Hollywood and vaginal egg fame, to record a kooky clip for the kind of followers who are willing to pay a tenner for a jar of Montecito jam, following claims that there was a rift between the two. (You may recall that Meghan also once claimed to have not really heard of the Royal family, despite being photographed outside Buckingham Palace, aged 15.) Mindful, perhaps, of the conspiracy theories still swirling online that she was never actually pregnant, it's hard not to see the latest video as the mother of all two-fingered salutes to those hurtful trolls. And the nasty media who continually mocked her for stroking her baby bump. An elephant never forgets. It certainly brings new meaning to that anecdote in Spare about Kate allegedly taking great offence at Meghan discussing her ' hormones '.
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- General
- Khaleej Times
Eid Al Adha in UAE: Worker celebrations to be held across 10 locations
Celebrations dedicated to workers will commence across the UAE during the Eid Al Adha holiday. The events will include competitions, awards, and recreational sports tournaments and activities, as well as visits from Mohre leaders and partners to engage with workers. The events will take place across 10 locations, held under the slogan 'Eid with our workers: Joy and happiness'. Private sector companies and labour accommodation facilities that are interested in having their workers participate in the festivities must visit the website to select an appropriate celebration location. This is to facilitate smooth coordination and participation in the planned activities across the 10 designated sites nationwide. Activities are organised by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (Mohre), in collaboration with the Ministry's partners. 'The celebratory activities form part of our approach at the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation to spread happiness among workers with innovative initiatives that enhance their integration in the community and include them in national occasions and public holidays. We view workers as a cornerstone of the UAE's sustainable development and an integral part of the country's labour market,' Mohsin Ali Al Nassi, Mohre's Assistant Undersecretary for Inspection and Compliance, said. 'The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation takes every opportunity to reconnect with workers, in a bid to cement the values of cooperation and partnership," Dalal Alshehhi, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for Labour Protection at MoHRE, said.
The Guardian
29-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Aïda Muluneh on capturing the UK's contradictions: ‘It's hard to imagine there are people going hungry'
Growing up, Aïda Muluneh moved around a lot. She was born in Ethiopia, but also lived in Yemen, Cyprus, Canada and, for a short time, England. There was a spell in Sunderland for about eight months when she was six: 'My mother was dating a guy from the UK,' she says. 'I have very distinct memories of England. I went to school briefly, but I didn't really speak any English. I remember the cold and the grey skies.' More than 40 years later, Muluneh returns to the UK, invited by Impressions Gallery to make new work across Bradford, Belfast, Cardiff and Glasgow for this year's UK City of Culture programme. Comprising 22 images, The Necessity of Seeing was made over a month-long road trip. She crammed all her equipment into two cars and a minivan, along with a mobile studio, painted backdrops and clothing brought over from Africa, and five core crew members. 'It was basically like getting a crash course in UK history and contemporary life,' says Muluneh. The resulting images explore themes such as gender, labour, religion and diaspora. Incorporating pieces of each city's architectural landmarks – from cathedrals and mosques to cotton mills and war memorials – Muluneh connects historic wounds with contemporary struggles. The decline of industry, the history of labour union movements, women's rights, and the exploitation of immigrants: in these images, as in reality, everything is connected. This work is now part of a touring exhibition, Nationhood: Memory and Hope, shown alongside A Portrait of Us, 15 black-and-white portraits of 'unsung heroes' in each city, made by Muluneh, as well as a presentation of seven emerging British photographers. Muluneh's journey around the UK required a lot of planning, as well as learning, talking and translating her reflections into art. 'Being prepared allows me to tap into another part of my mind,' she says. 'Along the way, I'd find other things I hadn't expected, just from simple conversations.' These conversations, as well as each city's unique social and urban fabric, make up all the layers of meaning in Muluneh's work. 'I'm creating my own universe within an existing reality and reshaping it to reflect how I was feeling at the time,' she says. The title, The Necessity of Seeing, is emblematic of the deep political awareness driving Muluneh's work. 'Growing up displaced has given me a kind of anger that fuels my work,' she says. 'I've always been drawn to communities dealing with division and cultural identity. My aim wasn't to come here and try to reflect something I don't fully understand. I can only reflect my experiences of trying to understand the complexity of the UK – what I saw, witnessed and felt.' What she felt most of all, Muluneh says, was division. 'But within that, everyone is facing the same challenges,' she says. 'I was looking at what women and children went through in the Industrial Revolution, while also thinking about slavery and colonial history. What I realised is that these shared histories have the potential to connect people, rather than divide them.' The Handmaid of Hunger, 2024 (main picture above)'For many of us in Africa, it's hard to imagine that a country like the UK has people going hungry. This image is a comment on that contradiction of being in a wealthy country, yet still seeing people who rely on food banks.' Reflections of the Seeker, 2024'I was fascinated by how visible and strong the Muslim culture is in Bradford,' says Muluneh. 'I heard a story from a woman whose daughter went to school there. She said her daughter felt really comfortable wearing a hijab, because no one stared at her. That really stayed with me.' Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion The Edge of Tomorrow's Memory, 2024'This was shot in Bradford, but it speaks to Belfast, a city that felt like an open wound. The most striking things were the walls. You can still feel the trauma of recent history.' The Present Past, 2024'In Glasgow, there's a lot of architecture by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. He wasn't alive when this building [the House for an Art Lover cultural centre] was constructed but there's something powerful in interpreting someone's vision years later. This image plays with the idea of bringing the past into the present.' The Necessity of Seeing was commissioned by Bradford 2025 City of Culture and Impressions Gallery, with Belfast Exposed, Ffotogallery, Cardiff, and Street Level Photoworks, Glasgow; it is touring 5 June to 18 January.
ABC News
28-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Can lessons from COVID productivity rollercoaster boost Australia's productivity now?
Productivity Commission deputy chair Alex Robson says recent research by the commission showed "a strange effect" of a labour productivity bubble as sectors shut down during COVID. #ABCBusiness
