Latest news with #reforms
CNN
a day ago
- Business
- CNN
Lebanese PM talks to CNN about his country's future and restoring sovereignty
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam talks to Becky Anderson about Lebanon's lost opportunities, and how the government's priority is restoring sovereignty over all its territory, while implementing reforms and rebuilding the economy.
NHK
a day ago
- Business
- NHK
Bangladeshi interim leader, Nobel laureate Yunus urges stronger ties with Japan
Interim leader of Bangladesh and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus has expressed hope that Japan will show leadership in Asia and boost cooperation with his country, especially in supporting youth entrepreneurship. Yunus was named chief adviser to the interim government last August after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned following deadly student-led protests. She had held the position for about 15 years. Yunus sat for an exclusive interview with NHK in Tokyo on Thursday. In the interview, he said he hopes Japan will assume leadership in Asia and take the initiative in building a system to support young entrepreneurs. He expressed expectations for deeper bilateral cooperation. Bangladeshi media reported last week that Yunus was considering stepping down as chief adviser of the interim government. They cited rising tensions with certain political parties and the military over the pending election, as well as difficulties implementing reforms that Yunus had promised. Yunus did not directly address those reports, but told NHK that he hopes to carry out as many reforms as possible before the election. He said the government does not want to "go back to the same structure, same policies, same judiciary, etc., which were used as tool of oppression, tool of taking away people's rights." He said everything that now exists will be examined and anything deemed unsafe will be changed. Yunus said they hope to hold an election sometime between December and June next year, as announced earlier.
Fox News
2 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
State Dept says DOGE's changes will be permanent amid Musk's departure
Elon Musk may no longer be the top dog at DOGE, but his reforms at the State Department will remain permanently in place, a senior agency official told Fox News Digital Thursday. As Musk's 130-day mandate as a "special government employee" comes to an end, the billionaire entrepreneur announced his departure from DOGE in a post on his social media platform X, formerly Twitter, Wednesday night. During Musk's time as the head of DOGE, he helped usher in big reforms at the State Department, which included an effective dismantlement of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), staff reductions, and the cancellation of various foreign aid programs due to lack of oversight, inefficiency, and other reasons. The indication that Musk's DOGE-related work at the State Department will continue was reinforced by a new reorganization effort at the Department of State announced by Secretary Marco Rubio on Thursday. The new reorganization plans are expected to cut or consolidate more than 300 of the State Department's offices and bureaus as part of a massive overhaul aimed at streamlining the department, according to agency officials. The agency currently has about 700 offices, meaning the reorganization effort will slash, or join, more than 40% of its offices. "We have too many godd--- offices," a senior State Department official told Fox News Digital. "We're trying to shrink offices rather than create them." The State Department submitted a notice to Congress Thursday disclosing plans for the reorganization overhaul, which senior State Department officials said will be the largest restructuring for the agency since the Cold War. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt added Thursday that many DOGE employees will remain part of the Trump administration, despite Musk winding down his work. "Surely the mission of Doge will continue," Leavitt told reporters Thursday. "Many Doge employees are now political employees." One of Musk's DOGE associates, Jeremy Lewin, has recently been tapped for a top role within the State Department. In April, he was placed at State for a different role. For his part, Lewin, however, disputes that he ever did any direct work for Musk's DOGE.
CNN
2 days ago
- Business
- CNN
Lebanese PM talks to CNN about his country's future and restoring sovereignty
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam talks to Becky Anderson about Lebanon's lost opportunities, and how the government's priority is restoring sovereignty over all its territory, while implementing reforms and rebuilding the economy.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Wales could lose 'half a billion' in welfare reforms
The UK government's disability welfare reforms could cut the incomes of people in Wales by £466m by 2029-30 according to new analytics company Policy in Practice told Walescast that almost 190,000 people are likely to be affected - 6% of the Evans from Swansea, who receives support for multiple health problems, said the uncertainty meant he was constantly anxious with "the worry of what's going to happen to me".The Department for Work and Pensions said it would not compromise on protecting people "who need our support", and that reforms "will mean the social security system will always be there for those who will never be able to work". Mr Evans, 62, receives the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for which eligibility will be tightened under the was designed to cover the extra costs of being disabled, and Mr Evans uses it to run his mobility car, which he fears losing."I haven't got a television because I can't afford one, everything's being spent," he said."So if things are cut back any further I really don't know how I'll manage." When the changes were proposed in March, First Minister Eluned Morgan asked the UK government for an assessment of their impact on Wales Department for Work and Pensions has published an impact assessment for England and analysis by Policy in Practice, which has been working with the Welsh government and local authorities in Wales to encourage people to claim the benefits they are eligible for, breaks down the impact of the reforms on each Gwent, Merthyr Tydfil and Neath Port Talbot were the worst affected areas per head of Fathers, of Policy in Practice, told Walescast that for some people the reforms could mean "knocking 60% of their income out in one hit" and cutting thousands of pounds per year among people on some of the lowest incomes in the he urged people not to panic because the proposals were currently at the consultation stage. Messaging 'the wrong way round' The number of working-age people claiming health-related benefits in the UK has increased by 45% since UK government proposed the reforms to save £5bn a year by 2020-30, though the number of claims is still expected to have said the plans would offer a £1bn package of extra support for people to return to the workplace, with a "try before you buy" approach enabling people to try a job without automatically losing benefits. "Anything that will get people back into work is welcome," said Mr Fathers, but he added that even "the very best campaigns around employability with disabled people have got about 5% more people into work".He said Policy in Practice had modelled the impact of getting up to 10% of claimants back into work and even in that scenario Wales would see "an increase in the levels of poverty".Labour Member of the Senedd, Mick Antoniw, called for the UK government to work with the Welsh government to reform the welfare system."Some of these things aren't thought out," he said. "What we don't have is a clear anti-poverty agenda that is the driving force of policy change.""A Labour government is there to resolve poverty and help people into work," said Antoniw."There are a lot of good things that are happening, I just think that the messaging has been the wrong way round and the driving force has probably been the wrong way round." The Department for Work and Pensions said: "The majority of people who are currently getting PIP will continue to receive it."We will never compromise on protecting people who need our support, and our reforms will mean the social security system will always be there for those who will never be able to work, and their income is protected."We have also announced a review of the PIP assessment, and we will be working with disabled people and key organisations representing them - including in Wales - to consider how best to do this." Watch Walescast at 22:40 BST on BBC One Wales or catch up on iPlayer. It is also available on BBC Sounds.
