Saudi Arabian domestic worker contracts must be insured, ministers say

There are more than 3.5 million foreign domestic workers in Saudi Arabia. (Shutterstock)
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Updated 26 July 2021
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Saudi Arabian domestic worker contracts must be insured, ministers say

  • Recruitment companies must pay insurance for first 2 years of contract
  • Insurance is optionally paid by employer if they extend work visa

RIYADH: Recruitment companies must carry the cost of insuring the contracts of domestic workers they bring into the country for the first two years, the Saudi Council of Ministers has decreed.

After the initial two years, the insurance is optional for the employer upon renewing the residency of the worker, the ministers decided at a session on Tuesday headed by King Salman, SPA reported.

The insurance covers the rights of both the employer and the worker in the event they refuse to continue to work or do not complete the period of the contract, Saudi Gazette reported.


Israel’s daily pauses fall short of easing Gaza suffering: UK

Updated 8 min 35 sec ago
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Israel’s daily pauses fall short of easing Gaza suffering: UK

  • Food airdropped over besieged territory
  • 38 Palestinians, 3 Israeli soldiers killed

LONDON, GAZA: Israel’s decision on Sunday to pause military operations for 10 hours a day in parts of Gaza and allow new aid corridors falls short of what is needed to alleviate suffering in the enclave, Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy said.

Lammy said in a statement that Israel’s announcement was “essential but long overdue,” and that access to aid must now be urgently accelerated over the coming hours and days.
“This announcement alone cannot alleviate the needs of those desperately suffering in Gaza,” Lammy said. “We need a ceasefire that can end the war, for hostages to be released and aid to enter Gaza by land unhindered.” 

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Lammy said that access to aid must now be urgently accelerated over the coming hours and days.

The Israeli military said the “tactical pause” in Gaza City, Deir Al-Balah and Muwasi, three areas with large populations, would increase humanitarian aid entering the territory. The pause runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily until further notice.
Jordan said it carried out three airdrops over Gaza, including one in cooperation with the UAE, dropping 25 tonnes of food and supplies on several locations.
“Whichever path we choose, we will have to continue to allow the entry of minimal humanitarian supplies,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.
Despite the annouoncement of temporary pauses, Israeli strikes killed at least 38 Palestinians from late Saturday into Sunday, including 23 seeking aid. 
An airstrike on a Gaza City apartment killed a woman and her four children. Another strike killed four people, including a boy, his mother and grandfather, in the eastern Zaytoun neighborhood.
US President Donald Trump said Israel would have to make a decision on next steps in Gaza, adding that he did not know what would happen after moves by Israel to pull out of ceasefire and hostage-release negotiations with the Hamas militant group.
Trump underscored the importance of securing the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, saying they had suddenly “hardened” up on the issue.
“They don’t want to give them back, and so Israel is going to have to make a decision,” Trump told reporters at the start of a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at his golf property in Turnberry, Scotland.
Two Israeli soldiers were killed in combat in southern Gaza on Sunday, the military said, a day after confirming another soldier had died of wounds sustained last week.
The two soldiers, aged 20 and 22, served in the Golani Infantry Brigade’s 51st Battalion.
Israeli military sources said they were killed when their armored vehicle exploded in the city of Khan Yunis.

 


Two Palestinian families in Jerusalem self-demolish their homes to avoid Israeli fines

Updated 13 min 4 sec ago
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Two Palestinian families in Jerusalem self-demolish their homes to avoid Israeli fines

  • Israel denies building permits to Palestinians in Jerusalem in most cases, while it carries out planned expansion of Jewish settlements in the city
  • In the case that Israeli authorities carry out the destruction, the families will be required to pay for the cost of the demolition, which could vary and may total hundreds of thousands of Shekels

LONDON: Two Palestinian families in occupied East Jerusalem have self-demolished their homes to avoid steep financial penalties imposed by the Israeli municipality for building without a permit on Sunday.

Israel denies building permits to Palestinians in Jerusalem in most cases, while it carries out planned expansion of Jewish settlements in the city and the occupied West Bank.

From 1991 to 2018, Israeli authorities approved only 16.5 percent of building permits in Palestinian neighborhoods, while the remaining permits were issued for Israeli neighborhoods in West Jerusalem and settlements, according to the organization Peace Now.

The Palestinian Authority’s Jerusalem Governorate said that the Quraan family was forced to demolish their home in the Jabal al-Mukabbir neighborhood on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Halawanis also demolished their residential building, comprising six housing units, in Beit Hanina, located north of Jerusalem. As a result, around 30 individuals, including children, have been left without homes.

In the case that Israeli authorities carry out the destruction, the families will be required to pay for the cost of the demolition, which could vary and may total hundreds of thousands of Shekels.

The Jerusalem Governorate said that this is part of an Israeli “systematic policy of displacing” Palestinians from the city.

“Palestinian families in occupied Jerusalem are frequently denied building permits by Israeli authorities, leaving many with no legal option but to build without authorization,” it added.

Human Rights Watch and other groups have criticized Israel’s home demolition policy in Jerusalem as “discriminatory.”

Since Israel attacked Gaza in October 2023, authorities in Jerusalem have demolished 623 houses and other commercial facilities belonging to dozens of Palestinian families.


35 killed in rebel attack in northeast DR Congo

Updated 22 min 27 sec ago
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35 killed in rebel attack in northeast DR Congo

  • The last major attack by the ADF was in February, leaving 23 dead in Mambasa territory

BUNIA: At least 35 people were killed Sunday in an attack by Allied Democratic Forces rebels in northeastern DR Congo, ending a months-long period of regional calm, local sources said.
The rebels, originally formed from former Ugandan fighters and which pledged allegiance to Daesh in 2019, raided a Catholic church in the town of Komanda where worshippers were gathered for prayer, residents said.
“We heard gunfire near the parish church ... so far we have seen 35 bodies,” Dieudonne Katanabo, an Umoja neighborhood elder, said.
“We have at least 31 dead members of the Eucharistic Crusade movement, with six seriously injured ... some young people were kidnapped, we have no news of them,” Father Aime Lokana Dhego, parish priest of the Blessed Anuarite parish of Komanda, said.
The priest added that seven other bodies had been discovered in the town.
Christophe Munyanderu, coordinator of the local NGO Convention for the Respect of Human Rights, gave a provisional death toll of 38.
Lt. Jules Ngongo, army spokesman in Ituri, confirmed the attack, stating that “the enemy is believed to have been identified among ADF” rebels.
The bloodshed comes after months of calm in the region of Ituri, bordering Uganda.
The last major attack by the ADF was in February, leaving 23 dead in Mambasa territory.

The town of Komanda in Irumu territory is a commercial hub linking three other provinces — Tshopo, North Kivu, and Maniema.
The ADF, originally Ugandan rebels, has killed thousands of civilians and ramped up looting and killing in northeastern DRC despite the deployment both of the Ugandan army alongside Congolese armed forces in the area.
At the end of 2021, Kampala and Kinshasa launched a joint military operation against the ADF, which has so far been unable to dislodge the group.

 


Thai and Cambodian leaders to meet in Malaysia for talks to end deadly border dispute

Updated 22 min 36 sec ago
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Thai and Cambodian leaders to meet in Malaysia for talks to end deadly border dispute

  • Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim invited leaders of the two feuding ASEAN members to a dialogue to resolve their dispute
  • Earlier, President Trump warned that the hostilities could hamper implementation of US trade pacts with either country

BANGKOK: Thai and Cambodian leaders will meet in Malaysia for talks to end hostilities, a spokesperson for the Thai prime minister’s office said Sunday. This comes following pressure from US President Donald Trump to end a deadly border dispute, now in its fourth day, which has killed at least 35 people and displaced more than 218,000.
Jirayu Huangsap said Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai will attend Monday’s talks in response to an invitation from Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim “to discuss peace efforts in the region.” Anwar has been acting in his capacity as this year’s chair of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet late Sunday night on several social media platforms confirmed his participation as well.
“I will lead (the) Cambodian delegation to attend a special meeting in Kuala Lumpur hosted by Malaysia, co-organized by the United States and with participation of China,” he said. China is a close ally of Cambodia, and had early in the fighting urged the two nations to resolve their differences peacefully, but Hun Manet’s statement appeared to be the first mentioning a Chinese link to Monday’s planned talks.
Trump posted on the Truth Social social network Saturday that he spoke to the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia and suggested he would not move forward with trade agreements with either country if the hostilities continued. He later said both sides agreed to meet to negotiate a ceasefire.
Both sides agree to discuss a ceasefire
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said earlier Sunday his country agreed to pursue an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire.” He said Trump told him that Thailand had also agreed to halt attacks following the US president’s conversation with Phumtham.
Phumtham thanked Trump and qualified Thailand’s position, saying it agreed in principle to a ceasefire but stressed the need for “sincere intention” from Cambodia, the Thai Foreign Ministry said.
US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce on Sunday said Secretary of State Marco Rubio had spoken with the foreign ministers of both Thailand and Cambodia urging them “to de-escalate tensions immediately and agree to a ceasefire.”
Her statement added that the US “is prepared to facilitate future discussions in order to ensure peace and stability” between the two countries.
Each side blames the other for the clashes
The fighting flared Thursday after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. Both sides blamed each other for starting the clashes. Both countries recalled their ambassadors and Thailand closed its border crossings with Cambodia, with an exception for migrant Cambodian workers returning home.
Despite the diplomatic efforts, fighting continued Sunday along parts of the contested border, with both sides refusing to budge and trading blame over renewed shelling and troop movements.
Col. Richa Suksowanont, a Thai army deputy spokesperson, said Cambodian forces fired heavy artillery into Surin province, including at civilian homes, early Sunday. He said Cambodia also launched rocket attacks targeting the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple, claimed by both countries, and other areas in a bid to reclaim territory secured by Thai troops. Thai forces responded with long-range artillery to strike Cambodian artillery and rocket launchers.
Battlefield operations will continue and a ceasefire can only happen if Cambodia formally initiates negotiations, he added.
“Cambodian attacks remain irregular and may constitute violations of rules of engagement, posing further risk to border communities,” said the Thai military’s daily summary of the fighting issued Sunday night.
“The situation remains highly tense, and it is anticipated that Cambodia may be preparing for a major military operation prior to entering negotiations,” it said.
Cambodian Defense Ministry spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata accused Thai forces of escalating the violence with bombardment of Cambodian territory early Sunday, followed by a “large-scale incursion” involving tanks and ground troops in multiple areas.
“Such actions undermine all efforts toward peaceful resolution and expose Thailand’s clear intent to escalate rather than de-escalate the conflict,” she said.
Thailand on Sunday reported a new death of a soldier, bringing its total number of fatalities to 22, mostly civilians. Cambodia said 13 people have been killed, though it was unclear if that included Lt. Gen. Duong Samnieng, whose death in combat was announced Sunday.
More than 139,000 people in Thailand have evacuated to safe locations and over 79,000 people fled from three Cambodian provinces. Many border villages are mostly deserted, with many schools and hospitals shut.
Evacuees hope for a swift end to the fighting
Pichayut Surasit, an air-conditioning technician in Thailand, said the sudden outbreak of fighting meant leaving his work in Bangkok to return home to protect his family.
“I didn’t have the heart to continue with my work when I heard the news. I wanted to come back as soon as possible, but I had to wait until the evening,” he said. Now at a shelter in Surin housing some 6,000 evacuees, Pichayut worries for his wife and twin daughters, hoping the conflict will end soon so they can return to their home in Kap Choeng district, one of the hardest hit by shelling.
Bualee Chanduang, a local vendor who moved to the same shelter Thursday with her family and pet rabbit, is counting on swift negotiations to end the violence. “I pray for God to help so that both sides can agree to talk and end this war,” she said.
At the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV said he was praying for all those affected by war in the world, including “for those affected by the clashes on the border between Thailand and Cambodia, especially the children and displaced families.”
The 800-kilometer (500-mile) frontier between Thailand and Cambodia has been disputed for decades, but past confrontations have been limited and brief. The latest tensions erupted in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a confrontation that created a diplomatic rift and roiled Thailand’s domestic politics.


Sudan’s paramilitaries launch parallel govt, deepening the crisis

Updated 31 min 24 sec ago
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Sudan’s paramilitaries launch parallel govt, deepening the crisis

  • The RSF grew out of the notorious Janjaweed militias, mobilized two decades ago by then-President Omar Bashir against populations that identify as Central or East African in Darfur

CAIRO: A paramilitary group and its allies in Sudan said they formed a parallel government in areas under the group’s control, which are located mainly in the western region of Darfur where allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity are being investigated.
The move was likely to deepen the crisis in Sudan, which plunged into chaos when tensions between the country’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, exploded into fighting in April 2023 in the capital, Khartoum and elsewhere in the country.
The RSF-led Tasis Alliance appointed Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the commander of the paramilitary group, as head of the sovereign council in the new administration. The 15-member council serves as head of the state.
The RSF grew out of the notorious Janjaweed militias, mobilized two decades ago by then-President Omar Bashir against populations that identify as Central or East African in Darfur. The Janjaweed were accused of mass killings, rapes and 
other atrocities.
In the current war, the RSF has been accused of numerous atrocities. The Biden administration slapped Dagalo with sanctions, saying the RSF and its proxies were committing genocide. The RSF has denied committing genocide.
The alliance spokesman Alaa Al-Din Naqd announced the new administration in a video statement from the Darfur city of Nyala, which is controlled by the RSF and its allied Janjaweed.
Mohammed Hassan Al-Taishi, a civilian politician who was a member of a military-civilian sovereign council that ruled Sudan following the 2019 overthrow of Al-Bashir, was named as prime minister in the RSF-controlled government.

Rebel leader Abdelaziz Al-Hilu, who commands the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) which is active in the southern Kodrofan region, was appointed as Dagalo’s deputy in the council. The SPLM-N is a breakaway faction of the SPLM, the ruling party of neighboring South Sudan.
The announcement came five months after the RSF and its allies signed a charter in February in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, with the aim of establishing a parallel government in RSF-controlled areas.
At the time, many countries, including the US, rejected the RSF efforts and condemned the signing by the paramilitary group and its allies of what they called “transitional constitution” in the Kenya-hosted conference.
The Foreign Ministry of the internationally recognized government in Khartoum condemned the announcement in a statement. It called it a “fake government” and urged the international community to not engage with the RSF-led administration.
The RSF-led move was likely to deepen the division in Sudan. Yasir Arman, a rebel leader, said the move is likely to prolong the conflict and divide Sudan between two rival administrations.