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Yemen Online
22-07-2025
- Business
- Yemen Online
Even amid the Gaza war, Yemen peace talks can be revived if the world were to seize the moment
Before the Hamas militant group attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, negotiations to end Yemen's long-standing civil war were more productive than they had been for years. At the very least, there was a horizon for starting a political process. The Houthi rebel group, which took the capital Sanaa in 2014, continued to hold large swathes of the country even after a seven-year campaign by the internationally recognised government and its regional allies to dislodge them. The government, based in the port city of Aden, was the weaker party, but still standing. But the prolonged stalemate was finally growing tiresome enough that both parties were rumoured to be close to a 'roadmap' to making their ceasefire permanent and ending the war. The Hamas attack, despite taking place more than 2,000km from Yemeni soil, along with Israel's brutal and ongoing war of revenge in Gaza, changed all of that. The Houthis have dropped peace talks and instead taken to firing at commercial ships in the Red Sea, ostensibly in solidarity with the Palestinian cause. Punitive air strikes on Yemeni cities by Israel, the US and UK have dealt much damage but failed to cripple the Houthis. What hasn't killed them may even have made them stronger. Emboldened by their perception of invincibility, the Houthis continue to rule with extremism and repression. In the absence of any momentum towards a resolution, the government in Aden risks becoming inert, increasingly paralysed by internal disagreements. Its Presidential Leadership Council – an executive committee comprised of often-competing factions – has been unable to tackle an economic crisis in government-held areas. In May, the prime minister, Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, resigned after complaining of being blocked by the PLC from carrying out his official duties. Hoping to signal that it takes economic issues seriously, the Council chose the Minister of Finance to replace him. But in the absence of deeper constitutional reform that prevents obstacles of the sort faced by Mr bin Mubarak, it is unlikely to make a difference. This state of affairs has not merely put the prospect of a Yemeni peace on ice but degraded it. The international community has seemingly become indifferent to that reality. Western powers, in particular, have come to treat Houthi actions as a mere extension of the Gaza conflict, behaving as though the Houthi threat will diminish in the event of a deal between Israel and Hamas. In the absence of any momentum towards a resolution, the government in Aden risks becoming inert, increasingly paralysed by internal disagreements. Its Presidential Leadership Council – an executive committee comprised of often-competing factions – has been unable to tackle an economic crisis in government-held areas. In May, the prime minister, Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, resigned after complaining of being blocked by the PLC from carrying out his official duties. Hoping to signal that it takes economic issues seriously, the Council chose the Minister of Finance to replace him. But in the absence of deeper constitutional reform that prevents obstacles of the sort faced by Mr bin Mubarak, it is unlikely to make a difference. This state of affairs has not merely put the prospect of a Yemeni peace on ice but degraded it. The international community has seemingly become indifferent to that reality. Western powers, in particular, have come to treat Houthi actions as a mere extension of the Gaza conflict, behaving as though the Houthi threat will diminish in the event of a deal between Israel and Hamas. This approach is both short-sighted and wrong. There is a chance to revive Yemen's peace talks, as the UN's special envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, reminded everyone during a visit to the country this month. The level of fighting within the country has subsided, Mr Grundberg noted, and the calm provides space for confidence-building measures between the two sides, if others can prod them along. It helps that the Houthis' main backer, Iran, appears to be growing weary of regional conflict, even if the rebels themselves are not. Tehran's security apparatus was badly wounded in its recent war with Israel and has seen its influence both in Syria and Lebanon much diminished. That offers some leverage with which to remind the Houthis that they are not, in fact, invincible, but rather deeply dependent on a network of alliances that is much weaker than it was when they took power. 'The opportunity for peace still exists,' Mr Grundberg told reporters in Aden, 'but it requires courage, compromise and a genuine commitment to the Yemeni people's future.' This may feel like a lot to ask for in a region trying to quell several outbursts of conflict at once, but it is the very least that millions of Yemenis deserve.
Irish Daily Mirror
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Award-winning photographer was a mirror to the world and a dear friend to many
The funeral of our photographer Mick O'Neill, tragically killed in a road traffic accident last weekend, took place on Monday, July 21, in had travelled all over the world with his job, on often risky assignments, sent home pictures from places as far flung as Peru, Lebanon, The Netherlands, Mauritius, India, Dubai and it is also fair to say many of our sports-mad readers had a brush with his lens at times as he covered, by choice, a lot of domestic and Mick's long standing joke about some of the more obscure games we covered was that 'we were not so much outstanding in our own fields but out standing in someone else's...' It never ceased to amaze me either that he was on first-name terms with so many. He had privately organised/sent on pics, to players, clubs, charities and they remembered him. Photographers form a guard of honour at the funeral of Irish Mirror photographer, Mick O'Neill. (Image: Collins Photos) I've done every sport imaginable with Mick as well as news stories encompassing everything from astronauts to Holocaust, from Ballyragget to Ballymun, Ploughing Championships to Galway was a tough newspaper character, stoic by times, with an often 1940/50s lazy carry of the camera but with a hawkeye for a picture, especially a compassionate one amid we recently found ourselves in a corner in a tough, some might say infamous neighbourhood where his bravery behind a quick smile got us out. It is not easy carrying a couple of thousand euros worth of cameras, it makes you an easy target, but he just had that carriage - trust PLC's Head of Photographic Zoe Watson was Mick's boss but it also made her the person responsible for delivering the roster/bad news to they have to spend some time in a cold ditch or cramped in our 'secret' van without heating or a toilet or in Mick's case he had to go somewhere where there was sun."I've some great memories of the few times we'd been together, the last being at the photography awards in February," says Zoe. "I'll always remember his mischievous snigger when you knew he was up to something and always had a sparkle in his eye. The funeral of photographer Mick O'Neill at the Church of St Finian's, River Valley, Swords, Dublin this morning. (Image: Stephen Collins/Collins Photo) "He was a chancer who once tried to claim expenses for three deodorants, three bottles of suncream and four shower gels - he was only going on a four day trip to the Leb."I remember phoning him about it and the both of us just burst out laughing, he knew he wouldn't get away with that one."Multi-award winning sports writer and documentary maker David Coughland ('Louder Than Bombs: The Smiths in Ireland, 1984', 'Cigarettes and Samba', 'Crossing The Line', 'Hello Spaceboy', 'Green and Gold') is also a sports editor with this photography is about the instant, it sometimes needs a cross between Billy the Kid and Butch Cassidy - quick on the draw - or miss the moment. "One of my favourite photos by Mick is from a job we did together down in Youghal," says Coughlan of a split-second, single frame shot he will always remember. "It was the week before Cheltenham and Davy Russell's last Festival. "Mick lined up a photo of Davy and his father Jerry - now also sadly gone - when up popped then-four-year-old Liam in between them in sunglasses and a cowboy hat. "Mick pressed the shutter and captured a special moment." Jockey Davy Russell with his son Liam, 4, and father Jerry in the family home in Youghal in Cork (Image: Mick O'Neill) The Star's Deputy Sports Editor - and former Target kingpin - Paul Kavanagh recalls another deodorant related tale. "We were in Vienna for on night to cover a motorsport event and we both had ours sprays taken from us going through the airport. "The next morning we went wandering through the streets of the city, no clue where we were going and no shops pandering to the Lynx effect. "We had a great laugh , and that was Mick all over, easy company and good craic." Of course Mick O'Neill's most celebrated shot was that of the family and the big wave coming over the is a PPAI (Press Photographers' Association of Ireland) award winning shot and I remember him telling me that shot came a different family had been walking along completely oblivious that the storm wall was breached every so often, it was a question waiting. When the wave finally crashed over top, the family's St Vitus Dance wasn't just captured in one shot. There is actually a succession of them, one after another with so much movement they are almost 3D. Mick O'Neill with his PPAI award and award-winning picture That's the same PPAI that accorded Mick one of their highest marks of respect - members formed a guard of honour for the coffin as it left the church with their cameras on the ground at their Crime Reporter and fiction author Mick O'Toole (Black Light, Goodreads, 2022) recalls: "As far as I am concerned his best 'sports' picture is from a golf course where, naturally enough, he wasn't a member. It was the one at Shelton Abbey prison in Co Wicklow. "Regarding this, we believe he is the only person in Irish history ever to break INTO a prison when in September 2021, he learned that the criminal, serving life for the murder of Veronica Guerin, was now locked up there. "Mick gained access and fought his way through woods and heavy undergrowth before hiding for several hours to get photos of his target playing pitch and putt in the prison grounds – his images deservedly made the front pages the next day." Mick is gone but may have one big headline left in him. His picture of Michael Kelley, taken from tracking the subject deep into a wooded area in Kerry, may yet be a 2025 PPAI award winner. Michael Kelley seen here on Michael Gaine's farm near Kenmare Co Kerry. (Image: Exclusive Image: Mick O'Neill/Daily Mirror)
Express Tribune
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
The labour of being young: Punjab Labour Code & children
By Nabila Feroz Bhatti | Nabila Feroz Bhatti is a human rights activist and columnist. She is Member Working Group at National Commission on the Rights of Child. She can be connected at nabilaferoz@ or on X: @NabilaFBhatti All facts and information are the sole responsibility of the author facebook twitter whatsup linkded email The Punjab Labour Code (PLC) by the provincial government, under the guise of consolidating labour laws, was introduced as an attempt to combine various labour laws enacted between 1923 and 2023. However, labour organisations argue that the new code goes beyond consolidation as it effectively diminishes workers' rights and protections. The government has promoted PLC as a means to attract greater investment to the province. However, it exposes the underlying intent: to make labour cheaper, more flexible, and easily disposable in the service of commercial gain. The new code, by favouring business interest over worker rights will institutionalise a model of development rooted in labour exploitation rather than equitable and sustainable progress. In effect, it shifts the paradigm of labour relations in Pakistan away from social justice and human rights and toward corporate flexibility and state control. The most significant points of contention include the legalisation of the contract labour system, restrictions on trade unions, the abolition of the right to strike and provisions that could legitimise child labour. It does not only legalise the contract system, which will lead to the elimination of job security, but also provides legal cover to the advance payment (Peshgi) system in the kiln industry, a practice that has historically led to bonded labour. It contravenes Article 17 of the Constitution of Pakistan and ILO Fundamental Conventions 144-C and 87. Various other issues, such as the appointment of judges and bureaucratic centralisation, are also under scrutiny. With 467 sections spread over 315 pages, the code is seen as overly complex, making it difficult for workers to understand their rights. Various sections of the code are interdependent, requiring readers to constantly cross-reference different parts of the document, further complicating the interpretation of the law. Effect on children Labour organisations and child rights activists are critical of the PLC's provisions related to children. According to the labour groups, it will increase the volume of child labour in the province as it fails to create opportunities for adequate educational and training facilities for children below the age of 16. In developed countries where children are involved in light work, they mostly get light work assignments related to their educational field and future career, so that in addition to money, they can get training. According to Section 23 (1), no child below the age of 16 years shall be engaged or permitted to work in any occupation or process. However, Section 24 states that engagement of children in light work can be in the age of 14 years but under 16. The terminology is confusing here. If Section 23 defines work as labour and section 24 defines work as light work, so who will be able to differentiate it in a province where 40 percent children are not registered; where there is no dedicated child labour inspection system. According to International Labour Organization (ILO), there is insufficient staffing of labour inspectors, limited training on child labour issues, and lack of coordination between inspection authorities and child protection systems in Pakistan. The jurisdiction of labour inspectors is often limited to the formal sector. Additionally, the code introduces presumptions about child labour, particularly in informal sector like brick kilns and domestic work, which, the labour groups believe, will only worsen the situation. Ironically, child domestic labour (CDL) is not included in Schedule 2; List of Hazardous Works. Though Schedule 2 includes; working with sewer pipelines, pits and storage tanks; Lifting and carrying of heavy weight (15kg and above); Spice grinding; Cooking food in restaurants and as business; Night work etc but does not contain CDL. Although these mentioned activities and several other included in Schedule 2 are performed by child domestic workers daily. It is a long demanded plea of child rights activists to include CDL in the list of hazardous works. Similarly, the code dismantles legal protections against child labour. Laws such as the Children (Pledging of Labour) Act, 1933 and provincial legislation like the Punjab Prohibition of Child Labour at Brick Kilns Act 2016 are being nullified, which could potentially increase child exploitation, especially in the informal and unregulated sectors. These repeals directly contradict Pakistan's commitments to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and relevant ILO conventions on child labour. Nonetheless, women workers stand to lose significantly which will affect the children directly. The repeal of the Punjab Maternity Benefit Ordinance 1958 puts critical health and social protections for women at risk, leaving women vulnerable during pregnancy, childbirth, and maternity leave. Twelve weeks of maternity protection provided under the 1958 Maternity Ordinance have been halved to just 6 weeks under the draft PLC. It directly hits the children's right to survival. At the family level, if job security of the labourers will be at risk, they will be hired on temporary contracts, and they don't have a right to choose their representatives to form a powerful union, then there will be increased unemployment, poor bargain power and economic exploitation of labour, which will adversely affect the children. This code provides legal cover to Peshgi system, creating more bonded labour; children in the family will also be the part of bonded labour. The cycle of indebtedness and family's poor financial condition will directly affect the needs and rights of children. In sum, if children are vulnerable in any society, the country cannot produce healthy and efficient citizens and cannot lead to the path of progress. Any legislation, including the Punjab Labour Code 2024, must be developed with section-by-section consultation with workers' representative organisations as required under the ILO conventions. The paradigm of labour relations should be based on social justice and human rights in Pakistan.
Globe and Mail
16-07-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Luxfer Announces Date of Second Quarter 2025 Earnings Conference Call
Luxfer Holdings PLC (NYSE: LXFR) ('Luxfer' or the 'Company'), a global industrial company innovating niche applications in materials engineering, today announced the following details for its second quarter 2025 conference call. About Luxfer Holdings PLC Luxfer (NYSE: LXFR) is a global industrial company innovating niche applications in materials engineering. Using its broad array of proprietary technologies, Luxfer focuses on value creation, customer satisfaction, and demanding applications where technical know-how and manufacturing expertise combine to deliver a superior product. Luxfer's high-performance materials, components, and high-pressure gas containment devices are used in defense and emergency response, clean energy, healthcare, transportation, and specialty industrial applications. For more information, please visit
Middle East Eye
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Palestinian lawmaker Faraj al-Ghoul killed by Israeli in Gaza
A source at Al-Shifa Hospital has told Al Jazeera Arabic that Palestinian Legislative Council member Faraj al-Ghoul was killed early this morning in an Israeli airstrike that targeted his home in Gaza City. Al-Ghoul was a sitting member of the PLC and a prominent political figure in the Gaza Strip. No further details have been released about other casualties in the strike.
