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After just six months in power, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's coalition is facing infighting, policy deadlock and sliding poll ratings, undermining its efforts to take on the rising far right.It marks a difficult start for the conservative politician who ran on bold pledges of reviving the stagnant economy, overhauling the threadbare military and toughening immigration policy after years of drift under the previous government.In German post-war politics, "there has never been such widespread dissatisfaction with a government in such a short period of time", Manfred Guellner, director of the Forsa polling institute, told AFP.For Germans who hoped for more decisive leadership after the last government's collapse, "their expectations have been dashed", he said.The winners of February's general election, Merz's centre-right CDU/CSU bloc now find themselves neck-and-neck in the polls with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which came second in the poll and is now the largest opposition party.Merz's junior coalition partners, the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) of ex-chancellor Olaf Scholz, have seen their popularity slide further after a terrible election performance, and now sit around 13-15% in polls."It is clear that many citizens are dissatisfied or disappointed with the government's work so far," Roderich Kiesewetter, an MP from Merz's Christian Democrats (CDU), told AFP.The government appeared to be "focusing only on migration instead of the economy, education and security", he said.There have been increasing tensions between the ruling parties in Berlin since Merz failed to be elected chancellor in the first round of voting in parliament in early May, a first in post-war Germany.In July they were unable to agree on the appointment of three judges to the constitutional court, with the conservatives considering the Social Democrats' candidate too left-wing.A group of young conservative MPs revolted over a pension reform proposal, which had already been adopted by the cabinet, arguing that it burdened future generations.Meanwhile, an overhaul of the country's military service system, which was supposed to demonstrate Germany's leadership in Nato in the face of the Russian threat, has turned into a stalemate over whether to bring back a limited form of conscription.Now Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, a close confidant of Merz, is under fire from conservatives for expressing reservations about the possibility of sending back Syrian refugees living in Germany.With their support so low after the February polls, the CDU/CSU and the SPD "are finding it more difficult to reach compromises," Aiko Wagner, a political scientist at the Free University of Berlin, told AFP. Both sides fear they "will become even weaker among their own" supporters if they do, said Wagner.The coalition's own struggles are making it more difficult for Merz to counter the rise of the AfD, which he declared as his party's "main opponent" ahead of five regional elections scheduled for 2026.Merz has used increasingly tough rhetoric on immigration to counter the AfD, such as a controversial statement in October about the problems of the "German urban cityscape" — seen as criticism of the impact of migrants on cities.But this offended many Social Democrats, as well as some moderates among his conservative bloc.Guellner argued that Merz made "a fatal mistake" by focusing so much on migration when the struggling economy was the main concern of many voters.The AfD meanwhile sees Merz's struggles as an opportunity.A clear majority of Germans backed conservative or right-wing parties in the election, AfD MP Sebastian Muenzenmaier told AFP.But Merz's coalition with the centre-left appears incapable of delivering on his promises, he said."No one sees this government staying in power for four years," said Muenzenmaier, who predicted that the AfD would have strong showings in next years' state elections."Many believe that at the end of next year, after the elections, the situation will become very difficult for the government in Berlin and that it will collapse".The prospect of another coalition crisis and early elections did not sit well with Stephanie and Bernd Nebel, two visitors to Berlin from Munich who spoke with AFP outside of the Reichstag, the seat of Germany's parliament.The biggest problem with the coalition so far, Bernd Nebel said, was that Merz's government "made it their mission to boost the economic recovery a little — and absolutely nothing has happened in that regard".

The College of Public Policy (CPP) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) has completed an intensive training programme for senior officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA). The course, designed under the theme ‘The Role of the State of Qatar in Mediation and the Resolution of Regional Conflicts’, equips officials with advanced skills relevant to the fields of diplomacy and conflict resolution, a statement said. The three-day training, delivered by CPP Prof Dr Sultan Barakat, was attended by around 25 participants holding high-ranking positions at MoFA, Ministry of Defence, and the armed forces. Dr Abdelaziz al-Hour, director of the Diplomatic Institute, stated: “The choice of subject reflects the strategic importance Qatar places on mediation, and we were delighted to have Dr Barakat share his extensive and global experience with our colleagues.” The curriculum explored the complexities of mediation strategies and concepts, analysed real-world case studies, and discussed tools for measuring the effectiveness of mediation, highlighting the importance of regional and international co-operation in peacebuilding. Additionally, participants were informed on how Qatar’s soft power influences policymaking during times of crisis, the impact of the state’s mediation on peace processes in various regions, as well as Doha’s ability to navigate complex geopolitical situations while maintaining neutrality.

The College of Public Policy (CPP) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), through its Hadaba initiative, recently held ‘Hadaba 25: Public Narrative & Data Storytelling’ forum at Minaretein, Education City. This year's theme was designed to advance innovation in policy design through narrative strategy and data storytelling. In doing so, it explores the intersection of data, which is transparent, accountable, and empirical, with storytelling providing the emotional resonance needed to engage people, build narratives, and communicate complex concepts. The two-day event brought together around 180 policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and students to develop practical, data-driven narratives that inform public policy. It blended collaborative training sessions, masterclasses, workshops, talks and keynotes to ensure participants are equipped with skills in data visualisation, policy communication, and collaborative storytelling. As part of the event, Unicef expert Priscillia Hoveyda delivered a talk on 'Storytelling in Humanitarianism,' emphasising the importance of promoting this medium among people facing displacement and humanitarian crisis. Representatives from Qatar Research, Development and Innovation Council; Harvard Kennedy School, Weill Cornell Medical College and the Leadership Hub also led sessions and masterclasses across various topics. The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology led a talk session which explored Qatar's public sector in the context of narrative. Commenting on the theme of the event and its significance, Dr Logan Cochrane, acting dean, CPP, said: “Authentic stories are more memorable than raw data, and this starts by understanding exactly what a narrative is, its parts, and how to align them to inspire action and inform decision-making. We recognise that storytelling grounded in data is not only a communication skill but a strategic policy tool.”

Non governmental organizations (NGOs) called on countries and companies, particularly European ones, to cease their commercial dealings with illegal settlements run by Israel in occupied Palestinian territories.More than 80 NGOs, including the Human Rights Association and Oxfam, published a report on the business with illegal settlements: how foreign states and companies enable Israel to carry out its illegal settlement policy, which specifically targets companies and institutions that continue their business activities with illegal settlements, which directly contribute to the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel's prolonged occupation.The report referred to a French retail chain whose business partnerships in Israel directly support the settlement economy by enabling the sale of its products.It also mentioned a British machinery company that manufactures equipment used to destroy Palestinian homes, damage their crops, and build illegal settlements.The report accused foreign banks of financing commercial activities in the settlements, and a German company of contributing, according to NGOs, to transportation infrastructure that benefits the settlements.The campaign organizers urged countries, particularly those in the EU and the UK, to explicitly ban business activities with Israeli settlements, including the provision of services and investments.The report also called for preventing banks and financial institutions from granting loans to companies that finance projects in the settlements.This report follows a previous report submitted in July by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories by Francesca Albanese to the UN Human Rights Council.According to Albanese, the settlements are expanding with funding from banks and insurance companies, and are being normalized by tourism platforms, large retail chains, and academic institutions.The UN expert noted that consumers have the power to hold these companies accountable.

Qatar has an important role to play in ensuring Gulf security, especially in the emerging scenario since the open war between Iran and Israel because of its role as a conflict resolution player, noted a Middle East security expert.“The effort that Qatar is making alongside Egypt in bringing Israel and Hamas to a ceasefire in Gaza is extremely significant to de-escalating tensions in the region. So, I think that is an important role that Qatar plays,” Hasan Alhasan, senior fellow for Middle East Policy, International Institute for Strategic Studies told Gulf Times.He was interacting with Gulf Times on the sidelines of a panel discussion ‘Rethinking Gulf Security Following the Iran- Israel War,’ organised by the Middle East Council on Global Affairs.“Qatar is a member of the GCC and obviously it received a lot of GCC support and solidarity during the Iranian attacks at the height of the war. So, I think Qatar is an important diplomatic player and it is using its good offices to broker de-escalation in conflict resolution,” explained the official.As for the readiness of the GCC countries to face any emerging security threats, Alhasan noted that there is significant military modernisation in the Gulf States including Qatar.He feels that the recent war between Iran and Israel has direct security destabilising spillover effects for the Arab Gulf states and the Arab Gulf states are beginning to perceive it increasingly.“I think Israel actually presents more of a direct threat because of the fact that it seems to have embraced the view of the region as an open battleground. This has direct security destabilising spillover effects for the Arab and the Gulf States,” he said.Alhasan highlighted there is a significant improvement in GCC defence and military capabilities over the past few years.“However the GCC states may not be capable of addressing the threat posed by Israel specifically as they continue to rely on Western defence technology. They continue to rely on their defence and security partnership with the US and those might not prove fully effective in deterring and defending against potential, theoretical and hypothetical threats,” he continued.The expert stated that Qatar and the other GCC states are already part of a defence and security alliance, which is called the GCC. “The GCC has a mutual defence undertaking that unites all of the GCC states together. So, the GCC states already have this sort of commitment to defending one another against external threats,” he underlined.“The question is whether the GCC states are actually taking concrete steps and measures for further defence integration to make sure that they can act as a single army in case of conflict. And this is where I think a lot of the work will have to be done to bring GCC military and defence capabilities more closely together to operate cohesively as a single military unit in case of any conflict,” added, Alhasan.

Rajagiri Public School (RPS), Doha, hosted the 5th edition of its annual educational conference, Metanoia 2025 – Learning Beyond the Horizon. The two-day event saw educators and thought leaders engage in an exchange of ideas rooted in the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the emerging demands of 21st-century education.RPS director and noted consultant psychiatrist Dr Aju Abraham inaugurated the event and stressed on fostering psychological well-being in both children and adults within the educational ecosystem. Ten presentations by RPS faculty showcased innovative teaching strategies and progressive educational paradigms.Gayathri Palla, Microsoft Cloud Architect, Qatar, spoke on Cyber Safety and Security in Educational Spaces. The chief guest at the valedictory function was Bimalendu B Nath, director of MIE-SPPU Institute of Higher Education, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Qatar Campus. RPS administrative director Jinsu Aju felicitated him.Principal Joshy Abraham congratulated the presenters and thanked the organising team which had vice principal Radhakrishnan as chief co-ordinator.