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Qatar participated in the opening session of the 64th session of the UN Commission for Social Development. Qatar was represented at the meeting by Her Excellency the Minister of Social Development and Family Buthaina bint Ali al-Jabr al-Nuaimi. In her address, Her Excellency explained that the session was being held just a few months after the Second World Summit for Social Development, which was hosted by Qatar in November 2025, QNA reported from New York. She emphasised that the country has solidified its position as a leading global destination for dialogue and international co-operation. Al-Nuaimi noted that the Summit achieved great success and positive global feedback, and that the Doha Political Declaration served as an important roadmap for translating ambitious commitments into practical actions to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. She also pointed to Qatar’s continued notable progress across all pillars of its National Vision, particularly in the field of social development, where the family is placed at the heart of social policies, alongside efforts to empower women, enhance the role of youth, and support persons with disabilities and the elderly. Her Excellency highlighted the launch of the Ministry of Social Development and Family’s National Strategy for the period 2025-2030, under the theme: “From Care to Empowerment,” which aims to enhance community participation and expand social protection. She reviewed achievements related to women’s empowerment, including the 2025 amendments to the Civil Human Resources Law, which expanded leave entitlements and supported work-family balance, leading to an increase in women’s participation in the workforce to more than 63%, in addition to their leadership roles in higher education institutions. Underscoring the importance of empowering youth, HE al-Nuaimi noted the issuance of Law No. (22) of 2025 on the rights of persons with disabilities and the State’s commitment to international standards in this field. She also announced the Rawda Award for Excellence in Social Work, which recognises impactful initiatives. She concluded her address by reaffirming Qatar’s continued support for the Palestinian cause. 

Israeli occupation forces and settlers conducted 23,827 assaults on the Palestinians and their property in various governorates across the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem in 2025, a record upsurge in the number of assaults recorded in one year, the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission said in a report Monday.The report added that these attacks were distributed between 1,382 in the land and crops sector, 16,664 in the individuals sector, and 5,398 in the properties sector, with the occupation army carrying out 18,384 assaults, while the settlers carried out 4,723, and both parties together executed 720.The year 2025 had been heavily blood-soaked with maps and decisions as the occupation state didn't stop at expanding settlement, but sought to expand the true meaning of control per se, as domination hadn't been limited to land as a space, but went further to redefine geography, symbol, and the entire Palestinian existence, the Commission noted.The report added that the settler assaults have resulted in the slaying of 14 Palestinians since the beginning of the year, which explicitly caused 434 arson incidents against the property and gardens of the Palestinians.The occupation army and settlers conducted 892 assaults that were marked by uprooting, damaging, and poisoning as many as 35,273 trees, of them 26,988 olive trees, the report continued.It clarified that settler terrorism led to the displacement of 13 Palestinian Bedouin communities since the beginning of last year, consisting of 197 families including 1,090 individuals, from their places of residence to other locations.The occupation authorities carried out a total of 538 razings, resulting in the destruction of 1,400 facilities in an unprecedented upsurge, including 304 inhabited houses, 74 uninhabited houses, as well as 270 livelihood sources and 490 agricultural facilities, the report concluded, noting that the number of notifications delivered to Palestinians rose to 991.Regarding settlement expansion, the report noted that the occupation authorities last year seized an area of 5,572 dunums through 94 seizure orders for military purposes, 24 of which triggered the establishment of buffer zones around the settlements.The statistics showed that since the beginning of 2025, the occupation authorities' planning committees studied a total of 265 master plans for the construction of 34,979 settlement units on an area of 33,448 dunums.The report outlined that 2025 marked an advanced stage in leveraging legal systems as a central tool to deepen the colonial scheme, with the Israeli occupation's Knesset laying out a record number of draft legislation and legislative amendments.These moves, the report says, were explicitly intended to legitimize the colonial status quo, broaden the powers of settlers and their local councils, as well as consolidate the legal discrimination in managing lands, planning, and construction.This draft legislation included settling colonial outposts that had been enacted without previous government decisions, in addition to reinforcing the Israeli control over the West Bank territories through transferring additional civil discretion to the occupation's institutions, the report highlighted.It stressed that the objective was to blunt the legal status of the Palestinian lands and their owners, such as the law to enable settlers to acquire land and property and to alter the names of Palestinian land to obsolete biblical names.Head of the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, Mu'ayyad Shaaban, stressed that the current period requires an urgent national transition from risk description to building a comprehensive response to protect the Palestinian territory.This response, he noted, should be based on outright distribution of roles and integrated efforts between official institutions and the political and societal forces to restore the land's status as the essence of the conflict.As such, Shaaban called for upgrading the popular resistance tools to ensure their continuity and effectiveness and be converted from seasonal and symbolic action into meaningful and organized ones.Shaaban emphasized the importance of building a national political and media rhetoric that redefines what is transpiring as a pure settlement colonization to replace the Palestinian territory.He concluded that all these measures fall under a consensus national vision to protect the Palestinian geography where the supreme national interest takes hold.

Hundreds of prisoners, including a former government minister and a model, walked free in Myanmar Sunday after the junta announced annual independence day pardons, a week after the start of an election that watchdogs have denounced as sham. The military grabbed power in a 2021 coup that triggered civil war, pitting pro-democracy rebels against junta forces, with thousands of activists since arrested. A dozen buses full of released prisoners exited Yangon’s Insein prison Sunday morning, with some waving to crowds of well-wishers. Family members outside Insein - notorious for alleged brutal rights abuses - held up signs with the names of their jailed loved ones, unsure if they would be among those freed. One man, who declined to be named due to security concerns, said he was hoping to see his father, who was jailed for “doing politics”. Ex-information minister Ye Htut was among those freed, after serving more than two years of a 10-year sentence for sedition and incitement against the military. “I was informed about my release early Sunday morning. I didn’t expect that,” Ye Htut said adding that he had been held in isolation and was not allowed family visits while detained. He was the presidential spokesman under the military government of Thein Sein, which ceded power to democratic figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi following landmark elections in 2015. Ye Htut was sentenced in late 2023, weeks after he was arrested for spreading “wrong information” on social media. In total, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing pardoned 6,134 imprisoned Myanmar nationals, the National Defence and Security Council said, adding that 52 foreign prisoners would also be released and deported. The yearly prisoner amnesty was announced as the country marks 78 years of independence from British colonial rule. Several freed men and women embraced relatives in tears outside Insein. Some who spoke said they had been arrested for drugs, theft and other non-political crimes. “I am very happy to reunite with my family,” said 35-year-old Yazar Tun, as he held one of his three children outside the prison. He said he served around eight months of a year-long sentence for loitering. Prominent model and former doctor Nang Mwe San was also among those released. She was arrested in 2022 on a charge of “harming culture and dignity” for posting allegedly explicit videos online. Myanmar’s junta opened voting in a phased month-long election a week ago, with its leaders pledging the poll would bring democracy and national reconciliation. However, rights advocates and Western diplomats have condemned it as a sham and an effort to rebrand martial rule. The pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has a decisive lead in the first phase, winning 90% of the lower house seats announced so far, according to official results published in state media on Saturday and Sunday. Many analysts describe the USDP as a civilian proxy of the military. Two more phases of voting are scheduled for January 11 and 25. The massively popular but dissolved National League for Democracy (NLD) of Suu Kyi did not appear on ballots, and she has been jailed since the coup. The military overturned the results of the last poll in 2020 after the NLD defeated the USDP by a landslide. The military and USDP then alleged massive voter fraud, claims that international monitors say were unfounded. The junta has said turnout in the first phase last week exceeded 50% of eligible voters, below the 2020 participation rate of around 70%. Myanmar frequently grants amnesty to thousands of prisoners to commemorate holidays or Buddhist festivals. A key aide to Suu Kyi was among hundreds of prisoners freed in a pre-election amnesty in November. The junta said that month it was dropping sentences for more than 3,000 prisoners, after they were prosecuted under post-coup legislation restricting free speech. 

Guinea's junta chief Mamady Doumbouya, who had pledged not to run for office after seizing power four years ago, has been elected president after securing a sweeping majority of the vote, according to initial results by the election commission published late on Tuesday.Doumbouya, 41, faced eight rivals for the presidency but the main opposition leaders were barred from running and had urged a boycott of the vote held on Sunday.In standing, the general reneged on his initial vow not to run for office and to hand the mineral-rich but poor west African nation back to civilian rule by the end of 2024.He secured 86.7% of the first-round vote, according to the General Directorate of Elections, well over the threshold that would trigger a runoff vote.Voter turnout stood at 80.95 %, according to Djenabou Toure, head of the General Directorate of Elections.Doumbouya had placed well ahead in districts of the capital Conakry, often winning more than 80%, according to official partial results read out by Toure earlier on RTG public television.He had a similar lead in several other areas, including Coyah, a town near Conakry, and in other parts of the country, such as Boffa and Fria in the west, Gaoual in the northwest, northern Koundara and Labe, and Nzerekore in the southeast.However, a citizens' movement calling for the return of civilian rule questioned the figure."A huge majority of Guineans chose to boycott the electoral charade," the National Front for the Defence of the Constitution said in a statement Monday.Several people whom AFP spoke to Wednesday said they were not even aware the results had been published.But Mabinta Sylla, a businesswoman and single mother of one, did not seem surprised by the outcome."Everyone knew that Doumbouya was going to win," she said.In September 2021, Doumbouya led a coup to topple Guinea's first freely elected president, Alpha Conde.He has cracked down on civil liberties and banned protests, while opponents have been arrested, put on trial or driven into exile.Candidate Abdoulaye Yero Balde denounced "serious irregularities", citing in a statement late Monday in particular the refusal to grant his representatives access to vote-counting centres and allegations of "ballot stuffing" in some areas.Another candidate, Faya Millimono, complained of "electoral banditry" linked, he said, to influence exerted on voters.In late September, Guineans approved a new constitution in a referendum that permitted junta members to run for office, paving the way for Doumbouya's candidacy.It also lengthened presidential terms from five to seven years, renewable once.Opposition leader and former prime minister Cellou Dalein Diallo was one of three opposition leaders barred from standing by the new constitution.Diallo was excluded because he lives in exile and his primary residence is outside of Guinea.Former president Conde, whom Doumbouya overthrew in 2021, and ex-prime minister Sidya Toure, both of whom also live in exile, are over the maximum age limit of 80. 

The European Commission proposed Wednesday an unprecedented use of frozen Russian assets or international borrowing to raise €90bn ($105bn) for Ukraine to cover its struggling military and basic services against Russia's war.The European Union's executive body has declared it favours a "reparations loan" using Russian state assets immobilised in the EU due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But Belgium, which holds most of the assets, has voiced a range of concerns that it said had not been satisfactorily addressed by the proposals."We are proposing to cover two-thirds of Ukraine’s financing needs for the next two years. That’s €90bn euros. The remainder would be for international partners to cover," Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters."Since pressure is the only language the Kremlin responds to, we can also dial it up," she said. "We have to increase the costs of war for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's aggression and today's proposal gives us the means to do this."She said the proposal to EU member states had taken into account almost all the concerns raised by Belgium, whose Brussels-based financial institution Euroclear is the main holder of the assets.The proposal would now also cover other financial institutions in the EU that hold Russian assets, von der Leyen said. EU officials said France, Germany, Sweden and Cyprus also held such assets.Russia has warned the EU and Belgium against using its assets, which it says would be an act of theft. The Commission says the scheme does not amount to confiscation as the money would be in the form of a loan — although Ukraine would only have to redeem it if Russia pays reparations.The complexities around the scheme increased after a US-backed 28-point plan to end the war in Ukraine proposed that some of the assets be used in a joint American-Russian investment vehicle.But von der Leyen said she had informed US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent of her plan to move forward with the reparations loan and it had been "positively received".Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said the EU was also seeking to persuade other international partners to provide support in the first quarter of next year as the EU money would probably not be available until the second quarter.The Commission said the EU could proceed with the scheme if 15 out of 27 member countries, representing at least 65% of the bloc's population, voted in favour.EU officials said this would also apply to ensure Russia's sanctioned assets remain immobilised, an essential part of the reparations loans, under EU law allowing financial assistance in instances of "severe difficulties". Sanctions roll-overs normally require unanimity.The other option — borrowing on international markets using the EU budget — would also normally require unanimity among EU countries — a potentially difficult hurdle as Hungary's Russia-friendly government has opposed previous funding for Ukraine.European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde told a European Parliament hearing that using a reparations loan would be a stretch from a legal and financial standpoint though it would "hopefully" respect international law and financial stability.Hours earlier, before the Commission's legal proposals were presented, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot declared that they fell short of Belgium's requirements."We have the frustrating feeling of not having been heard. Our concerns are being downplayed," Prevot told reporters at a meeting of Nato foreign ministers in Brussels."The texts the Commission will table today do not address our concerns in a satisfactory manner."The issue is likely to come to a head at an EU leaders summit on December 18, when the Commission said it hoped to clinch a firm commitment by member states.Belgium has demanded that other EU countries guarantee they will cover all legal costs arising from any Russian lawsuits against the scheme. It also wants them to guarantee they would help provide money quickly to pay Russia back if a court ever ruled Moscow must be refunded.Thirdly, it has demanded that other countries holding Russian frozen assets also make those funds available to Ukraine. 

Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Long-Term Care and Residential Services at Rumailah Hospital have successfully achieved reaccreditation from the Joint Commission International (JCI) for the fourth time, following a detailed survey conducted in October 2025.This important milestone covers HMC’s Long-Term Care facilities, including the Enaya and Daam Specialised Care Center and the Residential Care Compound-1, reaffirming HMC’s commitment to providing safe, high-quality care. The reaccreditation serves as a strong endorsement of the quality and safety standards embedded in every aspect of service delivery.The Enaya and Daam Specialised Care Center and Residential Care Compound-1 provide 24/7 care and rehabilitation for long-term patients with complex and chronic medical conditions. These specialised centres are the only facilities of their kind in Qatar, offering comprehensive, multidisciplinary care to improve patients’ quality of life.The JCI survey, conducted under the 2nd Edition of the JCI Accreditation Standards for Long-Term Care, evaluated all aspects of operations, from clinical care and patient safety to leadership and management systems. The successful outcome confirms HMC’s full compliance with international best practices in long-term healthcare delivery. 

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed on Tuesday US President Donald Trump's peace proposal, which aims to end the nearly two-year-old war in Gaza. "I welcome US President Donald Trump's commitment to end the war in Gaza and encourage all parties to now seize this opportunity. The EU stands ready to contribute," she said on X platform. "Hostilities should end with provision of immediate humanitarian relief to the population in Gaza and with all hostages released immediately," she added. The US President has announced a plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip through a comprehensive agreement that guarantees the unimpeded delivery of adequate humanitarian aid to the Strip, prevents the displacement of Palestinians, releases hostages, establishes a security mechanism that guarantees the security of all parties, in addition to a full Israeli withdrawal, the reconstruction of Gaza, and the establishment of a path to a just peace based on the two-state solution. This would see Gaza fully reunited with the West Bank in a Palestinian state in accordance with international law, as a key to achieving regional stability and security.

The Qatari Anti-Doping Commission (QADC) organized a workshop titled "Roles and Responsibilities of Sports Bodies in Anti-Doping" on Tuesday. The event was attended by representatives from sports federations, clubs, national and paralympic committees, as well as relevant government authorities.The workshop aimed to strengthen cooperation among various sports entities in Qatar to ensure compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code and related international standards. It also highlighted the commission's responsibilities in areas such as testing, education and awareness, scientific research, therapeutic use exemptions, and results management.In this context, Dr. Nasser Al-Saad, CEO of the Qatari Anti-Doping Commission, stated:"This initiative is the cornerstone of promoting clean sports in Qatar. The commission's ongoing efforts will only be effective through a national, coordinating, and collaborative framework between all sports entities."The workshop included presentations and interactive discussions focused on promoting a clean sport culture and sharing best practices, alongside an awareness-raising activity. The event concluded with a discussion on challenges and proposed solutions to further enhance Qatar's leadership role in combating doping regionally and internationally, in alignment with Qatar Vision 2030.

The regional workshop on the implementation of the law on regulating the right to access information concluded in Doha.It was organized by the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority (ACTA) in the State of Qatar, in cooperation with the Anti-Corruption Commission in the State of Palestine, which chaired the Fifth Session of the Conference of the States Parties to the Arab Convention Against Corruption, with support from the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States.The three-day workshop brought together representatives from 15 Arab countries.The workshop concluded with a number of practical recommendations and proposals for joint Arab cooperation projects, aimed at enhancing the implementation of the law and supporting the development of a more integrated Arab framework in the areas of transparency and accountability.In her opening remarks, Director of the Control and Development Department of ACTA Amal Al Kuwari noted that organizing this event came in response to a recommendation from the seventh meeting of the Governmental Experts Committee of States Parties to the Arab Convention Against Corruption. She emphasized that it represents the result of fruitful cooperation between Qatar, Palestine, and the Arab League.Al Kuwari explained that the right to access information is no longer merely an administrative procedure, but a fundamental pillar of integrity and good governance, and an effective tool for building trust in public institutions and supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She noted that Qatar recognized the importance of this right early on, issuing Law No. (9) of 2022 regulating the right to access information, alongside awareness and training programs to support its implementation.The workshop aimed to exchange legislative and executive experiences in this field, review international principles and standards, and share best practices to develop national policies and strengthen the capacities of Arab countries. The Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Center in Qatar oversaw the training sessions throughout the workshop.

The European Commission on Wednesday proposed suspending a trade arrangement affecting about 5.8 billion euros ($6.87 billion) of Israeli exports due to the Gaza war, although the measure does not currently have enough support among EU nations to pass.EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also proposed a package of sanctions on two Israeli ministers, as well as "violent" Israeli settlers and 10 senior members of Hamas.The two ministers are far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, an EU official said.Israel's nearly two-year offensive in Gaza and the worsening humanitarian situation has increased political pressure on European leaders to take action.The European Union is Israel's biggest trading partner, with trade in goods between the two amounting to 42.6 billion euros last year, according to the EU.If the free-trade arrangement is suspended, Israel would face duties at the same level as other countries without a trade accord with the bloc.In Israel's case, that would affect exports worth approximately 5.8 billion euros, resulting in an estimated 227 million euros a year in duties, a senior Commission official told reporters.Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on X that the European proposals are "morally and politically distorted, and it is to be hoped that they will not be adopted".The suspension of free-trade arrangements, first floated by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last week, would require the support of a qualified majority of EU governments - 15 out of 27 EU members representing 65% of the EU population.EU diplomats told Reuters that it is unlikely that the proposal would get the necessary support, with much depending on Germany, which has so far been reluctant to impose EU penalties on Israel.A German government spokesperson said on Wednesday it has not yet formed a final view on the EU proposals and Germany wants to keep the channels of communication with Israel open.Diplomats say the proposed measures against the Israeli ministers are also unlikely to pass as they require unanimous support from EU members.Kallas said that although public opinion has been shifting due to suffering in Gaza, she believes "the political lines are very much in the place where they have been so far".But the proposals mark a political shift in the EU's relationship with Israel.The Commission is also putting its bilateral support for Israel on hold, without affecting work with Israeli civil society and Yad Vashem, Israel's main Holocaust memorial centre.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday she would push to sanction "extremist" Israeli ministers and curb trade ties over Gaza, as she warned famine could not be used as a "weapon of war".Addressing the European Parliament, von der Leyen lamented that divisions among member states were holding back a European response and said the European Commission she leads "will do all that it can on its own"."What is happening in Gaza has shaken the conscience of the world. People killed while begging for food. Mothers holding lifeless babies. These images are simply catastrophic," von der Leyen said."For the sake of the children, for the sake of humanity -- this must stop."The German politician, 66, said the commission would put its bilateral support to Israel on hold, stopping all payments, but without affecting work with civil society groups and Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial.The measure is to affect future allocations amounting to about six million euros ($7 million) a year and the disbursement of about 14 million euros for ongoing institutional cooperation projects, the commission said.The European Union's executive will propose sanctions on "extremist ministers" -- whose actions and words "incite violence" -- and "violent settlers".And it will push for a partial suspension of an association agreement with Israel on trade-related matters.But such measures will need approval by the bloc's 27 member states, which have been deeply divided on how to respond to Israel's actions in Gaza."I am aware it will be difficult to find majorities," von der Leyen conceded."And I know that any action will be too much for some. Too little for others. But we must all take our own responsibilities".The United Nations declared famine last month in parts of Gaza, warning that 500,000 people face "catastrophic" conditions.