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Eleven people were killed and two others injured in the early hours of Thursday, after a test train collided with maintenance workers on the track in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province.The accident happened at the Luoyangzhen station in Kunming, according to the China's News Agency (Xinhua).The cause of the accident is under investigation, and the railway station has so far resumed operations.

Two Palestinian workers were wounded on Wednesday after being brutally assaulted by Israeli occupation forces in the town of Al Ram, north of occupied Jerusalem. Security sources told WAFA that the workers, both from the Qalqilya governorate, were attacked during an Israeli military incursion on Al-Ram and their pursuit of workers near the apartheid wall. The two workers were later transferred to the Palestine Medical Complex for medical treatment. In recent months, hundreds of Palestinian workers have been killed, arrested, and abused by the Israeli army and police under the pretext of lacking permits.

The fifth edition of the ‘Bedar Workers Welfare Programme’ was launched recently with the participation of more than 1,000 workers from 15 local companies operating in the northern regions of the country.Organised in partnership with the Ministry of Interior (MoI) and Qatar Shell, and in collaboration with the Workers’ Support and Insurance Fund, Barwa Real Estate Group, Waseef, and Al Khor Sports Club, the initiative aims to raise workers’ awareness in the fields of security, safety, health, and Qatari culture, with a focus on mental health and personal care, while integrating them into community and national activities.“At Qatar Shell, our dedication to the State of Qatar goes beyond energy — it’s about empowering communities. Through education, community engagement, and proactive support, we strive to create a resilient, informed, and thriving workforce for Qatar’s future,” said Muhammed al-Mushiri, community liaison officer from Qatar Shell. Colonel Ahmad Saad al-Mohannadi from the North Security Department affirmed that the ‘Bedar’ initiative represents a distinguished model of community partnership between government institutions and the private sector, noting that mental health is a key component of security and stability in society, and that the large turnout reflects the initiative’s success in achieving its awareness and social objectives.Kholoud Saif al-Kubaisi, executive director of the Workers’ Support and Insurance Fund, described the ‘Bedar’ initiative as a distinguished example of community collaboration between the public and private sectors. She emphasised that the initiative embodies the commitment to improving the work environment and enhancing workers’ quality of life through awareness, education, and community participation.Hamad Ahmed al-Mohannadi, events and programmes supervisor at Al Khor Sports Club, said the initiative aligns with the club’s commitment to supporting national efforts aimed at promoting mental health awareness and fostering a culture of care for human well-being as an integral part of quality of life.

The US administration will start mass layoffs of federal workers if President Donald Trump decides negotiations with congressional Democrats to end a partial government shutdown are "absolutely going nowhere," a senior White House official said on Sunday. As the shutdown entered its fifth day, White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told CNN he still saw a chance that Democrats would back down, averting a costly shutdown and federal employee layoffs that have been threatened by White House budget director Russell Vought. "President Trump and Russ Vought are lining things up and getting ready to act if they have to, but hoping that they don't," Hassett said. Later on Sunday, Trump was asked by reporters when the administration would begin laying off federal workers. Trump responded, without elaborating: "It's taking place right now." No tangible progress has been reported in negotiations between congressional leaders and the White House since their meeting last week. The shutdown began on October 1, marking the start of the 2026 fiscal year, after Senate Democrats rejected a short-term funding measure to keep federal agencies operating through November 21. On Monday, the Senate is scheduled to vote for the fifth time on the stopgap funding bill previously approved by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, as well as on a Democratic alternative. Neither measure is expected to secure the 60 votes required to advance. With Republicans holding a 53-47 majority in the Senate and one GOP lawmaker opposed to the House bill, party leaders would need at least eight Democrats to support the measure, but only three have done so thus far.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said Wednesday that its workers will remain in Gaza City despite calls from Israel's military for people to flee an assault it is mounting there. "To civilians in Gaza: WHO and partners remain in Gaza City," WHO said on its X account. WHO is appalled by the latest evacuation order, demanding that one million people move from Gaza City to a so-called "humanitarian zone" in the south designated by Israel. "The zone has neither the size nor scale of services to support those already there, let alone new arrivals," the UN agency said. "Crippled health system cannot afford to lose any of these remaining facilities," it added.

Qatar Charity (QC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Workers’ Support and Insurance Fund, aiming to co-operate and co-ordinate on providing many services to workers in Qatar, meeting their humanitarian needs, and improving their quality of life.The agreement was signed by Faisal Rashid al-Fahida, assistant CEO for Programmes and Community Development at QC, and Kholoud Saif al-Kubaisi, executive director of the Workers’ Support and Insurance Fund, in the presence of officials from both parties.The MoU stipulates co-operation between the two parties to help humanitarian cases involving workers, propose joint projects for their benefit, and exchange consultations and information related to these cases, projects, and initiatives. These initiatives will provide appropriate services and support to workers, with the aim of creating a stimulating environment for them.In a statement on the sidelines of the signing of the agreement, al-Fahida said: “This agreement is not merely a joint framework, but rather a practical embodiment of Qatar Charity’s deep and ongoing commitment to workers, who constitute an integral part of the fabric of our society and represent a fundamental pillar in the growth and development of Qatar.”He added that, through this partnership with the Fund, QC seeks to achieve a qualitative leap in the level of services provided to workers and to intensify co-ordination with relevant authorities to ensure appropriate support in various fields.Kholoud al-Kubaisi stated that the MoU embodies a distinctive model of effective partnership between national institutions and leading humanitarian organisations in Qatar.The MoU represents a framework for co-operation in providing humanitarian services and social support for workers. It includes helping deserving cases, implementing joint projects that address their needs, and exchanging expertise and information to enhance work efficiency and ensure the achievement of desired results, the Fund official said.She also thanked QC for its constructive co-operation, as well as to all those who contributed to the preparation of the MoU, hoping that it would mark the beginning of a new journey of joint achievements that serve both workers and society.

The Ministry of Labour (MoL) has warned of stringent action against companies that fail to protect their workers from heat stress. Zayed Suhail al-Mazroui, head of the Occupational Safety and Health Department at MoL, in a recent Qatar TV interview, said companies violating Ministerial Resolution No. (17) of 2021 will be closed if it is proven that they are not committed to protecting workers from heat stress.“The law obligates companies to adhere to it and there are inspectors who make surprise visits to ensure that companies protect workers from heat stress. Any company that does not comply with the decision will be closed by order of MoL,” he said.The official explained the preventive measures taken by the Ministry of Labour to protect workers during heat waves. These are creating safe places for workers to perform their work safely, protecting them from winds and hazardous materials and stopping work for a certain number of hours until the danger has passed.Visits to companies' work sites in summer evoked a good response from the owners. Work in open outdoor and shaded places not equipped with appropriate ventilation stands prohibited between 10am and 3.30pm until September 15, to to protect workers from dangers of heat stress.Delivery companies are only allowed to use cars to perform their services from 10pm to 3.30pm. The ministry defines outdoor workplace as locations where workers are directly exposed to weather conditions such as solar radiation, humidity and heat. To ensure compliance, the ministry conducts frequent site visits and carries out awareness campaigns on the dangers of heat stress during working hours and the necessary precautions to protect workers.The ministry obligates companies and institutions that have work sites under direct sunlight to set a schedule specifying daily working hours in accordance with the provisions of the decision and display the same in a conspicuous place that is easy for all workers to view.

Municipal workers react while operating a pump draining a flooded highway overpass in Sudan's capital Khartoum following heavy rain Wednesday.Flash floods have killed nine people in Sudan, a civil defence official said Wednesday, after heavy seasonal rains triggered flooding and flattened homes in the Nile Valley.The official said the deaths occurred when a torrential downpour struck the northern city of al-Dammer, the capital of River Nile State, on Tuesday, with the floodwaters surrounding five neighbourhoods and impeding access.