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President Donald Trump’s latest fantastic notion is to repurpose Alcatraz Island, one of the National Park Service’s most popular historical sites, as the remote, isolated California prison it used to be. Nothing about it makes
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Jessie Hellmann, Tribune News ServiceDespite bipartisan agreement on the need for testing and treatment for the life-threatening liver disease hepatitis C, potentially hundreds of thousands of Americans remain untreated or even unaware they’re infected as
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Heatwave conditions are raging across India. Sweltering heat is forcing people to stay indoors. According to an India Today (IT) report, India is at the epicentre of a global heat surge, with an overwhelming 95
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Anyone who has see the brilliant show "Designated Survivor" would know the risks of putting the President and those on the line of succession in the one room.They were going to be under attack, but
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It seems the Chennai Super Kings is feeling the absence of their “Thalai” the cool captain MS Dhoni. The present captain seems to be clueless to think about the winning options, that too in our
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Qatar and the rest of the world celebrate the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, which falls annually on April 28, as part of the efforts made by the State to care for and protect workers, reinforce the concepts of occupational safety and health in workplaces, and encourage private sector establishments and governmental and semi-governmental bodies to place the safety of employees and workers at the top of their priorities. The State and its various institutions and agencies emphasise on all occasions the need for workers exposed to workplace hazards to receive comprehensive and integrated care, in accordance with human rights standards stipulated in all international agreements and conventions. On this occasion, the Ministry of Labour, in co-operation with the International Labour Organization (ILO), organized a virtual event on Sunday, as part of the ministry’s ongoing efforts to protect workers, consolidate a culture of occupational safety and health, and promote safe and sustainable work environments that support the mental health and well-being of workers. This year, the ministry’s event highlighted mental health in the workplace as one of the essential pillars for increasing productivity and institutional sustainability, in light of the rapid changes in the labour market and the challenges it imposes, which require the adoption of effective and integrated practices that enhance the well-being of workers and support their psychological and professional balance. On April 16, the ministry, represented by the Occupational Safety and Health Department, in co-operation with the Sheraton Grand Doha Resort and Convention Hotel, Doha Trading and Contracting Group, and Group Security System Certis International, organized awareness seminars targeting workers and employer representatives, with the participation of the Health Promotion Department at the Ministry of Public Health, and the Workers’ Support and Insurance Fund, to raise the level of preventive awareness among workers and employers and promote a culture of safety and awareness of workplace hazards regarding biological hazards in the workplace. The ministry affirmed that promoting preventive awareness is not only an option but a necessity, because it protects lives, reduces losses, and increases work efficiency, adding that investing in awareness and continuous training is a direct investment in human safety and the success of companies and workplaces. The annual World Day for Safety and Health at Work promotes the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases globally. It is an awareness campaign intended to focus international attention on the scale of the problem to promote and create a culture of health and safety that can help reduce the number of workplace-related deaths and injuries. The psychological and social work environment is determined by the work design, organization, management, and organizational practices that shape daily working conditions, indicating psychosocial factors, such as workload, working hours, role clarity, autonomy, support, and fair and transparent procedures, significantly impact the work experience and are reflected in employee safety, health, and performance. When psychological and social factors harm employees, they become hazards that must be addressed and managed, just like physical, chemical, and biological hazards, to ensure safe and healthy work environments. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has commemorated World Day for Safety and Health at Work since 2003, emphasising the prevention of workplace accidents and diseases through its longstanding tripartite approach, which brings together governments, workers’ organizations, and employers’ organisations, as well as social dialogue. The ILO marks this occasion by publishing a global report focused on prevention, examining psychosocial factors across three levels: the job itself, how work is managed and organized, and the broader policies, practices, and procedures that govern work. According to the ILO report issued on April 22, more than 840,000 people die each year due to health conditions linked to psychosocial risks such as long working hours and job insecurity. These work-related risks are primarily associated with cardiovascular diseases and mental health disorders, including suicide. The report also shows that these risks account for the loss of nearly 45mn disability-adjusted life years annually, reflecting healthy years of life lost due to illness, disability, or premature death. They are also estimated to result in economic losses equivalent to 1.37% of GDP each year. The report, titled ‘The psychosocial working environment: Global developments and pathways for action’, highlights the growing impact of how work is designed, organized, and managed on workers’ safety and health. It warns that psychosocial risk factors, including long working hours, job insecurity, high demands coupled with low control, and workplace bullying and harassment, can create harmful work environments if not properly addressed. It further notes that while many psychosocial risks are not new, major shifts in the workplace, such as digitalisation, AI, remote work, and new employment patterns, are reshaping the psychosocial work environment. These changes may exacerbate existing risks or create new ones if not managed appropriately. At the same time, these challenges offering opportunities to improve work organization and increase flexibility, underscoring the need for proactive measures. Team Lead of the ILO’s Occupational Safety and Health Policy and Systems, Manal Azzi, said that psychosocial risks are among the most prominent challenges facing occupational safety and health of the modern worker. She stressed that improving the psychosocial work environment is essential not only for protecting workers’ mental and physical health but also for enhancing productivity, institutional performance, and sustainable economic development. The report echoed this by concluding that by proactively addressing these risks, countries and organizations can create healthier workplaces that benefit both workers and employers, while boosting productivity and economic resilience.
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Farmers around the world are facing the second surge in fertiliser prices in four years due to the Iran war. But with grain prices too low to cushion the blow from the deeper supply crunch this time around, many are rethinking planting plans, putting global food production at risk. The Middle East is a leading fertiliser production hub, and much of the global fertiliser trade typically passes through the Strait of Hormuz, which has seen traffic brought to a standstill by the conflict. Supplies of urea -- a nitrogen-based fertiliser -- from the world’s largest production facility in Qatar have been halted, and flows of sulphur and ammonia, common inputs for a range of fertilisers, have also been curbed. With a resolution of the conflict proving elusive, analysts, traders, fertiliser producers and agronomists are looking back at the last supply crisis, Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, worried that this time things could get even worse. “Back in 2022, a lot of the fertiliser was ultimately flowing through,” said Shawn Arita of the Agricultural Risk Policy Center at North Dakota State University. “It’s a much steeper supply crunch that we’re seeing now.” As fertiliser prices have jumped since the onset of the war in late February, urea has seen the sharpest price spike, reflecting the loss of the roughly one-third of globally traded volumes typically exported from the Gulf. Some are paying. India, the world’s largest rice producer and second-biggest wheat grower, has booked record volumes of urea in a single import tender, paying nearly twice as much as it did just two months ago. But such price levels are beyond the reach of many, analysts say. In 2022, high global grain prices helped farmers offset the steep increase in input costs caused by the Ukraine war. But ample harvests of grains and oilseeds in recent years have restrained crop prices. Chicago wheat prices are roughly half what they were four years ago, for example. Soybeans were nearly 50% higher than now. As a result, many growers today lack the revenue to absorb ballooning fertiliser bills. Nitrogen-based fertilisers such as urea must be applied each season for many crops and directly influence annual yields as well as quality parameters, including protein content in wheat. Farmers can cut back on other core nutrients, such as phosphate and potash, without immediate yield losses. At least 2mn metric tonnes of urea production -- equivalent to some 3% of annual seaborne trade -- have been lost since the conflict began, according to Sarah Marlow of commodity data provider Argus, as plants shut down in the Middle East as well as in India, Bangladesh and Russia. Nearly 1mn tonnes already loaded on vessels, meanwhile, remain stuck in the Gulf. Even if hostilities end soon and the Hormuz strait reopens, just clearing the queue will take weeks, said Mark Milam of commodity market intelligence firm ICIS. And fertiliser availability will likely remain constrained for months due to damage to Gulf production facilities and competition for limited alternative supplies. “It’s going to take a while to get back to normal,” said Stephen Nicholson, Rabobank’s head of North American grains and oilseeds. Many farms still have fertilisers on hand, while record harvests last year have boosted global grain stocks. So the immediate impact of the current crisis on global food supplies may be limited. In 2022, high fertiliser costs contributed to exacerbated hunger in poor, import-dependent countries, and analysts say regions like East Africa are again vulnerable. In Europe, spring planting decisions are shifting against input-intensive corn in countries including France, while reduced top-up nitrogen applications may trim protein content in this summer’s wheat harvest, analysts said. The larger risk, however, will come during autumn planting, when cash-strapped European farmers could cut overall grain area. “That’s why we’re starting to get a little worried about the 2027 harvest,” said Benoit Fayaud of Expana.
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If nothing else, the gunshots fired at the White House correspondents’ dinner by what the president called a “lone wolf whack job” highlight the security risks that attend even the most tightly controlled of such
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Jackie Calmes, Tribune News ServiceIt's not generally admirable to take pleasure in someone being targeted, troubled or taunted in some way. But schadenfreude is exactly what I've felt in recent weeks, unapologetically, about President Donald
