Search - covid 19

The Southern European Economies (SEE) are set to outperform the euro area, on the back of a boom in tourism, improved relative competitiveness, as well as the correction of financial imbalances, according to QNB.The Global Financial Crisis that ignited in 2007 marked the beginning of a prolonged period of economic under-performance for the SEE , which comprise Spain, Greece, Italy, and Portugal.The significant fiscal and structural challenges faced by the SEE (among others, escalating sovereign debt, rigid labour markets, and over-indebted private sectors), had made these countries particularly vulnerable to large negative shocks, QNB said in an economic commentary.Over the period of 2007-2022 that includes the major disruptions caused by the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), the Sovereign Debt Crisis (SDC) and the Covid-pandemic, real GDP of the SEE grew on average at a rate of 0.1% per year, almost 1 percentage point (pp) less than the 1% annual growth rate of the Euro Area as a whole.After the Covid-pandemic, the SEE finally embarked on a path of relative recovery on the back of cyclical and structural factors.Over the period 2023-2025, real GDP growth is expected to average 1.7%, almost double the 0.9% of the euro area.In this article, QNB discusses three key reasons that explain why the SEE’s growth performance has improved.First, the end of the Covid-pandemic sparked a boom in tourism that provided a boost to the SEE, where this sector has a large overall impact on the economy. As the pandemic receded and travel restrictions were lifted, tourism rebounded strongly and began a sustained period of expansion. Various measures of the numbers of visitors, total revenues, and hotel occupancy are growing at rates of 15%-20% across the SEE. This implies a significant boost to the SEE, where the estimates of the total direct and indirect weight of tourism in GDP vary from 8 to 20%.Similarly, the weight in total employment is substantial. With a labour force of 25mn, Italy has 4.5mn workers in tourism-related sectors, while in Spain, 2.7mn of the 24mn workers are engaged in these industries.In addition to consumption by tourists, the spending of tourism workers and firms acts as a multiplier in the rest of the economy. Thus, the post-pandemic “revenge” spending on tourism is having a major positive impact on the SEE through both direct and indirect channels.Second, compared to the most manufacturing-intensive economies in the Euro Area, the SEE has benefited from a relative improvement in its competitiveness after the GFC and SDC, as well as from a better insulation from the energy crisis due to the Russo-Ukrainian war.The SEE were less reliant on gas imports from Russia, relative to the more energy-intensive countries in the euro area, namely Germany, Austria, and Slovakia (the GAS countries), making the SEE less exposed to energy shortages and price increases. Additionally, the GFC and SDC triggered major adjustments in labour markets in the SEE, which put downward pressure on wages and therefore a decline in relative labour costs.Unemployment rates across the SEE increased on average by 13.3 percentage points from the pre-crises lows to their peaks. These massive adjustments led to a reduction in wage pressures and the labour costs for firms.As a result, unit labour costs show a significant divergence between the SEE and the GAS since the onset of the GFC: they have increased on average by 34% in the SEE, compared to 62% for the GAS countries, QNB noted.The effects of the energy crisis and competitiveness have become evident in manufacturing: Between Q2,2023 to Q2,2024 average industrial production expanded by 1% in the SEE, while contracting by 4.1% in the GAS economies.The relative gain in competitiveness and lower exposure to the energy crisis have given manufacturing in the SEE an advantage relative to the most manufacturing-intensive European neighbours.Third, the deleveraging process in the private sector and the improvement of sovereign debt sustainability reduce financial instability fears and restore investor confidence.Since the crises, households and firms in the SEE have deleveraged at an impressive pace: the average ratio of private sector credit to GDP in the SEE has fallen by 65pp from its peak of 134% in 2011 to the current levels of 69%.The adjustment efforts by governments have also been significant, even if smaller, considering the large fiscal expansions that were necessary during the Covid-pandemic: average gross debt in the SEE dropped by 14 p.p. from 139% of GDP in 2014 to 125% this year.These improvements have allowed for higher rates of private investment, a key component of GDP from an expenditure perspective: between Q1, 2023 and Q1, 2024, average investment spending in the SEE expanded by 2.2%, while it contracted by 0.6% in the Euro Area. Thus, the correction of financial imbalances have improved the conditions for investment and growth in the SEE.“All in all, the SEE are set to outperform again this year with expected average real GDP growth of 1.6%, compared to 0.8% for the Euro Area, on the back of a boom in tourism, improved relative competitiveness, as well as the correction of financial imbalances,” QNB added.

The Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, the Ministry of Finance, and the World Bank have announced a transformative partnership to expand access to quality education globally.In a press release issued by EAA, the foundation said that this collaboration comes in response to the urgent global challenges that have significantly increased the number of out-of-school children and the pervasive learning deficits worldwide.The partnership will see the development of innovative financial tools, including the potential design of education investment swaps. This novel approach will allow the conversion of debt in low- and middle-income countries into tangible education outcomes, offering a sustainable solution to both the global learning crisis and the heavy debt burdens these countries face.It added that the trio will collaborate on designing and implementing co-financed programmes to retain children in schools and combat the alarming post-Covid learning poverty rate, estimated to affect 70% of the global student population. The focus will be on enhancing access to quality education in developing countries and fostering job creation for youth, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa region.Commenting on the partnership, Qatar's Deputy Undersecretary for Economic Affairs, at the Ministry of Finance Dr Saud Abdulla al-Attiyah said, "The signed agreement is part of Qatar's ongoing initiatives to reinforce its commitment to multilateral work with the goal of contributing to the development of financial sustainability, as well as enhancing joint co-operation. Which reflects Qatar's deep interest in education as a fundamental pillar for achieving sustainable development."For his part, CEO of EAA Foundation Fahad al-Sulaiti emphasised the critical role of innovative financing in sustainable development, particularly in education saying, "Innovative financing has lightened the debt load for low- and middle-income countries, allowing for more funds to be devoted locally to education. Through strong partnerships, we are driving innovative solutions that will transform the lives of communities and impact millions of children worldwide."In turn, Vice President of the People Vice Presidency at the World Bank Mamta Murthi expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, "The rewards of education extend vastly across individuals and societies, enhancing economic opportunities and aiding in eradicating poverty. We are thrilled to partner with the Education Above All Foundation to bolster the human capital of young people globally, especially those most vulnerable."

A final report has concluded that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) did not show “favouritism” towards China in the case of 23 Chinese swimmers who were cleared to compete after testing positive for a banned drug.But it did find WADA’s anti-doping rules and administrative processes could be strengthened, which the agency itself acknowledged, and also criticised parts of the Chinese response to the positive tests.The report’s author, Swiss prosecutor Eric Cottier, said he found “WADA has done its work autonomously, independently and professionally, and that there is no evidence to the contrary.”This matched his interim findings announced in July, ahead of the Paris Olympics, where 11 of the Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned heart medication competed.Responding to Thursday’s report, US Anti Doping Agency chief Travis Tygart, who has been an outspoken critic of WADA’s handling of the affair, said the conclusions “only validates our concerns.”Cottier noted in the final report that some anti-doping rules were not followed by the Chinese anti-doping agency (CHINADA), but added “it does not change the outcome of the cases and the acceptance of the contamination hypothesis.”China said on Friday it had a “zero-tolerance attitude” to doping.In April, The New York Times and German broadcaster ARD reported that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) at a domestic competition in late 2020 and early 2021.It was determined by CHINADA they ingested the substance unwittingly from tainted food at their hotel and no action against them was warranted.WADA accepted the argument of the Chinese authorities and did not sanction the swimmers, some of whom competed and won medals at the Covid-delayed Tokyo Olympics months later.The case caused a global uproar when the news broke earlier this year, with US anti-doping authorities accusing WADA of a cover-up, which it denied.“While WADA management wants to close the book on this scandal regarding 23 positive TMZ cases by Chinese swimmers, the full report released today by WADA’s investigator only validates our concerns and even raises new questions that must be answered,” Tygart said in a statement.“Clean athletes give their all to excellence and what this report shows is that the global anti-doping regulator did not give them the same in return.”Tygart called for a further investigation.“The Cottier report itself speaks to the desperate need for this expanded investigation, noting, ‘The sense of justice or injustice, however, goes far beyond the scope of this investigation,’” Tygart said.‘Lessons to be learnedWADA director general Olivier Niggli welcomed the final report.There are “certainly lessons to be learned by WADA and others from this situation,” he said in a statement, while vowing to follow recommendations to strengthen the global anti-doping system for athletes.This includes improving WADA’s internal guidelines for managing doping cases; improving communications about alleged cases with national anti-doping agencies and athletes; and optimising a database called ADAMS to alert officials when there are delays in analysing tests, for example.Recommendations soughtWADA said a working group has been asked to submit recommendations in December.Tygart said USADA was “heartened” by the establishment of the working group which “has the potential to make critical strides in ensuring that the global anti-doping system has the controls and systems in place to evenly apply the rules and protect clean athletes’ rights worldwide.”Separately, WADA said it was also placing seven national anti-doping organisations on a “watchlist,” giving them four more months “to correct outstanding non-conformities” to a new anti-doping code.They are Namibia, Pakistan, Panama, Samoa, Senegal, Uganda and Uruguay.

Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo says he feels “energised” as he seeks to bring the curtain down on his breakthrough season with victory in the Diamond League finals in Brussels tomorrow.The Botswana sprinter bounced back from the death of his mother in May to claim a stunning gold at the Paris Games ahead of, amongst others, Covid-hit favourite Noah Lyles. He won in an African record of 19.46 seconds, a time that took him to fifth on the all-time list. Tebogo also became the first African to win the Olympic 200 metres.He had announced himself on the global stage with a 100m silver and 200m bronze at the 2023 world championships in Budapest. Since the Olympics in the French capital, the 21-year-old has won the 200m at Diamond League events in Lausanne, Silesia, Rome and Zurich, the latter in an outstanding 19.55sec in wet and cold conditions.Tebogo insisted at a pre-finals press conference on Thursday that he was just one of a raft of new faces jostling for prominence in building a new post-Usain Bolt era. “People always have their own opinions about how you look at one particular person,” Tebogo said. “For me, I believe there’s a new generation coming up. I believe we’ve passed that (Bolt) era but we didn’t yet surpass his goals in track and field.”Bolt’s former Jamaican teammate Yohan Blake holds the stadium record of 19.26sec in Brussels, set in 2011, something Tebogo said could be in danger. “Looking at what I did in Zurich, no one thought that 19.5 was possible looking at the weather conditions,” he said. “I believe looking at the competition also, the stadium record is possible, but I don’t want to put myself under that pressure of chasing that stadium record. If it comes, then it comes. All I can say is I feel fresh after all the runs I’ve been through and feel more energised than anything else.”The 200m showdown at the two-day finals, which draw a close to the elite 14-meet Diamond League circuit, also features Liberia’s Joseph Fahnbulleh, alongside a trio of strong Americans in Kenny Bednarek, Erriyon Knighton and Fred Kerley. “It’s two Africans against the rest of the world,” maintained Tebogo, who also finished sixth in the 100m final in Paris in 9.86sec. “I believe it’s going to be a good race! It’s a good thing to end the season with that winning streak, with that Olympic gold and Diamond League trophy.”Tebogo returned to a rapturous welcome in Gaborone after his Paris gold, Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi greeting the sprinter and other Olympic athletes after he had declared an impromptu half-day holiday. “It was a proud moment seeing the thousands of people waiting for me at the stadium,” he said.“It was amazing for me,” added the sprinter whose mother Seratiwa died suddenly in May whilst Tebogo was away in the United States.Having also been part of Botswana’s 4x400m relay squad that won a thrilling silver in Paris, Tebogo acknowledged that a proper tilt as a one-lap runner is on the horizon. “I have to get the job done in the 100m and then move up to the 400,” Tebogo said, adding that he might take one season focused on the 400m after the 2025 world championships in Tokyo.“My favourite event is the 200m because it’s not as technical as the 100m – there’s a lot of work and focus on it and you cannot correct anything along the way. With the 200m, you can fix mistakes and push your body to its maximum limits.”

Less than 12 months ago, Team Europe hoisted the Solheim Cup after playing the US Team to a 14-14 tie. The Europeans retained the cup after winning it narrowly in 2019 and 2021.Now the Solheim Cup is returning to even-numbered years, and both teams are running it back, the host venue changing from Malaga, Spain, to Gainesville, Virginia.Europe captain Suzann Pettersen was asked on Wednesday at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club if either team could glean an advantage from the back-to-back Solheim Cup setup.“I don’t really think it matters, to be honest,” Pettersen said. “I think the nice thing, it literally feels like the ’23 Solheim was just on Wednesday. It’s so fresh in mind, it literally feels like it. So it’s kind of nice to kind of get that feel and kind of energy going again.”The Solheim Cup was established in 1990 as an even-numbered year event and pivoted to odd-numbered years in 2003 to avoid overlapping with the Ryder Cup, which had been postponed a year due to the Sept 11 attacks.Then the Covid-19 pandemic pushed the 2020 Ryder Cup back a year, so the Solheim Cup is now returning to the evens.Pettersen is captaining her team for the second year running, with Stacy Lewis doing the same for the Americans.“I think it was only the right thing to do for both Stacy and myself to kind of do this because I think it would have been an awful hard job for someone new to come in and do everything in 11 months’ time,” Pettersen said.The Norwegian will benefit from the existing infrastructure of last year’s victorious team. Ten of her 12 players from 2023 are back, with Esther Henseleit of Germany and Albane Valenzuela of Switzerland the only newcomers.“I wouldn’t say a lot of challenges. It’s just a lot of work,” Pettersen said.“Even before we hit a tee shot last year that we had already kind of done the outfits for this year.“So really just kind of a lot of crisscross stuff and admin stuff, logistics.“From the players’ perspective, the rankings kind of overlap quite a bit.“I think it’s going to be nice once we kind of get this one out of the way and then we’re back on the regular every other year.“I think that’s good for the game.”Pettersen said she’s glad to leave the pressure of trying to win at home to the Americans, who will rely on Nelly Korda, Lilia Vu, Rose Zhang, Lexi Thompson and a host of other accomplished players to end their drought.The European captain wouldn’t buy much into the idea that her team has built-in advantages, but the positive vibes from their win last September are undeniable.“It’s been a quick year since Spain,” she said.“Obviously it was a quick turnaround, fast celebration. ... I think it’s a great challenge to try and go out there again and get the job done.“The players are all up for it, and they’re always going to be a big task.”

An increase in the price of air tickets for travel to and from the European Union based on a tax proposal may be delayed with EU putting it on hold for the foreseeable future.The European Commission proposed an overhaul of energy tax rules in 2021 to make them more climate-friendly, including by gradually introducing taxes on fuels for flights within the 27-nation bloc, which currently escape EU-wide levies.European Union countries are considering delaying the introduction of EU-wide taxes on polluting aviation fuels for 20 years, as they seek a breakthrough on tax reforms that have been negotiated for years with little progress, a recent Reuters’ dispatch showed.Levying a tax on jet fuel due to pollution concerns, however, is a complex issue, especially given the current global context, market analysts say."Since currently there is not enough sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on the market, the taxation of aviation fuels would result in price increases of air tickets and not in a general switch from fossil fuels to SAF,” the agency said.After countries could not agree on earlier proposals that would introduce a minimum EU tax rate for jet fuel from 2028, they are now considering exempting both aviation and maritime fuels from these taxes for a further 20 years, a draft compromise seen by Reuters showed.Only small aircraft with a maximum of 19 seats, and boats used for “private pleasure navigation” would face minimum EU taxes before the 20 years are up, it said.For other aircraft and vessels, countries can introduce national levies if they choose – but they are not obliged to.Under the draft compromise, EU countries would reconsider in 15 years whether to start applying EU minimum tax rates to aviation and maritime fuel once the 20-year holiday ends.Other fuels, such as petrol used in cars, as well as electricity, already face minimum EU tax rates.The compromise was reportedly drafted by Hungary, which holds the EU’s rotating presidency and therefore chairs negotiations among EU countries until the end of the year.EU country diplomats will discuss the proposal later this month.Changing EU tax policy is fiendishly difficult because it requires unanimous approval from EU countries – meaning any one government can block it.Climate campaigners, who have long called for an end to jet fuel’s EU tax holiday, said a 20-year delay would be at odds with the EU’s target to reach net zero emissions by 2050.“By the time this tax would be in effect, the world is meant to have reached climate neutrality,” said Jo Dardenne, aviation director at non-profit group Transport & Environment.A fuel tax on airlines would generally increase the cost of airline tickets, as airlines invariably pass higher operating costs, including taxes, on to consumers.In all likelihood, airlines operating in the EU region would have raised ticket prices to offset the additional cost of the proposed fuel tax.But the extent of the price increase would depend on the tax rate and the competitiveness of the airline market.The airline industry is still recovering from the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Airlines have faced massive losses, and a fuel tax will undoubtedly increase their operating costs, potentially hampering recovery.The aviation sector accounts for approximately 2-3% of global CO2 emissions, and its share is only expected to grow given the industry’s rapid growth.Taxing jet fuel, therefore, could incentivise airlines to adopt cleaner technologies, reduce fuel consumption, and promote sustainable aviation fuels.While there may be a strong environmental case for taxing jet fuel to curb emissions, the timing is delicate given the global economic uncertainty, airline industry recovery, and inflationary pressures.A phased or globally coordinated approach, combined with incentives for green innovation, may be more suitable at this moment. The EU’s rethink on the issue might be on those lines.Pratap John is Business Editor at Gulf Times. X handle: @PratapJohn

Every year, the World Health Organisation summarises global progress on malaria control. It details the number of cases in affected countries, shows year-on-year changes, outlines goals, and assesses the current funding landscape. The UN puts out a similar annual report for HIV/Aids. This regular tracking of serious public-health concerns is essential for addressing them effectively, because it can help channel resources to where they are most needed and identify interventions that are working.But there is no authoritative, up-to-date global accounting of air pollution, a health risk that takes a larger toll than malaria and HIV/Aids combined. Particulate matter, a form of air pollution often associated with dust and smoke, was the leading contributor to the world’s disease burden in 2021, and has been found to cut 1.9 years from average life expectancy. Air pollution was also linked to more than 700,000 deaths in children under five years old in 2021, making it the second-highest risk factor for death in this age group.The world’s main authority on air quality is arguably the WHO, which produces globally influential standards for pollution levels. Its most recent guidelines, published in 2021, aimed to improve air-quality standards by lowering the recommended level of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from ten micrograms per cubic meter to five.The WHO also compiles data on annual particulate matter in cities worldwide through its ambient air quality database, which is primarily sourced from government measurements and updated every two to three years. But in the most recent edition (updated in January 2024), only 0.4% of cities reported data from 2022, and more than half of the data are at least seven years old. Many countries in Africa, Latin America, and Asia – which bear a disproportionate share of the health burden from air pollution – are missing measurements, with four of the most polluted countries reporting none at all. This lack of data makes it impossible to gauge global progress or to ensure strategic resource allocation.Satellite-derived data could fill in the gaps. But while several groups generate and compile such information, there is no definitive database. (Anecdotally, when we asked ten air-quality experts where they go for the most recent data, we received 14 different answers, none of which meet the criteria for an authoritative global source.) Moreover, annual data often have a lag of up to two years, and there is no established mechanism to assess their quality. Contrary to its name, calculating satellite-derived air-quality data requires ground monitoring data, which can make satellite data less reliable in countries with little monitoring capacity.Addressing air pollution worldwide requires a clear view of the global picture. Fortunately, building a system that regularly tracks collective progress on reducing particulate matter, with built-in mechanisms to help improve data-gathering efforts in the most polluted places, is technologically, logistically, and politically feasible.The first goal should be to create an annual, authoritative accounting of PM2.5 pollution in every country. This would require incentivising countries to contribute more recent ground-monitoring data, establishing a process to combine these data with available satellite information to determine their annual pollution levels, and identifying capacity and data gaps and directing resources accordingly.Global development and philanthropic organisations will have to provide significant financial and human resources to launch such an effort, including support for countries that currently lack the capacity to monitor or measure air quality. It will also require public-health, environmental, and finance leaders to work together, much as they have done to tackle other serious issues such as malaria, HIV/Aids, Covid-19, and tuberculosis.Several UN agencies, including the WHO, the World Meteorological Organisation, and the UN Environment Programme, could house or co-ordinate these data-gathering and capacity-building efforts. And institutions such as the World Bank, regional development banks (the African Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the Inter-American Development Bank, among others), bilateral donors, and philanthropies must help finance them.There is a dire need for international collective action to tackle this challenge, which is local, yet has global consequences. The latest report on reporting and tracking air quality, published by Our Common Air, addresses some of the key concerns in the commission’s recommendations. We have successfully confronted global health challenges in recent years and, in doing so, created a playbook that can be applied to others. The question now is whether the international community will use it to tackle the world’s single greatest external risk to human health. – Project SyndicateSoumya Swaminathan, a former chief scientist of the World Health Organisation, is Co-Chair of Our Common Air and Principal Adviser for the National Tuberculosis Elimination Program at India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Christa Hasenkopf is Director of the Clean Air Program at the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago and a commissioner at Our Common Air.

Germany’s government has announced plans to impose tighter controls at all of the country’s land borders in what it called an attempt to tackle irregular migration and protect the public from threats such as religious extremism.The controls within what is normally a wide area of free movement – the European Schengen zone – will start on September 16 and initially last for six months, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said yesterday.The government has also designed a scheme enabling authorities to reject more migrants directly at German borders, Faeser said, without adding details on the controversial and legally fraught move.The restrictions are part of a series of measures Germany has taken to toughen its stance on irregular migration in recent years following a surge in arrivals, in particular people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East.Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government is seeking to seize back the initiative from the opposition far-right and conservatives, who have seen support rise as they tap into voter worries about stretched public services, integration and security.“We are strengthening internal security and continuing our hard line against irregular migration,” Faeser said, noting the government had notified the European Commission and neighbouring countries of the intended controls.Recent deadly knife attacks in which the suspects were asylum-seekers have stoked concerns over immigration.The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a knife attack in the western city of Solingen that killed three people in August.The AfD earlier this month became the first far-right party since World War II to win a state election, in Thuringia, after campaigning heavily on the issue of migration.Polls show that it is also voters’ top concern in the state of Brandenburg, which is set to hold elections in two weeks.Scholz and Faeser’s centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) are fighting to retain control of the government there, in a vote billed as a test of strength of the SPD ahead of next year’s federal election.“The intention of the government seems to be to show symbolically to Germans and potential migrants that the latter are no longer wanted here,” said Marcus Engler at the German Centre for Integration and Migration Research.A backlash had been building in Germany ever since it accepted in excess of 1mn people, mostly fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, during the 2015/2016 migrant crisis, migration experts say.It reached a tipping point in the country of 84mn people after it automatically granted asylum to around 1mn Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s 2022 invasion even as Germany was struggling through an energy and economic crisis.Since then, the German government has agreed tighter deportation rules and resumed flying convicted criminals of Afghan nationality to their home country, despite suspending deportations after the Taliban took power in 2021 due to human rights concerns.Last year Berlin also announced stricter controls on its land borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland. Those and controls on the border with Austria had allowed it to return 30,000 migrants since October 2023, it said on Monday.Faeser said a new model would enable the government to turn back many more – but it could not talk about the model before confidential negotiations with the conservatives.The controls could test European unity if they lead to German authorities requesting other countries to take back substantial numbers of asylum-seekers and migrants.Under EU rules, countries in the Schengen area, which encompasses all of the bloc except for Cyprus and Ireland, are only allowed to introduce border checks as a last resort to avert threats to internal security or public policy, and several have done so during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic or after attacks.The EU agreed a hard-fought overhaul to its asylum and migration laws earlier this year but the rules are only set to come into force in 2026.“Until we achieve strong protection of the EU’s external borders with the new common European asylum system, we must strengthen controls at our national borders,” Faeser said.Germany shares its more than 3,700km (2,300 miles) land border with Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic and Poland.Austria’s Interior Minister Gerhard Karner told Bild newspaper yesterday that his country would not take in any migrants turned away by Germany at the border.“There’s no room for manoeuvre there,” he said.The measures may not immediately result in many more migrants being turned away at the border, but they could result in more returns to other European countries down the line, as well as acting as a deterrent, said Susan Fratzke at the Migration Policy Institute.The number of asylum applications in Germany already fell 21.7% in the first eight months of the year, according to government statistics.

Last month’s expertly choreographed Democratic National Convention has added a frisson of excitement to the US presidential election. After President Joe Biden’s historic decision in July to withdraw from the race (at which point Donald Trump was leading in the polls), the DNC marked the start of a new chapter, with Vice-President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, reinvigorating the Democratic base. The crowd’s exuberance was palpable.The Democrats’ new momentum has added a dramatic edge to the campaign as it enters its final months. Analysts tend to focus on voters’ views of the economy and, relatedly, the deep divide between Republicans and Democrats on the role of government in society – a difference that, should Trump win, could alter the United States’ trajectory for years to come.For starters, many voters believe that Trump’s trappings of success (regularly using his Mar-a-Lago resort as a backdrop and rubbing shoulders with the likes of Elon Musk) means that he is strong on the economy. In fact, Trump has a long history of business bankruptcies and is currently embroiled in legal cases related to charges of fraud, racketeering, and more.At the same time, voters tend to discount the fact that Biden oversaw America’s remarkable economic rebound from Covid-19. While economists applaud the significant reduction in inflation under his administration, the average American is more concerned about still-elevated prices. When you are struggling to afford groceries, it can be easy to forget that Trump’s huge tax cut for the rich laid the groundwork for inflation by driving up asset prices and increasing aggregate demand.To understand Republican tax policies – and the party’s agenda more broadly – it is, however, necessary to leave economics behind and reflect on America’s founding and subsequent history, particularly the displacement of Native Americans and enslavement of Africans. Without this forced migration, the US would not exist in its current form.The 1960s civil-rights movement, which aimed to dismantle racial segregation, was relatively successful in securing equal rights for minorities and overcoming the legacy of slavery. Some ethno-nationalists, however, wish to return to a past when white men were atop the social hierarchy. Believing that Trump is best positioned to help recreate this America, they have flocked to the Republican Party.The Republican Party’s efforts to roll back civil rights is consistent with its stance on government’s role. The Democrats, for their part, conceive of government as working for people, which includes extending a helping hand to the disadvantaged and providing a safety net for those in need. But Republicans believe that confronting challenges forces people to innovate and create wealth, and that improving one’s situation through hard work and risk-taking is essential for building a competitive economy. The history of the US economic development certainly reflects this spirit of agency. According to this view, excessive state protection such as loan forgiveness and affirmative action in college admissions undermines efficiency and growth.The Supreme Court, which is charged with protecting constitutional rights, has become the arbiter on these divisive issues. For example, the Court struck down Biden’s student-loan forgiveness programme, which would have cancelled hundreds of billions of dollars of student debt. Loan markets function as a form of pressure on students to repay debt, which generates additional benefits for society. For that reason, loan forgiveness should be available only for borrowers experiencing unexpected misfortune.Likewise, affirmative action in college admissions should eventually be abolished, not least because it puts other ethnic groups at a disadvantage.The US election on November 5 will have global implications. Dictators and aspiring authoritarians around the world are hoping for a Trump victory. If they get their wish, all democracies might become fair game.

Amina Sohail veers through heavy traffic to pick up her next passenger – the sight of a woman riding a motorcycle drawing stares in Pakistan’s megacity of Karachi.The 28-year-old is the first woman in her family to enter the workforce, a pattern emerging in urban households coming under increasing financial pressure in Pakistan.“I don’t focus on people, I don’t speak to anyone or respond to the hooting, I do my work,” said Sohail, who joined a local ride-hailing service at the start of the year, transporting women through the dusty back streets of the city.“Before, we would be hungry, now we get to eat at least two to three meals a day,” she added.The South Asian nation is locked in a cycle of political and economic crises, dependent on International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailouts and loans from friendly countries to service its debt.Prolonged inflation has forced up the price of basic groceries such as tomatoes by 100%.Electricity and gas bills have risen by 300% compared to July last year, according to official data.Sohail used to help her mother with cooking, cleaning and looking after her younger siblings, until her father, the family’s sole earner, fell sick.“The atmosphere in the house was stressful,” she said, with the family dependent on other relatives for money. “That’s when I thought I must work.”“My vision has changed. I will work openly like any man, no matter what anyone thinks,” Sohail added.Pakistan was the first Muslim nation to be led by a woman prime minister in the 1980s, women chief executives grace power lists in Forbes magazine, and they now make up the ranks of the police and military.However, much of Pakistani society operates under a traditional code which requires women to have permission from their family to work outside of the home.According to the United Nations, just 21% of women participate in Pakistan’s work force, most of them in the informal sector and almost half in rural areas working in the fields.“I am the first girl in the family to work, from both my paternal and maternal side,” said Hina Saleem, a 24-year-old telephone operator at a leather factory in Korangi, Karachi’s largest industrial area.The move, supported by her mother after her father died, was met with resistance from her extended family.Her younger brother was warned that working could lead to socially unacceptable behaviour, such as finding a husband of her choice.“My uncles said ‘get her married’,” she told AFP. “There was lots of pressure on my mother.”At the changeover of shifts outside the leather factory, workers arrive in painted buses decorated with chinking bells, with a handful of women stepping out amid the crowd of men.Nineteen-year-old Anum Shahzadi, who works in the same factory inputting data, was encouraged by her parents to enter the workforce after completing high school, unlike generations before her.“What is the point of education if a girl can’t be independent,” said Shahzadi, who now contributes to the household alongside her brother.Bushra Khaliq, executive director for Women In Struggle for Empowerment (WISE) which advocates for political and economic rights for women, said that Pakistan is “witnessing a shift” among urban middle class women.“Up until this point, they had been told by society that taking care of their homes and marriage were the ultimate objective,” she told AFP. “But an economic crunch and any social and economic crises bring with them a lot of opportunities.”Farzana Augustine, from Pakistan’s minority Christian community, earned her first salary last year at the age of 43, after her husband lost his job during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.“My wife had to take over,” Augustine Saddique explained to AFP. “But it is nothing to be sad about, we are companions and are running our house together.”The sprawling port metropolis of Karachi, officially home to 20mn people but likely many millions more, is the business centre of Pakistan.It pulls in migrants and entrepreneurs from across the country with the promise of employment and often acts as a bellwether for social change.Nineteen-year-old Zahra Afzal moved to Karachi to live with her uncle four years ago, after the death of her parents, leaving her small village in central-eastern Pakistan to work as a childminder.“If Zahra was taken by other relatives, she would have been married off by now,” her uncle Kamran Aziz told AFP, from their typical one room home where bedding is folded away in the morning and cooking is done on the balcony. “My wife and I decided we would go against the grain and raise our girls to survive in the world before settling them down.”Afzal beams that she is now an example for her sister and cousin: “My mind has become fresh.”

In the lead-up to this historic election year, many feared that Europe’s rightward shift would undermine international co-operation and jeopardise decades of social progress. These fears have now materialised in the Netherlands, where the governing Dutch Party for Freedom, led by the far-right populist Geert Wilders, refuses to send mpox vaccines to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where the disease is spreading rapidly.Despite the World Health Organisation’s urgent call for Western countries to send unused mpox vaccines to Africa, Dutch Health Minister Fleur Agema, a member of Wilders’s party, has flatly refused to release any of the Netherlands’ 100,000 doses.Agema’s refusal is baffling, given that many of these doses are set to expire by 2025 and could be destroyed without ever being used. The Dutch National Health Institute has made it clear that containing the outbreak in Africa is the most effective way to prevent it from spreading to Europe. Even the centre-right New Social Contract party has advocated a pragmatic approach, urging the government to “do what we can to contain the mpox outbreak at the source.” Yet, Agema insists that the country might need the vaccines, disregarding both expert advice and parliamentary support for donating the doses.Meanwhile, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has reported that 20,000 people have been infected across the continent after the virus mutated into a faster-spreading strain. Outbreaks have been confirmed in 12 African countries, including Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda, as the disease continues to spread from the DRC, where it has claimed the lives of 615 people to date. Alarmingly, cases have now been reported in distant countries like Thailand and Sweden.Even before the Dutch announcement, Western countries were slow to respond to the mpox outbreak. Stella Kyriakides, the European Union’s Health Commissioner, has urged member states to donate more mpox vaccines. In response, the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority has delivered more than 215,000 doses to African countries. But with the virus spreading rapidly, DRC Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba has called on European countries to increase their pledges.The international community must do more. So far, Japan has pledged more than 3mn doses of its LC16m8 vaccine, which is also recommended for children, and the US has committed to donating 50,000 doses to the DRC. In Europe, it is the Spanish government leading the way, with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez pledging 500,000 vaccine doses – 20% of the country’s stock – and proposing that all EU members states donate the same proportion of their supplies. Germany and France have each promised to deliver 100,000 doses, and Austria has offered part of its 34,000-dose stockpile.But with the Africa CDC estimating that up to 10mn doses may be required to contain the outbreak, much more must be done. The failure to demonstrate greater solidarity risks further straining EU-Africa relations, already damaged by Europe’s reluctance to supply vaccines to developing countries during the Covid-19 pandemic, insufficient humanitarian aid to tackle the ongoing food crisis, and repeated delays in meeting the bloc’s long-term climate-financing commitments. As South African President Cyril Ramaphosa recently reminded Western leaders, during the mpox emergency in 2022, global efforts focused on curbing the spread in the US and Europe, leaving Africa behind. To correct the “unfair treatment” of previous health crises, the response to the current outbreak “must be different.”To be sure, affected countries must also step up their efforts to combat the virus. Stopping transmission requires governments to engage local communities, strengthen health systems, invest in infrastructure, and ensure workers are trained to administer vaccines. The WHO’s Emergency Use Listing for mpox vaccines could streamline approval and access, enabling Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to procure approved vaccines and distribute them more efficiently.But combating the mpox epidemic will be impossible without enhanced international support. With the two-dose vaccine priced at $70-100 per dose – prohibitively high for the world’s poorest countries – the financial burden of eradicating the disease must be shared. The recent establishment of Gavi’s $500mn First Response Fund, which aims to provide low-income countries with financing for vaccine distribution during public-health emergencies, represents an important step in the right direction. In the longer term, Western vaccine manufacturers must facilitate technology transfers to African countries to help boost local production capacity and ensure a more effective response to future outbreaks.The immediate lesson of Africa’s mpox crisis is that the begging-bowl approach, where action is taken only after a crisis has already erupted – and often too late – must end. The all-too-familiar scramble for emergency funds should be replaced by predictable, long-term financing for affected countries.Providing the WHO with the flexible funding required to respond to public-health crises quickly and effectively is crucial to achieving this goal. Financing the organisation’s four-year $7bn investment plan must be at the top of the agenda at November’s G20 summit, chaired by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.The world cannot afford to wait for another global-health emergency to recognise that no one is safe in a pandemic unless everyone is safe. Amid the rise of right-wing isolationism and xenophobia, we must reaffirm the power of global cooperation to save lives. The Dutch people, too, have a unique opportunity to send a message of solidarity by pushing back against their government’s ugly and destructive policy. Holland should follow Sánchez’s leadership and display European internationalism at its best by giving at least 20% of their vaccines to Africa. – Project Syndicate• Gordon Brown, a former prime minister of the United Kingdom, is UN Special Envoy for Global Education and Chair of Education Cannot Wait.

Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) joined the global community in celebrating World Physiotherapy Day, observed annually on September 8.This year's theme was centred around Low Back Pain (LBP) and highlighted the vital role of physiotherapy in its management and prevention.Under the leadership of Dr Hanadi al-Hamad, deputy chief of rehabilitation, Long-Term Care and Geriatrics, and lead of Corporate Rehabilitation Therapy Services at HMC and Noora al-Mudekhla, assistant executive director for clinical services, physiotherapy at HMC, a series of activities and events have been organised throughout September to raise awareness about the significance of physical therapy in enhancing the health and wellbeing of individuals across Qatar.Events centre around both public and staff engagement. For the community, various HMC facilities will have public awareness booths to educate patients and visitors on prevention strategies, ergonomic practices and the appropriate times to seek physiotherapy services. The campaign will also aim to reach a wider audience with booths at various malls promoting the importance of physical activity in preventing and managing LBP.HMC staff will also have the opportunity to engage in the health day with a seminar to stimulate discussion on the latest advancements in physiotherapy with a focus on LBP as well as an educational event to learn about the tools necessary to address and manage their own LBP which has been organised by HMC's Wellness Department.Social media will also play a vital role in spreading awareness about LBP, its causes, prevention techniques and the role of physiotherapy in its management. The campaign aims to reach a broad audience across Qatar, encouraging proactive health measures and informing the public about available physiotherapy services.In Qatar, within HMC's Physiotherapy Outpatient Departments, 25-30% of referrals are for LBP management. The Physiotherapy Department at HMC, with over 350 therapists, plays a crucial role in delivering comprehensive care to these patients, offering services ranging from supervised therapeutic exercises and skilled manual therapy to patient education and self-management strategies.Dr al-Hamad, who is also a panel member of the World Health Organisation's Global Low Back Pain Guideline Committee said: “At HMC, we believe that physical therapy plays a vital role in helping individuals live healthier, more active lives. This World Physiotherapy Day, we aim to emphasise the importance of exercise in reducing LBP and its potential to prevent further complications and improve patient outcomes.“Qatar is one of the first countries globally to proactively develop national guidelines for the non-pharmacological management of LBP, a strategic initiative that has been recognised and appreciated by the WHO.”In response to the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, HMC launched an online platform in 2020, providing dedicated exercise videos for its physiotherapy patients. This initiative continues to be an essential resource for patients, offering over 500 instructional videos that support their recovery journey from the safety and convenience of their homes.