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Novak Djokovic turns 37 next year but the Serbian says his appetite for success will only increase with young challengers awakening the “beast” in him.The world number one enjoyed an extraordinary 2023 by winning three out of the four Grand Slams to take his tally to 24, two more than his great rival Rafa Nadal and four more than the retired Roger Federer.Djokovic did not have it all his own way, however, with 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz denying him a fifth-straight Wimbledon crown in a thrilling final and 22-year-old Jannik Sinner dashing his hopes of Davis Cup glory.“The young guys who are very hungry and very inspired to play their best tennis against me is an additional motivation,” Djokovic said on CBS News programme 60 Minutes.“I think they kind of awaken a beast in me.”Djokovic beat Alcaraz in three of their four meetings this year - including the French Open semi-finals where the Spaniard suffered full-body cramps - but the Serb said his young rival had become a real threat.“He’s as a complete of a player as I have seen in ages,” Djokovic said, adding that he used his defeat in the Wimbledon final as motivation for the US hardcourt swing, where he won at Cincinnati and Flushing Meadows.“It’s a great opportunity for me to reinvent myself and really push harder than I ever did.”WTA says no decision yeton 2024 Finals hostThe WTA is yet to decide on a venue for its 2024 season-ending Finals, the governing body of women’s tennis said, amid growing speculation the championship is headed to Saudi Arabia.Cancun was named the venue for this year’s edition less than two months before it began on October 29 and the Mexico event drew heavy criticism from world number two Aryna Sabalenka over the standard of organisation.Multiple media outlets have said the Finals are set to move to Saudi Arabia and the BBC reported that negotiations were in the late stages with both parties keen on a multi-year deal.“We are in discussions with various groups surrounding the 2024 WTA Finals and beyond and have not made any decisions at this time,” a WTA spokesperson said in an email.“As with all WTA decisions, we are working closely with players and focused on continuing to build a strong future for women’s tennis.”Shenzhen hosted the 2019 edition as part of a lucrative 10-year deal but the event was cancelled the following year due to Covid-19 and moved to Guadalajara, Mexico in 2021.The tournament was expected to return to Shenzhen from 2022 but the WTA suspended tournaments in China due to concerns over the treatment of former doubles world number one Peng Shuai.Fort Worth, Texas hosted the tournament that year and drew sparse crowds.The men’s ATP Tour said in August its Next Gen Finals for under-21 players would be held in Jeddah from 2023-2027, marking its first official tournament in the Gulf state.Saudi Arabia has pumped huge amounts of money into various sports including soccer, Formula One, boxing and golf.

Experts addressed the challenges in developing vaccines and making them available at a global level during a panel discussion at Doha Forum 2023 Monday.The session on 'Vaccine Innovation and Global Health Resilience: Lessons from Covid-19 and Beyond' highlighted two major challenges in vaccine development and implementation.“They are vaccine hesitation and global supply of vaccine,” said Prof Adrian Hill, director of Oxford University’s Jenner Institute. “There should be ways to address these challenges for effective implementation of vaccines all across the world.”“Billions of doses of vaccines were developed, but there was no equality in the supply and distribution of it globally,” he said. “Africa suffered very badly. When 75% of Americans were vaccinated, only 4% of Africans were vaccinated.”“We can’t allow that to happen again,” Prof Hill added. “Co-ordinated efforts are needed to prevent this happening again in case of another major breakout of any disease."Another issue, he said, is vaccine hesitation.“There is a lack of understanding of what vaccines offer, and this should be done away in the future,” Prof Hill said. “And in the education process, *there is the lack of an) understanding of risk. Vaccines are in the least category of risks.”He noted that coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines were developed at a faster rate as there was great support, funding and global understanding of the need for vaccine.“It was also a great learning experience. We can develop vaccines much faster, and we did it,” Prof Hill said.“Developing the malaria vaccine took more than 17 years. We are in a position to develop vaccine at a faster rate now,” he continued. “We have technologies and several types of vaccines.”“Earlier, nobody had the right financing, support and the regulatory activities responses that we had during the Covid-19 pandemic,” Prof Hill said. “Under a year, we could develop three different vaccines.”Dr Abdullatif al-Khal, head of Infectious Diseases and senior consultant at the Hamad Medical Corporation, noted that building resilience at the national level as well as healthcare levels are needed to meet any emergency scenario.“Health systems may have to deal with pandemics in future,” he noted. “Building resilience for future causes can be money-saving, as we invest in health infrastructure and preventive programmes. This enhances the resilience of the country automatically.”Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria board chair Roslyn Morauta said that there was great unity among agencies to work on Covid-19 vaccines.“All the agencies worked together, (more) than ever before,” she said. “We have to get a mechanism that vaccines are made available to low- and middle- income countries at the earliest.”“Our organisation spends one-third of our money – about $1.5bn – every year on programmes for strengthening healthcare,” Morauta highlighted.Bangladesh Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr AK Abdul Momen gave a detailed account of his country’s efforts and success in fighting Covid-19.The session was moderated by World Innovation Summit for Health chief executive Sultana Afdhal.

In recent years, many policymakers thought they had found the perfect formula for implementing climate-friendly policies without facing difficult political tradeoffs: massive subsidies. This strategy, often associated with US President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), has influenced several Western countries.Historically, mainstream economists believed that the best way to facilitate a green transition was to establish a carbon price through taxation or quotas and then leave the relevant economic decisions to private actors. Unsurprisingly, many economists have criticised the IRA as a less efficient method of allocating resources. But they missed important aspects of policies based on green industrial subsidies.Such policies managed to overcome some of the political obstacles that have hindered climate policymaking. They raised hopes that industrial interests, security concerns, and environmental priorities could be aligned. They balance voters’ deep concerns about climate change and workers’ demands for reindustrialisation, and even serve some purely economic objectives.From a macroeconomic perspective, when interest rates were at historically low levels, debt-financed programmes could offer economies traumatised by the Covid-19 crisis and the fear of protracted secular stagnation with a much-needed boost in aggregate demand. From a microeconomic perspective, such programmes can be expected to accelerate innovation in specific fields.But the limitations of this doctrine are becoming increasingly apparent. First, financial conditions have changed. The green investments France needs to make by 2030 are estimated at 2% of GDP, half of which is expected to come from the public sector. These figures are in line with other estimates for similar countries. Given the rise in interest rates, additional fiscal scrutiny is needed to accommodate these investments.Second, subsidies alone cannot bring our climate targets within reach. The risk lies in potentially increasing the use of clean energy without dramatically reducing the use of fossil fuels. Regrettably, this is the current global trend.Third, from a political standpoint, while green industries are necessary, they do not immediately create a constituency large enough to counter the public backlash against new restrictions. This challenge is evident in Germany, where the government recently had to moderate its plan to phase out fossil-fuel heating systems, and in The Netherlands, where a plan to cut nitrogen emissions triggered a similar reaction.A revised doctrine is needed. While key aspects of green industrial policies should be maintained and even enhanced, amendments and additions are essential. Crucially, fiscal policy must be reformed. In an age of monetary tightening, public debt related to climate policies should be differentiated. France is set to do this at the local level, but progress is also needed at the national and European levels. This could involve either additional European Union investment or amending the EU’s fiscal rules.To generate additional resources, it is necessary to reduce “brown” subsidies and raise certain taxes, through international co-ordination. Potential measures include expanding carbon border adjustment mechanisms and increasing contributions from the maritime and air transport sectors.By publicly committing to a long-term strategy to finance and deliver climate investments, governments could more easily influence the investment decisions of private companies and households and facilitate coordination of fiscal and industrial policy across national borders. Annual budgets do not provide the visibility we need. The French Parliament has already passed a bill mandating such a measure.A detailed roadmap is also needed. To reconcile climate objectives, economic sustainability, and political support, all policy instruments must be harmonised. To this end, French President Emmanuel Macron’s second term has been marked by the introduction of a new approach: environmental planning.This strategy emerged from recognizing the shortcomings of relying too heavily on carbon pricing, especially after the 2019 increase in gasoline and diesel taxes sparked the “yellow vest” protests, driven by people who were dependent on gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles and felt abandoned. While acknowledging that market forces cannot produce alternatives quickly enough to meet social needs, environmental planning also recognises the limitations of relying solely on subsidies.The French approach is based on meticulously mapping out all the necessary actions to cut the country’s greenhouse-gas emissions by 55% (compared to 1990 levels) by 2030. When it comes to areas like housing renovations, electric cars, and industrial decarbonisation, feasible solutions already exist and primarily require scaling up or incremental improvements. There are only rare cases where breakthrough innovations are required. Clean electricity production will be boosted with nuclear and renewables, while energy efficiency will also play an important role.Achieving climate goals requires a combination of instruments. For example, in the housing sector, the French government has provided poor and middle-class households with massive subsidies to insulate their homes. It has incentivised others by gradually introducing a ban on rental properties that need urgent renovations. Additionally, it has set ambitious industrial-policy targets, particularly for the domestic production of heat pumps.To be sure, there is still a long way to go to achieve a greener economy. The coming year will serve as a crucial test for many Western countries, with elections in the United States, the EU, and the United Kingdom occurring amid escalating political tensions over environmental issues.Several factors are crucial to preventing popular opposition to climate policies and encouraging uptake of clean solutions, such as electric vehicles. While the negative impact of policy changes is often explicit, positive outcomes remain implicit. For example, European governments announced that new gasoline-and diesel-powered cars will be banned by 2035 but have struggled to provide even an estimated price for electric vehicles. Clearer commitments must be made, given that citizens comparing the current prices of gasoline- and diesel-powered cars to electric vehicles are understandably concerned.Moreover, public engagement must play a central role, as the phaseout of fossil-fuel vehicles will require extensive plans for retraining automobile workers and supporting small businesses. Geographic differentiation and renewed urban planning are also needed to reduce long commutes that force people to depend on cheap fuel.Lastly, we must strive for fairness. To counter the populist narrative of elites evading restrictions imposed on the middle class, the super-rich should contribute more than the general public. As a symbolic gesture and proof of concept, the EU could announce ambitious plans for regulating the private-jet industry and hastening its clean-energy transformation.This is just a small part of the broader reinvention we urgently need. By focusing solely on carbon prices and industrial subsidies, policymakers had hoped to sidestep tough political choices. But both approaches have proved inadequate, both socially and economically. Climate policies must move away from the ages of green taxes and subsidies and enter the age of politics.— Project SyndicatelDavid Amiel, a member of the French National Assembly, is Special Rapporteur of the Budget for Environmental Policies, and a member of the Finance Committee and the European Affairs Committee. He coordinated the conception of French President Emmanuel Macron’s campaign platforms in 2017 and 2022 and is a former policy adviser to the president (2017-19).

The seventh Doha Forum on Democracy, Development and Free Trade and the eighth edition covered a wide range of issues related to the Arab world, including politics, development, security, free trade, information, culture, education, modern technology, and globalization, and their roles in introducing economic growth and democratic change into the region. The two editions also dealt with visions about the present and future, global stability and security, development projects, modern trends and future transformations, common markets, and others.The 9th Doha Forum 2009 saw politics being separated from economics with the forum held in parallel with the Enriching the Middle East's Economic Future Conference. During that edition, the Doha Agreement was hammered out between the Republics of Sudan and Chad, a deal that paved the way for the normalization of relations between the two countries, and created an atmosphere of trust for further negotiations and cooperation. This edition and the subsequent one covered topics such as society, media, and democracy, while the conference discussed issues related to global development, economy, trade, and investment.The 11th and 12th editions mainly focused on the Arab Spring revolutions and the political reform mechanisms amid the historical events that were sweeping the region at the time, particularly enriching the economic future of the Middle East. The deliberations also touched on the necessity to reform international organizations, such as the UN, and the role they can play in development at the national level, as well as the global political scene and transformations in the Middle East, the economic reasons behind discontent, digital media and satellite channels, and the US stance on the then developments in the Middle East. Given the crucial political, economic, social, financial, strategic and human issues in a region witnessing the most important changes in its contemporary history high on its agenda, the two editions saw a surge of participants from nearly 100 countries in each edition. The attendees discussed the absence of the concept of citizenship in light of ethnic and racial pluralism, foreign hegemony, the Wests bias towards the Israeli entity, in addition to the future of peace in the Middle East, political changes and civil rights in the region, the role of the media in change, the challenges facing democracy in the Arab Spring countries, the challenges facing new democracies in the Middle East, the importance of institutional reform in the post-Arab Spring era, and the challenges and opportunities posed by digital media between acts of cyber warfare and digital diplomacy. During its16th edition, the three-day Doha Forum discussed ways to achieve regional and global stability and prosperity amid key challenges facing todays world in the fields of defense, security, economy, energy, and civil society issues. The 17th Doha Forum, themed ''Development, Stability, and Refugee Issues'', discussed ways to achieve regional and global stability and prosperity and confront the challenges obscuring world stability, especially with the armed conflicts, terrorism, extremism, poverty, and unemployment hitting the region and the world prompting the need for thorough discussions of the roots of these issues and ways to reach the peoples' aspirations for development, stability, justice and human peace in its economic, environmental and societal dimensions. The 18th Doha Forum, under the theme "Policy-Making in an Interconnected World", launched a new visual identity and devised new partnerships with a group of prestigious international institutions concerned with policies around the world. This edition's logo was designed to enhance and unify its identity and strengthen its global presence and reputation in the field of policy formulation. The logo also reflected the efforts made to consolidate Doha Forum's position at the forefront of global policy making, promote vital dialogues, and benefit from the diverse backgrounds and experiences enjoyed by the participants and speakers.The Doha Forum 2019 saw the launch of Doha Forum: Youth Edition, in cooperation with the Qatar Debate Center with over 3,000 participants at that time from worldwide discussing and submitting recommendations on the topics on its agenda. Following the Covid-19 pandemic crisis, Doha Forum convened in March 2022, under the theme "Transforming for a New Era", with a focus on four basic areas: geopolitical alliances and international relations, the financial system and economic development, defense, cybersecurity, food security, and sustainability and climate change. For the first time in its history, this edition included a special version of the "Global Reboot" podcast, which was produced in partnership with Foreign Policy magazine, and hosted global leaders and prominent partners. It also witnessed the presence of more than 4,000 guests, including over 300 speakers from 117 countries who participated in more than 80 sessions, round tables, interactive exhibitions and media meetings over two days. On Dec. 10 and 11, the 21st Doha Forum will be held at the Sheraton Hotel, themed "Building Shared Futures", bringing together political leaders, heads of government and ministers from various countries of the world, staging an opportunity to exchange opinions, ideas and constructive dialogue. This year's event will host new partners from Latin America and East Asia in order to expand the base of discussions, and it will highlight four main axes - International Relations and Security, Economic Policy and Development, Cyber Security, Data Privacy, and Artificial Intelligence, Sustainability. The event will also feature expanded discussions on the latest developments in the region, especially in the Palestinian territories and the Gaza Strip, as well as current regional and international issues.This year's forum will include 18 main sessions and dialogue sessions, 35 side sessions, in addition to round tables and workshops.(QNA)

The recent developments in commodity markets do not signal robust global economic strength, despite the strength in the U.S. consumption sector and the acceleration of the American economy in the third quarter of 2023, according to QNB.The bank said that the sharp correction in prices of cyclical commodities indicates more growth headwinds. Meanwhile, precious metal prices hint at increased demand for safe-haven assets. The report emphasized the heightened uncertainty in global economic forecasts, with commodity prices suggesting that the worst phase in economic activity hasn't ended yet. It also noted that commodity markets have been experiencing unprecedented volatility and disruptions since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. The shocks in these markets have been substantial, with prices fluctuating between highs and lows relatively quickly in recent years.The bank said that the negative demand shock triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic led to deflationary pressures, rapidly driving commodity prices to their lowest levels in several decades. The Bloomberg Commodity Index, a key indicator for general commodity price movements, witnessed a decline from January to late April 2020. However, substantial stimulus policies later spurred a significant recovery in the global economy, supporting basic commodity prices.It noted that, after a period of strong economic recovery, global demand surplus, combined with supply shortages and the shock from the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, led to a surge in prices in late 2021 and early 2022, reaching their peak from mid-last year until the end, before a significant corrective phase. The slowdown in Chinese economic performance, high inflation affecting real incomes, and an unexpected increase in oil supplies due to strategic inventory utilization were cited as reasons behind this. The report emphasized that price movements provide essential insights into the global economy, reflecting trends in sentiments and inflation, often acting as indicators for forthcoming expectations.The prices seem incongruent with the soft landing scenario, suggesting at least a mild recession in major advanced economies. This is evident in the significant correction seen in highly volatile commodities such as energy and essential metals. In the energy sector, Brent crude oil prices dropped by 37% from their recent peak, although they still remain slightly higher than pre-pandemic levels. As for essential metals and forest products, copper and lumber prices, vital indicators for activity in China and the U.S., tumbled from their recent highs, indicating that headwinds continue to dominate global growth expectations despite the recent acceleration in the U.S. economy.Secondly, precious metal prices point towards global economic weakness. While gold prices near all-time highs, silver, crucial for new economy sectors like technology and clean energy industries, are significantly lower than their recent highs, signaling a notable decrease in recent months due to cyclical factors.Thirdly, the alignment of robust gold prices with declining 10-year U.S. Treasury yields in recent months suggests growing investor belief in heightened uncertainty and further global economic slowdown. While gold seems disconnected from inflation trends post-pandemic, it remains a traditional safe-haven asset amid uncertainty and negative macro developments.In conclusion, the bank's weekly commentary said that recent movements in commodity markets indicate a lack of global macroeconomic strength despite robust U.S. consumer trends and the re-acceleration of the world's largest economy in the previous quarter. The significant correction in cyclically affected commodities and the high demand for safe-haven precious metals reflect prevailing uncertainties. The prevailing uncertainty in commodity prices indicates that the downturn in economic activity might not be over yet. (QNA)

A case report by some Qatar-based researchers points out though vaccines are broadly safe, some rare, life-threatening side effects have been reported in the recent past, and myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) is one of them.The authors of the report have described the case of a Covid-19 mRNA vaccine-induced myocarditis in a young male. The report, originally published in the Journal of Emergency Medicine, Trauma and Acute Care, is currently featured on Qscience.com.The authors of the report are : Muhammad Abd Ur Rehman, Hamid Ilyas and Junaid Iqbal from the Emergency Department of Hamad Medical Corporation; Syed Haris Huda, Emergency Department, Sidra Medicine; Hina Akram, Department of Public Health, Qatar University; and Mohamed Maryam al-Kuwari and Samah Mohamed from the Department of Radiology, Heart Hospital.The report cites the case of a 22-year-old male, non-smoker with no previous medical history presented to the emergency department after experiencing palpitations. He complained of the gradual onset of chest discomfort along with shortness of breath. He was admitted to the hospital due to raised cardiac enzymes and a concerning echocardiogram.His general physical examination, including chest and cardiovascular examinations, was unremarkable. The electrocardiogram showed a normal sinus rhythm with no ischemic changes. Three days earlier, he had received the third dose of the BNT-162b2 mRNA vaccine for Covid-19. The patient was discharged home with instructions to present to the emergency department in case of a recurrence of symptoms.The next day, he presented to the emergency department with complaints of two episodes of severe palpitations that lasted for about eight to 10 minutes with some chest discomfort. The report said: “He was afebrile, with a heart rate of 75 beats per minute, a blood pressure of 127/79 mmHg, a respiratory rate of 18 breaths per minute, and an oxygen saturation of 99%. The ECG was again unremarkable, with no changes signifying arrhythmia or ischemia.”Due to his second presentation, he was kept under observation for blood investigations and cardiac monitoring. His blood count, random blood glucose, electrolytes, renal, and thyroid function tests were within normal limits. On the contrary, his troponin T level was 1521 ng/L. By this time, the patient was symptomatic. He was given dual antiplatelets and was admitted to cardiology for further assessment of raised troponin T.An urgent transthoracic echocardiography revealed a normal left ventricular ejection fraction of 57% with some regional wall motion abnormalities. A computed topographic coronary angiography was done and there was no evidence of coronary artery disease in the angiography. This was followed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, which reported subtle hyperemia of the basal-to-mid anterolateral wall and the apical lateral segments in the early images following intravenous gadolinium, while the late images showed subepicardial and endocardial mid-wall enhancement at the basal inferolateral and the base-to-apical lateral walls. These findings were suggestive of myocarditis.“Magnetic resonance imaging the following day revealed myocarditis. There have been multiple cases of myocarditis reported in the literature owing to the Covid-19 mRNA vaccine. This case stands out because of the presence of regional wall motion anomalies in the echocardiogram, which is an unusual finding in patients with myocarditis. We recommend keeping a low threshold for investigating young patients presenting with cardiovascular symptoms who have received a recent Covid-19 mRNA vaccine,” the report highlighted.The authors note that myocarditis has emerged as a rare but significant adverse effect of mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccines. “Although the vaccines are broadly safe, we should not overlook the rare, life-threatening side effects of the vaccines. Intravenous glucocorticoids and RAAS (Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system) antagonists are the recommended treatments for milder cases, while the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is discouraged. Severe cases are treated on the lines of heart failure,” the report concluded.

Like many young people growing up in Sardinia, Davide Sanna loved Italian cuisine and wanted to have a successful career as a chef. But to do so, he had to move to New York.Sanna had worked in kitchens on the Mediterranean island and in northern Italy for four years, starting when he was only 19. But he was toiling 60 hours a week to take home just €1,800 ($1,963.26) a month, at best. In the busy summer season, he’d be at the stove every day for two months, without a break.Then a fellow chef put him in contact with a restaurateur looking for cooks in New York, Sanna said. He accepted without giving it a second thought.For the past year, the 25-year-old has cooked at Piccola Cucina, an Italian restaurant in Manhattan’s glitzy SoHo district, home to designer boutiques and high-end art galleries. In New York, he can pull down $7,000 a month, working a 50-hour week.“Here there are regular contracts, nothing in the ‘black’,” said Sanna, using the Italian slang for undeclared labour. “And, if you work a minute extra, you’re paid for it. It’s not like that in Italy.”Italy’s food is famous the world over but many talented young chefs, hoping to make a career in their country, find themselves frustrated by low pay, lack of labour protection and scant prospects. Since the launch of Europe’s single currency 25 years ago, Italy has been the eurozone’s most sluggish economy.Star chefs like Massimo Bottura, who runs the Osteria Francescana in Modena, are reinventing Italian cuisine. But, given its rich culinary tradition, Italy arguably finds itself under-represented by top-class restaurants. It has 13 with three Michelin stars — the prestigious guide book’s highest ranking — the same number as Spain. Japan, meanwhile, has 21, and France boasts 29.The current outflow of Italian chefs due to difficult conditions at home is not a new phenomenon.Italians began taking pizza and pasta to the world during mass emigration in the late 19th century. The popularity of Italian cuisine in Europe and the United States grew as more immigrants arrived after World War Two.But the number of young Italian leaving to seek work in faster-growing economies has been steadily rising for decades — though the trend was briefly interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Emigration, and a low birth rate, has contributed to a mounting demographic crisis: Italy’s population of 59mn is shrinking.Much of the emigration has come from the Mediterranean islands of Sicily and Sardinia, as well as Italy’s economically underdeveloped south — the ‘mezzogiorno’.Roberto Gentile, a 25-year-old chef from Sicily, has worked for the last two years cooking French food at Le Suquet, a two-star-Michelin restaurant near Toulouse, after previous jobs in Britain and Spain.Despite his passion for Italian cuisine and the sentimental desire to go back to what Italians call the Bel Paese (the beautiful country), Gentile said the economic disincentives were too strong to consider returning.“After gaining experience abroad and reaching a high level, you would hope to go back to Italy and find a suitable role and salary, but that doesn’t happen,” he said. “Where do I see myself in five years’ time? Not in Italy!”Giorgia Di Marzo decided to take a chance and return to Italy in 2018, after working in Britain as a chef and restaurant manager for eight years. The 36-year-old said she wanted put down roots and be closer to her family.But an offer of just €1,200 ($1,284.84) a month to work 50 hours a week in a restaurant in Milan made no sense for her. Wages in Italy have declined over the past 30 years, adjusted for inflation — the only country in Europe where that has happened.Instead, Di Marzo opened her own eatery in her native Gaeta, a seaside town between Rome and Naples that has been a resort dating back to the Roman Empire. But soon, she ran into trouble.Last year, rising costs forced her to close for three months during the winter low season and she could not get a loan from her bank for a sector considered at risk after the Covid pandemic.“I stay afloat, but I can only offer seasonal contracts,” she said. “I can’t ensure work for my employees all year round.”Eating out is part of everyday life in Italy. It has 156,000 restaurants and takeaway food outlets, the second most in Europe after France, data from international industry research group IBISWorld shows.But the ratio of new restaurants opening to existing ones closing has been negative for each of the last six years in Italy, according to the sector’s business lobby FIPE, amid high taxes, endless red tape and the difficult economic backdrop.For many restaurateurs, the answer is not to declare their workers at all and a large ‘shadow economy’ is rife in the restaurant business. Undeclared work accounts for around a fifth of the Italian private sector’s output, well above a European Union average of 15%, according European Labour Authority statistics.Such undeclared work is particularly rife in the hospitality sector, Italian economic data shows.Italians take their food very seriously, not just as nourishment and pleasure, but an important part of their regional and national identity.Typical dishes include tortellini in broth from the northern Emilia region, spaghetti alla carbonara from central regions around Rome, and pasta alla Norma in Sicily. Naples is the original home of pizza.A peep into the kitchens of even the most traditional Italian restaurants shows the local dishes are often prepared by low-paid immigrants.One such is Julio, a 31-year-old Peruvian who declined to give his surname because he has no work permit.He prepares pizza and pasta in a Rome restaurant, working 48 hours a week for a monthly salary of €1,400-1,600 “always in the black”.While similar situations are found in other developed nations, in Italy it is a relatively new phenomenon, with mass immigration only beginning around three decades ago.Fifty-year-old Francesco Mazzei trained as a chef in his home region of Calabria in Italy’s southern toe, and then in Rome, before leaving 27 years ago for London where he arrived “without even money for cigarettes”.He honed his art for two decades in Britain and around the world and in 2008 opened his own renowned restaurant, called L’Anima, in London’s financial district.That launched a career which has seen him open other eateries in London and Malta and establish himself as a restaurant entrepreneur and consultant.“I could never have done any of this in Italy,” he told Reuters.“In England you have a chance to do business, a cook does not cost you twice as much as you pay him,” he said, referring to high Italian social charges and taxes on labour. Partly for this reason, young chefs in Italy take home half the salary of their peers in Britain while working longer hours, Mazzei said.British people have become knowledgeable about Italian food, even learning about regional differences, he said, so he preferred to hire Italian chefs to satisfy an increasingly demanding clientele.“We Italians have cooking in our blood. We’re the only people in the world who ask ‘what shall we eat this evening’ while they are having lunch,” Mazzei said.Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government has set up a ministry for food sovereignty as part of a drive to boost national pride. The minister, Francesco Lollobrigida, suggested in March establishing a task force of tasters to monitor quality standards in Italian restaurants around the world, to avoid chefs getting recipes wrong or using ingredients that aren’t Italian.But the government has also facilitated the temporary and informal work arrangements that blight the restaurant sector in Italy, and it opposes calls for a minimum wage.Antonio Bassu, a 28-year-old Sardinian chef who works in a high-end restaurant in Barcelona, said Spanish salaries were lower than in northern Europe but working conditions were still far better than back home.A chef in Spain can expect a regular open-ended contract based on 40 hours per week with two days off, he said, unlike in Italy where they are likely to be hired on a temporary contract, if there is a contract at all.“Here you don’t have to beg for what you get,” Bassu said.— Reuters

Carlos Queiroz has parted company with Qatar’s national team less than a year after signing a four-year contract to coach the Asian champions and with little more than a month until the nation hosts the Asian Cup, with Marquez Lopez named as his replacement.The former Real Madrid and Portugal head coach took over as the long-term replacement for Felix Sanchez in February after Qatar’s disappointing performance in the 2022 World Cup on home soil in which they suffered three defeats in three matches in the group stage.“The Qatar Football Association has announced that Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz’s tenure as head coach of the Qatar national team has ended amicably by mutual agreement between the two parties,” the QFA said in a statement.“The QFA expresses its sincere gratitude to coach Queiroz for his unwavering dedication, leadership, and contributions during his tenure as the head coach of the national team. We wish him success in his future endeavours.”QFA did not elaborate on the reasons behind the move. The QFA have announced 61-year-old Marquez Lopez as his successor. The Spaniard is currently in charge of Qatari club side Al Wakrah. “The coach will be in charge of the Qatar national team at the 2023 Asian Cup, which will be hosted in Qatar next year,” the QFA said. “The QFA expresses gratitude and appreciation to Al Wakrah Sports Club for their co-operation and consent in facilitating Coach Marquez Lopez’s appointment as the national team head coach for the upcoming period.”Queiroz oversaw wins over Afghanistan and India in November in the second round of Asia’s preliminaries for the next World Cup, with the Qatar chasing one of eight berths available for teams from the continent at the expanded 48-team finals.In the aftermath of the Afghanistan victory, Queiroz wrote on Instagram that his team’s performance had been “competent, serious and ambitious”. “What’s next? We want to do more and better. We want to train and be better prepared... Now we start our pre-preparation camp for the Asia Cup,” he added. In all, over 12 matches with Qatar, Queiroz’s record stands at five wins, two draws and five losses.Qatar won their first Asian Cup title under Sanchez in 2019 and the country is due to defend the trophy on home soil next month, when they have been drawn to face China, Tajikistan and Lebanon in the group phase. Qatar is hosting the continental championship after original hosts China relinquished the rights due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Top decision makers, internationally renowned experts, and dignitaries gathered on Wednesday to reflect on the key events in the energy industry of the passing year and discuss what might be significant in the coming months during the latest Al-Attiyah Foundation CEO Roundtable.The high-profile event, titled ‘Reflecting on 2023 and Shaping Climate Action in 2024’, was moderated by broadcaster, Axel Threlfall, and featured guest speakers Professor Paul Stevens, Professor Emeritus at the University of Dundee and distinguished fellow at the Institute of Energy Economics Japan (IEEJ); Professor Graham Weale, Professor of Energy Economics at Ruhr University Bochum; Alan Gelder, VP Refining, Chemicals and Oil Markets at Wood Mackenzie; Robin Mills, CEO at Qamar Energy; and Chris Gentle, Senior Advisor, Partnerships and New Ventures at the World Energy Council.The “trilemma for energy” formed the basis of the session’s analysis of trends witnessed over the past 12 months and predictions for 2024. The trilemma is a framework of three objectives that energy policymakers need to balance, and which is often used as a guide in designing energy policy. The trilemma comprises sustainability, which involves decarbonising energy; security which seeks to ensure the security and reliability of energy supplies; and affordability which involves minimising the cost of energy to consumers.Concerning the sustainability segment, guests spoke of how stakeholders are increasingly demanding greater accountability from companies across sectors, challenging them to keep pace with rapidly evolving environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting guidelines.It was also noted, the major effect of ongoing global political tensions has been supply chain disruptions. With European nations facing the challenge of lessening dependencies on Russian gas, minimising supply shortages and disruptions while prioritising energy efficiency and conservation has been thrust front and centre.As less efficient supply chains contributed to general inflation in project engineering supplies, central banks responded by raising interest rates, further influencing project economics. However, there are indications that these rates and inflation may have plateaued, with an expected decline to 6.6% in 2023 and 4.3% in 2024, though still above pre-pandemic levels.Guests also speculated on the lingering and indirect impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on a global scale. China's adherence to its zero-Covid strategy, marked by lockdowns and stringent controls, continued to hamper manufacturing output and delay ocean freight during 2023.Sourcing from Chinese manufacturers was chief among supply chain risks in 2023, according to analytics firm Everstream’s annual risk report. The analysis gave a 90% risk score to the possibility of delays and cancellations from China-based suppliers, noting the continued likelihood of localised Covid-19 disruptions in the country.Speaking at the event, HE Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah, chairman of the board of trustees of the Al-Attiyah Foundation and former Minister of Energy and Industry of Qatar, said: “It was wonderful to hear expert insights from guest speakers and attendees reflecting on the past year and look forward to 2024. We find ourselves standing at the crossroads of energy and sustainability.“The events of 2023, as discussed in this CEO Roundtable, underscore the intricate dance of the ‘trilemma for energy’ – a delicate balance between sustainability, security, and affordability. In this dynamic landscape, where uncertainties persist, we must navigate towards a future that embraces sustainability without compromising security and affordability.”

The Qatar Classic Cars contest and exhibition 2023 kicked off at The Pearl Island Wednesday featuring an array of extremely rare and vintage vehicles by prominent collectors in the country. The event, under the patronage of Qatar Museums chairperson HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and organised by the Gulf Qatari Classic Cars Association in partnership with United Development Company (UDC), will run until December 10 at Medina Centrale. The five-day show marks the culmination of a series of significant and esteemed events in Qatar. Notably, Qatar hosted the Geneva International Motor Show recently for the first time, alongside the Formula One. The Gulf Qatari Classic Cars Association chairman HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani, said: “Today, we are pleased to announce the launch of a new edition of the Qatar Classic Cars contest and exhibition 2023, which now occupies a spot atop the annual events calendar, and it has become the ultimate forum for classic car owners in Qatar and the region to showcase their best in show.” This event has consistently sought to create a platform for owners of classic cars, fostering the preservation of heritage, legacy, and history passed down through generations, he noted. According to Sheikh Faisal, the organisation strives to cultivate a community of knowledgeable and conscientious collectors equipped with the skills required to uphold and maintain this heritage. By immersing them in educational, artistic, and cultural experiences, he noted that the association endeavours to offer comprehensive social, cultural, and artistic services. The Gulf Qatari Classic Cars Association vice chairman Omar Hussein Alfardan, underlined the ongoing efforts to enhance the association's activities, aiming for it to serve as the benchmark for organising events of this nature. “The Qatar Classic Cars contest and exhibition has received great attention at the state level, as the event this year is held under the patronage of QM chairperson HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, who provided great support to enable the event to reach the highest levels of success,” he said. Speaking to Gulf Times, Alfardan said that he has actively participated in and organised this event, which he stressed, has remarkably persisted even throughout the challenging times of the Covid pandemic. He said they witnessed a consistent growth in both participation and the number of enthusiasts, with a surge in passionate individuals keen on exploring the history, culture, and design language of classic cars. Alfardan underscored the key role of the event in attracting visitors, both local and international, further boosting the country’s tourism sector. It is also actively establishing a heritage and tourism forum, featuring classic historical cars. In addition, it aims to acquaint audiences from diverse cultures with the significance of collecting classic cars, a pursuit that has garnered unprecedented global interest. He added that this year, the Classic Cars competition will take place “in the presence of arbitrators from the World Classic Car Federation and within the standards set by the Federation to raise the competition to the ranks of international competitions that specialise in this type of car.” The Gulf Qatari Classic Cars Association board member Sheikh Nawaf bin Nasser bin Khalid al-Thani, commended the notable increase in participation in this major event, now holding a prominent position at the top of Qatar's events calendar. UDC president, CEO and board member Ibrahim Jassim al-Othman, lauded the huge turnout during the event launch, which he says reflects the community’s interest in the classic car sector. “We have witnessed the development of the Qatar Classic Cars contest and exhibition over the years since its launch, and we are pleased to be part of this vital legacy,” he said, noting that they are pleased to host the event’s 2023 edition once again at The Pearl Island," he added.

Qatar’s manufacturing industry has witnessed rapid development in recent years, showing potential growth in the export of locally-made products, a top executive of a retail group has said. Dr Mohamed Althaf, director of LuLu Group International, explained that just as the Covid-19 pandemic caused disruptions in the e-commerce industry, the 2017 blockade had a similar positive impact on driving the ‘Made in Qatar’ trademark to the forefront. Dr Althaf noted that there was a shift in Qatar’s Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector from bulk importing and packaging to scratch manufacturing. “Local products are now being manufactured from the very basic components to the most advanced level, including packaging, within Qatar itself,” Dr Althaf pointed out, citing an increase in the number of national products on LuLu Hypermarket shelves. Dr Althaf emphasised that the “remarkable progress” in Qatar’s FMCG sector, particularly in adopting scratch manufacturing and enhancing local production capabilities, would mean that companies in the country will not only be able to meet domestic demand but will also be capable of exporting their products in the future. He said: “As the capacity for this type of manufacturing increases, it is expected that there will be a rise in competition among companies in Qatar, as well. Dr Althaf also emphasised the progress and development among agriculture farms in Qatar, noting that these facilities are performing well commercially. “If you look at the agriculture industry here prior to the 2017 blockade, 50% of the farming activity here was recreational. It was never treated at that time as an important economic activity from a national perspective. Over the years, people understood their priorities and focused on what was important and this was a huge disruption. “It all started with commodity and seasonal products. But now, it has become fairly sophisticated, and in all speciality sectors. There are some 70 farming units in Qatar and they all run on a commercial basis,” Dr Althaf stressed, adding that “even without any other incentive, they can still become profitable, viable operations.” Earlier, LuLu, in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, launched the ‘National Product Week’ initiative, which concludes today, under the theme ‘Together, We Support the Qatari Product’. The initiative was designed to promote locally produced food and non-food items, supporting small Qatari businesses and entrepreneurs. In an earlier statement, Dr Althaf said: “This event has been growing each year, promoting a sense of connection with Qatar’s food heritage and contributing to our food security. Qatar has made remarkable progress in local production, with many items now locally produced. “This initiative is vital in maintaining momentum, especially in times of political crises and climate changes. We are partnering with more than 70 farmers in Qatar, showcasing our commitment to promoting Qatari products.” LuLu Group’s longstanding partnership with local farmers demonstrates its commitment to marketing local agricultural produce and its socio-economic commitment to the nation. The group, with a global presence, has been a pioneer in promoting Qatari products and farm produce, the statement added.

Consumption is one of the major engines of the US economy. Expenditures by households account for approximately 68% of GDP, and thus represent the most vital segment of the US economy. Therefore, it provides important information regarding the outlook of the overall economy, and of the likelihood of a soft or a hard landing, QNB stated in its latest economic commentary.The latest release of the national accounts for Q3-2023 showed its exceptional performance, expanding at an annual rate of 4%. To put this number into perspective, it is significantly higher than the 2.6% average in the five years before the Covid-19 pandemic. Similarly, retail sales adjusted for inflation have grown continuously since May, and remain 7.6% above their pre-pandemic trend, showing little signs of a slowdown.“But what is supporting these exceptional levels of consumption? And how much longer can the US households keep up with this pace? In this article, we discuss two main factors that will continue to support consumption in the coming months,” QNB stated.First, households have abundant resources to continue spending and a strong balance sheet that will continue to support consumption. During the Covid-19 pandemic, households built up savings at an extraordinary rate.This was a result of the closures and social distancing measures that constrained usual spending patterns, together with the government stimulus packages that injected $5tn into the economy.During the Covid-19 pandemic, between March 2020 and August 2021, the stock of “excess savings,” defined as the unusual accumulation of wealth above the pre-pandemic trend, reached approximately $2.1tn. These funds provided a persistent boost to consumption. Going forward, additional factors will add to excess savings to sustain the surge in spending, QNB stated.The Household Net Worth (HNW) statistics provide valuable information regarding assets and liabilities for an assessment of the US household balance sheet. In Q2-2023, the net worth of households increased by $5.5tn, reaching $154.3tn. This was mostly due to continuous capital appreciation from equity and real estate holdings, QNB stated.When expressed as a ratio of GDP, current levels of net worth are historically high, showing the solvency of American families. Absent a major correction in asset prices, the strong wealth effect and abundant available resources will continue to support resilient consumption.Second, labour markets remain tight and indications of weakening are still modest relative to the distinctive warning signals of a recession. The latest release of the unemployment rate stood at 3.9%, which shows some gradual softening relative to the minimum of 3.4% this year, but is still robust in historical comparison, QNB stated.In general, labour markets can deteriorate either because existing jobs are being eliminated at a faster rate, or if firms are creating new positions at a slower pace. Although job gains have moderated this year, they still continue to sustain a steady pace. In the last three months, nonfarm payrolls added an average 204,000 jobs per month, still slightly above the 150-200,000 range that is typically considered in line with a healthy rate of job creation, and higher than the pre-pandemic average of 177,000 during 2018-2019.In terms of job destruction, the data from the Job Openings and Labour Turnover Survey (JOLTS) shows a downward trend this year, while initial claims of unemployment insurance remain stable. Thus, labour markets remain supportive of household consumption, QNB stated.“All in all, we expect US consumption to remain firm in the coming months. The household balance sheet continues to provide a boost given positive wealth effects and the availability of funds for spending, while labour markets continue to offer abundant jobs. Given the importance of consumption, this reduces the likelihood of a sharp downturn in the US economy,” QNB stated.