DUBAI: The Omani government is developing a new program that will track private firms that fail to pay workers the correct wage on time.
Once launched, such a scheme would ultimately secure residents’ salaries, national news outlet, Times of Oman reported citing the country's Ministry of Manpower.
The government is “working on developing” a system that will automatically alert the ministry when private firms fail to pay salaries on time.
“Workers will no longer need to report to the Ministry of Manpower when they do not receive their salaries,” the ministry said in an online statement, adding: “As the wage protection program will notify the ministry of any delay by businesses to pay wages.”
The statement added that the aim of the program was to guarantee that workers received their wages for the exact amount agreed and always on time.
“The program is not active yet, but the ministry is still working on developing it,” a ministry spokesman told Times of Oman.
The report did not go into details of what would happen to firms that did fail to pay employees on time, but similar schemes set up in neighboring countries such as the UAE have involved heavy fines and other penalties.
Oman government developing program to guarantee residents’ salaries are paid on time
Oman government developing program to guarantee residents’ salaries are paid on time
Israel’s hostage forum releases AI-generated video of last Gaza captive
- The Gaza ceasefire, which came into effect in October, remains fragile with both sides alleging violations, and mediators fearing that Israel and Hamas alike are stalling
JERUSALEM: An Israeli group representing the families of Gaza hostages released on Tuesday an AI-generated video of Ran Gvili, the last captive whose body is still being held in the Palestinian territory.
The one-minute clip, created whole cloth using artificial intelligence, purports to depict Gvili as he sits in a Gaza tunnel and appeals to US President Donald Trump to help bring his body back to Israel.
“Mr President, I’m asking you to see this through: Please bring me home. My family deserves this. I deserve the right to be buried with honor in the land I fought for,” says the AI-generated image of Gvili.
Gvili was 24 at the time of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
He was an officer in Israel’s Yasam elite police unit and was on medical leave when he learnt of the attack.
He decided to leave his home and brought his gun to counter the Hamas militants.
He was shot in the fighting at the Alumim kibbutz before he was taken to Gaza.
Israeli authorities told Gvili’s parents in January 2024 that he had not survived his injuries.
The AI clip was released by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the main group representing those taken captive to Gaza.
The Forum said it was published with the approval of Gvili’s family.
“Seeing and hearing Rani speak in his own voice is both moving and heartbreaking. I would give anything to hear, see and hold him again,” Gvili’s mother Talik said, quoted by the Forum.
“But all I can do now is plead that they don’t move to the next phase of the agreement before bringing Rani home — because we don’t leave heroes behind.”
The Gaza ceasefire, which came into effect in October, remains fragile with both sides alleging violations, and mediators fearing that Israel and Hamas alike are stalling.
In the first stage, Palestinian militants were expected to return all of the remaining 48 living and dead hostages held in Gaza.
Since the ceasefire came into effect on October 10, militants have released 47 hostages.
In the next stages of the truce, Israel is supposed to withdraw from its positions in Gaza, an interim authority is to govern the Palestinian territory instead of Hamas, and an international stabilization force is to be deployed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet Trump in Florida later this month to discuss the second phase of the deal.
