UAE rolls out plan to invest in economy, liberalise laws
Dubai, Sep 5: The United Arab Emirates announced Sunday a major plan to stimulate its economy and liberalise stringent residency laws for expatriates, as the country seeks to overhaul its finances and attract foreign residents and capital.
The country's plan to lure foreign talent reflects a growing contrast with the other oil-rich economies of the Persian Gulf that are becoming increasingly protectionist.
Although many of the Emirati ministers' promised overhauls remained vague at a press conference, their intentions to boost spending after the devastation of the pandemic and loosen laws to draw more residents was clear.
Abdulla bin Touq, the minister of the economy, pledged that the Emirati government would pour some USD 13.6 billion into the economy over the next year. He laid out a raft of investment opportunities for countries to boost development by 10 per cent in the coming years.
We are confident that these projects in the support of investment will make (the UAE) one of the most competent economies in the world, he proclaimed at the government's first large in-person press conference since the pandemic.
The UAE for years since its independence has tied employment to residency status, giving employers outsized power and forcing people to immediately leave the country once they lost their jobs.
The new plans give residents more time to seek other jobs after termination, allow youth over age 15 to gain employment as they live with their parents, and enable widows and divorced couples to live longer without visa restrictions in the country.
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Bill to regulate deepfakes tabled in Lok Sabha
New Delhi (PTI): A Private Member's Bill seeking a clear legal framework for regulation of deepfakes has been introduced in the Lok Sabha.
The Regulation of Deepfake Bill, introduced by Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Shinde in the House on Friday, aims to protect citizens by mandating prior consent from individuals depicted in deepfake content.
"Misuse of deepfakes for harassment, deception and misinformation has escalated, creating an urgent need for regulatory safeguards," Shinde said.
The Bill also lists penalties for offenders creating or disseminating deepfake content with malicious intent.
"With advancements in artificial intelligence and deep learning, deepfake technology has emerged as a significant tool for media manipulation. While the technology has potential applications in education, entertainment and creative fields, it also poses severe risks when misused, threatening individual privacy, national security and public trust," Shinde said in the statement of objects and reasons in the Bill.
The proposed Bill seeks to establish a clear legal framework to govern the creation, distribution and application of deepfakes in India, said Shinde, a three-term Lok Sabha member from Kalyan.
The Bill also seeks to establish the Deepfake Task Force, a dedicated body to combat national security implications and evaluate the influence of deepfakes on privacy, civic participation, and potential election interference.
The task force will collaborate with academic and private sector institutions to develop technologies that detect manipulated content, thereby promoting credibility in digital media.
The Bill also proposes to establish a fund to support public and private sector initiatives in the detection and deterrence of advanced image manipulation.
A Private Member's Bill is a procedure of Parliament that enables lawmakers, who are not ministers, to draw attention to issues that might not be represented in Government Bills or to highlight the issues and gaps in the existing legal framework that require legislative intervention.
