In a major relief for workers, Saudi Arabia has barred employers from charging domestic staff any fees, including recruitment, work permit, service transfer, and change of profession.

The provisions are outlined in the newly released Guide to the Rights and Obligations of Domestic Workers, issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.

Employers violating the rules face fines of up to SAR20,000 and a three-year ban on hiring domestic workers, while repeat offenders will face tougher penalties, according to Saudi Gazette. 

“The regulations include a package of rights that guarantee the domestic worker a decent life and a stable work environment,” read the publication. 

Under the new rules, domestic workers are guaranteed full pay, weekly rest, daily breaks, and one month of paid leave every two years.

They are also guaranteed the right to keep their personal documents, including passports and residency permits (iqama), without any interference from employers, it added.

Employers must provide suitable accommodation, meals or a cash allowance, healthcare coverage, and ensure workers can communicate freely with their families.

The guide also lists recognised professions within the domestic sector, such as drivers, home nurses, cooks, tailors, butlers, and house managers. It allows for new categories to be added as needed.

Aroad accident involving two buses on one of Uganda’s busiest highways killed at least 63 people and left others injured, police said on Wednesday.

The crash happened just after midnight on the highway between the capital Kampala and the northern city of Gulu.

Initial investigations suggest it was caused by two buses coming from opposite directions trying to overtake other vehicles, a lorry and a sport utility vehicle (SUV).

“In the process both buses met head-on during the overtaking manoeuvres,” the Uganda Police Force said in a statement on X. 

“Sixty-three people lost lives, all occupants from involved vehicles”.

US President Donald Trump said that he had told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi there should be no war with Pakistan, emphasizing that he had helped avert several conflicts through diplomacy and trade pressure.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office during Diwali celebrations, Trump extended his “warmest wishes to the people of India” and said he had “just spoken to your Prime Minister today.” He described the conversation as “great” and added, “We talked about trade… He’s very interested in that.”

Trump also discussed preventing conflict, stating, “Although we did talk a little while ago about let’s have no wars with Pakistan.” He highlighted commerce as a tool to ease tensions: “The fact that trade was involved, I was able to talk about that.”

He emphasized the outcome, saying, “And we have no war with Pakistan and India. That was a very, very good thing,” and praised Modi personally: “He’s a great person, and he’s become a great friend of mine over the years.”

Trump claimed he had prevented eight wars so far through “deals and trade,” including one between Pakistan and India. He recalled, “During the Pakistan-India conflict, seven planes were shot down.

I called both countries and told them that if they went to war, the United States would stop trading with them. Within 24 hours, they called back and said they didn’t want to fight.”

Trump has previously taken credit for helping defuse tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, who have fought three wars since independence and remain at odds over the disputed territory of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

In May, Pakistan and India engaged in a military showdown, the worst between the two nations in decades, sparked by a terrorist attack on tourists in IIOJK’s Pahalgam area, which New Delhi alleged was backed by Pakistan.

Islamabad denied involvement in the attack, which killed 26 people and was the worst assault on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

After the incident, India killed several innocent civilians in unprovoked attacks on Pakistan for three days before the Pakistan Armed Forces retaliated in defence with the successful Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos.

Pakistan downed six IAF fighter jets, including three Rafale, and dozens of drones. After at least 87 hours, the war between the two nuclear-armed nations ended on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the US.

Trump added that energy was also part of the discussion, saying Modi assured him that India would be limiting its oil purchases from Russia.

“He’s not going to buy much oil from Russia. He wants to see that war end as much as I do,” Trump said.

India and China are the two top buyers of Russian seaborne crude exports.

Trump has recently targeted India for its Russian oil purchases, imposing tariffs on Indian exports to the US to discourage the country’s crude buying as he seeks to pressure Moscow to negotiate a peace deal in Ukraine.

Trump reiterated on Sunday that Modi told him India will stop buying Russian oil, while warning that New Delhi would continue paying “massive” tariffs if it did not do so.

“I spoke with Prime Minister Modi of India, and he said he’s not going to be doing the Russian oil thing,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Asked about India’s assertion that it was not aware of any conversation between Modi and Trump, Trump replied: “But if they want to say that, then they’ll just continue to pay massive tariffs, and they don’t want to do that.”

Russian oil has been one of the main irritants for Trump in prolonged trade talks with India – half of his 50% tariffs on Indian goods are in retaliation for those purchases. The US government has said that petroleum revenue funds Russia’s war in Ukraine.

India has become the biggest buyer of seaborne Russian oil sold at a discount after Western nations shunned purchases and imposed sanctions on Moscow for its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Trade talks between India and the US are going on in a “congenial” manner, an Indian government official said on Saturday, declining to be identified due to the sensitivity of talks.

An Indian delegation, which was in the US earlier this month for talks, has returned, the official said, declining to share further details.

An email to India’s trade ministry was not immediately answered on Monday, which was a public holiday.

Trump on Wednesday said Modi had assured him that day that India would stop its Russian oil purchases.

India’s foreign ministry said it was not aware of any telephone conversation between the leaders that day, but said that New Delhi’s main concern was to “safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer.”

A White House official said on Thursday that India has halved its purchases of Russian oil, but Indian sources said no immediate reduction had been seen.

The sources said Indian refiners already placed orders for November loading, including some slated for December arrival, so any cut may start showing up in December or January import numbers.

India’s imports of Russian oil are set to rise about 20% this month to 1.9 million barrels per day, according to estimates from commodities data firm Kpler, as Russia ramps up exports after Ukrainian drones hit its refineries.