India’s Labour Agreements with the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries: An Assessment

Despite the Indian government's proactive initiatives and reforms in the labour laws in the host countries, the welfare of Indian workers in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries remains compromised. The Indian workers continue to face exploitation, often left stranded or forced to return home penniless. In line with best global practices, India’s Bilateral Labour Agreements (BLAs) and Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with all the GCC countries need to make specific reference to the host countries' labour laws and facilitate bilateral coordination in the governance of the full migration cycle. Special focus is needed in the construction sector, where a vast majority of low-skilled Indian workers are employed. The article examines the effectiveness of India’s BLAs and MoUs with the GCC countries in protecting the low-skilled Indian workers in the region.

Effects of a 12-Weeks Yoga Intervention on Motor and Cognitive Abilities of Preschool Children

Since early childhood is regarded as an important period of motor and cognitive development, understanding the effects of physical activity on motor abilites and cognitive development in preschool children has major public health implications. This study investigates the effects of a 12 weeks' yoga intervention program on motor and cognitive abilities in preschool children. Preschool children (n = 45; age 5–6 years) attending regular preschool programs were non-randomly assigned to yoga intervention (n = 23; 30 min sessions three times per week) or a control group (n = 22; no additional organized physical activity program). Exercise training for the intervention group included yoga program. Motor abilities (BOT-2 subtests: fine motor integration, manual dexterity, balance and bilateral coordination), and cognitive abilities (School Maturity Test subtests: visual memory, stacking cubes and codes) were assessed before and after the intervention period in both groups. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA. Participants in the intervention group improved fine motor integration (p = 0.022), fine motor skills in general (0.029), bilateral coordination (0.000), balance (0.000), and body coordination (0.000). Preschool children's participation in the preschool yoga intervention significantly improved their motor abilities, but not their cognitive abilities.

Saudi-Emirati economic competition will mount further

Significance This comes amid a growing divergence between the two countries on oil policy, economic diversification and the conduct of regional affairs, including in Yemen. It forms a strong contrast to the close bilateral coordination seen in 2015-18. Impacts Rising competition will be primarily economic rather than (geo)political, unlike the rift with Qatar in 2017. Discrepancies between the timing of the two crown princes’ accessions in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi may affect ties. Internal UAE tensions could increase if Dubai feels Abu Dhabi is not doing enough to protect its commercial interests. Political leaders in Abu Dhabi may seek benefits through public distancing from reputation-hit Riyadh in Washington’s eyes.

Investigating the Asymmetric Bimanual Coordination Differences in Male and Female Athletes in Ball and Non-ball Sports

Objective: Bilateral coordination skills are one of the key factors in performing simple to skillful sports task, so far the differences between ball and non-ball fields have not been determined. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the differences in asymmetric bilateral coordination between male and female athletes in ballplayers and non-ballplayers. Methods: The samples of this study were randomly selected from the young girls and boys (Mean±SD of age 26.00±4.50) in ball fields (14) and non-ball fields (16) of the Faculty of Physical Education of the University of Tehran. All subjects had complete visual acuity and the consent form of the research. The instrument of Vienna was used to measure peripheral visual. Results: The statistical results of MANOVA test showed that there is significant difference in asymmetrical bilateral coordination between ballplayers and non-ballplayers and girls and boys (P≥0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that asymmetric bilateral coordination performing in ball players had better than non-ball players and girls than boys. According the importance of bimanual coordination skills in the implementation of championship sports, as well as considering gender differences and the positive impact of ball exercises on ball coordination, sports coaches can provide training, especially at a younger age, to facilitate learning of this fundamental skill.