Makkah, 30 May 2019 (AlJazeera News)

Saudi Arabia's king has accused the kingdom's key rival, Iran, of developing nuclear and ballistic missiles which threaten regional and global stability, telling regional leaders that action is needed to stop Iranian "escalations" following a series of attacks on oil assets in the Gulf.

The comments by King Salman Abdul Aziz came as Saudi Arabia on Thursday hosted in Mecca emergency meetings of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Arab League to counter what it said was Iran's growing influence.

A Gulf-Arab statement and a separate communique issued after the wider summit both supported the right of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to defend their interests after the attacks on oil pumping stations in the kingdom and tankers off the UAE.

But in a sign of regional tensions, Iraq, which has good ties with neighbouring Iran and the United States, said it objected to the Arab communique, which stated that any cooperation with Tehran should be based on "non-interference in other countries'.

Iran has rejected what it calls "baseless" accusations made at an Arab summit, saying Saudi Arabia had joined the United States and Israel in a "hopeless" effort to mobilise regional opinion against Tehran, state media reported.

"Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi ... rejected the baseless accusations by the heads of certain Arab countries ... and said: 'We see the Saudi effort to mobilise [regional] opinion as part of the hopeless process followed by America and the Zionist regime against Iran'," state news agency IRNA reported on Friday.

 

Doha

Qatar Airways and Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC) have joined hands to offer passengers up to 25 per cent discount on airfares for all flights to Doha as a final destination from more than 160 destinations worldwide on bookings up to 15 August, enabling customers to enjoy fun-filled ‘Summer in Qatar’ activities.

Those arriving, departing or transiting through Hamad International Airport (HIA) can also enjoy up to 25 per cent off on Al Maha Service, Qatar Airways’ personalised meet and assist service. To book your flight, visit www.qatarairways.com/SummerInQatar.

Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways Group and Secretary-General, Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC), said: “This year’s summer season aims to attract global and regional visitors from around the world to experience Qatar’s unique culture and hospitality.  Beginning in June and continuing until mid-August, ‘Summer in Qatar’ enables visitors to participate in the many festivities taking place between both Eid Al-Fitr starting on 4th June and Eid Al-Adha on 12 August. Leveraging the collaboration between Qatar’s national carrier and the Qatar National Tourism Council, we are offering discounts on airfare, promotional travel packages, and unique airport experiences throughout summer. From cultural excursions to family entertainment, there is something for everyone this summer in Qatar.”

Ehab Amin, Senior Vice President Middle East, Africa and Pakistan, Qatar Airways  said: “We are delighted to celebrate ‘Summer in Qatar’ by providing our residents and visitors with these great promotions and special discounts including airfare to Qatar so they may enjoy the many attractions on offer this summer season. From concerts to film and comedy festivals, to cultural exhibitions and family entertainment, there is truly something for everyone to enjoy. We look forward to receiving family and friends of Qatar’s residents from around the world, providing them the chance to experience an unforgettable ‘Summer in Qatar’.

This year’s ‘Summer in Qatar’ program introduces a wide range of exciting indoor activities and outdoor experiences, fun for family and friends. Entertainment programs will feature regional and international artists, edutainment, sports camps and special promotions on inbound travel, hospitality and shopping. Nine world-class malls across Doha will be participating in the festivities, offering retail savings of up to 70 per cent, and a chance to win up to USD $2 million in prizes, including the grand prize of a McLaren 570S. To learn more about ‘Summer in Qatar’ events, please visit www.SummerInQatar.qa

Qatar Museums will offer authentic experiences, enabling visitors to immerse themselves in Qatar’s rich heritage and cultural scene. Souq Waqif and Katara Cultural Village will bring vibrancy to the summer with family fun and entertainment shows during both Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha.

Music enthusiasts can mark their calendars as celebrated names are set to rock Summer in Qatar. These include international and Arab artists as well as a number of Bollywood singers performing at the Bollywood Musical Festival. Movie buffs will have a chance to attend the glittering South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA). Comedy fans can anticipate the return of the Doha Comedy Festival, while the little ones will enjoy numerous stage shows including ‘Hello Kitty’, ‘Aladdin’, ‘The Little Mermaid’ and ‘The Smurfs’.

In addition, passengers already booked on Qatar Airways flights can also take advantage of a unique stopover package designed to give travellers transiting through Qatar the opportunity to discover Doha with amazing luxury hotel stays and complimentary transit visas.

 

Doha, 22 May 2019

Vodafone Qatar has seen a huge rise in customers using “Red Easy Donations” to donate to charity during the holy month of Ramadan.

An amount of around QR 500,000 has been raised that’s benefitted Qatar Charity’s various projects including Omneyati- making the wishes of orphans come true and Qatar Red Crescent’s urgent relief projects that includes the funding of primary education of low-income students in Qatar.

Launched in 2017, “Red Easy Donations” gives Vodafone Red Postpaid customers an easy way make automatic monthly contributions between QR 100 and 300 to either Qatar Charity or Qatar Red Crescent. One hundred per cent of the donation is given to the selected charity without any extra charges to the customer or the charity.

Vodafone Red customers can activate “Red Easy Donations” via My Vodafone app, or by calling customer care, or by visiting their nearest Vodafone retail store. For more information, visit www.vodafone.qa/red.

Nicosia, TRNC, 22 May 2019

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has established recently it's 35th government. Ersin Tatar.

The conservative National Unity Party (UBP) and the centrist People's Party (HP) of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) agreed to form a coalition government, the Turkish Agency Cyprus (TAK) reported Tuesday.

Both parties signed a protocol in Parliament Wednesday and the cabinet .

Leader of the National Unity Party submitted a list of new Council of Ministers to President  Mustafa Ekinci on Wednesday, 22^nd May.

The new Council of Ministers is as follows:

Prime Minister -  Ersin Tatar,
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs -  Kudret Özersay,
Minister of Interior Affairs  -  Ayşegül Baybars,
Minister of Public Works and Transportation  -  Tolga Atakan,
Minister of Finance -  Olgun Amcaoğlu,
Minister of Economy and Energy -  Hasan Taçoy,
Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources -  Dursun Oğuz,
Minister of Health - Ali Pilli,
Minister of National Education and Culture -  Nazım Çavuşoğlu,
Minister of Tourism and Environment -  Ünal Üstel,
Minister of Labor and Social Security -  Faiz Sucuoğlu.

Delhi, 19 May 2019 (AlJazeera News)

India has concluded its marathon seven-phase national elections, the country's Election Commission has announced. The vote count is scheduled four days later on May 23.

The voting on Sunday wrapped up the six-week-long campaign in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi''s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)  is seeking a re-election for another five years.

Nearly 100 million people were eligible to vote on Sunday in 59 constituencies across seven states - including politically-critical Uttar Pardesh in the north and West Bengal in the east.

Up for grabs on Sunday were 13 seats in Punjab and an equal number in Uttar Pradesh, eight each in Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, nine in West Bengal, four in Himachal Pradesh and three in Jharkhand and Chandigarh.

Sunday's voting also covered Modi's constituency of Varanasi, a temple town where he was elected in 2014.

Pre-election poll surveys by the media indicate that no party is likely to win anything close to a majority in parliament, which has 543 seats up for grabs.

To stay in power, the BJP, which won a majority of 282 seats in 2014, may need to ally itself with some regional parties.

An opposition Indian National Congress-led government would require a major electoral upset.

Doha, 19 May 2019 (AlJazeera News)

A major gas pipeline from Qatar to the United Arab Emirates, Dolphin, experienced an outage for several days last month and Qatar filled the gap with additional liquefied gas supplies, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters news agency.

Qatar has been under a political boycott and economic blockade by its neighbours, Saudi Arabia,  the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt, who accuse Doha of supporting terrorism.

Qatar denies the claim.

In June 2017, then-chief executive of state-run Qatar Petroleum (QP) said Qatar would not cut gas supplies to the UAE despite the dispute between the two nations.

Saad Sherida al-Kaabi told Al Jazeera Arabic's Liqa al-Yaum (Today's Meeting show) that although there was a "force majeure" clause in the Dolphin pipeline agreement - which pumps around 2 billion cubic feet of gas per day to the UAE - Qatar would not stop supplies to its "brothers".

"The siege we have today is a force majeure and we could close the gas pipeline to the UAE," said Al-Kaabi, who is now Qatar's energy minister.

"But if we cut the gas, it does great harm to the UAE and the people of the UAE, who are considered like brothers ... we decided not to cut the gas now," Al-Kaabi added in the 2017 interview.

According to Al-Kaabi, a shutdown of the 364km Dolphin pipeline, which links Qatar's giant North Field with the UAE and Oman, would cause major disruptions to the UAE's energy needs.

Doha, 15 May 2019

Final of Amir Cup 2019 Set for Thursday, another momentous milestone on the road to 2022, as 40,000 capacity Al-Wakra stadium ready to host the Amiri Cup.  AlWakra stadium,  Second FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 venue ready to open officially with the final match between AlSadd and Al Duhail clubs.

Qatar Football Association (QFA) and the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), the organisation responsible for delivering the infrastructure required for Qatar 2022, had jointly announced in April 2019 during a press conference at Al Bidda Tower in April.

Following Al Sadd's 2-0 semi-final victory against Al Rayyan, and his recent announcement that the 2018-19 season will be his last as a player, the match also takes on added significance as it will be the final time legendary midfielder and SC Ambassador Xavi Hernández takes to the field.

The Organizing Committee of the Amir Cup issued a number of instructions for the spectators of the Amir Cup final that will be held in Al Wakra stadium tomorrow evening with the aim of successfully conducting a safer final tournament.

The organizing committee urged the spectators of the grand football tourney to not carry while entering the stadium counterfeited tickets, weapons, chemical substances, fireworks and explosives, drugs, alcoholic drinks, flags of non-participating nations, balls and frisbees, glassware, mugs, cans, flag poles longer than one meter, perfumes and colognes, pushchairs and animals.

In addition to these, for the safety of the spectators, the Organizing Committee prohibits carrying animals, umbrellas, selfie sticks, cigarettes and lighters, bicycles and skateboards, recording devices, horns, lasers, batteries and power banks etc…

Like that, the activities such as gambling, smoking, political and religious rallies, unauthorized marketing, trading, collection of money such as busking and charities etc.. are not permitted inside the stadium.

Entering restricted areas including the field of play, obstructing the gateways, access ways, entrances, exits and stairways and climbing on any structure are also strictly prohibited

Islamabad, 12 May 2019 (Daily Dawn)

Pakistani technical teams have reached an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on a bailout package, Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh announced on Sunday.

Speaking on state-run PTV News, he said Pakistan would receive $6 billion worth of assistance under the IMF programme over a period of three years.

Shaikh said the agreement now awaits a formal approval to be given by the IMF board.

“The Pakistani authorities and the IMF team have reached a staff level agreement on economic policies that could be supported by a 39-month Extended Fund Arrangement (EFF) for about US $6 billion," an IMF press release quoted IMF Mission Chief for Pakistan, Ernesto Ramirez Rigo as saying.

Islamabad and a visiting IMF mission had kicked off technical level talks on April 29 to sort out details of the proposed bailout package over the next 10 days. The two sides were scheduled to conclude a staff-level agreement on Friday, but the talks were extended for another two days, with the finance ministry reporting "good progress" in the discussions.

The finance ministry had approached the IMF in August 2018 for a bailout package, whereas last month, the then finance minister Asad Umar announced that the two sides had — more or less — reached an understanding on a package for bailing out the country’s ailing economy.

“In the next step, the IMF will send its mission to Pakistan in the next few weeks to work out technical details. But in principle, we have reached an agreement,” he had said. However, Umar was removed from the post in a dramatic move and was replaced with Dr Shaikh — an internationally renowned economist.

Dr Shaikh served as the finance minister from 2010 to 2013 during the PPP government's rule. During his tenure as federal minister, Dr Shaikh completed 34 sale transactions worth Rs300 billion in banking, telecom, electricity, and manufacturing.

Subsequently, an IMF employee Dr Reza Baqir was appointed governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to serve for a three-year term. The Chairman Federal Board of Revenue was also changed in a sudden move.

Rawalpindi, 12 May 2019 (ISPR-Dawn)

Security forces have completed the clearance operation at Hotel Pearl Continental (PC) Gwadar during which all three terrorists, who attempted to make forced entry in the hotel, have been killed. Bodies of the terrorists have been held for identification, an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) press release said Sunday.

During the operation, as many as five individuals embraced martyrdom including four hotel employees and a Pakistan Navy soldier. While, six individuals got injured including two Army Captains, two Pakistan Navy soldiers and two hotel employees.

According to details, the terrorists had attempted to enter the hotel aimed at targeting/taking hostage the guests present in hotel. At the entry, security guard challenged the terrorists denying them entry into main hall and the intruders went to staircase, which was leading to upper floors.

“Terrorists opened fire resulting into martyrdom of security guard Zahoor. Enroute to stairs, terrorists kept firing indiscriminately resulting into martyrdom of three more hotel employees Farhad, Bilawal and Awais while two got injured,” the press release said.

Quick Reaction Forces of Army, Navy and Police immediately reached the site, secured guests and staff present in the hotel and restricted terrorists within corridor of fourth floor.

After ensuring safe evacuation of guests and staff, clearance operation was launched to take on terrorists. Meanwhile, terrorists had made close-circuit television cameras dysfunctional and planted improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on all entry points leading to the 4th floor.

The security forces made special entry points to get into 4th floor, shot down all terrorists and cleared the planted IEDS.

In exchange of fire, Pakistan Navy soldier Abbas Khan embraced Shahadat, while two Army Captains and two Pakistan Navy soldiers got injured.

Director General ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor thanked entire media for responsible reporting and coverage of the operation. “This actually denied terrorists of possible live updates thus facilitated security forces in smooth execution of the operation.”

'Daily Dawn' reports that this was the sixth terror attack in Balochistan in one month.

On April 12, 20 people were killed and 48 others injured in the hazarganji Market blast targeting Quetta's Hazara community. The same day, two people were killed in a blast targetting a Frontier Corp vehicle in Chaman.

Less than a week later, 14 passengers were offloaded from a passenger bus on the Makran Coastal Highway and shot dead by unidentified assailants.

On May 9, a tribal elder and two others were killed in a blast in Qilla Abdullah and on May 10, two coal miners and three FC men were  killed in a blast in Khost.

 

Doha, 10 May 2019

The National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) has welcomed more than 132,000 visitors in the first month since opening, firmly establishing its keystone role in the country’s cultural infrastructure. Since opening its doors to the public on March 28, the NMoQ’s immersive experience has attracted thousands of residents and tourists with its use of audio-visual presentations, digital exhibitions, historical artefacts and immersive, multisensory approach.

It has also hosted several workshops, talks and presentations for members of the community. From welcoming some of the world’s best-known artists, to creating new go-to sites for families, NMoQ has become a destination for those who want to learn about the country and its people.

As the country’s national museum, NMoQ also strives to create a dialogue with members of the community to gather feedback, ideas and recommendations for improving the museum experience. It held the first ever seminar in Qatar to specifically address the field of Visitor Studies in museums and cultural institutions. Distinguished international speakers including Jo Hargreaves, Director of Morris Hargreaves MacIntyre, Dr Alexandra Bounia, Professor of Museum Studies at UCL Qatar, and Dr Karen Exell, Senior Museum Development Specialist at NMoQ, gave insightful presentations, and a keynote address was delivered by Professor John H. Falk from the Institute for Learning Innovation, Oregon State University.

Sheikha Amna bint Abdulaziz bin Jassim Al Thani, Director of the National Museum of Qatar, said, “After more than a decade of planning, we are deeply gratified to welcome the people of Qatar and our international visitors to this exciting, multi-layered, experiential museum. From the start, Qatar Museums and the National Museum team knew that we wanted to create a living experience for our people—a museum with a heart. We have created galleries full of movement, sound, and color in order to engage our public fully, with their senses and emotions as well as their intellects, and have assembled creative and authentic content that is so rich that people will discover something new with each visit. It is now time for the discoveries to begin.”

Encouraging creativity

As one of QM’s keystone institutions, NMoQ will also add to the flourishing creative environment in Qatar utilizing its resources to inspire young creatives. During the first of what will become a regular series of talks, NMoQ hosted “An Afternoon of Inspiration with Jeff Koons.” The interactive workshop allowed young artists to hear about the iconic creator’s experiences as a young artist, share his perspective on issues that concern artists at the start of their careers and get tips on developing their personal styles.

NMoQ artists have also run a series of creative drop-in workshops for families and adults on the theme of Qatar & the Sea throughout the month of April. Taking inspiration from the museum collections, artists guided participants through different techniques and media to create their own art pieces to take home.

Working with the community

The NMoQ is designed to become an integral part of the local community for all people of Qatar to enjoy, which means working with different organisations to create specialised programming to support learning objectives. For example, the NMoQ hosted Girl Scouts of America Overseas for a tour and activities session, which was the start of the organisation’s specially designed summer programme of activities at NMoQ. The NMoQ-designed summer programme will be linked to the themes and topics they are exploring (e.g. sustainability) and support them in using NMoQ facilities to run their own exploratory programmes to collect badges.

QM has also developed strong ties with local schools through a number of interactive and inclusive programmes, including the Teacher’s Council, and creative teaching materials. Since the museum opening, 18 schools visited NMOQ to discover its galleries and educational offerings.

Building on QM’s long-standing role as partner to Qatar’s educational institutions, NMoQ educators are also offering ‘welcome tours’ featuring insights into how the topics and themes of the museum can support classroom learning and curriculum development. Schools can now book structured workshop sessions taking place from September.

Looking to the future

NMOQ is planning a range of events and programmes to run across the summer, including launching “Activity Backpacks” which children and families could pick up at reception to have access to themed activities related to the gallery they are visiting. In collaboration with the Friends of the Environment Centre, NMoQ will be installing an insect breeding cage in the Natural Environments galleries for visitors to learn about and observe the lifecycle of insects, with FoEC specialists on hand to talk to visitors. Working with Al Thuraya Planetarium (Katara), NMoQ will launch a programme of in-gallery expert talks and short films connected to celestial navigation and traditional practices. Later in the year, to celebrate the opening of the NMoQ playgrounds in the fall, NMoQ will organise a week-long festival of family activities, including drama, film, art and food.

Museum admissions

Admission to NMoQ, MIA and Mathaf will be charged at the entrance. General admission will be QAR 50 for adults; QAR 25 for students and free for children under 16, Culture Pass Plus and Culture Pass Family Members, and visitors with disabilities. Tickets will be free of charge for Qatari nationals and residents of the State of Qatar, with a valid Qatari ID. General admission tickets include exhibitions within the museum and are valid for three consecutive days from the date of first admission. Museum Pass is QAR 100 and permits admission to all museums and venues, valid for three consecutive days from the date of first admission.

 

For full terms and conditions, visit:  https://www.qm.org.qa/en/ticketing-terms-conditions