Author: Ramalaan Nasser

Qatar Airways Group reported that passenger revenue was up 100% during its fiscal year 2022/23, with overall revenue up to 76.3 billion Qatari riyals ($21 billion). The results are in lockstep with the global resurgence airlines are seeing as the post-pandemic recovery is in full swing following a turbulent few years for the sector. Qatar Airways announced record annual revenue Thursday after the company’s finances were bolstered by the FIFA World Cup, which was hosted in Qatar last year. Qatar Airways Group reported that passenger revenue was up 100% during its fiscal year 2022/23, with overall revenue up to 76.3…

Avery poor Qatar team succumbed to Panama in the first quarter-finals match of the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Saturday afternoon. Ismael Diaz scored a second-half hat-trick in less than 10 minutes to earn his team the victory. Panama will take on the winner of USMNT vs. Canada in the semi-finals stage. Their elite ball possession and counter attacks, plus a solid goalkeeper in Orlando Mosquera, is a danger to any opponent. Mosquera, 28, was only bothered once against Qatar at the end of the first half with a shot from Bassam Al Rawi. Panama broke the deadlock in the 19th minute through a Joel Barcenas header, which left Qatar…

The mother of Eyad Hallaq, an autistic Palestinian man was killed by Israeli forces in Jerusalem on 30 May 2020 [We Are Not Numbers #Gaza/Twitter]July 8, 2023 at 12:14 pm The Palestinian Authority (PA) strongly condemned the Israeli court’s acquittal of the Israeli policeman who killed an autistic Palestinian man, urging the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate the case. Following the acquittal of the Israeli policeman, the PA’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates criticised: “There is no justice or access to justice under Israel’s illegal occupation and apartheid regime.” The Israeli District Court in occupied Jerusalem on Thursday acquitted the policeman…

The flurry of visits, it appears, is the outcome of the deepening influence of China in the Middle East after the Iran-Saudi rapprochement brokered by China. The timing of Blinken’s visit is interesting. Simultaneous with his visit, Iran was opening its embassy in Riyadh. Blinken’s visit (6-8 June) came just ahead of a two-day Arab-China Business Conference in Riyadh. Saudi For Independent Policy The US feels that Saudi Arabia is becoming central and desires to be an independent player on some of the strategic issues. Among these can be listed oil prices, the Iranian nuclear issue, the Arab-Israel détente, and…

More than 300,000 expat drivers living in Kuwait are expected to have their driving licences revoked very soon, local media reported. The Kuwaiti Minister of the Interior has formed a committee to cancel driving licenses of expatriates earning less than 600 dinars and lacking a university degree in an effort to combat traffic congestion, Al Jarida newspaper said. This decision is expected to affect approximately 300,000 drivers and will be implemented retroactively, causing confusion and chaos for the impacted individuals and their employers. Critics argue that addressing traffic congestion should involve improving roads, constructing bridges and tunnels, enhancing public transportation…

Marzouq Al Ghanim, the Speaker of Kuwait’s reinstated National Assembly from 2020, has invited parliament and government to convene its regular sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday amid calls for an appeal against the Constitutional Court’s ruling annulling the 2022 parliament. The Constitutional Court last month nullified the elections for parliament held in September and ruled that the previous parliament must be reinstated. The country’s highest court said it found discrepancies in the emiri decree dissolving the parliament elected in 2020. Mr Al Ghanim’s agenda for the sessions includes a debate over the emiri orders regarding the formation of the next…

Ankara announced new amendments Wednesday to ensure forest and animal safety to benefit farmers in villages affected by forest fires. Following the amendments published in the Official Gazette, the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Vahit Kirişçi said that “villagers will have a share in the income obtained from production.” He also announced that “those who lost their lives in forest fires will be given the status of a martyr.” The minister said that the protection of forests would be strengthened with digital applications. “With the new amendments in laws, we will make planning effective in plant and animal production by…

NATO members Turkey and Greece can resolve their disputes through peaceful means and dialogue, Turkey’s defense minister said after talks with his Greek counterpart Tuesday, in the latest sign of easing tensions between the rival neighbors. Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and Greece’s Nikos Panagiotopoulos toured areas devastated by a powerful earthquake in early February during a rare visit by the Greek official. The trip is part of efforts to tamp down tensions over long-standing disputes, including maritime boundaries and drilling rights in the eastern Mediterranean. Greece was among the first countries to offer help to Turkey following the earthquake…

LBS Foundation (LBSF), the philanthropic arm of LBS Bina Group Bhd, has extended a helping hand to the victims of the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria by donating RM500,000. The earthquake that struck the eastern Turkish province of Van on Feb 28 with a magnitude of 7.2 on the Richter scale, has caused extensive damage, loss of life, and rendered many people homeless. In response to this tragic disaster, LBSF has contributed RM500,000 to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Calamity Fund (TBKLN) to assist with the ongoing relief efforts in Turkey and Syria. The contribution was handed over by…

The devastating earthquakes in Syria and Turkey have displaced countless people and touched the hearts of people around the globe, including in the city of Markham. Under the organization of Regional Councillor Alan Ho, a project named Markham’s Helping Hands is accepting donations and passing them on to those affected by the disaster through the Canadian Red Cross. On March 24, event chair Ho and honorary chair Mayor Frank Scarpitti hosted a fundraising event — “Markham’s Helping Hands Turkey & Syria Earthquake Relief ” at Xinfilx Media in support of providing much-needed aid and assistance to those affected by the…