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PM Modi to Visit Doha

Gandhinagar, Jan 10 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024, at the Mahatma Mandir Convention and Exhibition Centre, in Gandhinagar on Wednesday. (ANI Photo)

This visit assumes significance as it comes after a diplomatic victory of India following the release of eight Indian Navy personnel…reports Asian Lite News

After completing his UAE visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Doha on February 14 to hold bilateral meetings with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, there, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Monday.

This visit assumes significance as it comes after a diplomatic victory of India following the release of eight Indian Navy personnel who were detained in Qatar for nearly 18 months since August 2022.

“From UAE after completing his visit on February 14, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Doha, Qatar on February 14 afternoon. During the visit, PM Modi will hold bilateral meetings with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and other high dignitaries in Qatar,” Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said while addressing a special briefing on PM Modi’s visit to UAE.

The Foreign Secretary expressed that PM Modi’s visit would provide an opportunity for leaders to discuss ways to further deepen and strengthen the multifaceted partnership.

“PM Modi’s visit to Qatar will provide an opportunity for the top leadership of the two countries to discuss ways to further deepen and strengthen our multifaceted partnership as well as exchange views on different regional and international issues of mutual importance,” Kwatra noted.

Kwatra highlighted that this will be the second visit of PM Modi to Qatar, with the last one taking place in June 2016.

Emphasising the growing ties between India and Qatar, the Foreign Secretary mentioned high-level visits to Qatar.

“There have been several high-level exchanges between India and Qatar in recent years. You would recall the visit of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar to Doha in November 2022 as also the visit of then Vice President Venkaiah Naidu in June 2022. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has also undertaken multiple visits to Qatar in last 3 to 4 years,” the Foreign Secretary also said.

The relationship between the two countries has grown multifaceted with robust energy partnership and collaboration in culture, education, and security. The bilateral trade currently stands at approximately USD 20 billion, with Qatar emerging as a significant investor across various sectors in India.

“The bilateral relationship between India and Qatar that has been steadily growing includes a comprehensive span, including political ties, trade and investment linkages, a strong energy partnership and ties in the field of culture, education and security,” he said, adding, “Strong bilateral trade between India and Qatar currently stands at roughly USD 20 bn and Qatar is also a significant investor in India across the whole range of economies.”

Specifically mentioning the recent agreement between QatarEnergy and India’s Petronet for the supply of 7.5 million metric tons per year of LNG from Qatar to India for a duration of 20 years, starting in 2028, Kwatra said, ” You’d be aware following the recently concluded India Energy Week, QatarEnergy and India’s Petronet had signed an agreement for the supply of 7.5 million metric tons per year of LNG from Qatrar to India for 20 years starting 2028″.

The large Indian diaspora in Qatar, numbering around 840,000, was underscored as a vital connection between the two nations.

In a major diplomatic triumph for India, eight veterans of the Indian Navy who were sentenced to death in Qatar, were released by Doha on Monday.

The capital punishment was commuted to an extended prison term earlier following diplomatic intervention by New Delhi.

Amid desperate pleas by the anxious kin of the Navy veterans to secure their release and safe passage back to their homeland, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had assured that it would mobilise all diplomatic channels and arrange legal assistance to bring them back.

Of the eight former Navy officers, seven have already returned to India, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed through an official statement earlier today.

The Union government released an official statement welcoming the decision to set the veteran officers free, saying, “The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar. Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals.”

The eight Indian nationals were imprisoned in Qatar since October 2022 and were accused of allegedly spying on a submarine programme. The retired naval personnel were sentenced to death by a Qatar court on charges that have not yet been made public officially.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on the sidelines of the COP28 summit in Dubai and discussed bilateral partnership and the “well-being of the Indian community” living in Qatar. (ANI)

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Air India to begin daily flights from Kochi to Doha

Air India.

“The flight, operated with an A320neo aircraft, will offer 162 seats (150 in Economy and 12 in Business Class),” said the official…reports Asian Lite News

Air India is set to connect Kochi, the commercial hub of Kerala, with Doha, the capital of Qatar, with a daily non-stop service from October 23, said an airline official on Sunday.

AI953 will depart at 1:30 p.m. (IST) to reach Doha at 3:45 p.m. The return flight AI954 will take off from Doha at 4:45 p.m. to land at Kochi at 11:35 p.m. (All Local Time).

“The flight, operated with an A320neo aircraft, will offer 162 seats (150 in Economy and 12 in Business Class),” said the official.

“The new launch is in line with Air India’s commitment to expand connectivity and enhance frequency on domestic and international sectors as it keeps augmenting its fleet with new aircraft,” said the airline spokesperson.

“The service will further densify and strengthen our operations to the Middle East. Bookings for the flights have already opened on all channels,” said the spokesperson.

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Sport Sports

Doha to host 2025 table tennis worlds

The ITTF said the announcement continues Doha’s longstanding association as one of the most established cities in global table tennis…reports Asian Lite News

The 2025 International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Table Tennis Championships Finals will be staged in Doha, Qatar following a vote from member associations on Tuesday at the Annual General Meeting in Amman, Jordan.

Doha won 57 votes against 39 for Alicante, Spain, the other candidate city, reports Xinhua news agency.

The ITTF said the announcement continues Doha’s longstanding association as one of the most established cities in global table tennis.

Staged in Doha, the World Table Tennis (WTT) Middle East Hub in 2021 marked the WTT’s first official events, featuring back-to-back Contender and Star Contender events in March last year.

“Having been a hotspot for major events for almost three decades, the Qatari capital has recently proved itself a key location and launchpad for a new era in table tennis,” said the ITTF.

Doha will mark the 59th edition of the World Championships.

The last World Championships Finals was staged in Houston, the United States in 2021 and the next edition will be held in Durban, South Africa in 2023. Busan, South Korea will stage the 2024 World Team Table Tennis Championships.

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-Top News UAE News

Doha’s main airport opens extension with over 25,000 plants

The airport plans to expand further to augment its capacity to well over 70 million passengers and construct two new concourses within the existing terminal…reports Asian Lite News

Doha’s Hamad International Airport (HIA) has opened a leafy extension to its airport with thousands of plants just as the country gears up to receive more than a million fans for the FIFA World Cup to kick off on November 20.

The extended section includes a tropical garden located at the centre, named Orchard. It is an indoor tropical vegetation area with a water feature meant to be a focal point for visitors at HIA. With different flora — the ‘orchard’ includes over 300 trees and over 25,000 plants sourced from sustainable forests from around the world.

The unique design allows trees and plants to easily adapt to the internal conditions and grow throughout the life of the airport — with natural light to create a calming ambience and promote a sense of wellbeing to all who venture inside, a statement by the airport said.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said: “We are very pleased to be launching the expansion of Hamad International Airport, an airport that has truly grown to become the ultimate example of a successful, sustainable global facility. HIA continues to impress with its innovative planning, execution and investment — enhancing its position as the preferred hub for global travellers and reinforcing HIA’s position amongst the top leaders of this industry.”

Talking about the project, HIA Chief Operating Officer Badr Mohammed Al Meer, said: “We are immensely proud to officially launch our airport expansion. Our growth plan will see us welcome over 58 million passengers annually — offering global travellers the best services the industry has to offer. From world-class services to endless F&B and retail offerings, the expansion further strengthens our ambition as we look towards maintaining our status as the best airport in the world.”

Consisting of one expansive terminal, the two-time world’s best airport will enable travellers to seamlessly transfer from one area to another, exploring the wonders that HIA has to offer with its infused warmth and hospitality, a HIA statement said.

The extended airport is designed to significantly reduce waiting time, thanks to the new transfer hall on concourse C (Transfer Hall C). It includes curated Duty Free shops and food and beverage outlets, including first Fendi Cafe and first Ralph’s Coffee Shop in an airport. The North node also houses the world’s first airport Oreo Cafe.

As part of the expansion, HIA also launched the second airport hotel within its transfer area. Located in the north plaza, the 100-room Oryx Garden Hotel is located moments away from boarding gates.

The airport plans to expand further to augment its capacity to well over 70 million passengers and construct two new concourses within the existing terminal.

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Sport Sports

Messi fans on green mission

Ledezma has also travelled on two wheels to cheer Argentina at the 2018 Rio Olympics and the 2015 Copa America in Chile and have so far been to 57 countries before setting out on this trip…reports Asian Lite News

Three ardent soccer fans have cycled all the way from Cape Town, South Africa, to Doha, Qatar to cheer for Argentina at the World Cup in Qatar, which kicks off on November 20.

The Argentinian trio of Lucas Ledezma, Leandro Blanco Pighi, and Silvio Gatti crossed into Qatar through the Abu Samra land border crossing with Saudi Arabia on Sunday night (November 6) and will visit the World Cup Countdown clock on Monday.

The Argentine fans, who started the cycling trip on May 15 covered some 10,500 kms on the gruelling and endurance testing trip, were delighted to reach the World Cup host country a good 13 days before the football showpiece event.

“We arrived in Qatar on Sunday night and we reached Doha, the capital city on Monday morning. It was a testing and challenging journey and we are happy we reached our destination much ahead of the World Cup kick off date,” said Ledezma, a 34-year-old physical education teacher, who has been to two previous World Cups in Brazil (2014) and Russia (2018).

Ledezma has also travelled on two wheels to cheer Argentina at the 2018 Rio Olympics and the 2015 Copa America in Chile and have so far been to 57 countries before setting out on this trip.

“We are looking forward to a good time in Qatar during the World Cup and hope Argentina can win the World Cup and we are also eager to meet some of the Argentina fans who are based in Qatar and also those who have already arrived into Qatar,” said 31-year-old Pighi, a documentary maker, a writer and a travel agent, who already has two books against his name.

The next agenda on the trio, who come from diverse fields, but jell together because of their love for football is to meet the Argentinian team in Qatar.

“We want to get to Messi. We are Lucas, Silvio and Lea and we are giving it all for the Scaloneta. We travel by bike to Qatar, crossing Africa and the Middle East. We started in South Africa and we are now past 10 countries. Today we are in Saudi Arabia, to pedal the last 2,000 km to see Messi caress the football,” the trio wrote on their Instagram page TODO A PEDAL when they reached Saudi Arabia.

Further, they said they want to see Scaloneta win the third title in Qatar on December 18, the country for whom the two titles came in 1978 and 1986 and the three runner’s up places happened in 1930, 1990 and 2014.

“The Odyssey has three goals: Get to Qatar and to look for the World Cup trophy next to the Scaloneta, record a documentary about the trip, plant a tree for every kilometer traveled,” said Ledezma, Pighi, and Gatti, who cycled up to 80 miles each day and slept in tents or at homes of people they meet along the way.

Hailing from the province of Cordoba, located about 600 km northwest of the country’s capital, Buenos Aires, the group’s trip aims to help the environment leading to 10,500 new trees being planted in their homeland.

Besides watching the matches, each kilometre travelled will be marked by the planting of a tree in the mountains of Cordoba.

“The Cordoba native forest has been suffering for decades because of deforestation, and at present there is only 3 per cent of its total left. That’s why we want to raise awareness. Our one of the main goals during this bike journey through Africa and the Middle East, is to collaborate with our beautiful Province of Cordoba. We want to transform every mile with planting a tree,” they wrote on their Instagram page.

Argentina are scheduled to play their first match on November 22 against Saudi Arabia at the Lusail stadium.

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Lite Blogs Music

Bollywood music festival rocks Doha

The performers were awed by how Doha has undergone a complete makeover in a few years. The musical soiree was part of the Darb Lusail Festival…reports Asian Lite News

Celebrated names in Bollywood music regaled excited fans most of whom drove in heavy traffic to reach the Lusail stadium – the venue of the final match of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 to be played on December 18.

While Salim-Sulaiman entertained audiences and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan regaled them, a vivacious Sunidhi Chauhan electrified the fans.

The 80,000-capacity Lusail stadium on Friday looked resplendent in its golden hue while performers inside put up a scintillating show to entertain international audiences, a chunk of which came from South Asian countries.

The Bollywood Music Festival, organised by Qatar2022, was kicked off by composing duo Salim-Sulaiman, who along with their troupe brought the crowd to its feet as they belted out popular Bollywood numbers.

The close to 35,000 spectators that came to watch the show had bought tickets despite the condition that only Haya card holders were allowed to attend the event. Another condition allowed tickets to be bought only on the FIFA website.

The performers were awed by how Doha has undergone a complete makeover in a few years. The musical soiree was part of the Darb Lusail Festival.

Salim-Sulaiman are popular composers and Sunidhi Chauhan is a famous playback singer, while Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is a top name in the music scene in Pakistan. Khan is also a popular playback singer in Hindi cinema.

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UAE News

IPH hosts interactive health-education event

These pillars are considered essential elements for building and maintaining emotional resilience, a crucial component of overall health…reports Asian Lite News

The Institute for Population Health (IPH) at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) hosted an interactive health-education event to highlight the power of mega sports spectacles in boosting social connectedness, health, and wellbeing.

Titled ‘Megasports: Promoting Health and Wellbeing for All’, the event was attended by Sheikh Dr. Mohamed Bin Hamad Al Thani, Director of the Public Health Department at the Ministry of Public Health, and covered all six key pillars of the emerging ‘Lifestyle Medicine’ discipline, which includes physical activity, healthy diet, stress management, restorative sleep, tobacco/risky substance use cessation, and social connectedness. These pillars are considered essential elements for building and maintaining emotional resilience, a crucial component of overall health.

The event included a series of fun and informative all-day activities, such as planking, push-up, and jump-rope challenges, an obstacle course, a pottery class, board games, and raffle draws. In addition, several mindfulness and bilingual storytelling sessions were held across the day.

Dr. Ravinder Mamtani, vice dean for population health and lifestyle medicine at WCM-Q, said: “The event offered Education City students, staff, faculty, along with their families and friends the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the role that mega sporting events, such as the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, play in helping us connect socially, and thereby contribute to our overall health and wellbeing. It also further highlighted that self-awareness and self-care are critical elements in helping facilitate a healthy lifestyle.”

Dr. Sohaila Cheema, assistant dean of the institute for population health at WCM-Q, said: “We are constantly exploring new initiatives to help raise awareness on important community-related health measures, especially since the vast majority of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) can be prevented, treated, and often reversed through the adoption of sensible lifestyle measures. It was therefore wonderful to see so many enthusiastic participants attend this extremely engaging and informative event.”

IPH was created with the goal of advancing the tripartite mission of WCM-Q in the broad arena of education, research, community, and related matters. Through effective public health policies, healthy lifestyles, and informed healthcare decisions, life expectancy, health outcomes, and the overall quality of life can greatly improve. 

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Dubai UAE News

Doha Festival City wraps up ‘Back to School’ campaign

A host of retailers participated in the festivities, including top brands such as Skechers, Marks & Spencer, Kipling, Next, Borders, and Daiso, who all showcased their latest collections and trends in school supply…reports Asian Lite News

Doha Festival City, Qatar’s one and only choice for shopping, dining, and entertainment, concluded its exciting Back to School Campaign. The celebrations, which were held to celebrate the return of students to the academic year 2022/2023, were met with great acclaim and widespread participation from children and parents alike, for the variety of edutainment options.

The special activations ran from 24th July to 20th August, offering Mall visitors two stations – ‘Festival Academy’, located at Centre Court, and featuring a wide range of edutainment options for adults and children alike; and the ‘Customisation Station’, located at the Entertainment Node, which allowed children to customise their school supplies to their tastes. Both gave children and parents a glimpse of the new school year with the Academy’s school yard and classroom designs, where children enjoyed a variety of edutainment activities, and participated in arts and crafts workshops in the classrooms.

The Academy also offered a range of edutainment options, including daily balloon twisting shows, face painting stations, ventriloquist performances, and spelling bee competitions in English and Arabic languages where winners received celebratory plaques and trophies as a reward to take home. The shows also featured daily visits by various multi-lingual guest speakers who delivered 30-minute cultural lessons to children on other cultures, and topics relating to languages, important landmarks, and culinary preferences with a special focus on the upcoming anticipated sporting event and the 32 participating nations.

The eye-catching ‘Customisation Station’ featured a giant brush and was the perfect platform that allowed children over 4 years old to unleash their creativity and use the art supplies placed at the desks to customise their school supplies.

The celebrations also included a collaboration with both the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and Mowasalat (Karwa) tying in with their “Back to School” campaign held under the slogan “With knowledge we build Qatar”.  The Ministry’s campaign directed at kindergarten and school students, aimed at promoting awareness on safe commute to school and working and learning together through animated artistic activities, video games, and a display screen.

A host of retailers participated in the festivities, including top brands such as Skechers, Marks & Spencer, Kipling, Next, Borders, and Daiso, who all showcased their latest collections and trends in school supply.

While shopping for their school supplies and needs, mallgoers enjoyed the opportunity to avail rewards through Doha Festival City’s Festival Rewards loyalty app. Kids club members also enjoyed additional rewards and exclusive offers to reward them for their loyalty and continued membership.

Robert Hall, Doha Festival City’s General Manager, said: “We are thrilled with the great success the Back to School campaign has garnered. We wish students, teachers, and parents a fun, productive, and healthy school year. We also thank the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and Mowasalat for joining us in this celebration and we look forward to more collaborations with them and with other partners in line with our #FestivalCares programme which will further contribute to the development of Qatar’s community.”

In line with the preventative measures set out by the State of Qatar to limit the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), and to ensure a safe shopping environment for all, Doha Festival City commits itself to continuous necessary health and safety measures throughout the mall. This includes a thorough mall disinfection treatment on a weekly basis, robust cleaning, and sanitization operations during mall trading hours, 127 hand sanitizing stations installed in the areas that have commonly touched surfaces.

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Iran blames US for stalled nuclear talks in Doha

Amir-Abdollahian added that Iran is serious about reaching a “good and lasting” agreement and has always presented its proposals and ideas in the negotiations…reports Asian Lite News

The US has failed to be constructive in the latest round of the talks in Doha aimed at reviving the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, the Foreign Ministry here said in a statement on Monday.

According to the statement, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks during a phone conversation with his French counterpart, Catherine Colonna, reports Xinhua news agency.

Though describing the talks on June 29-30 in Doha as positive, Amir-Abdollahian said that “we should wait and see how the American side would seek to use the opportunity of diplomacy”.

“We maintain that reiterating previous positions should not replace a political initiative,” he said.

Amir-Abdollahian added that Iran is serious about reaching a “good and lasting” agreement and has always presented its proposals and ideas in the negotiations.

The two-day indirect talks between Iran and the US in the Qatari capital failed to result in any agreement to settle remaining differences amid international efforts to restore the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Iran signed the JCPOA with the world’s major countries in July 2015, agreeing to curb its nuclear programme in return for removing sanctions on the country.

However, former US President Donald Trump pulled out of the JCPOA in May 2018 and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to drop some of its commitments under the pact.

Talks to revive the deal began in April 2021 in Vienna but were suspended in March this year because of political differences between Tehran and Washington.

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Arab News Gallery

Garangao Fest in Doha

Garangao Fest in Doha

Children celebrate Garangao at Souq Waqif in Doha, Qatar. Garangao is mainly celebrated in the Gulf countries after sunset prayer on the 14th day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

A band performs during the celebration (Photo by Nikku/Xinhua)

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