Day: 29 August 2023

The US State Department called on Russia to adhere to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, against the backdrop of Moscow’s intention to interrogate two diplomats working at the US Embassy on charges of collecting classified information.

“Russia is obligated under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations to treat diplomats with due respect and to take all appropriate steps to prevent any attack on their person, freedom, or dignity, and we expect them to fulfill that obligation,” the US State Department said in a statement.

The United States considered the accusations against Robert Shonov to be entirely unfounded and said that he worked in strict compliance with Russian laws and regulations.

Robert Shonov was detained in Russia in May. He is accused of cooperating on a confidential basis with a foreign state. According to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSS), Shonov collected information for the US Embassy in exchange for compensation.

Source: Qatar News Agency

In turn, English-language newspaper The Peninsula said that a special feature of Qatars development has been its investment in higher education and research. The countrys leadership puts emphasis on building a knowledge economy, as Qatar University and Qatar Foundations Education City have been spearheading the higher education and research work in the country.

The newspaper said in its editorial titled “Ecosystem of education” that while Qatar University serves as the countrys primary institution of higher education, Qatar Foundation (QF) has created a unique, multidisciplinary ecosystem of education, housing branch campuses of seven of the worlds top universities in its Education City apart from its flagship Hamad Bin Khalifa University.

Over 18,000 students have graduated from QFs schools and universities, with their educational experience nurturing their sense of moral commitment and social responsibility and equipping them to be drivers of positive change.

The paper also highlighted the QF Alumni Prog
ram which is open to all, noting that Chairperson of QF HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, attended QFs Annual Alumni Forum on Saturday, where a new award celebrating graduates of the organization’s unique education ecosystem was announced.

The QF Alumni Award will recognize the contributions and achievements of the QF graduates. The criteria for the award will be linked to each years Annual Alumni Forum theme, and in 2024-25 it will honor and celebrate alumni who have contributed to society through their dedication to social responsibility and civic engagement, The Peninsula concluded.

Commenting on another topic, Qatari daily Al-Watan said that the death toll from the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip has risen to more than 113,000 martyrs and wounded, most of whom are children and women, along with nearly 10,000 who are still missing, amid massive destruction and famine that claimed the lives of children and the elderly. Meanwhile, the occupation forces continue to commit more massacres, which the UN Special Rappo
rteur of Palestine Francesca Albanese, described as “genocide”.

In the midst of these painful situations, the State of Qatar continues its efforts to reach an immediate ceasefire, bring in humanitarian aid, and release prisoners and detainees. The Gaza Strip is witnessing a major escalation, as Israeli warplanes launched more than 100 raids on the camp and town of Jabalia, besides targeting residential areas and shelters for displaced persons, followed by a massive exodus of thousands of Palestinians last week from Rafah, with the continued forced and inhumane displacement of Palestinians. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said that there is no safe place to go to in the Gaza Strip, the paper added.

Despite confirmations by international organizations and many countries of the world that what is happening is a real war of genocide, influential Western countries still see that there is nothing that can be built upon to characterize what is happening as genocide, and su
ch positions have always encouraged Israel to continue its attacks, as if the numbers of victims of children and women, and the shelling of hospitals, schools, places of worship, roads, water and electricity networks, are not all sufficient to describe what is happening as genocide, Al-Watan concluded.

Source: Qatar News Agency

The specialist team that safely stabilized and transferred over one million barrels of crude oil from a decaying supertanker off the cost of Yemen, left the site on Monday, marking the end of a pivotal chapter in the UN-led operation to prevent a potentially disastrous oil spill in the Red Sea.

The UN and the broad group of partners that support the Safer project have so far succeeded in preventing the worst-case scenario of a massive oil spill in the Red Sea which with obvious potential catastrophic environmental, humanitarian and economic repercussions,” UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a regular UN press briefing, in New York.

Oil from the Safer was transferred to the replacement vessel Yemen, formerly known as Nautica. The Yemen cast off from the Safer to a holding anchorage point pending the installation of specialized equipment for safely storing the volatile cargo, he added.

“However, critical work remains,” Dujarric continued, noting that a specialized buoy is yet to be delivered and installed to moor the Yemen to the Safer for safe storage of the oil, as well as the towing and recycling of the old tanker.

To complete the project, $22 million is still required. Generous Member States, the private sector and the global public have already provided $121 million in funding.

Constructed in 1976 as a supertanker and converted a decade later to be a floating storage and offloading facility (FSO) for oil, the Safer is moored about 4.8 nautical miles off the coast of Hudaydah Governorate in Yemen.

The vessels structural integrity deteriorated significantly due to lack of repair and maintenance following the outbreak of the war in Yemen in 2015, putting the ship at risk of breaking apart.

Source: Qatar News Agency

An earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale jolted Tuesday morning in Kulu, Konya, central Turkiye.

In a statement, the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management (AFAD) stated that the tremor was at a depth of 13.57 km.

No reports of material or human losses have emerged as a result of the earthquake.

On Feb. 6, a violent earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale struck southern Turkiye and northern Syria followed by another with a magnitude of 7.6 and thousands of strong aftershocks, which resulted in tens of thousands of victims and massive damage and destruction to buildings and property in the two countries.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Doha: Qatari newspapers highlighted in their editorials Tuesday HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani’s talks with HE Prime Minister of Malaysia Dr. Anwar Ibrahim yesterday, which confirmed the joint keenness on promoting bilateral relations and strengthening joint cooperation between the two countries.

The Qatari dailies noted underlined that the firm and deep-rooted relations between Qatar and Malaysia are constantly evolving at all levels, as both countries provide strategic depth for each other in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, and are in continuous coordination on issues of common concern, including economic and investment partnerships, Islamic issues, and global security and stability.

Under the headline “Firm Relations”, Al-Watan said that Qatar and Malaysia enjoy firm relations and close cooperation in several vital sectors, and the relations between the two countries are constantly evolving, and are characterized by strength and fraternal cooperation in various political, economic and co
mmercial areas.

Since the establishment of the diplomatic ties between Qatar and Malaysia in 1974, the bilateral relations have seen a constant development at all levels, based on the values of unity and solidarity among Islamic countries, Al-Watan stressed.

The paper valued HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani’s talks with HE Prime Minister of Malaysia Dr. Anwar Ibrahim yesterday, which confirmed the joint keenness on promoting bilateral relations and strengthening joint cooperation to serve the interests of both countries and peoples. HH the Amir expressed his hopes that the talks would contribute to bolstering economic and trade relations between the two countries in a way that achieves the interests of the two friendly countries. For his part, HE the Prime Minister of Malaysia stressed the importance of the talks with HH the Amir in opening promising horizons for bilateral partnership between the two countries across various fields and levels. He also commended the historical bilateral relations
spanning over 50 years of friendship and constructive and fruitful cooperation.

In its editorial titled “Qatar and Malaysia… 50 Years of Partnership”, Al-Raya said that HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani’s talks with HE Prime Minister of Malaysia Dr. Anwar Ibrahim covered bilateral relations between the two friendly countries and ways to boost and develop them across various areas of cooperation, as well as regional and international issues of common concern, especially the latest developments in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories.

Over 50 years, the Qatar-Malaysia partnership formed a unique model of constructive bilateral cooperation between countries. Year after year, the partnership expands to include new areas in trade and investment, industry, infrastructure, higher education, health, culture, legal and judicial cooperation, sports, and many other fields, the paper noted.

Qatar is one of Malaysia’s largest trading partners in the region. In turn, many Malaysian compani
es have participated in major infrastructure projects in Qatar over the past decade. Certainly, mutual visits between the leadership of the two countries and official delegations will contribute to deepening the partnership in many areas, Al-Raya concluded. (MORE)

Source: Qatar News Agency

A high-level security delegation headed by the Army Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah, arrived today, Tuesday, in the holy governorate of Karbala.

A statement by the Ministry of Defense stated, “The Army Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah, arrived today in the holy governorate of Karbala, accompanied by the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Commander of the Ground Forces, Lieutenant General Qassem Muhammad Saleh.”

It added, “The visit came, to see the latest security preparations prepared to secure the Arbaeen visit.”

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

Today, Tuesday, the Border Guard Forces Command announced the arrest of foreign infiltrators who tried to cross the border illegally in Dohuk Governorate.

The command stated in a statement that “a force from the third regiment in the first border brigade within the first region borders command managed to arrest 12 foreign infiltrators who tried to cross the border illegally in Dohuk governorate.”

It explained that “they were handed over to the competent authorities to take legal measures against them.”

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

The Ministry of Migration and Displacement announced today, Tuesday, the approval of the supreme national plan to reduce illegal immigration.

The ministry said in a statement, “In implementation of the directives of Prime Minister Muhammad al-Sudani, Minister of Migration and Displacement, Evan Faiq Jabro, chaired a meeting to discuss the supreme national plan to reduce illegal immigration, at the ministry’s headquarters, in the presence of members of the main and sub-committee that represented most of the relevant ministries and institutions.”

According to the statement, the plan was approved after an extensive discussion of its most important objectives, which focused on (the media and awareness axis, the legal and policy axis, the axis of social, demographic and cultural dimensions, the economic and labor market axis, the axis of international cooperation and commitments, the security axis, and the axis of migration governance).

The minister appreciated the efforts made by the committee and its significant role in preparing this comprehensive plan, stressing the need to oblige the main and supportive bodies of the plan to monitor the process of implementing the activities and objectives of the plan in their institutions.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that Ukrainian military train carrying artillery ammunition was destroyed in the direction of the “Donetsk” province, on the border with Ukraine, with a missile attack.

A statement issued by the ministry said, “The reconnaissance unit of the Russian forces revealed the arrival of a military train carrying artillery ammunition to the unloading station, and the coordinates of the target were immediately transmitted to the crew of the ground-based missile system, which carried out a high-precision strike.”

The statement added that as a result of the destruction of the train, the vehicles were destroyed with artillery ammunition, as well as about 30 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and about 10 units of Ukrainian military equipment were destroyed.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency