Author: webdesk

HE Minister of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs, Ghanem bin Shaheen Al Ghanem, met with HE Prime Minister of the Republic of Montenegro, Milojko Spajic, as part of his visit to Montenegro.

HE the Minister of Endowments also met with HE Minister of Foreign Affairs Filip Ivanovic, and Speaker of the Parliament in Montenegro Andrija Mandic, during which they discussed ways to strengthen cooperation and relations between the two countries.

HE Ambassador of the State of Qatar (non-resident) to the Republic of Montenegro Faris bin Roumi Al Nuaimi attended the meetings.

Source: Qatar News Agency

The number of casualties due to the Israeli aggression on the Gaza enclave since October 7 has risen to 35,386 martyrs and 79,366 injured, the Ministry of Health in Gaza reported on Saturday.

The Ministry of Health added that the Israeli occupation soldiers have committed nine massacres against families in the enclave, resulting in 83 martyrs and 105 injured, highlighting that this toll is what reached Gaza’s hospitals.

It stated that dozens of martyrs’ bodies are still laying on streets with paramedics and civil defense personnel being unable to retrieve them.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Doha: The General Retirement and Social Insurance Authority (GRSIA) is hosting the 58th meeting of the Permanent Technical Committee for Retirement and Social Insurance Agencies in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries from May 20 to 22.

The meeting will be chaired by Director of Customer Management at GRSIA Ali Abdullah Al Kuwari with the attendance of committee members from the GCC countries.

The agenda includes updating the unified system for extending social insurance coverage, targeting unregistered workers through direct coordination, and addressing data related to pension disbursements, unemployment benefits, and retirees’ benefits.

The meeting will also discuss several initiatives, including updating a comparative study of civil retirement and social insurance systems, establishing electronic links between civil retirement and social insurance agencies, improving collection mechanisms, and initiatives for training and qualification, international cooperation, and the annual unified awarenes
s campaign.

Additionally, the meeting will review statistical indicators for the implementation of the unified social insurance protection system, regular seminars, the Civil Retirement and Social Insurance Funds Research Award, and the recognition of pioneering figures in civil retirement and social insurance.

The Permanent Technical Committee for Retirement and Social Insurance Agencies in the GCC holds regular meetings among member states. These meetings are crucial as they shape the shared vision and essential measures presented at the GCC Heads of Civil Retirement and Social Insurance Agencies’ meetings for appropriate decision-making.

Furthermore, the GRSIA will hold an introductory meeting between representatives of the Gulf countries’ retirement and social insurance agencies and employers in Qatar. This meeting will address the unified social insurance protection system and answer queries from GCC citizens and employers regarding related contributions and insurance rights. This event will take plac
e on Wednesday, May 22, at the Sheraton Grand Doha Resort and Convention Hotel.

Source: Qatar News Agency

More than 15 Palestinians were martyred and 30 others were injured in a new Israeli occupation airstrike on Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza on Saturday.

According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, the Israeli forces targeted the entrance of a shelter center in Jabalia camp, hitting residents who were attempting to return to their homes within the camp. The attack resulted in dozens of casualties, with most of the wounded transported to hospitals.

The camp has been subjected to intense and continuous Israeli bombardment for several days, amidst a blockade that has left families inside with scarce access to food, water, and medicine. Ambulance and civil defense teams have been unable to reach the camp to retrieve the bodies and assist the injured, heightening the risk of a humanitarian catastrophe.

This renewed Israeli assault on Jabalia in the north coincides with ongoing attacks in the east of Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected the idea of a ceasefire in the war with Russia, proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron for the duration of the Paris 2024 Olympics, which will take place from July 26 to August 11.

In an interview with AFP, Zelenskyy stated that they don’t trust Russia, adding, “Who can guarantee that Russia will not use this time to bring its forces to our territory?” “We are against any truce that plays into the hands of the enemy.” “If it’s a truce, an Olympic truce for the duration of the Olympics, a land truce, they will have an advantage,” he said, adding that there was “a risk that they will bring heavy equipment to our territory and no one will be able to stop them.” Zelenskyy warned that Russia might intensify its attacks on Ukraine, noting that a “first wave” is currently underway in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. However, he ruled out the possibility of Moscow launching a new large-scale attack on Kyiv.

He reiterated his appeals to Western countr
ies to send more air defense systems and fighter jets, criticizing these countries for preventing Kyiv from using the supplied weapons to strike Russian territory.

Russia claims to have made gradual progress in Kharkiv in recent months but the Ukrainian president asserted that his country will maintain its defensive lines and prevent any significant Russian breakthrough.

Russia launched its “special military operation” in Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, and shows no signs of ending it, with Moscow insisting that it will continue its operations until all its objectives are achieved.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Gaza: The Red Crescent in Gaza announced that the continued occupation raids and the closure of the crossings are exacerbating the health and humanitarian situation in the Strip.

He pointed out that medical teams are unable to meet the needs of those affected by the collapse of the health sector.

He said that more than 40% of the Gaza Strip’s martyrs were registered in areas that the Israeli occupation claims are safe.

He added that bringing aid through the temporary dock or airdrop will not be an alternative to land crossings.

The Crescent welcomed any international efforts to alleviate the suffering of the people, and we call for pressure on Israel to open the crossings

Source: Maan News Agency

Two Palestinians were martyred in an Israeli airstrike on Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, early Saturday morning.

According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, Israeli aircraft targeted a house in central Rafah, resulting in the deaths of two Palestinians. Additionally, Israeli artillery targeted areas in the east and center of the city.

The airstrikes extended to the Al Farahin area, east of Abasan Al Kabira town in Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Strip.

Israeli forces continue their ground invasion of wide neighborhoods in Rafah, defying international warnings against attacking this densely populated city.

The Israeli occupation persists in committing genocide in the Gaza Strip for the 225th consecutive day. This ongoing aggression includes dozens of air raids and artillery shelling across Gaza, resulting in the martyrdom of 35,303 Palestinians, the majority of whom are children and women. Additionally, 79,261 others have been injured. These numbers are not final, as thousands of victims remain bu
ried under the rubble.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Doha: Weather inshore until 6:00 pm on Saturday will see some clouds at first, becomes hot daytime with blowing dust at places at times, the Department of Meteorology said in its daily weather report.

Offshore, the weather will see scattered clouds at first becomes fine, the report added, waring of expected strong wind and high sea.

Wind inshore will be northwesterly – northerly at a speed of 08 -18 KT, gusting to 27 KT at places at times.

Offshore, it will be northwesterly at a speed of 10 – 20 KT, gusting to 28 KT.

Visibility inshore will be 4 – 8 KM, while offshore, it will be 5 – 9 KM.

Sea state inshore will be 2 – 4 FT, rising to 5 FT; while offshore, it will be 3 – 6 FT, rising to 9 FT.

Area High Tide Low Tide Max Doha 00:21 – 16:13 08:52 – 18:33 40 Messaid 01:25 – 10:30 – 39 Wakrah 00:25 – 09:04 – 35 Al Khor 23:02 – 01:00 16:14 – 07:32 39 Ruwais 01:00 – 14:32 07:32 – 20:44 35 Dukhan 05:48 – 18:48 00:04 – 12:05 37 Abu Samra 05:08 – 17:37 13:17 – 42 Sunrise: 04:47 LT Sunset: 18:13 LT

Source: Qat
ar News Agency

The SpaceX launched 23 new satellites of Starlink internet into the space on Saturday.

The company said the Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station carrying 23 Starlink craft toward low Earth orbit (LEO).

The Falcon 9’s first stage came back to Earth about eight minutes later as planned, touching down on the droneship “Just Read the Instructions”, which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

Starlink internet satellites work to ensure that the entire planet has high speed internet through deploying giant satellites into orbit.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Doha: Officials of the Qatari publishing houses praised the state-backed efforts, represented by the Ministry of Culture, in supporting the publication industry locally, affirming that these efforts would nurture and promote the cultural movement and invoke the academic and innovative production of books in Qatar.

Speaking to Qatar News Agency on the sidelines of their participation in the 33rd Doha International Book Fair (DIBF), the officials said the Ministry of Culture has offered numerous facilitation to support the participation of publishing houses in the event, highlighting that the decision to reduce the registration fees and renewing the license of local publishing houses will obviously allow the emergence of new houses, in addition to helping young writers publish their creative works and delve deep into knowledge fields.

Director of Qatar University Press Dr Fatima Al Suwaidi said the QU Press aims to support QU’s vision and realize its mission towards excellence in research and education throu
gh pursuing international scientific publishing criteria and hiring stellar and aptitude authors in all professional fields to meet the requirements of both QU and the society in general.

This is the third participation of QU Press in this fair and it has already fulfilled the promise for readers by showcasing a wide diversity of six publications. And after four years, the number of groundbreaking publications strikingly exceeded 75 titles of them over 20 new titles were published during the academic year 2023-2024, Al Suwaidi pointed out.

Al Suwaidi highlighted that the foremost interest the publishers receive from the ministry obviously helps foster the cultural exchange and shine a spotlight on the value of books and their critical role in raising awareness, in addition to drawing outstanding authors and professional experts underpinning the Qatar National Vision 2030.

For her part, CEO of Rosa Publishing House Aisha Jassim Al Kuwari said that this is the seventh time for Rosa to participate in DIBF, po
inting out that the Qatari and international publishing houses are always committed to participating in this fair which is considered as a hub that converges all houses in one venue.

Al Kuwari noted the decision of the Ministry of Culture to reduce the registration and licensing fees for the local houses, emphasizing that such a step will definitely support the publication industry in the State of Qatar and increase the literal and intellectual production, along with the emergence of Qatari writers. She stressed the need for publishing and translating the Qatari books abroad to reach a wider foreign audience by the same manner of translating international books into Arabic language.

In charge of the Media Department at Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press Athba Al Muslimani affirmed that DIBF is one of the most major events, adding that HBKU Press has been eager to participate in the fair with a broad range of academic and scientific publications in support of Qatari writers, alongside those who reside in the
country.

Al Muslimani hailed the facilitations provided by the Ministry of Culture for the Qatari publishing houses in the event, something that patently promotes their presence and expedites the reach of intellectual materials to the audience.

Professor and Director of Lusail University Press (LU Press) at Lusail University, Dr. Murielle El Hajj Nahas lauded the efforts of the Ministry of Culture in supporting the publication industry in multiple fields, adding that they will promote cultural innovation. She also hailed the decision taken by the ministry to reduce the registration fees.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Doha: Held under the theme “Knowledge Builds Civilizations”, the 33rd Doha International Book Fair (DIBF) concluded this evening at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center.

The ten-day fair was a great cultural event. With its cultural program, the Ministry of Culture was keen to embody this year’s theme through intellectual and cultural seminars and poetry evenings, where ideas and visions were exchanged, a matter that made Doha a cultural capital throughout the year and not just during the days of the DIBF.

In a statement to Qatar News Agency , Director of the Libraries Department at the Ministry of Culture and Director of the DIBF Jassim Ahmed Al Buainain confirmed that this edition was a success at all levels in view of the large public turnout, which shows the eagerness of the public in Qatar to attend and participate in various events, adding that the figures, which will be announced later, indicate big sales of books by various Arab and local publishing houses.

He said that the DIBF also succeede
d at the cultural level in attracting many big names, including thinkers and writers, who took the stage in 47 events, including symposiums, evenings and discussion sessions. The Cultural Salon also hosted 234 events, including seminars, discussion sessions, and the launch of hundreds of new publications, whether at the Cultural Salon or at the sites of publishing houses. This confirms the writers’ keenness to be present at this annual cultural forum in Doha.

This year’s fair witnessed the participation of 515 publishing houses from 42 countries. It also saw the launch of a number of new literary works by various writers, and the Qatari publishing houses participating in this edition displayed the works of 85 Qatari writers and authors in this edition, which were well received by readers and exhibition-goers.

The Sultanate of Oman was the guest of honor at this session, presenting a diverse cultural program about Oman.

The last day of the DIBF saw a large public turnout, a clear indication of the keenness
of society in Qatar to acquire books, and many diverse publications by Qatari and resident writers were also launched.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Xiaomi’s Redmi sub-brand has unveiled its latest smartphone, the Redmi Note 13R. This new device boasts a sleek dual-glass design and impressive specifications at an affordable price point. Xiaomi is known for its affordable devices and in terms of durability, its phones are pretty decent. This mobile phone comes with a trendy dual-glass design . The stylish appearance and lower selling price make it a very attractive device for low-end users.

Under the hood, the Redmi Note 13R packs a punch with the second-generation Snapdragon 4 leading version processor, built on a 4nm process and featuring an eight-core CPU architecture with a maximum frequency of 2.3GHz. This powerful chipset ensures smooth multitasking and efficient performance, catering to the needs of modern smartphone users.

Users can take advantage of various camera modes, including super night scene, HDR, portrait mode, film filters, AI beauty, macro mode, film watermark, timed continuous shooting, voice-activated photography, and more. These fea
tures allow users to capture stunning photos in diverse lighting conditions and express their creativity through the camera.

Source: Qatar News Agency