Author: Publisher
The 4th GCC Games Doha 2026 opened in spectacular fashion at Al Shaqab Indoor Arena Monday, with a vibrant ceremony celebrating Gulf unity and highlighting the multi-event’s role as a platform for the region’s young athletes to showcase their talent.The Games will bring together 1400 athletes and officials where athletes will compete across 17 sports over 11 days of competition, which aim to strengthen sporting ties and inspire the next generation across the Gulf. His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, President of the Olympic Council of Asia and Qatar Olympic Committee and Chairman of the Organising Committee for the GCC Games Doha 2026, officially declared the Games open and wished success to all participating athletes.HE Sheikh Joaan said: “Doha is proud to host this fourth edition of the GCC Games, bringing together athletes and friends from across our region. At a time when the world faces many challenges and uncertainties, these Games reaffirm the important role sport can play in strengthening dialogue, cooperation and understanding between peoples. Sport continues to be one of the strongest platforms for unity and optimism across the Gulf region. We witnessed this clearly during the Asian Beach Games Sanya 2026, where all 45 National Olympic Committees of Asia came together in a remarkable celebration of sport and friendship.”He added: “In Qatar, we strongly believe in the power of sport to build healthier, more connected and more united societies. Over the past two decades, Qatar has welcomed athletes, fans and delegations from around the world and hosted more than 20 World Championships. This legacy, which dates back to the Doha 2006 Asian Games, has provided us with world-class venues and expertise that today serve the ambitions of athletes from across the Gulf. We extend our appreciation to the GCC Federations, partners and organisers for their support of this event, and to every athlete competing in Doha 2026 — we wish them success in showcasing the true spirit of Gulf sport.” The 30-minute opening ceremony combined sport, art and culture in a visually striking production that departed from traditional formats through its youthful and modern presentation. Symbolic performances reflected the shared identity and unity of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.A highlight of the evening was the operetta “One Gulf, One Heart”, which celebrated the solidarity and common heritage of the GCC nations. Conceived, written and composed by Faisal Ibrahim al-Tamimi, the production blended music, theatre and choreography in an emotional tribute to Gulf brotherhood.The show impressed with its seamless mix of melodies, coordinated movements and visual storytelling, creating an engaging atmosphere for spectators inside the arena and viewers watching elsewhere. Advanced lighting, giant screens and visual effects enhanced the spectacle while complementing the heritage-inspired performances, underlining Qatar’s expertise in staging major international sporting events. Children and young girls from Qatar also featured prominently in the performances, adding an emotional and human touch through displays that highlighted values of identity and belonging.Large group performances involving participants of different age groups showcased remarkable precision and harmony, reinforcing the themes of teamwork and unity that defined the ceremony.The Games feature competitions in handball, table tennis, athletics, padel, fencing, boxing, taekwondo, karate, swimming, billiards, snooker, 3×3 basketball, shooting, archery, volleyball, equestrian and bowling. Hosts Qatar are represented by a delegation of around 300 athletes. The opening ceremony was attended by a number of Ministers, Presidents of the GCC Olympic committees, and senior sports officials, including Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Faisal, President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee; Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, President of the UAE National Olympic Committee; Sheikh Fahad Nasser Sabah Al Ahmad al-Sabah, President of the Kuwait Olympic Committee; Sayyid Azzan bin Qais al-Said, President of the Oman Olympic Committee; and Sheikh Isa bin Ali al-Khalifa, Vice President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee, alongside a number of GCC sports leaders.Jassim bin Rashid al-Buainain, Secretary-General of the Qatar Olympic Committee and Vice-Chairman of the Organising Committee, said Doha’s hosting of the Games reflected Qatar’s continued commitment to supporting Gulf sport and strengthening cooperation among GCC nations.He described the Games as an important gathering that combines competition with fraternity, while also strengthening bonds between Gulf peoples and promoting the values of solidarity and unity. Al-Buainain added that the organising committee had worked closely with all stakeholders to ensure the best technical and organisational standards for the event, while confirming that Qatari athletes were fully prepared to compete for medals across all sports.Mohammed Issa al-Fadala, Chairman of the Sports Committee of the Games, praised the technical and organisational quality of the opening ceremony, saying it successfully projected Gulf identity through a world-class production befitting Doha’s standing as a regional sporting capital. “We witnessed an exceptional ceremony that conveyed the message of unity and shared destiny among the peoples of the Gulf, while reflecting Qatar’s outstanding organisational capabilities in hosting major sporting events,” al-Fadala said.He added that the organising committee had reached full readiness across all operational and competition venues ahead of the start of events.Competitions officially begin Tuesday, with swimming at the Hamad Aquatic Centre and 3×3 basketball at Al Gharafa Club Hall. Source link
Competition in the fourth GCC Games – Doha 2026 will begin Tuesday, with Doha hosting the event through May 22. The tournament will feature 1,400 male and female athletes from the six GCC states competing in 17 sports: handball, table tennis, athletics, padel, fencing, boxing, taekwondo, karate, swimming, billiards, snooker, 3×3 basketball, shooting, archery, volleyball, equestrian and bowling.Women athletes will compete in 3×3 basketball, athletics, padel, taekwondo, fencing, shooting and archery.Qatar will be represented by 193 athletes competing across all events at the tournament.Bowling competition will open on Tuesday at the Qatar Bowling Federation Hall, with the singles event taking place on the opening day. Players will compete through to the final, followed by an awards ceremony later that day.Qatar’s bowling team will include Jassim Al Muraikhi, Talal Al Marri, Badr Al Sada, Abdulrahman Al Dosari, Ahmed Darwish and Abdullah Al Dosari.Bowling competition will continue on Wednesday with the doubles event, followed by the medal ceremony. The trios competition, consisting of three games, will take place on Thursday, also followed by medal presentations. The team event will be held on Friday and Saturday, while the bowling competition will conclude on Sunday with the Masters event and final awards ceremony.Qatari bowlers are seeking to continue their run of podium finishes at the tournament and raise the Qatari flag high at the Gulf sporting event.Taekwondo competition will also begin on Tuesday at the Qatar Women’s Sports Committee Hall in Aspire Dome. Events will be contested across eight weight categories: under 80 kilograms, over 80 kilograms, under 58 kilograms, under 68 kilograms, over 67 kilograms, under 67 kilograms, under 57 kilograms and under 49 kilograms.Qatar’s taekwondo team will include four male and three female athletes: Mohammed Shaalan in the under-80-kilogram division; Ali Al Arimi in the over-80-kilogram division; Hassan Al Nuaimi in the under-58-kilogram division; Mohammed Ashraf Awadallah in the under-68-kilogram division; Nour Mohammed in the over-67-kilogram division; Maram Al Fatnassi in the under-67-kilogram division; and Nojood Ali Al Fahd in the under-57-kilogram division.Taekwondo competition will run for two days, with medal ceremonies held at the end of each day across the various weight divisions.Table tennis competition will also begin on Tuesday at the Aspire Dome and continue through May 17.Qatar’s team will feature Mohammed Abdulwahab, Abdullah Abdulwahab, Sultan Al Kuwari, Ahmed Eid and Rawad Al Nasser.Competition will be held in men’s and women’s singles, men’s doubles, mixed doubles and the men’s team event.Four teams, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman, will compete in the men’s team category.Winners across all categories will be crowned on May 16 and 17.Competition in the 3×3 basketball tournament at the fourth GCC Games – Doha 2026 will also begin Tuesday, with Gharafa Hall hosting both the men’s and women’s events.In the men’s competition, Qatar will play three consecutive Group A games, opening against the United Arab Emirates at 3:45 p.m., followed by Bahrain at 6:15 p.m., before concluding the day against Kuwait at 7:30 p.m.In the women’s competition, Qatar will play two Group A matches on Tuesday, beginning against Oman at 2:30 p.m., followed by Kuwait at 5 p.m.Swimming competition at the Hamad Aquatic Center and billiards competition at the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation Hall will also begin on Tuesday.Equestrian events at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club, along with fencing and boxing at Aspire Dome and shooting at Lusail Shooting Range, will begin on Wednesday.Athletics competition at Suhaim bin Hamad Stadium at Qatar SC, as well as handball matches at Duhail Sports Hall, will begin on Thursday.Snooker competition at the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation Hall will begin on Friday, while volleyball competition at the Women’s Sports Hall and the padel competition at Aspire Dome will begin on Saturday. Source link
GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi praised the Gulf states for building a development model that balances cultural identity with global openness, saying Gulf Cooperation Council nations have strengthened their regional and international influence through deeper political, economic, and technological integration. Speaking at the Gulf Achievements Forum in Riyadh, Albudaiwi highlighted major advances in security, digital transformation, healthcare, education, and energy connectivity, stressing that the Gulf citizen remains at the heart of the bloc’s development strategy. He said the GCC’s achievements, including freedom of movement, employment, investment, education, and healthcare access across member states, reflect the growing success of joint Gulf cooperation ahead of the council’s 45th anniversary on May 25. Albudaiwi also warned that accelerating global and regional changes make Gulf unity a strategic necessity, urging younger generations to continue strengthening regional cohesion and long-term economic competitiveness. Related Story Source link
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) shot and injured a young Palestinian man on Monday, after storming Qalandiya refugee camp in the occupied city of Jerusalem (Al-Quds).WAFA news agency reported that the IOF stormed the vocational training institute opposite the camp and fired a barrage of tear gas, stun grenades, and live ammunition, injuring a young man who had sustained a serious head injury as a result of the attack.The occupied West Bank has witnessed an escalation in the Israeli occupation’s attacks in recent months, as occupation forces have intensified raids, arrests, and indiscriminate shooting in various Palestinian cities and towns. Source link
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay (left) holds the hand of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during a swearing-in ceremony as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu…
President Donald Trump yesterday rejected Iran’s response to a US proposal for peace talks to end the war, as two ships were allowed to pass through the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.“I have just read the response from Iran’s so-called “Representatives.” I don’t like it — TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE,” Trump posted on Truth Social, without giving further detail. Iranian state media said the response focused on ending the war on all fronts, especially Lebanon, and on the safety of shipping through the strait, Iranian state TV said, without indicating how or when the vital waterway might reopen. It followed a US proposal to end fighting before starting talks on more contentious issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme.Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency said Tehran’s proposal included an immediate end to the war on all fronts, a halt to the US naval blockade, guarantees of no further attacks on Iran and the lifting of sanctions onIran, including a US ban on Iranian oil sales. The Wall Street Journal quoted unnamed sources saying Iran proposed diluting some of its highly enriched uranium and transferring the remainder to a third country.Pakistan, which has been mediating talks over the war, forwarded the Iranian response to the US, a Pakistani official said. There was no immediate US comment. Despite a month-old ceasefire in the conflict and after some 48 hours of relative calm, hostile drones were detected over several Gulf countries yesterday, underlining the threat still facing the region. Still, the QatarEnergy-operated carrier Al Kharaitiyat passed safely through the strait and was heading for Pakistan’s Port Qasim, according to data from shipping analytics firm Kpler. It was the first Qatari vessel carrying liquefied natural gas to cross the strait since the US and Israel started the war on February 28. Sources said earlier the transfer, which offered a modicum of relief to Pakistan after a wave of power blackouts caused by a halt to gas imports, had been approved by Iran to build confidence with Pakistan and with Qatar, another mediator. In addition, a Panama-flagged bulk carrier bound for Brazil that had previously attempted to transit the strait on May 4 passed through, using a route designated by Iran’s armed forces, Tasnim reported yesterday.With Trump due to visit China this week, there has been mounting pressure to draw a line under the war, which has ignited a global energy crisis and poses a growing threat to the world economy. Tehran has largely blocked non-Iranian shipping through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, which before the war carried one-fifth of the world’s oil supply and has emerged as one of the central pressure points in the war. Addressing whether combat operations against Iran were over, Trump said in remarks aired yesterday: “They are defeated, but that doesn’t mean they’re done.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war was not over because there was “more work to be done” to remove enriched uranium from Iran, dismantle enrichment sites and address Iran’s proxies and ballistic missile capabilities. The best way to remove the enriched uranium would be through diplomacy, Netanyahu said in an interview with CBS News’ 60 Minutes, without ruling out removing it by force.Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a social media post that Iran would “never bow down to the enemy” and would “defend national interests with strength”. Despite diplomatic efforts to break a deadlock, the threat to shipping lanes and the economies of the region remained high. Yesterday, the United Arab Emirates said it intercepted two drones coming from Iran, while Qatar condemned a drone attack that hit a cargo ship coming from Abu Dhabi in its waters. Kuwait said its air defences had dealt with hostile drones that entered its airspace. Recent days have seen the biggest flare-ups in fighting in and around the strait since a ceasefire began: the UAE came under renewed attack on Friday and sporadic clashes were reported between Iranian forces and US vessels in the strait. Clashes have also continued in southern Lebanon between Israel and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, despite a US-brokered ceasefire announced on April 16. Hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah reignited on March 2 when the Lebanese group opened fire after Tehran came under US-Israeli attack. The latest talks between Israel and Lebanon are due to start in Washington on May 14. Though Washington imposed its own blockade on Iranian vessels last month, Tehran has taken its time before responding to calls to end a war that surveys show is unpopular with US voters facing ever-higher gasoline prices. With the Trump administration facing US voter discontent less than six months before congressional elections, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told NBC’s Meet the Press that the Trump administration was “constantly looking for different ideas” to lower gasoline prices. The US has found little international support, with Nato allies refusing calls to send ships to open the Strait of Hormuz without a full peace deal and an internationally mandated mission. Domestically, Trump has had to fend off attempts by congressional Democrats to force an end to the war through War Powers Act legislation. “This is a situation that has been made much worse by the actions of Donald Trump, and now he’s floundering around trying to figure out a way to get out of it,” US Senator Jack Reed, the senior Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, told Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures show. Britain, which has been working with France on a proposal to ensure safe transit through the strait once the situation stabilises, said on Saturday it was deploying a warship to the Middle East in preparation for such a mission, following a similar move by France. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on social media that any stationing of British, French or other warships around the Strait of Hormuz under the pretext of “protecting shipping” would be an escalation and would be met by force.In response, French President Emmanuel Macron said France was standing ready to help the international mission, but “we have never envisaged a military deployment to re-open Hormuz.” Related Story Source link
Groups of passengers and crew disembarked from a cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak yesterday to be evacuated to their home countries where they will isolate according to national protocols to prevent further spread of the disease. Government planes carrying Spanish and French nationals landed in Madrid and Paris yesterday afternoon, where the passengers were transported to hospital, according to the two countries’ governments.One of the five French passengers showed symptoms during the repatriation flight, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on X. Planes to Canada, the Netherlands, Turkiye, the UK, Ireland, and the US were due to depart by 2030 local time (1830 GMT) yesterday, with the final flights departing today by 1900 local time.The passengers will be tested upon arrival and then either taken to local hospitals or quarantine facilities or transported home for isolation. The World Health Organisation has recommended a 42-day quarantine for all passengers from the boat from yesterday, its director of epidemic and pandemic management Maria Van Kerkhove said in a briefing. The Spanish passengers will be kept in hospital for the full 42 days, while French passengers will be hospitalised for 72 hours then allowed home to self-isolate for a further 45 days, according to the respective governments. “Our recommendation is daily health checks, at home or in a specialised facility. It’s up to countries to develop their policies but our recommendations are very clear,” Van Kerkhove said, highlighting that the incubation period for the virus was up to six weeks. The virus, usually spread by rodents but also transmittable person-to-person in rare cases of close contact, was first detected by health officials in Johannesburg on May 2 treating a British man who fell ill and was taken into intensive care, 21 days after another passenger had died. The man’s health has since improved, a WHO official said yesterday. The WHO said the first passenger who died on the ship may have been infected before boarding, possibly during travel in Argentina and Chile.Eight people no longer on the ship have fallen ill, according to a WHO tally from Friday, of which six are confirmed to have contracted the virus. Three have died – a Dutch couple and a German national. Four remain hospitalised in South Africa, the Netherlands and Switzerland. On the remote island of Tristan da Cunha, a British overseas territory, a suspected case is being treated by a team of medical specialists parachuted in by the UK military. Still, health officials urged calm, reminding a public scarred from the experience of the Covid-19 pandemic that this virus was far less contagious and posed little risk to the general population.A woman in Spain who was tested for the virus after sharing a flight with one of the victims tested negative. “This is not Covid and we don’t want to treat it like Covid,” acting US CDC Director Jay Bhattacharya said in an interview with CNN yesterday, adding the 17 US passengers from the ship would be given the choice of isolating at home or at a facility in Nebraska. Spain’s health ministry also downplayed the risk to the broader population. It added that rodents had not been detected aboard the ship.The luxury cruise ship left for Spain on Wednesday from the coast of Cape Verde after the WHO and European Union asked the country to manage the evacuation of passengers after the outbreak was detected. Passengers were taken from the ship to shore in small boats and transported to Tenerife airport in military buses, without coming into contact with the public.Thirty crew members will remain on board and sail to the Netherlands today evening where the ship will be disinfected.“Thank God we are all fine… I hope we’ll get through the quarantine process smoothly and be able to see family and friends again,” Turkish birdwatcher Emin Yogurtcuoglu, a passenger on the ship, wrote in a public post on Instagram. Source link
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan stressed the importance of supporting negotiations between the United States and Iran as the only way to reduce escalation and end the war in the region.In a phone call, both sides expressed hope that all parties would adopt responsible and wise stances and fully rely on diplomacy to resolve disputes, according to a statement issued by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.They also stressed that lasting regional security and stability fundamentally depend on prioritising political solutions that preserve the interests and resources of the peoples of the region.Regarding bilateral relations, the two ministers affirmed their mutual commitment to advancing and strengthening frameworks of joint cooperation across various fields in a way that serves the common interests of both countries and fulfills the aspirations of their peoples for greater development and prosperity. Source link
A Turkish Airlines jet caught fire while landing at Nepal’s main airport, Kathmandu International Airport, on Monday, prompting the immediate evacuation of passengers.The Airbus A330 aircraft, registered TC-JNP, landed normally at the runway before smoke was observed from the landing gear while the plane was taxiing, said the airline’s senior vice president for communications Yahya Ustun.The evacuation was carried out as a precautionary measure under the instructions of airport tower authorities. Passengers were evacuated using the emergency slides, and no injuries were reported, he added.The airline confirmed that technical inspections were conducted to determine the cause of the smoke from the landing gear.The incident caused the airport to close for an hour. A spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal stated that all 277 passengers and 11 crew members were safely evacuated. Source link
A Palestinian child was injured by Israeli occupation forces last night in Aida refugee camp, north of Bethlehem.Security sources told (WAFA) news agency that occupation forces stationed in the military tower opposite the camp fired live ammunition at residents’ homes, resulting in the serious injury of the child, who was shot in the chest. Source link