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Ben Sulayem says Formula 1 Qatar Airways Qatar Grand Prix reaffirms FIA confidence in Middle East and region’s important part in championship’s calendarFIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem says the Formula 1 Qatar Airways Qatar Grand Prix is set to deliver another perfect example of the Middle East’s importance to the championship, and the future of motorsport, as the drivers’ title race heads for a big climax.Sunday’s penultimate round of this year’s F1 championship arrives with Lusail International Circuit now building on the key role it plays in developing future talent in support of the FIA’s drive to broaden access to motorsport.Through the expansion of FIA karting programmes, the Formula 4 Middle East Championship, and investment in training for officials and volunteers, Qatar provides young drivers and aspiring motorsport professionals with a clear and affordable pathway to reach the highest levels.“The Qatar Grand Prix is more than a race – it is a symbol of the country’s ambition, not only to host but to grow motorsport from the grassroots to the global stage,” said Ben Sulayem. “Lusail International Circuit stands not just as a world-class venue for Formula 1, but as a testament to our collective vision: combining cutting-edge technology, sustainability, and a long-term commitment to the sport. “As we look to the future, this Grand Prix reaffirms our confidence in the Middle East and the important part the region plays in the championship’s calendar, building a passionate fan base and promoting inclusivity within the sport. This is central to the FIA’s strategy for motorsport growth and development.”Since making its Formula 1 debut in 2021, Lusail International Circuit has become a key stop on the championship calendar, featuring a flowing 16‑corner layout and multiple overtaking zones that make it ideal for close, competitive racing.The circuit’s impressive floodlighting provides one of F1’s most visually striking night races, complemented by the new state-of-the-art facilities added during the 5.38 km track’s renovation two years ago to improve the experience for drivers and spectators.The upgrades, including a 402m pit lane with 50 garages, new race-control, media and medical centre, advanced lighting, and 2.5 km of FIA-approved debris fencing, highlight the circuit’s emphasis on innovation and its dedication to upholding the highest FIA safety and technical standards.The FIA is committed to increasing accessibility and diversity across motorsport, ensuring equal opportunities for equal talent, with its global grassroots programme crucial to ensuring the continued success of the sport in the Middle East.An important part of this is the MENA Karting Championship Nations Cup, founded by Ben Sulayem in 2020. This year’s edition of the event, staged at Lusail last month by Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF), was a major success attracting more than 170 drivers from 18 countries from across the region. Source link
Afghanistan's Taliban government vowed Tuesday to ‘respond appropriately’ to deadly overnight air strikes it blamed on Pakistan, a claim Islamabad denied, as tensions spiked a day after a suicide bombing in a Pakistani city.An air raid on Khost province ‘martyred’ nine children and a woman, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid posted on X, blaming Pakistani forces and saying the target was ‘the house of a local civilian resident’.Residents of the targeted area near the Pakistan frontier searched through the rubble of a collapsed house and prepared graves for victims, an AFP correspondent saw.’Our request from the government of Pakistan is this: do not bomb ordinary people,’ said Sajidulrahman, a resident of the Jige Mughalgai area.’Civilians have done nothing wrong.’Mustaghfir Gurbuz, a spokesman for the governor of Khost, said the strikes were carried out by aircraft that included drones.The nearby border regions of Kunar and Paktika were also hit, wounding at least four people, government spokesman Mujahid said.’The Islamic Emirate strongly condemns this violation and reiterates that defending its airspace, territory, and people is its legitimate right, and it will respond appropriately at the right time,’ Mujahid said in a separate statement.Pakistan denied carrying out any attack. According to state broadcaster PTV, military spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said: ‘Pakistan has not attacked Afghanistan.”Whenever we conduct a strike, it is announced openly and properly,’ he said. ‘Pakistan never attacks civilian populations. The allegations of the interim Afghan government are baseless.’The bombardment came after a suicide attack on Monday killed three officers and wounded 11 others at the headquarters of Pakistan's paramilitary Federal Constabulary force in Peshawar.No group has claimed responsibility, but state broadcaster PTV reported the attackers were Afghan nationals.President Asif Zardari blamed the ‘foreign-backed Fitna al-Khawarij’ — Islamabad's term for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group it accuses of operating from Afghan soil.Another suicide blast this month killed 12 people outside a court in the Pakistani capital. It was claimed by a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, which shares the same ideology as the Afghan Taliban.Islamabad has said the militant cell behind the capital attack was ‘guided at every step by the… high command based in Afghanistan’.Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar told reporters Tuesday there was ‘clear-cut evidence’ linking the Afghan Taliban to the Islamabad bombing.He aired an alleged video confession from one of four suspects in custody and said: ‘Afghanistan is fully involved… and their soil is also involved. The people being sheltered there are also involved.’Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have been fraught since the Taliban swept back to power in Kabul in 2021, and worsened after border clashes in October killed around 70 people on both sides.That fighting ended with a ceasefire brokered by Qatar and Turkiye, but several rounds of talks failed to produce a lasting deal.Security issues have proved a sticking point, especially Pakistan's demand that Kabul curb TTP fighters.Islamabad accuses the Taliban of sheltering militants behind a surge in attacks, particularly the TTP, which has waged a bloody campaign against Pakistan for years.Kabul denies the charge and counters that Pakistan harbours groups hostile to Afghanistan and does not respect its sovereignty.The border between the neighbours has remained closed for more than six weeks since the October clashes, freezing bilateral trade.The Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry has warned that thousands of containers remain stuck at the border, each incurring $150-$200 in daily charges, calling the economic burden ‘unbearable’. Source link
As a young mother in a remote part of eastern Kenya, Norah Magero struggled to get her child reliable health care. “We faced lots of blackouts,…
Heavy rain caused flooding in the Gaza Strip Tuesday, swamping the tents of thousands of homeless Palestinians facing the prospect of harsh winter storms without sturdy shelter.The large majority of Gaza’s 2mn people were forced from their homes during Israel’s two-year ground and air war in the small, crowded enclave triggered by Hamas’ October 2023 storming of Israel, with many now living in tents and other basic shelters. Displaced Palestinians gather next to tents in a flooded area, during a rainy day in Gaza City, November 25, 2025. REUTERS A ceasefire has broadly held since mid-October but the war demolished much of heavily built-up Gaza, including basic infrastructure, leaving grim living conditions for most people. Displaced Palestinians shelter…
Football fans will have the opportunity to see the prestigious trophy ahead of the tournament as part of a trophy roadshow The FIFA Arab Cup trophy will be on display at Doha Festival City and Place Vendôme Mall as part of a trophy roadshow led by the Local Organising Committee (LOC) ahead of the tournament.The trophy will be on display at both venues on the following days and time:• 26 November (Wednesday) | 2pm – 10pm• 27 November (Thursday) | 2pm – 11pm• 28 November (Friday) | 2pm – 11pm• 29 November (Saturday) | 10am – 10pm • 30 November (Sunday) | 2pm – 10pmAs part of the experience, fans can take photographs with the prestigious trophy and learn more about the upcoming tournament. Juha – the official tournament mascot – will also be making a special appearance at both venues from 27 – 30 November. The Arab Cup is taking place from 1-18 December, with 16 teams competing for the coveted trophy. The tournament will be held across six stadiums that previously hosted matches during the historic FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Tickets for the Arab Cup, including qualifiers, are available at: www.roadtoqatar.qa. Throughout the competition, fans will also be treated to a variety of entertainment and cultural activities. All tickets will be digital and will include accessible seating options for disabled fans. Disabled fans wishing to request accessible seats can do so by sending an e-mail to [email protected]. Source link
A picture shows the house of Nathan Trevallion and Catherine Birmingham, a couple living in a small house in the woods with their three children in…
The death toll from the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, has risen to 69,775 martyrs in addition to 170,965 wounded.The Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip reported that hospitals in the Strip received the bodies of 17 martyrs in the past 24 hours, including 3 killed by direct fire from the occupation army and 14 that were recovered, along with 16 wounded.The Ministry also indicated that since the ceasefire came into effect on Oct. 11, a total of 345 people have been martyred and 889 injured, while 588 bodies have been recovered from the rubble.It should be noted that even though more than a month has passed since the signing of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, the Israeli occupation army continues its raids and targeting of various areas in the sector, causing the death of more martyrs and the injury of hundreds of unarmed civilians. ( Source link
Saudi Arabian player Manaf Abushgeer reflects on the pride and responsibility of representing one’s country at the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025As excitement builds ahead of the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025, former Saudi player Manaf Abushgeer says the tournament is a powerful reminder of what it means to represent one’s country on the regional stage.In an interview with the tournament Local Organising Committee (LOC), he said: “It’s a tremendous source of pride for any player to represent their country. Wearing the national team jersey is a major achievement, it’s a feeling you can’t fully describe. The moment you step onto the pitch, you carry a responsibility that you must honour.”Abushgeer, who earned 37 caps for Saudi Arabia and spent over a decade with Al Ittihad during one of the club’s most successful eras, was part of the squad that won the AFC Champions League back-to-back in 2004 and 2005. The team then qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup 2005 in Japan, where they finished in fourth place, marking one of the club’s most significant global achievements.“The passion of our Saudi fans is incredible. We’ve witnessed it time and time again here in Qatar during the 2022 World Cup and even the U-17 World Cup. Our fans always show up and their support creates an atmosphere that any team would be proud to play in.”For Abushgeer, the Arab Cup carries a significance that goes beyond competition: “This tournament puts our teams on the world stage. It’s a chance to prove ourselves, compete at the highest level and show what Arab football is capable of.”Abushgeer also reflected on Qatar’s role in elevating football across the region through hosting world-class events: “We all saw what Qatar achieved during the 2022 World Cup and it was historic. The stadiums, architecture and facilities, everything was impressive.”Saudi Arabia have been drawn into Group B alongside Morocco, the winners of Oman v Somalia and the winners of Yemen v Comoros. The team will kick off their campaign when facing the winner of Oman v Somalia on December 2 at Education City Stadium, 8pm. As the team prepares to compete in this year’s edition, Abushgeer is clear about their objective: “For the Saudi team, simply participating is never the goal. Our aim in any tournament is to compete for the title. No matter who we face in the final, we’re going for the win.”The Arab Cup will take place from December 1–18 across six stadiums used during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Al Bayt Stadium, Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Education City Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium, Stadium 974 and Lusail Stadium.A total of 16 teams will compete for the tournament trophy, with nine of the highest-ranked teams qualifying automatically, while 14 nations will contend for the remaining seven spots during qualifiers on 25–26 November in Qatar.Tickets, starting from QR 25, are available at www.roadtoqatar.qa. Throughout the tournament, fans will also enjoy a diverse programme of cultural and entertainment activities. All venues are connected seamlessly by public transport and offer accessible, barrier-free experiences for disabled fans.The Arab Cup forms part of a series of major tournaments hosted in Qatar this year, including the ongoing FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 (3–27 November) and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup (10, 13, and 17 December). Source link
Opening the 14th UN Forum on Business and Human Rights in Geneva on Monday, he said that corporate power has become increasingly influential in terms of…
President Donald Trump isn’t on the ballot in next November’s midterm elections, but he’s plunging into them with his own presidency at stake. He’s calling candidates, making early endorsements, shaping strategy and pushing economic messaging to try to keep Congress in Republican hands, according to nine Republicans involved in election strategy.As early as this summer, 18 months before Election Day 2026, Trump was urging Republican congressmen exploring Senate or gubernatorial runs to stand for reelection instead to avoid party primary fights, according to a White House official, a senior Trump adviser and a party operative.Such an early, hands-on involvement in midterm elections is unprecedented for a president in modern times.”Presidents usually are wheeled into action later in the campaign season,” said Bill Galston, who was a senior adviser in former Democratic President Bill Clinton’s White House. “This is extremely unusual.”Trump’s urgency spiked after state and local elections on November 4 when exit polling showed voters punished Republicans over the rising cost of living. In multiple meetings immediately after the vote, Trump angrily told aides that Republicans should own the affordability message, the White House official told Reuters on condition of anonymity to discuss Trump’s reaction. The president reminded his staff that he had returned to the White House on a promise to tackle inflation. Republicans should not cede ground to Democrats on the issue but highlight where his administration had succeeded in bringing down prices, said the official, who was briefed on the meetings.Trump “has been absolutely clear that affordability is the center of our economic agenda,” the White House official said.Costs have continued to rise in the US, in part because of sweeping tariffs Trump has imposed on foreign imports. Trump scrapped some tariffs this month to reduce prices on beef, coffee, fruit and other groceries.”He’s definitely going to exert more pressure on the administration to move even quicker to provide policy solutions,” the senior Trump adviser said.The White House official said Trump’s involvement includes frequent check-ins with senior advisers, bursts of calls to political allies, and regular sessions where aides walk him through polling, fundraising numbers, and research on voter sentiment.Trump has seen his poll numbers slide in recent weeks, driven in part by voters’ unhappiness with his handling of the economy. His approval rating has fallen to 38%, the lowest this year, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on November 18.”The reality is, when a president is unpopular, he takes seats away from his party,” said Doug Heye, a Republican strategist who has been a Trump critic.Trump got a reality check last week on his sway over Republican lawmakers when he was forced to reverse his opposition to releasing Justice Department files on Jeffrey Epstein, the late convicted sex offender, after a rebellion by his supporters and House Republicans.Trump’s poor approval ratings raise uncertainty about whether he can keep Republicans unified heading into the midterms if voter frustration over inflation and living costs persists. White House spokesperson Kush Desai said in a statement to Reuters that Trump has a strong record that he will continue to emphasize.”This month alone President Trump has delivered yet another drug pricing deal, five new trade deals, record-breaking commercial and investment deals with Saudi Arabia, new stock market highs, and a blockbuster jobs report,” Desai said.Trump wants party candidates to run on his package of tax cuts, which was passed in July by the Republican-controlled Congress, six Republican party operatives told Reuters. The aim is to impress on voters that they will receive bigger tax refunds from the Internal Revenue Service after they file their returns next April, putting more money in pockets and offsetting angst over rising prices.The One Big Beautiful Bill Act made permanent many tax cuts Trump passed in 2017 during his first term, including expanded tax credits for parents with children and extra deductions on state and local taxes.The overall average tax cut for an individual taxpayer will be $3,752 in 2026, according to an analysis of the bill by the Tax Foundation, a Washington-based nonpartisan nonprofit.”People are going to get money back in their pocket in April because of the tax cuts,” the Trump adviser said. “That hasn’t connected to the electorate yet.”Kyle Kondik, a nonpartisan elections analyst at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, said tax cuts may not be a winning issue for Republicans.”The tax cuts don’t necessarily mean that prices are lower. People are very pessimistic about the economy,” Kondik said.For Trump, keeping Republican control of Congress next November is also about self-preservation, said a second White House aide. Republicans have narrow majorities in both the House and Senate. If they lose just one chamber, Democrats would likely be able to thwart much of Trump’s agenda in the last two years of his presidency.Losing control of the House would also give Democrats the power to impeach Trump for a third time. House Democrats impeached Trump twice during his 2017-2021 term but on both occasions the Republican-controlled Senate did not vote to remove him from office. Nevertheless, the impeachment process consumes a presidency and can derail policy goals.”This is as much about him (Trump) as it is about the future of the party,” said one Republican operative focused on Senate races. “The Senate is the last line of defense before attacks on the president can move forward in terms of impeachment,” she said.Trump and party operatives will be focused on turning out infrequent voters – a strategy that succeeded for Trump in the presidential election last year. “Republicans have to turn out non-midterm voters to be successful,” the Trump adviser said.In the summer, Trump spoke to three Republican congressmen – Bill Huizenga of Michigan, Zach Nunn of Iowa and Mike Lawler of New York – encouraging them to drop their bids for higher office and run again for their House seats, to lessen the risk of a Democratic takeover in the chamber, the White House official and Trump adviser said. All three have since announced they are running for reelection.A spokesman for Nunn sent a statement the congressman released on July 11, thanking Trump for his support and stating he will run again for his House seat. The offices of Huizenga and Lawler did not respond to a request for comment.Trump has already endorsed at least 16 Senate candidates including in close Senate races in North Carolina and Michigan, and at least 47 House candidates, an unusually large number this early in an election cycle, according to a lobbyist with close ties to the White House.Trump has said publicly he believes one reason his party did poorly in this month’s elections was because he was not on the ballot.As a result, Trump will be front and center in the midterm campaign, hitting the trail to talk up his tax cuts. “President Trump’s hands-on engagement is a decisive advantage heading into 2026,” Kiersten Pels, the Republican National Committee press secretary, said.Democrats relish the idea of a more visible Trump, saying he will help drive turnout among their party members.”Every stop on his midterm campaign tour will remind them of how he has made life harder for everyday Americans,” Kendall Witmer, a spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee, told Reuters. 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