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The Uttar Pradesh Pratham Welfare Association (UPPWA), an associate organisation of the Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF) under the aegis of the Embassy of India in Qatar, celebrated UP Diwas recently at MIE–Savitribai Phule Pune University, Doha.Vipul, ambassador of India to Qatar, was the chief guest, while Harish Pandey, first secretary (Education and Culture), Indian embassy, was the guest of honour. Several distinguished personalities were present as special guests.More than 200 people, including children, participated in the celebrations. The programme began with a welcome by RJ Nazia, followed by the national anthems of India and Qatar. Ziauddin Ahmad, president of UPPWA, delivered the welcome address and highlighted the long-standing demand of the Uttar Pradesh diaspora for direct flight connectivity between Qatar and the state. Sara Khan rendered a patriotic song. Indian ambassador Vipul made the keynote address.Asif Khan, vice president of UPPWA, along with other office-bearers, felicitated the chief guest and guest of honour.The cultural segment featured an elegant Kathak performance by Rushika Nautial, Kavya Singh, Anupriya Trivedi, Mannan Kaur, Dristi Pramanik, Samira Mathur, Pavki Maheshwari Kanoria, Sunvi Hati, Nandini Arun, Samaira Singhal and Yadvi Srinivasa Raghavan, choreographed by Sonali Jadhav. A solo dance by Sanika Rajhansa and group performance by students of DPS–MIS, choreographed by Maniksha Balodi, Supriya and Ambili, captivated the audience.The programme also included a poetry session by Shalini Verma and Dr Meenu Mansi. Appreciation certificates were presented to performers, and an audio-visual presentation showcasing the tourism, culture, and heritage of Uttar Pradesh drew special applause. The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Junaid Khan, general secretary of UPPWA. Source link
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney will likely visit India in the first week of March and sign deals on uranium, energy, minerals and artificial intelligence, Dinesh Patnaik, India’s high commissioner to Canada said in an interview.Carney is making all-out efforts to diversify Canada’s alliances beyond the US, its top trade partner. In Davos, he earned a rare standing ovation for saying the old rules-based order is over and called on middle powers like Canada to build coalitions to shape a fairer, more resilient world.His viral speech followed an agreement with China to slash tariffs on electric vehicles and canola and open up to C$7bn ($5.11bn) in export markets as he tries to double non-US exports over the next decade.Carney is also resetting relations with India after his predecessor Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of involvement in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in 2023. India has denied those claims.Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Group of 7 summit on Carney’s invitation last year and several of Carney’s ministers have travelled to India.”I have a feeling in the first week of March is what we are looking at,” said high commissioner Patnaik on Carney’s visit during a interview. Carney’s office declined to comment.Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said earlier Carney would visit Australia in March to address parliament. Canada’s Energy Minister Tim Hodgson was in India last week and said the timing of Carney’s trip was not yet set.”There are plans for the prime minister to visit at some point this year, it will depend on the progress we make,” Hodgson said in a interview.Formal negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with India should also start in March, Patnaik said. The countries agreed to restart stalled trade talks in November.Carney will sign smaller agreements with the Indian government on nuclear energy, oil and gas, the environment, AI and quantum computing as well as deals on education and culture during his visit, Patnaik said.A 10-year C$2.8bn uranium supply deal is likely to be included, he added.Hodgson did not confirm the deal, but said Canada is happy to sell uranium under the Canada-India nuclear co-operation agreement as long as India is prepared to abide by International Energy Agency safeguards.”We know that India is a major nuclear country and it has major plans to grow its civilian use of nuclear energy,” Hodgson said. “So that would be one of the topics I expect that we will discuss with my counterpart.”Between Hodgson’s visit and Carney’s, both countries will be announcing agreements around energy and mining, Patnaik said, adding that a pact on critical minerals and crude and LNG transactions will be the most prominent ones.”We need to focus on economies that are large and growing. India squarely falls into that category. India is a growing user of critical minerals that Canada can supply,” Hodgson said.Both countries are moving with a sense of urgency after two years of stalled talks, and a renewed impetus to move fast to make sure countries hit by US tariffs forge their own path, Patnaik said.”Now we are living in a world where the natural rules-based order which gave a certainty to the world is not functioning,” he said, referring to Carney’s speech at Davos.”(We) should work together to have an agreement that protects us from the vagaries of the international order,” he added.US President Donald Trump last week threatened 100% tariffs on Canada if it signed a deal with China. Carney responded that Canada respects its commitments under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement to not pursue free trade agreements with non-market economies.Patnaik said India is also seeking new agreements. India and the EU recently announced the conclusion of protracted negotiations for a free trade pact.Within a year of starting formal negotiations with Canada, a CEPA pact could be signed, Patnaik added.India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman are also likely to visit Canada very soon, he said.Patnaik said that there is a court case ongoing in Canada on four people accused of the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. If evidence comes out that there were Indians involved, India will take action, he said. He said India’s national security advisor will visit Ottawa next month as part of regular engagements between the two countries to exchange intelligence and discuss security measures. Source link
Al Rayyan and Al Duhail players battle for the ball at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium yesterday. Al Rayyan held Al Duhail to a 1-1 draw in a high intensity round 14 clash of the Qatar Stars League at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium yesterday.Adil Boulbina scored for Al Duhail in the 13th minute while Wesley Ribeiro Silva shot home the equaliser for Al Rayyan in the 34th minute.Al Rayyan got a reprieve in the 72nd minute when a penalty was overturned following VAR after Boulbina had stumbled with Al Rayyan goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada getting his fingertips at the ball.It was the Red Knights who attacked from the word go. In the very 6th minute of play a strong Karim Boudiaf header off a corner kick was blocked by Abunada. Minutes later, another Al Duhail attempt found the bottom of the left post but only for the ball to move out.Soon, Boulbina found the net converting a Bourigeaud Benjamin cross from the right. The Lions hit back with Wesley moving the ball centre just outside the box before making a successful strike into the net.While Al Rayyan tried to push hard in the second session, they were unable to find a finish. Al Duhail kept the tempo trying to encash on opportunites but they too failed to convert a second time. Al Duhail moved up to sixth place with 20 points, while Al Rayyan climbed to fourth on 24 points.Earlier, Al Shamal and Al Sailiya played out a goalless draw at the Al Shamal Stadium. The results meant that Al Shamal remained in third place with 25 points and Al Sailiya in tenth with 12 points.Today, Al Ahli will lock horns with Qatar SC at Al Thumama Stadium at 5:45pm before Al Gharafa take on Al Sadd at the Thani Bin Jasim Stadium at 7:45pm. Source link
The Malarvadi Children Organisation – Qatar chapter successfully hosted Malarvadi Talentino 2026, a grand children’s arts festival.Wakrah Zone and Madinat Khalifa Zone emerged as joint overall champions, finishing with equal points and sharing the championship title. Rayyan Zone secured second place, followed by Thumama Zone in third.More than 800 children, who qualified through preliminary rounds held across various regions of Qatar, competed in the mega finals. Participants represented their respective zones in individual and group events, with competitions spread across 24 disciplines and six venues. The festival showcased the artistic talents of boys and girls aged 12 and under.The competitions were organised under four categories—Buds, Kids, Sub Junior, and Junior—covering a wide range of performances including action songs, fancy dress, poetry recitation, storytelling, mono acts, traditional and group dances, music, mime, and speech.The concluding session opened with a Qur’an recitation by Ameen. Renowned Qatari visual artist Hessa Kalla attended as chief guest. Prizes were distributed by RS Abdul Jaleel, president of the Centre for Indian Community; along with KT Mubarak, vice president; Naseema, Women India president; Amina Senna, Girls India Qatar president; and Ameen Sabak, Student India Qatar president.Malarvadi Qatar convener Nahya Beevi delivered the welcome address, while MM Abdul Jaleel, general convener of Talentino 2026, proposed the vote of thanks. The festival was sponsored by Seashore Cables as main sponsor, with City Exchange as co-sponsor. Source link
A World Health Organisation official yesterday said the risk of the spread of the Nipah virus is low, saying that none of the over 190 contacts of the two people infected in India had tested positive or developed symptoms of the disease.Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam are among the Asian locations that tightened airport screening checks this week to guard against such a spread after India confirmed infections.”The risk on a national, regional and global level is considered low,” Anais Legand, an official with WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, told a Geneva press briefing, saying that neither person travelled while symptomatic. Both of the infected patients are hospitalised and are alive, she added, with one showing signs of improvement.Legand said the WHO was waiting for India to release the sequence of the virus to assess any possible mutation but said there was “no specific evidence that would make us worry for the time being”.Carried by fruit bats and other animals, the virus can cause fever and brain inflammation. It has a fatality rate ranging from 40% to 75%, with no cure. Vaccines in development are still being tested.The source of this infection is not yet fully understood. Hypotheses such as infection from drinking palm juice or exposure at healthcare facilities are being considered, Legand said.Meanwhile, several leading experts yesterday said the airport screenings for Nipah virus, which have been stepped up across Asia this week, are more about reassurance than science,The WHO yesterday said it did not currently recommend airport screening.”Based on what we currently know, there is a very low likelihood that this outbreak will cause a large international epidemic,” said Dr Md Zakiul Hassan, a Nipah specialist at icddr,b, a global health research institute in Bangladesh, where Nipah cases are reported almost every year.Piero Olliaro, professor of poverty-related disease at the University of Oxford, said airport screenings for such a rare disease were likely to be ineffective.”Countries sometimes do these things just to show them flexing the muscles… telling their people that they’re doing something to protect them,” he said. Olliaro and other public health experts said airport temperature screenings rarely worked to stop the spread of disease. During Covid-19, for example, they missed the majority of cases, studies have shown.Also, many illnesses can cause a fever, and follow-up testing for a rare disease like Nipah is time-consuming, the experts added. Instead, the world’s focus on Nipah would be better directed at better understanding the virus where it currently spreads, and protecting those at risk from it with new vaccines and treatments. Source link
Kristen Vanderveen stamped her authority in the final round of the HH The Father Amir’s Prix, delivering a standout victory in the CSI5* Table A jump-off over 155cm at Al Shaqab yesterdayThe American rider proved untouchable in a high-speed barrage, guiding 12-year-old gelding Bull Run’s Jireh to a flawless round in 40.14 seconds, a time that proved unbeatable until the very end. Switzerland’s Nadja Peter Steiner came closest to denying Vanderveen, producing two clear rounds with Clearround IL Mondo but finishing just fractions behind in 40.53 seconds. Kristen Vanderveen celebrates with her 12-year-old gelding Bull Run’s Jireh after winning the CSI5* jump-off 155cm class during the final round of the HH The…
The Qatar chapter of Nest Internal Academy & Research Centre (NIARC) successfully organised the “Nurture & Heal – Medical Camp for Children with Special Needs and Their Families” at Reyada Medical Centre, Doha, on January 23.The free medical camp drew families from more than 11 nationalities and received widespread appreciation.The event was inaugurated by chief guest Eish Singhal, IPS, First Secretary (Labour and Community Welfare), Embassy of India, Qatar.Families from diverse communities — including German, British, Indian, American, Filipino, Syrian, Zimbabwean, Egyptian, Nigerian, Algerian and Pakistan —participated in the camp.The programme featured addresses by Jafar Munafar, general secretary, NIARC Qatar; and Shanahas Edodi, chairman, NIARC Qatar chapter and the chief guest .During the felicitation ceremony, Shanavas Bava, president of ICBF; Mini Siby, head of ICBF medical camp; and Bindu Linson, president of UNIQ, were honoured.A major highlight of the event was the launch of the NIARC – Reyada Medical Privilege Card, which was inaugurated by Jamsheer Hamza, managing director of Reyada Medical Centre, alongside Singhal. The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Mustafa Eenam, event management convener, NIARC.Addressing the gathering, Edodi stated: “Together, we have taken a meaningful step toward building a more compassionate, inclusive, and caring society. Let us continue this journey—hand in hand—for a better tomorrow.”The success of the camp was made possible by the efforts of NIARC officials and volunteers, including Rasik KV, Shahajar, Muneer Bradma, Dr S K Vyas, Nabeel, Thaha Bargavi, Shameem, UNIQ members, well-wishers, and master of ceremonies Snaha Thomas. Special thanks were also extended to key supporters UNIQ, 98.6 FM, MRA, Berlin Fasteners, Bradma, and Reyada Medical Centre for hosting the event. Source link
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