US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has asked the Qatari government to change its relationship with Hamas, starting with the way Al Jazeera reports on the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Blinken reportedly revealed this to a group of America's Jewish community leaders on Monday, according to three people who attended the meeting and spoke with the outlet. The US diplomat visited Doha on October 13, just days after the Hamas incursion into Israel triggered the latest escalation of hostilities in the Middle East. During the visit, according to Axios’ sources, Blinken asked the Qatari government to “change its public posture” towards Hamas. As one example of how this could be done, he reportedly said they could “turn down the volume on Al Jazeera's coverage because it is full of anti-Israel incitement.” Blinken did not offer any examples of the rhetoric he wanted “toned down.” The State Department declined to comment on his reported remarks. The Qatari Foreign Ministry did not respond to Axios’ requests for comment and neither has Al Jazeera. Israel has accused the Doha-based network of being “a propaganda mouthpiece” for the Palestinian militant group, and has been looking at banning the channel. “The government is working on something,” Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesman Lior Haiat told the Jerusalem Post last week. “The idea is if they are crossing the line in assisting Hamas, we can shut out the entire channel.” Meanwhile, the White House has relied on Qatar’s relationship with Hamas to negotiate the release of some of the hostages taken on October 7. Blinken stated that he was “deeply appreciative of the role Qatar is playing” in freeing American captives amid their release last week, according to an unnamed State Department official speaking in a background briefing. At least 1,400 Israelis were killed and thousands more were injured during the Hamas incursion. West Jerusalem responded by declaring war on the Palestinian group and launching artillery and air strikes against Gaza. Al Jazeera has stated that its bureau chief in Gaza, Wael Al Dahdouh, lost his wife, son, daughter, and grandson in what it claimed was an Israeli airstrike on Wednesday.
0 Comments
2023 FORMULA 1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CONSTRUCTOR STANDINGS
2023 Formula 1 World Championship Drivers' Standings
FFORMULA 1 QATAR AIRWAYS QATAR GRAND PRIX 2023 - Race Results
Max Verstappen wrapped up his third Formula One championship on Saturday with six races to spare.Verstappen secured the title as his nearest title rival and teammate Sergio Perez crashed out on lap 11 of the 23-lap sprint race after colliding with Alpine's Esteban Ocon and Haas' Nico Hulkenberg. Verstappen becomes the first driver to secure the title in a race under the format introduced in 2021. His dominant season has included a record 10 straight victories between May's Miami Grand Prix and September's Italian Grand Prix. Should he win the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday, he will be one victory away from matching his own record of 15 wins in a single season from last year. Fittingly for a season which has been so one-sided, Verstappen made some history in how he secured it, becoming the first driver in 40 years to clinch on a Saturday. The last driver to do so was Nelson Piquet, the father of Verstappen's long-term girlfriend Kelly, at the 1987 Japanese Grand Prix.
FORMULA 1 QATAR AIRWAYS QATAR GRAND PRIX 2023 - Sprint Race Results
FORMULA 1 QATAR AIRWAYS QATAR GRAND PRIX 2023 - Top 10 Sprint Shootout Results
FORMULA 1 QATAR AIRWAYS QATAR GRAND PRIX 2023 - Top 10 Qualifying Results
Soccer teams representing seven European nations at the World Cup have announced their captains will no longer wear the OneLove armband in Qatar after FIFA, which organizes the tournament, said players sporting the bands would be sanctioned. The captains of England, Wales, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland, had originally intended to wear the rainbow armband to promote diversity and inclusion at the World Cup.
“We were prepared to pay fines that would normally apply to breaches of kit regulations and had a strong commitment to wearing the armband. However, we cannot put our players in the situation where they might be booked or even forced to leave the field of play,” the soccer associations said in a joint statement. Three of the teams, England, Wales and the Netherlands, were due to play Monday. “We are very frustrated by the FIFA decision which we believe is unprecedented,” the teams added, vowing to show their support for “inclusion” in other ways. “As national federations, we can’t put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions including bookings.” Qatar has come under scrutiny in the lead-up to the tournament over its approach to human rights, including concerns over the conditions of migrant workers and the conservative Persian Gulf state’s stance on LGBT people. Sex between men is prohibited in Qatar and punishable by up to seven years in prison, according to a recent U.S. State Department report. Africa’s highest-ranked team will still look to challenge the Netherlands in the opening clash despite injury to star player. In February, the Teranga Lions secured their first Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title after beating Egypt on penalties. The Netherlands have also enjoyed considerable success in their continental exploits, topping their Nations League group and notching two morale-boosting wins against their Benelux rivals, Belgium.
Tough fixture for both Monday’s match will likely represent the greatest challenge in Group A for both teams, who will fancy their chances against Ecuador and Qatar, ranked 44th and 50th in the world, respectively. The contest at Al Thumama Stadium had promised to pit Liverpool’s mercurial centre-back Virgil van Dijk against his former teammate and prolific goalscorer Sadio Mané. However, this year’s Ballon d’Or runner-up picked up a leg injury playing for German champions Bayern Munich and has been ruled out of the tournament, in a big blow to the African champions that has left its supporters in shock. “We know that we have lost a great leader but I think that there will be more players that will show themselves and we must be ready,” defender Kalidou Koulibaly said. Midfielder Nampalys Mendy agreed. “We have to be ready, ready before any eventuality, it’s true that the absence of Sado will harm us enormously … because he is an important player. We have players of great quality too, so we are confident in our quality, and we will do everything to show it.” Still, Micky Jnr, a football journalist specialising in African football, expressed confidence that “this Senegal team will progress from the group”. He expects Senegal to claim, at least, a point against the Netherlands, or “maybe surprise the Europeans with a win”. The midfield battle At the back, both teams boast several world-class options. Van Dijk is joined by the likes of Inter Milan’s Stefan de Vrij and Bayern Munich’s Matthijs de Ligt for the Oranje. Senegal can rely on Chelsea’s Koulibaly and RB Leipzig’s Abdou Diallo. In between the sticks, Senegal seemingly has the upper hand with Chelsea’s Edouard Mendy. Even though the keeper has struggled for form this season, his international experience far outweighs what the Netherlands offers. Dutch manager Louis van Gaal has yet to settle on his number one, but in the past two matches, he handed Ajax shot-stopper Remko Pasveer his first international caps at the ripe age of 39. In midfield, the Oranje boast the likes of Frenkie de Jong and the free-scoring Cody Gakpo, who continues to light up the Dutch Eredivisie with 13 goals and 15 assists in 24 games so far this season. “It is going to be a cagey game; I think the battle will be won in midfield,” says Jnr, who highlights Senegal’s Pape Matar Sarr, a talented footballer with an “excellent work rate” as someone to look out for. Senegal has some exciting options in attack, such as Boulaye Dia, who is currently on loan to Serie A side Salernitana from Villareal. However, Mané will be a huge loss for Senegal, whose defence will have to cope with Memphis Depay who seems to have recovered from an injury. “We have players who play at the highest level, the biggest clubs in the world. We have experience. We have talent. We have a good mixture. But first and foremost, we have team spirit. And I think that’s the start and the key to success. It’s not guaranteed success, of course, but it’s a good way to start,” van Dijk said on Thursday, while also hailing van Gaal’s leadership. “We have a fantastic manager, experienced manager,” he added. “It’s going to be a very big one against the African champions and we’ll do everything in our power to hopefully get a good result and start our World Cup in the best way possible.” Comprising seven gallery spaces housing objects from around the world, the 19,000-square-metre (204,514-square-foot) 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum has opened its doors next to Khalifa Stadium in the capital, Doha. A member of the Olympic Museums Network (OMN), 3-2-1, designed by Spanish architect Joan Sibina, is one of the largest museums of its kind. “The 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum comes after Qatar’s outstanding performance at the Tokyo Olympics and just before we host the World Cup,” said Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, chairperson of Qatar Museums (QM).
“Culture and sports are two sides of the same coin, and there is no better time to celebrate our nation’s investments in both.” The museum contains objects from the origins of sports to the present day, and is located on the side of Qatar’s national stadium which is also one of the eight venues for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. “The Museum delivers a multi-layered educational narrative that combines a comprehensive collection with state-of-the-art technology and documents the significance of sports in Qatar,” QM said in a press release. Germany has announced a long-term contract with Qatar for the supplies of liquefied natural gas (LNG), as Europe’s biggest economy looks to reduce its energy dependence on Russia. The move comes amid broader Western sanctions aimed at isolating Russia from global trade and energy markets in response to the country’s military operation in Ukraine. According to Germany’s economy minister Robert Habeck, his country will have to rely on gas supplies from Russia at least for 2022. “We might still need Russian gas this year, but not in the future,” Habeck was quoted as saying by DPA in Doha." The minister described the deal as a “door-opener” for his country’s economy since it would reduce Germany’s reliance on Russian gas deliveries, which reportedly account for more than half of its annual supply. Habeck declined to provide details on the quantities and other terms of the contract, adding that it would be up to individual German energy firms, the heads of which accompanied him on the trip to Qatar. Qatari authorities welcomed Germany’s decision to “fast-track” the development of LNG terminals, and said in a statement that the countries’ “respective commercial entities would re-engage and progress discussions on long-term LNG supplies from Qatar to Germany”.
2021 Formula 1 World Championship Drivers' Standings
Formula 1 Ooredoo Qatar Grand Prix 2021 Qualifying Results
|
Thank you for choosing to make a difference through your donation. We appreciate your support.
This website uses marketing and tracking technologies. Opting out of this will opt you out of all cookies, except for those needed to run the website. Note that some products may not work as well without tracking cookies. Opt Out of CookiesCategories
All
Archives
April 2024
|