Editor of WQ

Senior Tunisian Al-Qaeda ally killed The interior ministry had previously said that five “terrorists” were gunned down on Friday in the central region of Gafsa. (File: Reuters) A senior leader of an Al-Qaeda-militant group that has been blamed for a spate of violence in Tunisia was among five militants killed by security forces in a recent raid, an official said Saturday. “The...

Palestinian hunger striker freed by Israel Israel has released a Palestinian prisoner who went on a hunger strike for 56 days to protest against his imprisonment without charge. He was freed following a deal in which he agreed to end his fast. Israel released Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader, Khader Adnan, from jail on Sunday following a deal under which he had...

Housemaids in huge demand in Qatar during Ramadan Demand for part-time maids increases exponentially among Qatari and non-Qatari families during Ramadan, and the trend has been no different this year. Families usually hire maids on hourly basis during the holy month compared with regular days because of hectic house work, especially cooking for guests for Iftar parties. With increasing demand, manpower agencies...

Sheikha Moza: World should be patient with Qatar Qatar may not be changing as fast the world would like, but the slow and steady pace is being managed so that “our young people understand and know how to deal with it,” Qatar’s former first lady has said. In a recent wide-ranging interview with the foreign editor of the Financial Times, Sheikha...

Qatar movie fans express condolences after death of Omar Sharif Expressing their sadness and grief, many film buffs in Qatar have been paying tribute to the Egypt-born screen legend Omar Sharif, who died in Cairo yesterday at the age of 83. The actor, who rose to international fame particularly for his roles in Dr. Zhivago and Lawrence of Arabia, had a...

Reports: Russian troops leave unit fearing Ukraine deployment Dozens of professional Russian soldiers are facing trial after abandoning a training base, according to media reports. The soldiers were allegedly pressured to "volunteer" for fighting in Ukraine. The troops were reportedly offered money and benefits from people in uniforms without insignia. The people then tried to motivate them to join the war...

Explosion hits Italian consulate in Cairo At least one person has been killed after a massive explosion occurred in front of the Italian consulate in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. An online claim of responsibility signed by "Islamic State" has begun circulating. Health Ministry spokesperson Hossam Abdel Ghaffar told reporters in Cairo that at least one person had been killed in the...

Suicide bomber in a burqa hits Chadian capital A suicide bomber dressed in a woman's burqa has killed 15 people at a market in Chad's capital N'Djamena. No group immediately claimed responsibility, but Boko Haram militants are suspected of carrying out the blast. Wearing the head-to-toe garment that authorities banned last month, the man blew himself up at the entrance to...

Violence forces delay in Burundi presidential vote President Pierre Nkurunziza's attempts at a third term in office have led to months of unrest and a failed coup attempt. Some observers fear a return to civil war. Burundi has postponed presidential elections until July 21 after several months of unrest in the capital, Bujumbura, and battles with rebels near the Rwandan border. President...

Strong winds and dusty weather to hit Qatar again Strong dust winds the country has been experiencing over the past three days subsided Thursday, but is expected to hit again today, according to the Meteorology Department. Northwesterly to northeasterly winds would blow at moderate speed and the weather would be relatively humid in eastern parts. The country could experience strong northwesterly winds...

Ramadan: Over 1,000 enjoy California Tortilla’s Iftarito Doha: California Tortilla, the most popular Cali-Mex brand in Qatar, is offering a Mexican- themed Iftar through Ramadan. Over 1,000 people have so far come forward to enjoy Iftarito which is serving Ramadan specials, featuring California Tortilla’s Mexican menu with options for kids. Within seven days of the extravaganza at California Tortilla, Iftarito has...

150 new Qatari doctors needed annually, but only five graduating a year Qatar has a “severe shortage” of trained Qatari healthcare professionals, with only five nationals graduating as doctors each year, a senior Hamad Medical Corp. official has been quoted as saying. The country needs 150 to graduate each year to meet increasing demand, he added. In comments reported by the Arabic...

QRC to serve 730,000 meals for Syrian refugees in Arsal Personnel of QRC mission in Lebanon distribute food to Syrian refugees. Right: QRC personnel arriving at a refugee camp in Lebanon to provide assistance to Syrian refugees. The Qatar Red Crescent (QRC) mission in Lebanon has launched the year-round “Charitable Catering” project in the northeastern town of Arsal to serve 730,000...

Modi, Sharif in rare talks at BRICS summit Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accepted an invitation to make his first official visit to rival Pakistan next year. He and his counterpart Nawaz Sharif announced the move at the BRICS summit in Russia. Indian broadcaster NDTV said Sharif and Modi held talks, focused on the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, for an...