Saudi Arabia and Qatar set to increase services to Hong Kong and mainland China as tourism rebounds after pandemic.

Qatar, which hosted the 2022 Fifa World Cup, wants to have 6 million international visitors annually by 2030 – and it plans on attracting them by hosting sports, arts, fashion and other events.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed said the fundamental difference between the two parties was over the release of hostages and ending the war.

Hong Kong is expanding its market outreach in the Middle East by linking up with investment authority in oil-rich Qatar, paving the way for future cooperation and alliances.

Palestinian militant group Hamas agreed to a Gaza ceasefire proposal from mediators, but Israel said the terms did not meet its demands.

Tens of thousands have been killed. Yet domestic politics are as much a factor as any looming humanitarian disaster for Western and Middle Eastern governments involved in peace talks.

The 12-time winner was edged out of the top spot by its Middle Eastern rival in the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2024.

An impromptu stopover in Qatar for a university lecture led to a surprising ‘perpetual contact’ for Hongkonger Jack Lau to spearhead the state’s drive into new cutting-edge science and technology.

Israeli PM Netanyahu has said he will use new powers to stop ‘terrorist channel’ Al Jazeera being shown in Israel. Al Jazeera said ‘disgraceful’ attacks had been carried out against the channel.

Afghan carpets like watercolours, candles that tell the Palestinian story, a meshing of old and new – Arab Design Now is the centrepiece of a biennial in Doha that announces Qatar as a design destination.

Mediators have been engaged in weeks of behind-the-scenes talks over the war that has killed thousands and left many people starving.

Israel warned that it will push on with its offensive during the Muslim holy month, including in the far-southern Rafah area.

Time is ‘not in our favour’, said Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, a key mediator in the Gaza truce negotiations.

South Africa asked the World Court to consider whether Israel’s plan to extend its offensive into the city required additional emergency measures.

The planned purchase garnered controversy when it was announced last year, as lawmakers said the second-hand jets were too old. Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto had defended it as necessary.

Israel said it was examining Hamas’ response to a plan to halt nearly four months of fighting in Gaza.

The capital of Qatar, Doha is a blend of ancient and modern, with a bazaar dedicated to falconry, and a museum of Islamic art.

Deal could bring respite to some of the roughly 100 hostages who remain in captivity, as well as to Palestinians in Gaza in desperate need of aid.

A WhatsApp group of football fans from across the planet help each other buy tickets for the World Cup, Euros - and the 2023 Asian Cup starting today - and share tips on things like hotels and bars.

The US secretary of state will also visit Turkey, Greece, Jordan, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt for a week of diplomacy on Israel’s war in Gaza.

Democrats on oversight committee release findings after multi-year investigation, accusing 2024 Republican front-runner of violating US Constitution.

Egyptian sources say both Hamas and Islamic Jihad refused to offer any concessions beyond the possible release of more hostages seized in the October 7 attack.

Ratcliffe’s company Ineos will also take on management of Manchester United’s football operations and invest US$300 million in the club to try to revive its fortunes.

Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah, 86, died on Saturday. Foreign leaders and envoys paid their final respects, including the Saudi crown prince and the rulers of Bahrain, Qatar and Jordan.

The PM has come under more pressure after it was revealed that Israeli troops had accidentally killed 3 captives who approached them with a white flag.

The coup directly preceded Qatar’s spectacular shift to liquefied natural gas, powering its ascent to heavyweight status on the diplomatic world stage.

Russia has been accused of forcibly deporting thousands of Ukrainian children from schools, hospitals and orphanages in parts of the country controlled by its forces.

In recording shown by Israel’s public broadcaster Kan, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar said: ‘We will do this everywhere, in Gaza, in the West Bank, in Lebanon, in Turkey, in Qatar’.