WHENEVER I travel around
the globe these days I am
asked how is it that
Greece, a tiny economy,
can have such a huge
impact on Europe as a whole?
It is the lack of public confidence in
the European project itself that is the
problem. Citizens and markets have
suddenly discovered ...
WHEN John Ford was
making The Quiet Man
on location in the west
of Ireland, the studio
head in Hollywood
looked at the extravagantly gorgeous
footage - which would win
the 1952 Oscar for colour cinematography
- and complained,
"Everything's all green."
It had taken Ford ...
EGYPT'S Islamist-led parliament reconvened
on Tuesday after being summoned
by new President Mohamed
Morsi in an open challenge to the generals
who dissolved it last month.
The assembly, dominated by ...
SHOPPERS from all over Doha started trooping into the City Center mall when it reopened on Monday after remaining closed for over three weeks to meet safety and security standards set by the Ministry of Interior ...
Qatar will sell $4 billion in a twopart Islamic bond sale with pricing due on Wednesday, arranging banks said, after initial price indications were tightened due to massive demand. The deal, Qatar's first ...
MAHESH Mangaonkar lost a glorious chance to reach the semi-finals in a memorable match at the Doha WSF World Junior Squash Championship on Tuesday. At the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, the Indian missed out on ...
NOT too long ago, actress Rachael Leigh Cook - best known for She's All That (1999), a recurring role on Psych (2008-2010) and a slew of indie films - informed her agents and managers that she'd be open to starring in a ...
SIDRA Medical and Research Center will organise a ´Sidra Symposia´ series as part of its efforts to engage in initiatives which are focused on some of the pressing health issues in the country and the region. The first symposium of the quarterly series will discuss ´Obesity in pregnancy and childhood´ on Wednesday. Dr Joachim Dudenhausen, medical advisor and head of medical staff services at Sidra Medical and Research Center, said that the symposia...
THE six-month pause on issuance of new work visas for Canada has hardly affected visa seekers from Qatar who irrespective of their nationalities continue to throng offices of immigration agencies in Doha daily. The applicants of various nationalities including India, Pakistan, Philippines and Arab nationals want to work in Canada and also use it as a gateway to the US, say industry sources. Talking to Qatar Tribune, Anwar Karim, branch manager of World Wide ...
SOUTH African expatriates in Qatar will mark ´Mandela Day´ by highlighting the ideals and vision of Nelson Mandela during a 94-minute humanitarian exercise in the holy month of Ramadan. The ´Mandela International Day´ is usually marked globally on July 18. However, the South African community in Qatar will announce the day of celebration, later. Mandela, the legendary South African freedom fighter who fought against apartheid, was elected as ...
THE European Union worked towards stabilising Spain´s finances on Tuesday as it backed up the blueprint for the country´s €100 billion bank bailout plan with plans to grant the country an extra year to cut its budget deficit. Finance ministers from the 27 EU countries, meeting in Brussels, approved a oneyear extension, until 2014, of Spain´s deadline for achieving a budget deficit of 3 percent, said Vassos Shiarly, Cyprus´ finance minister, who chaired the ...
CHINA´S Huawei Technologies is in talks with Gulf telcos Etisalat and Saudi Telecom to manage their fixed-line networks, an executive said, potentially cementing its leadership of a $1 billion regional industry. Huawei, the world´s No.2 telecom gear maker, is in similar negotiations with several other Middle East operators, the executive said in emailed comments, but declined to name them, citing confidentiality agreements. "Huawei has strong ...
OIL slipped further below $86 a barrel Tuesday after weak Chinese trade figures suggested the economic slowdown in the world´s secondlargest crude consumer is deepening and the government in Norway ordered the end of a labour strike in the oil sector. By early afternoon in Europe, benchmark oil for August delivery was down 14 cents at $85.85 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Crude rose $1.54 to settle at $85.99 on Monday in ...
YOUNG all-rounder Thisara Perera followed his four wickets with 75 off 86 balls as Sri Lanka seized control of the final Test against Pakistan in Pallekele on Tuesday. Pakistan, seeking a series-levelling win, paid for sloppy fielding as Sri Lanka recovered from a middle-order collapse to make 337 in their first innings on the third day.The tourists, trailing by 111 runs, were 27-1 in their second knock by stumps, losing opener Taufeeq Umar for four, leg-before to ...
JOHN TERRY´S lawyers asked on Tuesday for the racial abuse case against the former England football captain to be dismissed from court, calling it "weak and tenuous." The Chelsea captain is accused of calling Queens Park Rangers player Anton Ferdinand a "fucking black cunt" during a match between Chelsea and QPR on October 23 last year. Terry, standing trial at Westminster Magistrates Court in London, denies committing a racially aggravated public order offence ...
AFTER SPENDING his whole career in France, Morocco´s striker Youssouf Hadji was unveiled, as a new Al Arabi player on Monday by club officials. The 32-year old striker, which signed a two-year contract, had previously played for Nancy, Bastia and Stade Rennais. After consulting some friends, I preferred to join Al- Arabi in spite of having some European offers. It is a vastly popular club with big ambitions and I hope I would contribute to its success," Hadji told Al- Kaas ...
IF one is inspired by a movie, its rights should be bought to make one´s own version, actor Ajay Devgn suggests, adding this is akin to paying a tribute to that work. Hrishikesh Mukherjee´s Gol Maal inspires his forthcoming film Bol Bachchan, which he has co-produced with Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision Ltd. "A lot of people told us that we didn´t need to buy the rights. But ideally, if a film ...
IF Vidya Balan gained 12 kg to play southern sex siren in The Dirty Picture, Pakistani actress Veena Malik claims she has put on 5 kg for the Kannada version of the film and that her dialogues have not been dubbed. "I had to put on five kg for the role because the script demanded so. Size zero does not exist´s in the south. I was 48 kgs, now I am 53 kg. Fourty per cent of the shooting has been completed,"...
PRACHI Desai is one of the few outsiders who have managed to make it big in filmdom. But the actress, who hopes to do 25 films in future, says it is not easy for outsiders to get a break in Bollywood. "I feel that the industry can be unfair sometimes. When you are an outsider, people don´t take you seriously. I personally think you need an extreme push for people to promote you and bring you to a certain level," the 23-year-old said. The young actress, who started ...
RUSSIAN lawmakers voted on
Tuesday to ratify accession to the
World Trade Organisation, bringing
the world’s largest country into the
club that sets global trade rules
after a tortuous 18-year negotiating
marathon. The Lower House
vote seals Russia’s entry to the
WTO under a deal reached last
December.
INTERNATIONAL envoy Kofi
Annan is warning of a disaster if
his peace plan for Syria fails but
says he has received support from
Iran to resolve the conflict peacefully.
Annan spoke after holding
talks in Tehran on Tuesday with
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar
Salehi. He did not specify what
support Iran has offered.
SIDRA Medical and Research Center will organise a ´Sidra Symposia´ series as part of its efforts to engage in initiatives which are focused on some of the pressing health issues in the country and the region. The first symposium of the quarterly series will discuss ´Obesity in pregnancy and childhood´ on Wednesday. Dr Joachim Dudenhausen, medical advisor and head of medical staff services at Sidra Medical and Research Center, said that the symposia...
THE six-month pause on issuance of new work visas for Canada has hardly affected visa seekers from Qatar who irrespective of their nationalities continue to throng offices of immigration agencies in Doha daily. The applicants of various nationalities including India, Pakistan, Philippines and Arab nationals want to work in Canada and also use it as a gateway to the US, say industry sources. Talking to Qatar Tribune, Anwar Karim, branch manager of World Wide ... 
SOUTH African expatriates in Qatar will mark ´Mandela Day´ by highlighting the ideals and vision of Nelson Mandela during a 94-minute humanitarian exercise in the holy month of Ramadan. The ´Mandela International Day´ is usually marked globally on July 18. However, the South African community in Qatar will announce the day of celebration, later. Mandela, the legendary South African freedom fighter who fought against apartheid, was elected as ... 
THE European Union worked towards stabilising Spain´s finances on Tuesday as it backed up the blueprint for the country´s €100 billion bank bailout plan with plans to grant the country an extra year to cut its budget deficit. Finance ministers from the 27 EU countries, meeting in Brussels, approved a oneyear extension, until 2014, of Spain´s deadline for achieving a budget deficit of 3 percent, said Vassos Shiarly, Cyprus´ finance minister, who chaired the ...
CHINA´S Huawei Technologies is in talks with Gulf telcos Etisalat and Saudi Telecom to manage their fixed-line networks, an executive said, potentially cementing its leadership of a $1 billion regional industry. Huawei, the world´s No.2 telecom gear maker, is in similar negotiations with several other Middle East operators, the executive said in emailed comments, but declined to name them, citing confidentiality agreements. "Huawei has strong ... 
OIL slipped further below $86 a barrel Tuesday after weak Chinese trade figures suggested the economic slowdown in the world´s secondlargest crude consumer is deepening and the government in Norway ordered the end of a labour strike in the oil sector. By early afternoon in Europe, benchmark oil for August delivery was down 14 cents at $85.85 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Crude rose $1.54 to settle at $85.99 on Monday in ...
YOUNG all-rounder Thisara Perera followed his four wickets with 75 off 86 balls as Sri Lanka seized control of the final Test against Pakistan in Pallekele on Tuesday. Pakistan, seeking a series-levelling win, paid for sloppy fielding as Sri Lanka recovered from a middle-order collapse to make 337 in their first innings on the third day.The tourists, trailing by 111 runs, were 27-1 in their second knock by stumps, losing opener Taufeeq Umar for four, leg-before to ... 
JOHN TERRY´S lawyers asked on Tuesday for the racial abuse case against the former England football captain to be dismissed from court, calling it "weak and tenuous." The Chelsea captain is accused of calling Queens Park Rangers player Anton Ferdinand a "fucking black cunt" during a match between Chelsea and QPR on October 23 last year. Terry, standing trial at Westminster Magistrates Court in London, denies committing a racially aggravated public order offence ... 
AFTER SPENDING his whole career in France, Morocco´s striker Youssouf Hadji was unveiled, as a new Al Arabi player on Monday by club officials. The 32-year old striker, which signed a two-year contract, had previously played for Nancy, Bastia and Stade Rennais. After consulting some friends, I preferred to join Al- Arabi in spite of having some European offers. It is a vastly popular club with big ambitions and I hope I would contribute to its success," Hadji told Al- Kaas ...
IF one is inspired by a movie, its rights should be bought to make one´s own version, actor Ajay Devgn suggests, adding this is akin to paying a tribute to that work. Hrishikesh Mukherjee´s Gol Maal inspires his forthcoming film Bol Bachchan, which he has co-produced with Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision Ltd. "A lot of people told us that we didn´t need to buy the rights. But ideally, if a film ...
IF Vidya Balan gained 12 kg to play southern sex siren in The Dirty Picture, Pakistani actress Veena Malik claims she has put on 5 kg for the Kannada version of the film and that her dialogues have not been dubbed. "I had to put on five kg for the role because the script demanded so. Size zero does not exist´s in the south. I was 48 kgs, now I am 53 kg. Fourty per cent of the shooting has been completed,"...
PRACHI Desai is one of the few outsiders who have managed to make it big in filmdom. But the actress, who hopes to do 25 films in future, says it is not easy for outsiders to get a break in Bollywood. "I feel that the industry can be unfair sometimes. When you are an outsider, people don´t take you seriously. I personally think you need an extreme push for people to promote you and bring you to a certain level," the 23-year-old said. The young actress, who started ... 
