Qatar

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Senior Taliban leaders, including one of the group’s founders, were to hold another round of talks Monday in Qatar with Washington’s special peace envoy as U.S. efforts intensify to find a negotiated solution to Afghanistan’s 17-year war, America’s longest.

The Taliban, some of whom arrived in Doha, Qatar’s capital, from Pakistan the previous night, raised expectations ahead of talks with U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad.

DOHA; 17 Feb 2019; AA: Qatar has strongly condemned a militant attack that killed and injured 15 Egyptian troops in the restive Sinai Peninsula on Saturday.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry reiterated the Gulf state's rejection "of violence and terrorism no matter the motives and reasons".

It offered condolences to the Egyptian people and families of the victims.

DOHA, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir left Doha on Wednesday after a two-day visit to Qatar, the state-run Qatar news agency (QNA) reported.

Bashir left the Hamad International Airport this evening and was seen off by Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan al-Merikhi, said the QNA.

Bashir had a session of talks with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and exchanged views about developments in Sudan.

The emir expressed Qatar's firm stance that is strongly keen on Sudan's unity and stability.

4 Dec 2018; AFP: World Cup matches in Qatar could kick-off as early as 1000 GMT if it holds four games a day during the 2022 tournament group stage, organisers confirmed Tuesday.

The other three games would start at 1300, 1600 and 1900 GMT, Nasser al-Khater, assistant secretary general for the World Cup organising body the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, told local broadcaster, Qatar Television.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The tiny, energy-rich Arab nation of Qatar announced on Monday it will withdraw from OPEC in January, mixing its aspirations to increase production outside of the cartel’s constraints with the politics of slighting the Saudi-dominated group amid the kingdom’s boycott of Doha.

The surprise announcement from Qatar’s minister of state for energy affairs, Saad Sherida al-Kaabi, again throws into question the role of the cartel after needing non-members to push through a production cut in 2016 after prices crashed below $30 a barrel.

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Taliban have held three days of talks with U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad in the Gulf state of Qatar, where the Afghan insurgent group has a political office, a Taliban official and another individual close to the group said Sunday.

The talks are aimed at renewing the Afghan peace process and eventually winding down America’s longest war. Seventeen years after the U.S.-led invasion that ended Taliban rule, the militants control nearly half of Afghanistan and carry out near-daily attacks on local security forces and government officials.

By Amanpreet Singh

Doha, Sept 27 (PTI) Leading Qatari woman athlete Mariam Farid, who competes wearing a hijab, says she would never compromise on her identity but would not mind blending a bit of fashion with religion.

At a young age of 15, Mariam had played a significant role in Qatar winning the bid in November 2014 to host its first ever IAAF World Championships.

DOHA, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Qatar has announced plan to produce first Qatari electric cars by 2023, local media reported on Monday.

The Qatari electric vehicles will be manufactured by the factory which will be established at a cost of nine billion U.S. dollars, said "Qatar Tribune" newspaper.

The project will be the first-of-its-kind in the Middle East as it is a whole new brand, said Ali bin Nasser al Misnad, Chairman of the Qatar Quality company, which is responsible for this project.

DOHA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Qatar has approved a law to grant permanent residency to expatriates under certain conditions, said state-run Qatar News Agency on Wednesday.

The Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani approved the permanent residency law, stipulating that expatriates who fulfill eligibility criteria can apply for a permanent residency.

Candidates born abroad should complete 20 years in Qatar on a legal, ordinary residency, and for those born in Qatar, the time required will be 10 years.