admin
A supporter with the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) party election symbol painted on his body sits next to posters of West Bengal chief minister and party chairperson Mamata Banerjee, along a street near her
admin
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer speaks to the media, on the day he attends a working lunch with EU ministers responsible for trade, in Brussels, Belgium, November 24, 2025. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw//File
admin
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday offered a drone deal to Bahrain as he met with the king of the Gulf island state that has been attacked by Iran.Zelensky has toured the Gulf since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran, signing defence deals as Kyiv leverages its expertise in fighting Russia and downing its drones, which are based on Iranian technology.'Ukraine is ready to share this security expertise with Bahrain and help strengthen the protection of life,' Zelensky said in a statement published online after meeting King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.'I proposed signing a Drone Deal and scaling up cooperation with Bahrain, and we agreed that our teams will work out the details,' he added.Ukraine has signed a string of defence agreements in the region since the Middle East war broke out in late February, including with Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.Ukrainian military experts dispatched by Kyiv have also downed Iranian drones in several Middle Eastern countries.The Gulf nations are being attacked with the same Iranian-designed Shahed drones that Russia fires on Ukraine.'Our country is facing similar terrorist strikes almost every day, and our people have relevant experience in full-scale defense,' Zelensky said in his statement.He said the pair also discussed opening embassies in each others' countries.US-led talks on ending the Russia-Ukraine war have been sidelined by the Iran conflict.
admin
China’s carmakers are hunting for their own “Yaris moment” - the kind of locally tailored breakthrough that helped Toyota conquer Europe — as they race to turn booming exports into lasting overseas growth. After early attempts that largely involved exporting China-designed cars with minor tweaks, automakers are now re-engineering vehicles from the ground up for foreign buyers, driven as much by fierce margin pressure at home as by opportunity abroad. China’s overcrowded domestic market has been locked in a bruising price war for years, leaving many manufacturers struggling to make money. Overseas markets, by contrast, offer room to grow — and to charge more — if Chinese brands can persuade consumers they understand local tastes. Major carmakers including BYD, Chery, Changan, SAIC’s MG brand and FAW’s premium Hongqi all have models in the pipeline designed specifically for export markets — from small hatchbacks for Europe to pickup trucks for Australia and Mexico. At home, Chinese automakers cram cars with technology and sell them cheaply to compete. In Western markets such as Europe, they can often sell at double the price and still undercut established brands. At the Beijing Auto Show in late April, Hongqi unveiled a small “global SUV” targeted for sale in 80 countries. But the vehicle was primarily designed for urban European buyers, design chief Giles Taylor told Reuters. “That’s the reason why that car exists,” Taylor said. BYD’s Dolphin G hatchback was designed specifically for Europe and will launch in June. Stella Li, the electric vehicle maker’s No. 2 executive, said the model was critical because hatchbacks account for more than 40% of new car sales in parts of southern Europe - a segment that barely exists in China. “If we don’t have the right car in this sector, we lose,” Li told Reuters. For many Chinese carmakers, exports are a matter of survival as analysts predict consolidation will thin an industry crowded with more than 100 manufacturers. Vehicle sales in China are expected to remain flat or decline. That excess capacity has already helped make China the world’s largest vehicle exporter, overtaking Japan in 2024. Gartner analyst Pedro Pacheco described the push to design cars for export as Chinese automakers’ “Yaris moment”, referring to Toyota’s Yaris hatchback, designed in Europe for European buyers and credited with helping the Japanese carmaker gain a foothold on the continent after its 1999 launch. Analysts say matching regional preferences will increasingly determine success as European rivals respond to Chinese competition. “Just competing on price works first time around,” said Phil Dunne, a managing director at consultancy Grant Thornton Stax. “But the Europeans are fighting back on cost.” He added: “The Chinese need to take it to the next level,” by designing cars in Europe for Europeans. For Europe, that also means going smaller. Chery, China’s biggest vehicle exporter, is heavily skewed towards SUVs, which accounted for 2.3mn of the 2.8mn vehicles it sold globally in 2025. But Ivan Dulanovic, head of design at Lepas - Chery’s new international brand - said a Europe-focused hatchback, the Lepas 2, is in development. “We have recognised a need in the market,” he said, “and we are tackling that.” SAIC’s MG also plans an MG2 hatchback for Europe where consumers “don’t like huge cars”, design chief Jozef Kaban said. BYD aims to roll out more Europe-specific models and has told investors it wants half of sales to come from overseas by 2030. Jetour, an SUV brand owned by Chery, designed its first fully electric car - the compact TX - with European buyers in mind, said Jetour International President Ke Chuandeng. Its upcoming F700 pickup will target markets such as Australia and Brazil and will launch in Mexico ahead of China, he said. A Jetour TX SUV at the company’s booth at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (Auto China), in Beijing, China, recently. (Reuters/File Photo)
admin
Under the patronage of HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani, University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST) is set to graduate more than 1,200 students at a ceremony later this month. The graduation, scheduled for May 19, will see around 550 male and 650 female students receive degrees across a range of programs and disciplines. UDST President Dr Salem Al-Naemi told QNA that the PM’s patronage reflects strong support for applied education and its role in developing national talent. He described the event as both a recognition of students’ achievements and a milestone marking their transition into the workforce, adding that it also highlights the university’s position as a leading national institution in applied education. More than 200 students from the graduating class are expected to be honoured for academic excellence, underlining what officials say is a high level of achievement among graduates. This year’s cohort includes the first graduates from several newly introduced programs, including digital communication and media production — developed in collaboration with Qatar Media Corporation — as well as construction engineering and a number of postgraduate degrees such as artificial intelligence, cognitive cybersecurity and process safety. Research projectsDr Al-Naemi noted that some graduates have already begun launching start-ups or contributing to applied research projects in partnership with industry and strategic organizations. The university currently enrolls more than 9,000 students from over 86 nationalities, with Qatari students making up around a quarter of the student body, reflecting what officials describe as a diverse and internationally oriented academic environment. Speaking to QNA about UDST’s most prominent achievements over the past two years, Dr Al-Naemi said that the university has launched several new academic programs aligned with labour market needs across various fields, these include: the Executive Master of Health Administration, the Master of Science in Midwifery, in addition to both a Bachelor and Diploma programs in Animal Health and Veterinary Sciences. This was accompanied by strengthening applied education through developing advanced laboratories and simulation centers, launching the Center of Excellence for Sustainability and Food Security, and Qatar’s first Maritime Training and Simulation Centre, as well as including STEM and TVET programs in internal scholarship programs under the “Tomouh” initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, he added. Dr Al-Naemi said that the university’s success was also evident in its participation in international conferences and exhibitions such as in the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, in addition to the Shell Eco-Marathon Europe and Africa 2025 regional competition held in Poland, where UDST’s Wolves Racing Team secured 2nd place in the Autonomous Urban Concept category. Moreover, UDST made progress in obtaining local and international academic accreditations, with the Department of Healthcare Professions at the Ministry of Public Health officially approving the “Pharmacy Technologist” title for UDST’s Pharmacy Technology program graduates. Conducted in partnerships with government and industrial entities to ensure a direct impact on society and the economy, the UDST president said that the university saw a notable growth in applied scientific research linked to national priorities, such as sustainability, renewable energy, food security, health technology, and digital transformation. UDST enjoys an extensive network of 81 local and 52 international partners including government entities, national institutions, major industrial and technology companies, as well as global universities and research centers, with these partnerships providing students with practical training opportunities, developing joint academic programs, conducting applied research, aligning educational outcomes with labour market needs, and promoting innovation, Dr Al-Naemi added. On the university’s ranking, the UDST president said that it is among the leading institutions locally in the field of applied education, focusing on excellence in teaching quality, applied research, graduate employability, innovation, and entrepreneurship. UDST is making steady progress in regional and international rankings, something that reflects both the academic and industrial communities’ confidence in the university, he said. Designed to support outstanding and high-achieving students, UDST scholarships include those for top academic performers, Qatari students in national programs, and student-athletes, Dr Al-Naemi added, these scholarships contribute to enhancing equal educational opportunities, attracting talented individuals, supporting the quality of higher education in Qatar, and focusing on strategic fields aligned with national priorities. Vocational educationWith regard to vocational, technical, and specialized education secondary schools in Qatar, the UDST president said that the university views these types of schools positively for their role in preparing students academically and professionally, however, he noted that admission to UDST is not automatic for these schools’ graduates, rather, it depends on the admission criteria for each program. The Ministry of Education and Higher Education and UDST are in constant co-ordination to ensure the alignment between secondary education outcomes and the university’s requirements, as to facilitate students’ transition to higher education, providing them with orientation programs and guidance to support their academic choices, he said. When asked about UDST’s distinction, reputation, and standing locally and internationally, Dr Al-Naemi attributed the university’s success to UDST’s applied education approach, modern academic programs aligned with market needs, its adoption of the latest technologies and digital transformation in education, its strong public and private sector partnerships, its high-quality graduates that are well prepared for the job market, in addition to UDST’s multicultural educational environment that fosters innovation and creativity. UDST contributes directly to achieving the Qatar National Vision 2030 by preparing qualified national cadres in vital fields, supporting a knowledge-based economy, and enhancing innovation and applied research, said Dr Al-Naemi in his remarks to QNA. The university aligns its programs with the Third National Development Strategy, through its focus on sustainability and digital transformation and by supporting priority sectors such as energy, healthcare, and technology, all the while fulfilling its role as a driver of human and economic development in Qatar, he concluded.
admin
Pussycat Dolls Scrap U.S. Reunion Tour ... Rumored Low Ticket Sales Sink the Dates Published May 4, 2026 1:58 PM PDT The Pussycat Dolls have scrapped their reunion tour in the U.S. amid rumors of
admin
Met Gala Fashion Trains ... The Growing Trainsetters?! Published May 4, 2026 12:56 PM PDT All aboard the Met Gala fashion train!!! Elaborate -- and super long -- dress trains have been a staple at
admin
The Ministry of Defence announced that on Monday, the UAE air defence systems engaged 12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles, and four UAVs launched from Iran, resulting in three moderate injuries.Since the onset of the
admin
Make it in the Emirates 2026 opened on Monday with a clear message from UAE ministers and business leaders: the country's long-term investment in industrial sovereignty is paying off - delivering measurable gains in economic
admin
Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli won the Miami Grand Prix for Mercedes on Sunday and stretched his Formula One championship lead to 20 points with an impressive third victory in a row.The youngest driver ever to
