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The State of Qatar held the foundation stone laying ceremony for its pavilion project at the International Horticultural Exhibition "GREEN×EXPO 2027" in Yokohama, Japan, marking the start of the project's implementation phase, as part of the State's preparations to participate in this international event scheduled to be held from March 19 to September 26 2027.The ceremony was attended by ambassador of the State of Qatar to Japan and Commissioner General of the State of Qatar Pavilion at the Expo, Jaber Jarallah al-Marri; Deputy Commissioner General and Chair of the Committee for Organising and Preparing the State of Qatar's Participation in the Expo, Dr Fayqa Abdullah Ashkanani; and Director of the Projects Management and Development Department at the Ministry of Municipality and Vice-Chair of the Committee, Engineer Abdulaziz al-Rumaihi.It was also attended, from the "GREEN×EXPO 2027" side, by ambassador Jun Shimmi, Commissioner General of the Expo, and Secretary-General of the Expo, Masato Komura. along with a number of representatives of the entities concerned with organising the Expo and implementing the Qatar Pavilion project.The ceremony witnessed the official handover of the project site to "Studio DODICI," in preparation for the start of the pavilion's implementation works, in accordance with the project requirements and the regulations and standards approved by the organising entities of "GREEN×EXPO 2027," while adhering to the highest standards of quality and safety.Ambassador Jaber Jarallah al-Marri affirmed that laying the foundation stone represents an important milestone in the State of Qatar's participation in "GREEN×EXPO 2027," while also reflecting the depth of the friendship and co-operation relations between the State of Qatar and Japan.He said: "Qatar's participation in Yokohama comes as an extension of its experience in hosting the International Horticultural Expo 'Expo 2023 Doha,' and stems from the shared values that unite the two countries in the fields of horticulture, sustainability, innovation, and international co-operation."He explained that environmental sustainability represents one of the important pillars of Qatar National Vision 2030, noting the State's interest in developing sustainable agriculture, enhancing food security, preserving water resources.The architectural design of the pavilion was selected through a national competition launched by the Ministry of Municipality in partnership with Qatar University and Msheireb Properties, with the participation of 40 female students from the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning at the College of Engineering at Qatar University, in an experience aimed at providing young national talents with the opportunity to participate in designing a project representing the State of Qatar at one of the most prominent international forums specialising in horticulture and sustainability.The design draws inspiration from aspects of Msheireb's architectural language, reintroducing the concept of the traditional Qatari fareej in a contemporary style that combines modern architecture, nature, and community, while also being suited to the nature of the Expo and the environmental and climatic characteristics of the city of Yokohama.The design is based on creating a balanced relationship between built spaces and natural elements, so that plants, trees, and open spaces become an essential part of the pavilion experience, translating the Expo's concept of placing nature and sustainability at the heart of the visitor experience.For her part, Dr Fayqa Abdullah Ashkanani said that the working teams "are focusing on transforming the design vision into an integrated experience that highlights Qatar's leading initiatives in the fields of sustainability, food security."She affirmed that the experience gained by the State of Qatar from hosting "Expo 2023 Doha for Horticulture" represents an important foundation to build upon in its participation in Yokohama.The International Horticultural Exhibition "GREEN×EXPO 2027" is considered one of the most prominent international exhibitions specialising in the fields of horticulture, sustainability, and the environment, and is expected to attract millions of visitors from Japan and various parts of the world, providing a global platform for exchanging expertise and knowledge and showcasing innovative solutions and practices in addressing environmental and developmental challenges.

Berlin said on Monday that its ‌first direct ​talks with ‌Moscow since Russia's ‌full-scale invasion ⁠of ‌Ukraine ‌showed the two ⁠sides remain "miles apart" and that Russia is still unwilling to engage in serious negotiations to end ​the war."Our positions were, of course, ‌miles apart, a ⁠fact ​that has once again ​become apparent," a foreign ministry spokesperson said, two days after a meeting between German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and ‌ Russian counterpart ‌Sergei ⁠Lavrov on the sidelines ⁠of ⁠the United Nations General Assembly. The spokesperson added that the talks had ​reinforced Berlin's conclusion that Moscow remains unwilling to negotiate either a ceasefire or an end to the war in Ukraine.

Organisational chaos again dogged the Asian Games in Japan on Monday when the official bus carrying the Pakistan men's volleyball team went to the wrong venue.Pakistan's group game with Uzbekistan had to be pushed back 45 minutes because of the mishap."This is another mismanagement by Japan at the ongoing Asian Games," Pakistan captain Murad Jehan said from the bus in an Instagram video."We have a very important game and the bus driver does not know in which gymnasium we are going to play," he said in the clip with a caption reading, "Embarrassing situation at Japan Asian Games 2026. Totally unfair." He added: "We couldn't expect this in Japan. There is a lot of mismanagement."The bus transporting the Pakistan players was supposed to go to an arena in Okazaki, southeast of Games host city Nagoya.However, the vehicle mistakenly took them to another Games venue staging volleyball about an hour's drive away. "As a result, the team arrived late at the correct competition venue, and we were required to delay the match by 45 minutes," said an official Games communique.Pakistan won the match 3-0. It is more embarrassment for red-faced organisers of the Games, where there have been numerous complaints about the accommodation and transport services. Teams have found that buses sometimes arrive at incorrect times, or even not at all.South Korea were left furious after the bus that was supposed to take them to light practice before their men's basketball final against hosts Japan failed to turn up

Schools across the Saudi capital Riyadh returned to in-person classes on Monday, as officials remained silent about a decision a day earlier to close schools that appeared to be reversed only hours later.There was no official reason given for the reversal to Sunday's announcement that schools would close for a week, but the moves came amid heightened tensions in the Gulf and frequent attacks aimed at Saudi Arabia by Houthi fighters in Yemen."Please be advised that pursuant to a ministry directive just received, all Riyadh campuses will be open for in-person learning tomorrow. We look forward to welcoming students back on campus," read one message sent to parents late Sunday night.Parents in the Saudi capital told AFP the ordeal left them largely confused. "Both announcements came late at night. It was very confusing for parents and kids. We weren't prepared for Monday and the kids slept late thinking school would be online," one parent in Riyadh told AFP on the condition of anonymity. "What changed their minds so fast," asked another. The announcement on Sunday came a day after the Saudi-led coalition battling Yemen's Houthis said it had intercepted drones and ballistic missiles targeting the kingdom. The incidents were the latest in a series of escalating Houthi attacks since July, when renewed hostilities shattered a years-long truce and embroiled Yemen in the wider Middle East war.

Msheireb Museums, the French Institute of Qatar and the French Embassy in Qatar jointly organized Poetry Day, an evening bringing together literature, cinema and cultural dialogue to celebrate the work and legacy of the late renowned Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish.The event, which took place at Bin Jelmood House, was organized at the initiative of the Institut du monde arabe (Arab World Institute) and the Centre Pompidou.The program explored themes central to Darwish's work through a contemporary cinematic lens, featuring a screening of "An Orange from Jaffa", a 27-minute short film by Palestinian director Mohammed Al Mughanni. The film explores issues of identity, displacement, borders, and belonging, offering a contemporary perspective that resonates with the key themes that shaped Darwish's poetry and broader body of work."Poetry has the ability to preserve memory and create connections across cultures and generations," said Abdulla Al Naama, the General Manager of Msheireb Museums."Through Poetry Day, we are pleased to create a space where Mahmoud Darwish's work can be revisited alongside contemporary creative expression, encouraging dialogue around identity, belonging and the ways stories are remembered and shared. This reflects Msheireb Museums' commitment to bringing together diverse cultural perspectives and creating meaningful opportunities for audiences to engage with literature and the arts," he said.The screening was followed by a panel discussion featuring artist and academics specializing in the Arabic language, literature and cinema. The discussion explored the inspirations drawn from Darwish's legacy in the short film "An Orange from Jaffa."The conversation also discussed how poetry and cinema can bring themes of exile, displacement, homeland and belonging into focus. By connecting Darwish's work with contemporary filmmaking, the event highlighted the enduring relevance of these themes and the power of the arts to encourage dialogue and cultural exchange."The French Embassy is proud to celebrate the work of Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish on the occasion of Poetry Day, a worldwide event, an initiative of Centre Pompidou and the Institut du Monde Arabe (IMA). Darwish, the poet of exile, found refuge in Paris, where his work left a lasting legacy among French artists and beyond," said HE Ambassador of the French Republic to Qatar Arnaud Pescheux."Mahmoud Darwish's work is a testament that poetry can be both deeply rooted in a particular history and profoundly universal in its reach," said Firat Oruc, Professor of Culture and Politics at Georgetown University in Qatar. "By bringing his legacy into conversation with contemporary audiences, Poetry Day creates an important space for cultural dialogue and for reflection on questions of identity, belonging, memory, and our shared humanity."Through this event, Msheireb Museums, the French Institute of Qatar and the French Embassy in Qatar continue to provide a platform for cultural dialogue, bringing together heritage and contemporary creative expression and inviting audiences to engage with ideas that go beyond time and place.It also reflects Msheireb Museums’ commitment to supporting initiatives that employ literature and the arts as tools to deepen awareness, promote communication between communities, and highlight shared human values that unite experiences and cultures. 

Doha Design District, under Msheireb Properties, highlighted the cultural and architectural dimensions of Gulf ornamentation at a "Pattern Talk" session held as part of its monthly "Design Talks" program.The session, presented by architect and heritage specialist, Mohammed Ali Abel, examined Gulf ornamentation as a visual language that goes beyond decoration, linking it to identity, place, architecture and cultural memory. It also explored the evolution of traditional patterns across the region, the geometric principles behind them, and ways to draw on this visual language in contemporary design practices.On the occasion, Director of Doha Design District Dana Kazic said: "At Doha Design District, we believe that shaping the future of design begins with understanding where we come from. Our heritage is a powerful source of knowledge, inspiration and identity, while contemporary design gives us the opportunity to reinterpret it for new generations."Alongside the talk, Doha Design District also launched The Msheireb Pattern Collection e-book, a comprehensive guide to modern Qatari ornamentation that bridges tradition, craft and contemporary architecture.The Design Talks program reflects Doha Design District's broader role as a platform for Qatar's growing design community through exhibitions, dialogue sessions, workshops, events and public programs. 

Two people were killed and three others remain missing following Hurricane Polo, which struck Mexico, triggering heavy rains and landslides in the western state of Jalisco.According to the US National Hurricane Center, Polo was heading toward the coast as a Category 3 hurricane with winds reaching approximately 205 kilometers per hour; it was forecast to make landfall in the northwestern state of Baja California Sur.Mexican authorities urged residents to stay indoors as much as possible and to follow civil protection instructions.The hurricane caused flooding in parts of Hawaii, while another tropical storm, named Rachel, formed off Mexico's southern Pacific coast. 

Seven people were killed and 13 others injured in a collision between a passenger bus and a car in Gaziantep province, southern Turkiye.Local authorities reported that rescue, ambulance, and fire crews rushed to the scene and carried out the necessary interventions. The injured were transported to hospitals for treatment.Police cordoned off the area to facilitate rescue operations and debris removal, while authorities launched an investigation to determine the circumstances and causes of the accident. 

Eight people have been killed in floods that have swept across Thailand since September 16, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) said today.The authorities explained that 28 provinces, including Bangkok, are still affected by the floods, especially in the central, northern, eastern and northeastern regions of the country.According to the DDPM, floods swept through 42 provinces between September 16-28, affecting approximately 1.8 million people.Chadchart Sittipunt, governor of Bangkok, declared the entire capital an area affected by floods, after continuous heavy rains for about 48 hours caused large areas to be flooded with water and caused traffic disturbances.The Thai Meteorological Department said heavy rainfall in Bangkok and surrounding areas had decreased today.

New Zealand 54th parliament sat for its final time last week ahead of a November 7 election. Polls indicate that no one party will emerge as a clear winner with neck-to-neck support for both left and right blocs.The winning group would be decided based on a mixed-member proportional (MMP) electoral system, which has made coalitions the norm in New Zealand since it was introduced three-decades ago.All governments under MMP have been coalitions of the centre-left Labour or centre-right National with the support of smaller parties, except in 2020 when the Labour government swept to power after successfully managing the early months of the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak.Under MMP, voters cast two votes: one for their preferred constituency candidate and one for a party.The candidate with the most votes wins and becomes an MP, while the party vote decides how many seats each party gets in parliament.The winning candidates of the country’s 71 constituencies take their seats automatically, while the remaining seats are filled from party lists, allocated to match each party’s share of the nationwide vote.There are expected to be about 49 party list seats in this election, though that number can change.Political parties must get at least 5% of the party vote or win at least one electorate seat to get any seats in Parliament.A party or coalition can form a government when it secures a majority in the single-chamber parliament, usually at least 61 of 120 seats.Due to the nature of the MMP system that was first used in New Zealand in 1996, minor parties often play a decisive role.The 2017 election, National won 56 seats, more than Labour’s 46, but failed to assemble a majority.Labour formed a government through a coalition with New Zealand First and the Green Party.Parliament normally has 120 seats, but extra seats can be added when a party wins more electorate seats than its share of the nationwide party vote would otherwise entitle it to.This happened after the 2023 election.Seven of the electorate seats are Maori electorates, reserved for voters who choose to enrol on the Maori electoral roll.Maori voters can choose to enrol in a general electorate. – Reuters

When an Iranian missile slammed into UAE territory on March 16, 2026, it didn’t just break the calm of a spring morning – it shattered a 47-year-old strategic illusion.For nearly half a century, the political leadership of the Arabian Gulf operated under a hopeful premise: that Iran’s revolutionary ideology, its sprawling network of regional proxies, and its conventional military capabilities were three distinct, manageable threats.You could counter the ideology with state-led diplomacy, contain the proxies through regional balancing, and deter direct state aggression under the shadow of American defence pacts.The events of 2026 proved that the three files were never separate.Phase 1: Ideological Subversion (1979): The Export Model and the Rejection of SovereigntyThe road to the current Gulf crisis did not begin in Tehran, but in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf and later in a quiet Paris suburb, where Ruhollah Khomeini formulated Velayat-e Faqih (Guardianship of the Jurist).When Khomeini boarded his flight to Tehran in January 1979, he was not merely replacing Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s autocratic monarchy with a different domestic governing structure.He was explicitly abolishing the concept of Westphalian sovereignty in the Middle East.The Shah’s Iran, despite its deep flaws and political repression, operated squarely within the recognised international system of nation-states.It relied on oil revenue to fund state institutions, build domestic infrastructure, and maintain formal state-to-state alliances across the region.Khomeini inherited that state infrastructure and immediately hollowed it out, subjugating traditional national interest to an expansive revolutionary mandate.Institutionalised within the newly created Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and embedded in the post-1979 constitution, the revolution was explicitly framed not as a national reform, but as the vanguard of a borderless Islamic awakening.To Khomeini, the sovereign monarchies of the Gulf were never legitimate neighbours with whom to negotiate, but temporary, artificial obstacles standing in the way of a broader clerical hegemony.Phase 2: The Proxy Ring (1980s–2015): Encirclement and the Asymmetric StrategyFor three decades, the Gulf felt this revolutionary mandate not through incoming ballistic missiles, but through the gradual, methodical tightening of a proxy ring around the Arabian Peninsula.1982: The founding of Hezbollah in Lebanon established the primary blueprint: building a sub-state military force that could hijack domestic governance while acting as an extension of Tehran’s strategic depth.Post-2003: The US invasion of Iraq enabled Tehran to fill the power vacuum, embedding armed Shia militias directly into Baghdad’s security and state apparatus.2011 Onward: Syria’s civil war was weaponised to guarantee a permanent land bridge connecting Tehran to the Mediterranean coast.2015: The systematic arming and training of the Houthis in Yemen placed a heavily equipped, Tehran-aligned actor directly on Saudi Arabia’s southern flank, effectively completing the geographical encirclement.While Tehran built this asymmetric ring of fire, the international community remained fixated almost exclusively on Iran’s nuclear programme.UN Security Council resolutions – from Resolution 1696 in 2006 to Resolution 2231 in 2015 – treated proxy warfare as a secondary, localised nuisance.This diplomatic blind spot allowed Iran to master low-cost, high-impact asymmetric warfare largely unpunished, quietly laying the infrastructure for direct regional power projection.Phase 3: Direct Kinetic Confrontation (2026): The Mask Falls in the GulfThe fatal flaw in treating Iran’s proxy network as a buffer became starkly apparent following the joint US-Israeli strikes on Tehran on February 28, 2026, which resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.Faced with a crisis of survival, Tehran abandoned all strategic ambiguity.It did not confine its retaliation to American military assets or Israeli territory; it launched waves of ballistic missiles and armed drones directly into Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE, while moving to restrict commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.By March 9, when the Assembly of Experts selected Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, as the new Supreme Leader, the hereditary succession only underscored the continuity of the 1979 mandate.In his inaugural public address, Mojtaba demanded that Gulf states immediately shut down US military bases on their territory or face continuous bombardment.Six months later, injured and governing entirely from the shadows via written statements and digital broadcasts, Mojtaba issued a message asking Gulf rulers to unite under Tehran’s banner against their “real enemy”.It was the rhetoric Khomeini used 47 years earlier, stripped of diplomatic cover: Accept Iranian protection and supremacy, or be targeted by Iran.The Diplomatic and Military Pivot: Beyond the American UmbrellaThe ultimate irony of Iran’s 2026 military push is that it accelerated the exact outcome Tehran sought to prevent: a unified, proactive, and increasingly self-reliant Gulf diplomatic and security bloc.The first major manifestation of this pivot came on March 11, 2026, when the UN Security Council passed Resolution 2817.Introduced by Bahrain on behalf of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC), the resolution condemned Iran’s attacks on Gulf states and explicitly recognised their right to self-defence.Passing 13-0 with an unprecedented 135 international co-sponsors, the moment marked a masterclass in swift, co-ordinated Gulf diplomacy.More fundamentally, the crisis forced a rapid recalculation within Gulf defence ministries.The focus has rapidly shifted toward unified regional air-and-missile defence networks, indigenous defence industrial capacity, and autonomous security frameworks.From the seminaries of Najaf to the leadership halls of Tehran, and ultimately to the shipping lanes of the Strait of Hormuz, the internal logic of the Islamic Republic has remained unyielding.It is a doctrine that views the national sovereignty of its neighbours as temporary, negotiable, and subordinate to a revolutionary vision.As a reclusive Supreme Leader issues demands from an undisclosed location, the Gulf states have stopped waiting for external powers to guarantee their safety.The 47-year road has brought the revolution’s full force directly to the Gulf’s doorstep – and in response, the region is finally constructing a door that can lock from the inside.• The writer is a prominent news anchor, programme presenter and media instructor.

The Ministry of Labour Sunday began consultations on the Private Sector Nationalisation Plan, bringing together state-owned companies and public-benefit entities to discuss measures to increase Qatari employment and address implementation challenges.His Excellency Minister of Labour Dr Ali bin Smaikh al-Marri chaired the first session, attended by chief executives and senior management representatives from the participating organisations.The session is part of a series aimed at ensuring the effective implementation of the Private Sector Nationalisation Law, identifying practical mechanisms, examining challenges facing the private sector and gathering companies’ views and proposals.The minister reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with private-sector companies and institutions to help fulfil the law’s objectives. He stressed the importance of listening to companies, understanding the difficulties they may face and working together on appropriate solutions.He said the plan provides an integrated framework for increasing the employment of Qataris in the private sector through clear targets, effective incentives, stronger partnerships and continuous monitoring.Its success, he added, depends on coordinated efforts by the ministry, sector regulators and private-sector companies and establishments.The minister described the consultative sessions as a platform for dialogue among all stakeholders involved in implementing the law, stressing that continued consultation with companies and institutions is central to meeting the plan’s targets and increasing Qatari participation in the private-sector workforce.