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Flights at Greek airports were cancelled or delayed Sunday after a technical problem knocked out airspace radio frequencies, the country's civil aviation authority said, calling the outage "unprecedented".At Greece's main airport, Eleftherios Venizelos in Athens, passengers were stuck in long queues as several domestic and international flights were delayed or grounded altogether, an AFP reporter saw.The radio frequency loss was first reported around 0700 GMT."No plane landed or took off for at least two hours," said the press office at Athens airport, where 31.6mn passengers transited in the first 11 months of 2025.For up to three hours, most aircraft headed for Greek airports were redirected to Turkiye, according to Greek public television ERT.Air traffic had been resuming progressively since 1100 GMT, authorities said.**media[401009]**Panagiotis Psarros, head of Greece's air traffic controller union, called the incident "very serious" and blamed what he said was "obsolete" airport equipment."For some ⁠reason all frequencies were suddenly lost. We could not communicate with aircraft in the sky," the chief of the Association of Greek Air Traffic Controllers, told state broadcaster ERT.The association later said the breakdown affected all frequencies used on the ground, and some frequencies used by Athens Approach, an air traffic control unit responsible for managing aircraft arriving in and departing from Athens's Eleftherios Venizelos airport.Among its responsibilities is radar monitoring for safe separation of aircraft in the sky as well as issuing instructions on speed, and altitude levels.The Air Traffic Controllers Association said controllers were using all means at their disposal to ensure ⁠the safety of flights, calling the scale of Sunday's incident "unprecedented and unacceptable" for an air traffic control system.Psarros said the problem seemed to be a collapse of central radio frequency systems at the Athens and Macedonia area control systems, the largest air control facility in the country.It monitors the Athens Flight Information Region, a vast expanse of airspace under the control of Greek authorities."We haven't been informed about the cause of this problem... certainly the equipment we have is virtually ancient. We have raised this many times in the past," Psarros said. 

Under the shadow of civil war ‌and questions over the poll's credibility, the initial round of Myanmar's phased general election closed Sunday, with signs of low ‌voter turnout for the first polls since a ‍military coup in 2021.The junta, having crushed pro-democracy protests after the coup and sparked a nationwide rebellion, said the vote would bring political stability to the impoverished Southeast Asian nation, despite ⁠international condemnation of the exercise.The United Nations, some Western countries ⁠and human rights groups have said the vote is not free, fair or credible, given that anti-junta political parties are out of the ‍running and it is illegal to criticise the polls.**media[398690]**Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, deposed by the military months after her National League for Democracy won a general election landslide in 2020, remains in detention and the party she led to power has been dissolved.The military-aligned Union Solidarity and Development Party, led by retired generals and fielding one-fifth of all candidates against severely diminished competition, is set to return to power, said Lalita Hanwong, a lecturer and Myanmar expert at Thailand's Kasetsart University."The junta's election is designed to prolong the military's power of slavery over people," she said. "And USDP and other allied parties with the military will join forces ‌to form the next government."**media[398693]**In the lacklustre canvassing ahead of the polls, the USDP was the most visible. Founded in 2010, the year it won an election boycotted by the opposition, the party ran the country in concert with its military backers until 2015, when it was swept away by Suu Kyi's NLD.Voter turnout in Sunday's polls appeared ⁠much lower than in the 2020 ‌election, 10 residents of cities spread across Myanmar said.Further rounds of voting will be held on January 11 and January 25, covering 265 of Myanmar's 330 townships, although the junta does not have complete control of all those areas.Armed groups formed in the wake of the coup and long-established ethnic armies are fighting the military across swathes of the country, displacing some 3.6mn people and creating one of Asia's worst humanitarian crises.**media[398691]**A date for the final election result has not been declared.Dressed in civilian clothes, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing voted in the heavily guarded capital city of Naypyitaw, then held up an ink-soaked little finger, smiling widely, footage on state media MRTV showed. Voters must dip a finger into indelible ink after casting a ballot to ensure they do not vote more than once.Asked by reporters if he would like to become the country's president, an office that analysts say he has ambitions for, the general said he was not the leader of any political party."When the parliament convenes, there is a process for electing ​the president," he said.The junta's attempt to establish a stable administration in the midst of war is fraught with risk, and broad foreign recognition is unlikely for any military-controlled government with a civilian veneer, according to ⁠analysts.Tom Andrews, the UN special envoy for human rights ‍in Myanmar, said Sunday the election was not a pathway out of the country's crisis and must be strongly rejected.Zaw Min Tun, a junta spokesperson, acknowledged international criticism of the vote."However, from this election, there will be political stability," he told reporters after voting in Naypyitaw. "We believe there will be a better future."Nevertheless, Myanmar's voters did not come out in numbers close to the previous election conducted under Covid-19 restrictions, including in the commercial capital of Yangon and the central city of Mandalay, residents said.The junta's legal framework for the election has no minimum voter turnout requirement, said the ​Asian Network for Free Elections poll monitoring group.Turnout was about 70% in Myanmar's 2020 and 2015 general elections, according to the US-based nonprofit International Foundation for Electoral Systems.There has been none of the energy and excitement of previous election campaigns, although several residents in Myanmar's largest cities who spoke to Reuters did not report any coercion by the military administration to push people to vote.A handful of polling booths in Yangon, some of them near areas housing military families, had dozens of voters queued up around midday, but others were largely empty, according to two residents of the sprawling metropolis."It isn't as loud and enthusiastic as it was back in 2020," said a Mandalay resident, asking not to be named because of security concerns.The streets of Hakha, capital of the northern state of Chin, where fighting rages on, were empty after a local ⁠rebel group told residents to boycott the vote, two residents said."People from my quarter, none of us went to vote," said one of them, a 63-year-old man. "We are not interested in the election." 

Myanmar heads to the polls today as it battles a civil war that has ravaged parts of the country as well as one of Asia's worst humanitarian crises.Already one of Southeast Asia's poorest countries, Myanmar has been hammered by a conflict triggered by a 2021 coup in which the military ousted an elected civilian government led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.Myanmar's ⁠humanitarian crisis is one of the ⁠most severe in Asia, driven by the intensifying civil war and repeated natural disasters, including a massive earthquake in March.The ruling junta has previously suppressed information about a severe food crisis gripping the country by pressuring researchers not to collect data about hunger and aid workers not to publish it, Reuters has reported, besides cracking down on journalists since the coup.Myanmar is one of the world's most under-funded aid operations, with only 12% of required funds received, the United Nations says.US cuts to humanitarian aid are having a crushing impact on people, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar has said.The UN estimates that 20mn of Myanmar's 51mn people need aid as soaring ⁠inflation and a plunging currency push about half the population below the poverty line.More than 3.6mn people have been displaced from their homes, with over 6,800 civilians killed in the conflict triggered by the coup, according to UN estimates.With mounting violence forcing increasing numbers of people to flee, more than 12mn in Myanmar will face acute hunger next year, including 1mn who will need lifesaving support, according to the UN's World Food Programme (WFP).More than 16mn people across Myanmar are acutely food insecure, meaning that their lack of food threatens lives and livelihoods, the WFP estimates.They are the fifth-largest group needing aid anywhere in the world, making Myanmar "a hunger hotspot of very high concern", the agency said.More than 540,000 children across the country are expected to suffer this year from acute ⁠malnutrition – life-threatening wasting that can have severe and lifelong effects – a 26% increase from last year, the WFP said.One in three children under the age of five is already suffering from stunted growth, according to the WFP.Myanmar's economy – once deemed as one of the region's most promising – has struggled in recent years, reeling from the civil war, natural disasters and mismanagement.However, despite the challenges, Myanmar's economy is showing some signs of improvement and its GDP growth is estimated to rebound to 3% in the next fiscal year, the World Bank said this month.The projected growth is driven by post-earthquake reconstruction and continued targeted assistance for the hardest-hit areas, although inflation is expected to remain above 20%.With electricity supply deteriorating, exposing millions of people to chronic blackouts, households and businesses are increasingly embracing solar energy for reliable power.Russia, which has been building ties with the junta, signed an investment agreement ⁠with Myanmar in June that it said could open up new opportunities for Russian energy companies in the south Asian country. 

The Civil Services and Government Development Bureau, represented by the Institute of Public Administration, has launched the National Training and Career Development Plan for 2026, as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen the human development system and enhance the efficiency of human capital in the government sector.On this occasion, Director of the Institute of Public Administration Maha Al Marri affirmed that the National Training and Career Development Plan for 2026 embodies a strategic approach to building human capital within the government, in line with the Third National Development Strategy, through an integrated competency-based training system aimed at achieving tangible impact at the level of institutional performance. She added that the Institute of Public Administration is working to create a supportive environment for the effective implementation of the plan, in partnership with government entities, thereby enhancing institutional excellence in the State of Qatar.The new national plan comes in response to a fundamental shift in the state's vision for training and career development. It is based on the recent amendments to certain provisions of the Executive Regulation of Civil Human Resources, and reflects a transition from training linked to job grade to training linked to competencies and their levels. This shift contributes to enhancing the effectiveness of training programs and directly linking them to performance evaluation outcomes and individual development plans.The plan is built on a competency-based professional development methodology, through flexible training programs that include in-person training and asynchronous e-learning. It also allows employees to choose programs aligned with their career paths across three main tracks: leadership, specialized, and technical and clerical roles. These tracks cover behavioral, leadership, and technical competencies across four levels-beginner, intermediate, advanced, and expert-within an integrated career development framework that combines training, performance evaluation, and career planning.

The Civil Defence in the Gaza Strip announced that its operations have effectively been reduced by 50% due to the lack of fuel needed to run emergency vehicles and rescue equipment.Spokesperson for the Civil Defence, Mahmoud Basal, told Qatar News Agency (QNA) Monday that field teams have been struggling for weeks to secure the fuel required to operate the remaining essential vehicles and equipment, including fire engines, rescue and ambulance vehicles, as well as portable power generators that run on gasoline and are critical for removing hazards and retrieving trapped individuals.He stressed that these tools form the backbone of firefighting, rescue missions, evacuation operations, and emergency response for civilians enduring dire humanitarian conditions under Israeli attacks. He warned that rescue teams can no longer reach thousands of damaged and unstable buildings, and that search and recovery efforts are on the verge of being completely shut down.Basal noted that a significant portion of the Civil Defence's response to fires, explosions, and building collapses has already stalled, posing an immediate threat to civilian lives. Despite appeals to UN agencies and international organizations to supply the needed fuel, Israeli-imposed restrictions continue to block the entry of sufficient quantities, with distribution mechanisms falling far short of operational needs. This, he said, has caused a major paralysis in the Civil Defence's ability to fulfill its humanitarian duties.He called for lifting all restrictions on fuel delivery and ensuring immediate and full operational supply, with a transparent and consistent mechanism that aligns with the scale of the emergency in Gaza.Despite the lack of equipment, Basal emphasised that efforts to recover the bodies of Palestinians martyred in Israeli occupation airstrikes continue. However, operations are progressing extremely slowly due to severe equipment shortages. Currently, only one excavator is operating in central Gaza in co-ordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross and specialised teams to retrieve bodies from beneath the rubble.He said that once work is completed in the central and southern areas, the excavator will move to Gaza City and the northern region. Basal stressed that a single excavator is insufficient given the enormous number of bodies, and that additional heavy machinery is urgently needed to complete the process as quickly and safely as possible.Basal also noted that some international organisations have expressed willingness to support recovery efforts and bring in heavy machinery. Still, so far, no additional equipment has entered Gaza aside from the one excavator currently in use.He described the issue of missing persons as a profoundly humanitarian crisis, with families submitting daily pleas for help in recovering their loved ones. He estimated that around 10,000 bodies remain under the rubble, though obtaining precise figures is extremely difficult due to the conditions on the ground and the lack of comprehensive documentation.Specialised committees have been formed to document and assess families targeted by Israeli occupation attacks who require urgent intervention by Civil Defence teams.Basal concluded by noting that although Israeli aggression on Gaza ceased following the October ceasefire agreement, which according to official and UN reports, left around 92% of residential buildings fully or partially destroyed, the Israeli occupation continues to block the entry of reconstruction materials, rubble removal equipment, and essential humanitarian supplies for sectors including health and water. This ongoing obstruction, in violation of the humanitarian protocol annexed to the ceasefire agreement, is crippling local, municipal, and international efforts to provide basic services to war-stricken residents of the Gaza Strip. 

The Civil Service and Government Development Bureau (CGB) concluded Thursday the activities of the First Gulf Forum on Artificial Intelligence in Civil Service, discussing innovative solutions otwards sustainable civil service. The forum was organized in collaboration with the Sultanate of Oman as part of the initiatives of the Technical Committee for Civil Service and Human Resources Affairs in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The forum was attended CGB's Director General Saif bin Ali Al Kaabi, along with representatives from ministries and civil service authorities across the GCC, as well as specialists and employees from human resources and information systems departments. The event focused on showcasing leading Gulf experiences in leveraging artificial intelligence technologies to enhance government work efficiency, strengthen administrative system flexibility, and support smart institutional transformation in the civil service sector. The forum's activities included presentations by various Gulf entities, highlighting practical applications of AI in human resource management and the improvement of government services. A panel discussion was also held to explore the impact of smart solutions on the future of civil service. The forum's recommendations emphasized the importance of enhancing digital integration across the GCC, showcasing successful models and experiences in AI applications to improve government services, and supporting the path toward smart transformation in public administration. Additionally, the recommendations called for the establishment of a Gulf network to exchange expertise and best practices in the field of artificial intelligence, as well as encouraging institutional partnerships across the region to foster digital innovation and support smart transformation systems. 

The General Authority of Civil Aviation in the Syrian Arab Republic signed the final concession contracts related to investment in the development, expansion, construction, and operation of Damascus International Airport with an international consortium led by UCC Holding through its subsidiary Urbacon Concessions Investment, with the participation of Cengiz İnşaat of Turkey, Kalyon İnşaat of Turkey, and Assets Investments of the United States. The project represents the largest investment in Syria’s history, valued at USD 4 billion, reflecting strong international confidence in the future of Syria’s aviation sector.Implementation works have also begun on the ground, as the consortium companies commenced the development works of Terminal 2 at the airport, in addition to the rehabilitation of the old hotel building inside the airport premises, and the start of improving the main road leading to the airport, reflecting the consortium’s commitment to implementing the project according to an accelerated timetable consistent with the requirements of rehabilitating the airport and raising its operational readiness.The signing ceremony was attended by Mr. Omar Al- Hosari, President of the Syrian Civil Aviation Authority; the head of the consortium, Mr. Ramez Al-Khayyat, President of UCC Holding; Mr. Murat Ergönül representing Cengiz İnşaat of Turkey; Mr. Mehmet Tufan Körez representing Kalyon İnşaat of Turkey; Mr. Mehmet Arif Ozozan representing Urbacon Concessions Investment; Mr. Mazen Alsbeti representing Assets Investments of the United States; along with representatives of Hesco Engineering Services, Dar Al-Handasah, DG Jones, officials of the Civil Aviation Authority, and the consortium’s directors, in a meeting that reflected the strategic importance of the project and its role in rebuilding Syria’s air gateway.Mr. Omar Al-Hosari said that signing the contracts to develop Damascus Airport constitutes a strategic step toward rebuilding Syria’s air gateway, strengthening the national economy, and opening new investment and employment opportunities, with the participation of major international companies from Qatar, Turkey, and the United States, which reflects global confidence in Syria’s ability to recover and in the presence of a clear, legal, and attractive investment environment.Mr. Moutaz Al-Khayyat, Chairman of UCC Holding, also confirmed that the consortium is determined to implement a project that reshapes the future of Damascus International Airport and raises it to the level of advanced regional airports, noting that this investment will lead to a wide economic transformation in the region and achieve real value extending from developing infrastructure to creating sustainable job opportunities and enhancing the path of recovery and growth in Syria.Mr. Ramez Al-Khayyat, President of UCC Holding, stated that the Damascus International Airport development project represents a pivotal milestone in rebuilding Syria’s air transport system and strengthening the country’s ability to reclaim its natural role in regional air connectivity. He affirmed that the consortium is advancing according to a precise work plan and operational methodologies aligned with the highest global aviation standards and the latest technological systems, ensuring enhanced efficiency and sustainable operational performance for the airport.Mr. Al-Khayyat added that the project’s strategic vision aims to increase the airport’s capacity to 31 million passengers annually, and to establish Damascus International Airport as a major regional hub offering an exceptional and integrated travel experience. The new airport will feature modern facilities, including a five-star hotel, a free zone, and a wide range of passenger services.Engineer Rifai Hamadeh, CEO of Hesco Engineering Services, confirmed that the new airport’s architectural design is part of a development vision created in collaboration with Zaha Hadid Architects, with the aim of establishing a modern urban identity that reflects the spirit and heritage of Damascus. He explained that the design is based on fluid forms, spacious layouts, and natural light, while integrating smart infrastructure and advanced aviation technologies to ensure high operational efficiency.The project proceeds according to a gradual development plan aimed at increasing the capacity of Damascus International Airport to become a modern and integrated regional hub. The plan begins with the operation of the new passenger terminal, Terminal 2, before the upcoming Hajj season, after completing all operational and logistical preparations, as well as security, navigation, handling, and aircraft fueling systems.In parallel, Terminal 1 will be redesigned and developed, and its interior and service facilities updated, with work expected to be completed by the end of 2026, which will raise the airport’s capacity to 6 million passengers annually.In the next phase, the project moves to a larger expansion through developing airside and logistical facilities, aircraft stands, cargo centers, and commercial and service infrastructure, simultaneously with the construction of the new Terminal 3, which will be built according to the highest international standards adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The terminal will include advanced operational capabilities, including up to 32 gates equipped with modern boarding bridges, in addition to a world-class duty-free zone containing restaurants, cafés, and international brands.According to the development schedule, the airport’s capacity will increase to 16 million passengers annually upon completion of the first phase of Terminal 3. The final capacity, upon completion of Terminal 3 and all construction and logistical works, will reach 31 million passengers annually, making it one of the most advanced airports in the region in terms of technology, service quality, and operational efficiency. The airport is being developed based on a world-class architectural design prepared by Zaha Hadid Architects, giving the project a distinctive identity that reflects a forward-looking vision for regional airports. The project also includes a USD 250 million financing program for the purchase of new aircraft in support of Syria’s aviation sector, in addition to adopting the latest operational technologies such as electronic gates (E-Gates), which will accelerate passenger processing and enhance the overall efficiency of airport operations.The project is expected to provide more than ninety thousand direct and indirect job opportunities across the different stages of construction and operation, including engineering, air operations, ground services, logistics, trade, and hospitality, making it one of the most impactful projects in the Syrian aviation labor market in recent decades. The project, led by UCC Holding, reflects a new phase in managing infrastructure projects in Syria through long-term partnerships that combine international expertise with global standards, restoring Damascus International Airport’s vital position and paving the way for the return of its role in regional and international air transport.

Survivors fleeing the Sudanese city of El-Fasher told AFP on Saturday that paramilitary fighters separated families and killed children in front of their parents, with tens of thousands still trapped following the city's fall. Germany's top diplomat Johann Wadephul described on Saturday the situation in Sudan as "apocalyptic" while fresh satellite images suggested mass killings were likely ongoing, five days after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces seized El-Fasher. At war with the regular army since April 2023, the RSF pushed the military out of its last stronghold in the vast Darfur region after a grinding 18-month siege. Since the takeover, reports have emerged of summary executions, sexual violence, attacks on aid workers, looting and abductions, while communications remain largely cut off. "I don't know if my son Mohamed is dead or alive. They took all the boys," Zahra, a mother of six who fled El-Fasher to the nearby town of Tawila, told AFP in a satellite phone interview. Before reaching the nearby RSF-controlled town of Garni, she said RSF fighters stopped them and took her sons, aged 16 and 20. "I begged them to let them go," she said, but the fighters only released her 16-year-old son. Another survivor, Adam, said two of his sons, aged 17 and 21, were killed in front of him. "They told them they had been fighting (for the army), and then they beat me on my back with a stick," he told AFP. In Garni, RSF fighters saw the blood of Adam's sons on his clothes and accused him of being a fighter. After hours of investigations, they let him go. The survivors' full names have been withheld for their safety. The UN says more than 65,000 people have fled El-Fasher since Sunday but tens of thousands remain trapped. Around 260,000 people were in the city before the RSF's final assault. "Large numbers of people remain in grave danger and are being prevented by the Rapid Support Forces and its allies from reaching safer areas," Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said. The group said that only 5,000 people had managed to make their way to Tawila, about 70 kilometres to the west. The numbers of people arriving in Tawila "don't add up, while accounts of large-scale atrocities are mounting", MSF's head of emergencies Michel Olivier Lacharite said. Several eyewitnesses told MSF that a group of 500 civilians, along with soldiers from the military and the army-allied Joint Forces, had attempted to flee on Sunday, but most were killed or captured by the RSF and their allies. Survivors reported that people were separated based on their gender, age or presumed ethnicity, and that many were still being held for ransom. Darfur is home to a number of non-Arab ethnic groups, who make up a majority of the region's population, in contrast to Sudan's dominant Sudanese Arabs. Hayat, a mother of five who fled the city, previously told AFP that "young men travelling with us were stopped" along the way by paramilitaries and "we don't know what happened to them". The UN said on Friday the death toll from the RSF's assault on the city may be in the hundreds, while army allies accused the paramilitary group of killing over 2,000 civilians. Yale University's Humanitarian Research Lab suggested on Friday that mass killings were likely continuing in and around El-Fasher. The lab, which uses satellite imagery and open-source information to document human rights abuses during wars, said fresh images from Friday showed "no large-scale movement" of civilians fleeing the city, giving them reason to believe much of the population may be "dead, captured, or in hiding". The lab identified at least 31 clusters of objects consistent with human bodies between Sunday and Friday, across neighbourhoods, university grounds and military sites. "Indicators that mass killing is continuing are clearly visible," the lab said. At a conference in Bahrain on Saturday, Wadephul said Sudan was "absolutely an apocalyptic situation, the greatest humanitarian crisis of the world". The RSF said on Thursday that it had arrested several fighters accused of abuses during the capture of El-Fasher, but UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher questioned the group's commitment to investigating atrocities. Both the RSF -- descended from the Janjaweed militias accused of genocide in Darfur two decades ago -- and the army have faced war crimes accusations over the course of the conflict. The US has previously determined that the has RSF committed genocide in Darfur. Meanwhile, the army has drawn on support from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Turkey. El-Fasher's capture gives the RSF full control over all five state capitals in Darfur, effectively splitting Sudan along an east-west axis, with the army controlling the north, east and centre. UN officials have warned that the violence is now spreading to the neighbouring Kordofan region, with reports emerging of "large-scale atrocities perpetrated" by the RSF. The wider conflict has killed tens of thousands, displaced nearly 12 million and created the world's largest displacement and hunger crises.

The British Prime Minister announced that the United Kingdom will host a conference on Gaza's recovery and reconstruction in the coming period. A statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office said that the Wilton Park conference will last for three days and will bring together a coalition of business, civil society, and government representatives to coordinate critical planning efforts for the reconstruction of Gaza after the war. The statement added that the conference will address efforts to support the Palestinian Authority's transformation and reform program, ensuring its ability to lead recovery efforts in Gaza and ensuring that reconstruction will be Palestinian-led. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the UK will play a crucial role in the process by bringing together the various stakeholders, as well as expertise and investment from the City of London to support reconstruction. Israel has been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of 67,806 people and the injury of 170,066 others, most of whom were children and women. The war also triggered a famine that claimed the lives of 460 people, including 154 children, amid the near-total destruction of the Strip's infrastructure and civilian life.

The Civil Defense in the Gaza Strip revealed that more than 10,000 Palestinians remain missing to date, since the onset of the genocide war on Gaza on October 7, 2023.In remarks to Qatar News Agency (QNA) on Saturday, spokesperson for the Civil Defense in Gaza, Mahmoud Basal, stated that Civil Defense teams are awaiting the full withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from all agreed-upon locations under the ceasefire agreement, in order to carry out their duties of recovering the bodies of martyrs and searching for the missing.He pointed out that thousands of citizens have been lost beneath the rubble and destroyed homes since the beginning of the aggression, and could not be reached due to the presence of occupation forces or because the bodies are trapped under residential buildings and towers that were demolished by their inhabitants.He noted that Civil Defense lacks the heavy equipment necessary to remove the debris and extract the bodies, adding that field teams will face significant challenges in retrieving or identifying the remains due to decomposition over time.Basal explained that on the first day of the Israeli army's withdrawal from various areas of the Strip, more than 140 bodies of martyrs were recovered, including over 60 in Gaza City, with many others still under the rubble.He noted that Civil Defense teams continue to receive reports of remains beneath the debris but are unable to retrieve them due to the lack of necessary equipment.He further stated that within a single day following the ceasefire, Civil Defense and municipal and service teams carried out more than 850 rescue and relief operations, including body recovery, debris removal, and securing destroyed areas.Basal confirmed that Civil Defense headquarters in areas vacated by the Israeli army were completely destroyed, emphasizing that the occupation committed horrific crimes by targeting humanitarian and service personnel. More than 1,670 medical staff, 140 Civil Defense members, and over 1,000 Civil Defense and civilian police personnel were martyred while conducting rescue operations, delivering aid, or performing their duties to serve and protect citizens. Hundreds of municipal employees and humanitarian aid workers were also killed.The Civil Defense spokesperson highlighted the immense challenges facing the humanitarian and relief sectors in Gaza, amid the collapse of the health infrastructure and destruction of hospitals, medical facilities, municipal buildings, Civil Defense and rescue centers.He called on the international community and relevant organizations to act urgently to deliver aid, medical supplies, and rescue and emergency equipment.The ceasefire agreement between Hamas and the Israeli entity, reached in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, came into effect Friday afternoon, following the Israeli government's approval of the deal and the beginning of its military withdrawal from populated areas in the Strip.The return of displaced residents to northern Gaza also began, as part of the first phase of US President Donald Trump's initiative to end the war on Gaza.

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani issued on Tuesday Law No. 25 of 2025 amending some provisions of the Civil Human Resources Law issued by Law No. 15 of 2016.His Highness also ratified Cabinet Decision No. 34 of 2025 amending some provisions of the executive regulations of the Civil Human Resources Law issued by Cabinet Decision No. 32 of 2016.The amendments include additional incentives and benefits that encourage excellence and aim to enhance the government work environment. They link rewards to performance levels and emphasise the state's drive to enhance work efficiency and the leadership of government institutions, recognise contributions and achievements, encourage innovation and initiative, and promote the principles of responsibility and accountability. This is in line with the state's strategies for investing in human capital and enabling it to engage and interact with a knowledge-based and competitive economy in a way that serves the public interest, benefits society, and enhances the state's position as a leading model in administrative modernisation and human development.The amendments also included specific incentives that contribute to achieving a balance between the demands of work and family life, embodying the commitment to supporting family stability as the bedrock of building a cohesive society and a key driver for advancing sustainable development. This will enhance the implementation of Qatar National Vision 2030 and align with the objectives of the Third National Development Strategy 2024-2030.Both the law and the decision are effective from the date of their issuance, and to be published in the Official Gazette.

Sponsored and attended by Minister of Transport His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulla bin Mohammed Al Thani, Qatar’s Permanent Mission to the International Civil Aviation Organization has held a reception for the delegations of ICAO’s Member States, on the sidelines of the 42nd Session of the ICAO Assembly.The ICAO Council President H.E. Salvatore Sciacchitano, ICAO Secretary General H.E. Juan Carlos Salazar, several ministers, heads and representatives of Member States’ delegations, and several accredited ambassadors in Canada, were also in attendance.In his remarks, H.E. the Minister welcomed the attendees, and thanked the ICAO for its efforts for developing air navigation and transportation, stressing Qatar's firm commitment to supporting the ICAO’s mission and objectives to ensure aviation’s safety and security, and promote the sustainable growth of this vital industry globally.Wrapping up the event, Mr. Mohamed Faleh Al-Hajri, in charge of managing the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority, appreciated ICAO’s Council President and Secretary General.