tag

The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) is preparing for the upcoming rainy season, taking up measures to ensure timely response and mitigate the impact of rainfall. “Ashghal has held several successful training to evaluate the fast response team's abilities in mitigating the impacts of heavy rainfall on urban infrastructure, public safety and traffic flow,” Ashghal said in an X post. Ashghal said that prompt mobilisation, effective co-ordination and field knowledge are crucial for minimising risks and averting disruptions during rain incidents. Ashghal, according to the post, has carried out critical operations successfully to prepare for the rainy season, including setting up rubber ramps, deploying hoses to drain water and operating diesel pumps. The authority explained that the fast response team remains on high alert, ready to act at a moment's notice. Their responsibilities include monitoring flood-prone areas and offering immediate assistance to affected communities. They offer vital support to the impacted main roads and has a contemporary fleet that is fully stocked with all the equipment required. Ahead of the rainy season, Ashghal developed a mechanism to overcome rainwater-related issues and intensified training for its staff members to help them improve the complaint redress time and ensure fast response in dealing with water accumulation. Ashghal uses the latest technologies to monitor the drainage networks and roads to ensure they are free from waterlogging. As part of its role to raise awareness and continuously communicate with the public, Ashghal launches awareness campaigns on precautionary measures that are to be taken before and during rain.

Parts of Delhi and Kashmir were flooded Thursday after two rivers breached the danger mark following heavy rain in several northern areas, but weather officials forecast some respite from downpours.A fierce monsoon season has brought immense destruction in the region this year, killing at least 130 people in August.Torrential rain in the hilly areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh has swollen many rivers, which have crossed danger levels.Residential areas were flooded in the key city of Srinagar after a breach of the Jhelum river embankment, and authorities urged people to evacuate homes."The Jhelum is climbing, but at a much slower rate than was feared," Omar Abdullah, the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, said in a post on X. "The administration is not going to lower its guard. We continue to monitor the situation very closely."Rescuers searched for any people trapped under debris after the rain triggered a landslide at the Ratle hydroelectric power project on the Chenab river in Drabshalla, officials said.Weather officials have forecast showers to ease off with moderate rain expected in Jammu and Kashmir and the state of Uttarkhand.In Delhi, the capital, the Yamuna river passed the danger mark on Tuesday, in a flow the Central Water Commission described as a 'severe' situation.Muddy water Thursday poured into many homes in low-lying areas, from which thousands had already been evacuated to safer places as a precaution.Authorities shut the historic Loha Pul, or Iron Bridge, spanning the Yamuna in the older part of the city.Crops across tens of thousands of hectares have been destroyed by the rains in the breadbasket state of Punjab where 37 have died since August began.The deluge spurred authorities to release water pent up in dams, further flooding areas in both India and neighbouring Pakistan.

The draws for the first Platinum event of the 2025/26 PSA Squash Tour season have been released, with World No.1s Mostafa Asal and Nouran Gohar named as the top seeds for the QTerminals Qatar Classic 2025.Returning to the PSA calendar for its 22nd edition, the QTerminals Qatar Classic will see 64 of the world's leading squash players descend upon the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in Doha from September 28th to October 4th. Every second of action will be available to watch live on SQUASHTV.Current World Champion Asal leads the men's field and will arrive targeting a first Qatar Classic title of his career. Last year, 'The Raging Bull' enjoyed a standout season, which yielded seven title successes and just six defeats from his 60 matches on the PSA Squash Tour.At the other end of the draw, World No.2 Diego Elias has been named as the No.2 seed and will return to defend the trophy he captured in stunning fashion 12 months ago. Last year, the 28-year-old defeated then-World No.1 Ali Farag and Asal in straight games each to lift the title, whilst also having won the event back in 2021. Elias will also be hoping to replicate his recent form against Asal if they were to meet in the final, having defeated the World No.1 in six of their last seven meetings on tour.Elias can be found in the same half of the draw as No.4 seed Joel Makin, who ended his 2024/25 campaign in superb form, capturing the first major title of his career at the PSA Squash Tour Finals. The 30-year-old Welshman will have to be on his guard right from the get-go, however, having drawn two-time World Junior Champion Mohamad Zakaria in round one, before a potential second-round tie with fellow up-and-coming talent Jonah Bryant.World No.4 Paul Coll has been handed an equally tough draw, with the hugely talented World No.10 Youssef Ibrahim awaiting the Kiwi in what could prove to be a blockbuster first-round tie.Two Englishmen and two Egyptians occupy the 5/8 seeding positions in the men's draw, with the ElShorbagy brothers, Mohamed and Marwan, joined by Karim Abdel Gawad and Youssef Soliman. England's Mohamed has enjoyed vast success at the Qatar Classic, picking up the title in 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2022 and will open his account against Spanish No.1 Iker Pajares.Meanwhile, in the women's draw, World No.1 Nouran Gohar and World No.2 Nour El Sherbini have been named as the top two seeds in their respective halves of the draw, with Gohar arriving looking to overturn her five-game defeat to her arch-rival in last year's final. 'The Terminator' has won almost all there is to win in the sport, but the Qatar Classic crown is a piece of silverware that has eluded her since its return to the PSA calendar in 2023. Her account begins with a tricky opening round match against British No.1 Georgina Kennedy.Gohar can be found in the same half of the draw as World No.4 Olivia Weaver, who will be looking to continue where she left off at the backend of the 2024/25 season. The USA No.1 reached her maiden major final on tour at the PSA Squash Tour Finals, but is still eying a first career win against any of the established 'Big Three' in the women's game.Elsewhere, El Sherbini faces a potential blockbuster semi-final with World No.3 Hania El Hammamy, if the pair were to come through their respective draws. The last two editions of the Qatar Classic have seen the Egyptian pair deliver two five-game thrillers, with the winner of their encounter going on to pick up the title on both occasions.Further back in the top-eight seedings, three-time World Junior Champion Amina Orfi, Japan's Satomi Watanabe, Belgium's No.1 Tinne Gilis and Malaysia's Sivasangari Subramaniam will all be hoping to launch bids into the latter stages of the event.Local favourite Abdulla al-Tamimi will lead Qatari hopes as he makes his tenth appearance at the Platinum-level event. The World No.22 takes on compatriot and tournament wildcard Ali al-Darwish in round one, while the second wildcard in the men's event, Salem al-Malki, faces Fares Dessouky.The DrawWomen's:[1] Nouran Gohar (EGY) v Georgina Kennedy (ENG)Nada Abbas (EGY) v Jasmine Hutton (ENG)Georgia Adderley (SCO) v Nele Gilis (BEL)[WC] Nadine Shahin (EGY) v [8] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS)[6] Satomi Watanabe (JPN) v Aira Azman (MAS)Zeina Mickawy (EGY) v Rachel Arnold (MAS)Hana Ramadan (EGY) v Marina Stefanoni (USA)Kenzy Ayman (EGY) v [3] Hania El Hammamy (EGY)[4] Olivia Weaver (USA) v Farida Mohamed (EGY)Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY) v Mariam Metwally (EGY)Tesni Murphy (WAL) v Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY)Ka Yi Lee (HKG) v [7] Tinne Gilis (BEL)[5] Amina Orfi (EGY) v Melissa Alves (FRA)Aifa Azman (MAS) v Tomato Ho (HKG)[WC] Nour Heikal (EGY) v Hana Moataz (EGY)Sana Ibrahim (EGY) v [2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY)Men's:[1] Mostafa Asal (EGY) v Ramit Tandon (IND)Baptiste Masotti (FRA) v Gregoire Marche (FRA)Declan James (ENG) v Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY)Greg Lobban (SCO) v [8] Youssef Soliman (EGY)[6] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) v Abhay Singh (IND)Fares Dessouky (EGY) v [WC] Salem al-Malki (QAT)Curtis Malik (ENG) v Juan Vargas (COL)Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) v [3] Paul Coll (NZL)[4] Joel Makin (WAL) v Mohamad Zakaria (EGY)Jonah Bryant (ENG) v Nicolas Mueller (SUI)Abdulla al-Tamimi (QAT) v Ali al-Darwish (QAT)Sebastien Bonmalais (FRA) v [5] Marwan ElShorbagy (ENG)[7] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG) v Iker Pajares (ESP)Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) v Raphael Kandra (GER)Mazen Hesham (EGY) v Dimitri Steinmann (SUI)Eain Yow Ng (MAS) v [2] Diego Elias (PER)

In the aquatic realm of the Gulf, amid its waves and currents, and ranging from near the surface to the depths, the kingfish reigns supreme in excellence and beauty.It is far more than a mere fish, it is a living legend, embodying power, speed, and majesty in its most sublime form, with a torpedo-like sleek body and a lustrous silver sheen that mirrors the pride of the sea.This fish narrates an eternal tale of survival, endowed with astonishing abilities. Its extraordinary speed renders it an unparalleled hunter, striking like an arrow to seize its prey with pinpoint precision, while its exceptional manoeuvring skills allow it to evade any danger in a flash, leaving adversaries bewildered and stunned.The kingfish ranges in length from 50 to 150 centimetres and can weigh up to 35 kilograms in exceptional cases, with females generally larger, particularly in advanced stages of life.Strikingly, it is a symbol of hospitality and the essence of maritime heritage, occupying a premium standing in luxurious feasts during occasions. However, to ensure the preservation of this maritime wealth, colossal efforts are being undertaken to regulate fishing practices and place restrictions on the sizes of fish that are allowed to be caught, as long as the increasing demand for kingfish punches well above its stockpile weight, triggering stringent surveillance to ensure sustainability.Accordingly, the Ministry of Municipality, represented by the Fisheries Department, has recently announced the launch of the kingfish fishing ban season from Aug 15 to Oct 15, 2025. Based on the decision, the use of gill nets for fishing is prohibited, and the trade and transport of such nets are also banned, while only line fishing is permitted.Qatar News Agency reached out to Director of the Fisheries Department Abdulaziz al-Dehaimi, who outlined the key objective of this annual ban, stressing that it primarily intends to protect fish stocks and ensure sustainability in the Qatari marine habitat, as this kind of fish is one of the critical economic species.Dehaimi further added that the ban offers an opportunity for fish recovery and for augmenting the stock to remain abundant for the next generations, affirming that the ban duration is two months based on scientific studies and monitoring data, which confirmed that halting the use of gill nets during this period enhances the reproduction of the kingfish, offering the new generations enough time to grow and ultimately elevate the total stock.The department's surveillance operators and the competent judicial authorities vested with this mission are monitoring the situation daily to ensure people are abiding by this decision and other regulatory rules through inspections of fishing boats and ports, Dehaimi highlighted.Dehaimi stressed that financial and administrative penalties are imposed on violators in accordance with the provisions of Law No. 4 of 1983 on the exploitation and protection of marine resources.He indicated that the department has been committed to launching awareness programmes for fishermen and the public through media campaigns and workshops to highlight the significance of the ban and the measures regulating fisheries, in addition to engaging local media outlets in disseminating the awareness messages.He stressed that the department gives foremost priority to this kind of fish and other species in collaboration with the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) states, to bolster co-ordinated efforts by sharing data and expertise through the GCC's Standing Fisheries Committee, under the umbrella of the FAO-affiliated Regional Commission for Fisheries (RECOFI), to ensure that unified fishing ban seasons are proposed to strengthen the sustainability of shared fish stockpiles throughout the Gulf region.Periodic studies are conducted annually by the department to assess kingfish stockpiles alongside 36 other marine species. These assessments measure biomass and estimate the appropriate fishing effort to secure maximum sustainable yield, Dehaimi highlighted.He said the results have consistently shown a marked improvement in the abundance of these stockpiles in recent years, underscoring the effectiveness of the ban in meeting its objectives.Kingfish, members of the mackerel family and close relatives of tuna, rank among the fastest pelagic fish, he added, affirming that they can sustain high speeds over extended periods without significant energy depletion, at times reaching up to 60km per hour.The Arabian Gulf stands as one of the world's foremost habitats for kingfish. Its warm, relatively shallow waters create ideal conditions for growth and reproduction. They are also native to the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea, while the Gulf of Oman functions as a vital corridor for their migration between the Indian Ocean and the Gulf, where vast numbers converge during seasonal movements, Dehaimi outlined.Kingfish are among the richest natural reservoirs of essential nutrients, boasting a balanced composition of high-quality proteins, healthy fats, and vital vitamins and minerals indispensable to human health, making them an ideal choice for those pursuing a wholesome and well-balanced diet. (QNA)