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Paraguay stunned four-time world champions Germany 4-3 on penalties on Monday to advance to the World Cup round of 16 in one of the biggest upsets in the competition's history, after the teams were tied 1-1 over 120 minutes.Jose Canale hit the decisive penalty to give the underdogs a memorable victory and spark wild celebrations, as they advanced to the next round where they ⁠will face either title contenders France or Sweden in the last 16.The Germans saw Kai Havertz, Nick Woltemade and Jonathan Tah fail to score from the spot before Canale, after two misses by the ⁠South Americans, kept his composure to seal their win.For the Germans, who had a Tah header disallowed in extra time, it was a bitter defeat and the first time they lost a penalty shootout at a World Cup."We should not be blaming the referee or the penalty shootout today," Germany captain Joshua Kimmich said. "If you cannot beat Paraguay over 120 minutes then you are deservedly eliminated. You should not depend on the opponents' luck or no luck. You should have the quality in the squad to clearly beat this opponent."It was the biggest win at the tournament for the South Americans, who reached the quarter-finals in 2010 and had not qualified since, while Germany's international reputation is now in tatters after consecutive World Cup group-stage exits in 2018 and 2022."I think the feeling we have is difficult to explain," a beaming Paraguay captain Gustavo Gomez said. "I'm very proud ⁠of my teammates and of this group. Today was a match in which we had to be Paraguay more than ever.""I think deep down Germany knew that if they wanted to beat us, they would have to sweat blood, because we were going to make defeat very, very expensive for them," he said.Germany's Julian Nagelsmann, who at the age of 38 became the youngest coach in a World Cup knockout stage in 40 years, will now be under massive pressure once he returns home after yet another World Cup debacle."I am disappointed. It was just not enough to beat this opponent," said Nagelsmann, who had publicly set Germany the goal of winning a fifth World Cup. "The opponent scored once and we did not defend very well. We lost control of possession. We tried a lot of things but we should have scored earlier."If you are eliminated by Paraguay you are just not a first-class football team. I am very disappointed." ATTACKING START Nagelsmann opted for an attacking lineup, giving his team's top ⁠scorer in the tournament, Deniz Undav, his first start. The forward, who had three goals and two assists in the group ⁠stage, threatened early on with a curled shot as ⁠the Germans controlled possession.While spending most of the time without the ball, Paraguay were content to soak up the pressure as Germany attempted every possible route to their opponents' goal but had no single effort on target in the entire first half.By the 35th minute Germany had completed 244 passes to Paraguay's 31 but had not managed to come any closer to breaking the deadlock.Executing their game plan to perfection, the South Americans, with Miguel Almiron back in the side after his suspension, stunned the favourites with a quick move down the right before Enciso powered home his header to score his country's first-ever goal in the knockout stage of a World Cup.The small pockets of Paraguay fans, completely outnumbered by the white-clad Germany supporters, exploded with joy, pounding their drums as silence fell across large swathes of the stands.Frustration was visible among the Germany players as their dominance proved unprecedented - no team had ever completed 253 more passes than their opponents in a World Cup first half and still gone in behind at halftime.They hit back nine minutes after the restart with Florian Wirtz floating a cross into the box and Havertz levelling with a glancing header. They thought they had snatched a winner in the 102nd minute when Tah headed in a corner at the far post but after a lengthy VAR review the goal was disallowed for a foul on the keeper.  

United Development Company (UDC), the master developer of The Pearl and Gewan Islands, has confirmed that the works currently taking place at the Perlita Gardens site, located within The Pearl Island, form part of the planned redevelopment process following UDC’s strategic acquisition of the project, which was announced at the end of last year. The acquisition, valued at QR625mn, reflects UDC’s ongoing strategy to enhance its investment portfolio and support sustainable growth through diversified revenue streams, while further diversifying The Pearl Island’s property offering. Since the beginning of the year, UDC has completed the initial demolition and enabling works at the Perlita Gardens site, paving the way for the next stages of development. The project is being advanced as a premium, low-density residential community that will further diversify The Pearl Island’s residential mix and respond to growing demand for upscale villa living within Doha. Located in close proximity to Medina Centrale, Perlita Gardens is planned as a gated residential compound comprising approximately 150 Mediterranean-style villas. The development is expected to offer a private, spacious, and refined living environment, while benefiting from The Pearl Island’s established services, retail, hospitality, and lifestyle infrastructure.**media[460345]**In a press statement, Yasser Salah al-Jaidah, UDC president and CEO, said: “The redevelopment of Perlita Gardens is approached with careful planning to ensure that the final offering complements The Pearl Island’s existing urban fabric and responds to demand for premium, compound villa lifestyle. This project will allow us to introduce a new residential product that combines privacy, space, and exclusivity within a fully serviced island destination.” UDC noted that further details on Perlita Gardens, including the project’s positioning, development progress, and residential offering, will be announced later this year. The company reaffirmed that the current site works are part of the planned redevelopment process and an important step toward bringing forward a high-quality residential community that supports The Pearl Island’s long-term appeal to families, residents, and investors. 

Strong governance reinforces trust and strengthens confidence in The Pearl and Gewan Islands as future-ready destinations, according to a top official of the United Development Company (UDC)."Strengthening governance is not simply a regulatory requirement, it is a reflection of how we build long-term trust in UDC and in the destinations we develop," its chairman Ahmed bin Ali al-Hammadi told shareholders at the extraordinary general assembly meeting, which approved amendments to the Company’s Articles of Association in accordance with the Corporate Governance Code issued under the Qatar Financial Markets Authority Board Resolution No. (5) Of 2025.**media[448478]**As the master developer of The Pearl and Gewan Islands, he said its commitment to transparency, accountability, and sustainability directly shapes investor confidence and reinforces the credibility of its developments as "stable, future-ready communities.""The evolving regulatory framework in Qatar is a positive step forward, elevating market standards while safeguarding shareholder interests," he said, adding for UDC, it provides an opportunity to further align its practices with international benchmarks, ensuring that the developments continue to attract discerning investors who value not only quality assets, but also strong governance and responsible growth.Stressing that at UDC, governance, sustainability, and long-term value creation are intrinsically linked; Yasser Salah al-Jaidah, its president and chief executive officer, said its developments at The Pearl and Gewan Islands are not standalone real estate projects; they are fully integrated ecosystems designed to deliver enduring lifestyle and investment value."We have consistently taken a proactive approach in adopting best practices across sustainability, climate-related reporting, and corporate responsibility. This is not only about compliance, but about enhancing the overall proposition we offer to residents, tenants, and investors," he said.A well-governed, transparent environment strengthens confidence, supports asset value, and contributes to a more resilient and competitive real estate and investment landscape in Qatar, according to him.The meeting concluded with a reaffirmation of UDC’s commitment to advancing its strategic objectives, supporting sustainable growth, and delivering long-term value across its developments and stakeholder base. 

The United Development Company (UDC), master developer of The Pearl and Gewan Islands, officially kicked off The Pearl Ramadan Football Tournament 2026 on February 19, setting the stage for an exciting season of competitive matches and vibrant community engagement.The tournament commenced following the official draw ceremony hosted at The Oyster Building on The Pearl Island, where participating teams were allocated into six groups of four teams each.The ceremony was attended by team representatives and members of the organising committee, in the presence of UDC executive director of Public Services engineer Abdullatif al-Yafei.The structured group draw paved the way for dynamic and closely contested matches that will continue through March 9.From the opening whistle, the tournament has been marked by high energy, competitive spirit, and strong attendance, reinforcing its position as one of the island’s most anticipated Ramadan sporting events.The matches are unfolding in a lively atmosphere that captures the essence of the holy month, bringing together residents and visitors in celebration of sport, unity, and community.The tournament reflects the UDC’s ongoing commitment to enriching community life across its developments through purposeful sporting and social initiatives that promote healthy lifestyles, positive engagement, and sportsmanship.The UDC invites residents and visitors to attend the upcoming matches, support their favourite teams, and experience the dynamic Ramadan evenings leading up to the tournament’s grand finale on March 9. 

The School of Social Sciences and Humanities at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, in partnership with the Asian Association of World Historians (AAWH), inaugurated on Saturday 25 October 2025 the 6th Congress under the title "The Gulf and the World".The two-day event is being held with the participation of an elite group of scholars and historians from Asia, Europe, the United States and the Arab region.It comes as a continuation of the Association's previous conferences held in Osaka (2009), Seoul (2012), Singapore (2015), Osaka (2018) and New Delhi (2022), thereby affirming the Association's leading role in advancing research and education in world history with a special focus on Asia and enhancing south, south scholarly dialogue.The conference program includes four keynote lectures and thirteen academic sessions, in which approximately fifty research presentations will be delivered in a hybrid format combining in-person attendance and online participation.President of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies Dr. Abdelwahab El Effendi affirmed that holding this conference for the first time in the region represents an important step toward understanding the interconnection between Asia and global history.El Effendi said that Asia is not just a part of the world; one could say it is the world itself, as the great beginnings of humanity originated here.He added that the fragmentation of identities, Arab, Indian, Japanese, and others, has led each to view itself as an independent world, and this is the essence of the challenge to the historical unity, stressing the need to value our shared history and to restore awareness of the united destiny of the peoples of Asia and Africa.For her part, President of the Asian Association of World Historians Sucheta Mahajan said: "Holding the 6th Congress of the AAWH at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies marks a milestone in the Association's trajectory, which has sought since its establishment to institutionalise studies in global and transcontinental history in Asia." After noting that East Asian cities had hosted the event for years, she continued: "Its convening in Doha, in West Asia, embodies the Association's inclusive Asian dimension and strengthens the scholarly dialogue from the Gulf to the eastern part of the continent."Mahajan added: "We have received a wide range of papers that transcend the traditional conference themes, to highlight world history from a new Gulf and Asian perspective. The hybrid format of the conference also enables wide global participation, making it truly an international event anchored in a solid Asian base."Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Humanities at the Doha Institute Amal Ghazal said: "The congress brings together a distinguished group of researchers and historians from Asia, Europe, the United States and the Arab region to discuss historical issues from a perspective that places the Gulf region and the Asian continent at the heart of global economic, cultural and political transformations."She added: "This event is the fruit of an academic collaboration between the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies and the Asian Association of World Historians, aimed at enhancing south-south academic dialogue and expanding the horizons of comparative historical research. The congress constitutes a platform for dialogue among historians from diverse backgrounds and historiographical schools and is an opportunity to re-centre the history of the Arabian Gulf within the context of Asian and world history."Following the opening session, parallel sessions began. Led by Issam Nassar (Doha Institute for Graduate Studies), a session titled "The Gulf in the World" convened, during which papers on national identity, Gulf diplomacy and the comparative history of regional relations were discussed. At the same time, two other sessions were held: "Late-20th Century Transformations", chaired by Shigeru Akita (Osaka University, Japan), and "Techniques of the Past and Future", chaired by Hong Liu (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore); these addressed energy transformations, political economy and technologies in modern and contemporary history.

The Qatar Amateur Radio Society (QARS) and the Qatar Scouts and Guides Association (QSGA) participated Saturday in the 2025 Global Jamboree on the Air and Internet (JOTA-JOTI) through a dedicated radio station set up at the Qatar Amateur Radio Society headquarters under the special call sign (A71AJOTA).The global camp marks the 68th edition of JOTA and the 29th of JOTI, offering 48 continuous hours of interaction among scouts worldwide in a unique experience that blends technology, friendship, and global scouting culture.In his remarks, HE Shura Council Member and QARS Vice President Dr. Ahmed bin Hamad Al Mohannadi emphasized the society's annual commitment to such international events that foster global communication among amateur radio enthusiasts.He noted that the society's participation aims to promote cultural exchange, allowing scouts and radio amateurs to project their voices from Qatar to the world, encouraging year-round engagement and knowledge sharing.He added that amateur radio clubs worldwide showcase the latest advancements in radio technology and highlight the role of amateur radio in connecting people across borders. JOTA-JOTI utilizes two communication systems including amateur radio and the internet.QARS Secretary Saba'an Mismar Al Jassim stated that the society is marking its 15th consecutive year of participation in this official international event organized by the World Organization of the Scout Movement.He explained that JOTA is a global event where scouts of all ages from various countries connect via amateur radio stations, enabling and encouraging global communication among scouts, enriching their educational experience, and strengthening their sense of belonging to the global scouting movement.Scout leader Ahmed Khamis Al Yousef, Scouting Activities Consultant at the QSGA expressed pride in Qatar's participation in the global camp, affirming that interaction with scouts worldwide broadens participants' horizons and instills values of understanding and peace.Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Al Yousef described the event as a global gathering of scouts and guides, facilitating the exchange of experiences and communication across cultures.He noted that participant selection is based on thorough preparation and the selection of outstanding scouts from both public and private schools, with language skills playing a role in enabling communication across different regions. Some scouts interact with peers from the Arab world, while others engage with scouts from around the globe in various languages, creating a diverse platform for cultural exchange.Media Officer Buthaina Dasmal Al Kuwari from the QSGA emphasized the importance of media coverage for such events, as it reflects the pioneering role of Qatari scouting in global forums.She noted that Qatar's first participation in JOTA-JOTI dates back to 1996 during the maritime camp in Al Khor, marking a deeply rooted legacy in the history of Qatari scouting.

HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani met Monday at the Amiri Diwan with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, Dr Constantinos Kombos, who is visiting the country.The two sides discussed co-operation between the two countries and ways to support and develop it. They also discussed enhancing economic partnership, especially in the energy field, in addition to other topics of mutual interest.