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Trump says Hormuz reopening ‘largely negotiated’US president in ‘very good call’ with Gulf leaders US Donald Trump claimed an agreement to permanently end the war in Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz had “largely been negotiated” and “would be announced shortly”. In a post to his Truth Social account yesterday afternoon, Trump said he had concluded a “very good call” with leaders of Gulf countries and other US allies in the Middle East. “Final aspects and details of the deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly,” Trump wrote. “In addition to many other elements of the agreement, the Strait of Hormuz will be opened.” The president said he just fi nished “a very good call” with leaders in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkiye, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain. **media[449413]** The possible deal is “subject to fi nalisation between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the various other Countries, as listed”, Trump added. Trump’s comments came after mediators in high-stakes talks in Tehran. Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, says he discussed the “achievements” of US-negotiations with offi cials upon his return to Tehran. “With conservative optimism, we can hope that – if the other side is adequately committed – a positive stride is taking shape which is the result of the positions of the Islamic Republic of Iran based on dignity, the steadfastness of the courageous armed forces, and the resistance of the brave Iranian nation, as well as the initiative and dedicated endeavours of the Pakistani mediator,” said Moghadam. The Iranian ambassador also thanked Pakistan for its role in the negotiations. Earlier, Iran and Pakistan submitted a revised proposal to the US to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, two Pakistani sources familiar with the negotiations told Reuters yesterday. A US response to the proposal is expected by today, the sources said. An interim deal to end the Iran war is in its fi nal phase and is “fairly comprehensive”, one Pakistani offi cial involved in the negotiations said. “It is never over till it is done,” the offi cial said. But Iran, the US and mediator Pakistan all said yesterday that progress had been made in talks on ending almost three months of war. Iran said it was focused on fi - nalising a memorandum of understanding, or MoU, after its top offi cials met Field Marshal Asim Munir, the army chief of Pakistan. The Pakistani army said the negotiations had resulted in “encouraging” progress towards a fi - nal understanding. Two Pakistani sources involved in negotiations said the deal being negotiated is “fairly comprehensive to terminate the war.”

The West Indies tuned up for the T20 World Cup Super Eights in perfect fashion Thursday with a comfortable 42-run victory over Italy in their final group match in Kolkata.After being asked to bat, the West Indies captain Shai Hope scored 75 off 46 balls with four sixes to help his side post 165-6 in the dead rubber Group C clash.They then easily defended the total by bowling out Italy for 123 off 18 overs."I always try to contribute. Wicket was a good one; felt like I could've given the team more impetus at the death," said Hope, who was named player of the match.Italy finished with one win in four matches at their debut World Cup, and Hope said it wasn't easy when his side did not know many of the opposition players."When you face unfamiliar opposition, you plan but are unsure. You are facing many bowlers for the first time," he said."They bowled well in patches, it was tough to score early on. You have to be ruthless early on."Italy lost regular wickets and were always behind in their chase in the face of tight bowling by the West Indies.JJ Smuts took 27 balls to score 24 as Italy failed to break the shackles in the middle overs.Ben Manenti whacked 26 off 21 balls before having his stumps shattered by Gudakesh Motie with four overs to go, and from 115-7 the rest folded quickly.Pace bowler Shamar Joseph took a superb 4-30 backed up ably by fellow seamer Matthew Forde, who had 3-19.Joseph also had a great day in the field and became the first player to take four wickets and four catches in a T20 international.Left-arm spinner Motie was the pick of the slow bowlers, finishing with 2-24 from his four overs.The West Indies will face Zimbabwe in Mumbai on Monday to kick off their Super Eights campaign, with clashes against South Africa and co-hosts India to follow. BRIEF SCORES: West Indies 165 for 6 (Hope 75, Kalugamage 2-25, B Manenti 2-37) beat Italy 123 (B Manenti 26, Joseph 4-30, Forde 3-19, Motie 2-24) by 42 runs. 

beIN Sports to broadcast third edition of Match for Hope live and free-to-air to raise money for EAA beIN Sports will broadcast Match for Hope 2026 – The Final Showdown live and free-to-air across 24 Mena markets tomorrow (January 30), as well as world-wide on its social media platforms. Featuring the likes of Thierry Henry, Eden Hazard, Marcelo, and the biggest social media influencers including the likes of Mr Beast, KSI and Chunkz, the match promises an unforgettable evening of football, entertainment, and purpose. Organised by Q Life, the cultural division of Qatar’s International Media Office, the annual charity football match is taking place at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Doha. Uniting sporting legends, globally recognised content creators, and international musicians, the match aims to raise money and awareness for Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, a global non-profit organisation dedicated to transforming the lives of millions of out-of-school children around the world. All proceeds from the match will be donated to EAA projects in Palestine, Sudan, Nepal, Guatemala, Senegal, Malawi and Haiti. Building on the success of the 2024 and 2025 editions — which together raised more than QR71mn ($19.5mn) and reached tens of millions of viewers worldwide — Match for Hope 2026 is set to be the most impactful edition yet. The Match for Hope 2026 will kick-off at 7pm, following an opening ceremony that gets underway from 6.30pm. Live pitch-side coverage will be presented in Arabic on beIN Sports by Nervana Elabd who will be joined both by beIN’s studio analysts plus the legends and social media influencers participating in the match. The match will also be streamed live and worldwide across beIN Sports’ social media. After two highly successful editions, this year’s edition marks a landmark event, with fan-favourite creators Chunkz and AboFlah returning as team captains for one final showdown. On the pitch, they will be joined by an extraordinary line-up of football icons including Henry, Hazard, Marcelo, Gerard Pique, Franck Ribery, Diego Costa, and Tim Cahill, alongside some of the world’s most influential creators such as MrBeast, KSA, Sharky, Danny Aarons, KSI, Angry Ginge, and Billy Wingrove. Fans watching around the world will enjoy a high-energy pre-match performance by Grammy Award-winning duo The Chainsmokers, followed by a half-time show headlined by global pop superstars, the Jonas Brothers. 

The Match for Hope 2026 Fan Village has emerged as one of the most engaging spaces of this year’s edition, drawing families, young fans, and content-creator followers to Place Vendôme in the days leading up to the charity match.Designed as an interactive hub, the fan village blends games, sports activities and meet-and-greets, allowing visitors to experience the spirit of Match for Hope beyond the stadium.For 13-year-old Hanna Tamer, the experience has been memorable.“This has been a great experience,” she said. “It was fun meeting all the players and playing games with them. The environment is so healthy and fun. The games are really nice, and the streamers are actually so kind.”A regular visitor, Hanna added that she has attended every year and plans to return.“I’m very excited,” she said.Parents have also highlighted how the fan village successfully combines entertainment with social impact.One mother, attending with her daughter, said they were drawn not only by the games and online personalities but by the purpose behind the event.“She’s very interested in the games and the creators she watches, but we also came because of the charity they are supporting,” she said. “We attended last year as well to support this noble cause. Qatar is doing amazing events lately, especially ones dedicated to causes like this.”Muzan, 16, and Muhammad, 13, echoed similar sentiments, describing the atmosphere as energetic and inclusive.“It was actually very fun, and we’re really excited,” Muzan said. “I really like the fact that it’s a charity match, so people who need support actually benefit from it.”Muhammad added that the wider programme of events and celebrity appearances makes the experience even more appealing.“They’re bringing a lot of celebrities to the country, and I love that,” he said. “Events like this are fun and bring people together.”The fan village reflects Match for Hope’s wider aim of connecting sport, digital culture and community engagement, particularly for younger audiences.Organised by Q Life in partnership with the Education Above All Foundation and the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, the initiative places emphasis on awareness, participation and giving back.The week-long celebrations will culminate in the Match for Hope 2026 football match, which is set to take place on January 30 at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium.Teams led by global content creators Chunkz and AboFlah will be joined by football legends and international digital stars, with the match serving as the fundraising centrepiece of a broader initiative supporting education projects for disadvantaged children worldwide. 

Students of HOPE Qatar Centre for Persons with Disabilities, representing the centre’s senior, open schooling, primary, and junior sections, recently held a special educational visit to the Indonesian embassy in Doha. Indonesian ambassador Ridwan Hassan welcomed the students and special educators and led them on a guided tour of the embassy premises. The students were introduced to the daily operations and the key functions of various departments and learned how the embassy provides consular services, facilitates cultural and trade relations, and assists local citizens and citizens living abroad. Hassan spoke about his longstanding association with HOPE Qatar. “HOPE Qatar has made a remarkable difference not just in the lives of its students, but also in the lives of their families,” the envoy said. “The love, patience, and professionalism of the staff reflect the true spirit of inclusion.” Hassan also commended HOPE Qatar’s role in promoting empowerment and equality through education, emphasising that “every child, regardless of ability, deserves the opportunity to learn, to grow, and to be part of society with dignity”. “We are deeply honoured to have visited the Indonesian embassy, and even more grateful for the long and meaningful association we share with ambassador Ridwan Hassan and his family,” said HOPE Qatar founder and chief mentor Dr Rajeev Thomas. The students presented handmade souvenirs to the ambassador as a gesture of appreciation for his kindness and support. In turn, Hassan presented the students with gifts and interacted with them individually, expressing admiration for their confidence, creativity, and positivity. HOPE Qatar Centre for Persons with Disabilities offers quality education and holistic support to children and young adults with disabilities. The centre’s programmes are designed to nurture independence, confidence, and community participation among its learners.

India closed in on a 2-0 series sweep in the second Test despite some spirited West Indies batting led by centuries from John Campbell and Shai Hope Monday.Needing 121 for victory after bowling out the West Indies for 390, the hosts reached 63-1 at stumps on day four at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium.K L Rahul, on 25, and Sai Sudharsan, on 30, were batting in a stand of 54 at close of an absorbing day’s play.Yashasvi Jaiswal fell early for eight after left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican had the Indian opener caught at long-on while attempting an ambitious heave.Rahul and the left-handed Sudharsan steadied the ship and the pair kept up the scoring with singles and occasional boundaries against a persistent West Indies spin attack.Earlier, Justin Greaves with an unbeaten 50 and Jayden Seales (32) put on 79 runs for the final wicket to frustrate India after the West Indies slipped to 311-9 in the second session.Greaves and the left-handed number 10 defied the bowlers for 133 deliveries with straight-bat shots before Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Seales in the final session for his third wicket.Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav also took three wickets to add to his five-wicket haul in the West Indies’ first innings.Campbell (115) and Hope (103) had steered the West Indies into the lead after the tourists resumed the day on 173-2 while following on.“I think it’s a big positive for us,” Campbell said of their fightback. “Having not gotten the best first innings, we came out second innings and batted over 100 overs, so that’s a big plus for us.”The left-right batting pair of Campbell and Hope put on 177 runs for the third wicket.Kuldeep strikes Opener Campbell reached his first Test ton with a six off Ravindra Jadeja before the left-arm spinner trapped him lbw in the morning session.Hope kept up the charge after lunch and reached his first Test hundred in eight years with a boundary off pace bowler Mohammed Siraj.Siraj had his revenge soon after when the batter dragged his delivery onto his stumps.Kuldeep then took over to send back wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach, trapped lbw for two. The left-arm wrist spinner then struck twice in three balls including skipper Roston Chase for 40 before Greaves and Seales put on a defiant partnership.India bowled more than 200 overs on a slow pitch that made life tough for bowlers.The visitors had waged a fightback after being reduced to 35-2 in their second innings on day three, but the batters made sure the game will go the distance to day five.“Good to be bowling long spells and heartening to have taken 20 West Indies wickets,” Indian spinner Washington Sundar told reporters. “We got to be really fit and on top of our game. In Test cricket you honestly expect most of the Test matches to go till the fifth day and challenge you in every way possible,” the off spinner said.India enforced the follow-on after they bowled out the West Indies for 248, a deficit of 270 from the hosts’ first-innings 518-5 declared. The hosts won the first Test, in Ahmedabad, by an innings and 140 runs.BRIEF SCORE: SIndia 518 for 5 dec and 63 for 1 (Sai Sudharsan 30*, Rahul 25*, Warrican 1-15) need a further 58 runs to beat West Indies 248 and 390 (Campbell 115, Hope, 103, Greaves 50*, Bumrah 3-44, Kuldeep 3-104)

Senior and open schooling students of HOPE Qatar Centre for Persons with Disabilities, paid an educational visit to the embassy of India recently.The students represented the nationalities of India, Indonesia, and Bangladesh.The students were given an opportunity to observe the functioning of the embassy and gain insight into how diplomatic missions operate, making it an enriching learning experience beyond the classroom.They were introduced to the consular section, its functions, and how passports are printed and issued by the mission. In an interaction with ambassador Vipul, the students posed numerous questions and received answers.The visit also featured the formal release of the first copy of ‘Ray of HOPE’ the annual newsletter of HOPE Qatar for the Academic Year 2024–2025 by the ambassador.The students presented handmade gifts to the envoy and received gifts from the embassy. Dr Rajeev Thomas, founder and chief mentor of HOPE Qatar, was present.