Hamad Al-Thani News

Qatar's Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani is withdrawing his offer to buy Manchester United, a person with knowledge of the process told The Associated Press

The emir of Qatar is looking to invest in energy and high-tech in Cyprus — projects seen as having a strong economic potential

PM Modi to be on a two-day official visit to UAE from February 13: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will kick off a two-day official visit to the United Arab Emirates today, where he will inaugurate the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, address the World Government Summit, and meet with top UAE officials. PM Modi's agenda in Qatar includes meetings with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, among other senior officials.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed. The eight former Indian Navy officials were condemned to death in October, had been accused of spying for Israel. Seven of the eight released former Indian Navy personnel returned to India on Monday.

Kuwait, seven of the eight Indian navy veterans who were sentenced to death on 'espionage' charges, heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying they wouldn't have been freed had it for the sustained diplomatic efforts at his behest to secure their release. Their death sentence was later commuted to an extended prison term following sustained diplomatic interventions and legal assistance from New Delhi. Relieved to finally walk free, the seven former Navy officers raised chants of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' after arriving at the Delhi airport in the early hours of Monday.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier's recent visit to Qatar was marked by an unexpected diplomatic incident that garnered significant attention. Upon his arrival, President Steinmeier was left waiting on the tarmac for nearly 30 minutes, a delay that sparked speculation and raised eyebrows. The incident, which unfolded as President Steinmeier stood at the door of his Airbus A350 with folded arms, was captured in a viral video that circulated widely. Despite the presence of the red carpet, a military honor guard, and Germany's ambassador to Qatar, no Qatari official was initially on hand to formally welcome the distinguished visitor. A report by German news broadcaster DW cited the delay as being due to the absence of Qatari officials at the airport to greet President Steinmeier. However, both German and Qatari officials have refrained from commenting on the delay, leaving the exact cause open to interpretation.

By Bassam Masoud and Maayan Lubell

Manchester United has announced that chief executive Richard Arnold has stepped down from his role

AFP. Asked whether there is a potential deal to free more of the hostages being held by Hamas militants, Netanyahu replied: "There could be." However, he did not elaborate on any potential strategy that may be implemented to release all or part of the 239 captives that Israel claims are being kept. "I think the less I say about it, the more I'll increase the chances that it materializes," he added. Meanwhile, Netanyahu has flatly rejected calls for a ceasefire in Gaza without the release of the hostages.

Saudi Arabia and Muslim countries called on Saturday for an immediate end to military operations in Gaza, declaring at a joint Islamic-Arab summit in Riyadh that Israel bears responsibility for «crimes» against Palestinians. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, gathered Arab and Muslim leaders for the summit as the kingdom has sought to exert its influence to press the United States and Israel for an end to hostilities in Gaza. Dozens of leaders including Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who was welcomed back into the Arab League earlier this year, attended the meeting. Prince Mohammed said the kingdom affirms its «condemnation and categorical rejection of this barbaric war against our brothers in Palestine».

Iran said on Tuesday it was «natural» for Tehran-backed groups to attack Israel in light of its war on Hamas, warning of a wider spillover if no ceasefire is reached. The remarks were made by Iran's top diplomat Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Qatar's capital Doha where he met with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and his Qatari counterpart to discuss a push for a diplomatic breakthrough. «It is natural that the resistance groups and movements do not remain silent against all these crimes» committed by Israel, Amir-Abdollahian said in remarks relayed by Iran's foreign ministry. «They will not wait for anyone's advice, therefore we need to use the last political opportunities to stop the war,» he said after talks with Sheikh Tamim, warning the situation could «get out of control». Israel launched its assault in response to an unprecedented attack by Hamas on October 7 when its militants poured across the Gaza border, killing more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and taking more than 230 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.

British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe is trying to buy a minority stake in Manchester United and that could give him a major say in the running of the underperforming club

The sale of Manchester United has been a drawn out affair

Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani has withdrawn a bid to buy Manchester United, the BBC reported on Saturday. United announced nearly a year ago that the board was exploring «strategic alternatives to enhance the club's growth», with a full sale one of the options. Sheikh Jassim and British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe were the front runners after several rounds of bidding earlier this year, but the process has stalled in recent months despite the anger of supporters towards current owners, the Glazer family. The Americans have owned the English giants since a leveraged takeover in 2005 for £790 million ($961 million) saddled the club with huge debts. Figures in March showed United's debts have grown to £970 million. However, the Glazers are believed to be holding out for a world record fee for a football club in excess of £6 billion. Sheikh Jassim's bid was for full control of United and promised to clear the club's debt. By contrast, Ratcliffe is reportedly willing to buy a smaller stake to break the impasse ownership of the 20-time English champions. The Red Devils fortunes on the field have also faded under the Glazer's tenure. United have not won the Premier League since former manager Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 and last won the Champions League in 2008. They currently sit 10th in the Premier League and have lost their first two Champions League group stage matches for the first time in the club's history.

Manchester United has announced a 10-year extension to its partnership with Adidas that the English club says will be worth more than $1 billion

Walmart heiress Nancy Walton Laurie was vandalized by a group of environmental activists in Spain. The activist group known as Futuro Vegetal, based in Spain, took action by spraying paint on the massive yacht named Kaos as it attempted to depart from the port in Ibiza, according to reports. The group, which advocates for civil disobedience as a means to address the ongoing climate crisis, chose to target the yacht due to its owner's status as one of the wealthiest women in the world, as per reports.