Doha: The Ministry of Culture officially concluded the 34th edition of the Doha International Book Fair tonight, which was held from May 8 to 17 under the theme “From Engraving to Writing” at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center. According to Qatar News Agency, the fair witnessed massive public turnout, with participation from 522 publishers and entities from 42 countries. Among the participants were 11 Palestinian publishers making their debut, Syrian Halbouni market bookstores, American publishers, and, for the first time, British publishing houses. The exhibition’s publication directory included around 166,000 titles. The 2025 fair featured broader participation from ministries,

Doha: HE Acting CEO of Qatar Media Corporation Sheikh Khalid bin Abdulaziz bin Jassim Al-Thani met separately with Acting Charge d’Affaires at the Embassy of the Republic of Lebanon in the State of Qatar Farah Berri, and Acting Charge d’Affaires at the Embassy of the Republic of the Sudan in the State of Qatar Alwaleed Abdullah. According to Qatar News Agency, the meetings focused on discussing the cooperation relations between the State of Qatar and both Lebanon and Sudan. The discussions aimed at exploring ways to enhance bilateral relations, particularly in the media sector, and to promote the exchange of

China: China has successfully launched a commercial rocket into space, sending six satellites. The rocket is capable of delivering a 4-tonne payload to a 500-km sun-synchronous orbit. According to Qatar News Agency, the rocket, coded ZQ-2E Y2, blasted off from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. It is a modified variant of the ZQ-2 model developed by the Beijing-headquartered private rocket maker LandSpace. The company stated that the new rocket has several upgrades over its previous model, including improved engine thrust and the adoption of composite materials to replace metals in the fairing,

Moscow: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone conversation on Saturday, focusing on regional and global issues. The dialogue also included discussions about the recent Istanbul talks and maintaining ongoing contact between the two nations. According to Qatar News Agency, the Russian Foreign Minister acknowledged the United States’ constructive role in Ukraine’s acceptance of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to resume talks in Istanbul. Lavrov expressed Russia’s willingness to continue collaborative efforts with the US in this regard. Furthermore, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed the agreements made between Russia and

Rome: Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni said on Saturday that Italy is currently not prepared to engage in any plans to deploy troops to Ukraine, stressing that current efforts are focused on achieving an unconditional ceasefire from Russia’s side. According to Qatar News Agency, Meloni stated that her country is open to joining any international framework aimed at ending the war, but she also warned about divisions within the West. She emphasized that western unity has been its greatest strength since the beginning of the Russian offensive, adding that at such a sensitive time, it is important to set aside

Doha: Qatar News Agency is now closing its daily transmission for Saturday, May 17, 2025. According to Qatar News Agency, the broadcast for the day has been completed, marking the conclusion of the agency’s regular news coverage for Saturday. The agency will resume its transmission with fresh updates and reports on the following day.

Doha: Qatar News Agency has officially commenced the broadcast of its morning news program, marking a new chapter in its media offerings. According to Qatar News Agency, the program launched on Sunday, May 18, 2025, aims to deliver timely and relevant news to its audience. The morning broadcast promises to cover a wide range of topics, ensuring that viewers are informed about the latest developments both locally and internationally. The introduction of this morning program represents a strategic move by Qatar News Agency to expand its reach and enhance its role in the media landscape. With this new transmission, the

Doha: Four Pakistani soldiers were killed in an attack on a Samand checkpoint in the Khuzdar area of Balochistan province, southwestern Pakistan. Local Pakistani sources reported that gunmen opened fire on a security checkpoint, resulting in heavy casualties and raising serious security concerns in the area. According to Qatar News Agency, Pakistani security forces and the military have been conducting security operations across the country to pursue armed groups.