Latest Qatar News & Updates

Washington, May 25 (IANS) The White House thinks it could take several days for the deal’s approval by Iran’s leadership, according to a report from US media.While US officials are optimistic that a deal will be signed within days, they also acknowledge it has not been finalised and could still fall apart, said the report by Axios, citing a senior US official.It is unclear whether the potential deal will lead to a lasting peace agreement that also addresses US nuclear demands, Xinhua news agency…

Washington, May 24, (IANS) US President Donald Trump on Sunday defended his administration’s ongoing negotiations with Iran, sharply criticising the Obama-era nuclear agreement and asserting that the current talks would prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the 2015 Iran nuclear deal negotiated under former President Barack Obama was “one of the worst deals ever made by our Country”.“It was a direct path to Iran developing a Nuclear Weapon,” the U…

Washington, May 24 (IANS) US President Donald Trump has said that Washington and Tehran were close to finalising a broad peace agreement after a series of calls with leaders from the Middle East and South Asia, including Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir and leaders of Gulf nations. In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, Trump said an agreement had been “largely negotiated” between the United States, Iran and several regional countries, with only final details left to be completed.”I am i…

Washington, May 22 (IANS) Democratic senators have raised national security and press freedom concerns over a proposed media merger that could allow sovereign wealth funds from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar to acquire major stakes in Paramount Global and its broadcast television assets, including CBS-owned stations and potentially CNN.In a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr, six senators led by Maria Cantwell and Ben Ray Lujan urged a “ri…

Islamabad, May 20 (IANS) Over 164,000 Pakistani nationals have been deported from various Gulf nations in the past five years, local media reported while citing official data presented in the country’s National Assembly. In the data presented in the house, Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior has revealed that Saudi Arabia topped the list with 108,029 deportations, followed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with 40,497, Oman with 9,814, Qatar with 2,971 and Bahrain with 2,779 cases, Pakistan’s leadin…

Washington, May 20 (IANS) US President Donald Trump said that the United States was “an hour away” from launching military action against Iran before regional partners urged him to pause, as he defended his administration’s hardline stance against Tehran acquiring a nuclear weapon.Speaking to reporters during a visit to the construction site of a new White House ballroom and security complex, Trump said Gulf allies had asked for additional time for diplomacy.“I was an hour away from maki…

Washington, May 20 (IANS) Admiral Brad Cooper on defended the Trump administration’s military campaign against Iran, telling lawmakers that Tehran’s military capabilities had been “significantly degraded” following weeks of US-led operations across the Middle East.Appearing before the House Armed Services Committee, the commander of US Central Command repeatedly argued that Operations “Epic Fury” and “Midnight Hammer” had dismantled much of Iran’s ability to project power acros…

Washington, May 20 (IANS) US President Donald Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping had assured him that Beijing was not supplying weapons to Iran, as he defended ongoing diplomatic efforts to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.Speaking to reporters during a visit to the White House ballroom construction site, Trump said he had received direct assurances from Xi amid rising tensions in the Middle East.“President Xi has promised me that he’s not sending any weapons to Iran,” Tru…

Washington, May 19 (IANS) US President Donald Trump said that he postponed a planned military strike on Iran after urgent appeals from Gulf leaders seeking more time for diplomacy, signalling a possible opening in high-stakes negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.At a White House healthcare event, Trump said the United States had been prepared to launch a “very major attack” on Iran as early as Tuesday, but he agreed to delay military action following requests from leaders in Saudi …

New Delhi, May 18 (IANS) India’s current account deficit (CAD) is likely to be about 2.1 per cent of GDP for FY27, assuming an oil average of $85 per barrel, a report said on Monday.The report from HDFC Bank said elevated crude and a closed Strait of Hormuz pose upside risks to forecast, adding that the recent gold import compression measures could provide some offset.The bank said that raising import duty to curb gold imports could trim the deficit, estimating a 20 per cent decline in gold vo…