USA

Qatar Airways joins Gulf carriers off US laptop ban list

July 6, 2017

Doha, Qatar — Qatar Airways joined two other major long-haul Gulf carriers on Thursday in getting off a U.S. ban on laptops and large electronics in airplane cabins, despite facing logistical challenges amid the country’s diplomatic dispute with several Arab nations. Doha-based Qatar Airways, [...]

US to allow electronic devices in Etihad Airways departing AbuDhabi

July 2, 2017

The United States has granted permission to the UAE’s Etihad Airways for personal electronic devices to be allowed in the cabins of US-bound aircraft departing Abu Dhabi, American authorities said Sunday. The move comes more than three months after the United States prohibited such devices on [...]

Qatar Riyal stable against US dollar, says QCB

June 30, 2017

(QNA- 30th June 2017)- Qatar Central Bank (QCB) has said that the reports circulating across different media about the trading and exchange rate of the Qatari riyal are baseless. In a statement issued yesterday, QCB said the Qatari riyal’s exchange rate is absolutely stable against the US [...]

US rolls out travel ban, but who will be hit?

June 29, 2017

Washington (AFP) – President Donald Trump’s travel ban on people from six mostly Muslim countries will come into force late Thursday, as controversy swirls over who qualifies for an exemption based on family ties.Delayed by five months of legal challenges before the Supreme Court [...]

US destroyer, container vessel collide off Japan: Navy

June 16, 2017

Washington (AFP) – A US Navy destroyer and a Philippine-flagged container ship collided off the coast of Japan, causing an undetermined number of injuries, the US Navy reported Friday. The collision between the guided missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald and the ACX Crystal took place about 56 [...]

Qatar signs $12 billion deal to buy F-15 jets from US

June 15, 2017

Qatar’s Ministry of Defense said on Wednesday the country signed a deal to buy F-15 fighter jets from the United States for $12 billion. The deal was completed despite the Gulf country being criticized recently by U.S. President Donald Trump for supporting terrorism. “Secretary of [...]

Trump berates Qatar as US sends mixed messages on the Gulf stand-off

June 10, 2017

Washington (AFP) – US President Donald Trump on Friday accused Qatar’s leadership of bankrolling extremists and demanded a halt to that funding, as a diplomatic stand-off between the Gulf emirate and its neighbors escalated. Trump’s stern warning overshadowed an earlier [...]

Qatar Emir won’t go to Washington talks while Qatar “under blockade” -official

June 8, 2017

(Reuters)-Qatar’s leader will not accept an invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump to attend mediation talks in Washington on a row in the region while the country remains cut off from its neighbours, a Qatari official said on Thursday. “The emir has no plans to leave Qatar while [...]

US officials scramble to limit Donald Trump diplomatic damage over Qatar tweets

June 7, 2017

Government agencies sought to mitigate the impact of president’s lambasting, restating existing policy and playing down the significance of the tweets. Donald Trump tweets support for blockade imposed on Qatar The US state and defence departments have scrambled to limit the diplomatic damage done [...]

US asks some visa applicants for social media usernames and passwords

June 2, 2017

Washington (AFP) – The United States has begun asking some would-be visitors applying for visas to provide their identities on social media, among other more vigorous screening methods. A State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP new security procedures had gone [...]