QATAR GROK Daily News – Excerpts from International Media Reports
[Links to full articles were active on the date posted here]
Doha to Host Turkish Film Festival [May 25]
“A Turkish film festival will be held next week in Qatar in a new indication of the growing interest of the Arab world in drama from its non-Arabic speaking Muslim neighbour. The films to be screened at the First Doha Turkish Film Festival on June 6-9 will feature actors and actresses popular in the Arab world, organisers said. Film directors, programmers and producers will also attend the festival and the public will have the opportunity to meet them. The festival, held with the support of the Turkish government, includes 15 films that include My Father and My Son, The White Angel, Waiting for Heaven, Three Monkeys and Vision Tele. Panel discussions by experts and commentators will be held on the sideline, Qatari daily Gulf Times reported on Monday. Turkish drama has since 2008 become popular in the Arab world, due mainly to the use of colloquial Arabic instead of the classical Arabic voice-overs used for Spanish-language soap operas. The names of all the characters were also changed into Arabic..” [Complete Report]
Allawi in Qatar to Discuss Iraq Situation [May 25]
“Head of Al Iraqiya List Iyad Allawi affirmed that Iraq is going through a critical stage noting that his visit to Qatar is aimed to put Arab leaders in the loop of the situation in Iraq. Efforts to form the new government are ongoing, Allawi said expecting final results after 10 days. That’s when talks will turn into negotiations over the new government, he added. Turkish Sabah Newspaper revealed meanwhile that Allawi has visited Turkey for the second time in less than a month as he visited Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmad Davudoglu. Following his visit to Turkey, Allawi said he will meet Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki and ask him to keep Iran out of interference in Iraq. Iranian interference does not serve the application aimed to form the government, he added..” [Complete Report]
Bahrain Wants Qatar to Free 107 Fishermen [May 25]
“Bahrain on Sunday called for the repatriation of 107 Bahraini professional and amateur fishermen held by Qatar. “The ministers of interior and municipalities and agriculture have been tasked by the government to monitor the conditions of the Bahraini fishermen held in Qatar and to coordinate with their counterparts in Doha to ensure their safe return home,” a government spokesman said following the weekly session. A Bahraini delegation should be formed and sent to Qatar to work with the competent authorities on the issue, the government said. Both ministries should also ensure that similar incidents should not be repeated. Ten days ago, Adel Al Taweel, a Bahraini fisherman was shot by Qatari coastguards for allegedly entering Qatari waters illegally. The wounded sailor was subsequently taken to hospital amid promises that he would be allowed to go home in a few days. However, the authorities later said that they would put him on trial for illegally entering the country..”
http://www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidGN_24052010_250514
Leading Qatari Firms Featured at New York Mena Conference [May 25]
“Vodafone Qatar, QNB and Qatar Telecom featured at the third Mena (Middle East and North Africa) investment conference that began yesterday in New York. “Across the Mena region, around $800bn of investments are currently planned in energy, water, healthcare, transportation, housing, banking and education,” said Beltone Financial, the organiser of the Mena conference. Altogether, these diverse investments would raise the quality of the region’s infrastructure to new levels and offer significant opportunities for the private sector. The Mena region’s power generation capacity will have to double, requiring an investment of around $140bn, it said, adding planned spending on water in the region totalled $46bn..” [Complete Report]
