Football: Messi echoes Maradona as Argentina win World Cup

Lionel Messi saved his best for last on Sunday, bringing the curtain down on his World Cup career by finally landing the one major title that has eluded him.

In the end, the greatest player of his generation, possibly of all time, bowed out with victory in arguably the greatest World Cup final of them all.

It was a perfectly scripted farewell for the 35-year-old Argentine captain, playing in what he has said will be his fifth and final World Cup tournament.

Messi was a beacon of calm amid frequent outbreaks of pandemonium at the Lusail Stadium as Argentina twice squandered winning positions, eventually taking the title on penalties after the game finished 3-3 in extra-time.

Before kick off, Argentina's raucous supporters had roared their appreciation as a giant television screen played a tribute to the late Diego Maradona, with clips of his legendary goal against England at the 1986 World Cup.

That was all the inspiration Messi needed as he set about delivering Argentina their first World Cup title in 36 years.

Maradona had also inspired that 1986 win, helping Argentina recover after they gave up a 2-0 lead before defeating West Germany 3-2.

Eight years ago, Messi had cut a forlorn figure, finishing on the losing side as Argentina slumped to a 1-0 extra-time loss to Germany at the Maracana Stadium in the 2014 World Cup final.

That defeat left Messi staring at the possibility of joining German legend Karl-Heinz Rummenigge as the only man to captain his country to defeat in two World Cup finals.

It soon became apparent on Sunday, however, that Messi had no intention of taking up membership of that unwanted club.

Within minutes of the kick off, Messi was into his rhythm, demanding possession and conducting traffic with his customary grace, picking up Angel Di Maria repeatedly down the left flank.

And when Di Maria drew a foul from Ousmane Dembele inside the area on 21 minutes, Messi stepped up to coolly fire his team into the lead with a nerveless penalty, his 97th international goal and his 12th in World Cups.

Extra-time drama

Messi was buried under a mountain of Argentine team-mates in the celebrations that followed but he was soon back on his feet tormenting France.

After a period of Argentine dominance, Messi produced a delightful flick to send Julian Alvarez racing into space down the right flank.

Alvarez found Alexis Mac Allister who in turn picked out Di Maria who made it 2-0.

It looked like the party was starting early as a subdued France struggled to get into the game.

Then suddenly out of nowhere Kylian Mbappe scored twice in a minute with less than 10 minutes remaining to turn the game on its head.

Still Messi would not be denied. In extra-time he tested France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris with a rasping shot as he attempted to drag Argentina to victory by sheer force of will.

Then in the second period of extra-time, the little magician struck again. Lautaro Martinez's shot was parried by Lloris and Messi, anticipating the rebound, jabbed home the finish from close range for 3-2.

Wild celebrations followed but still France were not beaten. 

Argentina substitute Gonzalo Montiel conceded a late penalty in extra-time and Mbappe stepped up to make it 3-3 from the spot.

Yet if there was any chance of Messi crumbling in the shoot-out -- he famously missed a penalty in the 2016 Copa America defeat to Chile -- he dispelled it immediately as he rolled home Argentina's opening kick.

From there his World Cup fate was left in the hands of his team-mates, and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez made a huge save before Montiel made amends for his earlier penalty concession to seal Argentina's win.

Agence France-Presse

Qatar virus tracing app stirs rare privacy backlash

DOHA - Privacy concerns over Qatar's coronavirus contact tracing app, a tool that is mandatory on pain of prison, have prompted a rare backlash and forced officials to offer reassurance and concessions.

Like other governments around the world, Qatar has turned to mobile phones to trace people's movements and track who they come into contact with, allowing officials to monitor coronavirus infections and alert people at risk of contagion.

The apps use Bluetooth radio signals to "ping" nearby devices, which can be contacted subsequently if a user they have been near develops symptoms or tests positive, but the resultant unprecedented access to users' location data has prompted fears about state surveillance.

Qatar's version goes considerably further -- it forces Android users to permit access to their picture and video galleries, while also allowing the app to make unprompted calls.

"I can't understand why it needs all these permissions," wrote Ala'a on a Facebook group popular with Doha's large expat community -- one of several such forums peppered with concerns over the app. 

Justin Martin, a journalism professor based in Qatar, warned authorities in a tweet not to "erode" trust by enforcing "an app with such alarming permissions".

The government launched the "Ehteraz" app, meaning "precaution", in April and on Friday it became mandatory for all citizens and legal residents to install it on their phones.

Non-compliance is punishable by up to three years in jail -- the same term as for failing to wear a mask in public -- in a state battling one of the world's highest per capita infection rates.

'HIGHLY INVASIVE'

Almost 44,000 of Qatar's 2.75 million people have tested positive for the respiratory disease -- 1.6 percent of the population -- and 23 people have died.

Security forces manned checkpoints across Qatar on Sunday to ensure use of the app, local media reported, alongside checking for use of masks.

Criticism of the government is rare in Qatar and laws prohibit disrespect towards officials.

However, officials have said that the law on the app will be enforced with "understanding".

The app's simple interface displays colored bar-codes containing the user's ID number -- green for healthy, red for COVID-19 positive and yellow for quarantined cases. Grey indicates suspected cases or those who have come into contact with infected individuals.

Mohamed bin Hamad Al-Thani, a director at Qatar's health ministry, said that data gathered is "completely confidential".

"There will be an update for the Ehteraz app to address the issues of concern and further improve its efficiency," he added in an interview on state television on Thursday.

A new version of the software was duly released for Apple and Android on Sunday, promising "minor bug fixes", but without indicating that the invasive aspects had been removed.

The app was introduced just as authorities across the Muslim world warned that gatherings during Ramadan and the Eid al-Fitr festival that marks the end of the holy fasting month could lead to a surge of infections.

'BURNER' PHONES

"There are two key concerns... with the app," said Human Rights Watch researcher Hiba Zayadin.

It "is highly invasive, with a range of permissions allowing the government access to things that are not needed for the purpose of contact tracing, permissions that are unnecessary and present a concerning invasion of privacy."

But also "many migrant workers in the country don't have compatible phones that would allow them to download the app and comply". 

Online reviews have also complained that the app drains battery power and cannot be installed on older iPhone handsets. 

Some have looked for ways around the policy.

"People are spending money and waiting in queues just to get burner phones to protect their privacy," wrote expat engineer Janko on one forum, referring to cheap handsets that could subsequently be disposed of.

There have been reports of a few users being wrongly classified as "quarantined" or "suspected cases".

"There's no need for photo access and other things. But it could be a good tool. It is a good way to prioritize whom to test," technology lawyer Rahul Matthan told AFP.

But "to work, they need a large number of people to use it. If people are dissuaded because of the app's overreach, then that would be a worry."

Agence France-Presse

‘This had been expected’: Qatar confirms first COVID-19 case

DOHA - Qatar has confirmed its first case of coronavirus, state media reported Saturday after a 36-year-old Qatari woman who was evacuated to Doha from Iran tested positive.

Qatar on Thursday repatriated a number of its citizens from Iran -- which is battling the worst outbreak outside China -- and confined them to a 14-day period of quarantine, the government said.

The health ministry said the infected patient had been admitted to a hospital. 

"This had been expected because of the virus's spread across the region and other countries, alongside the exponential increase in the number of cases," the health ministry said according to the Qatar News Agency.

Iran on Saturday reported nine new deaths from the novel coronavirus and 205 fresh cases in the past 24 hours, bringing its overall toll to 43 dead and 593 infected.

Gulf countries have announced a raft of measures to cut links with Iran to prevent the coronavirus spreading, after infections emerged among people returning from pilgrimages to the Islamic republic.

Saudi Arabia on Friday barred citizens from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes Qatar, from entering two of Islam's holiest cities amid fears over coronavirus.

The Gulf tally stands at 45 cases of coronavirus in Kuwait, 38 in Bahrain, six in Oman and two more in the United Arab Emirates for a total of 21.

On Saturday the UAE also announced it was suspending nursery school classes, and limiting activities at other schools.

Authorities said that two planes will also be sent to Iran to collect Emiratis and other Gulf citizens trapped there after air routes were closed.

Cyclists taking part in the UAE Tour are awaiting the results of coronavirus tests from their hotel lockdown after the event was abandoned Thursday when two staff from an Italian team tested positive.

The race organizers said in a tweet Saturday that 167 of those quarantined had received negative results on coronavirus tests, but it did not say whether they were cyclists or staff members, nor how many others were awaiting results.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Milking it: Investors hope Qatar's desert dairy will be cash cow

DOHA - The cows of Qatar's Baladna farm, housed in climate-controlled farms in the desert, exemplify the lengths to which Qatar has gone to resist what it calls an economic "blockade" enforced by its Saudi-led neighbors.

When the boycott began in June 2017, Qatar responded with sweeping measures, like liquidating a quarter of its cash reserves to steady the economy and its currency, but it also flew in hundreds of Holstein cows.

The new herd was part of a plan to establish food security in the event that import routes were blocked -- concerns that had seen supermarket shelves emptied in the opening days of the embargo.

This week, Baladna will finish listing 75 percent of the company on the Doha stock exchange, allowing Qatari investors to own part of the Gulf nation's embargo fightback.

"We were driven to do this by our commitment to provide Qatar with a fresh and steady supply of dairy products," said Baladna farm's vice-chairman Ramez al-Khayyat.

The company now meets more than 90 percent of the country's fresh dairy needs from its farm 55 kilometers (35 miles) north of Doha.

Rows of cows are gently cooled through a system of giant fans and vents that spray a fine mist as they move between feeding and milking barns.

The herd, now grown to 18,000 strong, is fed hay imported from Europe and the United States.

LISTING LANDMARK

With Baladna's growth, Qatar is now looking to its nascent dairy industry to play a role in the drive to diversify the economy away from oil and gas.

Baladna stock will initially only be on offer to Qatari individuals and companies, but bosses are still hoping to raise around $390 million for three-quarters of the company's shares. 

Foreigners will be able to own up to 49 percent of shares from an unspecified future date.

The sale is dwarfed by neighboring Saudi Arabia's plans to list part of oil giant Aramco, expected to be the biggest ever stock market flotation, but it represents an important landmark for Qatar's fledgling dairy industry.

Khayyat told AFP the listing would make Baladna "more sustainable, even for the future after the illegal blockade is eased".

But the embargo enforced by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain shows no signs of abating, prompting Baladna to expand its product range to include juices, cheeses and yoghurt in recent months.

The Riyadh-led alliance has accused Doha of backing Islamist groups and Iran, issuing a raft of terms Qatar must accept before it will lift the embargo that includes a ban on direct air, land or sea trade.

Doha strongly denies the allegations and has refused to meet the demands that also stipulate the closure of its flagship state-run Al Jazeera broadcaster.

STRATEGIC SUPPLY

Qatar, with a population of 2.7 million, has also turned to countries including Turkey, Iran and Morocco to replace supply chains severed by the embargo.

"There's great interest from strategic investors -- they've taken 23 percent," said a source briefed on the IPO. They include Qatar's government pension fund and a subsidiary of the sovereign wealth fund. 

Qatar's industry ministry will hold a "golden share," allowing it to appoint some directors and veto certain decisions.

Baladna's founders will hold the quarter of the company not on offer. 

The company hopes the remaining 52 percent of shares will be snapped up in the final days of the purchase window, which closes on Thursday, Nov. 7. Trading will begin on Dec. 11.

Market-watcher M. R. Raghu said the company's growth prospects, "underpinned by strong regulatory support in addition to its discounted valuation," made the stock an attractive prospect.

"Supportive government policies are expected to put the company at an advantage to competitors," added Raghu, head of research at the Kuwait Financial Center (Markaz), referring to subsidized land, among other measures.

The IPO, expected to be the only such indigenous offering this year, has been heavily publicized.

Glossy ads have appeared on YouTube showing truckloads of cattle being transported from Qatar Airways cargo planes to their vast desert barns.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Qatar to end controversial migrant worker restrictions

DOHA - Qatar announced plans Wednesday to scrap key aspects of its controversial "kafala" labor rules, including the requirement for some workers to obtain employers' permission to change jobs and exit permits to leave the country.

Qatar has made a series of reforms to its employment regulations since being selected to host the 2022 World Cup, which set motion a vast construction program employing foreign workers.

Rights groups have long said the system fuels abuses.

Last year, the exit visa requirement was dropped for the majority of workers, but the authorities are now extending that to the remainder, including domestic staff and employees of government bodies including Qatar Airways.

"Cabinet has adopted new legislation related to a new law for minimum wage and also a new regulation to facilitate labour transfer to a new employer... and a draft law to abolish exit permits," Labor Minister Yousuf Mohamed al-Othman Fakhroo said.

The proposals will now be drafted formally "within a month or so" and should become law by "around the end of the year", he told AFP.

Just 333,000 of the country's 2.7 million people are Qatari citizens, according to official statistics.

Speaking on the sidelines of an event marking the centenary of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Othman said the new regulations aimed to make Qatar "an attractive place for investors, for skilled workers."

He did not specify the level of the new minimum wage, but the government had set it temporarily at 750 riyals ($206) per month.

'A START'

An Indian worker in the textiles industry, who declined to be named, said Qatar needed to do more but the move was "definitely a start".

"They have labor laws but how many people come forward to complain? People don't come forward because they don't want to lose their jobs," the worker said.

Some two million foreigners work in Qatar, many employed directly or indirectly on vast infrastructure projects for the 2022 World Cup.

In February, the gas-rich Gulf state said it was committed to labour reforms, following an Amnesty International report that it was failing to stop widespread abuse of workers.

Doha said it was on course to deliver "lasting" change after the rights group said it was "running out of time" to implement the reforms before the football contest.

The ILO praised Qatar for the latest "the sweeping reforms" and voiced hope that other countries with similar systems would follow suit.

"With these announcements we can officially announce the abolishment of kafala," said the head of the UN agency's Qatar project office, Houtan Homayounpour.

"It is huge news for the millions of workers who are here and the State of Qatar."

Regional analyst and King's College London assistant professor Andreas Krieg said the reforms "were the final step in liberalising the labour market in Qatar".

"The Qataris feel the pressure from the international media to make changes and they really recognised this since 2017 that they have to make concessions and improvements -- and they have," he said.

gw/par

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Pompeo to press Saudi prince to hold Khashoggi killers 'accountable'

RIYADH - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday arrived in Riyadh, where he is set to ask Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to ensure the killers of journalist Jamal Khashoggi are held accountable.

The top US diplomat, on an extensive Middle East tour, embarked on his second politically sensitive visit to Saudi Arabia since Khashoggi's murder inside its Istanbul consulate sparked an international outcry.

"We will continue to have a conversation with the crown prince and the Saudis about ensuring the accountability is full and complete with respect to the unacceptable murder of Jamal Khashoggi," Pompeo told reporters in Qatar, before flying to Riyadh.

"So, we'll continue to talk about that and make sure we have all the facts so that they are held accountable, certainly by the Saudis but by the United States as well."

Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor, was murdered on October 2 in what Saudi Arabia called a "rogue" operation, tipping the kingdom into one of its worst diplomatic crises and subsequently straining ties between Riyadh and Washington.

Pompeo was speaking in Doha after meeting his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani. He also met the Qatari emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, before heading to Saudi Arabia.

Pompeo's visit to Saudi Arabia, where he will be hosted by Prince Mohammed, is part of an extensive eight-day trip to Amman, Cairo, Manama, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Riyadh, Muscat, and finally Kuwait City.

SMILES WITH MBS

US President Donald Trump has brushed aside international outrage to stand by Prince Mohammed over the murder of Khashoggi, whose corpse was dismembered inside the kingdom's Istanbul consulate.

His support has come despite the US Central Intelligence Agency's reported conclusion that Prince Mohammed very likely ordered the murder. A bipartisan resolution approved by the US Senate last month also held the crown prince responsible for the killing.

Riyadh prosecutors have announced indictments against 11 people, and are seeking the death penalty against five of them. But Prince Mohammed, whose right-hand aides were allegedly involved in the murder, was exonerated by prosecutors.

On a previous visit to Riyadh at the height of the Khashoggi affair, Pompeo's broad smiles with the crown prince outraged some Americans.

However, Trump has said Washington wants to preserve the alliance with the oil-rich kingdom, which he sees as a bulwark against common foe Iran and a lucrative buyer of US arms.

Rights groups have called on Pompeo to also press Prince Mohammed over the jailing of women activists in the kingdom, amid claims that many of them faced sexual harassment and torture during interrogation.

"I am struck by what is not included in Pompeo's itinerary: the brave women activists of Saudi Arabia, who are being held in the kingdom’s prisons for seeking rights and dignity," Alia al-Hathloul wrote in The New York Times Sunday.

Hathloul's sister, Loujain, is among more than a dozen activists arrested last May -- just before the historic lifting of Saudi Arabia's decades-long ban on women drivers.

GULF CRISIS

During his visit to Qatar, Pompeo refused to comment on reports Washington had recently considered military action against Tehran.

He also called on Qatar and other Gulf countries to end the worst political rift in the region for years, which has seen Doha diplomatically and economically isolated by neighboring former allies for the past 19 months.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt -- all US allies -- cut ties with Qatar in June 2017, accusing it of supporting terrorist groups and seeking closer ties to Saudi arch-rival Iran.

Qatar -- also a US ally -- denies the allegations and accuses the countries of seeking regime change.

"As for the GCC... we are all more powerful when we're working together when we have common challenges in the region and around the world," Pompeo said, referring to the six member nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

"Disputes between countries that have a shared objective are never helpful."

He added that "President Trump and I both believe the ongoing dispute in the region has gone on too long".

However, Pompeo later admitted in a Q&A session with US embassy staff in Doha that no progress was made on resolving the issue.

Mediation efforts by the United States, which at first appeared to back the boycott of Qatar, have stalled, as highlighted by the recent resignation of US envoy Anthony Zinni.

For Washington, turning the page on the crisis is essential for the successful launch of the Strategic Alliance of the Middle East (MESA), which is a NATO-style security pact that includes Gulf countries as well as Egypt and Jordan.

The US and Qatar held the second "strategic dialogue" between the two countries on Sunday, and signed agreements on defence, education and culture.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Qatar to invest $20-billion in US energy sector: minister

DOHA, Qatar -- Energy-rich Qatar, under blockade by its Gulf neighbors, said on Sunday it plans to invest more than $20 billion in the US energy sector over the next five years.

Saad al-Kaabi, minister of state for energy affairs and CEO of Qatar Petroleum, told a conference in Doha the Gulf state is looking to invest in US oil and gas sectors as well as unconventional resources.

"North of $20 billion will be invested over the next five years in the United States in different projects," Kaabi told the Doha Forum.

He said Qatar's main target was to revive the multi-billion dollar Golden Pass LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminal in Texas.

"We are contemplating moving (the project)forward with our partners," said Kaabi, adding that a final decision on the matter would be taken shortly.

Qatar Petroleum owns 70 percent of the project, with ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips splitting the rest.

Kaabi said Qatar's LNG production would rise by 16 million tons annually, with an aim of reaching 110 million tonnes a year in five years.

Qatar Petroleum on Sunday signed a deal with Italy's Eni to acquire 35 percent in three offshore oil blocks in Mexico in the second major Qatari investment in the North American country this year.

The deal is to develop production at the three fields to around 90,000 barrels per day of oil in 2021.

Qatar announced earlier this month that it was withdrawing from the Saudi-dominated OPEC oil cartel, a decision Kaabi said was not "political".

Saudi Arabia, along with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, severed diplomatic ties with Qatar in 2017, accusing it of supporting terrorism and fostering close ties with their regional rival Iran -- charges Doha denies.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Bahrain stops issuing visas for Qatari nationals

DUBAI - Bahrain's interior ministry said on Tuesday that it would stop issuing new visas to Qatari nationals, escalating measures against Qatar more than a year into a diplomatic row.

The statement, carried on state news agency BNA, said Qatari students studying in the kingdom and other Qatari citizens with existing visas would not be affected.

It also said the move came in response "hostile acts" by Qatari authorities. It did not elaborate.

Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut diplomatic, transport and trade ties with Qatar in June 2017, accusing it of financing terrorism. Doha denies that and says the boycott is an attempt to rein in its support for reform.

In October, Bahrain said it would impose entry visas on Qatari nationals as a security measure.

Citizens from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council countries are otherwise supposed to be able to travel within the GCC carrying only an identity card.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Isabel Granada dies at 41

Pumanaw na si Isabel Granada pagkatapos ng halos dalawang linggong pagka-comatose dahil sa aneurysm.

Siya ay 41 years old.

Kinumpirma mismo ng mister niyang si Arnel Cowley ang malungkot na balitang ito, sa pamamagitan ng Facebook post, pasado alas-dose ng madaling-araw ngayong Linggo, November 5.

Pahayag ni Arnel, "It is with great sadness that my wife Isabel Granada has peacefully passed here in Doha Qatar.

"She has been a fantastic wife, mother and daughter.

"She always did her best in everything she did, whether it be in front of a camera or sports.

"I would also like to take this time to thank the Filipino community in Doha for giving their full support throughout this difficult time for myself and the family.

"Baby..wherever you might be..just always remember that I LOVE YOU. and I miss you very much."

Maging ang ex-husband ni Isabel na si Jericho Aguas ay naghayag din ng pagdadalamhati sa pagpanaw ng aktres.

Ayon sa Facebook post ni Jericho kagabi, November 4, "Malaki ang naging parte mo sa aking buhay..

"Binigyan mo ako ng isang gwapot matalinong anak, makulay ang 14 yrs nating pagsasama…

"Sa lahat… mula sa aking pusot kaluluwa.. maraming maraming salamat… pahinga ka na… paalam Isa…"

Ayon sa pinsan ni Isabel na si Joseph Rivera, binawian ng buhay ang aktres nitong Sabado, November 4, bandang 6 P.M. (Qatar time).

Isinugod at na-confine ang actress-singer sa Hamad General Hospital sa Doha, Qatar, matapos siyang biglang mag-collapse noong October 24.

Naulila ni Isabel ang kanyang mister na si Arnel Principe-Cowley, anak na si Hubert Thomas Jericho Granada Aguas, at ina na si Isabel "Mommy Guapa" Villarama.

Si Hubert, 14, ay anak ni Isabel kay Jericho.



FILM AND TV PROJECTS. Mahigit tatlong dekada ang inilagi ni Isabel sa showbiz industry.

Kabilang sa mga pelikulang ginawa ni Isabel noong bata pa siya ay ang mga sumusunod: Magchumikap Ka (1985), Bakit Madalas Ang Tibok ng Puso? (1987), Remember Me, Mama (1987), 1+1=12+1 (1987), Wanted Bata-Batuta (1998), Knock, Knock Who’s There? (1998), Kambal Tuko (1988), Regal Shocker The Movie (1989), Magic To Love (1989), Isang Araw Walang Diyos (1989).

Bilang teenager, kabilang sa mga pelikulang nilabasan ni Isabel ay: Papa’s Girl (1990), Lessons in Love (1990), Shake Rattle & Roll 2 (1990), Anak Ni Janice (1991), Umiyak Pati Langit (1991), Michael and Madonna 2 (1993), Chickboys (1994).

Madalas din siyang maging leading lady sa action movies noong mid-90s hanggang early 2000s.

Kabilang sa ginawang action films ni Isabel ay: Grepor Butch Belgica Story (1996), Resbak (1995), Pards (1995), Boy Chico: Hulihin Si Ben Tumbling (1997), Batang .45 (1999), Laban Kung Laban (2000), Anghel dela Guardia (2000), Eskort (2000), Masikip Na ang Mundo Mo, Labrador (2001), Aagos ang Dugo (2001), Kapitan Ambo: Outside de Kulambo (2001).

Nakagawa rin ng serious at sexy roles si Isabel, kagaya ng Ligaya Ang Itawag Mo Sa Akin (1997), Hubad Sa Ilalim ng Buwan (1999), at Halik ng Sirena (2001).

Sa mundo naman ng telebisyon, naging bahagi si Isabel ng sikat na youth-oriented show ng GMA Network na That’s Entertainment (1986-1996) ng yumaong Master Showman na si German “Kuya Germs” Moreno. Kabilang siya sa Tuesday group.

Marami rin siyang ginawang teleserye para sa GMA Network at ABS-CBN.

Sa Kapuso network, nakasama si Isabel sa cast ng Villa Quintana (1995-1997), Ikaw Na Sana (1997-1998), Pasan Ko ang Daigdig (2007), Zaido (2007), Kaputol ang Isang Awit (2008), Lalola (2008), Panday Kids (2010), Daldalita (2011), Cielo de Angelina (2012), The Half Sisters (2014), at Meant To Be (2017).

Sa Kapamilya network naman ay ginawa niya ang Sa Puso Ko Iingatan Ka (2001-2003) at Got To Believe (2013).

Ang mga huling acting projects ni Isabel ay para sa drama anthologies na Maalaala Mo Kaya ng ABS-CBN at Tadhana ng GMA-7.

source: pep.ph

Chuckie Dreyfus asks for prayers for ex-love team partner Isabel Granada

MANILA – The former love team partner of Isabel Granada took to social media on Wednesday to ask for prayers for her speedy recovery.

On Facebook, actor Chuckie Dreyfus said he had spoken to Granada’s husband, adding he was keeping tabs on her condition.

“I would just like to ask everyone for prayers for Isa's quick recovery and restoration. Just a quick prayer. Anywhere you may be. Spare a minute of your time or perhaps just a couple of seconds," Dreyfus said.

Dreyfus then went on to describe Granada his on-screen partner in late 1980s flicks such as "Lessons in Love" and "Magic to Love."

“Isa is a really wonderful person. Very joyful, loving and truly passionate in everything she does. Walang masamang tinapay kahit kanino. Pala-bungisngis. That's why it truly pains me all the more to know that this has happened to a person such as her,” he said.

Saying Granada is one of the strongest women he knows, Dreyfus said: “Isa, please be strong. You've always been a fighter… Sending you a deluge of prayers and ALL my love.”

Aside from Dreyfus, Granada’s good friend Bianca Lapus also took to social media to ask netizens to pray for the actress.

“Sad news. I can't sleep. Fight Isa Fight Sis! Lord please heal @isabelgranada21 she needs you right now. Let's all pray for Isabel,” she wrote.

Based on the information obtained by ABS-CBN Middle East News Bureau, Granada was rushed to a hospital in Doha, Qatar after collapsing at a fan meet and greet at around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday (Manila time).

Her husband is now with her at the Hamad Hospital and he is asking all fans of the actress to say a prayer for her speedy recovery.

No other details about Granada’s current medical condition was revealed.

Granada is in Qatar as one of the guests in the Philippine Trade and Tourism Conference.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Snapchat blocks Al Jazeera in Saudi Arabia

Snapchat has blocked Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera from its app in Saudi Arabia at the request of Saudi authorities, the image sharing service said Monday, as tensions simmer between the Gulf states.

Saudi authorities have accused Al Jazeera of acting as a mouthpiece for extremist groups, a charge it denies.

Alongside the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain, Saudi Arabia imposed a blockade on Qatar in June, in the worst diplomatic crisis to roil the Gulf in years.


"We make an effort to comply with local laws in the countries where we operate," said a spokesman for parent company Snap Inc.

Al Jazeera condemned the blocking as an assault on freedom of expression.

"We find Snapchat's action to be alarming and worrying," the broadcaster's acting director general Mostefa Souag said in a statement.

"This sends a message that regimes and countries can silence any voice or platform they don't agree with by exerting pressure on the owners of social media platforms."

Snap Inc. said Saudi authorities had asked it to block Al Jazeera's account in the kingdom before the weekend, arguing that the broadcaster's Discover channel violated local laws.

The broadcaster's website has been blocked in Saudi Arabia for months and authorities shut down its office in the Kingdom when the crisis broke out in June.

So far, Al Jazeera's Snapchat channel can still be viewed in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt.

The Saudi-led alliance has issued a list of 13 demands to Qatar, accusing it of backing extremism and fostering ties with Riyadh's Shiite rival Tehran.

Doha denies the charges, claiming the blockade is an attack on its sovereignty.

The crisis has entered its fourth month and is showing no sign of ending, analysts say.

Saudi Arabia, with its bulging youth population, is among the world's top per capita users of social media.

The internet represents a limited space for freedom of expression in the conservative kingdom.

atm-ac/par

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Russian hackers 'planted false story' behind Mideast crisis

WASHINGTON - US intelligence officials believe Russian hackers planted a false news story that led Saudi Arabia and several allies to sever relations with Qatar, prompting a diplomatic crisis, CNN reported Tuesday.

Qatar minister calls for calm as diplomatic crisis spirals

FBI experts visited Qatar in late May to analyze an alleged cyber breach that saw the hackers place the fake story with Qatar's state news agency, the US broadcaster said.

Saudi Arabia then cited the false item as part of its reason for instituting a diplomatic and economic blockade against Qatar, the report said.

Qatar's government said the May 23 news report attributed false remarks to the emirate's ruler that appeared friendly to Iran and Israel, and questioned whether US President Donald Trump would last in office, according to CNN.

Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told the broadcaster that the FBI has confirmed the hack and the planting of fake news.

"Whatever has been thrown as an accusation is all based on misinformation and we think that the entire crisis is being based on misinformation," he told CNN.

"It was started based on fabricated news, being wedged and being inserted in our national news agency, which was hacked and proved by the FBI," he added.

If accurate, the allegations would indicate Russian efforts to undermine US foreign policy, building on US intelligence concerns that Russian hackers attempted to influence last year's presidential election, won by Trump. The Kremlin denies meddling.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain announced Monday they were severing diplomatic relations and closing air, sea and land links with Qatar.

They accused the tiny Gulf state of harboring extremist groups and suggested Qatari support for the agenda of Saudi Arabia's regional archrival Iran. Qatar has strenuously denied the allegations.

Although Qatar hosts the largest American military airbase in the Middle East, Trump threw his weight behind the Saudi-led effort to isolate the emirate in a surprise move on Tuesday.

He suggested Qatar was funding extremism.

"So good to see the Saudi Arabia visit with the King and 50 countries already paying off," he tweeted in reference to his trip to Riyadh last month.

"They said they would take a hard line on funding... extremism, and all reference was pointing to Qatar. Perhaps this will be the beginning of the end to the horror of terrorism!"

The CNN report quoted the Qatari government communications office as saying it was working with the FBI and Britain's National Crime Agency on an ongoing hacking investigation.

adm/grf

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Oil prices dip on fears Middle East rift could harm OPEC cuts

LONDON - Oil prices fell more than 1 percent on Monday on concerns that the cutting of ties with Qatar by top crude exporter Saudi Arabia and other Arab states could hamper a global deal to reduce oil production.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain closed transport links with top liquefied natural gas (LNG) and condensate shipper Qatar, accusing it of supporting extremism and undermining regional stability.

The move initially pushed Brent crude prices up as much as 1 percent as geopolitical fears rippled through the market. But Brent later reversed gains, trading down 59 cents at $49.36 a barrel by 1322 GMT.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures were at $47.14 a barrel, down 52 cents.

With production capacity of about 600,000 barrels per day (bpd), Qatar's crude output is one of OPEC's smallest but tension within the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries could weaken the supply deal, aimed at supporting prices.

"I think it's still going to be a bit of a debate on the true impact it can have on the oil market," said Olivier Jakob, strategist at Petromatrix.

"In terms of oil flows it doesn't change very much but there is a wider geopolitical impact one needs to consider," Jakob added, explaining that a breakdown in relations between Qatar and Saudi Arabia could make the OPEC-led agreement on production cuts less effective.

There are already doubts the effort to curb production by almost 1.8 million bpd is seriously denting exports.

While there was a dip in OPEC supplies between February and April, a report on Monday by Thomson Reuters Oil Research said OPEC shipments likely jumped to 25.18 million bpd in May, up over 1 million bpd from April.

Brent futures are down about 7 percent from their open on May 25, when OPEC opted to extend production cuts into 2018.

Crude output in the United States, which is not participating in the cuts, has jumped more than 10 percent since mid-2016 to 9.34 million bpd, close to levels of top producers Saudi Arabia and Russia.

The rise in U.S. production has been driven by a record 20th straight weekly climb in oil drilling, with the rig count climbing by 11 in the week to June 2, to 733, the most since April 2015.

"Investors continue to doubt the ability of OPEC to rebalance the oil market, with crude oil prices remaining under pressure amid further signs of rising U.S. oil production," ANZ bank said.

(Additional reporting by Roslan Khasawneh and Henning Gloystein; Editing by Dale Hudson)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Yemen forfeit World Cup qualifier over ineligible player

ZURICH - Yemen have forfeited their World Cup qualifier against North Korea, a match they made a Herculean effort to take part in, after fielding an ineligible player, FIFA said on Monday.

Yemen, officially the home side for the match played in Qatar, lost 1-0 on the pitch on June 11.

But that became a 3-0 walkover after the disciplinary committee of world soccer's governing body ruled that they fielded Mudir Abdurabu Ali Al Radaei who should have been serving a one-match ban for an accumulation of yellow cards.

The decision meant North Korea leapfrogged the Philippines to go top of Asian zone Group H on goals scored. Both teams have six points from their opening two games, while Yemen have lost their first two matches without scoring.

Yemen, coached by the Czech Republic's Miroslav Soukup, were unable to play at home because of fighting in their country.

Photographs posted on Facebook showed the team sitting and sleeping on the cramped deck of a boat on a 13-hour crossing to Djibouti, on the African continent, which media reports said was the only way for them to leave Yemen.

Last week, Barbados were knocked out of the competition for the same offence. They beat Aruba 3-0 on aggregate in a two-leg tie, after winning the return 1-0, but this became a 3-2 defeat after Aruba were awarded a 3-0 win in the second leg.

Indonesia, who should have been in Group F, were expelled in June after FIFA suspended the country's football association because of government interference in the domestic league.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Why this restaurant allows poor to eat for free

DOHA, Qatar - In a dusty corner of Qatar's booming capital, a sign outside a modest restaurant popular with migrant laborers reads: "If you are hungry and have no money, eat for free!!!"

Sixteen kilometers (10 miles) from the gleaming glass towers of Doha, one of the richest places on the planet, sits the "Industrial Area" of small-scale workshops, factories and low-cost accommodation.

It is only a 40-minute drive south of the centre of the Qatari capital and its luxury shops, upmarket brands and expensive restaurants.

But the "Industrial Area", rarely seen by outsiders, is a different Qatar -- one which provides essential labour and materials for the country's massive and relentless expansion.

It is at the margin of Doha life, both geographically and metaphorically, but home to a restaurant called Zaiqa doing something apparently unique for the oil-rich Gulf state.

About three weeks ago the Indian brothers who own Zaiqa decided to put up a small makeshift sign offering free food to customers who cannot afford to pay.

"When I saw the board I had tears in my eyes," said one of the owners, Shadab Khan, 47, originally from New Delhi, who has lived in Qatar for 13 years.

"Even now when I talk about it, I get a lump in my throat."

He said the idea came from his younger brother, Nishab.

'People need free food'

The 16-seater eaterie stands on the prosaically named Street 23, sandwiched between another restaurant and a steel workshop.

It is a busy area -- opposite is a mosque and then a road where large trucks hurtle past.

Inside, on brightly coloured tablecloths, "authentic Indian cuisine from the heart of Delhi" is served 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A fish curry costs six Qatari riyals ($1.65, 1.50 euros), an egg roast is three riyals and a spinach dish of Palak Paneer is 10 riyals -- for those who choose to pay.

The need for free food in Qatar is particularly acute among labourers and those working in heavy industry.

It is estimated that there are anywhere between 700,000 and one million migrant workers in the tiny Gulf kingdom, out of a total population of 2.3 million.

Rights groups have criticised companies in Qatar for not paying workers on time or, in some cases, not at all.

The Qatari government, under pressure to introduce salary reform in the run-up to the 2022 World Cup, vowed earlier this year to force companies to pay wages through direct bank transfers.

Even those who do get paid will be intent on sending most of their money back home, said one of Zaiqa's diners, Nepalese mechanic Ghufran Ahmed.

"Many labourers earn 800-1,000 riyals ($220-$275/200-250 euros) per month. They have to send money back to home. It's expensive here so there are people who need free food," he said.

Shadab, who is a filmmaker as well as a restaurant owner, said those asking for food are mostly construction workers from countries such as India, Nepal and Bangladesh.

Just bread and water

"We realise a lot of people out here do not get paid on time and do not have money, not even money to eat," he said.

"So there were people who would come here and just buy a packet of bread. And they would eat the bread with water.

"So, we realised those people don't have money for anything else. They just buy a packet of bread, which comes to about one riyal. So, we would try to offer them food."

But it is not easy, added Shadab.

"Self-respect", he said, means many refuse to take something for nothing.

As a result, in the three weeks since the free food experiment started, "the number of people coming here to get free food is like two or three people a day at the most".

As if to emphasise Shadab's point, two workers entered the restaurant while AFP was there but left in case their complimentary lunch should become public knowledge.

In another sign of how people fuelling the Qatari boom are struggling to live, it was recently revealed that some Doha market workers were forced to live in their stalls as they cannot afford rents.

For Zaiqa too, there is a black cloud on the horizon.

The restaurant's future is threatened by a dispute over rent with the property owner and may have to close down.

Shadab and his brother have a different plan for their next restaurant.

"We are putting a refrigerator outside, so this refrigerator won't have a lock. It will be facing the road and it will have packets of food with dates on them," he said.

"So anybody who wants to take it, he doesn't have to come inside."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

How 'Indays' in Qatar are raising funds for PH typhoon victims

MANILA – A group of Filipino household service workers in Doha, Qatar extended help in their own small way for kababayans whose lives will never be the same again after super typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) struck central Philippines on November 8.

And their help came in the form of an empty tissue box.

Instead of just throwing it away, Jovelyn Bayubay-Revilla found another use for it. This time, as donation box dedicated to kababayans greatly affected by the typhoon.

"Maraming nag-donate sa Kleenex box namin. May Malaysian, Lebanese, Indonesian, Indian at Pilipino din," said Revilla.

Although miles away from home, Revilla and some 30 members of the charity group she formed called, “Handog Ngiti ng mga Inday”, made sure that their chores would include passing on the tissue box to families living inside their compound.

It was the photos and television footage of destruction and despair that continue to emerge from the aftermath of Yolanda that urged Revilla to initiate the donation drive.

"Nang mabalitaan ko si Yolanda, lagi ako sa CNN kahit naka-vacuum ako, open ko lang ang tv. Napaluha ako sa nangyari at gusto ko na makatulong, kaya pumasok sa isip ko ang mangatok dito sa mga villa ng Ezdan Compound kaya kinuha ko ang Kleenex box at nilagyan ng HELP PHILIPPINES YOLANDA VICTIM!” Revilla said.

Revilla said she and her fellow OFWs got the blessing and support from their employers and wards to conduct the donation drive.

“Tuwing hapon o gabi kumakatok kami sa mga pinto ng mga dayuhan. At dahil positibo kami na may pinto na bubukas at hahandugan ng kaunting barya ang box namin ay isang malaking pasasalamat na sa maliit na halaga malaking tulong na sa kapwa Pilipino na biktima ni Yolanda,” she said.

The donation box yielded 2,481 Riyals or P29,523. The money was already remitted to trusted friends in the Philippines who will buy, pack, and distribute relief goods to typhoon-hit residents of Leyte.

Revilla said many of their friends who are from typhoon-hit provinces were affected by the calamity. Some have lost their loved ones and homes while others have family members who remain missing until now.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Qatar Airways starts Doha-Clark flight

MANILA, Philippines - Qatar Airways on Monday began daily flights from Doha to Clark International Airport in Pampanga.

Clark is Qatar's second destination in the Philippines, after Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Qatar Airways's Airbus A-330-300 aircraft, with more than 150 passengers including overseas Filipino workers from Doha, arrived at Clark airport at around 10 a.m.

"Indeed Clark is blessed, as the World’s Five Star Airline, Qatar Airways has selected Clark its second destination in the Philippines,” Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) President and CEO Victor Jose I. Luciano said.

With the daily flight from Doha, Luciano expects more tourists from the Middle East to visit the Philippines.

Qatar Airways Senior Vice President for Commercial Operations Woo Yew Seong said Clark was chosen as its second destination because of its "strategic" location and future as the Philippines' next gateway.

Woo said Qatar Airways is looking forward to increasing their operations at Clark.

Last October 1, Emirates Airlines launched their first ever non-stop daily flights via Dubai-Clark-Dubai route using their Boeing 777-ER300 aircraft.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Qatar not considering bid for Marks & Spencer

DUBAI/LONDON, - Qatar Holding, the investment arm of the Gulf state's sovereign wealth fund, is not considering a bid for British retailer Marks & Spencer, a source close to the fund said on Monday.

Shares in Marks & Spencer (M&S) jumped 8 percent in early Monday trading after The Sunday Times newspaper said the Qatar Investment Authority wanted to assemble a consortium to mount an 8-billion-pound ($12.1 billion) takeover of Britain's biggest clothing retailer.

Qatar Holding is the vehicle through which the wealth fund conducts some of its biggest overseas investments.

M&S declined to comment.

Despite the denial from the source, some analysts think M&S, whose core women's clothes business has been losing market share, could be vulnerable to a private equity bid.

"Trading and profits are under pressure, with nothing to show yet for the big investments made in online systems and warehousing and the changes in the clothing team," said independent retail analyst Nick Bubb.

He also noted that from a funding perspective, the recent improvement in the debt markets and the amount of money currently in private equity makes a bid possible.

"From a strategic perspective, however, the question is what anybody thinks could be done with a declining brand like M&S."

One of M&S's top 20 shareholders also told Reuters a private equity-style bid was possible.

"You could argue that the business could support quite a bit of debt if it wasn't having to pay a dividend," said the investor.

Shares in M&S were up 5.4 percent at 393 pence at 0905 GMT.

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Kin of Pinays who died in Qatar blaze may not get benefits; jobs of 400 others hang

Because the three Filipina teachers who died in a fire that struck a shopping mall in Doha, Qatar did not have valid working documents, their families may not be able to receive any benefits. However, Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said they will try to appeal to the victims’ employers to provide them with death benefits.

Besides the three Filipino workers counted among 19 fatalities in the Tuesday fire of a mall in Doha, Qatar, an estimated 400 other Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) were said to be employed there also, and now fear losing their jobs, a migrant labor support group said.

The Filipinos who reported for work inside the Villagio Mall now don’t know where to go next, according to Migrante-Middle East.

On Tuesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed and identified the three OFWs killed in that tragic fire that gutted the Villagio Mall. Two other OFWs have been reported hurt and are now being treated in a hospital in Doha.

Teachers tried in vain to save children

Meanwhile, DFA's Raul Hernandez told Radyo Singko’s Aksyon Solusyon that the Filipino teachers attempted to bring out the children from the burning building. Unfortunately, the fire exit of the mall was too small, causing them to die from inhaling too much smoke.

The Filipina teachers were working at the Gympanzee nursery school.

OFWs Maribel Orosco, Margie Yecyec, and Julie Ann Soco, together with 13 children were confirmed to have died of asphyxiation.

The DFA gave assurances that Philippine Ambassador to Qatar Crescencio Relacion is making arrangements for the immediate repatriation of their remains. Negotiations with the owner of the school and management of the mall for possible death benefits are also being done.

The three Filipinas had no valid working documents and went as tourists to Qatar, where they chanced upon the teaching jobs.

Qatar’s attorney general, meanwhile, already ordered the arrest of five people, including the Villagio mall owner as well as the owner of the Gympanzee nursery school, said a report on dohanews.co (http://dohanews.co/post/24021333892/report-qatars-attorney-general-orders-arrest-of?fca38978)

Limbo for 400 others

“As to our initial estimate, there are around 400 OFWs reporting for work or working inside the Villagio Mall. Obviously, the mall has been closed due to that fire that broke out the other day,” said Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona.

Monterona added that 60 percent of the estimated 400 OFWs working inside the Villagio Mall are women performing sales-related jobs as sales ladies and cashiers. Some of the male OFWs work as store merchandisers.

Bobby, not his real name, who works as store merchandiser, told Migrante Middle east’s John Leonard Monterona, “We don’t know yet what will happen. We would be lucky if we will be transferred to another store.”

Monterona, who is based in Doha, urged the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Doha to check out the matter and help those who will be displaced by the fire.

He urged the Aquino government through the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to immediately provide burial and other forms of assistance to the families of the three OFWs killed.

Under the law, only overseas Filipino workers who are enrolled with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration are entitled to medical and healthcare, death and disability benefits.

OWWA guidelines say: "A member is entitled to a benefit of Php 100,000.00 for the duration of his employment contract for death due to natural cause, and Php 200,000.00 for death due to accident." (Source: http://www.ofwguide.com/article_item-1516/Benefits-and-Services-of-OWWA-for-OFW-Members.html#ixzz1wOOAsqgR)

A P20,000 burial benefit is also provided. The DFA said it might take more than a week to repatriate the remains of the Filipinas.

source: interaksyon.com