Tag: Qatar

  • China approves rollover of $2 billion SAFE deposits for Pakistan

    China approves rollover of $2 billion SAFE deposits for Pakistan

    China has given approval for the rollover of $2 billion State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) deposits for a year. Pakistan’s Finance Minister, Ishaq Dar, confirmed, stating that the rollover was a requirement of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

    The IMF had requested the rollover of Chinese SAFE deposits to fulfill external financing needs and move towards a staff-level agreement. The agreement involves filling nine tables under the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies (MEFP), including a table related to the Net International Reserves (NIR) as an indicative target.

    This target cannot be met without incorporating the external financing needs of the program period until the end of June 2023. The IMF has asked Pakistan to bridge the gap of $6 billion to ensure its credibility and avoid default. This condition was put forth largely because representatives of Gulf countries on the Executive Board had made commitments before the approval of the seventh and eighth reviews for providing financial assistance to Islamabad in various forms.

    Now, the IMF is seeking the support of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar to help Pakistan’s struggling economy. The Fund has warned Islamabad that its credibility would be at stake if the staff-level agreement is finalised, and Pakistan fails to materialize its commitment from the bilateral partners, which could lead to default.

    The IMF is investigating why Pakistan’s bilateral partners are not fulfilling their earlier commitments. China is the only country that has come forward to rescue Islamabad by fulfilling its commitments on the re-financing of its commercial loans as well as the rollover of its SAFE deposits.

  • Could Pakistan host the World Cup? Twitter makes some hilarious guesses on what could go down

    Could Pakistan host the World Cup? Twitter makes some hilarious guesses on what could go down

    We’ve seen the football and cricket world cups hosted in different countries around the world, and seen how the host would integrate their culture to bring a refreshing take. The internet went absolutely wild when Qatar topped the FIFA world cup ceremony by rewarding Messi with the bisht, a black cape that is given to Arab conquerers to symbolize them as revolutionary heroes.

    Now this Twitter user did ask his followers a simple question: how would the world cup in Pakistan take place?

    and Twitter users brought forth some hilarious scenarios

    https://twitter.com/alishbarajpoott/status/1606195292038201345?s=20&t=EF0uisS4gtsP6-OTDQS6kQ

    https://twitter.com/RangnarL7/status/1606135700390219777?s=20&t=EF0uisS4gtsP6-OTDQS6kQ

    https://twitter.com/thekidshazy/status/1606085206175141888?s=20&t=EF0uisS4gtsP6-OTDQS6kQ

  • The significance behind the black cape Lionel Messi wore at the FIFA world cup ceremony

    The significance behind the black cape Lionel Messi wore at the FIFA world cup ceremony

    The most significant part of the FIFA world cup ceremony was when Messi had been invited to the stage to receive the trophy, the King of Qatar had given him a black cape to wear before he lifted up the world cup to celebrate with his team members.

    Since yesterday social media users, mostly people in the West, were mostly expressing disappointment about Messi’s pictures being ruined by a black cape and even saying that it had ruined a significant moment for the football player. Many Arab critics and journalists were quick to highlight the racism in the media coverage of the West, and its overt disregard for Eastern culture and tradition.

    As Eastern journalists and critics had shared, every time the FIFA world cup would take place in different countries, the winner would be crowned according to the traditions of the host. For instance in 2004 when the Olympics were hosted in Athens, the winners were crowned with an olive wreathe. But the negative coverage over Messi wearing the bisht is proof of how racism in the Western media will remain an unresolved issue

    The black cape that Messi had worn on the final ceremony is called the bisht and historically, it holds a lot of significance within Arabic culture. The bisht is worn by Arabian warriors after a victory. At the ceremony, when the King of Qatar had given Messi the cloak, it was giving someone the highest form of respect and signified him as the King of Football.

  • Croatian-born YouTuber finds Muslim shower the ‘best thing ever’ during his stay in Qatar for FIFA World Cup

    Croatian-born YouTuber finds Muslim shower the ‘best thing ever’ during his stay in Qatar for FIFA World Cup

    Croatian-born YouTuber David Vujanić, who is in Qatar for the FIFA World Cup 2022, tried using a Muslim shower during his stay and praises it as “the best thing ever” he has ever used.

    Vujanić took to Twitter to describe the convenience of the Muslim showers he was using in Qatar and expressed disappointment that the British restrooms do not have these showers.

    “Lmao people were beefing over toilet paper during the pandemic when they could have just installed a bum shower,” Vujanić wrote.

    In another tweet, the football fan said, “I want this image printed on a T-shirt… I am now the self-proclaimed founder of the Shatafa Ultras group… “Bum Shower Fanatics, Let’s Go!”

    Vujanić, a devoted Liverpool FC fan, currently resides in London.

    On November 23, 2010, Vujani created his first YouTube channel. He posts a variety of videos, such as mock music videos and vlogs on football.

    The song parody “EASTERN EUROPE STYLE! (PSY GANGNAM STYLE PARODY) by BRICKA BRICKA!” is his most popular video.

    He formerly had a job with the football-focused channel Copa90. He also co-owns a YouTube channel called Poet & Vuj with his close friend and coworker Poet, where they post a series called “Comments Under,” in which they converse in public regarding football-related news and subjects.

  • Lionel Messi determined to win football’s greatest prize as Argentina reaches the World Cup final

    Lionel Messi determined to win football’s greatest prize as Argentina reaches the World Cup final

    Lionel Messi’s lifelong dream of leading Argentina to World Cup will remain alive until the last day of Qatar 2022, as the South American powerhouse outclassed a weary-looking Croatia in a 3-0 victory in Tuesday’s semifinal.

    Argentina has made its eighth appearance in a World Cup semifinal (defeating the USA in 1930, Belgium in 1986, Italy in 1990, and the Netherlands in 2014). It has additionally made the final six times. The last time Argentina won the World Cup was in 1986.

    According to CNN, Argentina and Croatia both played conservatively at the beginning of the game in an effort to avoid making a mistake. But after a half-hour, Argentina took charge and never looked back.

    When Julián Álvarez and Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livaković faced off in the 32nd minute, Livaković knocked Álvarez down, earning a penalty kick. Then Lionel Messi, a star for Argentina, took the initiative and did what he seemingly usually does. He struck the ball high and to the right with calm and composure, giving his team a 1-0 lead.

    Álvarez had not finished. He led a counterattack in the 39th minute and dribbled all the way from midfield, racing through three Croatian defenders before lofting the ball past Livakovi to put Argentina ahead 2-0 at the break.

    In goal, Livaković excelled during the competition. However, a relentless Argentina onslaught and a few defensive mistakes by Croatia proved to be too much.

    Against Croatia, Messi and Álvarez had one more brilliant moment as a team. Messi displayed incredible ball control in the 69th minute against Croatian goalkeeper Joko Gvardiol on the right side of the net. Then Messi connected with Álvarez, who scored to make it 3-0. Only two of Croatia’s twelve shots on goal were successful.

    Only one of their previous 41 international games had Argentina lost, coming into this encounter (28 wins, 12 draws). Croatia, who finished second in the 2018 tournament, had only dropped one of their previous 12 World Cup games.

    Messi moved slightly ahead of Kylian Mbappé of France (five goals and two assists) for the lead in the Golden Boot competition with his fifth goal of the tournament (and third assist). In the championship game, Messi plans to smash another record. In terms of overall FIFA appearances, he now has 25 World Cup games under his belt and is tied with Lothar Matthäus.

    On Sunday, Argentina will take on the winner of the semifinal match between France and Morocco on Wednesday. The World Cup competition for Croatia is still ongoing. It will compete against the loser of tomorrow’s semifinal in the third-place game on Saturday.

  • Federal Minister Hina Rabbani likely to attend FIFA World Cup

    Federal Minister Hina Rabbani likely to attend FIFA World Cup

    Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hina Rabbani Khar, is expected to attend the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup in Qatar in the first week of December.

    According to The News, the dates for her trip are still being finalised. Earlier this week, Ambassador of Qatar in Islamabad Saoud Abdulrahman Al-Thani called on Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to extend an invitation from his Qatari counterpart to watch the World Cup.

    Pakistan’s Foreign Office had received the invitations before the World Cup started with the inauguration being attended by world leaders, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.

    According to the newspaper, it is important for Pakistan to show solidarity with a fellow Muslim state which was the first to hold the World Cup and which is being attacked by the West over alleged human rights records.

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif showed solidarity with Qatar in the face of western media onslaught, tweeting, “Unfortunate that Qatar is being subjected to a barrage of propaganda as host of FIFA World Cup. It should be rather commended for wonderful arrangements for the mega event and being a promoter of global peace and development. Pakistan stands in solidarity with HH Emir and the people of Qatar.”

  • Pakistani workers earn only Rs160 per ball despite producing 70% of the world’s footballs

    Pakistani workers earn only Rs160 per ball despite producing 70% of the world’s footballs

    More than two-thirds of the world’s soccer balls are made in one of Sialkot’s 1,000 factories, including the Adidas Al Rihla, the official ball of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, which begins this month.

    Approximately 60,000 people, or 8 per cent of the city’s population, work in the soccer ball manufacturing industry in Sialkot. They frequently put in long hours and sew the panels of the balls by hand.

    In Sialkot, hand stitching is used in more than 80 per cent of the soccer balls produced. This time-consuming method increases the soccer ball’s durability and aerodynamic stability. Compared to stitches made by machines, the seams are deeper and the tension is higher.

    Bloomberg reports that stitchers make about Rs160 ($0.75) each ball. It takes three hours to finish each one. A stitcher can make roughly Rs9,600 per month by stitching three balls per day. The earnings are modest, even for an impoverished area. According to researcher estimates, a living wage for Sialkot is close to Rs20,000 per month.

    Women make up the majority of those who sew the balls. They might sew two balls in a typical day, go home to prepare meals for their kids, and then go back to work in a nearby village in the late afternoon.

    Usually, men prepare supplies or do quality checks at various phases of the production process. The industries in Sialkot employed kids as young as 5 alongside their parents up until labour laws were passed in 1997. According to a 2016 assessment, the sector in Sialkot is threatened by the ban on child labour since it “took away a large slice of a prospective skilled generation,” creating a persistent worker shortage.

    About 40 million soccer balls are purchased annually worldwide, and sales are anticipated to increase during the World Cup.

  • Saudi Crown Prince Salman ‘sajday mein chalay gaye’ after historic victory against Argentina

    Saudi Crown Prince Salman ‘sajday mein chalay gaye’ after historic victory against Argentina

    Saudi Arabia’s football team pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport by defeating Argentina with two second-half goals in their opening FIFA World Cup match in Qatar on Tuesday.

    The victory did not just drive Saudi fans into a frenzy but was also celebrated by the Kingdom’s normally staid and reserved royal family.

    Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, watched the match along with family members. Following the victory, the crown prince got overwhelmed and prostrated before God.

    It’s a public holiday tomorrow in Saudi Arabia after FIFA win

    The Saudi government has declared tomorrow, Wednesday, a holiday to mark the historic FIFA win.

    The holiday will be applicable to all employees in both public and private sectors, as well as all students across the country.

    This isn’t the first time a public holiday has been declared after a World Cup win. Cameroon’s stellar performance against Argentina in the opening match of the 1990’s tournament also received similar reactions after the Central African nation pulled off a miraculous win.

  • Fact Check: Morgan Freeman did not convert to Islam after listening to the Quran during FIFA World Cup ceremony

    Fact Check: Morgan Freeman did not convert to Islam after listening to the Quran during FIFA World Cup ceremony

    Claim: The FIFA World Cup in Qatar opened with a glittering ceremony and many stars in attendance, including egendary actor Morgan Freeman. The Oscar-winner performed in the inauguration ceremony along with 22-year-old Qatari disabled activist and motivational speaker Ghanim al-Muftah, who read from the Holy Quran.

    Freeman shared a message of unity, declaring, “What unites us here in this moment is so much greater than what divides us. How can we make it last longer than just today?”

    Ghanim Al-Muftah, a Qatari activist for the disabled, born with the rare Caudal Regression Syndrome, appeared with Freeman and stated to the crowd, “Everyone is welcome”.

    After the ceremony , Twitterati widely speculated that Freeman had converted to Islam.

    Fact: Online claims that Freeman has converted to Islam date back to at least 2015.

    This is not the first time Freeman has been subject to fake news regarding his religious beliefs. Freeman previously presented “The Story of God with Morgan Freeman,” a National Geographic show that dived into various religions, including Islam. This also led to similar speculation regarding his religious affiliations.

    However,  Misbar, an independent Arabic fact-check platform, investigated the assertion regarding Freeman converting to Islam and found it to be fake.

    The platform quoted, “The actor has not announced converting to Islam and also, no reliable media outlet has reported on the news.”

    Verdict: False

  • FIFA World Cup 2022: Female fans banned from wearing revealing clothes, could face jail term in Qatar

    FIFA World Cup 2022: Female fans banned from wearing revealing clothes, could face jail term in Qatar

    The FIFA World Cup 2022 is approaching and fans cannot wait for the first match on November 20 between hosts Qatar and Equador, which will serve as the event’s catalyst. Even though the hosts have received criticism for hosting the competition for a variety of reasons, there is a lot of excitement surrounding the World Cup.

    The major football World Cup is being hosted for the first time by Qatar, but it won’t be the last as several countries in the Middle East are vying to host it following the 2022 edition.

    The number of fans arriving in Doha for the FIFA World Cup 2022 would be staggering since 32 countries will be competing.

    However, there is some unfavourable news for fans, particularly the female ones from the UK, USA, and other nations. The female fans must refrain from donning too-revealing attire. They should be aware of the regulations in Qatar, where wearing revealing clothing is prohibited. Although FIFA’s website states that fans can wear whatever they want, they must respect local laws and cover any exposed body parts.

    The World Cup website states: “People can generally wear their clothing of choice. Visitors are expected to cover their shoulders and knees when visiting public places like museums and other government buildings.” The Sun reported that women travelling in Qatar are banned from wearing tight clothes and flashing their cleavages. It is also important to note that if the fans remove their shirts due to excessive heat, they can be spotted by the special cameras installed in the stadiums. 

    Chief technology officer Niyas Abulrahiman said: “We have high-resolution special cameras to zoom in on a particular seat and clearly see the spectator. It’s being recorded, so that will help us in any post-event investigation.”

    Those who disregard the clothing code are promised severe punishment, and serious violations may even result in jail time, according to The Sun.

    As alcohol importation is prohibited, supporters should refrain from buying duty-free alcohol, according to Daily Mail.

    During the FIFA World Cup 2022, a “sin tax” has been imposed on all alcoholic beverage sales.

    Swearing, public displays of love, and alcohol use outside of fan zones are all punishable by fines and arrests.