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Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmed Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah met with Qatar’s ambassador to Kuwait Ali bin Abdullah al-Mahmoud. During the meeting, the two sides discussed bilateral relations.

The Acting Director of the Department of American Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Al-Muhannad bin Ali al-Hammadi met at the Mexican embassy in Doha, with ambassadors of the Group of Latin America and the Caribbean (GRULAC) countries. The meeting discussed prospects for co-operation between Qatar and Central and South American countries.

US Vice-President Kamala Harris won the crucial backing of Democratic heavyweight Nancy Pelosi to lead the party against Donald Trump in November after Joe Biden’s stunning exit from the 2024 race.Biden’s departure was the latest shock to a White House race that included the near-assassination of former president Trump by a gunman during a campaign stop and the nomination of Trump’s fellow hardliner, US Senator J D Vance, as his running mate.As the endorsements stacked up, the 59-year-old Harris made her first public appearance since Biden’s announcement in a ceremony at the White House where she warmly praised the outgoing president’s “unmatched” achievements.However, while she steered away from any triumphalism, Harris will now feel she has one hand on the prize after securing the support of Pelosi, the former US House speaker and a prime mover in moves to oust the 81-year-old Biden.“With immense pride and limitless optimism for our country’s future, I endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for President of the United States,” Pelosi, 84, said in a message on X. “I have full confidence that she will lead us to victory in November.”A flood of Democratic leaders has backed Harris as the party’s new candidate for November’s election, building momentum for a lightning-fast coronation despite some calls to show transparency with an open primary.Biden endorsed Harris – who is the first female, black and South Asian vice-president in US history – as he dropped out of the race on Sunday following a disastrous debate performance.He was followed by former president Bill Clinton and a host of other lawmakers, but ex-president Barack Obama has notably held off so far.In a strikingly symbolic moment, Harris hosted a ceremony for college athletes at the White House yesterday while Biden remained stuck in isolation with the coronavirus (Covid-19) at his Delaware beach house.“Joe Biden’s legacy of accomplishment over the past three years is unmatched in modern history,” Harris said in her brief remarks on the White House South Lawn, as a light rain fell.Some of her sporting metaphors did seem to nod towards the political race ahead of her, though, as she talked of bringing home the gold and “what it means to commit and to persevere”.Harris was to make a first trip to campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, later in the day – not far from Rehoboth Beach, where Biden has spent most of the last week nursing his Covid-19 infection.Harris’s campaign said it had raised a stunning $49.6mn in grassroots donations since Sunday.A series of other top Democrats have backed Harris, including a number considered as her possible running mates.“Let’s win this,” posted Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.The governor of Kentucky, Andy Beshear, also declared his support, as did Illinois Governor J B Pritzker.Harris must still win over some key hold-outs if she is to wrap up the nomination, but it could happen as early as a remote ballot on August 1, or failing that by the Democratic National Convention starting August 19.The stunning withdrawal by Biden has completely upended the 2024 race, transforming a long slog between two unpopular elderly men into one of the most compelling in modern US presidential history.The move has brought a jolt of energy to a demoralised party that Harris could now unify, and could give America its first female president.It has also hit Republicans hard, with former president Trump, 78 – now the oldest presidential nominee in US history – having to completely retool a strategy that had been built around attacking Biden over his age and physical frailty.Harris’s entry not only flips the age issue but puts Trump – a convicted felon who has faced a series of legal cases over sexual assault – up against a woman and former prosecutor.Trump has seemed to find it hard to move on from his old opponent.He launched a series of invective-filled social media posts after Biden quit, mocking the president’s age and saying that he and Harris posed a “threat to democracy”.The challenges facing Harris remain daunting, however, with less than four months until election day.The vice-president has long suffered from poor approval ratings after a lacklustre first two years in the White House.She is polling largely neck-and-neck with Trump in the polls that have looked at a direct match up.In a head-to-head match-up, Harris and Trump were tied with 44% support each in a July 15-16 Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted immediately after the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump.Trump led Biden 43% to 41% in that same poll, though the two percentage point difference was not meaningful considering the poll’s three-point margin of error.Biden, the oldest person ever to occupy the Oval Office, said he would remain in the presidency until his term ends on January 20, 2025.Some Democrats were concerned about a Harris candidacy, in part because of the weight of a long history of racial and gender discrimination in the US, which has not elected a woman president in its nearly 250-year history.“We should all prepare for the onslaught of attack that would face any historic candidate,” Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told reporters. “Misogyny in our politics is far from over. Racism in our politics – especially confronting Donald Trump as an opponent – is far, far from over.”

The National Cyber Security Agency hosted an introductory meeting with partners of the National Digital Safety Initiative to streamline efforts and distribute roles and responsibilities to achieve the desired outcomes of the initiative.This includes enhancing awareness of cybersecurity and digital safety concepts among various segments of society.This significant event, attended by distinguished officials, experts from the National Cyber Security Agency, and representatives from partner organisations, featured insightful presentations on the initiative’s core objectives and operational framework. Attendees had the opportunity to delve into the experiences and projects of partners dedicated to advancing digital safety. Moreover, discussions included the initiative’s pivotal role in supporting the realisation of digital aspirations outlined in Qatar’s National Vision 2030 as well as the partners’ role in implementing the Awareness and Digital safety Objective.Dalal al-Aqeedi, director of the National Cyber Excellence Department at the National Cyber Security Agency, emphasised that the introductory meeting represents the actual launch of the National Digital Safety Initiative, serving as the cornerstone upon which subsequent activities will be built. She highlighted the importance of the initiative as a strategic national project.Al-Aqeedi added, “The strategic dimension of this project is evident through the participation of a large number of organisations, with each organisation undertaking tasks and responsibilities that align with its core focus, aiming to integrate efforts positively impacting the initiative’s outcomes.”

The Katara Summer Camp is drawing a substantial number of visitors and seeing effective participation from children in its activities.The camp offers an integrated programme that boasts of a broad range of educational and recreational programmes aimed at advancing children’s innovative and social capabilities through awareness-raising lectures and field trips to cultural sites.The event is also aimed at providing an environment conducive for children during summer vocation to help them take advantage of their leisure time to enjoy practical education and constructive social interaction.The children’s field trip to Al Thuraya Planetarium has had an impact, as expressed by participants who learned about space and astronomy, and watched 3D movies that piqued their curiosity.The second day of the programme featured a field trip to the Radio Voice of the Gulf.The children experienced radio recording and programme hosting.

The summer heat failed to dampen Doha’s vibrant spirit as various events and activities for different age groups unfold at various locations.From summer camps to cultural celebrations, it is learnt that the city is offering residents and visitors opportunities to learn, explore, and be entertained.Launched on July 15 and running until August 15, an initiative titled “Skillfest” showcases the beauty and diversity of the arts, crafts, and culture scene in Qatar.Held at four key locations across Doha – Msheireb Galleria, Place Vendome, Mall of Qatar, and West Walk – this event offers visitors to opportunity to immerse themselves in local traditions and sustainable artistry inspired by Qatar’s marine environment.Visitors can enjoy Arabic calligraphy demonstrations, astronomy exhibitions, manuscripts and anecdotes, pavilions dedicated to marine creatures, and photography exhibitions by renowned Qatari artists like Azzam al-Mannai.Skillfest also features artisan markets, where 24 artists are showcasing their creations, and competitions with prizes for participants.The Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF) launched its Aspire Summer Camp 2024 on Sunday, for children aged 6-12.The camp offers a diverse range of activities, from sports and artistic endeavours to cultural experiences, allowing youngsters to develop new skills, discover their talents, and build friendships.Field trips to the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum and the Rail station offer valuable learning opportunities about Qatar’s history and public transportation systems.The camp includes interactive entertainment at the Target Shooting Range and educational activities like electronic games, drawing lessons, football, volleyball, basketball training, and swimming lessons.The Katara Summer Camp 2024, which also opened on Sunday and running until August 7, is another initiative aimed at providing children with a unique summer experience.Hosted by Katara – the Cultural Village, the camp offers a variety of educational, entertaining, and cultural activities, with participation from various entities across the country, including the Ministry of Interior, Al Jazeera Media Institute, and Qatar Red Crescent Society.This year’s edition builds upon the success of the previous year, featuring a four-day-a-week schedule packed with engaging programmes.The second edition of the Qatar Toy Festival, taking place at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre until August 14, is attracting visitors from across Qatar and the GCC.Organised by Visit Qatar, the festival offers a wide range of live shows, exclusive activations, and educational entertainment for children and adults.This year’s festival features an expanded footprint, with 10 themed zones including Anime, Movie Land, and Retail, alongside returning favourites like Preschool, Girls, Boys, Family, Stage, F&B, and Theming Area.

Accompanied by numerous Parisian supporters, football club Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) Nasser al-Khelaifi carried the Olympic flame through the streets of Vigneux (Essonne), suburbs of Paris in France, on Monday. He later passed the torch to Marie-Rolande Biro, president of the local judo club. In a few days, many PSG athletes will defend the colours of ten different nations during the Paris Games. Al-Khelaifi later said, “It was an immense honour to carry the Olympic Torch and Flame of Paris 2024, representing such powerful symbols of unity, friendship and peace. Paris Saint-Germain is so proud that 26 of our male and female athletes – across men’s and women’s football, handball and judo – are competing at the 2024 Games, and we look forward to a magnificent sporting spectacle in our home city of Paris.”

The Paris Olympics will be a spectacular event at a time of historic global disruptions and growing divisive forces, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said on Monday, four days before the Games opening ceremony.The Olympics in the French capital will see several firsts, with an opening ceremony on barges along the river Seine instead of the traditional ceremony in an Olympic stadium.The Games will also incorporate the city’s major landmarks, including the Eiffel tower, into the competitions, many of which will be staged in urban areas across the city.It will also be the first Olympics to have gender parity, with equal numbers of men and women participating.“Like billions of people around the world we are awaiting with impatience the youngest, most inclusive, most urban and most sustainable Games,” IOC president Thomas Bach said at the opening of his organisation’s session in the French capital.“We are convinced that together with the entire world we will experience spectacular Olympic Games,” he said, with French Oresident Emmanuel Macron in attendance.More than 10,500 athletes representing 206 national Olympic Committees will compete at the 16-day multi-sports event, 100 years since the last time the French capital staged them, with more than 30,000 security officers on duty. Bach also highlighted the global sports body’s challengesin what he called a new world order.“We are witnessing a new world order in the making,” he said. “Historic disruptions are upending the system of international relations that has been in place since the second World War.”“The trends are clear: decoupling of economies; beggar-thy-neighbour; narrow self-interests trumping the rule of law; “Global South” vs “Global North”. Everywhere you look, multilateralism is on the back foot.”He said the IOC’s focus on solidarity, which will be fuelled by increased revenues over the next years that are to be distributed to national Olympic committees, international federations and other stakeholders, was crucial.Bach said the IOC had already secured $7.3bn for the years 2025-28 and had raised $6.2bn in deals for the period 2029-2032.He said changing lifestyles of young people in a digital world risked alienating the Olympic movement from a young generation. “We can and we must change before we are being changed,” Bach said.“For this change we need to change our mindset. We need the mindset of the digital natives. We have to go where the young people are, in the real world and the digital world.”“If we want to remain relevant in their digital lives we must engage with this digitally native generation in their digital way of living,” he said.The IOC is pushing through with the creation of Olympic Esports Games in a 12-year-deal with Saudi Arabia in an effort to tap in to a younger audience and connect them with the Olympic brand. “In these difficult times there are so many divisive forces tearing humanity apart,” Bach said. “In this world of division the athletes personify our shared hope for a better future.”

Qatar’s beach volleyball player Ahmed Tijan and his partner Cherif Younousse during a training session at the Olympics Village in Paris on Monday.

Sebastian Coe has been portrayed by some as a potential successor to Thomas Bach as president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) but the athletics legend suggested to AFP it is out of his hands.Bach, who like Coe is an Olympic gold medallist, will oversee the Paris Olympics that start on Friday but is due to step down next year having served the maximum two terms since being elected in 2013. There have though been calls from some IOC members that Bach should seek a third term, although that would require a change in the Olympic Charter.The two-term limit was one of the anti-corruption reforms imposed following the Salt Lake City scandal in the 1990s.Coe, who at 67 is three years younger than Bach, has been credited with transforming the image of the sport since being elected World Athletics president in 2015.“Look, I think there’s a huge deal of uncertainty about what is happening in Lausanne (the site of the IOC headquarters) at the moment,” Coe told AFP in an interview this month when asked about whether he would run to be IOC president.“I think those questions are probably best directed at other people.”The Briton, whose third and final term as athletics chief ends in 2027, had his work cut out when he took over WA. His predecessor Lamine Diack was embroiled in a cover-up of Russian doping cases in exchange for bribes and was sentenced by a French court to four years in prison, of which two were suspended, and fined 500,000 euros ($544,000). Coe, who was a Conservative Party lawmaker from 1992-97, said his close friend William Hague, Britain’s former foreign minister, told him that in comparison to other jobs the head of Monaco-based World Athletics would be “a calmer, quieter atmosphere”.“I did remind him not long ago over supper that that quieter period ended up with me sitting in a Monaco police station for five hours, where my predecessors had gone and subsequently been arrested,” Coe said.He insisted that he did not go for the World Athletics top job because he was sure he would get it.“I’ve never done things because I think there’s any certainty of outcome,” he said.“I’ve tended to do things that I’ve found interesting or the need to do them.”Coe, who won the 1500m Olympic title twice in 1980 and 1984, has earned credit for taking a hardline stance in banning Russian and Belarusian athletes in response to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.Equally he attracted flak from some fellow federation presidents for taking the revolutionary step of saying Olympic track and field gold medallists will receive $50,000 prize money.However, Coe says while such decisions are partly informed by his “moral compass”, they are not taken unilaterally.“They are not individual long runs for hope,” he said. “You know, I have a Council.“One thing about our sport it is properly governed. It’s probably better governed than any sport out there.“Both those decisions that we made were unanimously supported and in part co-created by a very active Council.”Coe says his Council members – he is proud that they are gender-balanced at 13 each – are extremely well-qualified, both in termsof athletics and also in having served their countries in other areas.“A large chunk of the Council is made up of Olympic champions, world champions, world record holders.“So they’re not empty suits sitting around a council chamber. They really actually understand the nature of the sport.“We’re the only international federation with an entirely gender-balanced council.“Already you can see that the quality of the discussion and the subsequent decision is at a higher level than it’s ever been on that Council.”

From the moment she qualified for her first Olympic Games as a 16-year-old high school student, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has never paid much attention to conventional wisdom.For more than three decades since Soviet hurdler Marina Stepanova became the first woman to run the 400m hurdles in under 53 seconds in 1986, the athletics world had wondered when, or if, the 52-second barrier would be broken. Yet in the space of a few seasons, McLaughlin-Levrone has obliterated that longstanding benchmark, redefining notions of what was possible in her event.In 2021 she clocked a world record 51.90sec at the US Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon, to become the first woman under the 52-second mark. She followed that up by shaving a massive 0.44sec off her own record when she stormed to victory at the Tokyo Olympics in 51.46sec.In 2022, she bettered that mark at the US trials in Eugene with a time of 51.41sec, before clocking a jaw-dropping time of 50.68sec on her way to victory at the World Championships a month later. After dabbling with the flat 400m in 2023, McLaughlin-Levrone returned to her specialist event this season and has once again returned to her record-breaking ways.She booked her place in Paris with another world record at the US Olympic trials last month, storming home in 50.65sec with a performance that appeared to take even herself by surprise.“I was not expecting that,” McLaughlin-Levrone said after her victory in Eugene. “I’m just amazed, baffled and shocked.”It was the sort of performance that suggests McLaughlin-Levrone is more than ready to make more history in Paris, where she could become the first woman ever to successfully defend the 400m hurdles title with a victory.She is likely to face a stiff challenge in the form of the Netherlands’ Femke Bol, who won gold at last year’s world championships in Budapest in the absence of the injured American and has just become only the second woman to break the 51-second barrier for the event.Unbeaten streakBut McLaughlin-Levrone has demonstrated she’s rarely more dangerous than when pushed by a competitor, citing her early career rivalry with 2016 Olympic champion Dalilah Mohamed as helping push her to new heights, a case of “iron sharpening iron” as she describes it.Few would bet against McLaughlin-Levrone retaining her Olympic crown at the Stade de France on August 8, a day after she turns 25.As well as her Olympic title, McLaughlin-Levrone will also be defending a five-year unbeaten streak in her event. Her last defeat over the 400m hurdles came in the final of the 2019 World Championships in Doha, where she was pipped for victory by her compatriot Mohamed.Born in New Jersey in 1999, track and field was embedded in McLaughlin-Levrone’s DNA.Her father, Willie McLaughlin, reached the semi-finals in the 400m at the US trials for the 1984 Olympics, while her mother Mary was a respectable half-miler.As a young girl, McLaughlin-Levrone watched the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and her idol Allyson Felix, and determined that she would one day perform on the same stage.After qualifying for her first Olympics as a teenager in 2016, McLaughlin-Levrone’s progression continued steadily before her breakthrough Olympic crown in 2021, her improvements coming rapidly after linking up with new coach Bobby Kersee in 2020.In Tokyo, she added another gold medal after forming part of the relay 4x400m relay squad, where she raced in a quartet alongside Felix.“Since I was eight years old, that’s something I had aspired to do, and for it to finally come to fruition felt like a weight off my shoulders,” McLaughlin-Levrone said of her 2021 gold.Victory in Paris would raise the prospect of McLaughlin-Levrone targeting a third straight Olympic gold at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.While Los Angeles remains a long way distant, McLaughlin-Levrone says she sees herself running well beyond this summer’s Olympics.“It does get harder as the years go by,” she said in an interview with Women’s Health magazine.“You’re pushing your body to its limits. It’s a part of sports that can be physically draining, mentally draining, and that’s why taking breaks and remembering why you love it is so important.“Track is not going to last forever, so I’m trying to continue to enjoy it. I don’t want to take anything for granted.”

Nigerian artist Fola David is seeking the Guinness record for the largest drawing by an individual after spending six days on his piece in a stadium in the commercial capital Lagos.David, also a medical doctor, said his 1,050 square metre “Unity in Diversity” artwork showing two giant hands holding Nigeria’s map was meant to showcase the country’s cultural heritage. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, is made up of about 250 ethnic groups, split roughly equally between two religions.“Our diversity should be seen as something that unites us, as something that strengthens us, rather than something that should create that divide between us,” David said after completing his work on Sunday night. The Guinness World Record body has been informed and will need to certify his work if he is to surpass the record set in 2021 by Indian artist Ravi Soni who drew a 629.98 square metre piece.