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Qatar, Egypt intensify efforts for Gaza truce

Qatar, Egypt intensify efforts for Gaza truce

Qatar Living2 days ago

By QLNews • 2 Jun 2025 11:06
Qatar and Egypt announced Sunday that they are continuing their intensive efforts to bridge gaps and overcome points of contention to reach a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, based on the proposal presented by Steve Witkoff, USA's Special Envoy to the Middle East. The proposal aims to resume indirect negotiations on that basis.
In a joint statement, Qatar and Egypt affirmed their intent — in coordination with USA — to intensify efforts to resolve the obstacles facing the negotiation process. Both countries called on all parties to act responsibly and support the mediators' efforts to end the crisis in Gaza Strip and restore stability and calm to the region.
The two nations expressed their hope for a swift agreement on a temporary 60-day truce, paving the way for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Such an agreement would help alleviate the unprecedented humanitarian crisis, facilitate the opening of border crossings, and allow the entry of humanitarian and relief aid to ease the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza and end the war completely.
It would also mark the beginning of post-war reconstruction efforts, in line with the plan endorsed at the Arab Emergency Summit in Cairo on March 4.
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Off the Beaten Track: Rock Climbing in Croatia's Paklenica National Park
Off the Beaten Track: Rock Climbing in Croatia's Paklenica National Park

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Off the Beaten Track: Rock Climbing in Croatia's Paklenica National Park

The most famous climbing site in Croatia, the gorges and cliffs of Paklenica National Park offer great climbing variety. It lies outside Starigrad near Zadar, and has routes for everyone from absolute beginners to experts. The tombs (tumuli) of Gomila and Paklaric testify that the town dates back to prehistoric times. There was once a Roman settlement here called Argyruntum, and archaeologists found a necropolis from the 1st or 2nd century that contained bronze tools, jewelry, glassware, and ceramics. You can view their finds in the Archaeological Museum in Zadar. The pre-Romanesque church of St. Peter dates back to the 10th century. Paklenica became a National Park in 1949. In 1978, UNESCO proclaimed the entire Velebit region a biogenetic reserve. Inside the park, each of the two main gorges has a name that underlines the difference between them: Velika (Great) Paklenica and Mala (Small) Paklenica. Velika Paklenica consists of two valleys. The longitudinal valley runs parallel to the Southern Velebit range, while the other is carved between the peaks of Debeli Kuk and Anica Kuk. Anica Kuk is the only place in the park where climbing is allowed. Because of its relative inaccessibility, the upper part of Velika Paklenica has developed a lush forest. In the transverse valleys, influenced by the Adriatic Sea, shrubs and Mediterranean maquis cover the slopes. The climatic and topographical differences that characterize this region, which extends from the peaks of Velebit (1,700m) to the sea, are the reason the flora and fauna are so interesting. Botanists have recorded over 500 plant species. The fauna is also rich: over 500 species of insects, several reptile species, and as many as 200 different types of birds. In Paklenica, the rock is mostly karst limestone. It is very compact, although sharp in places. There are numerous routes of all difficulty levels and lengths, from single pitches on cliffs to multi-pitch routes to a height of 350m. The style also varies, from technical slabs to large overhangs. The large walls host numerous well-bolted routes that climb on ridges or easy slabs. But there is no shortage of long sport routes that tackle much more sustained terrain with difficulties up to 8a. In addition, there are a handful of beautiful trad routes, protected only with nuts and Friends. For those who want to try something different, there are some interesting artificial routes. The first climbers visited Paklenica in the late 1930s, but the first route was Brahm in 1940. Between 1957 and 1969, Croatian climbers largely had the gorge to themselves and opened many new routes. Today, many of these are considered true classics, such as Mosoraški (1957), Velebitaški (1961), and Klin (1966). Later, it was mainly Slovenian climbers who opened further new routes. Among them was the legendary Franc Knez, who opened around 40 routes. Many of Knez's routes remain among the most difficult in Paklenica today. During the 1980s, Italian Mauro Corona established the first short sport routes in Klanci, the narrowest part of the canyon. His first route was Stimula, 7a. Soon after, Maurizio Zanolla made the first free ascent of what is still the hardest route in Paklenica: Il Marattoneta (8b+). Adam Ondra onsighted it in 2020 and also made a new variant, named Genius Loci (9a). During the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, the park was closed for a few years. When it reopened in 1995, Austrians Ingo Schalk and Gerhard Grabner immediately opened a great new route, Waterworld (7b+). Currently, the most active climbers are Croatians Boris Cujic and Ivica Matkovic, who are responsible for a whole series of new routes. They have also fixed and rebolted numerous old routes, replacing countless rusty bolts. 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Passengers stranded for 7 hours after Norwegian Epic breaks moorings in heavy winds
Passengers stranded for 7 hours after Norwegian Epic breaks moorings in heavy winds

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time5 hours ago

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Passengers stranded for 7 hours after Norwegian Epic breaks moorings in heavy winds

A routine port stop turned chaotic for thousands of passengers aboard Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Epic last Friday when severe winds caused the ship to break free from its moorings in Catania, on the Italian island of Sicily. The incident began around 1 p.m. local time when powerful 60-mph wind gusts struck the vessel's port side. Witnesses reported hearing loud cracking sounds as the mooring lines began snapping one by one, causing the ship's stern to drift away from the dock. "We heard a very loud boom, and then there was another loud noise and screams," passenger Brian Koning, who was returning to the ship with his wife at the time, said in a Facebook post. "All those large orange diameter ropes started snapping about every 15 seconds." During the incident, a female passenger fell from the gangway. Koning said the woman hit her head on something before landing in the water, prompting her husband to leap in to save her. Norwegian Cruise Line noted that the crew rushed to help the pair. "On-duty crew members were able to immediately assist the guest from the water and see that they were evaluated by the medical team," a company spokesperson told ABC News in a statement. "It was determined that they sustained minor injuries and were transported to a local hospital for further examination and treatment." MORE: Cruise ship saves passengers, pets from disabled catamaran in South Pacific The incident left more than 3,600 passengers stranded ashore for over seven hours, according to Koning. Port authorities closed the checkpoint as the ship was forced to move out to sea until conditions improved. "The disembarkation and embarkation process was paused until weather conditions improved and the ship was able to safely dock again," Norwegian Cruise Line told ABC News. Passengers were frustrated with how the company handled of the situation, according to Koning. "There was no communication from anyone from Norwegian Cruise Line," Koning said. "People started getting irritated. They took the water away, there was no drinks, no food, and only one bathroom with a couple of toilets." The ship eventually returned to port after replacing the broken mooring lines, allowing passengers to reboard that evening.

Passengers stranded for 7 hours after Norwegian Epic breaks moorings in heavy winds

time6 hours ago

Passengers stranded for 7 hours after Norwegian Epic breaks moorings in heavy winds

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