Qatar shuts down airspace to ensure safety, says government, after US attacks on Iran
It said the move comes to ensure the safety of residents and visitors.
Qatar hosts the largest United States base in the area.
The shutdown comes as Iran repeated earlier threats to retaliate against the US after strikes on its nuclear sites on Sunday.
Earlier, the US and UK governments told citizens based in Qatar to lie low after Iran vowed to retaliate against an American attack on its nuclear facilities.
'Out of an abundance of caution we recommend American citizens shelter in place until further notice,' the US embassy in Doha said in a statement on Monday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
HKFP
4 hours ago
- HKFP
Tycoon Jimmy Lai did not ask activists to halt sanctions push after nat. sec law enacted, prosecutor says
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai did not ask activists and foreign politicians to stop calling for sanctions even after Beijing's national security law in the city was passed, a prosecutor has said. Continuing to deliver closing arguments in Lai's national security trial, lead prosecutor Anthony Chau accused the founder of pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily of being the 'mastermind' in an alleged foreign collusion plot against the city's authorities. The prosecution said Lai himself admitted his commitment to lobbying for sanctions was 'unwavering,' even if he risked breaking the national security law by doing so. Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into Hong Kong's mini-constitution in June 2020 following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest, criminalising subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts – broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure. The tycoon stands accused of two charges of conspiring to commit foreign collusion under the Beijing-imposed security law, and another charge of conspiring to publish seditious materials under colonial-era legislation. He faces life behind bars if convicted. Collaborators Chau on Wednesday said that even after Beijing's national security law in the city was passed, Lai did not stop his alleged collaborators, including members of the overseas activist group Stand With Hong Kong (SWHK), and the foreign politicians group the Interparliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), from continuing to lobby for sanctions. The prosecution cited open letters, articles, and social media posts from SWHK calling on foreign governments, including those of the UK, the Czech Republic, Ireland, and Portugal, to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and Beijing officials, and urging support for the 'people of Hong Kong.' A focal point of Lai's trial was his ties to two activists linked to SWHK, Chan Tsz-wah, or Wayland, and Andy Li, both of whom were charged alongside the tycoon and have testified against him. Citing Chan's testimony, Chau also said that Lai had 'never' told the activist there was any change in his stance on lobbying for sanctions, even after the enactment of the law. Chau also pointed to a meeting weeks before the national security law was enacted in which Lai encouraged Chan to press on with lobbying efforts, saying the security legislation was 'more bark than bite.' Lobbying groups SWHK and IPAC, indeed, continued their efforts after the national security law took effect, the court heard. 'Lai knew exactly what IPAC was doing at the time,' Chau said, citing updates that Lai received about the international parliamentary group in the weeks after the law was enacted, as well as the tycoon's own social media activity. The prosecution also argued that Lai maintained ties with retired US army general Jack Keane, ex-US deputy secretary of defence Paul Wolfowitz, and US state department advisor Christian Whiton after the security law came into effect. Lai had admitted trying to inform foreign governments about Hong Kong's situation and appealing to them to condemn the city's authorities, Chau said. But he also argued that Lai went further than what he admitted. The tycoon sought to demonstrate to Hongkongers, through meetings with the former US officials, that 'foreign governments had not abandoned them,' Chau said. Chau also said that the Apple Daily founder used the paper as a platform to urge sanctions on Beijing, a clear betrayal of national interests and security. He added that Lai's description of the paper as both 'anti-communist' and a 'neutral defender of Hong Kong's core values' were conflicting.
South China Morning Post
11 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Trump's compelling tariff narrative can't mask real-world failures
In today's complex global economy, few issues stir more intense emotions than tariffs. US President Donald Trump's tariff narrative has captured the hearts of many Americans. He painted a picture of a victimised America, its manufacturing base hollowed out and jobs shipped overseas. He promised to restore national greatness by wielding tariffs as a magic wand. While this narrative was a political triumph, it was built on a series of exaggerations and, when translated into policy, has ultimately fallen short. To understand the narrative's resonance, it is necessary to look beyond economic data and connect with the anxieties within US society. While national economic data shows steady growth, this macro-level success has failed to alleviate the pain in specific industrial communities. Trump's genius has been to simplify these complex issues, boiling them down to a single, external enemy: trade partners taking advantage of America He has framed massive trade deficits as evidence of plunder, resonating with those who felt forgotten by globalisation and making them feel they finally have a leader fighting on their behalf. The promise of tariffs was not just economic; it was a pledge to return to a time that felt more certain and stable, offering a sense of belonging to those who felt adrift in a rapidly changing world. The narrative of a stagnating America , while politically potent, is not supported by the data. The idea that most Americans have suffered a decline in their standard of living is false. The fundamental number to consider is median disposable household income, or the income of the family in the middle. The median is a more accurate measure than the average because it isn't skewed by the extremely high incomes of top earners. According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the median US income in 2021 was the second-highest in the world, behind only Luxembourg. This figure is not static, either, as real median personal income in the US has risen by around 50 per cent since the 1970s.
South China Morning Post
11 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Trump White House debuts TikTok account ahead of possible ban: ‘I am your voice'
The White House launched an official TikTok account on Tuesday, taking advantage of the short video app's more than 170 million US users to spread the messages of President Donald Trump Advertisement Trump has a soft spot for the popular app, crediting it with helping him gain support among young voters when he defeated Democrat Kamala Harris in the November 2024 presidential election The White House's official account comes as a new deadline approaches for its parent company ByteDance to divest from its US operations or face a nationwide blackout in the country. TikTok's algorithm, which decides which videos users see next, is a key point of contention. Critics warn that the Chinese government could use the algorithm to influence public opinion in the US, which TikTok and ByteDance have always denied. Trump has been working on a deal for US investors to buy the app from ByteDance. US President Donald Trump speaks to journalists about TikTok. Photo: TNS The new account, @whitehouse, went live on Tuesday evening with an initial video showing footage of Trump as he declared: 'I am your voice.'
