Latest news with #MovenpickHotel
Daily Tribune
25-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Tribune
BAS honours over 160 employees
Bahrain Airport Services (BAS) celebrated the dedication and long-standing commitment of more than 160 employees during its Annual Employee Long Service Award Ceremony. Held on Thursday, 22 May 2025, at the Movenpick Hotel Bahrain, the event was organized to honor employees who had completed 10 to 35 years of service at the organization, demonstrating exceptional loyalty and professionalism in their work. The ceremony was attended by BAS Chief Executive Officer, Eng. Mohamed Khalil Ahmed, along with members of BAS's Trade Union representatives.
The Advertiser
23-05-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
This Middle Eastern destination offers high-speed F1 thrills and desert calm
Condensation drips from my margarita, collecting at its base in a slowly growing puddle. The sun disappeared hours ago, but Bahrain's evening air is thick and sticky, carrying with it the day's residual heat. We're dining poolside at Movenpick Hotel Bahrain, soaking in the lingering warmth, and admiring our prime view. Though the teal of the marshy Dohat Arad Lagoon isn't visible beyond the pool deck at night, it's the view of the giant outdoor LED screen we've come for. On it, the opening credits of the Formula 1 roll as practice session two gets underway. F1 has raced in the tiny Gulf nation for 21 years, Bahrain being the first of any Middle Eastern country to welcome the international sport to its shores. Race weekend in April is a big deal here, and the annual event holds a special place in Bahrainis' hearts.
Mada
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Mada
Hamas cracks down on ‘organized' looting amid surge of thefts, attacks on police as deprivation spikes due to Israeli blockade
As starvation sets into Gaza following over eight weeks of Israel's total blockade on the strip, a spate of organized mass thefts has broken out over recent weeks. Eyewitnesses described assaults across the strip, targeting bakeries, the food stocks of a hotel, a commercial mall and warehouses used by local and international food relief projects, with some observing simultaneous attacks launched by Israeli forces to target Hamas police working to restore security at the sites. They told Mada Masr that the incidents triggered moments of broader social breakdown, as people in the area — many desperate to obtain food or medication amid severe deprivation — seized the opportunity to access scarce goods. The collapse of social order following the incidents is part of Israel's intended effects of prolonging the blockade, creating conditions which it can leverage to introduce alternative supply and distribution lines under its exclusive control, according to Ahmed Tanany, a director of a research center based in Gaza who has been documenting the phenomenon. Israel has already put forward a proposal to control supply in recent days which was condemned by international aid organizations, who have described it as a violation of basic humanitarian principles. The Interior Ministry in Gaza has responded firmly, with a ministry official and a Hamas member both telling Mada Masr that a curfew was imposed across the strip on Sunday and a special force deployed to pursue what they described as organized gangs. **** In eastern Gaza at the Movenpick Hotel, also known as the Mashtal, an eyewitness told Mada Masr that nearly 30 individuals carrying rifles and other types of weapons stormed the premises late one night over last weekend. They started firing shots everywhere, the eyewitness told Mada Masr, forcing the hotel's security personnel to surrender. The eyewitness said the attackers stole food supplies from the hotel's warehouses that had been allocated for a soup kitchen run by the hotel's owner, Palestinian businessman Bashar al-Masry. The robbery escalated when several displaced people sheltering in the neighborhood joined in. Amid the chaos, other parts of the hotel were broken into, with contents, cables and other items stolen and taken away, according to the eyewitness. Another incident took place last week at a soup kitchen in Gaza City affiliated with the Qawafil al-Khair charity organization. Ahmed al-Nemnem, an eyewitness in the area, said that the perpetrators attacked the soup kitchen's warehouse and stole some food supplies, but workers and volunteers at the facility ultimately intervened to interrupt the assault and forced the group to withdraw, managing to safeguard the remaining supplies. Hours later, however, Israeli aircraft launched two attacks on the soup kitchen, killing two of its workers and injuring dozens others. In other looting incidents, Israeli aircraft were present before the robberies even started, according to eyewitnesses and residents of the area. A group of people attempted to attack one of the largest malls in the east of Gaza City over the weekend, according to an eyewitness who lives in the area, who said the attack occurred at the same time as the Occupation was conducting intense air patrols in the vicinity. But the mall was heavily guarded, they recalled, noting that its owner had enlisted a large number of security personnel, including family members, to protect the site. The perpetrators left, the source, who preferred to stay anonymous, said, describing them as shocked by the level of security. But again, shortly afterward, Israeli aircraft launched an attack on the mall, killing and injuring many present at the scene. The original perpetrators returned to loot the whole facility in the aftermath. The source confirmed to Mada Masr that Israeli aircraft, namely drones, directly targeted police officers who were attempting to stop the robbery at the scene. A similar series of events played out at two bakeries and several commercial shops also located in the east of Gaza City late Thursday and Friday night. Groups targeted the Families Bakery, affiliated with the World Food Programme, stealing its remaining stock of flour. They also robbed the Shanty Bakery and a number of nearby shops, shooting at security guards and injuring a number of them. Eyewitnesses said police intervened and pursued the looters but were targeted with airstrikes from Israeli forces. The timing of the Israeli military attacks alongside the looting incidents is one of the reasons some believe the attacks may be coordinated or even supported by Israel. 'The groups seemed organized,' one eyewitness who spoke to Mada Masr on condition of anonymity said, describing them as armed with what he referred to as 'modern weapons.' The 'gangs' were carrying weapons estimated to be worth thousands of dollars, the official at Gaza's Interior Ministry said on condition of anonymity, citing this as evidence that the attacks were coordinated rather than spontaneous. Many members of the ministry have been injured or killed in the violence, whether by armed individuals conducting the thefts or by Israel's simultaneous bombing. Other incidents of theft have prompted more spontaneous moments of social breakdown. A report by Al-Ayyam, whose editor-in-chief is affiliated with Fatah, described thousands of people gathering at the warehouses of several humanitarian organizations over the weekend. The perpetrators are motivated by hunger, according to the report, and are mainly displaced people attempting to secure basic food necessities amid the alarming shortage of supplies. Flour was reportedly the main commodity stolen during these incidents. Similar conditions were described by the United Nations Relieve and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which stated on Wednesday that its staff were safely evacuated after thousands of Palestinians broke into its field office in Gaza City to take medications. A senior emergency officer at the agency called the looting'the direct result of unbearable and prolonged deprivation.' No food, fuel or any other supplies have entered Gaza since March 2, when Israel abandoned the prisoner exchange outlined in the ceasefire deal and imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip to pressure Hamas into releasing the remaining Israeli prisoners. In March, medics recorded tens of thousands of cases of anemia and malnutrition, while 53 people — mostly children — have died of disease or medical complications linked to malnutrition. Food prices have skyrocketed 1400 percent in Gaza since March, according to the World Food Programme, which announced it has completely run out of food stocks. Thousands of people line up daily at local charity kitchens working to try and distribute food to those in need. Regardless of the degree of coordination of the looting, Tanany, who heads the Orouba Center for Research and Strategic Studies, says that they are not isolated incidents. Tanany also documented similar incidents during a period of extreme social unrest earlier in the war, describing the phenomenon as part of Israel's broader strategy. By tightening the siege and drying up resources, Israel aims to create security and social vacuums that would later justify its direct intervention in managing aid and civilian affairs in Gaza, he says. During a surge of similar incidents that took place between the end of 2023 and the first few months of 2024, Occupation forces repeatedly targeted members of the Hamas police, opening up a security vacuum into which different entities entered and began to compete over control of aid delivery and distribution in the strip. At the time, groups of families, often armed with light weapons, carried out robberies that targeted stocks of food and relief supplies. Palestinian factions, clans and families began coordinating with Hamas security officials to restore social order across the strip, forming what they called popular committees. At the same time, rival groups emerged, likewise made up of clans, private companies or political parties alternative to Hamas, some of which were supported by Israel in its efforts to weaken Hamas's influence and gain a stake in controlling the delivery of humanitarian aid. A spate of Israeli attacks simultaneously targeted Hamas police officials directly involved in securing the delivery and distribution of goods. Speaking about the resurgence of similar dynamics amid the ongoing blockade — the longest Gaza's civilians have endured since Israel launched its genocidal war in 2023 — Tanany explains that the Occupation's primary objective is to dismantle the social fabric and instill fear and insecurity throughout the strip. The goal, he adds, is to erode public trust in existing institutions, prompting people to seek 'individual salvation,' even if it means accepting deceptive options presented by the Israeli government as 'safe.' In reality, he concludes, these alternatives are functional administrative bodies designed to serve the interests of the Occupation. Israel announced on Monday that its Cabinet has approved a plan for the military to fully seize Gaza, forcibly displacing the entire population into the southern part of the strip. Israeli authorities have also presented a new plan to control the delivery of humanitarian aid using private security companies along with humanitarian organizations in the strip. The aid would be distributed in specified areas and would require Palestinians to undergo screenings to prevent Hamas from accessing the goods. Only 60 trucks would be inspected and allowed in each day, including essential food and household supplies. These would later be distributed at six designated centers in southern Gaza. Shortly after the announcement, the United Nations, along with other aid groups operating in the strip, rejected the new proposal in a joint statement saying it endangers the lives of civilians and requires their forced displacement, the organizations said, refusing to cooperate with the arrangement. Gaza's government media office also rejected Israel's plan, which it described as an 'entrenchment of the siege and a starvation policy' rather than a mechanism for distributing aid, adding that Israel is using humanitarian assistance as a tool of military and political pressure. Gaza's Interior Ministry also issued a statement over the weekend, condemning the actions of what it called 'agents' of the Israeli occupation looting and stealing goods. Those perpetrating such incidents, the ministry said, are taking advantage of the Occupation's 'intense targeting' of police and security forces and working to spread chaos and terror in several areas of the strip by targeting public and private properties. The ministry official who spoke to Mada Masr said that its new field force is working to pursue the attackers and enforcing a 9 pm curfew until the strip is 'cleansed from these gangs.' The Hamas source said anyone captured by the special force and proven to have collaborated with Israeli forces will be punished according to 'revolutionary law,' with punishments that can include execution. Police officers have already opened fire on those proven to be involved in the thefts, he noted, adding that executions may also be carried out against anyone who is found to have harmed or killed civilians during the robberies.
Express Tribune
01-03-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Consumer confidence shows improvement
Listen to article Ipsos Pakistan unveiled its latest Consumer Confidence Index Survey on Friday at a press conference held at Movenpick Hotel, Islamabad, marking the completion of one year of the current government. The survey provides key insights into how Pakistanis perceive the country's economic trajectory and their own financial well-being. Presenting the findings to an audience of senior journalists, economists, academicians, and representatives from both the public and private sectors, Abdul Sattar Babar, CEO and Managing Director of Ipsos Pakistan, highlighted notable improvements across all key consumer confidence indicators. These include country direction, economic conditions, household purchasing comfort, and investment confidence, all of which have shown positive growth compared to the previous year. Some indicators even recorded their highest-ever positivity levels since Ipsos began tracking consumer confidence in Pakistan. However, despite these improvements, the overall consumer sentiment remains largely negative, reflecting persistent concerns about economic stability and governance. Babar emphasised that while the data suggests visible progress, a majority of Pakistanis still perceive the economy, job security, and overall country direction as weak. He stressed the need for a coordinated and sustained policy effort to further strengthen public confidence. Comparing Pakistan's performance to other nations, Babar noted that the country lags significantly behind India and China in consumer confidence levels but remains ahead of Türkiye. This positioning, he said, highlights the structural economic and governance challenges that require long-term attention. Ipsos conducted the study independently, without external partners or sponsors, ensuring neutrality in its findings. The survey aims to enhance understanding of global and domestic consumer sentiments and their implications.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Deadline Journalist & Film Sales Agent Attacked In Separate Incidents During Berlin Film Festival
A Deadline journalist was physically assaulted yesterday evening [Saturday 15] while attending the Berlin Film Festival. Matt Carey, our Documentary Editor, who is in town to cover and moderate panels for the festival's documentary strand, was kicked and punched repeatedly in an unprovoked attack on Leipziger Strasse, near the Mall Of Berlin and the festival's main hub of Potsdamer Platz. More from Deadline 'Dreams' Review: Jessica Chastain Plays The Ice Princess In Michel Franco's Skewering Of Woke Hypocrisy - Berlin Film Festival 'The Narrow Road to the Deep North' Review: Justin Kurzel's Atmospheric Series Tells An Immersive Story Of Wartime Trauma - Berlin Film Festival Jacob Elordi Talks Extreme Weight Loss On Burma POW Camp Drama 'The Narrow Road To The Deep North': "It Was A Very Calming Experience" Also yesterday evening, at a similar time, a female film sales agent was aggressed by a group of youths while walking through Elise Tilse Park, between the Movenpick Hotel and Hotel London, a few minutes walk from Potsdamer Platz. Matt was on his way to a dinner at around 7.30pm when the attack took place. According to Matt, a group of around 8-10 youths, described as likely in their teens, initially threw a hard, icy snowball at him. When he turned around to ask them to stop, the group rounded on him and began to kick and punch him, forcing him to the floor and damaging his glasses. After the initial attack, Matt crossed the road to a busier part of the street where he noticed a woman had fallen on the ice and was in need of help. As Matt tried to help the woman, members of the group returned, and in a video captured by the public and posted below, one can be seen repeatedly kicking Matt until he is pulled away and chased by members of the public. Little is known about the attackers, though one can be clearly seen in the video. There is no suggestion they are connected to the festival. In the video, one of the group speaks in Arabic, asking his friend to stop kicking our colleague. He also swears in French. Matt, a respected veteran journalist on the documentary scene, was left shaken and bruised (as seen in the two images below) by the incident but didn't need to go to hospital. He filed an online police report last night but has yet to hear from the authorities. We have called the Berlin police office but haven't been able to speak to anyone. The festival has reached out to Matt and told us it is in contact with the police but it's not yet clear whether there is an investigation underway. Festival organizers said: 'Tricia Tuttle and the entire Berlinale team are shocked by the incident that happened to Deadline journalist Matt Carey on the streets of Berlin last night. We are all concerned for his welfare. 'We immediately reached out to Matt personally to offer our undivided support, both personally in what is a very difficult and frightening situation. Our team are in now in touch with the police and will support Matt as he seeks a full and swift investigation by the police.' The international film sales agent, who preferred us not to name her, told us that she was walking with a friend to a work dinner when she was hit on the side of the head by an icy snowball, which cut her ear. The group of 6-8 youths then walked towards her in what she describes as a menacing fashion, hurling more snowballs. Most of the group had covered faces, some wore balaclavas. The executive was unable to run due to a prior injury so crouched down and began to scream, as did her friend, who also tried to film the incident. She says the group were holding bottles and insulted and threatened them in English. Once the executives told the group they were calling the police they moved away. The film exec detailed what happened to local police who came to her hotel. The police noted that there have been other incidents in the area and that the park was a blindspot from cameras. It's unclear whether the two incidents we've reported on above were carried out by the same group. At Deadline, this is the first instance we've heard of delegates being attacked during the Berlin Film Festival. There have been multiple examples of crime reported during the Cannes Film Festival in the past. According to the Berlin police website, if anyone encounters violence in the city they should 'stay alert, not react to provocation, walk away, draw attention to your situation by using your voice, ask for help, approach bystanders, and always call the police emergency number 110.' Best of Deadline How To Watch The 'SNL50' Anniversary Concert And Three-Hour Special This Weekend Everything We Know About Christopher Nolan's Next Film – 'The Odyssey': Release Date, Cast And More 'Bridgerton' Season 4: Everything We Know So Far
