Qatar soccer federation postpones all matches amid global tensions following the strikes on Iran
Doha (AP): The Qatar soccer federation postponed all tournaments and matches until further notice on Sunday amid global tensions following the U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran.
The QFA did not specifically mention the strikes when it announced the postponements on X, adding only that “new dates for the resumption of competitions will be announced in due course.”
There are disruptions at Qatar's Doha airport as the strikes on Iran affected flights across the Middle East and beyond. Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar closed their airspace on Saturday.
Iranian missiles could be seen being intercepted above Doha on Saturday night and into Sunday morning.
Earlier on Sunday, Asian soccer's governing body postponed continental club championship playoffs scheduled in the Middle East this week, saying AFC Champions League Elite Round of 16 games will be rescheduled.
Formula 1 season approachingThe Formula 1 season is scheduled to start next Sunday in Melbourne, Australia, and then has races in Bahrain on April 12 and Saudi Arabia the following week. The season ends with back-to-back races in Qatar (Nov. 29) and Abu Dhabi (Dec. 6).
With Doha and Dubai traditionally acting as major stopover hubs, teams reportedly had to change their routes to reach Australia.
The U.S. has large military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar.
Bahrain said a missile attack targeted the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet headquarters in the island kingdom, and three buildings were damaged in the capital, Manama.
British forces in Bahrain were within 200 metres of an Iranian missile strike, Britain's Defence Secretary, John Healey, said.
The 24-race F1 season was expected to start as planned.
Four years ago, Houthi rebels attacked an oil depot near the gleaming Saudi F1 track.
Youth basketball team stuck in Abu DhabiMonaco's under-18s basketball team is waiting inside an Abu Dhabi hotel until the airport reopens.
Monaco was taking part in a NextGen EuroLeague qualifying tournament in Abu Dhabi, which has now been canceled.
“EuroLeague got back to us to tell us that the airport is closed until 2 pm on Monday,” Monaco coach Mickaël Pivaud told sports daily L'Équipe. "We're pretty settled in at the hotel, but we can't leave. We went out for three seconds to get some fresh air earlier and it exploded right above us. We didn't hang around and quickly went back inside.”
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Chhattisgarh Vedanta power plant blast: Death toll rises to 20; sixteen workers undergoing treatment
Sakti (Chhattisgarh) (PTI): The death toll in a blast at the Vedanta power plant in Chhattisgarh's Sakti district has mounted to 20 with seven more workers succumbing to injuries, while 16 others are undergoing treatment at different hospitals, officials said on Wednesday.
The deceased include six labourers from West Bengal, five from Chhattisgarh, three each from Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, two from Bihar, and one from Madhya Pradesh.
The opposition Congress has demanded registration of an FIR against the plant management and a judicial inquiry into the incident.
The explosion occurred on Tuesday afternoon in a steel tube carrying high-pressure steam from the boiler to the turbine at the Vedanta Ltd power plant located in Singhitarai village, leaving several workers with severe burn injuries.
According to officials, four workers died on the spot, while nine others succumbed to injuries soon after the incident.
Seven more workers have died in hospitals, raising the toll to 20, Sakti Collector Amrit Vikas Topno told PTI on Wednesday.
He said that a total of 36 workers were affected in the blast, and 20 of them died.
"Of the 16 injured workers, five are undergoing treatment in hospitals in Raipur, while 11 others are in hospitals of Raigarh, the neighbouring district of Sakti," he added.
Topno added that every possible effort was being made to provide the best medical treatment to the injured.
The deceased were identified, and their family members are being contacted. Arrangements have been made to transport the mortal remains to their native villages via ambulance following the postmortem examination and to provide immediate financial assistance, he said.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the families of each deceased worker and Rs 50,000 for those injured.
Vedanta Power has also announced a Rs 35 lakh compensation for the family of each deceased worker, along with employment support.
The company will also provide Rs 15 lakh to each injured person, ensure salary continuation until recovery, and offer counselling support, a statement from the plant management said.
The chief minister has ordered an inquiry by the Commissioner of the Bilaspur division, assuring strict action against the guilty.
He directed officials to ensure free and proper medical treatment for all injured and emphasised that no negligence in their care would be tolerated.
The district administration has also ordered a separate magisterial probe, while the company has initiated its own internal investigation.
Collector Topno has appointed the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Dabhra to conduct the magisterial inquiry.
The SDM has been asked to submit a report within 30 days covering key aspects, including the cause of the accident, whether it was due to technical or human error, and details of safety inspections carried out at the plant.
Meanwhile, the opposition Congress has demanded registration of an FIR against the plant management and a judicial inquiry into the incident.
State Congress communication wing head Sushil Anand Shukla on Wednesday alleged negligence on the plant management's part and accused the government of attempting to shield those responsible.
He also demanded compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of the deceased and Rs 50 lakh for the injured.
The construction of a 1,200 MW coal-based thermal power project (two units of 600 MW each) in Singhitarai, originally owned by Athena Chhattisgarh Power Ltd, started in 2009, but remained stalled between 2016 and 2022.
Vedanta acquired the plant in 2022, after which a 600 MW unit was completed and commissioned in August last year, while the second unit is still under construction.
The deceased have been identified as Amrit Lal Patel, Thanda Ram Lahre, Udhab Singh Yadav, Rameshwar Mahilange, and Nadeem Ansari (all from Chhattisgarh); Susanta Jana, Sheikh Saifuddin, Manas Giri, Kailash Mahto, Shibnath Murmu, and Dipankar Singh (West Bengal), Tarun Kumar Ojha, Abdul Karim and Ashok Parhiya (Jharkhand), Raju Ram, Pappu Kumar and Brijesh Kumar (Uttar Pradesh), Aakib Khan and Ritesh Kumar (Bihar), and Chitranjan Dhulai of Madhya Pradesh, officials said.
