The US ambassador to Qatar said yesterday he was optimistic a branch of the Washington-based American Chamber of Commerce will open in Doha soon. “It will start a new chapter in the trade relationship between Qatar and the US,” the envoy said in remarks to this newspaper.

NEW YORK: The price of oil struck a one year-high above $78 thanks to the weak US dollar and signs of a pick-up in energy demand, traders said. New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for November delivery, hit $78.17 a barrel on Friday — the highest level since October 14, 2008. “Markets could well test 80 dollars but in our opinion a correction next week is the likely scenario to back below $75 and even to the low $70s,” said Sucden Financial Research analyst Nimit Khamar. AFP

Some private schools will have a shorter winter holiday this year due to the delayed reopening after the summer break.

The public apprehensions about possible side effects of the H1N1 vaccine were reflected in a survey conducted by a local Arabic daily, with a majority of the participants saying that they would not go for the vaccination.

With a large number of residential projects scheduled to be completed within a year, the proportion of vacant buildings in the residential sector would cross the 10 percent mark in Qatar in 2010. The rents of commercial buildings, meanwhile, would bottom out next year, according to a real estate market survey.

A criminal court here is hearing a case in which 11 Arab expatriates are accused of circulating fake Qatari currency.

ictQATAR Secretary General, Dr. Hessa Al Jaber, led Qatar's official delegation to participating in the 11th ITU TELECOM WORLD 2009 in Geneva. TELCOM WORLD, is one of the leading events in the global telecommunication and information communication technology (ICT) sector, with attendees from around the globe attending the opening on October 5th.

The weather in Qatar will be relatively hot with slight haze.

The weather in Qatar will be relatively hot by the day with slight haze and some scattered clouds at times.

Tickets for the Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF) will go on sale on October 16 at venues throughout the city and online at www.dohatribecafilm.com.