Qatar farm starts harvesting saffron for first time

A Qatar farm has started harvesting saffron for the first time in the country and is eyeing 25 percent local market share.

Jaber Al Mansouri, owner of Saffron Qatar

Saffron Qatar, located in Um Lushoosh, North of Qatar, marked the opening of the harvest season today and was attended by officials from Ministry of Municipality and Environment, Qatar Chamber and Hassad Food.

“We are very happy to inaugurate the first farm in Qatar that produces saffron, as these plants are usually found in Iran, Morocco, Afghanistan, Spain and other countries. Today we celebrate the inauguration of the farm,” Jaber Al Mansouri, the owner of the farm, said.

The farm uses latest technologies for cultivating saffron like hydroponic - soilless – and also using soil in special containers.

“We want to expand the project to increase the produce to supply to the local market as a Qatari product. We expect to meet 25% of Qatar market needs,” Al Mansouri added.

(Source: The Peninsula)

Truly down-to-earth and humble, Brad Pitt personally delivered groceries to low-income families

Brad Pitt may be an A-list actor, one of the most recognized celebrities across the world, and a pretty big deal no matter where he goes but today he has proved is a man with a heart of gold. 

Last week, Brad Pitt was spotted personally delivering and distributing groceries to countless people so that they can get a meal on the table for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Because of his attitude and just how casually he was dressed, most people had no idea that they were actually getting their groceries from THE Brad Pitt. 

An eye-witness who is supremely impressed to see Brad Pitt doing this work and not just pay countless people to do it was remarkable. 

Brad Pitt distributing groceries / Daily Mail

"Brad really did seem like a hero, the man did not stop all day.  He was completely committed, you could see it wasn't a case of him turning up and showing his face. He had his gloves on and he was involved as much and probably more than anyone else there. His heart was in it and it was just a hats-off moment," the eyewitness told Daily Mail. 

Another source was equally excited to see the Oscar-winner doing this extra-ordinary charitable work for absolutely nothing in return. 

“It was Brad Pitt like you've never seen him, with his guard totally down, laughing, joking and chatting” and he “didn't seem to have a care in the world," another eyewitness told Daily Mail. 

Are Indian celebrities except for Sonu Sood taking note?

(Source: India Times)

Mahatma Gandhi's great-grandson Satish Dhupelia dies of COVID-19 in South Africa

 Satish Dhupelia's sister Uma Dhupelia-Mesthrie confirmed that her brother had died of COVID-19 related complications after he contracted the disease in hospital.

Satish Dhupelia, the South African great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, succumbed to COVID-19 complications here on Sunday, three days after his 66th birthday, a family member said.

Dhupelia's sister Uma Dhupelia-Mesthrie confirmed that her brother had died of COVID-19 related complications after he contracted the disease in hospital where he had been under treatment for a month due to pneumonia.

"My beloved brother has passed on after a month of illness with pneumonia, a superbug contracted in hospital and then COVID-19 also contracted while he was being treated. He suffered a major cardiac arrest this evening," Uma said in a social media post.

Satish Dhupelia, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, succumbed to COVID-19. (Photo | Facebook saindians)

Besides Uma, Dhupelia leaves back another sister, Kirti Menon, who lives in Johannesburg, where she is active in various projects honouring the memory of Gandhi.

The three siblings are descendants of Manilal Gandhi, who Mahatma Gandhi left behind in South Africa to continue his work after he returned to India after spending two decades.

Dhupelia, who spent most of his life in media, especially as a videographer and photographer, was also very active in assisting the Gandhi Development Trust to continue the work started by the Mahatma at the Phoenix Settlement near Durban.

He was renowned for assisting the needy in all communities and was active in a number of social welfare organisations.

Tributes poured in from his friends and dear ones.

“I am in shock. Satish was a great humanitarian and activist,” Politican analyst Lubna Nadvi said.

"He was also a great friend of the Advice Desk for Abused Women, and always assisted the organisation in whichever way he could,” Nadvi added.

Dhupelia was also a member of the Board of the 1860 Heritage Foundation, which on Monday November 16 commemorated the arrival of the first indentured labourers from India to work on the sugar cane fields of Durban.

On the day, in one of his last Facebook posts for which Dhupelia was renowned, especially for his humour, he wrote: “Let us also not forget that we still need to stand together to achieve our final goals of equality for all and an eradication of poverty”.

Funeral arrangements of Dhupella have not been announced yet.

(Source: TNIE)

10 years of moon pics: NASA explains why moon shines in red, blue and even purple

Moon has since forever been the most beautiful jewel of the night sky on Earth. The planet’s constant companion undergoes a cyclic change in its appearance, all thanks to the periodic reflection of light of the Sun. 

This change in shape, however, is not the only different form that the moon takes in the night sky.

As you might have noticed, the moon has lately been observing a completely different colour than its usual grey. This, however, is not the only colour change that the moon displays. In fact, an astrophotographer has managed to capture the various shades of moon experienced by the observers on Earth over the last 10 years. NASA now clears that these changes in colour shades are caused by the Earth’s atmosphere.

Moon

In a recent post shared by the US space agency, a picture depicts the several shades of the moon, ranging from Purple to Red and even Blue. In the post, NASA says that although the moon appears to be “brown-tinged gray” from space, Earth’s atmosphere can have varying effects on the same, making the moon appear different from its real colour.

At times, it appears red, as NASA explains that “a red or yellow colored moon usually indicates a moon seen near the horizon.” This is because the blue light gets scattered over the long distance it takes for the moonlight to reach from the horizon to Earth’s surface, thanks to the atmospheric particles on the way, including dust.

The rare Blue moon, on the other hand, lights up the night sky when there are larger dust particles present in the atmosphere. This means that light from the Blue spectrum can reach the surface without getting dispersed on the way.

It is yet unclear as to how the moon turns Purple but NASA guesses that it should be “a combination of several effects.”

Different shades of the Moon (Image: Marcella Giulia Pace)

Among the collection, the last image portrays the total lunar eclipse of 2018 July. During the eclipse, the moon which was covered in the Earth's shadow, appears to be a faint red. The reason for this is cited to be the “light refracted through air around the Earth.”

The images have been collated by Marcella Giulia Pace, a primary school teacher and an astrophotography enthusiast in Italy. It took Pace 10 years to capture all the shades of the moon as seen in the image.

In its post, NASA explains that the next full moon, known by some as the Beaver Moon, will occur at the end of this month until it goes back to its new moon stage by the middle of December.

(Source: India Times)

Two years to go: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 countdown draws closer

Saturday, 21 November, marks exactly two years until the next and ground-breaking edition of the FIFA World Cup. The compact nature, modern landscape and fascinating culture offered by the first edition of the event to be held in the Middle East and Arab world will guarantee a unique experience in 2022. Among the many distinctive features, travelling fans will have the opportunity to potentially attend more than one match a day during the group stage, which will feature an exciting schedule with four daily fixtures, as announced earlier this year. 

Khalifa International Stadium

Infrastructure planned for the event has reached 90% completion, with the three stadiums that have already been finalised – Khalifa International, Al Janoub and Education City – safely hosting more than 100 matches in 2020 in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic. Three more tournament venues are in the final stages of construction: Al Rayyan, Al Bayt and Al Thumama. The main works at the remaining two stadiums – Ras Abu Aboud and Lusail – are set to be completed in 2021. 

Education City Stadium

Countrywide infrastructure is also being delivered at a rapid pace, including the state-of-the-art Doha Metro – which was successfully utilised by fans during the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2019 – new roads and the expansion of Hamad International Airport, which is planned to cater for more than 50 million visitors a year by 2022. 

“2020 has surely been a challenging year for the entire world, and football was no exception. Despite the difficulties, steady progress was made in the last few months, showing yet again Qatar’s strong and continued commitment – under the leadership of the Amir, whom I personally thank – to hosting an unforgettable FIFA World Cup in two years’ time, which will no doubt build a legacy long beyond 2022,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. 

Khalifa International Stadium

“Besides the very important labour reforms recently announced by the government, progress has also been made on stadium construction, along with the implementation of strict measures to protect workers’ health. During my short visit to Doha a few weeks ago, I witnessed first-hand how well preparations have advanced, and I am looking forward with confidence to Qatar 2022, for the transformative impact it is already having on the country and the region, for the unique experience it will provide fans from all over the world and, of course, for witnessing the best World Cup ever.” 

Al Janoub Stadium

H.E. Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, added: “We are immensely proud of the progress we have made over the last ten years. Both tournament and national infrastructure projects are well advanced, with everything on track to be completed well ahead of the big kick-off. Our legacy projects, meanwhile, are already having an impact on people’s lives in areas such as workers’ rights, education and entrepreneurship.” 

“This is an incredibly important FIFA World Cup – for Qatar, the region and the world. Qatar 2022 will introduce billions of people to the Middle East and Arab world for the first time, and help to foster a greater understanding and break down stereotypes that people may have of our country and region. We’re very excited to welcome the world in 2022.” 

Al Bayt Stadium 

Qatar will host the most compact version of the FIFA World Cup in modern times. All the stadiums are in close proximity to one another and will be linked by an ultra-modern transport infrastructure, meaning short travel times for fans, players and media. Visitors will be able to stay in one location throughout the tournament and will not be required to take any internal flights. The longest distance between stadiums is 75km (Al Bayt to Al Janoub), while the shortest is just 5km (Education City to Al Rayyan). 

In July, it was confirmed that the opening match would take place at the stunning Al Bayt Stadium, a 60,000-capacity venue designed to resemble a traditional tent used in the Arab world. The final will be staged at the 80,000-capacity Lusail Stadium on 18 December 2022 – Qatar National Day, which is a public holiday.  

(Source: The Peninsula)