allowing sons of expats to work without change in …...2019/10/10 · the proposals include...

Volume 24 | Number 8040 | 2 RiyalsThursday 10 October 2019 | 11 Safar 1441 www.thepeninsula.qa

BUSINESS | 01 SPORT | 12

Qatar eye win against hosts Bangladesh

Sheikh Dr. Khalid chosen as ‘Islamic

Finance Personality of the Year 2019’

Allowing sons of expats to work without change in sponsorship proposedSIDI MOHAMED THE PENINSULA

The Ministry of Interior (MoI) and the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs (MADLSA) yesterday announced three proposals to be implemented soon.

The proposals include per-mission for sons of expatriates to work without changing their family sponsorship, temporary work visas up-to 6 months and 20 percent reduction in the fees for MoI online services.

“The proposal to allow sons of expatriate residents to work in private sector without changing their sponsorship was studied and decided to take leg-islative measures and waiting its approval,” said Director General of Passports Major General Mohammad Ahmed Al Ateeq.

This statement came during a press conference held at Civil Defence Club on proposed changes in some laws regulating expatriate workers and labour market.

As per the current system, only daughters are allowed to work

without changing sponsorship. As per the new proposal, all members of the family will be allowed to work without changing their family sponsorship but after obtaining necessary approval.

The press conference was attended by Assistant Under-sec-retary for Labour Affairs at MADLSA, Mohammed Hasan Al Obaidly, and Assistant Director of Legal Affairs Department, Lieutenant Col Ahmed Abdullah Al Haremi.

Regarding the 20 percent reduction in the fees for MoI online services, Al Ateeq said that it came within the framework of the MoI policy to achieve its vision as a paperless ministry through the use of electronic systems and the sub-mission of applications through it.

Based on the directives of Prime Minister and Interior Min-ister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, the proposal came to encourage and urge companies and individual to use electronic transactions.

Al Ateeq has also announced a proposal to introduce a new temporary work visa system for some professions and jobs in

order to accommodate the need of the labour market and create a suitable environment for domestic and foreign investment.

These visas will be granted to private companies, commercial establishments and other licensed entities in the country to perform

some emergency, temporary or seasonal work that requires the workforce for a specific period.�P2

Qatar officially receives flag of organising InternationalHorticultural Expo Doha 2021QNA BEIJING

The State of Qatar has offi-cially received the flag of organizing the International Horticultural Expo Doha 2021 from the People’s Republic of China, the host country of the current edition.

Minister of Municipality and Environment H E Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie received the flag during a big ceremony held to mark the conclusion of the Expo Beijing 2019.

The event was attended by Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China Li Keqiang, and a number of heads of partici-pating governments, senior officials, representatives of the

International Bureau of Exhi-bitions (BIE), the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) and com-missioners of the pavilions.

Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), H E Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subei expressed his happiness over officially receiving the flag of the organization of Expo Doha 2021, stressing that the confidence in the State of Qatar’s organisation of such an event comes as a continuation of the achieve-ments and successes achieved by the State in all fields and various levels at home and abroad as well as in interna-tional forums under the wise leadership of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. �P3

Kazakhstan exempts Qataris from entry visaQNA/DOHA

An official source from the Department of Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the authorities in Kazakhstan decided to exempt the citizens of the State of Qatar from obtaining entry visa as of September 30th, and that Qatari nationals can stay in the Kazakh territories for a period of 30 days.

QITCOM 2019 expected to receive over 30,000 visitorsSACHIN KUMAR THE PENINSULA

Over 30,000 visitors, 300 exhib-itors and 100 experts across the world are expected to participate in Qatar IT Conference and Exhi-bition (QITCOM 2019), Qatar’s biggest information and commu-nication technology event, set to begin from October 29 at Qatar National Convention Center.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC), yesterday announced the key sponsors for the four-day long QITCOM 2019 which will be held under the theme of ‘Safe, Smart Cities’.

“We are proud to announce that QITCOM 2019 is being sponsored by 28 local, regional and international companies

and entities, that we, QITCOM, appreciate their support in building a knowledge-sharing platform for local and global technology experts in order to reach our goal, Smart Qatar,” said Reem Al Mansoori, Assistant Under-secretary for the Digital Society Development sector at the press conference, held yesterday at the St. Regis Hotel.

“Qatar is at the front lines of a global transformation towards ‘Safe, Smart Cities’ and we have been investing heavily in emerging technologies to build safer, smarter cities. Our sponsors will help enhance the status of QITCOM as a global platform for the discussion of new ideas and trends in the digital world, as well as policies

that will enhance Qatar’s status as a vibrant digital society,” she added.

The strategic sponsors for QITCOM 2019 are Qatar Free Zones Authority, Ooredoo and Qatar National Bank, while the Mwani Qatar, Supreme Com-mittee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), Microsoft, Qatar Rail Cor-poration, Hamad International Airport (HIA), and Vodafone Qatar are the official sponsors. Qatar Airways is the sponsor of the Gala Dinner and the Qatar Digital Business Awards.

Other sponsors include Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), MEEZA, IBM, Dell Technologies, Intel, Malomatia, GBM, Huawei and, SAP, Milaha as Pearl sponsors. Mowasalat, Cisco and Al Mannai Corporation are Gold

sponsors, while Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Q-Terminals, BI.Zone, Qatar Development Bank (QDB), Deloitte and Thales are silver sponsors.

Featuring over 100 startups and 300 innovators and entre-preneurs, QITCOM 2019 will be a one-stop-shop for participants to showcase disruptive smart technologies and exchange next-generation knowledge.

Occupying up to 25,000sqm of space, QITCOM 2019 will enable participants to review the latest smart technology solutions and share knowledge.

It also has a range of activ-ities and events to support entre-preneurship and innovation in the Entrepreneurship Zone including five key platforms that

combine diverse digital sectors: Star-tup Hub, CodeCamp, Make the Deal, IdeaCamp and Inno-vation Theatre.

Eng. Khalid Al Hashmi, Assistant Under-secretary of Cyber Security at MoTC; Salem Al Naimi, Assistant General Manager of Public Relations Group Communications at Qatar National Bank; Fahad Ismail Zainal, Chief Corporate Services Officer at Qatar Free Zone Authority; Manar Khalifa Al Muraikhi, Director PR and Cor-porate Communications at Ooredoo Qatar; and Mubarak Al Kuwari, Acting Executive Director of the Permanent Com-mittee for Organising Confer-ences at Ministry of Foreign Affairs were also present during the press conference. �P4

Allowing the sons of residents to work in the private sector without changing their sponsorship

New proposalsReduced fee by 20% for all online transactions

Temporary work visas will be granted to private companies, commercial establishments and other licensed entities in the country to perform some emergency, temporary or seasonal work that requires the workforce for a specific period, season or occasion.

Temporary work

visas valid for one

month will be

charged QR300

Temporary work

visas valid for two

months will be

charged QR500

For six months

will be charged

QR200

monthly

300 500 200

Minister of Municipality and Environment H E Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie during the flag handover ceremony in Beijing, yesterday.

QNA/REUTERS DOHA

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani held a tele-phone conversation with President of the Republic of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, last evening.

During the phone call, they reviewed the strategic relations between the two brotherly countries and ways of promoting and enhancing them, as well as the latest regional and inter-national developments, in particular the recent devel-opments in Syria.

Earlier, Erdogan, announcing the start of the Syria action, said the aim was to eliminate a “terror corridor” on Turkey’s southern border.

Turkey had been poised to enter northeast Syria since US troops, who had been fighting with the Kurds against Islamic State, started to leave the area in an abrupt policy shift by US President Donald Trump.

Amir holds phone call with Turkish President

Qatar affirms readiness to support SudanQNA/KHARTOUM

Qatar has affirmed its readiness to provide all it can to support and assist the government and people of Sudan and to use its regional and international rela-tions to provide all assistance for peace, stability and security in Sudan

The Minister of Foreign Affairs’ Special Envoy for Coun-terterrorism and Mediation in Conflict Resolution H E Dr. Mutlaq bin Majed Al Qahtani said in a press conference fol-lowing his meeting with General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, Member of the Transi-tional Sovereign Council of Sudan, yesterday in Khartoum that Sudan is facing major chal-lenges, most important of which are stopping the war and achieving peace and stability.

He noted that Sudan needs to address the root causes of the conflict, tackle issues of dis-placed people and refugees, compensation for the damage inflicted on them by wars, rehabilitate and reintegrate fighters, as well as accumu-lation of foreign debt on Sudan.

02 THURSDAY 10 OCTOBER 2019HOME

Shura Council to take part in parliamentary meet in FranceDOHA: The Shura Council

will participate in a joint con-

ference of the Parliamentary

Assembly of the Mediterra-

nean and the Parliamentary

Assembly of the Council of

Europe to be held today and

tomorrow in the French city

of Strasbourg under the title

‘combating terrorism and

new technology: from pre-

vention to prosecution at

national and international

levels and the need to sup-

port parliamentarians’. QNA

OFFICIAL NEWS

Qatar participates in GCC Culture Undersecretaries meetMUSCAT: The GCC Culture

Undersecretaries held a pre-

paratory meeting in Muscat

yesterday, ahead of the meet-

ing of Their Highnesses and

Excellencies the Ministers of

Culture of the GCC countries,

due to be held today. The

Adviser to the Minister of Cul-

ture and Sports, Faleh Al Ajlan

Al Hajri, represented Qatar.

The meeting reviewed cultural

topics, , the establishment

of a translation and Arabiza-

tion center, and promoting the

cooperation with countries

and cultural institutions. QNA

Qatari-French Joint Higher Military Committee’s strategic seminar opensQNA DOHA

Under the patronage of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs, H E Dr. Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah, and in the presence of the Chief of Staff of the Qatari Armed Forces, H E Lieutenant-General (Pilot) Ghanem bin Shaheen Al Ghanem, the first strategic seminar opened yesterday within the framework of the

Qatari-French Joint Higher Military Committee activities for 2019. It is in coordination and partnership with the Directorate General for International Rela-tions and Strategy (DGRIS).

In his opening speech, Director of the Directorate of International Studies Brigadier (pilot) Rashid Hamad Al Naimi said that this seminar is a cor-nerstone for the development of a long-term strategic relations between the two countries and

that it contributes to the pro-motion of bilateral interactions between the two military insti-tutions. He added that the stra-tegic intellectual consensus between Qatar and France, especially on regional issues, will serve the strategic and security environment in the region in a way that promotes security and prosperity. The seminar was attended by a number of senior officers of the Qatari Armed Forces.

Justice Minister meets Tajik General Prosecutor

The Minister of Justice and Acting Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, H E Dr. Issa bin Saad Al Jafali Al Nuaimi, met here yesterday with the General Prosecutor of the Republic of Tajikistan, Rahmon Yusuf Ahmadzod. During the meeting, they reviewed areas of cooperation between Qatar and Tajikistan in various legal fields, in addition to the exchange of judicial expertise in training and rehabilitation, in addition to a number of issues of common interest.

Qatar takes part in Education Ministers meeting in Muscat MUSCAT: Qatar participated

in the ninth Consultative Meet-

ing of Ministers of Education in

the Arab Bureau of Education

for the Gulf States, in Muscat.

The delegation was headed

by the Minister of Education

and Higher Education, H E Dr.

Mohammed Abdul Wahed Al

Hammadi. QNA

Allowing sons of expats to work without change in sponsorship proposed

FROM PAGE 1As per the proposal, these

visas will be issued by MoI Qatar after the approval by the MADLSA while all required pro-cedures are carried out through Qatar Visa Centres abroad or soon they arrive in the country.

Temporary work visa valid for one month will be charged QR300 and for two months QR500. Visas valid from three to six months will be charged QR200 each month.

Al Obaidly said that the new proposal will bring positive results in labour market and benefit Qatari citizens and res-idents alike to take advantage of this untapped workforce.

He pointed out that the new proposal aims to benefit from the existing labour rather than bring new workers.

It also will reduce recruitment of marginal labour surplus than required by the labour market, reduce the costs of recruitment and housing

expenses for the employer, achieving the desired benefit from the their familiarity with the customs and traditions of the Qatari society.

Commenting on the pro-posal related to allowing sons of expatriates to work without changing their family spon-sorship, Al Obaidly explained that instead of companies bringing new workers and bearing costs of tickets, they can benefit from the existing labor in the country.

Also, it will help these fam-ilies to find additional income. Lt. Col. Ahmed Abdullah Al Haremi, Assistant Director of Legal Affairs, said that the pro-posals that have been studied need amendments in related legislative tools governing these categories. “Work is underway to prepare and amend the leg-islation and submit it to the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers to complete its legislative procedures.”

The Assistant Under-Secretary for Labour Affairs at MADLSA, Mohammed Hasan Al Obaidly, and Director-General of Passports, Major General Mohammad Ahmed Al Ateeq.

03THURSDAY 10 OCTOBER 2019 HOME

Qatar’s sustainable development efforts lauded QNA BEIJING

The Acting Secretary-General of Expo Doha 2021, Engr. Jamal Sherida Al Kaabi, has said that Qatar’s success in Expo Beijing 2019 is the result of the efforts and aspirations made by the State of Qatar to create more sustainable development, preserve the environment and enhance efforts in this area, adding it proved the excellence of the State in all its international participations and its achievement of prestigious posi-tions as a result of its contribu-tions to international forums.

In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Eng Al Kaabi said that the efforts exerted by the Ministry of Municipality and Environment and the pavilion’s organising committee resulted in this win, and introduced the world to Qatar’s efforts in the field of horticulture, agriculture and environmental conservation as well as to Qatar’s history and heritage. Through its partici-pation, Qatar has also gained experience and developed pro-posals to host the event in Doha 2021, he said.

Qatar’s hosting of the Expo 2021, which will open in October 2021 and last for 155 days, is part of the Qatar National Vision 2030 and would contribute to the achievement of its economic, social and environmental pillars, he said, adding the hosting will provide pivotal grounds for potential investments in inno-vative agricultural technologies, while the exhibition will promote global environmental awareness and support efforts

to transform drylands into agri-cultural areas.

On the challenges facing Qatar to host the International Horticultural Exhibition Doha 2021 (Expo Doha 2021), he said that the time factor is the most important challenges, stressing that this challenge necessitates more efforts to prepare the venue for this huge event, in addition to coordinating daily and weekly events suitable for visitors who will attend from different countries of the world.

He added, “We have two years to complete all the projects and preparations associated with hosting the Expo Doha 2021, in addition to the imple-mentation of all the require-ments set by the International Bureau of Exhibitions (BIE), and the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH).”

Apart from 80 countries, the Expo Doha will host exhibitors and companies that contribute to the development of solutions in the field of horticulture and agricultural solutions and con-servation of the environment, he added.

AIPH Secretary-General praises Qatar’s participation in expo QNA/BEIJING

The Secretary-General of the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH), Tim Briercliffe, praised Qatar’s participation in the Expo Beijing 2019 and pointed out that Qatar’s Pavilion won the two awards with great merit.

In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Briercliffe said that the Qatar Pavilion was distinctive and exceeded expec-tations, and that it was unique compared to the other pavilions that were participating in the distinctive activities and events, adding that this reflects the State of Qatar’s efforts in the field of agriculture and horti-culture, and the elimination of

desertification and increasing green areas. The Secretary-General appreciated the efforts of the organizing committee of the Qatar Pavilion, noting that they are very serious and significant.

He pointed out that the pavilion showcased plants and trees grown in the Qatari envi-ronment, and efforts for affor-estation and preservation of the environment and combating desertification, whether by modern technology and scien-tific creativity or by traditional methods, in addition to the out-standing efforts to achieve food security for future generations. On the readiness of Qatar to host the Horticultural Expo 2021 in Doha, the Secretary-General

said that he expects the hosting to be outstanding, and Expo Doha will be a strong and global figure which will demonstrate Qatar’s ability to transfer knowledge in agriculture, hor-ticulture and desertification control to future generations.

He noted that the theme of Expo Doha 2021 ‘Green Desert, Better Environment’ is a chal-lenge and an opportunity for Qatar to attain promising achievements in the field of green development. He added that he expects Expo Doha 2021 to be a success and that AIPH is in close contact and cooper-ation with all relevant entities and institutions, and that they are looking forward to what Qatar will offer in 2021.

Qatar receives International Horticultural Expo flag

FROM PAGE 1H E the Minister thanked the BIE

and the AIPH for their confidence in Qatar’s organization of the Expo. He also thanked China for the well organ-isation of Expo Beijing, which was a great success and attracted a huge number of visitors. He explained that Qatar’s hosting of the Expo Doha 2021 stems from its support for a greener and sustainable environment through its relentless endeavour to preserve the environment, and its acknowl-edgement that climate, water and soil are indispensable resources, which are threatened and depleted.

“Our goal is to enhance interna-tional cooperation in environmental and cultural issues and to address the global common challenge of climate issues,” His Excellency said, stressing keenness on paving the way for the international exchange of innovation and modern technology to facilitate global transformation into greener cities. He pointed out that Qatar is the first country with a desert climate in the Middle East and North Africa to host the Expo, expecting that this hosting in this climate will have a pro-found impact on the experience of Qatar and even on the Gulf States,, especially with the growing interna-tional awareness in relation to global warming and global climate change.

The Expo Doha 2021 will be held from October 2021 to March 2022 under the title “Green Desert, a Better Environment”. It is expected to attract three million visitors from more than 80 countries and will be held in Al Bidda Park. The Expo aims to inspire and inform people about innovative solutions and reduce desertification, and will support the themes of modern agriculture, technology and inno-vation, environmental awareness and sustainability and to host the first hor-ticultural exhibition in a desert climate region.

The Minister of Municipality and Environment, H E Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie, met yesterday with the President of the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH), Bernard Oosterom, and the AIPH Secretary-General, Tim Briercliffe. During the meeting, Bernard and Briercliffe congratulated H E the Minister on Qatar Pavilion’s winning of the association’s grand award and the grand award of Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition (Expo Beijing 2019), wishing Qatar success in hosting the International Horticultural Expo Doha 2021.

Al Subaie meets President of AIPH

Qatar’s hosting of the Expo 2021, which will open in October 2021 and last for 155 days, is part of the Qatar National Vision 2030 and would contribute to the achievement of its economic, social and environmental pillars.


Action plan on combating illegal ivory trade discussed

QNA/DOHA

The Ministry of Municipality and Envi-ronment’s Department of Protection and Wildlife held yesterday a coordi-nation meeting to discuss Qatar’s national action plan on combating illegal trade in ivory, and the progress made in implementing the plan’s provisions. The meeting was attended by a number of authorities in the State. The meeting reviewed the work done

since the implementation of the plan and some models in this regard and listened to various opinions and observations on the implementation of the plan which it discussed with the competent authorities. It was agreed that another meeting will be held at the beginning of December to follow up on the recommendations. In April 2018, Qatar developed a national action plan to combat the illegal trade in ivory.

Ooredoo announces Strategic Sponsorship of QITCOM 2019THE PENINSULA/DOHA

Ooredoo, the region’s leading enabler of digital business inno-vation, yesterday announced at it will be the Strategic Sponsor for Qatar IT Conference and Exhibition (QITCOM) 2019.

The event is Qatar’s biggest digital event, bringing together a diverse ecosystem of stake-holders from the technology sector to exchange ideas, best practices and experience in order to progress towards achieving the aim of a Safe Smart Qatar, in line with the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030 to

build a knowledge-based, tech-nology-driven economy.

Ooredoo will be showcasing its latest ICT digital solutions for Smart Cities at the event, as well as highlighting advancements in existing portfolios.

Solutions on show will include Internet of Things and Managed Security for a range of industries, such as transport, logistics, environment, agri-culture, and sports.

Speaking of the sponsorship, Manar Khalifa Al Muraikhi, Director of PR and Corporate Communications, Ooredoo Qatar, said: “We’re proud to be

supporting one of the biggest digital events in the region, bringing together industry experts and stakeholders from the technology sector with the aim of advancing digitalisation and working towards creating Safe Smart Cities in Qatar. Sup-porting such events is an integral part of our strategy, as well as a key element of our business development plan. The event will be a prime opportunity for us to showcase Ooredoo’s con-tribution to this progress and to Qatar National Vision 2030, and we’re looking forward to a suc-cessful event for all.”

NCIHL signs MoU with Jordanian counterpartQNA DOHA

The National Committee for International Humanitarian Law (NCIHL) of the Ministry of Justice signed yesterday a Memorandum of Under-standing (MoU) with the National Committee for Inter-national Humanitarian Law in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for optimal application of the rules of international humanitarian law and promotion of legal cooperation between Qatar and Jordan, including the exchange of expe-riences between the specialized committees of the two coun-tries. The MoU was signed by Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Justice and President of the National Committee for Inter-national Humanitarian Law, Sultan bin Abdullah Al Suwaidi, and Chairman of the National Committee for International Humanitarian Law in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Mamoun Al Khasawneh.

The MoU aims to ensure the optimal enforcement of inter-national humanitarian law by raising legal awareness about it. The MoU also affirms the Committees’ keenness to ensure respect for international humanitarian law and to broaden its understanding at the national level.

SJC Chairman meets Tajik General Prosecutor

The Chairman of the Supreme Judiciary Council (SJC) and the President of the Court of Cassation, H E Dr. Hassan bin Lahdan Al Mohannadi, met yesterday with the General Prosecutor of the Republic of Tajikistan, Rahmon Yusuf Ahmadzod, and his accompanying delegation, currently visiting the country. During the meeting, they discussed topics of mutual interest and ways of enhancing legal and judicial cooperation between the two sides.

Draft Decision specifies parking space for trucks and tractorsQNA DOHA

The Cabinet which met yesterday with Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani in the chair approved a Draft Decision by the Minister of Interior to specify parking places for trucks, tractors, trailers and semi-trailers.

The draft decision aims to maintain public order, not to use public roads or empty lands without regulation to provide services in a manner that distorts the public land-scape and obstructs the flow of traffic and to identify special parking places for such vehicles.

It is based on Article 78 - bis on Law no. 19 of 2007 regarding the Traffic Law which states that Trucks, tractors, trailers and semi-trailers, as specified by a decision by the Minister, are prohibited from parking in places other than those authorized by Ministerial decision, in conjunction with the competent authorities.

The Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani chaired yes-terday the Cabinet’s regular weekly meeting at its Amiri Diwan premises. The Minister of Justice and Acting Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, H

E Dr. Issa bin Saad Al Jafali Al Nuaimi, said that the Cabinet reviewed topics on its meet-ing’s agenda.

The Cabinet approved a Draft Law amending some provisions of Law No. 2 of 2011 on official statistics. The draft law includes the amendment of some of the provisions of the referred law to comply with the provisions of the Amiri Decision No. 70 of 2018 on the establishment of the Planning and Statistics Authority, and to provide the necessary requirements for the success of statistical operations.

The Cabinet also approved a Draft Decision by the Minister of Interior to amend some provisions of Decision No. 7 of 2012 on determining private security services and licensing con-trols for private security services companies and on regulating their work. The amendment aims to codify the services providing by private security services companies in guarding and the protection of ships.

The Cabinet approved a Draft Decision by the Minister of Commerce and Industry to amend some provisions of the decision of the Minister of Economy and Trade No. 161 of 2017 on the general and special requirements to be met in commercial, industrial and similar public shops.

The Draft Decision includes the addition of some requirements that car wash shops in public and private parking must follow.

The Cabinet also approved the entry into force of the provisions of Law No 24 of 2002 on Retirement and Pensions for Qatari Employees at Rheinmetall Barzan for Advanced Technologies.

Moreover, the Cabinet took the necessary measures for the ratification of the Arab Convention on regulating the transplantation of human organs and tissue and pre-venting and combating their trafficking, the Arab Con-vention for the Prevention and Combating of Human Cloning, the Arab Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, espe-cially Women and Children (supplementing the Arab Convention against Transna-tional Organized Crime), and the Arab protocol for the pre-vention and control of mar-itime piracy and armed robbery (supplementing the Arab convention against transnational organized crime).

The Cabinet also approved a Draft Agreement on Exemption of Visa Requirements for Diplomatic, Special and Official Passport Holders between the Gov-ernment of the State of Qatar.

FROM LEFT: The Assistant Under-Secretary of Cyber Security at Ministry of Transport and Communications, Engr. Khalid Al Hashmi; Assistant General Manager of Public Relations Group Communications at Qatar National Bank, Salem Al Naimi; Chief Corporate Services Officer at Qatar Free Zone Authority, Fahad Ismail Zainal; Assistant Under-Secretary Digital Society Development Affairs at Minister of Transport and Communications, Reem Al Mansoori; Director PR and Corporate Communications at Ooredoo Qatar, Manar Khalifa Al Muraikhi, and Acting Executive Director of the Permanent Committee for Organizing Conferences at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mubarak Al Kuwari, during QITCOM press conference held at St. Regis Hotel, yesterday. PIC: BAHER AMIN / THE PENINSULA

QITCOM 2019 expected to receive over 30,000 visitors

FROM PAGE 1The participation of these

sponsors, a total of 28 local and international sponsors till date, reflects their confidence in the event, and their support will have positive impacts by gener-ating more interests and attracting footfall to QITCOM 2019 especially in view of the various programmes lined up at the event aimed at empowering entrepreneurs and SMEs.

QITCOM 2019 will welcome international delegations, local participants and exhibitors from around the world. The fifth edition is particularly significant because it will host Qatar’s first

Smart City Expo Doha, in part-nership with the organisers of Smart City Expo World Con-gress, Fira de Barcelona. At the conference, local and interna-tional speakers will address topics related to smart cities namely, cybersecurity, entrepre-neurship, artificial intelligence and urban planning. The event will also accompany the Munich Security Conference’s main group meeting and the Round Table meeting on cybersecurity. MoTC has launched a special application for QITCOM on smartphones to facilitate com-munication between exhibitors and visitors.


Attorney-General meets Cote d’Ivoire Minister

The Attorney-General, H E Dr. Ali bin Fetais Al Marri, met here yesterday with Cote d’Ivoire’s Minister of African Integration and Ivorians Abroad, Ally Coulibaly. The meeting exchanged views on a number of issues of common concern, and discussed ways to further promote cooperation in the legal field.

MoPH and HMC launch ‘ClinicalHealth Coach’ training programTHE PENINSULA DOHA

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) have part-nered with Iowa Chronic Care Consortium to offer a compre-hensive training in clinical health coaching.

Forty patient educators will participate in the ‘Clinical Health Coach’ training programme and develop sustainable patient coaching competence. An ori-entation session took place recently to introduce partici-pants to the programme.

This first round of training is designed to equip healthcare professionals with tools nec-essary to transform the conver-sation with patients, partnering with them in a new way. This will enable clinical teams to further motivate patients to build self-care skills, improve health behaviour and inspire account-ability. This Clinical Health Coach training programme com-bines 26 hours of online learning and health coaching skills practice with two full days of on-site training at the MoPH.

“We are very excited to be launching the Clinical Health Coach programme for the first time in Qatar. This programme

builds on the recommendations of the National Continuing Care Strategy and reflects strong col-laboration between the different public health sector organisa-tions with the aim of enhancing patient outcomes” said Mahmoud Al Raisi, Chair of the National Integrated Clinical Care Network and Chief of Continuing Care at HMC.

This training programme is fully aligned with the national health outcome outlined in Qatar’s National Health Strategy 2018-2022, namely ‘Improved Health for People with Multiple Chronic Conditions’. One of the key objectives of this priority is to empower patients with mul-tiple chronic conditions with knowledge and skills to improve their own health.

“People with Multiple

Chronic Conditions make up almost a third of hospital admis-sions in Qatar. This is due, in part, to the fact that these patients are not empowered with the necessary knowledge to manage their conditions more effectively and to avoid compli-cations. Patient Educators across the health system play a vital part in helping to empower People with Multiple Chronic Conditions to manage their own health successfully” said Dr Maryam Mohammed Alemadi, National Health Strategy Lead for Improved Health for People with Multiple Chronic Conditions priority and Director of Clinical Operations at Primary Healthcare Corporation.

The program is delivered by experts from the Iowa Chronic Care Consortium (ICCC) was formed as a non-profit in 2002 with the vision of reducing the burden of chronic conditions in populations through collabora-tions with health systems, health plans and primary care prac-tices. The Clinical Health Coach training was developed seven years ago by the ICCC and has trained over 3,000 healthcare professionals in the United States to become effective behaviour change specialists and care man-agement facilitators.

A session during the event organised to make healthcare practitioners familiar with the new training programme.

‘Mental Health one of the main pillars of NHRC’s strategy’QNA DOHA

The Secretary-General of NHRC, Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah, stressed the fact that mental health of citizens and residents in the State of Qatar remains one of the main pillars of the strategy of the National Committee, which was proactive in demanding the development of a mental health law, and providing feedback before its issuance.

She stressed that the NHRC is keen that all citizens and res-idents in the State of Qatar get the right to psychological treatment, and accordingly, legal experts from the Committee reg-ularly visit mental health insti-tutions to investigate and follow up on the quality of mental health services they provide, and to present the necessary consul-tations to address problems, and complaints are received by the Committee, whether at its head-quarters, or via hotlines, and

various other communication channels.

Al Attiyah, said in a press statement on the occasion of the celebration of World Mental Health Day, which fall on October 10 each year, that the National Human Rights Com-mittee has monitored the efforts of the State of Qatar to develop psychological care services through the inauguration of more hospitals and health centres and the increase of spe-cialized medical personnel.

Al Attiyah expressed confi-dence that the concerned authorities in the State of Qatar will continue their efforts to ensure the development of psy-chological care for patients, including the development of services provided by public and private health institutions, so as to ensure the enjoyment of all citizens and members of com-munities living in Qatar, and their access to the right to psy-chological care, as stated in various national laws, legislation

and universal human rights conventions.

She explained that psycho-therapy is a right for all segments of society and has been guar-anteed by international conven-tions and international human-itarian laws, adding that psychi-atric services must also take a social path through primary health care centers.

She pointed to the most important development goals contained in the Universal Dec-laration of Human Rights, which Qatar is working on, mainly to eradicate poverty, provide good health and well-being, gender equality, decent work and eco-nomic growth, and climate action.

She pointed out that NHRC is discussing with some interna-tional centres specialised in assessing the psychological damage to those affected by the blockade, especially women and children, in order to raise an integrated file for the judicial and human rights bodies.

Qatar Post launches campaign to mark ‘World Post Day’

THE PENINSULA DOHA

On the occasion of ‘World Post Day’, celebrated annually on October 9 (yesterday), Qatar Post shared its multifaceted programme aimed at familiarising the general public with the various functions of the postal sector, its products and services as well as at raising awareness as to the history and the evolution of Qatar Post. The Chairman and Managing

Director of Qatar Post, Faleh Al Naemi, said: “Since its inception, Qatar Post has made a continuous effort to evolve and modernise its products, services and offerings. Driven by an ambitious vision to expand our reach globally, our efforts have been geared toward cementing Qatar Post’s position in the region as a hub for postal and logistical services.

It is this ambition that guided our product and service innovation throughout our history; we launched

state-of-the-art e-services and e-commerce platforms at scale to keep pace with the evolving needs of our customers and online shoppers in Qatar and expanded and mod-ernized our national network at scale. Today, Qatar Post leads by example as an organisation that is deeply rooted in the local community and fuelled by a global ambition to innovate and bring the best of the world to Qatar through its products and services.”

The officials of Qatar Post during the campaign organised as part of the World Post Day to make public well aware of the various postal services.

GU-Q launches Postdoctoral Fellowship Program for QatarisFAZEENA SALEEM THE PENINSULA

In another endeavour in contributing to the development of the higher education in the country, Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) has launched a first-of-its-kind Postdoctoral Fellowship Program to foster the career enhancement of recent Qatari PhD graduates.

It is a programme open only for Qataris and the first postdoctoral fellowship program to be offered by Georgetown Uni-versity outside the US. The programme will provide emerging Qatari scholars the oppor-tunity to produce academic publications, refine their research agenda, and gain val-uable teaching experience, while building their academic and professional network in Qatar and beyond, said Dr. Ahmad Dallal, dean of GU-Q yesterday.

“We are offering a one year position only for Qataris who have received a PhD or DPhil degree within the last five years. This paid opportunity allows early stage Qatari researchers and professionals to work closely with faculty at GU-Q and con-tinue to gain research, teaching and men-torship experience while preparing their first publications from their dissertation research,” he said speaking to the media.

Dr. Dallal also emphasised that post-doctoral programmes are an important source of support in the transition from doc-toral student to working professional.

“The postdoctoral fellowship is in line with our core aims of supporting research relevant to Qatar, strengthening fruitful mentorship collaborations between estab-lished and emerging scholars, and contrib-uting to the development of the higher edu-cation sector in Qatar in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030,” he said.

The GU-Q Postdoctoral Fellowship is designed to support research in a variety of disciplines, including political science, history, philosophy, literature, comparative religion, economics, social and cultural anthropology, sociology, political theory, and international relations. “We are looking

for candidates who can demonstrate how their field of study is relevant to teaching and research at GU-Q. These fields include, but are not limited to: political science, history, philosophy, literature, comparative religion, economics, social and cultural anthropology, sociology, political theory, and international relations. Preference will be given to candidates whose interests are interdisciplinary and who would particu-larly benefit from and contribute to GU-Q’s intellectual life,” said Dr Dallal.

Interested applicants should apply before the December 31 deadline. The selected candidate will be announced by end of Spring Semester 2020 and start working from August 1, 2020.

More information about the application process can be found on the university’s website at https://www.qatar.georgetown.e d u / a b o u t / e m p l o y m e n t /postdoctoral-fellowship-junior-qatari-scholars

Dr. Ahmad Dallal PIC: ABDUL BASIT/THE

PENINSULA

This first round of training is designed to equip healthcare professionals with tools necessary to transform the conversation with patients, partnering with them in a new way.

HIA a candidate for Skytrax ‘World’s Best Airport’ 2020THE PENINSULA/DOHA

Hamad International Airport (HIA) is set to participate in the prestigious annual Skytrax World Airport Awards ceremony which will take place in Paris on the 2nd April 2020 for which HIA is a candidate for the ‘World’s Best Airport 2020’. The Skytrax World Airport Awards is the most respected accolade for the airport industry, voted by passengers in the largest

annual global airport customer satis-faction survey. The awards ceremony will take place at the Passenger Terminal Expo 2020 (PTE), the world’s leading international airport conference and exhibition.

HIA’s participation at the Skytrax Awards, which has seen the airport move up the ranks over the years, having moved from the fifth position in 2018 to its current position as the fourth best airport in the world. This

accomplishment has been instru-mental in recognising HIA as the gateway to Qatar and the world, putting Qatar on the map as a desti-nation of choice for passengers. HIA’s success at the Skytrax World Airport Awards is also important in setting HIA apart from other airports and in giving a lasting impression of Qatar’s modern, smart and quality standard of living while celebrating Qatar’s her-itage and culture.

Interested applicants should apply before the December 31 deadline. The selected candidate will be announced by end of Spring Semester 2020 and start working from August 1, 2020.


Qatar Academy students takepart in beautification driveTHE PENINSULA DOHA

The Public Works Authority ‘Ashghal’, through the Super-visory Committee of Beautifi-cation of Roads and Public Places in Qatar, participated with students from Qatar Acad-emy-Doha, a member of Qatar Foundation, in planting trees at Khalifa Avenue Project yesterday as a continuation of the campaign that was recently launched by the Committee.

The event was attended by Eng. Yousef Abdulrahman Al Emadi, Projects Affairs Director at Ashghal, Eng. Mohammed Arqoub Al Khalidi, Chairman of the Supervisory Committee of Beautification of Roads & Public Places in Qatar, Nicole Anderson, Middle School Assistant Principal at Qatar Academy-Doha and a number of participants from Ashghal and the Academy.

During the event Eng. Amna Al Bader, Secretary of the Super-visory Committee of Beautifi-cation of Roads and Public

Places in Qatar presented some information about the project and the importance of planting trees and increasing green areas in the preservation of the envi-ronment. She also explained that trees will be planted from Qatari environment such as Al Sidr trees (Ziziphus spina-christi) and Sumur trees (Acacia tortilis).

Yesterday, 25 students from Qatar Academy-Doha partici-pated in the planting of 20 trees in Khalifa Avenue Road Project, one of Ashghal’s highways projects, as part of the “Qatar Beautification and Our Kids Planting Trees Campaign”, which will be implemented weekly by many participating

students from different levels of education to plant trees throughout Qatar over eight months. The campaign will con-tinue until the end of 2021.

The Committee carries out this campaign with the aim of raising awareness among school students about the importance of planting trees and instilling environmental values in them, and emphasizing that protecting and preserving the environment is the duty of everyone in the com-munity, thus encouraging students to participate in achieving the goals of the country and carry out voluntary work to preserve the environment in Qatar.

Nicole Anderson, Middle

School Assistant Principal at Qatar Academy-Doha, expressed her happiness to see the students’ participation in planting trees in Qatar. Especially that the for-mation of children personalities at early stage enable them to become good citizens who strive to serve their country and work hard for its development and

prosperity.On the other hand, the stu-

dents were cheerful in partici-pating in the plantation. They were happy to get chance to learn more and felt proud to have planted their own trees on the land of Qatar, whereas one student expressed his keenness on watching the daily growth of

the tree he has planted.It is worth mentioning that

the Khalifa Avenue project includes planting 6830 trees, of 312,000 meters square of green areas, 780 light poles, about 400 seats, 35 wooden Pergolas, 14 km of pedestrian and cycle paths and a 256 meter pedestrians and Cyclists’ Bridge.

The Westin Doha to support QCS campaignTHE PENINSULA/DOHA

On the occasion of the Breast Cancer Awareness Month, The Westin Doha Hotel and Spa, in collaboration with Qatar Cancer Society, will support their “Blossom” campaign with different activities and events taking place in the hotel throughout the month of October.

The main aim of the initiative is to expand awareness about Breast Cancer among the asso-ciates of the hotel and the local community in Doha, additionally, to raise donation and support the treatment of patients fighting the malady. This year, an internal awareness session will be led by Qatar Cancer Society along with the social media influencer and cancer survivor Polly Byles, @followyoursunshine on October 14th. The goal is to provide accurate information about the disease, explain methods of pre-vention and importance of early

detection and screening. Also, Polly will share her per-

sonal experience with the battle of fighting against cancer and its positive effects throughout her whole journey. In addition, The Westin Doha has organized a healthy dessert making session with the hotels’ pastry chefs on October 21st where ladies will learn how to make pink vegan desserts and smoothie bowls; the

aim of this session is to promote healthy lifestyle habits and how diet can affect in preventing cancer and to highlight the importance of reducing sugar.

Polly Byles (@followyour-sunshine) will also attend the event and will share what she has encountered during her battle against cancer, recovery and the positive change on her lifestyle overall.

Commenting on the initiative , Ammar Samad, General Manager of The Westin Doha Hotel & Spa said: “It is an honor for us to collaborate with Qatar Cancer Society for the second consecutive year. As a wellness brand, it is one of our core duties to encourage positive and healthy changes within our community.”

“It is also a great pleasure to support QCS and to enlighten our associates with this amazing and engaging awareness session, provide activities for our val-uable guests with the event “October is Sweeter at The Westin” since health and well-being are our main values”.

Additionally, as part of the initiative, Heavenly Spa by Westin will be offering a com-plimentary WestinWORKOUT Fitness class for ladies who wish to apply pink nail polish at Suite Nails throughout the month of October.

Daam and Sidra organise forum to promote adolescent mental and behavioural healthQNA DOHA

Social and Sport Contribution Fund (Daam), in collaboration with Sidra Medical and Research Center, yesterday organised a forum to promote the mental and behavioural health of adolescents on the occasion of the cele-bration of World Mental Health Day, in the presence of a number of specialists and parents.

The Director General of Social and Sport Contribution Fund (Daam) Rashid Mohammed Al Hamda Al Nuaimi said in his speech:

The mental and behavioural health of adolescents is as important as their physical health and well-being and the Center considered organising this forum to discuss the facts and realities of mental health of adolescents, the risk factors and protection in the field of mental health and its relation to physical health, as well as presenting the possible and practical mechanisms for providing services to adolescents in Qatar and discussing all challenges

facing the social, health and educational sectors in providing integrated services for adolescents.

Al Nuaimi added that through this forum, participants seek to identify risk factors in dealing with adolescents in the areas (social, health and education) and to identify the problems that prevent the achievement of high-quality services for adolescents and find solutions, and ulti-mately to achieve real and effective com-munity development.

For her part the Director of Com-munity Awareness Department at Daam Jawaher Abu Alfin stressed that the forum aims to promote the mental health of adolescents and improve their protection, which helps them gain the flexibility to deal well with all situations facing them.

The Specialist at Sidra Medical and Research Center and the Project Coordi-nator Aisha Al Neema said that the forum will cover the physical, behavioural, social and psychological aspects through pro-viding flexible, fast and comprehensive services for adolescents between 12-18 years.

KidzMondo Doha holds finale of Back to School contestsTHE PENINSULA/DOHA

KidzMondo Doha held Back to School Spelling Bee and Quiz Mania Tournaments across 4 weeks with the aim of finding Doha’s smartest child, for whom their Academic Year School Fee 2019-2020 would be fully funded by KidzMondo Doha.

Since September 5, dozens of talented children across the country participated week after week to compete for this very generous award.

On Saturday, September 28 was the final round, during which finalists competed in general knowledge tourna-ments, from which one sole winner was crowned and awarded the Grand Prize.

KidzMondo congratulated 13-year old Matt James Fortes,

from The Philippine School Doha, for winning the final round of the Back To School Tournaments, and thus being granted a Fully Funded Aca-demic Year 2019-2020 by Kidz-Mondo Doha.

1st Runner Up, 12-year old Wajd Al Rabadi from the Middle East International School was also congratulated for his bright efforts and for making it to the final round.

“Every single participant is a winner for having the will to compete in such educational yet fun challenges. No one left empty handed, however only one walked away victorious with a scholarship courtesy of KidzMondo Doha’s annual CSR initiative to elevate and improve children’s education,” a statement said.

Winners of KidzMondo Doha tournaments.

Safety workshop for Ashghal engineersTHE PENINSULA/DOHA

Qatar’s elite project management centre of excellence, the Tafawoq programme, has once again partnered to deliver a high-level safety workshop for engineers who have recently joined Qatar’s Public Works Authority, Ashghal.

The three-day workshop, titled ‘HSSE Leadership,’ took place recently, bringing together 25 engineers to discuss best practices in the field of safety. The workshop emphasised the importance of embracing a safety culture, and touched on the roles and responsibilities of engineers in this

regard. Others topics on the workshop’s agenda included the impact of internal and external factors on safety per-formance, and the use of safety tools and observation systems.

Eng. Saad bin Ahmad Al Muhannadi, President of the Public Works Authority, Ashghal, noted that the workshop’s objectives fall in line with his institution’s commitment to the development of Qatar.

“Promoting a culture of safety and employee welfare will bolster produc-tivity, which will ultimately fast track the development of major infra-structure projects in Qatar in line with our national vision,” Al Muhannadi said.

The workshop comes at an important time for Ashghal, the highest authority in charge of managing Qatar’s major infrastructure projects, as the country undertakes key developments in prep-aration for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar.

Delivered by leading consultancy firm, JMJ Associates Middle East, the workshop also introduced participants to behaviour-based safety and the ben-efits of adopting an integral safety model. Sabu Joseph, managing con-sultant at JMJ Associates, and Sandy Schreiber, a senior consultant, led the workshop in the presence of Alan Palmer, a partner at the firm.

The Ashghal engineers who have participated in the workshop with officials.

Twenty-five students from Qatar Academy-Doha participated in the planting of 20 trees in Khalifa Avenue Road Project, one of Ashghal’s highways projects, as part of the “Qatar Beautification and Our Kids Planting Trees Campaign”, which will be implemented weekly by participating students from different levels of education to plant trees throughout Qatar over eight months.

Qatar Academy-Doha students participating in the campaign.

THE PENINSULA/DOHA

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in cooperation with HP Company, has announced a free of charge recall of HP notebook computers models of HP ProBook 640 G2, HP ProBook 650 G2, HP ZBook 17 G3 and HP ZBook Studio G3, due to the fire

safety risk and burn hazard that the battery may pose if overheated.

The recall campaign comes within the framework of the Ministry’s continuous efforts to ensure that suppliers follow up on product defects and recall defective items in a bid to protect consumers.

The Ministry said that it will coordinate

with the suppliers to follow up on the main-tenance and repair works and will commu-nicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.

The Ministry urged all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Pro-tection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department.

Ministry recalls some models of HP Notebook

The National Counter-Terrorism Committee and the National Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Committee in the State of Qatar continue to cooperate and coordinate with regional and international judicial institutions concerned with counter-terrorism.

QNA/GENEVA

08 THURSDAY 10 OCTOBER 2019VIEWS

Qatar reiterates strong condemnation of all forms of terrorism

The State of Qatar reiterated its strong condemnation of ter-rorism in all its forms, com-mitted by whomever and

wherever, and regardless of its justifi-cations. Qatar also renewed its support for holding a high-level conference under the auspices of the United Nations, in order to adopt a unified international position on counter-ter-rorism, including an agreed definition of terrorism.

This came in the State of Qatar’s statement delivered by Second Sec-retary of the Permanent Delegation of the State of Qatar to the United Nations, H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani before Sixth (Legal) Committee of the United Nations General Assembly at its 74th Session on “Measures to Eliminate Interna-tional Terrorism”.

H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani said that the State of Qatar will continue to work within the framework of the United Nations to reach a comprehensive agreement on international terrorism that will include a specific definition of ter-rorism without linking it to religion, race or culture, stressing the need to distinguish between terrorism, legit-imate resistance against foreign occu-pation, self-defense and the right of self-determination of peoples under occupation.

H E pointed out that linking ter-rorism to a particular religion, creed or race provides a platform for terrorist organizations to support their extremist rhetoric and gain sympathy

for their slogans.

In line with its firm policy of commitment to interna-tional coop-eration in facing common challenges, particularly the fight against ter-rorism, and for being a party to all relevant international conventions, the State of Qatar con-tinues to work actively

with United Nations entities and with the Global Counterterrorism Forum, and has also entered into several bilateral counterterrorism agree-ments, H E said.

He added that Qatar is an active partner in the Global Counterterrorism Forum and it is at the forefront of regional efforts to combat the financing of terrorism, noting that it continues to update its national

legislation in line with international efforts in combating terrorism.

Based on the important role of national legislative and judicial insti-tutions in combating terrorism, the National Counter-Terrorism Com-mittee and the National Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Committee in the State of Qatar con-tinue to cooperate and coordinate with regional and international judicial institutions concerned with counter-terrorism, as well as the strict and effective implementation of the relevant international obligations issued by the Security Council, including assets freeze, travel ban or arms embargo against individuals and entities designated by Security Council Committees on counterterrorism, he said.

H E Second Secretary of Qatar’s Permanent Delegation to the UN said that in order to support the United Nations counter-terrorism bodies and increasing the resources available to them, a partnership agreement was signed between the Government of the State of Qatar and the United Nations, represented by United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, on December 16, 2018. Under the agreement, the State of Qatar has provided $75 million over five years to support the pro-grams and work of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism in pre-venting and combating violent extremism that leads to terrorism and supporting victims of terrorism, he said, adding that it was also agreed on the establishment of a global center in Doha to implement behavioral visions on violent extremism, and that the State of Qatar will provide $5 million to establish and cover the work of the Center which will focus on studying the behavioral roots of violent extremism.

H E also stressed that the war on terrorism cannot justify the adoption of policies and measures that sacrifice due process and human dignity, as well as the adoption of discriminatory or repressive measures against the

population, and therefore the respect for international law and human rights is essential to eradicate the roots of terrorism and to deprive terrorist organizations of pretexts that they depend on to win support.

On the other hand, he said, coop-eration in the judicial and security fields is an effective way to combat the terrorist threat, pointing out that the close link between terrorism, transna-tional organized crime and human trafficking, intensive efforts and coor-dination among States are needed to dry up funding sources of such activities.

HE stressed the fundamental role of women in combating violent extremism and terrorism, underlying that this requires the involvement of women and benefiting from their experiences in the formulation rel-evant policies.

Terrorist organizations seek to develop their means and innovate their tools to spread their dangerous ide-ology, he said, adding that this requires intensified cooperation and coordi-nation among States to develop effective measures to counter terrorism and its means of spread, and the need to ensure the balanced implementation of the four pillars of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy to address the root causes of terrorism and violent extremism and the factors that lead to them. He also said that a holistic approach and an enhanced cooperation among States are needed to combat terrorism and prevent violent extremism based on the Charter of the United Nations, international law and human rights.

At the end of the statement, H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al-Thani affirmed that the State of Qatar will continue its active role in com-bating terrorism and violent extremism, fulfilling its international obligations and cooperation with the international community and working with all UN and international institu-tions to eradicate the threat and roots of terrorism.

QNA NEW YORK

QUOTE OF THE DAYIn full view of the world

and the American people, Donald Trump has violated his oath of office, betrayed this nation and committed

impeachable acts. To preserve our Constitution, our democracy, our basic

integrity, he should be impeached.

Joe Biden Democratic Presidential

Candidate

Qatar renews commitment to continue support to UNHCR programs

Qatar reiterated its commitment to continue to provide all nec-essary support to the activities and programs of the United

Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The State of Qatar expressed the hope that the implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees will contribute to strengthening the global response, and that the efforts exerted to achieve the campaign to end statelessness will be successful.

This came in the statement of the State of Qatar delivered by HE the Per-manent Representative of the State of Qatar to the UN Office in Geneva, Ambassador Ali Khalfan Al Mansouri, at the General Debate of the 70th session of the Executive Committee of the High Commissioners Program, and the High-Level Segment on Statelessness, at the UNHCR headquarters.

The statement underlined that the State of Qatar has been keen on strength-ening partnership and dialogue with international humanitarian organiza-tions, and that Qatar’s governmental contributions to the UNHCR for the

period 2014-2019 amounted to more than $200 million, including assistance to refugees and displaced persons in many countries including Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Libya and Sudan, as well as ref-ugee-hosting countries such as Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Bangladesh.

The statement noted that the efforts exerted by the State of Qatar and the Qatari institutions have made a signif-icant difference in alleviating the suf-fering of the affected refugees and dis-placed persons, and that Qatar’s humani-tarian initiatives were characterized by neutrality, impartiality and diversity.

HE Ambassador Al Mansouri explained that the initiatives included several areas, most importantly the humanitarian response to disasters, fighting poverty and unemployment, providing education opportunities for children in conflict zones, providing employment opportunities for youth, supporting peaceful conflict resolution, and playing a mediating role in more than one file to establish just peace and achieve sustainable development.

The statement stressed that the State of Qatar has spared no effort to stand by the Syrian brothers with the intensifi-cation of the crisis of displaced persons

and refugees, noting that the volume of humanitarian and material assistance provided since the beginning of the Syrian crisis amounted to more than $1.6 billion.

As part of the vision of the Qatari leadership in support of humanitarian and development work in the African Union countries, the Amir of Qatar H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani directed in January 2019 the estab-lishment of a fund under the sponsorship of the African Union to cover the evacu-ation costs of irregular African migrants and victims of human trafficking in Libya and reintegrating them into their com-munities. The State of Qatar contributed to the fund with $20 million, the statement said.

On the other hand, the statement of the State of Qatar called for a just solution based on international law and relevant UN resolutions on the issue of Palestinian refugees, noting that there are more than 5.4 million Palestinian ref-ugees registered with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

The State of Qatar called for more support for UNRWA to fulfill its mandate, while expressing its rejection of any attempts to end or reduce its role.

CHAIRMANSHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFDR. KHALID BIN MUBARAK [email protected]

ACTING MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED SALIM [email protected]

DEPUTY MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED OSMAN ALI [email protected]

ESTABLISHED IN 1996

EDITORIAL

Qatar’s robust ports

The ports in Qatar have delivered strong performance in the first three quarters of current year, which illus-trates robustness of Qatar’s maritime sector. According

to figures released by Mwani Qatar, The container traffic at Hamad Port, Ruwais Port and Doha Port has crossed 1 million mark in the first nine months of this year. The ports have handled 1,002,908 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) containers in January-September period.

These ports are playing a major role in securing the needs of local markets and projects implemented by Qatar and are also ensuring access of Qatari products to the global markets.

These ports also witnessed impressive growth in building materials and vehicles handling. This splendid performance by ports comes after an impressive growth registered the first half of this year. These ports handled 218,330 tonnes of building materials in January-June period of this year, compared to 177,000 tonnes in the same period last year, showing a growth of around 24 percent.

During the first six months, 1,828 ships called at Hamad Port, Doha Port and Ruwais Port. The ports handled 360,644

tonnes of general cargo, 33,537 units of vehicles and 434,982 livestock during the period.

It was successful cruise season as 100,077 passengers came to Qatar from several cruise ships during the first six months of this year.

The strong half-yearly per-formance by maritime sector fol-lowed an all round performance by the ports in the first quarter of this year.

The ports handled 110,938 tonnes of building materials during the first quarter, reflecting 37 percent growth, compared to the same quarter last year.

The ports received 321,345 containers during the first quarter of 2019, registering 3 percent increase over the same period of 2018.

The number of cruise pas-sengers also surged as Doha Port witnessed the arrival of 89,188 passengers during the quarter, showing a massive growth of 99

percent compared to the first quarter of last year.Qatar’s port delivered an impressive performance in

2018 also with all-round growth in all segments. The ports had achieved highest annual performance in containers, vessels and livestock in 2018. The ports received 4,781 vessels and handled 1.34 million containers during the year.

The ports also handled 1.4m tonnes of general cargo; 71,173 vehicles; 324,248 tonnes of building materials and 957,487 heads of livestock in 2018. The positive momentum in the country’s maritime trade will get stronger in future as Qatar has opened new trade routes and has diversified its source of supply. The ports have achieved smooth con-nectivity within a short period of operation. The all-round performance by Qatari ports indicates Qatar is set to become maritime hub in the region.

The positive momentum in the country’s maritime trade will get stronger in future as Qatar has opened new trade routes and has diversified its source of supply. The all-round performance by these ports indicates that Qatar is set to become maritime hub in the region.

Second Secretary of the Permanent Delegation of the State of Qatar to the UN, H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani attending the Sixth (Legal) Committee of the UN General Assembly at its 74th Session on “Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism”.


WCM-Q trains next generation of Qatari researchersTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Two Qatari nationals with a flair for science completed a summer of biomedical research training courtesy of Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar’s (WCM-Q) Research Internship for National College Students program.

Hissa Al Thani and Noora Abusheraida, both students at Qatar University, completed the program, which is designed to give Qatari nationals a solid grounding in the practical and administrative skills required for a successful career in research. The two students spent time working with highly q u a l i f i e d b i o m e d i c a l researchers on real research projects in WCM-Q’s state-of-the-art laboratories. They also worked closely with WCM-Q’s experienced professional research administrators to learn how research studies are developed and coordinated.

The program aims not only to equip the participants with vital skills but also to give them a clear understanding of what a career in research would be like. In addition, the program iden-tifies and nurtures local research talent in Qatar to help the country achieve its goal of diver-sifying the economy and estab-lishing Doha as a regional and global hub for cutting-edge bio-medical research. Students who participate can choose to spend between four and eight weeks at WCM-Q.

Hissa, who trained for four

weeks in the lab of Dr Khaled Machaca, Senior Associate Dean for Research, Innovations, and Commercialization, said of the Research Internship for National College Students: “Being part of the WCM-Q internship was a great experience and I learnt so many useful skills. I’m thankful for all the lessons and the prac-tical instructions I was given, which made the experience tre-mendously influential and pos-itive for me.”

Christy L Poppe, Senior Research Training Specialist, said: “The participants worked extremely hard and learnt vital skills that will set them up well for successful and rewarding careers in research. We at WCM-Q are delighted to be involved in equipping the next generation of researchers with the attributes they need to help Qatar continue to grow in stature as a world-class regional and international biomedical research hub.”

The WCM-Q Research Internship for National College Students program provides Qatari citizens with a grounding in the practical and administrative skills needed for a successful career in research.

The program aims not only to equip the participants with vital skills but also to give them a clear understanding of what a career in research would be like.

UCL Qatar research showcases impact of female leadership on Qatar’s cultural heritage sectorTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Speakers from some of Qatar’s most iconic cultural institutions discussed the significant impact women leaders have on the rapid development of the museum and cultural sector in Qatar, on Tuesday.

UCL Qatar hosted a panel discussion titled ‘Women in Cul-tural Leadership’ at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) on Tuesday. The event Participants included Sheikha Reem Al Thani, Director of Exhibitions at Qatar Museums (QM), Shaikha Nasser Al Nassr, Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs at MIA, and Clemence Bergal, Head of Acquisitions and Collections at QM.

The theme of cultural lead-ership and the role women play within the sector has received increasing attention in recent years. However, the contribution of female leaders in shaping the development of museums in the Gulf, and Qatar in particular, is overlooked. The panel’s theme was one component from a research study by Dr Catharina Hendrick, Lecturer of the MA in Museum and Gallery Practice at UCL Qatar. Catharina’s research project seeks to uncover the ways these ambitious women lead their teams and the organisation.

Preliminary research findings showed that there is great respect within the cultural sector for female leaders in

Qatar, particularly due to the existence of strong role models such as Chairperson of QM, H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. In fact, Qatari and non-Qatari women hold the majority of leadership positions in QM and across the museum sector in the country and come with a high level of education and experience.

The research also found that, these female leaders tend to adopt a transformational lead-ership style, which employs emo-tional intelligence. This style of leadership is visionary and focuses on the long-term direction of the organisation, and fosters a culture of collaboration and nurtures and develops staff through a mix of participative and

directive leadership. This means that leaders lead by example, are confident, empathetic and look at the bigger picture when making decisions.

UCL Qatar’s Dr Hendrick said, “Women have played an

important role in the journey towards growing Qatar into a vibrant cultural hub in the region and today’s panel discussion was a celebration of these achieve-ments. We were proud and pleased to share our insights and

experiences, which we hope would inspire young women to pursue careers in the cultural heritage sector. These talented leaders will play an active role in Qatar’s cultural development in the future.”

Speakers at the forum discussed ‘Women in Cultural Leadership’.

PISQ holds Science Exhibition THE PENINSULA DOHA

DOHA: With an aim to encourage scientific temperament among the students, Pakistan Interna-tional School organises a Science Exhibition every year. This year, it was held on October 2 and 3 in Physics, Chemistry and Biology Labs at school premises. A large number of students from grade V to XII participated in it with great zeal and zest.

Nargis Raza Otho, the Prin-cipal of PISQ was the Chief Guest. She inaugurated the exhi-bition along with the Vice Prin-cipals of all the wings.

The participants displayed their exhibits showcasing the sci-entific skills and creative thinking through self-designed working models and projects like electronic locker, teller machine, rain water harvesting, working of air condi-tioners by ice, automatic water level indicator, electromagnetic

motor, magnetic levitation, hydraulic launcher, wind mill, salt-water circuit among many others.

The exhibits were evaluated by a panel of judges including Mahpara Khurram, Amanullah Khan, Fouzia Naz, Ghulam Akbar, Samina, Anwar Shah, Rai Tariq and Nishat. They inspected each and every model carefully and asked the students about the scientific concepts forming the foundation of the models before giving their judgement.

Over 430 HMC Ambulance staff served during IAAF WorldsTHE PENINSULA DOHA

During the past 10 days, teams from Hamad Medical Corpora-tion’s (HMC) Ambulance Service have participated in the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019, providing medical and first-aid cover for athletes, tournament staff, and spec-tators, thus contributing to the success of this major sporting event.

During the five nights of events held on the Corniche, teams from HMC’s Ambu-lance Service cared for 104 athletes, including one who required transport to hospi-tal, and during the ten days of events held at Khalifa Interna-tional Stadium, teams cared for four athletes, and 246 spectators and tournament staff, includ-ing 22 individuals who required transport to hospital for further treatment.

Staff from HMC’s Ambu-lance Service were supported by medical and nursing teams from HMC’s network of Emer-gency Departments and Intensive Care Units, Aspetar Sports Medicine Hospital, and Qatar Red Crescent, all of whom were at the ready to care for the almost 2,000 participat-ing athletes and thousands of spectators. Saleh M Al Marri, Assistant Executive Director, HMC’s Ambulance Service, said: “We provided paramedic and ambulance services at several World Athletics Championships venues, including Khalifa Inter-national Stadium, and during the midnight marathons held on the Corniche.

Our teams were also posi-tioned to provide emergency medical and ambulance services at a number of athletes’ accom-modations and to tournament staff, referees, and guests. Our teams were placed around the city, including at local hotels and other venues frequented by athletes, tournament staff, and spectators,” said Al Marri.

During the tournament, the Ambulance Services team comprised 435 medical staff, including critical care paramedics, supervisors, communications officers, and operations officials, all ready to care for potential patients in a range of emergency and non-emergency situations.

According to Al Marri, the Ambulance Service’s partici-pation at the World Athletics Championships was the cul-mination of nearly 15 months of planning and collaboration with several organizers, includ-ing medical partners.

QatarDebate organises Qatar Universities Debate LeagueTHE PENINSULA DOHA

QatarDebate Center (QD) a member of Qatar Foundation (QF), recently organized the first Qatar Universities Debate League (QUDL) in English for season 2019-2020, 24 teams took part from nine universities, including QF partner univer-sities, Academic Bridge Program, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, Georgetown University, Hamad bin Khalifa University, Northwestern University Qatar, Texas A&M University Qatar, and Weill Cornell Medicine, as well as Qatar University, and College of North Atlantic Qatar.

The first QUDL, which is in the British parliamentary format, was hosted by Weill Cornell

Medicine – Qatar, with a total number 52 debaters and had them argue for and against motions in the most challenging dilemmas of the modern world.

Participating students stated

that the training and opportu-nities provided by QatarDebate help the develop key skills, including public speaking, con-fidence, and negotiation techniques.

It is worthwhile to mention that this is a league system; the debate points earned by the top two teams from the University at tournaments are accumulated, thus here are the university

rankings for this weekend, Geor-getown University Qatar came in the first place, followed by Northwestern University in Qatar, then Weill Cornell Med-icine in Qatar.

The participants of first Qatar Universities Debate League for season 2019-2020.

One of the participants explaining about self-designed working model.

Fuel shortage hits Sana’a

10 THURSDAY 10 OCTOBER 2019GULF / MIDDLE EAST

Turkey begins military offensive in SyriaREUTERS AKCAKALE, TURKEY

Turkey launched a military oper-ation against Kurdish fighters in northeast Syria yesterday just days after US troops pulled back from the area, with air strikes and artillery hitting YPG militia positions around the border town of Ras Al Ain.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, announcing the start of the action, said the aim was to eliminate what he called a “terror corridor” on Turkey’s southern border. Turkey had been poised to enter northeast Syria since US troops, who had been fighting with the Kurds against Islamic State (IS), started to leave the area in an abrupt policy shift by US President Donald Trump. The withdrawal was widely criticised in Washington as a betrayal of America’s Kurdish allies.

A Turkish security source said the military operation into Syria had begun with air strikes.

Turkish howitzers also started hitting bases and ammu-nition depots of the Kurdish YPG militia. The artillery strikes, which also targeted YPG gun and sniper positions, were aimed at sites far from residential areas, the source said.

Several large explosions rocked Ras Al Ain, just across the border across from the Turkish town of Ceylanpinar, a CNN Turk reporter said. The sound of planes could he heard above and smoke was rising from buildings in Ras al Ain, he said. People were fleeing the town, witnesses said.

World powers fear the action could open a new chapter in Syria’s war and worsen regional turmoil. Ankara has said it

intends to create a “safe zone” in order to return millions of ref-ugees to Syrian soil.

Erdogan earlier told Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in a phone call that the operation would help peace and stability in Syria. In the build-up to the expected offensive, Syria had said it was determined to confront any Turkish aggression by all legit-imate means. It was also ready to embrace “prodigal sons”, it said, in an apparent reference to the Syrian Kurdish authorities who hold the northeast.

Turkey views Kurdish YPG fighters in northeast Syria as ter-rorists because of their ties to militants waging an insurgency inside Turkey. An influx of non-Kurdish Syrians would help it secure a buffer against its main

security threat. Amid deepening humanitarian concerns, UN Sec-retary-General Antonio Guterres urged all parties in northeast

Syria to exercise maximum restraint and protect civilians.

Kurdish-led forces have denounced the US policy shift as

a “stab in the back”. Trump denied he had abandoned the forces, the most capable US partners in fighting Islamic State

in Syria. The Kurdish-led authority in northern Syria declared a state of “general mobilization” before the looming attack. “We call on all our insti-tutions, and our people in all their components, to head towards the border region with Turkey to fulfil their moral duty and show resistance in these sensitive, historic moments,” it said. Russia, Syrian President Bashar Al Assad’s strongest foreign ally, urged dialogue between Damascus and Syria’s Kurds on solving issues in northeast Syria including border security. Another Assad ally, Iran, urged Turkey to show restraint and avoid military action in northern Syria, although it said Turkey was “rightfully worried” about its southern border.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan makes a speech on the Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria, in Ankara, yesterday.

EU approves ¤500m in soft loan to JordanQNA/AMMAN

The European Union is going ahead with efforts to provide Jordan with ¤500m ($549m) soft loan before the end of the year, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini said.

She made the remarks at a press conference with Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Amman, where they looked into ties and regional develop-ments. The Jordanian Foreign Minister voiced appreciation for the EU support to Jordan’s development programs. He said the loan has been approved awaiting endorsement.

He said that Jordan and the EU are working to develop their partnership to new horizons of cooperation.

On the other hand, the Foreign Minister praised the EU position in support of the Pal-estinians’ right in freedom and an independent state, and on rejecting the unilateral Israeli occupation measures that undermine the two-state solution.

Trump defends Syria pullback, doesn’t want US troops in regionAP/WASHINGTON

President Donald Trump lashed out yesterday over sharp bipartisan criticism of his decision to pull back US troops from northeastern Syria, saying he is focused on the “BIG PICTURE” that does not include American involvement in “stupid endless wars” in the Middle East.

“Fighting between various groups that has been going on for hundreds of years. USA should never have been in Middle East,” Trump said in a series of morning tweets. “The stupid endless wars, for us, are ending!”

Turkey launched its offensive, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announcing on his official Twitter account that the operation had begun. Erdogan said the operation aims to eradicate “the

threat of terror” against Turkey.Turkey views the Syrian Kurdish

fighters who have helped the U.S. against the Islamic State as terrorists, and Trump’s decision to pull back U.S. troops leaves them vulnerable to the military onslaught. It’s also been condemned by some of Trump’s staunchest Republican allies.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a close Trump ally, stepped up his criticism of the president Wednesday, telling “Fox & Friends” that if Trump “follows through with this, it would be the biggest mistake of his presidency.”

“I hope he’s right. I don’t think so,” Graham said, comparing Trump’s views to the “pre-9/11 mentality that paved the way for 9/11.”

Trump defended his unpopular

decision, arguing on Twitter that “GOING INTO THE MIDDLE EAST IS THE WORST DECISION EVER MADE IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY!” He said the U.S. went to war under a “false & now disproven premise, WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. There were NONE!”

Trump said he is “slowly & carefully” bringing home “our great soldiers & mil-itary,” in line with his campaign promise to do so. He added: “Our focus is on the BIG PICTURE! THE USA IS GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE!”

But the US military has kept a decades-long focus on the Middle East as part of a strategy of stopping or mini-mizing security threats before they spread to American and allied shores.

Trump has long criticised President George W. Bush’s decision to invade Iraq

in 2003, but the subsequent rise of extremist groups like the Islamic State has convinced many national security officials, and lawmakers such as Graham, that a precipitous US troop withdrawal from the region would leave the US and its allies even more vul-nerable to extremism.

Trump also claimed the US has spent $8 trillion “fighting and policing” in the Middle East, up from the $7 trillion figure he has cited numerous times.

Trump is using an inflated estimate on the cost of wars and referring in part to predicted costs going decades into the future, not money actually spent. Some of the spending also reflects his policy decisions he made since taking office nearly three years ago. Graham said Con-gress “will push back” against Turkey.

Cholera cases spike in northern YemenAP/SANA’A

A children’s advocacy group is warning of a spike in cholera cases in northern Yemen affecting hundreds of thousands of children and their families as a result of an increase in fuel shortages.

Save the Children said yesterday that fuel shortages have resulted in a jump in food prices and, as a result, a deepening health crisis.

The group says fuel prices have hiked 100 percent over the past 40 days as the internationally recognized government imposed customs duties in the interim capital Aden. That caused a 60% decrease in the amount of fuel coming through the key port of Hodeida, the group says.

Save the Children says the resulting health crisis has led to a mounting risk of more cases of cholera and other water-borne diseases.

Students ride on the back of a truck amid a fuel shortage in Sana’a, Yemen, yesterday.

Smoke billows following Turkish bombardment in the northeastern town of Ras Al Ain in Syria’s Hasakeh province along the Turkish border, yesterday.

Calm returns to Iraq, as US condemns violenceAFP/BAGHDAD

Calm prevailed in Iraq yesterday after a week of anti-government protests left more than 100 dead, prompting the United States to call on the country’s government to exercise “maximum restraint”.

In Baghdad — the second most pop-ulous Arab capital —normal life has grad-ually resumed since Tuesday.

Traffic has again clogged the main roads of the sprawling city of nine million inhabitants. Students have returned to schools, whose reopening was disrupted by the violence. On Tuesday, security restrictions were lifted around Baghdad’s Green Zone, where government offices and embassies are based.

Iraq descended into violence last week as protests that began with demands for an end to rampant corruption and chronic unemployment escalated with calls for a complete overhaul of the political system. The demonstrations were unprecedented because of their apparent spontaneity and independence in a deeply politicised society.

Protesters were met with tear gas and live fire. On Sunday night scenes of chaos engulfed Sadr City, the Baghdad stronghold of influential Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr, who called for the gov-ernment to resign. At least 13 demon-strators died in Sadr City, where the

military recognised “excessive force outside the rules of engagement” had been used.

According to official figures, the week of violence in Baghdad and across southern Iraq killed more than 100 people, mostly protesters, with more than 6,000 others wounded.

Uncertainty over the identify of the perpetrators persists, with authorities blaming “unidentified snipers”.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo condemned the violence.

During a call with Iraqi Prime Min-ister Adel Abdel Mahdi, Pompeo said “those who violated human rights should be held accountable”, the State Department said. “The secretary lamented the tragic loss of life over the past few days and urged the Iraqi government to exercise maximum restraint.

“Pompeo reiterated that peaceful public demonstrations are a fundamental element of all democracies, and empha-sised that there is no place for violence in demonstrations, either by security forces or protesters.”

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab also called Abdel Mahdi to express worry over the violence. “I raised concerns about the response to recent protests - the need to respect peaceful protest & media freedoms,” he wrote on Twitter yesterday.

3.9 magnitude earthquake hits KuwaitQNA/KUWAIT CITY

An earthquake measuring 3.9 magnitude on the Richter scale hit southwestern Kuwait yesterday.

Kuwait National Seismic Network at Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research said that it has registered the 3.9-mag-nitude earthquake in Al Man-aqish area in southwestern Kuwait. Program Manager for Decision Support and Super-visor of Kuwait National Seismic Network Dr. Abdullah Al Anizi said that the earth-quake hit at a depth of 4 kms.

ANATOLIA/UNITED NATIONS

A number of European countries demanded a meeting from the UN Security Council to discuss the latest developments in Syria, according to diplo-matic sources. The request by Britain, Germany, France, Belgium and Poland to talk follows Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring in the region. The council is expected to meet in a closed session today.

US President Donald Trump said earlier yes-terday that Turkey will be responsible for all Daesh fighters captured in Syria that “Europe refused to have returned,” in an apparent crit-icism of European countries. Nato

secretary-general said US ally Turkey is at the forefront of the crisis and has legitimate security concerns regarding Syria. “Turkey has suffered hor-rendous terrorist attacks, and it hosts millions of Syrian refugees,” said Jens Stoltenberg after meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.

Noting that Turkish authorities informed Nato about the ongoing operation in northern Syria, Stoltenberg said: “It is important to avoid actions that may further destabilise the region, escalate tensions and cause more human suffering.”

“I count on Turkey to act with restraints and ensure that any action it may take in northern Syria is proportionate and measured,” he added.

UNSC to discuss Syria today

11THURSDAY 10 OCTOBER 2019 AFRICA

Tunisia: Jailed Karoui freedahead of presidential run-off

Ethiopia’s peacemaking PM emerges as a Nobel favouriteREUTERS NAIROBI

During a high-level meeting at Ethiopia’s foreign ministry in July, officials were shocked by social media reports that their prime minister was visiting Eritrea.

No one in the room had been informed of Abiy Ahmed’s trip, his second since clinching a peace deal last year that ended two decades of hostility between the two neighbours.

“The foreign office was not in the loop,” said a senior official who was present. “We learned of it from the Eritrean media, on Facebook and Twitter.”

The surprise visit is typical of Abiy, who both fans and critics say often relies on bold personal initiatives and charisma to drive change instead of working through government institutions. Nebiat Getachew, the foreign ministry spokesman, said policy was well co-ordinated but he did not confirm that Abiy had made the July trip without informing the ministry.

The deal with Eritrea won Abiy international plaudits. He is the bookmakers’ favourite to win a Nobel Peace Prize tomorrow after climate activist Greta Thunberg.

But Abiy’s unpredictable style annoys some Ethiopians.

It is unclear how much of the fractious ruling coalition — some form of which has been in power since 1991 — backs his reforms, or how durable those reforms would be without his leadership.

He has already survived one assassination attempt: a grenade thrown at a rally last year. Lasting change cannot be built through a “cult of personality”, said Comfort Ero, Africa pro-gramme director at the Interna-tional Crisis Group think tank.

“None of Abiy’s promised transformational reforms are going to have any solid founda-tions unless he works through the institutions,” she said.

Ethiopia has been among Africa’s fastest growing econ-omies for more than a decade. But uncertainty over Abiy’s

ability to carry out all his reforms worries both citizens and the foreign investors he has been courting to develop the country’s antiquated telecoms and banking sectors.

Some observers say Abiy, a former military officer special-ising in cyber intelligence, will

sometimes bypass ministries because his reforms must maintain their breakneck momentum or become mired in bureaucracy.

Those reforms — including unbanning political parties, releasing imprisoned journalists and prosecuting officials accused

of torture — have drawn ecstatic crowds at rallies. “Abiy seems to have relied on his charismatic rule,” said Dereje Feyissa, a pro-fessor at Addis Ababa University. “The question is whether this is sustainable. Euphoria is subsiding.”

Other observers say Abiy’s rapid changes are a deliberate attempt to wrong-foot oppo-nents from the previous admin-istration, which was dominated by Tigrayans, a small but pow-erful ethnic group.

Abiy, 43, is from the Oromo group, the nation’s largest, which spearheaded the protests that forced his predecessor to resign. Since taking office in April 2018, Abiy’s government has arrested or fired many senior officials - mainly Tigrayans - for cor-ruption or rights abuses.

“In the first six or seven months, he undercut the institu-tions... The institutions were either not working or working against his agenda,” said Jawar Mohammed, an Oromo activist and informal adviser to the prime minister.

Eritrea’s President Isaias Afwerki (right), talks to Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed during the Inauguration ceremony marking the reopening of the Eritrean Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in this July 16, 2018 file picture.

Boat sinks inNigeria, 38 deadQNA/ABUJA

A boat sank in the east of Nigeria yesterday, killing 38 people, the Nigerian government said. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari described the accident as “a devastating tragedy”. Bappa Abdu Bara, the caretaker chairman of Kirfi local government area, said that only two of the 40 passengers aboard the boat survived the accident, which occurred on the Kirfi River in Bauchi state.

Tunisia thwarts illegal immigration attemptQNA/TUNIS

The Tunisian Interior Ministry announced that the Coast Guard arrested 15 illegal immi-grants who were trying to cross the maritime border in the southeast of the country. The ministry said in a statement that the illegal immigrants were trying to cross the sea border from the coasts of Sfax Governorate on board a fishing boat. The boat was seized and the migrants were interrogated in accordance with Tunisian law, the statement added.

A group of activist demostrating against unemployment in Nairobi, Kenya, yesterday.

Hundreds of Kenyans protest unemploymentANATOLIA/NAIROBI

Hundreds of unemployed Kenyans yesterday took to the streets of the capital Nairobi over lack of employment opportu-nities in the country.

This came a couple of weeks after media and companies in different sectors started laying off staff due to tax-disputes with the Kenyan government.

“I was among 414 who were sent home on Sept. 30, those who were retained also had their salaries reduced by 40%,” Ann Njeri Wairimu, a student at a

Nairobi University and mother of two, said. “Our government promised us jobs ahead of elec-tions. We have no jobs, we are crying today on the streets of Nairobi because of this,” she added. The unemployment topic has been trending on Kenya’s social media in the past week.

“We, the concerned youth of Kenya, assemble here today in full vigor to protest the alarming rates of unemployment in Kenya, levels of societal breakdowns and the sorry state of our economy,” Withera Wanjiru, one of the organizers

of the protest, said. “It is over-whelming that over the last few months, more than 14,236 employees have lost their jobs and there is no remorse for it from the government,” she added.

Wanjiru noted that Kenyan economists predict that the numbers would rise. Job loses so far have hit nearly all sectors of the economy from commercial to insurance firms, manufac-turing to telecommunication firms. According to the World Bank, the proportion of Kenya’s youth to the population is among the highest globally.

Somalia auditor general slams government financesREUTERS MOGADISHU

The Somali government is keeping some donor funds offshore and none of the minis-tries have completed last year’s accounts, the auditor general said in a report published yesterday.

The critical audit comes as World Bank considers forgiving Somalia’s debt burden of $4.6bn to help the government win greater access to international financing to tackle nearly three decades of lawlessness and violence.

The report said $18m from the European Union, Saudi Arabia and the United Nations did not pass through the treas-ury’s account at the central bank. Some of the money was kept in offshore accounts with weaker controls.

Turkey gave Somalia $20m in cash, but there was no inde-pendent audit trail for it, the report said.

“There is a risk that external assistance from Turkey was not banked intact in the Treasury single account in a timely manner,” it read.

The police and military - in the frontline of the fight against an al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab insurgency - still have no system to account for vehicles, weapons, and uniforms, according to a more detailed audit of the security sector, also

published on Wednesday. Some food provided to sol-

diers through a government contract had expired and it was still unclear how many soldiers are actually in the army, that audit said, flagging a long-running problem donors have tried to address with a biometric database.

Some donors pay monthly stipends to troops listed in their database because the soldiers’ government paychecks often do not arrive.

The Somali government, which has no database of its own, also continues to say it has more soldiers than the donors have documented. About 99% of soldiers are paid in cash, the report found. “The lack of a computerized database increases the risk of “ghost per-sonnel” being included in the payroll,” the audit noted.

Jarat Chopra, a former World Bank official who worked on Somalia, said the audit showed that Somali financial systems remained weak despite pressure on donors to funnel more money through the gov-ernment budget.

“On-budget support by itself as a means to improve account-ability doesn’t work,” he said. “Just because you put money through systems doesn’t mean you improve those systems.”

The finance minister did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

REUTERS/TUNIS

Tunisian presidential candidate and media mogul Nabil Karoui left prison yesterday days before Sunday’s election run-off after weeks of detention waiting for a verdict in his corruption trial.

Karoui was the runner-up in the first round of the presi-dential election last month despite being held since August 23 in pre-trial detention. He will now face Kais Saied, an inde-pendent, in the second round of voting.

Hundreds of supporters who had gathered outside the prison cheered as Karoui departed, a Reuters journalist said, hours after an appeals court ruled that he should be released.

Karoui still faces charges of money laundering and tax fraud, which he denies, but no date has been publicly set to hand down a final verdict in the case. He remains subject to a travel ban

and asset freeze. The release means a televised debate can now take place between Saied and Karoui, who missed Tunisia’s first ever such event between the 26 candidates who ran in the initial round of the election.

His release could also make it easier for his party, Heart of Tunisia, to negotiate with the moderate Islamist Ennahda party to form a coalition government,

though both have publicly resisted working together.

Exit polls project Ennahda taking first place and Heart of Tunisia second in last Sunday’s separate parliamentary election, for which official results will be announced later on Wednesday.

“His release saved our tran-sition and the situation at the last moment... We were in a very dif-ficult moment in Tunisia which really threatened Tunisian democracy,” Karoui’s spokesman Hatem Mliki said. Last week, interim president Mohamed Ennaceur said Karoui’s detention and inability to campaign had damaged the credibility of the election. Election watchdogs had also called for his release saying there could be no fair vote if he was detained.

Tunisia’s electoral com-mission has itself warned that Karoui could appeal against the result if he loses as he has been denied equal opportunity to

communicate with voters, and that the result could be annulled.

Karoui took 15.6% of the vote in the first round of the election three weeks ago, while retired law professor Saied came first

with 18.4%. The case against Karoui was brought three years ago by I Watch, the local chapter of Transparency International, an anti-corruption watchdog.

Critics regard Karoui as a

corrupt populist wrongfully manipulating his television station and a charity he runs for personal political gain, but his supporters see him as a champion of Tunisia’s poor.

Tunisia’s presidential candidate Nabil Karoui is greeted by his supporters after being released from Mornaguia prison near Tunis, yesterday.

Karoui was the runner-up in the first round of the presidential election last month despite being held since August 23 in pre-trial detention. He will now face Kais Saied, an independent, in the second round of voting.

Morocco reshuffles cabinet, keeps foreign and finance ministers

REUTERS/RABAT

Morocco announced a cabinet reshuffle yesterday, reducing the number of jobs to 23 but keeping the foreign, finance and interior ministers in their posts.

King Mohammed VI approved the list of new min-isters submitted by Prime Min-ister Saad Dine El Otmani, state news agency MAP reported, after having asked him in the summer to arrange a reshuffle.

The tourism, housing, youth and culture, employment, justice and health ministers were changed, but the interior, religious affairs, agriculture, energy, trade and industry and education ministers stayed in place.

El Otmani’s moderate Islamist PJD party has seven cabinet posts in the newly con-figured government, while the liberal RNI led by business tycoon Aziz Akhannouch has four, including his own appointment to agriculture.

The socialist PPS party withdrew last week from the coalition over what it described as political disagreements.

12 THURSDAY 10 OCTOBER 2019ASIA

Fog envelopes ShimlaCommuters walk through fog as they hold umbrellas during a rainfall in Shimla in Himachal Pradesh, yesterday.

5,300 displaced J&K families added to PM’s aid schemeIANS NEW DELHI

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, yesterday approved inclusion of 5,300 displaced families of Pakistan-occupied areas of Jammu and Kashmir and now settled in Jammu and Kashmir, in the Prime Minister’s financial assistance scheme announced in 2015.

The approval will enable such families to become eligible to get one-time financial assistance of Rs5.50 lakh under the existing

“Prime Minister’s Development Package 2015 for Jammu and Kashmir” scheme, and in turn, be able to get some sustained income which the existing scheme is aimed at, said a Cabinet statement.

The rehabilitation package was approved by the Cabinet on November 30, 2016.

The 5,300 displaced families from Pakistan-occupied areas of Jammu & Kashmir, who initially opted to move out of Jammu and Kashmir to other parts of the country were not included in the package earlier. Now those

displaced families out of the 5,300 who initially opted to move out of the state but later returned and settled in Jammu and Kashmir are being included in the package, said the statement.

“These families, who have suffered on account of wars and hostilities, will enable to earn a reasonable monthly income and be part of mainstream economic activities. “This will also upgrade the Government’s capacity to respond effectively to such dis-placed families need of financial assistance. Requirement of funds

will be met out of the already sanctioned funds for the existing scheme,” said the statement.

Union Minister Prakash Java-dekar made the announcement after the Cabinet took the decision.

“Three types of displaced family came in Jammu and Kashmir. First lot came after 1947, immediately after the Par-tition. The second came after Kashmir’s assimilation in India. And, the other lot of some fam-ilies came from PoK,” Javdekar said in a media briefing.

In the wake of the 1947

Pakistani aggression in Jammu and Kashmir, 31,619 families migrated from PoJK to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Of these, 26,319 fam-ilies settled in the Jammu and Kashmir and 5,300 families initially opted to move out of the state to other parts of the country.

Further, during the India-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971, a number of 10,065 more families were displaced from Chhamb-Niabat area. Of these 3,500 fam-ilies were displaced during the 1965 war and 6,565 families were displaced during the 1971 war.

Govt extends Aadhaar seeding date for PM-Kisan schemeIANS NEW DELHI

The Central government yesterday extended till November 30 the mandatory requirement of Aadhaar seeding to avail the income support of Rs6,000 per year under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme. The move has been made to help the farmers in the rabi crop season.

The decision was taken in a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“The Cabinet has decided to relax till November 30, the man-datory requirement of Aadhaar seeding for release of benefits under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi after August 1,” said Prakash Javdekar, the Information and Broadcasting Minister.

The scheme provides income support of Rs6,000 per year to landholding families, subject to certain exclusions. The amount is released thrice a year with each instalment of Rs2,000 going directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries through the DBT mode.

According to an official statement, it has not been pos-sible to get 100 percent Aadhaar

seeding for release of funds as per the prescribed time schedule before release of instalments after August 1, 2019.

Since the farmers are still gearing up for the rabi season, the government said the farmers are in dire need of money to take care of various farming activities like procurement of seeds, prep-aration of soil and other asso-ciated activities like irrigation, maintenance and mobilisation of machinery and tools. Over and above these pressing needs, the just started festive season will put further stress on the financial condition of the poor farmers’ households in the country.

The government also said that the non-seeding of benefi-ciaries’ details with Aadhaar number will delay the release of further instalments and will cause discontentment among the farmers.

Therefore, the mandatory requirement of Aadhaar seeding for release of benefits after August 1 has been relaxed till November 30, the press release said.

This will enable immediate release of benefits to a large number of farmers who are not able to avail the same due to this requirement.

‘Have I become old’, Pawar asks supportersIANS AKOLA

Known for his sense of humour, often targeting his own supporters, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar yesterday asked some party activists at an event here — ”Have I become old?” — leaving the gathering in splits.

His remarks came at an

election rally in Balapur for his party candidate Sangram Gawande, where a former legis-lator and office-bearer, Tukaram Bidkar, described Pawar as a “beloved 80-year old leader”, extolling his virtues and his long 55-year plus political career.

When it was the NCP Presi-dent’s turn on the microphone, he said he liked everything about Bid-kar’s introductory speech, barring

one point. “I am an 80-year old leader.... so have I become old?” the 78-year old Pawar raised his eye-brows and demanded in an incred-ulous tone even as the gathering roared with laughter.

Signalling them to be silent with a flourish of his hand, Pawar continued: ‘Abhi to main jawaan hoon’ (I am still young). I will first pack off everybody before going home!” As the audience controlled

themselves, Pawar sagely turned his head to the crouching Bidkar on the dais and mockingly requested him not to throw about his age like this - “After all, I am your party president...!” A fit and sprightly Pawar has hit the cam-paign trail earnestly for the second time in six months after the Lok Sabha elections with a grueling schedule that can overawe many decades younger to him.

During Xi’s visit, Modi is expected to raise economic issues, including India’s $53bn trade deficit with China in 2018/19, and the smaller presence of Indian companies in China compared with that of other major economies.

Modi-Xi talks to focus on additional CBMs, trade

IANS/REUTERS NEW DELHI

India and China would look at additional Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) during the second informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at Mahaba-lipuram in Tamil Nadu on October 11-12, sources said.

The summit would see both the leaders hold extensive informal conversations amidst the historical backdrop of the seaside town of Mahabalipuram in an “easy going” atmosphere, sources said. The meeting between the two leaders would be the third after Modi’s re-election in May. The two had met in Bishkek on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organi-sation summit, and in Osaka on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

It will also be their sixth meeting since the Wuhan informal meeting of last year, highlighting the readiness between the two

Commuters drive past a welcoming board for China’s President Xi Jinping, in Chennai yesterday.

sides to keep up the momentum, the sources added.

With peace and tranquility along the border remaining a high priority, and with “no agreed perception” of the Line of Actual Control, which has led to skirmishes between the troops of the two nations in the Ladakh area and also in Doklam, the two leaders may decide on having additional CBMs. Modi and Xi may also decide on when the next round of special represent-ative talks on the border could take place, the sources said.

The two leaders would also exchange views on deepening the India-China Closer Development Partnership, besides holding talks

on trade and on overarching issues of bilateral, regional and global importance, sources added.

The talks will also be attended by External Affairs Minister S Jais-hankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval from the Indian side, while Chinese Foreign Min-ister Wang Yi would be there from the Chinese side. During Xi’s visit, Modi is expected to raise economic issues, including India’s $53bn trade deficit with China in 2018/19, and the smaller presence of Indian companies in China compared with that of other major economies.

Meanwhile, New Delhi voiced its pique over Kashmir figuring in talks between Xi and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. “India’s

position has been consistent and clear that Jammu & Kashmir is an integral part of India. China is well aware of our position. It is not for other countries to comment on the internal affairs of India,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveeh Kumar said.

India has maintained that rev-ocation of Article 370 on special status to Kashmir is a wholly internal and sovereign matter and related to the Indian Constitution, and other countries have nothing to do with it.

Sources said that Kashmir and Article 370 would not figure in the Xi-Modi talks, and if Xi wanted to know more about the issue, it would be explained to him.

Kerala family serial killer Jolly linked to 3 more deathsIANS KOZHIKODE (KERALA)

Suspicion has now arisen over three more deaths linked to Jolly, the woman who is the prime suspect in six mysterious deaths in her family, and who is currently in judicial custody even as reports have surfaced that she was also planning to eliminate two children.

Yesterday, Elsamma, wife of the uncle of Jolly’s first husband Roy Thomas (who was mur-dered by Jolly with cyanide), told the media that with reports now surfacing linking Jolly to several other murders, she suspects her involvement in two deaths in her family — that of her son Sunish who died in a bike accident in 2002 and his cousin Vincent who was found hanging.

Doubts have also been raised over the death of Ramakrishnan, a Congress worker, by his son and the police has tagged this case along with the five other deaths that took place in Jolly’s family between 2002 and 2016.

Superintendent of Police K G Simon who is leading the probe, yesterday said that the state police chief will decide on taking forward the scientific investigation in the matter. “With regards to the reports of the intent of Jolly to eliminate two more children, at the moment I cannot say anything. All the murders will be investigated by separate teams,” said Simon.

Jolly and her two accom-plices, who helped her by sup-plying cyanide, have been

arrested for plotting the murder of her first husband Roy Thomas and at present this is the only case that has been registered by the police probe team.

Kerala police chief Loknath Behra said he is determined to unravel the case. “First, let us get the custody of Jolly and then things will be decided,” said Behra. The police has sought the three accused’s custody for 11 days and submitted an appli-cation in a local court.

After hearing the police plea, the court reserved its orders for today and the police is making elaborate arrangements to provide security when they are brought to the court today.

In a related development, a local astrologer from Kattapana in Idukki district from where Jolly hails, has also been reported missing. After preliminary ques-tioning, Jolly had told the police that she had consulted him for astrological guidance for the welfare of her present husband.

The police have also found that the will of Roy Thomas’ father was forged by Jolly who was helped by local politicians and high-level revenue officials.

Jolly had always maintained that she was a lecturer at NIT Kozhikode. The police began the probe into the deaths after Roy Thomas’ brother, Rojo, now settled in the US, approached the Superintendent of Police and voiced his suspicions over the series of mysterious deaths. The police have now asked Rojo to return from the US to help in the investigation.

Parties to shun local polls in KashmirREUTERS SRINAGAR

India’s main opposition Congress said yesterday that it would boycott local elections in Kashmir, joining two other parties in a setback for gov-ernment efforts to restart political activity after it revoked the state’s special status two months ago.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has faced global condem-nation for his handling of the sit-uation in Kashmir, particularly over communication restrictions and the detention of hundreds of people including politicians that accompanied the withdrawal of its autonomy in August.

The government says nor-malcy is slowly returning to the Muslim-majority territory and was hoping that the elections to sub-district councils set for October 24 would help bolster its case that ordinary Kashmiris wanted faster economic devel-opment. But the Congress party state chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir said with scores of members detained, an election was pointless.

Two other regional parties — National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party — whose leaders are still detained, will also stay out of the polls.

National Conference leader Hasnain Masoodi said that unless political leaders were released, elections were futile.

13THURSDAY 10 OCTOBER 2019 ASIA

China’s Xi voices support for Pakistan over KashmirREUTERS BEIJING/ISLAMABAD

Chinese President Xi Jinping said yesterday he was watching the situation in Kashmir and would support Pakistan in issues related to its core interests, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

Tensions over the disputed region of Kashmir have risen sharply since August, when India revoked the autonomy of its portion of the territory. Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, who both claim it in full.

Xi told Pakistani Prime Min-ister Imran Khan during a meeting in Beijing that the rights and wrongs of the situation were clear, the report said.

“China supports Pakistan to safeguard its own legitimate rights and hopes that the rel-evant parties can solve their dis-putes through peaceful dia-logue,” Xi said, according to Xinhua.

Xi is scheduled to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Chennai later this week.

The Chinese and Pakistani leaders also highlighted dis-cussion around how to speed up progress on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the

$60bn infrastructure programme China launched as part of its flagship “Belt and Road” project.

Some officials and observers have said momentum on CPEC is slowing, in part due to con-cerns over the size of Pakistan’s debt and struggling economy, which led Islamabad to turn to the International Monetary Fund for a $6bn bailout package in July.

“The two sides expressed determination to speedily execute CPEC so that its growth potential can be fully realized making it a high-quality dem-onstration project for BRI,” the governments said in a joint statement.

Imran said that his gov-ernment was setting up a “CPEC Authority” to expedite projects,

and making arrangements to help Gwadar Port, a deep sea port in Pakistan’s southern Balo-chistan province, become a regional trade hub.

He did not provide details on the plans, but earlier in the day Pakistan’s media reported that the maritime minister had announced China Overseas Ports

Holding Company, which operates the port, would get a 23-year tax exemption for instal-lation of machinery and other equipment at the port.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan (left) shaking hands with China’s President Xi Jinping in Beijing yesterday. Imran Khan concluded his two-day visit yesterday.

‘30 civilians dead in US airstrikes on Afghan drug labs’AFP KABUL

At least 30 civilians were killed when the US bombed several drug-making facilities in western Afghanistan in May, a UN agency said in a report yesterday, though the US military immediately disputed the findings.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghan-istan (UNAMA) conducted an investigation over four months looking into what happened on May 5 when the US military bombed dozens of sites it had identified as Taliban metham-phetamine labs.

Soon after the strikes in Bakwa district of Farah province, and parts of the bordering Delaram district in Nimroz

province, UNAMA said it began to receive reports of “significant civilian harm”.

After a fact-finding mission to some of the impact sites and face-to-face interviews with 21 people impacted by the strikes, UNAMA said it had “verified 39 civilian casualties (30 deaths, five injured and four undeter-mined), including 14 children and one woman, due to the 5 May air strikes”.

The agency went on to say that it had also received “credible information” about an additional 30 deaths — mostly women and children — and was working to further verify these claims.

US Forces-Afghanistan (USFOR-A) blasted the UNAMA findings, questioned the agency’s methodology and insisted its

“precision” strikes had accu-rately targeted meth labs.

“In addition to imagery col-lection during the precision strikes, USFOR-A conducted exhaustive assessments of the facilities and surrounding areas after the strikes,” the command said in a statement.

“Combined assessments determined the strikes did not cause deaths or injuries to non-combatants.” Central to the dis-agreement between the US and the UN is the legal definition of what constitutes a legitimate military target.

UNAMA in its report con-tended the drug facilities were owned and operated by criminal groups, so “did not meet the def-inition of legitimate military objectives under international

law.” The US, however, insisted the labs were run and owned by the Taliban, who used revenue to “fund ongoing indiscriminate violence against innocent Afghans”.

The US military in 2017 and early 2018 carried out multiple strikes against Taliban opium processing plants, but the expensive efforts had little impact on the insurgents’ revenue stream and risked alien-ating rural populations and Afghan farmers, many of whom rely on the poppy crop.

The military then switched its focus to the more lucrative meth industry.

A US defence official said the military had not conducted any additional strikes on meth labs since the May 5 incident.

University students block a road and take part in a protest in Dhaka, yesterday, after a student was allegedly beaten to death by ruling party activists.

Sri Lankan leader’s party tosupport Gotabaya in pollsAP COLOMBO

Sri Lanka’s president will stay neutral in the upcoming presi-dential election but his party will back a breakaway party candidate, front-runner Gotabaya Rajapaksa, officials said yesterday.

Sri Lanka Freedom Party General Secretary, Dayasiri Jayasekara said President Maithripala Sirisena has tempo-rarily stepped aside from leading the party to ensure his neutrality.

He said the decision was made because questions could arise about the impartiality of police, which Sirisena oversees.

The move is seen as an attempt by the ramshackle party to stay relevant after losing a majority of its loyalists to the breakaway Sri Lanka People’s Front, which Rajapaksa is using to contest the election.

It is the first time that the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the coun-try’s second-largest for more than six decades, has not fielded a candidate in a major national election.

Party Vice-President Mahinda Samarasinghe told reporters that the decision to support Rajapaksa, a former defense chief, was made with the backdrop of a volatile security situation following Easter Sunday bomb attacks that killed more than 260 people.

“He is a proven adminis-trator,” Samarasinghe said.

Rajapaksa, who served under his brother, former

strongman President Mahinda Rajapaksa, is popular among majority Sinhalese for his part in ending a long civil war against ethnic minority Tamil rebels a decade ago.

He has been accused of con-doning rights abuses.

The decision by Sirisena’s party came after he decided not to seek reelection, apparently finding it difficult to beat Rajapaksa.

A record 35 candidates filed nominations on Monday for the November 16 election, with Rajapaksa considered the favourite.

The April 21 suicide attacks by seven Muslim militants also boosted Rajapaksa’s fortunes, with many people praising his wartime role against the seces-sionist rebels.

Sri Lankan leaders and the security establishment have been under fire for not acting on near-specific intelligence reports of possible attacks ahead of the bombings.

Sirisena has said he was kept in the dark about the reports and appointed a presidential com-mission to investigate the lapses.

National police chief Pujith Jayasundara was suspended and former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned. Both were later arrested after the presidential commission found grounds to charge them with dereliction of duties and criminal negligence. They were released on bail but on Wednesday a higher court can-celed the bail and ordered them held in detention.

Protests over Bangladesh student’s deathAFP DHAKA

Bangladesh’s prime minister yesterday vowed to mete out the “highest punishment to the killers” of a university student who died after he criticised a deal the leader made with India.

The killing of 21-year-old Abrar Fahad on Monday, allegedly by members of a student branch of the country’s ruling Awami League party, has sparked two days of protests in Dhaka and other cities.

He was allegedly beaten for six hours in a dormitory not long after posting a Facebook comment criticising Prime Min-ister Sheikh Hasina for signing a deal allowing India to take

water from a river on the border between the two nations.

Some 13 students, including 10 from the Awami League branch, have been detained by police over his death.

“How inhumanly they have beaten him to death. I will never allow it. The criminals will surely face justice,” Hasina told reporters as she pledged to inflict the “highest punishment to the killers”.

Protesters have called for the attackers to be harshly punished and for the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of Hasina’s party, to be banned.

“Today it is Fahad Abrar and tomorrow it could be any of us. These dorms have turned into a nightmare for students. We

demand an end to torture,” Bangladesh University of Engi-neering and Technology student Fahim Ahmed said.

The prime minister stopped short of acceding to the pro-testers’ other demand that pol-itics be banned on campuses, saying it was up to individual universities. Fahad had been seen — in leaked CCTV footage that went viral on social media — walking into a dormitory with some BCL activists late Monday.

About six hours later, his body was carried out by the stu-dents and laid on the ground, the footage showed.

The BCL has earned noto-riety in recent years after some of its members were accused of killing, violence and extortion.

JUI-F appliesfor permissionto hold‘Azadi March’ INTERNEWS ISLAMABAD

Opposition Jamiat Ulema Islam-F of Fazlur Rehman has formally sought permission from the Islamabad adminis-tration to hold the much-talked “Azadi March” in Islamabad on October 27.

Party leader Senator Ghafoor Haideri, through his counsel Kamran Murtaza, has submitted an application to the chief commissioner of Islamabad seeking permission to hold the march as well as security arrangements for the participants, party sources said yesterday.

“The JUI-F will be holding the Azadi March on October 27, 2019, at D-Chowk, Islamabad, exercising its democratic and Constitutional right under Articles 16 and 17 of the Consti-tution against the incumbent government,” reads the application.

Rehman had announced last week that the party will begin its anti-government “Azadi March” on October 27.

He had said that all oppo-sition parties had rejected the July 25, 2018, elections and had called for fresh elections.

“In this regard, the JUI-F and Muttahida Majlis Amal have carried out 15 ‘million marches’ in the country to raise awareness among the people,” he had added.

He had said that partici-pants of a meeting of JUI-F decided that on October 27 — the day celebrated by Kashmiris across the world as Black Day — the party will express com-plete solidarity with Kashmiris and with those demonstrations, a march on Islamabad will begin.

“This will be an Azadi march. Groups of people from all over the country will embark on this journey which will cul-minate in Islamabad, where we will send the government packing,” he had said.

‘Twitter not tosuspend usersunilaterally’INTERNEWS ISLAMABAD

Social networking website Twitter will no longer unilat-erally suspend or terminate user accounts originating from Pakistan, according to a press statement by the government.

On August 19, the gov-ernment of Pakistan, in a letter to Twitter Vice President Trust and Safety Del Harvey, had said accounts of users from Pakistan were shut down without warning or prior notice.

The letter further said that suspending such accounts had caused massive unrest, resentment and anger among the general public, and asked Twitter to amend their policy this regard.

Chairman of the National IT Board Shabahat Ali Shah met with Twitter officials recently in which important issues between the Twitter adminis-tration and the government of Pakistan were discussed.

The government statement further revealed that Twitter will no longer unilaterally suspend the accounts of Paki-stani users and will contact the government of Pakistan in case of any complaint beforehand.

NAB raids homeof adviser toSindh CMINTERNEWS KARACHI

A team of Pakistan’s top anti-graft watchdog National Accountability Bureau raided the residence of Sindh Chief Minister’s Adviser on Prisons Aijaz Jakhrani in Karachi in the small hours yesterday.

Jakhrani is accused of pos-sessing assets disproportionate to his declared sources of income, NAB sources said. Rangers and police assisted the accountability watchdog during their raid.

A large number of ruling Pakistan People’s Party workers and leaders, including Provincial Minister of Sindh for Local Government Saeed Ghani, reached Jakhrani’s residence after getting information about the raid. Sources said, the NAB team conducted the raid for a few hours at the PPP leader’s house and then took files from his residence.

The leaders of China and Pakistan also highlighted discussion around how to speed up progress on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the $60bn infrastructure programme.

14 THURSDAY 10 OCTOBER 2019ASIA

Call for ouster of South Korean justice minister

Malaysian MPs vote to repeal ‘fake news’ law Thailand to demand proof of health insurance for ‘risky’ long-term visitorsREUTERS BANGKOK

Foreigners in the “risky” over-50 age group will have to present proof of health insurance when applying for Thai long-term non-immigrant visas, a minister said yesterday, so the government doesn’t have to pick up their medical bills.

The rule takes effect at the end of the month to ensure the visitors can afford treatment during a maximum one-year stay and the government does not have to foot the bill, Sathit Pitutecha, deputy minister of public health, said.

Thailand, a Southeast Asian tourist destination popular with ageing Westerners, currently has to pay around $16.49m a year in medical bills for for-eigners over 50, he said, an age group the government describes as “risky”.

“Hospitals have to treat them because of human rights reasons, but when we ask them to pay us back, they can’t,” Sathit said. “These costs become burdensome for the public health ministry, so we pushed for the insurance policy.”

Immigration police data shows Thailand has received more than 80,000 applications for non-immigrant visas so far this year.

China slams NBA and Apple over Hong KongAFP SHANGHAI

China slammed NBA commis-sioner Adam Silver’s defence of free speech, cancelling a basketball fan event and lashing him in the state-run press, as Apple was warned it could be the next Western firm punished for supporting democracy protesters in Hong Kong.

The NBA had been looking to cement its already huge pop-ularity in the lucrative China market this week with a pair of annual pre-season exhibition games, but those plans were thrown into disarray by a tweet from Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey backing the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong.

Silver and the NBA initially responded to Friday’s tweet with statements that American poli-ticians branded as caving into China. But Silver, in Japan for another pre-season exhibition event involving the Rockets, then provoked China’s ire on Tuesday when he said the NBA supported freedom of expression.

“Silver’s about-face, which will definitely give a shot to the arms of the rioters in Hong Kong, shows his organisation is willing to be another handy tool for US interference in (Hong Kong),” the state-run China Daily newspaper

said in an editorial. An editorial in the national-

istic Global Times said there was now “little room for reconcili-ation” as the issue had escalated into a clash of values between China and the US.

The NBA has built a lucrative Chinese fanbase, thanks in part to the popularity of former Rockets centre Yao Ming.

But after Morey’s tweet, state broadcaster CCTV and Chinese Internet company Tencent both suspended broadcasts of Rockets games and two preseason NBA games in China.

The Chinese Basketball Asso-ciation, which Yao now heads, also cut ties with the Rockets.

The fallout deepened yes-terday as Silver prepared to fly to Shanghai for the Chinese games between the LA Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets.

The Shanghai Sports Feder-ation scrapped a planned fan event yesterday night to promote the Lakers-Nets game, slated for the following day.

It cited Morey’s “inappro-priate statement” and Silver’s “inappropriate position” for the cancellation.

Speculation has grown in the US that the games themselves —another is to be held in the southern city of Shenzhen on Saturday — could be cancelled.

Crews rappeled down glass-and-steel office buildings in Shanghai’s glittering financial district to peel off 13-storey pro-motional images of Lakers superstar LeBron James oyesterday, while at the arena where the games are to be played workers removed Nets, Lakers, and corporate logos from lamp-posts and walls.

The NBA also abruptly can-celled afternoon press events featuring the two teams just 10 minutes before the first was due to start, giving no explanation.

Rockets star James Harden, who is popular in China and earlier this week apologised to Chinese fans over Morey’s com-ments, yesterday fell in behind Silver and free speech.

“Everybody should, how they feel and their thought process, be able to speak it,” he said in Japan. “Obviously some people are going to feel some type of way and some people aren’t going to agree. That’s just the world we live in. I’m here for Adam Silver.”

Hong Kong has endured nearly four months of protests that were ignited by a now-scrapped plan to allow extradi-tions of criminal suspects to the mainland.

They snowballed into a movement calling for more dem-ocratic freedoms and police accountability, the biggest chal-lenge to China’s rule of Hong Kong since its handover from the British in 1997.

Chinese state media has repeatedly warned foreign firms against speaking out or voicing support for protesters, warning it could cost them access to China’s market of 1.4 billion people.

Tech giant Apple, which has a huge presence in China, yes-

terday became the latest target. The People’s Daily, mouth-

piece of the ruling Communist Party, slammed a transport app available on Apple’s store that it alleged helped protesters identify police in Hong Kong.

“Apple’s approval for the app obviously helps rioters,” the article said. “Does this mean Apple intended to be an accom-plice to the rioters?”

The article then cautioned that: “The map app is just the tip of the iceberg”, alleging a song supporting Hong Kong inde-pendence had also appeared on its music store.

“Nobody wants to drag Apple into the lingering unrest in Hong Kong. But people have reason to

assume that Apple is mixing business with politics, and even illegal acts,” it said.

US jewellery brand Tiffany and Hong Kong’s flagship airline, Cathay Pacific, have also been heavily criticised in China.

In an illustration of com-panies trying to toe the line, American shoemaker Vans removed some design submis-sions from a competition, including one apparently praising Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protesters.

In a Facebook post explaining its decision last week, the firm said it had “never taken a political position”, without mentioning the Hong Kong pro-tests or China.

The People’s Daily slammed a transport app available on Apple’s store that it alleged helped protesters identify police in Hong Kong.

A worker removing a giant advertisement of the NBA China Games from a building in Shanghai, yesterday.

Thousands rush to climb Australia’s Uluru ahead of banREUTERS/SYDNEY

Thousands of people are rushing to climb Australia’s Uluru, ignoring the calls of indigenous people to stay off what they consider a sacred monolith, before the ascent is permanently banned at the end of the month.

Visitors will no longer be able to scale the Australian landmark, formerly known as Ayers Rock, from October 26, following a decades-long cam-paign by indigenous commu-nities to protect it.

The Unesco World Heritage-listed 348 metre rock, famed for its deep red-ochre hues, is a top tourist draw despite its remote desert location near Alice Springs in Northern Territory.

The upcoming ban has drawn a throng of visitors and it is the busiest it has been in more than a decade, Uluru-Kata

Tjuta National Park manager Mike Misso said.

“We know it’s certainly in the hundreds and probably nearer 1,000,” Misso said, referring to daily arrivals. “There’s definitely a lot of people wanting to climb, but actually our same message that we’ve had for a number of years is Parks Australia and tra-ditional owners requesting that people choose not to climb,” he added, referring to the federal agency which helps manage national parks.

The Anangu people, the tra-ditional owners of Uluru, have called for the climb to be closed since 1985, when the park was placed in indigenous hands, due to its spiritual significance as a route their ancestors took.

Safety and environmental concerns are also cited as reasons not to attempt the climb, the park says.

Tourists crowd a trail as they attempt to climb the Uluru at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory, in Australia.

AFP KUALA LUMPUR

Malaysian lawmakers voted to repeal a controversial law yesterday that punished spreading “fake news” with up to six years behind bars and which critics said was aimed at stifling dissent.

As well as hefty jail terms, those who disseminated what authorities deemed false news — via any medium, from print to social networks — could be fined up to $120,000.

It was the second attempt by the lower house to overturn the law after MPs voted to repeal it last year only for the opposition-controlled upper chamber to block it.

But the upper house is only able to block a bill once, meaning the legislation will now be scrapped.

Malaysia is one of several countries in Asia that have turned to such legislation recently, emboldened by US President Donald Trump’s ful-minations against “fake news”,

but activists warn authoritarian regimes will use the laws to target opponents.

The legislation was pushed through in Malaysia last year by the former, scandal-tainted regime in the run-up to a hotly contested general election, sparking a storm of anger.

Political opponents said it was a crude tool aimed at silencing criticism of the then-government and its leader Najib Razak, partic-ularly over the corruption mega-scandal surrounding sovereign wealth fund 1MDB.

However, Najib and his long-ruling coalition unexpectedly lost the landmark 2018 elections that brought to power a reformist alliance which had pledged to abolish the law.

Charles Santiago, an MP from the ruling Pact of Hope coalition, welcomed yesterday’s move which came after two days of debate. He said the legislation had been aimed at helping “cover up the former govern-ment’s abuse and corruption”.

Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch,

added that repealing the law “was really the only way forward to protect freedom of expression in Malaysia.

“The anti-fake news law was a huge threat that would have devastated press freedom in Malaysia if it had ever been implemented.”

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who ousted Najib at last year’s polls, was investigated for allegedly spreading fake news days ahead of the election. He was an opposition leader at the time.

US, Philippine and Japan forceshold disaster-response drillsAP SUBIC

More than 2,000 US and Phil-ippine military personnel, along with a small contingent of Japanese forces, began annual combat exercises yesterday aimed at responding rapidly to crises and natural disasters and underscoring their commitment to keep the region “free and open.”

The 10-day drills, which include amphibious assault and live-fire exercises, opened at Subic Freeport, a former US naval base northwest of Manila. They will also include humani-

tarian work in six northern Phil-ippine provinces.

China has often branded military exercises involving the US and its allies, especially in or near the disputed South China Sea, as a threat to its security interests.

The US and Philippine offi-cials said the exercises aim to address terrorism, security and humanitarian concerns during natural disasters.

“These activities represent an increase in military capability and a commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region and demonstrate the ability to forward deploy forces in the

event of a crisis or natural dis-aster,” the US Embassy in Manila said.

P h i l i p p i n e m a r i n e s spokesman Capt Felix Serapio said about 1,400 US Marines and 600 Philippine counterparts are participating in the exercises, called “Cooperation of warriors of the sea.”

About 100 members of Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force will participate in drills using amphibious assault vehicles and will train alongside US and Philippine forces in pro-viding humanitarian aid and dis-aster-response work, the American embassy said.

AP SEOUL

Thousands of protesters rallied yesterday in South Korea’s capital for the second consec-utive week to call for the ouster of President Moon Jae-in’s hand-picked justice minister, whose family is at the center of an investigation into allegations of financial crimes and academic favors.

The protest near the Presi-dential Palace in Seoul followed a weekend demonstration in which a huge crowd of pro-gov-ernment supporters occupied streets in front of the state pros-ecutors’ offices to show their support for Cho Kuk, whose

appointment last month has deepened the nation’s political divide.

The city’s streets are now divided between pro-Cho and anti-Cho protesters, who for weeks have alternated with pro-tests and counter-protests in areas separated by the Han River that flows through the capital.

Yesterday’s rally came amid a highly-publicised investigation of Cho’s university professor wife and other relatives over allega-tions of shady financial invest-ments and fraudulent activities related to his daughter’s admission to a top university in Seoul and a medical school in Busan.

Cho, who previously served as Moon’s senior secretary for

civil affairs, has denied any wrongdoing and vowed to push ahead with plans to reform the country’s justice system,

including curbing the powers of mighty state prosecutors, even as they conduct a criminal probe into his family.

Anti-government activists attending a rally in central Seoul, yesterday.

15THURSDAY 10 OCTOBER 2019 EUROPE

Two Polish soldiers dead as WWII munitions explodeAFP WARSAW

Two Polish soldiers were killed and four others injured when muni-tions exploded as they attempted to defuse them, Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said yesterday.

The munitions dated back to World War II, local media reported.

The explosion occurred in a forest near the town of Kuznia Raciborska on Tuesday, the military said. Two of the injured were flown to hospital in serious condition.

The troops were part of a parachute regiment stationed in the region.

According to the police, they were tasked with dealing with old artillery shells discovered a few days earlier by people walking in the forest.

World War II shells and bombs are still often found in Poland which was invaded by Nazi Germany.

Germany approves climate protection measuresREUTERS BERLIN

The German cabinet yesterday approved climate protection measures designed to drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions, keeping on track plans by Chan-cellor Angela Merkel to pass the landmark package this year.

German Environment Min-ister Svenja Schulze took to Twitter to announce the approval of the measures, which would be enshrined in a Climate Protection Law.

The approval is a relief for Merkel, whose right-left coalition has suffered regional elections losses and been riven by disputes over pension and tax reforms.

“Finally there are binding rules for climate protection — and that’s a good thing. I have fought for this for a long time and I am happy that it was approved today,” Schulze wrote on Twitter.

As Merkel and her ministers met at the chancellery, hundreds of Extinction Rebellion climate activists blocked a major bridge nearby on the third day of global protests designed to press gov-ernments to take more drastic action against global warming.

The mechanism will allow ministries to monitor which sectors are meeting emissions goals and adjust targets based on their progress. Some of the mechanisms could yet be mod-ified or toughened up in the

upper chamber of parliament.The overall goal of the

measures — priced at 54 billion euros — is to cut German green-house gas emissions to 55% of the 1990 level by 2030.

The government also wants to raise car and air traffic taxes as well as increase a road toll for trucks from 2023. It also wants to extend subsidies for electric cars and broaden a charging network.

It plans to revive onshore wind turbine construction after it declined due to bureaucracy and citizens’ opposition. Building up renewable energy capacity is paramount given plans to phase out both nuclear and coal power plants.

Lithium-ion battery pioneers win Nobel Chemistry PrizeREUTERS STOCKHOLM

Three scientists have won the 2019 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for putting power in peoples pockets by developing rechargeable lithium-ion batteries which made the global information technology, mobile and fossil-fuel free revolutions possible.

American John Goodenough, at 97, became the oldest winner of a Nobel prize and shares the $906,000 award equally with M Stanley Whittingham from Britain and Akira Yoshino of Japan, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Nobel Committee said yesterday.

“Lithium-ion batteries have revolutionised our lives since they first entered the market in 1991. They have laid the foun-dation of a wireless, fossil fuel-free society, and are of the greatest benefit to humankind,” the committee said.

With peals of infectious laughter, Goodenough asked reporters at a hastily called news conference in London to speak up with their questions so that his “old ears” could hear.

He had not been expecting to win a Nobel prize, he said, but was “very happy” to get it.

“Life is full of surprises,” he said after popping a bottle of champagne in celebration.

After Whittingham developed the first functional lithium battery in the early 1970s, Goodenough doubled the battery’s potential in

the following decade. Yoshino then eliminated pure lithium from the battery, making it much safer to use.

Speaking on Japanese TV after hearing of his win, a smiling Yoshino said he was glad to have helped the environment.

“I am happy that the lithium-ion battery won the prize in that context,” he said, adding that he also hoped it would inspire others: “I hope this will become an encouragement for young researchers.”

Gregory Offer, an expert in mechanical engineering at Imperial College London, said the scientists’ work had led to “one of the key enabling tech-nologies of the 21st century”.

“They have already under-pinned the mobile revolution, and are now essential to help us solve the problem of climate change by electrifying transport and storing renewable electricity generation,” he said in an e-mailed comment.

Paul Coxon, a materials science expert from Britain’s Cambridge University, said lith-ium-ion batteries were now “the hidden workhorses of the mobile era”.

“All three Nobel winners

played vital roles in this energy storage revolution which has now placed power in our pockets,” Coxon said. “It’s a wonderful example of taking research from the lab. We can literally hold the

result in our hands.”The prizes for achievements

in science, literature and peace were created and funded in the will of Swedish dynamite inventor and businessman Alfred Nobel and have been awarded

since 1901.The Nobel prizes for med-

icine and physics were awarded earlier this week. The awards for literature, peace and economics will be announced in the next few days.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: M Stanley Whittingham, 77, a British-American chemistry professor at the State University of New York at Binghamton; Japan’s Akira Yoshino, 71, of Asahi Kasei Corporation and Meijo University. John B. Goodenough, 97, a German-born engineering professor at the University of Texas. The three scientists won the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work leading to the development of lithium-ion batteries.

Russia brands Navalny’s group a ‘foreign agent’AFP MOSCOW

Russia yesterday upped the pressure on opposition leader Alexei Navalny, declaring his organisation a “foreign agent” that will be subject to increased state monitoring.

Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), which often publishes investigations into state officials, will now have to present itself as a “foreign agent” on official documents.

Russia started a controversial list of foreign agent organisa-tions, which in Russian implies

spying for a foreign government, in 2012. This has led to many of the groups closing down.

Navalny called the move “absolutely illegal” and said it was “obviously a direct order from (President Vladimir) Putin”.

“FBK never received a single kopeck of foreign money,” he wrote on Twitter.

He demanded that the justice ministry publicly prove that the foundation, which seeks dona-tions from the public, received funds from outside Russia.

“Putin is terribly afraid of FBK,” he wrote.

Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry

Peskov meanwhile said the pres-ident had nothing to do with the decision, adding it was a “matter for the justice ministry”.

FBK director Ivan Zhdanov said it was “another attempt to suffocate” the foundation, which has often been raided by authorities.

He said the group is funded “exclusively by Russian citizens”.

Navalny’s spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh wrote on Twitter that the decision was intended to “put pressure on us and attempt to stop our activity.”

Groups deemed to have

“political” activities and interna-tional funding can be labelled “foreign agents”.

A justice ministry represent-ative told Russian media that FBK had received $2,300 in transac-tions from Spain and the US.

The tag, reminiscent of the Soviet-era crackdown on dissi-dents, obliges them to submit documents every three months outlining their finances.

The measure comes as Russian officials accuse the West of trying to undermine the country, characterising internal criticism as the work of spies and traitors.

While barred from main-stream politics, Navalny has kept trying to expose the lavish wealth of Russia’s elites, broadcasting the findings of his investigations to millions of Russians on social media and YouTube.

This has helped the Yale-educated lawyer win a young fan base in the country.

In August, Russian investi-gators launched a money-laun-dering probe into FBK, accusing it of taking money that was pro-cured illegally.

homes of his supporters fol-lowing mass opposition protests in Moscow this summer.

A protester holding a banner as Extinction Rebellion demonstrators block the Muhlendamm Bridge during the launch of a new wave of civil disobedience, in Berlin yesterday.

The nobel committee said that: The lithium-ion batteries have revolutionised our lives since they first entered the market in 1991. They have laid the foundation of a wireless, fossil fuel-free society, and are of the greatest benefit to humankind.

Dutch challengeEU pulse fishingban in top courtAFP THE HAGUE

The Netherlands said it has asked the European Union’s top court to overturn a ban on electric pulse fishing that is due to come into effect across the bloc in 2021.

Dutch fishermen are the main users of the practice but their French counterparts have long railed against it, calling it unfair competition that leads to unsustainable stock depletions.

Dozens of top European chefs have also denounced the technique, in which electrically charged lines are dragged above the seafloor to shock sole and other low-lying fish upwards into nets.

Dutch Agriculture Minister Carola Schouten has filed an application with the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxem-bourg for the annulation of the ban, she said in a letter to the lower house of parliament.

“The Council and European Parliament have breached several parts of Union law,” Schouten wrote.

“The ban on electric fishing was not based on the best available scientific opinions,” she said, adding that the ban harms “innovation and techno-logical development.”

British DJ pays tribute to Greta ThunbergAFP LONDON

British superstar DJ Fatboy Slim paid tribute to teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg by performing a remix of his hit song “Right Here, Right Now”, using samples from her dramatic UN speech.

The 56-year-old artist played the mash-up, made by South African electronic artist David Scott, at a show in Gateshead, northeast England, last Friday, with a video clip of the performance recently going viral on social media.

The remix samples Thun-berg’s demands for action

against climate change in her fiery speech at the United Nations last month to be taken “right here, right now”, using it during each refrain of the song’s title.

It also includes other excerpts from the 16-year-old Swede’s speech.

“When Greta spoke to the UN and I saw the video and it was quite late at night, and as soon as she said ‘right here, right now’, the Fatboy Slim song popped into my head and I just knew in that moment I had to create a mash-up,” Scott said.

“When Fatboy Slim picked up the video and reposted it, it was a massive shock and a

massive honour as well. I’ve always looked up to him as a music producer.

“If you look at the (original) video as well it ties into the whole story, it’s the story of evo-lution, how we came from the sea and evolved into humans and now we are at this stage where we consume and consume, and that’s where the video ends, with this big fat kid,” he added.

Hundreds of protesters have blocked central London streets this week as part of worldwide events organised by Extinction Rebellion, the climate movement partly inspired by the pigtailed activist.

16 THURSDAY 10 OCTOBER 2019EUROPE

Ransomware attacks getting bolder: EuropolAFP THE HAGUE

Global ransomware attacks are on the decline, but such mali-cious cyber strikes are getting bolder and homing in on more profitable companies, with data encryption a key target, Europe’s police agency said yesterday.

Europol said it was also con-cerned by the rise of so-called “self-generated explicit material” produced by underaged children who then share images and videos with peers through smartphones.

Police and the private sector “confirm a diminishing number of ransomware attacks targeting individual citizens” but such attacks are “becoming more bold”, the agency said as it released its latest annual report on internet organised crime.

Ransomware is a type of software, used by cybercriminals to extort money from Internet users.

One of the most visible ran-somware attacks happened in March last year when SamSam malware paralysed the south-eastern US city of Atlanta for six days.

Although the attackers asked for a ransom of roughly $50,000 it cost the City of Atlanta more than $2.6m to respond to the attack, according to science and technology publication Wired Magazine.

The US Justice Department later charged two Iranian hackers for deploying the ran-somware into the systems of

more than 200 institutions across the US and Canada, encrypting their operations and making them inaccessible until the owners paid ransoms in bitcoin.

“This only proved to be the tip of the iceberg,” Europol said. “There are cases where a com-pany’s encrypted files have been ransomed for over one million euros,” the agency said.

Globally losses from ran-somware rose by 60 percent last year to $8bn, according to data compiled by the Internet Soci-ety’s Online Trust Alliance.

Ransomware “has become more targeted because it’s like any business model,” Interpol’s cybercrime directorate chief Craig Jones said.

Criminals. like businessmen “look to see where they can make the most money, where the sweet spot is,” Jones said on the sidelines of a combined cybercrime conference organised by Europol and Interpol in The Hague.

Company data remains a key target, Europol said, not only for

conventional ransomware attacks, but also sabotage.

These attacks which perma-nently erase or irreversibly damage company data doubled during the first six months of 2019 with half focusing on the manufacturing sector, Europol said.

This included a new strain of malware called GermanWiper “which rather than encrypting the victim’s files, rewrites the content resulting in the per-manent destruction of the vic-tim’s data.”

The agency’s Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment report also high-lighted online child exploitation as an ongoing major concern — with children themselves con-tributing to the problem, helped by greater access to smartphones.

“Self-generated explicit material has been a growing concern for several years, as more-and-more young children share explicit material online,” Europol said.

“Kids these days have access to smartphones and other devices that can take high-res-olution images, they are present on different social media plat-forms, so it’s easy,” said Philipp Amann, strategic head at Europol’s EC3 cybercrime centre.

“Looking at the law, for instance even if a 14-year-old receives a (explicit) picture of his 13-year-old girlfriend that could still legally be considered child abuse material,” he said.

Two dead, 1 arrested in Germany shootingAP BERLIN

Several shots were fired yesterday in the eastern German city of Halle, leaving two people dead as the suspected assailants fled, police said. The exact target of the attack was not clear, since it took place near a synagogue and a kebab shop, witnesses said.

Police said in a tweet that the suspects fled in a car, and soon after reported that one person had been arrested. They gave no information about that person or reasons why they thought the attack was carried out by mul-tiple assailants.

Officers were out in force across Halle, a city of 240,000, hunting down more suspects and

urging residents to stay at home or indoors. The railway station in Halle was closed as a precaution.

Police gave no details about the target, or targets, of the attack but federal prosecutors, who handle cases involving suspected terrorism or national security, took over the investigation.

A video clip broadcast by regional public broadcaster MDR showed a man in a helmet and an olive-coloured top getting out of a car and firing four shots from behind the vehicle from a long-barreled gun. It wasn’t clear what he was shooting at.

Pictures from the scene showed a body lying in the street behind a police cordon. News agency dpa reported the body was lying opposite a synagogue,

about 30 metres away.Synagogues are often pro-

tected by police in Germany, and police in two other eastern cities, Dresden and Leipzig, stepped up security at synagogues there after the shooting in Halle.

Police said that shots were also fired in Landsberg, about 15km from Halle. It wasn’t clear whether the two shootings Wednesday were related.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen Seibert, lamented what he called “ter-rible news from Halle” but gov-ernment officials said they had no information on the attack.

The European Parliament held a moment of silence at the start of its session yesterday to mark the unfolding situation in Halle. _

Policemen climb over a wall of the Jewish cemetery close to the site of a shooting in Halle an der Saale, in eastern Germany, yesterday.

Outrage in Belgium over ‘sickening’ burger adAFP BRUSSELS

Belgium’s advertising regulator said yesterday that it has clocked up hundreds of complaints over a viral hamburger ad showing a comic-book version of a man punching a woman for handing him the wrong sandwich.

Consumers and politicians called the online ad “sickening” and “irresponsible”, saying it

went directly against public cam-paigns denouncing domestic violence.

The ad, published on Facebook, aimed to publicise a Belgian hamburger brand, Bicky Burger.

Its cartoon style borrowed from 1950s and 1960s American pop-art made famous by artist Roy Lichtenstein and by a panel from a 1965 comic showing Batman slapping his sidekick Robin that has been reworked

into a long-running Internet meme.

The Bicky Burger ad depicts a man in a suit swinging his fist to violently hit a blonde woman carrying a fast-food container as he exclaims: “Seriously, a fake Bicky?”

The head of Belgium’s reg-ulatory Advertising Council, San-drine Sepul, said the agency had received 300 complaints from the public in 24 hours.

She said that a Dutch food

company, Izico, commissioned the advertisement and her agency had transmitted the com-plaints to its counterpart in the Netherlands.

Izico was ordered to explain itself, she said, adding that pos-sible punishment could be decided “in a few weeks”.

Belgian media ran indignant reports on the controversy, which led to the ad being pulled from Facebook — but it was relayed thousands of times in

individual social media posts.Le Soir newspaper asked

how such an advertising cam-paign could be created in 2019 when, in Belgium, “every 10 days a man kills his wife or his ex. And every day a number of women are humiliated, raped, beaten.”

Two regional politicians in charge of gender equality for Brussels and for the Wallonia part of Belgium said they had also called on the country’s Advertising Council to act.

EU tells Britain: Make more concessions if you want a Brexit dealREUTERS BRUSSELS

The European Union told British Prime Minister Boris Johnson he must make significant conces-sions if he wants to strike a last-minute Brexit deal.

As the clock ticks down to the October 31 departure date, Brexit descended into a public row between London and Brussels this week as both sides position for another delay fol-lowed by an election in Britain or an acrimonious divorce.

After a Downing Street source said a Brexit deal was essentially impossible because German Chancellor Angela Merkel had made unacceptable demands, the EU accused Johnson of playing a “blame game”.

The EU’s chief Brexit nego-tiator, Michel Barnier, said striking a Brexit deal ahead of October 31 would be “very dif-ficult” and the bloc could not accept Johnson’s proposals. He added that a deal was “still possible.”

“To put things frankly, we are not really in a position to be able to find agreement with the UK,” Barnier told the European Parliament. He said he would be available 24/7 in the coming days to try to strike a deal.

European Commission

President Jean-Claude Juncker said he was working for a Brexit deal, which he also said was still possible.

“I don’t accept this blame game that started in London. Personally, I don’t exclude a deal,” Juncker told the European Parliament’s plenary session.

“The risk of a no-deal remains real and basically is going to come down to a decision by the UK government, but will never be the choice —the preferred option — of the European Union.”

The European Union’s two most powerful leaders, Ger-many’s Merkel and France’s Emmanuel Macron, will meet at the Elysee Palace this Sunday ahead of an October 17 to 18 EU summit, Macron’s office said.

“I’m still cautiously, cau-tiously optimistic,” Johnson said.

EU diplomats, though, are sceptical about the chances of a deal. Most expect Johnson to be forced to accept a delay to Brexit — a step that could ultimately lead to either a disorderly exit or the reversal of the entire Brexit endeavour.

“There will be no rabbit-out-of-the-hat solutions,” one EU official said. “There will be more talks and more political contacts. But, for the time being, there is no breakthrough to be reported.”

Europol said it was also concerned by the rise of so-called “self-generated explicit material” produced by underaged children who then share images and videos with peers through smartphones.

Bosnia to take back and try 9 captured IS fightersREUTERS SARAJEVO

Bosnia is preparing to take back and try nine of its nationals suspected of fighting for IS in Syria, its security minister said.

Hundreds of people are believed to have left Europe to fight for IS group in Syria and Iraq, and many await in deten-tion camps to be handed over to their countries of origin.

“We are working to bring

back nine persons for whom Bos-nia and Herzegovina had issued arrest warrants,” Minister Dra-gan Mektic said.

Mektic declined to say when the suspects would be returned to Bosnia, but added they would be handed over to the judiciary immediately upon arrival.

The Sarajevo-based inves-tigative portal www.zurnal.ba reported the nine men, all captured and kept in detention camps in Syria and Iraq, should be

returned by the end of the week.According to a 2014 criminal

code, all Bosnians who leave the country to fight in foreign wars must be prosecuted under ter-rorism charges.

According to Bosnian intel-ligence, 241 adults and 80 children left Bosnia or the Bos-nian diaspora in 2012-2016 for Syria and Iraq, where 150 more children were born. About 100 adults, including 49 women, remain there, while at least 88

have been killed or died.IS group’s last territorial foot-

hold, in Syria, fell in March this year. Bosnia’s state court has tried and convicted 46 people who have returned from Syria or Iraq in the past few years.

Several women with children have pleaded with the Bosnian authorities to be allowed to return home but there is still no clear policy in place on how to deal with them because their children do not hold Bosnian citizenship.

Asterix and Obelix’s 60th anniversaryPeople walking next to a drawing specially designed to commemorate the 60th anniversary of France’s famous comic characters Asterix and Obelix at the Rome metro station, in Paris, yesterday.

Spain’s National Court probes alleged spying of Assange at Ecuador embassyAFP MADRID

Spain’s National Court is inves-tigating a Spanish private security firm on suspicion it spied on Julian Assange on behalf of the US while he was inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London, according to a ruling made public.

The court said in the doc-ument dated August 7 that it was investigating whether Under-cover Global Ltd, which was responsible for security at the embassy where the WikiLeaks founder had taken refuge, and its owner David Morales invaded Assange’s privacy by installing hidden microphones and other devices at the embassy.

The company and its owner are also being probed for money laundering and bribery, the document added. The court said it opened the investigation after accepting a complaint from Assange’s lawyers.

Undercover Global is sus-pected of having installed micro-phones in a fire extinguisher at the embassy as well as in the women’s toilets where Assange used to meet with his lawyers for fear of being spied on.

“Meetings which Assange held with his lawyers, as well as medical visits and those of other nature were recorded,” the court said.

17THURSDAY 10 OCTOBER 2019 AMERICAS

White House spurns Trump impeachment probeAFP WASHINGTON

A defiant White House declared war on Tuesday against the impeachment investigation of Donald Trump, blasting the process as partisan, illegitimate and unconstitutional and saying neither the president nor his administration will cooperate.

In a fiery letter, the White House threw down the gauntlet to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the chairmen of three con-gressional panels leading the inquiry, challenging them to proceed with their effort to oust Trump despite zero future cooperation.

“Put simply, you seek to overturn the results of the 2016 election and deprive the American people of the pres-ident they have freely chosen,” White House counsel Pat Cipollone wrote in an eight-page letter.

“Your inquiry lacks any legit-imate constitutional foundation, any pretense of fairness, or even the most elementary due process protections,” he said of the probe, which is weighing whether Trump abused his office by seeking a corruption probe in Ukraine of his rival Joe Biden.

“President Trump cannot permit his administration to par-ticipate in this partisan inquiry under these circumstances.”

Pelosi fired back, terming the letter “manifestly wrong” and

describing it as “another unlawful attempt to hide the facts”. “Mr President, you are not above the law. You will be held accountable,” she said, warning that “continued efforts to hide the truth of the president’s abuse of power from the American people will be regarded as further evidence of obstruction.”

The stand-off set Wash-ington on a path toward a con-stitutional crisis and into unknown territory, with the potential for a court showdown just as the nation gears up for the 2020 election.

The White House’s chief objection was the fact the House of Representatives had not held a formal vote to launch the inquiry. Democrats say it is not needed because the impeachment process is in its earliest stages, equivalent to gathering evidence for an indictment.

Only afterward would the

Democrats call a vote. If a majority of House members back impeachment, the matter shifts to a trial in the Senate, currently controlled by Republicans.

Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell expressed support for Trump’s strategy, tweeting that the House had failed “to follow the same basic procedures that it has followed for every other President in our history.”

The White House letter capped a day of explosive devel-opments that included Trump barring a key witness, Ambas-sador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, from speaking to Congress — calling it a “totally compromised kangaroo court.” In response, Democrats slapped Sondland with a subpoena that “compels” him to appear on October 16.

Pelosi formally launched the impeachment inquiry last month after revelations Trump pres-sured Ukraine’s President Volo-dymyr Zelensky in a July 25 phone call.

Sondland, a major donor to Trump’s 2016 presidential cam-paign, was one of a handful of US diplomats on a text message chain between July and Sep-tember that goes to the heart of the investigation. The messages involving Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani show them coordinating to pressure Kiev into investigating Biden, as Ukraine sought US military aid and access.

Trump honors Edwin MeeseUS President Donald Trump awards Edwin Meese the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a ceremony in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC on Tuesday.

Biden says President Trump should be impeachedBLOOMBERG ROCHESTER, US

Joe Biden said for the first time yesterday that President Donald Trump should be impeached.

Biden had yet to explicitly call for Trump’s impeachment, saying Congress would have no choice but to impeach if the Trump administration refused to cooperate with a probe into his behavior.

The White House on

Tuesday said it would not par-ticipate in an impeachment inquiry it considered a ‘kan-garoo court’.

“No president in American history has dared to engage in such unimaginable behavior,” Biden told supporters to a standing ovation in Rochester, New Hampshire.

“President Trump has indicted himself by obstructing justice, refusing to comply with the congressional inquiry. He’s

already convicted himself,” Biden said, referring to Trump’s declaration to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House that China should investigate Biden’s son Hunter Biden’s business dealings there.

Before Biden finished speaking, Trump tweeted that Biden was being ‘pathetic’ in calling for his impeachment.

“I did nothing wrong. Joe’s Failing Campaign gave him no other choice!’

US curbs China officials’ visas over XinjiangAFP WASHINGTON

The United States said on Tuesday that it would curb visas for Chinese officials until Beijing ends its “repression” of Uighurs and other Muslims in the western region of Xinjiang, a day after imposing commercial restrictions.

The step by President Donald Trump’s administration comes amid a range of feuds between the United States and China.

“China has forcibly detained over one million Muslims in a brutal, systematic campaign to erase religion and culture in Xinjiang,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote on Twitter.

“China must end its dra-conian surveillance and repression, release all those arbitrarily detained and cease its coercion of Chinese Muslims abroad,” he said.

In an accompanying statement, Pompeo said that the State Department would restrict visas granted to government and ruling Communist Party officials involved in “detention or abuse” of Uighurs, Kazakhs or members of other predom-inantly Muslim ethnic groups in Xinjiang.

The order will also affect their family members, including children who may be seeking to study in the United States.

The State Department said it could not specify which offi-cials were affected due to US confidentiality laws.

China voiced anger at the move, denying any human rights abuses in Xinjiang and accusing the United States of using “made-up pretexts for its interference”.

“The counter-terrorism and de-radicalization measures in Xinjiang are aimed to eradicate the breeding soil of extremism and terrorism,” the Chinese embassy in Washington said on Twitter. “They are in line with Chinese laws and international practices,and are supported by all 25 million people of various ethnic groups in Xinjiang,” it said.

California cuts power to millions to prevent wildfiresAFP LOS ANGELES

Rolling blackouts affecting up to 800,000 customers began yesterday in parts of California as a utility company switched off power because of hot, windy weather that raises the risk of wildfires.

Pacific Gas & Electric, which announced the three-phase deliberate power outage, is working to prevent a repeat of a catastrophe last November in which power lines it owned were determined to have sparked

California’s deadliest wildfire ever.

In that inferno, 85 people died and a town called Paradise was virtually destroyed. The company has been found responsible for dozens of other wildfires in recent years, too.

This is peak wildfire season in California. PG&E said the severe weather incident prompting the precautions this time — hot, dry conditions and winds gusting at up to 70 mph — is expected to last through mid-day Thursday in parts of northern and central California.

The outages could last up to a week in some places. Some 800,000 customers actually means millions of people will be affected.

The city of San Francisco is not affected by the intentional shutoff but much of the sur-rounding Bay Area could go dark including parts of Silicon Valley.

The first part of the so-called Public Safety Power Shutoff began at midnight Tuesday into Wednesday in northern Cali-fornia in a broad swath of land that includes the Napa Valley wine country. It will affect around

513,000 customers there, the utility company said.

The rest of the San Francisco Bay area was to start losing power in waves around noon local time. A possible third phase could take place later in the day farther south. Schools and universities cancelled classes for Wednesday and people stocked up on gasoline, water, batteries and other basics, news reports said.

PG&E said it expected to start turning the power back on on Thursday but can only do this after inspecting its equipment for damage.

Canada’s Conservatives pledge to limit illegal border crossingsREUTERS HEMMINGFORD, QUEBEC

Canada’s Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer pledged yesterday that if elected his party would take steps to limit illegal border crossings by migrants who first travel to the United States and then proceed to Canada.

The Conservatives would “prioritize newcomers from violent and dangerous countries, and restore Canadians’ faith in an immigration system that has served this country so well for so long,” Scheer said at a press conference in Hemmingford, Quebec.

Since 2004, the Safe Third Country Agreement has required immigrants to make refugee claims in the first country they arrive. If a person arrives in Canada by unregulated means from the United States, they can

apply for refugee status in Canada.

Scheer pledged to close a loophole that allows immigrants to seek asylum if they cross the border into Canada at an unof-ficial point of entry, such as Roxham Road in Quebec which was once a footpath from New York state known for its use by migrants.

Scheer acknowledged Canada is not subject to the “same migratory pressures as other countries in the world.”

Canadians go to the polls on October 21 and the Conservatives are currently tied in national polls with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals. Scheer’s party also faces competition for votes from the newly-formed right-wing People’s Party of Canada, which favors cutting immigration levels by two-thirds.

Canada received its highest

number of refugee claims in 2018 since record-keeping began three decades ago, according to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRBC). The loophole in the agreement has been partly blamed.

Trudeau has not proposed any changes in immigration

policy, but said yesterday that “there are no shortcuts” in Can-ada’s immigration system.

Irregular border crossings into Canada fell to less than 7,000 in the first six months of 2019 from almost 12,000 in the same period of 2018, according to IRBC data.

Liberal leader and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during an election campaign visit to Toronto, yesterday.

Warren edges ahead of Joe Biden in latest US pollsAFP WASHINGTON

US Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has squeezed ahead of long-time front-runner Joe Biden for the first time, according to compiled polls released on Tuesday.

The race for the party nom-ination has tightened sharply since May as Biden dipped in the polls and Warren’s support soared.

The RealClearPolitics poll average put Warren on 26.6 percent and Biden on 26.4 percent in the Democratic primary contest to take on President Donald Trump in the 2020 election.

Warren, 70, a progressive senator from Massachusetts, has campaigned strongly through the summer, while centrist former vice president Joe Biden, 76, has been hit by health concerns and gaffes.

Warren raised $24.6m million in third-quarter contri-butions to her White House campaign, her office said last week, easily beating Biden and rivalling fellow progressive Bernie Sanders.

The July-to-September haul came from 943,000 donations with an average contribution of $26, Warren’s team said.

Biden raised $15.2m for the quarter, while Sanders, who is third in the polls, raked in $25.3m for the period, the most of any Democratic 2020 candidate.

Mexican President urges Pelosi to approve trade dealANATOLIA TEXAS

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Tuesday that he is sending a letter to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi seeking approval of a proposed trade deal between the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“I am going to send a letter today explaining our position

and asking her for her contri-bution [and] her support,” Obrador said at a press conference.

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will replace the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, which eliminated trade barriers between the three nations.

In 2017, about 80% of Mex-ico’s exports went to the US. The following year, the US imported

about $372bn worth of goods from their southern neighbor. For this reason, the Mexican gov-ernment is in favor of the trade deal.

“It would be convenient for the three nations. It’s convenient to Canada. It’s convenient to the United States. And, it’s con-venient to Mexico,” he said.

To replace NAFTA, US Pres-ident Donald Trump needs the approval of House Democrats.

But the process has slowed as talks about his possible impeachment have taken center stage. In addition, some US law-makers have raised doubts about the new agreement.

In April, a group of Demo-crats on the House Ways and Means Committee sent a letter to US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer voicing concern that Mexico will not fully hold up its end of the bargain.

For example, the White House has required that Mexico improve labor rights in order to deter US companies from moving to the country for cheaper labor and less restrictions.

“We question whether there is reason to believe that the new Agreement will lead to mean-ingful change and real improve-ments for labor standards in Mexico,” said the letter.

The stand-off sets Washington on a path toward a constitutional crisis and into unknown territory, with the potential for a court showdown just as the nation gears up for the 2020 election.

18 THURSDAY 10 OCTOBER 2019AMERICAS

Moreno refuses to quit as Ecuador protests continueREUTERS QUITO

Ecuadorean protesters held a national strike and clashed with security forces yesterday after President Lenin Moreno refused to step down or overturn anti-austerity measures that have triggered the worst unrest in a decade.

Streets were empty of traffic and businesses were closed from early in Quito and other cities during the shutdown, in Latin America’s latest flare-up over unpopular structural reforms.

Security forces fired teargas to break up hundreds of pro-testers marching near the pres-idential palace in downtown Quito, the highland capital.

Violent demonstrations erupted in the Andean nation of 17 million people a week ago when Moreno cut fuel subsidies as part of a package of measures in line with a $4.2bn Interna-tional Monetary Fund (IMF) loan.

“What the government has done is reward the big banks, the capitalists, and punish poor Ecuadoreans,” said Mesias Tatamuez, head of the Workers’ United Front umbrella union.

The main indigenous group CONAIE, which has mobilised

some 6,000 members to Quito from outlying areas, said Moreno’s government was behaving like a “military dicta-torship” by declaring a state of emergency and setting an over-night curfew.

Protesters again barricaded roads yesterday morning with debris, while security forces themselves blocked a major bridge in the coastal city of Guayaqui l to thwart demonstrations.

Moreno, 66, who succeeded leftist leader Rafael Correa in 2017, has relocated his gov-ernment to Guayaquil where there has been less unrest than in Quito.

He stood by his economic measures and defied calls to quit.

“I don’t see why I should if I’m making the right decisions,” Moreno said late on Tuesday, arguing that Ecuador’s large debt and fiscal deficit necessitated belt-tightening reforms.

For days, protesters have been marching and barricading roads with burning tires. Masked youths have hurled stones at security forces, who have responded with tear gas and water cannon.

“Our flag is red, like the blood of the working class!” chanted marchers in downtown Quito, where anti-Moreno and anti-IMF graffiti covered walls.

“Moreno out!” and “Police murderers!”, some shouted.

Authorities have arrested nearly 700 people in a week of unrest, and dozens of police officers have been injured.

One man died after he was

hit by a car and an ambulance could not reach him amid the chaos, while another two people fell off a bridge during protests, with some unconfirmed reports that they died.

Oil Minister Carlos Perez said the OPEC member nation had lost 232,000 barrels of pro-duction from the unrest, worth more than $12.5 million, after protesters entered some fields.

Soldiers were helping state oil company Petroamazonas retake control of the important Sacha field, the ministry said, but half a dozen others remained closed. The government is hoping the United Nations or

Roman Catholic Church can help mediate the crisis.

Moreno has accused former friend, mentor and boss Correa of seeking a coup with the help of fellow socialist President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.

Moreno had enthusiastically backed Correa during his decade-long rule, serving as his vice-president, but broke with him after winning election and moved economic policies to the right.

Moreno has support from the business elite and the military appears to remain loyal, but his popularity is less than half of what it was two years ago.

Riot police stand guard at a bridge between Guayaquil and Duran, in Ecuador, yesterday.

Correa says to run in elections ‘if necessary’AFP BRUSSELS

Ecuador’s left-wing former president Rafael Correa said yesterday he was prepared to run in any early elections “if it is necessary” as protests over fuel price hikes gripped his nation.

“If it is necessary to be a candidate, I will be one,” Correa told reporters in the capital of Belgium, where he has been living in self-imposed exile with his family since leaving power in 2017 at the end of his third mandate.

Current Ecuadoran Pres-ident Lenin Moreno has accused Correa, along with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, of stirring up the protests as part of an “attempted coup d’etat”.

Correa is wanted in his homeland on suspicion of ordering the kidnapping of a political opponent while he was president. Because Ecuador has passed a law that would prevent him again becoming head of state, Correa said he was ready to run as vice pres-ident. “They (Lenin’s gov-ernment) are looking to see how they could prevent me running,” he added.

Thousands mourn Mexican singer José JoséAP MEXICO CITY

Thousands of Mexico City resi-dents lined the sides of major boulevards to catch a glimpse of the hearse carrying the ashes of singer José José yesterday.

They tossed flowers and

waved to the passing vehicle as it made its way to the Palace of Fine Arts.

A tribute to the Mexico City-born singer was to be held there, before his ashes are taken to a church and then to the neigh-bourhood where he was born.

José José died on September

28 in South Florida at age 71. His relatives had disagreed

over where his remains would be laid to rest.

His body was cremated in Miami, and it was agreed that half the ashes would remain there and the other half would be brought to Mexico.

Fans pay tribute to late Mexican singing legend José José as the hearse carrying his remains heads to the Fine Arts Palace in Mexico City, yesterday.

Mexico Senate approves SC judge’s resignationAP MEXICO CITY

Mexico’s Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved the highly unusual resignation of a Supreme Court associate justice who previously held numerous high-level government posi-tions, amid an investigation into suspicious bank transfers.

The upper chamber accepted Eduardo Medina Mora’s resignation by a vote of 111-3, with five abstentions.

The vote was required by the constitution, which establishes that resignations from the high court can only happen due to “serious causes.”

Mexican laws do not stip-ulate what such causes may be, and many senators said during deliberations that it was nec-essary to know what motivated Medina Mora’s resignation, but that clarification did not come.

Medina Mora had served just four years of his 15-year term on the Supreme Court.

Reports this summer raised questions about transfers to accounts in the United States and the United Kingdom that allegedly well exceeded Medina

Mora’s declared income, according to the newspaper El Universal.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador already accepted the resignation and said he believes Medina Mora needs to deal with the matter, which is pending with federal prose-cutors. The president also said there should be no assigning of blame until the investigation plays out, and that he had nothing to do with a resignation he said was Medina Mora’s decision alone.

“I did not give instructions for him to be harassed so he would quit,” López Obrador said Monday. “It is an investigation that is with the Attorney Gen-eral’s Office.” Medina Mora has served in multiple Cabinet posts under the three previous admin-istrations and as ambassador to Washington.

López Obrador must now send the Senate a slate of can-didates from which it will pick a candidate to replace Medina Mora on the high court. The president’s Morena party con-trols a majority but will need support from some opposition senators to make the pick.

Colombia’s former president testifies in witness tampering caseREUTERS BOGOTA

Former President Alvaro Uribe testified to Colombia’s supreme court on Tuesday as part of an investigation into whether he participated in witness tampering and bribery.

The private hearing was the first time a former president has been called to testify before the court and marked the latest installment in a long-running feud between right-winger Uribe and leftist senator Ivan Cepeda.

Uribe — a mentor of Pres-ident Ivan Duque and a current senator — could serve time in prison if eventually convicted in the case.

He has repeatedly declared his innocence and questioned the court’s independence.

“I think (the magistrate) will have perceived my respect for justice and my eagerness for the

truth,” Uribe told reporters at the headquarters of his Demo-cratic Center party.

Uribe’s appearance drew both protesters and supporters to the hearing in central Bogota. His testimony had been expected to stretch over several days, but local media reported he answered some 280 ques-tions and would not be called on Wednesday.

In 2012, Uribe accused Cepeda of orchestrating a plot to tie him to right-wing para-military groups during jail visits to former fighters.

But in February 2018 the court, which investigates all criminal matters involving law-makers, said Cepeda had col-lected information as part of his work and had not paid or pres-sured former paramilitaries.

Instead it was Uribe who was at fault, the court said.

The former president’s allies b e g a n n e w w i t n e s s

manipulation efforts even after that February decision, the court said in July 2018.

Uribe — famous for mounting an aggressive military offensive against Marxist guer-rillas during his 2002 to 2010 tenure — and his family have long been accused of links to paramilitaries, but previous investigations have borne little fruit.

Various allies of the former president have been investi-gated or convicted for connec-tions to paramilitaries.

Duque has repeatedly backed Uribe, and Uribe’s party has said the case is a set-up.

In a video posted on Tuesday afternoon the court’s president said only the evidence would influence judges, not support for Uribe from officials or protesters.

Right-wing paramilitary groups, formed in the 1980s to fight leftist rebels, were financed

by drug traffickers, ranchers and landowners.

The groups ruled through terror in many areas, com-mitting massacres, rape and

mass displacements. Some fighters demobilized during Uribe’s tenure, but others founded crime gangs which continue to traffic drugs.

Colombia’s former president Alvaro Uribe speaks during a news conference after a private hearing at Supreme Court of Justice, in Bogota, Colombia. He can serve time in prison if eventually convicted in the case.

Brazil says oil on its beaches ‘likely from Venezuela’REUTERS BRASILIA

Thick petroleum sludge that has been mysteriously washing up on beaches in Brazil is “very likely from Venezuela,” Brazilian Environment Minister Ricardo Salles said yesterday, citing a report by state-run oil firm Petroleo Brasileiro SA.

Salles told a congressional hearing that it appeared a foreign ship navigating near Brazil’s coast caused an oil spill “accidentally or not” that is “enormously difficult to contain.”

For more than a month, Brazilian authorities have been investigating oil of unclear origin washing up across hun-dreds of kilometers of beaches in nine northeastern states. On Monday, Salles said that more than 100 tonnes of oil had already been collected from the coastline since September 2.

The comments from Salles yesterday came as he made the case for Brazil to institute better mechanisms to control oil spills, while defending efforts by envi-ronmental authorities, the mil-itary and other agencies to clean up and investigate the spill.

Mayor in Mexico town chained, dragged in streetAP MEXICO CITY

Prosecutors in southern Mexico said they have arrested 11 men after the mayor of the township of Las Margaritas was chained to the back of a truck and dragged down a street.

Prosecutors in southern Chiapas state said Mayor Jorge Luis Escandón Hernández was apparently not hurt badly in the attack on Tuesday.

They said the demon-strators also caused damage at the town hall. Local media reported they were angry because the town government had not fulfilled a promise to build a road in their hamlet.

The National Guard was patrolling the township after the incident.

Authorities have arrested nearly 700 people in a week of unrest, and dozens of police officers have been injured.


Exhibition and auction of digital Arabiclanterns by VCUarts Qatar at KataraTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Unique designs of re-examined traditional Arabic lanterns by students and professors from MFA in Design program to go on display at Katara Art Center today.

The MFA in Design program at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) will exhibit and auction 18 one-of-a-kind digital glass lamps or “fawanees”, at Katara Art Center, Building 5, from October 10 to October 31.

The exhibition opening and launch of the auction will take place today from 6-8pm, with a 7pm public presentation showing the lamps and an explanation of the processes that went into the making of the lamps. The lamps will be auctioned online, with the winners being notified on October 29. Auction proceeds will be rein-vested by the department to fund future field study project expenses.

The unique and beautiful lamps (fawanees) were designed and made by the graduate students and their professors during an annual field study trip to the United Kingdom. The MFA in Design

program travels each year to conduct an annual field study, a trip the University has built into a dis-tinguishing feature of its program. Each year’s field study culminates with an immersive week-long workshop, where the students and professors produce tangible objects of cultural relevance to Qatar. The workshops foster closer collabo-ration between the students, pro-fessors, artisans and makers.

The 2018-19 MFA field study trip re-examined the traditional Arabic lantern, or “fanoos”, a symbol of festive welcome and safe haven. Each lamp contains a rechargeable battery, a programmable LED light

source, and a unique piece of mold-blown glass.

The inspirations for the lamp designs were as diverse as the stu-dents and professors who created them. They ranged from the capacity of a light source to draw people together to tell stories and share memories, to inosculation - a natural phenomenon where two trees with separate roots meet and grow together in harmony, becoming stronger together.

A “Meet the Artists” event with one-on-one interactive pro-gramming sessions showing how the lamps were created and how they are operated, will take place

on October 24 from 6-8pm at the exhibition space at Building 5 at Katara Art Center. The online auction bidding deadline is October 29 at 8pm, and the highest bidders will be notified shortly afterwards.

The closing reception will take place on October 31, from 6-8pm, with a 7pm awarding of the lamps to the high bidders who have paid - either at VCUarts Qatar’s book-store, or at Katara Art Center at the exhibition closing. High bidders can pay online, at VCUarts Qatar’s bookstore, or at the closing. Lamps will be handed over at the closing reception or afterward by appointment.

The unique designs of re-examined traditional Arabic lanterns.

German National Tourist Office to host roadshow on October 20THE PENINSULA/DOHA

As part of its continued efforts to increase the number of Qatari trav-ellers to Germany, the German National Tourist Office- Gulf coun-tries (GNTO) is hosting a one-day only roadshow in Doha on October 20 together with premium airline partner, Qatar Airways.

Hosted by the German Ambas-sador to Qatar, Hans-Udo Muzel, the B2B roadshow aims at intro-ducing Qatari travel trade

professionals, key opinion leaders and media to the latest tourism attractions, which make Germany a preferred destination for Qatari travellers.

Emphasising the importance of the Qatari market, Nicole Zaspel, Sales & Marketing Manager for the Gulf countries at German National Tourist Office (GNTO), an affiliate of the German National Tourist Board (GNTB), commented: “Qatar offers huge potential for the German tourism industry, and we

are delighted to showcase some of leading German tourism partners to the local travel trade industry in order to facilitate business and to inspire visitors to travel to our wonderful country.”

Ten key GNTO partners will join the road show introducing the Qatari market to vibrant local des-tinations, tour operators, deluxe hotels, medical tourism institutions and luxury shopping outlets. The high-end shopping complexes feature ‘Breuninger Department

Store’; ‘OutletCity Metzingen’ and ‘Ingolstadt & Wertheim Village’, while the outstanding hotel oper-ators cover ‘Excelsior Hotel Ernst’ and ‘Hotel Bayerischer Hof Munich’. The Tour and incentive operators include ‘DMC & MICE Germany’ and ‘Studiosus Incoming Munich’, while the medical tourism providers cover ‘Sana Hospital Group’ and ‘Schoen Clinic’.

The ‘Cologne Tourist Board’ will promote the biggest city on the Rhine to the roadshow attendees.

CROSSWORD

Gemini Man is a 2019 American action thriller film directed by Ang Lee and written by David Benioff, Billy Ray, and Darren Lemke. Starring Will Smith, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Clive Owen.

Note: Programme is subject to change without prior notice.

GEMINI MAN

Katapadi Kattappa (2D/Tulu) 2:30, 5:30, 11:00pmA Shaun The Sheep Movie: Faramageddon (2D/Animation) 2:30pmThe Sky is Pink (2D/Hindi) 4:30 & 11:30pmManoharam (2D/Malayalam) 2:15pm; Gemini Man (2D/Action) 7:00 & 9:15pmJoker (2D/Crime) 7:00pmWar (2D/Hindi) 8:15pm; Petromax (2D/Tamil) 9:15pmAdhya Rathri (2D/Malayalam) 4:30pm;

Manoharam (2D/Malayalam) 11:00am & 6:30pmWar (2D/Hindi) 11:45am, 5:30 & 11:15pmGemini Man (3D/Action) 10:30am, 3:30 & 8;30pm; Gemini Man (2D/Action) 4:00 & 11:30pmAdhya Rathri (2D/Malayalam) 1:30 & 9:00pmThe Sky is Pink (2D/Hindi) 2:45 & 8:30pmJoker (2D/Crime) 1:00, 6:00 & 11:00pm

LANDMARK

AL KHOR

Manoharam (2D/Malayalam) 12:30, 2:45, 5:00, 7:30, 10:00pm & 0:30am, 1:45amAdhya Rathri (2D/Malayalam) 12:30, 3:00, 5:30, 8:00, 10:30pm & 1:00am; Aruvam (2D/Tamil) 12:30, 3:30, 8:45, 11:15pm & 1:45amKatapadi Kattappa (2D/Tulu) 3:00pmWar (2D/Hindi) 6:00pm; The Sky is Pink (2D/Hindi) 6:00pmPetromax (2D/Tamil) 1:00 & 11:30pm

ASIAN TOWN

ROXY

FLIK Mirqab Mall

A Shaun The Sheep Movie: Faramageddon (2D/Animation) 4:30, 8:40

& 12:30pm

Adhya Rathri (2D/Malayalam) 3:00 & 8:30pm;

Abominable (2D/Animation) 2:20 & 6:20pm

Gemini Man (2D/Action) 12:30, 1:00, 5:40, 8:40, 10:50 & 11:10pm

Manoharam (2D/Malayalam) 12:30, 6:00 & 11:30pm

Joker (2D/Crime) 3:00, 3:20, 6:00, 8:10 & 10:50pm

The Sky is Pink (2D/Hindi) 3:10 & 8:40pm

Petromax (2D/Tamil) 12:30, 6:00 & 11:30pm

Abominable (2D/Animation) 11:45am, 1:30, 3:30, 4:10, 6:10 & 7:55pmAd Astra (2D/Adventure) 12:05 & 4:55pmGemini Man (2D/Action) 10:40, 11:10am, 12:20, 1:00, 2:40, 3:20, 5:00, 5:40, 7:20, 8:00, 9:40, 10;20pm & 12:00 midnight.Gemini Man (3D/Action) 11:20am, 1:40, 5:00, 6:20, 8:40 & 11:00pmJoker (2D/Crime) 10;45am, 11:45am, 1:10, 1:45, 2:10, 3:35, 4:35, 6:00, 7:00, 8;25, 9:25, 11:10 & 11:50pmWar (2D/Hindi) 8:10 & 10:50pm

War (2D/Hindi) 2:00 & 11:15pm; A Shaun The Sheep Movie: Faramageddon (2D/Animation) 2:15pm; Adhya Rathri (2D/Malayalam) 2:30 & 11:30pm; Manoharam (2D/Malayalam) 4:00pm; Gemini Man (2D/Action) 5:00, 7:15 & 9:30pm; Joker (2D/Crime) 4:45 & 9:15pmPetromax (2D/Tamil) 7:00pm; The Sky is Pink (2D/Hindi) 6:15 & 8:45pm; Aruvam (2D/Tamil) 11:30pm

ROYAL PLAZA

Manoharam (2D/Malayalam) 2:00pm The Sky is Pink (2D/Hindi) 2:15 & 7:00pm;War (2D/Hindi) 2:15, 6:00 & 8:45pm The Big Trip (2D/Animation) 4:15pm; Adhya Rathri (2D/Malayalam) 4:45 & 11:30pm; Gemini Man (2D/Action) 7:15, 9:30 & 11:30pmJoker (2D/Crime) 5:00 & 9:15pmAruvam (2D/Tamil) 11:30pm

MALL

20 THURSDAY 10 OCTOBER 2019MORNING BREAK

WEATHER TODAY

Courtesy: Qatar Meteorology Department

Minimum Maximum30oC 38oC

HIGH TIDE 03:45 – 14:44 LOW TIDE 08:14 – 22:37

Misty at some places at first becomes rel-

atively hot daytime with slight dust at

times and some clouds, relatively humid

by night.

FAJRSHOROOK

04. 14 AM05. 30 AM

11. 21 AM02.42 PM

05. 14 PM06. 44 PM

ZUHRASR

MAGHRIBISHA

PRAYER TIMINGS Acclaimed Spanish flamenco dancer performs at Katara

RAYNALD C RIVERA THE PENINSULA

Minute details not everyone can see form the essence of flamenco in “Las Pequeñas Cosas” (The Little Things), featuring acclaimed Spanish flamenco dancer Ursula Lopez who mesmerised an august audience with her captivating performance at Katara Opera House on Tuesday.

Bringing Lopez’s more than 25 years of experience onstage, the show was indeed a spectacular showcase of fla-menco — one of Spain’s cul-tural treasures inscribed in Unesco’s Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage

of Humanity. From graceful and delicate twisting of the palms to intense stamping of the feet in perfect rhythm, Lopez unveiled flamenco in its purest form as she delivered an artistic feat everyone in the audience is sure to remember for a long time.

For over an hour, the audience was taken to an exciting journey through various emotions and land-scapes by Lopez accom-panied by Javier Patino on guitar, Raul Dominguez Soto on percussion and Gema Caballero on vocals.

In its strictest sense, fla-menco pertains to an art form tracing its roots to folkloric

music traditions of Andalusia, Extremadura and Murcia in Southern Spain.

It is an artistic expression of a range of feelings and states of mind achieved through the amalgam of song, dance and music performed in different occasions and has been passed on from generation to gener-ation. Over the past two cen-turies, flamenco has witnessed development into more modern musical styles.

“Flamenco is a very important part of Spanish culture. It’s also a dance that has some kind of Arabic influence and which in 2010 was named as a world her-itage treasure,” said Belen

Alfaro, Ambassador of Spain to Qatar.

The ambassador stressed the deep historical connection of Spain with the Arab world and expressed hope the event would further bolster the cul-tural relations between Spain and Qatar.

“Spain has a very rich history of connections with the Arab world. We have many cities in Spain with very important Arabic architecture-in Granada, Cordoba and Seville just to mention a few. I hope this event will help strengthen cultural ties rela-tions between Qatar and Spain,” she said, while thanking Katara for helping

make the event possible.Born in Cordoba, Lopez

began formal dancing training at a young age graduating both in classical Spanish dance and ballet and travelling to Seville to pursue studies in flamenco under the tutelage of great masters.

She has travelled the world performing in major festivals which have been met with great success among critics and audience earning her accolades.

She has featured in shows in various cities in Russia, U k r a i n e , R o m a n i a , Amsterdam, Moldova, Indo-nesia, Vietnam and Malaysia, among others.

Belen Alfaro, Ambassador of Spain to Qatar, speaks before the start of “Las Pequeñas Cosas” flamenco dance show at Katara Opera House on Tuesday. RIGHT: A view of the audience during the show at Katara Opera House.

Barahat Msheireb - the largest open-air covered square in METHE PENINSULA DOHA

Barahat Msheireb is the heart of Msheireb Downtown Doha, the world’s smartest and most sustainable fully built city district, developed by Msheireb Properties.

Barahat Msheireb takes its name from the word “Al Baraha”, which means in Arabic an open space for socialisation and networking. It is developed to be the centre point of the district offering 11 niche retail and al fresco casual and fine dining options, anchored by the Cultural Forum building and the lux-urious Mandarin Oriental,

Doha hotel. This piazza-style square

is the largest open-air covered square in the Middle East fea-turing the biggest retractable roof in the region.

Supported by innovative cool pool systems for circu-lating chilled air, Barahat Msheireb will offer customers the ability to dine outside even during the hottest summer months as well as throughout the year, enabling visitors to frequent and enjoy the square all year round.

Barahat Msheireb is a fan-tastic destination for everyone to stroll and bask in the glory of this historic location in Doha. Outlets have started

opening their doors, as last week witnessed the soft opening of “Sassana”, a res-taurant presenting authentic Qatari dishes with a modern edge.

With a total area of almost 7,000 sqm, Barahat Msheireb is designed to host lively events in collaboration with private and public organisations, attracting people once again to enjoy life at the heart of Msheireb Downtown Doha.

Barahat Msheireb’s state-of-the-art sound and light equipment makes it also a prime location for national celebrations and public and private events.

A view of Barahat Msheireb covered square, with its retractable roof, in Msheireb Downtown Doha.

Female RDI leaders highlight gender equality achievements and obstaclesFAZEENA SALEEM THE PENINSULA

The learning opportunities available in Qatar play a major role to counteract challenges, and education plays a big role in shaping future female leaders in the research, development and innovation (RDI) industry, said experts speaking at a forum yesterday.

Four female leaders in the country highlighted how the country is breaking down gender barriers in education, industry, and the workplace during a panel discussion on ‘How To Create More Female Leaders in RD&I’, organised by the Qatar Foundation at Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP).

Dr Jehan Al Rayahi, Attending Pediatric Neuroradi-ologist at Sidra Medicine; Dr Sara Abdulla, Research Fellow, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI); Hayfa Al Abdullah, Director Innovation, QSTP; and Lana Khalaf, Country General Manager Microsoft, shared their thoughts and experiences during the discussion.

Dr Sudsan Dun, Associate Professor in Residence, North-western University in Qatar, moderated the discussion which highlighted gender equality

achievements and obstacles. Dr Al Rayahi, who was part

of the first batch of students to join Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar in 2002, said, “The oppor-tunity to get international stranded education in Qatar plays a big role as women will not need to travel abroad for studies. If I had graduated in 2001, I would have had to go to a medical school outside Qatar; however, Weill Cornell

Medicine-Qatar opened up the year I finished school.

“I did my residency at Hamad Medical Corporation, during which it got ACGME-I accreditation. I was lucky that every step of the way, I got the best education here in my country, with the support of my family,” she added.

The discussion also saw speakers talk about the impor-tance of encouraging more

women to become scientists, researchers, and tech entrepreneurs.

Al Abdullah, who started her career in the IT sector fifteen years ago, said that support in workplace is vital for women to continue their career.

“I was female, in a male-dominated sector, and the youngest team member. However, I managed to become a section head in this sector by

the age of 28, and that was because of the belief and support I received from my man-agement,” she said.

“Today, I am proud to say that I am part of a team with 50 percent female representation in QSTP, not just administrative staff, but experts in energy, envi-ronment and health sciences. At QSTP, we are a supportive organisation, we empower people to create technology startups, and we empower women to engage in such sectors,” she added.

Khalaf — Country General Manager at Microsoft, one of the international technology com-panies based at QSTP — also highlighted the role of lead-ership within the workplace and about Microsoft’s policy of intentional hiring, which means that females are given fair opportunities and considered for every role.

The discussion was held as part of the ‘Catalyzing The Future’ campaign, which is high-lighting QSTP’s efforts and achievements over the past decade and the importance of research, development, and innovation to Qatar. Female par-ticipation in STEM fields in Qatar is double that of the US, according to the Qatar-America

Institute’s Women Leadership Factsheet published in November 2018. But ‘leaky pipeline’ — the drop off of women going from education to industry is similar in Qatar as elsewhere in the world. Abdulla, who is involved in research on Autism Spectrum Disorder at QBRI, shed light on opportunities for self-devel-opment for women which exist beyond the school and university environment in Qatar.

“The support and opportu-nities are available at every stage. At educational level and at work, I don’t feel I am denied of any opportunity because I am a female,” she told The Peninsula

“Women should remember what inspired them and carry the inspiration all the way. Because down the line, women face obstacles , especially when they become a mother – it’s a point which creates dropouts and here comes the leaky pipeline. Women need to realise that being a mother and keeping the career are equally important,” she said.

“It is our responsibility to break the stereotype created about women. It should happen from home, I teach my son to value career women and to my daughter to break the stereotype created by a large number of people,” she added.

Dr Sudsan Dun, Associate Professor in Residence at Northwestern University in Qatar; Dr Sara Abdulla, Research Fellow, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute; Hayfa Al Abdullah, Director Innovation, Qatar Science & Technology Park; Dr Jehan Al Rayahi, Attending Pediatric Neuroradiologist at Sidra Medicine; and Lana Khalaf, Country General Manager Microsoft, during a panel discussion on ‘How to Create More Female Leaders in RD&I’ organised by the Qatar Foundation at QSTP, yesterday. PIC: ABDUL BASIT/THE PENINSULA

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